Not the soda pop, but the restaurant. Sodas are family-owned, small restaurants that serve traditional Costa Rican food. Think of it as the equivalent of an American diner. Sodas across Costa Rica have similar menus, prices, and delicious meals.
In sodas, you’ll find breakfasts of coffee, gallo pinto, scrambled eggs, and plantain. Lunch plates are called casado, which is rice, black beans, plantains, salad, and a protein such as fish or chicken. Casado usually comes with a juice too, such as mora (blackberry) or fresa (strawberry). All of it is affordable, healthy, and tasty. Dinners at sodas offer more variety but many include the above ingredients.
Sodas are an important part of the culture here and you’ll get to experience them along the Camino. Depending on how you organize your trip, you’ll eat at them often or just occasionally. Either way you’ll find the people that run them inviting, friendly, and helpful.
