Restaurants

Meet one of the owners (above) of Woodstock Burgers in Surf Side, Potrero, Costa Rica. Her and her husband founded this restaurant.  He wanted to name it after Woodstock, the famous festival in the 1960’s since he was not able to go to it and always wanted to.  She found Woodstock is also a bird from Peanuts.  Having been trained as a chef in Europe, she is a fantastic cook.  She also started Carpe Diem, a breakfast restaurant also in Potrero. With the help of another family member, they founded this burger place. These burgers are absolutely delicious!  One of the cooks, who is also family, actually studied how to make the proper burger from YouTube. He got it right proving you can learn how to do pretty much anything on Youtube.      

Gritanga is a food truck by the Potrero Brewery across from Las Perlas in Surf Side Costa Rica.  It is a good kind of fast food taco place.  These are Nicaragua food tacos, not Mexican.   Location: Route 911 El Garden,Potrero Costa Rica  Open 12 noon till 8:30pmClosed Tuesdays Gritanga on Instagram Listing on Trip Advisor Listing on Happy Cow We have tried their quesadillas, brisket tacos, chicken tacos and Guacamole and Chips.  We enjoyed it all except the chicken tacos, which were a bit dry.   Another place for delicious tacos in Potrero is Repartios https://youtu.be/0E2xx7z22WA Surfside is a charming and popular vacation and residential community located in Playa Potrero, on the Pacific Gold Coast of the Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. It is known for offering a relaxed, “Pura Vida” lifestyle, with easy access to beautiful beaches and a thriving expatriate community. Here are the key details about Surfside:   Location and Vibe   Part of Playa Potrero: Surfside, formerly known as Surfside Estates, makes up the southern outskirts of the town of Potrero. Beaches: It is situated on Potrero Bay. The local beach, Playa Potrero, has dark sand mixed with coral sands. The bay is sheltered, making the water generally calm and excellent for swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, and kayaking. It’s also famous for year-round Pacific sunsets. Community: It’s a small, accessible residential development popular with expats, featuring a mix of affordable rentals, condos, and luxury homes, many within walking distance of the beach and local amenities. The streets are generally quiet and lined with towering Guanacaste trees. Pura Vida: The lifestyle is very relaxed and slow-paced, celebrating the Costa Rican philosophy of “Pure Life.” Many friendly locals and businesses speak English.   Things to Do and Amenities   Dining and Shopping: Surfside has a lively, small main street packed with restaurants, bars, shops, and tour agencies. Nearby Beaches: It serves as a great home base for exploring other famous Guanacaste beaches, including: Playa Flamingo: Just five minutes south, known for its fine white sand and the new Marina Flamingo. Playa Penca: Separated from Playa Potrero by a mountain jutting into the ocean. Playa Prieta: A lesser-known beach with light tan sand, clear water, and good shade, perfect for swimming and boogie boarding. Playa Conchal & Playa Brasilito. Activities: The area offers a variety of excursions, including boat rides along the coastline, tours to the Catalina or Bat Islands for diving and snorkeling, horseback riding, and sport fishing from the new Flamingo Marina. Real Estate: The area is a growing real estate market, with beachfront estates, luxury homes, and commercial properties.   Climate   Temperature: The average annual temperature is around 80.3°F (26.8°C). Rainy Season: The rainy season (or “green season”) lasts from May through October, but Guanacaste experiences a lighter version of it compared to the rest of Costa Rica. September and October see the heaviest downpours.

Tne Reparito House in Potrero Costa Rica  is right behind Casa Del Sol Resort, where our Beach Condo is located.  It is known for delicious Mexican food made from the owner’s mother’s recipes.   Food like the owner’s Mother used to make.  Trip Advisor Reviews Check out their FaceBook Page Check out their Website Don’t go on Wednesdays, it is not open.  Their  hours are noon until 8pm. Our favorite foods there is the bowl, I like to add the steak.  My husband craves the tacos with a fried cheese shell, super delicious! To drink, the Kombuchas are good and the Sangria with wine, sprite, and pineapple is light and refreshing.  The litre will get you 4 glasses.  Outside there is also a free book library – bring a book, take a book.    Another similar Mexican restaurant in Surf Side is Gritanga.  It is a food truck by Potrero Brewery. 

We love Indian food, this restaurant, Tandoor, is about a 10 minute drive from our condo in Surf Side.  We always try to come here whenever we are in town. I just love their Butter chicken, their paypaya, mango salad, garlic naan bread and the free sauces they give you.  Everything is so delicious and fresh tasting.  Nothing is over spicy, unless you ask for it to be.  Happy hour is noon-5pm.  There is a pool you can swim in.  I like the ambiance of that restaurant.  It has changed hands a few times.  Unfortunately there is no beach view, but you will not get wet in the rain. They have a really extensive menu that you can check out at their website.  Also, they have 3 locations in Costa Rica. Reviews on Trip Advisor Tandoor Website

A must do on our trips to Potrero is the Beach house.  We like to go for happy hour and stay for the sunset. They have delicious grilled fish there. This restaurant is in Surf Side about 2 miles from our condo. The view is beautiful over looking the Flamingo Marina.   The Beach House Website . Formerly a private residence, The Beach House has been transformed into a quaint restaurant and bar, renown for its fresh Seafood and equally excellent American fare. Located directly on Playa Potrero, The Beach House offers awesome daytime and nighttime views of the Pacific Ocean, interrupted only by some of the most spectacular sunsets the area has to offer. Open daily 11:00 am – 9:00 pm.

Gracia at Mar Vista is one of our favorite restaurants in the Flamingo area. Not only is the food delicious, but it boasts one of the most beautiful sunset views. From our condo drive South on 911 to 180, it is about 4 miles away, just a little past Flamingo. Bring your bathing suit and towel, relax at their infinity pool after lunch or before dinner, or just hang out and enjoy a drink at their swim up bar. You will need to make dinner reservations, they start at 5pm. Make a reservation on WhatsApp – 506-6110-1687, or through their website – RESERVE FOR GRACIA. Gracia is open Monday – Sunday from 12:00pm until their last seating at 8:30pm. Our experience from March 2025: We arrived around 4pm, an hour before our dinner reservation at 5pm. We ordered a drink at the pool bar and met some new friends from Canada in the pool. There are plenty of friendly people to talk to from Costa Rica or traveling to the area from all over the World. For dinner, I had the Steak Diane, my husband had the Seabass, both entree items we highly recommend. Our dinner friends had the steak as well, and the tuna plate. Another dinner couple enjoyed small plate tapas. Finishing our dining experience we enjoyed a key lime pie and our friends had a pecan pie, their favorite.

Yum Gelato, and right across from our Condo complex!  Super delicious, lots of flavors to choose from.  Perfect after a hot day of hanging at the beach. We always like to get our Gelato at night on our way to watch the sunset.  I am currently working my way through all the flavors.  I have not decided on my favorite flavor, they are all so good!

Me Gusta Pizza is right behind Casa Del Sol.   The owners are relatively new, from January 2025.  They kept the same taste and menu as the last owners. This pizza is delicious, like they make in Italian style; thin, foldable, with a thick crust.  We tried just sausage pizza.  I must admit their sausage is unique, we really liked it.  We also had a caprese salad, it was okay,  the tomatoes were not quite ripe.  Pizza cost about 7000 colones (about $14), salad about $12.   A glass a wine is about $7. The Friday night we went they had a real good singer/song writer play.  He had a bit of a following.