Spanish Terms for Visiting a Soda
Walking into a Costa Rican soda – those small, family-run diners dotted across towns and villages – is one of the easiest ways to step straight into real local life. Between volcano day trips, surf sessions, wildlife watching and checking out property or business opportunities, you’re never far from a soda serving hearty, home-style food at very fair prices. Learn a handful of key Spanish words and suddenly your Costa Rica adventures, culture, entertainment, wildlife excursions, real estate scouting and business meetings all come with proper, flavourful fuel. This guide gives you the words you need so you can order confidently and enjoy Costa Rican food the way Ticos do every day.
What is a soda in Costa Rica?
A soda in Costa Rica is a small, often family-run restaurant serving traditional home-style dishes at affordable prices. You’ll see them in city neighbourhoods, small towns and along rural roads, usually with a simple menu board and a few tables.
Typical features of a soda include:
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A daily casado special with rice, beans and your choice of protein
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Fresh fruit juices (frescos naturales) made to order
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Breakfast plates built around gallo pinto (rice and beans)
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Friendly, relaxed service where nobody is in a rush
If you can handle a short list of Spanish food words, you’ll never go hungry in Costa Rica.
What Spanish words help me order classic main dishes?
You’ll mostly see simple, repeated dishes, so learning a few names covers a lot of menus.
Some of the most common mains are:
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arroz con camarones – rice cooked with prawns and seasonings, often served with a side of chips for a bit of crunch
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arroz con pollo – a comforting dish of rice cooked with shredded chicken and vegetables, typically plated with refried beans and chips
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casado – the iconic Costa Rican plate: white rice, black or red beans, your choice of protein (often chicken, pork or fish), a cooked vegetable, a small salad and usually a fruit drink included
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olla de carne – a slow-cooked beef and root vegetable soup, traditionally a Sunday meal, with large chunks of yucca, carrot, potato and plantain in a rich broth
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picadillo – a finely diced mixture of potatoes, chayote squash or green plantain, sautéed in a light sauce and usually served as a side next to rice and beans
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plátano maduro – ripe, sweet plantain slices, pan-fried or baked until caramelised on the edges
Learn these few names and you can scan a menu board and know exactly what kind of plate will land in front of you.
What should I order for a typical Costa Rican breakfast?
A traditional Costa Rican breakfast almost always starts with gallo pinto, eggs and coffee.
Look for these words on the breakfast section:
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gallo pinto – black or red beans cooked together with rice, coriander and spices; the backbone of the Costa Rican breakfast table
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huevos revueltos – scrambled eggs, usually simply seasoned and sometimes served with a little cheese or herbs
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huevo frito – a fried egg, often sunny-side up
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huevo picado – scrambled eggs chopped and cooked with sautéed onions, and occasionally peppers or tomato for extra flavour
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natilla – Costa Rican-style sour cream, smooth and slightly tangy, spooned over gallo pinto or spread on a warm tortilla
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tortilla – a thick, soft corn flour flatbread, often homemade and served warm from the plancha
Put any combination of gallo pinto, eggs, natilla and tortillas on one plate and you have a perfect start to a day of exploring beaches, rainforests or city streets.
Which snacks and sides make the meal feel properly Tico?
Adding a couple of small extra dishes turns a basic plate into a full Costa Rican experience.
Keep an eye out for:
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choreada – a fresh corn pancake, sometimes slightly sweet, sometimes more savoury, topped with natilla or melted cheese
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queso frito – slices of firm white cheese pan-fried until golden on the outside and soft in the middle, brilliant as a side or little snack
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tortilla – beyond breakfast, these corn tortillas show up all day as a side or a base to pile food on
Order one or two of these along with your main dish and you’ll quickly understand why locals linger over lunch at the same spot day after day.
What should I order to drink at a soda?
The most typical drink at a soda is a fresco natural, a fresh fruit juice blended to order.
When you see fresco natural or simply fresco, you’re usually choosing from seasonal fruits such as:
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Watermelon (sandía)
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Pineapple (piña)
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Passion fruit (maracuyá)
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Soursop (guanábana)
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Mango (mango)
You can normally ask for it:
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con agua – with water, lighter and more refreshing
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con leche – with milk, creamier and more filling
It’s a simple way to sample Costa Rica’s incredible fruit while you cool off from the heat.
How do these soda words fit into the bigger Costa Rica experience?
Learning a few soda terms gives you a practical link to Costa Rica’s wider lifestyle – from adventure to business.
Being comfortable with the menu means you can:
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Grab a quick, affordable meal between surf sessions or canopy tours
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Sit with locals watching football on the TV while you wait for your casado
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Talk property or business over a relaxed lunch in a neighbourhood spot instead of a touristy restaurant
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Refuel after wildlife walks or long drives with a hot olla de carne or a big plate of arroz con pollo
Sodas aren’t just about food; they’re mini community hubs where you feel the rhythm of everyday Costa Rican life.
FAQ: Spanish terms for visiting a soda in Costa Rica
Do I need to speak fluent Spanish to eat at a soda?
No, you only need a handful of words. Pointing at the menu, saying the dish name and adding “por favor” is usually enough, and staff are used to visitors.
Are sodas cheaper than regular restaurants?
Yes, sodas are generally very budget-friendly, especially for full plates like casados that include rice, beans, protein and a drink.
Can I find vegetarian options at a soda?
Yes, many sodas will offer vegetarian casados with eggs, cheese or extra vegetables, and you can always order sides like gallo pinto, picadillo and plátano maduro.
Is it OK to linger at a table after I finish eating?
Usually yes. Sodas tend to be relaxed places where locals chat over coffee, as long as you’re respectful and it’s not extremely busy.
A few Spanish food words and the courage to step through the door of a humble-looking soda will reward you with some of the most honest, satisfying meals in Costa Rica. From surfers and backpackers to business travellers and would-be property owners, everyone eventually discovers that the real taste of the country isn’t in fancy hotel restaurants but in these small dining rooms filled with the smell of rice, beans and freshly made frescos.
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