Soda Buffet El Estero — Restaurant in Tamarindo

This place… It is so clean. You walk in and it has the atmosphere of attentive friendliness, and the food tastes like the most awesome grandma you can imagine made it. You can see all the options for the day, choose what you want, and they serve it for you. You pay cash, preferably small bills. You are given an option between the fresh juices. I had Cas for the first time and it was sweet tangy greatness. You sit outside under the shade of the roof or the big tree at small, modern wooden tables. There’s salt, pepper and napkins available. I love that the dishes and cups are glass rather than plastic or paper.

Maybe you pet banjo the calm, sweet dog. You eat your big plate of delicious food and think “How am I so lucky? I am definitely coming back.” The owner has an eye for detail and an intuition for what will make it a great...

If you are looking to eat authentic Costa Rican cuisine then you must stop at Soda Buffet El Estero. The Casado is amazing! There are so many types of salads and sides to choose from; I loved the beet salad and the mixed greens with their home made passion fruit dressing. For protein, I chose their made-to-order mahi mahi tuna which was delicious (but their chicken fajita option is also very tasty, which I got to try on my second visit). The dish comes with a drink which is a fresh juice made in-house as well. To top it off, Eric the owner is a really cool guy; super friendly, engaging and genuine. His dog banjo is also super cute :-) one thing I will say if you plan to visit is to make sure you bring cash because they do not accept credit card; 4000-5000 colones depending on what you order will have you covered. Muchas...

This is a legit local soda serving locally sourced and fresh ingredients. Chicken, beef stew, pork chop, panko breaded mahi mahi, variety of salad, potatoes, beans and rice and my wives fave, plantains and yuccas as well. Wife and I stopped in at 11am when they opened and were blown away with how friendly and helpful Erick was. He helped us understand the culinary art of his craft. Eric made the food even more desirable after getting our plate and hearing his love and passion for clean food. Erick said to just pay cash when your done. Nobel and trusting. Freshly squeezed fruit juice, no soda or softdrinks.

I will have to say, I'm going back for round 2 before I leave Tamarindo.

Kudos Chef 💁‍♂️🎩 tip my...