La Choza de Laurel

My husband and I wanted to 'eat local'. La Choza was recommended by several people and did not disappoint. Open air restaurant with functional picnic style tables La Choza can serve 2 or a busload. The restaurant was busy but not crowded on the night we dined and the crowd was a mix of tourists and locals. The specialty here is wood grilled and rotisserie meats with abundant sides of grilled vegetables, fried yucca and of course pinto gallo. Drinks were reasonably priced and good sized. Dinner was capped with spectacular coffee brewed table side.

We drove into Fortuna after our trip to the nearby Ecotermales hot springs and although we were loose limbed and half asleep - the meal was delicious!

You have to try a batido at some point on your trip - which is a thick shake, usually fruit of some sort. The mango batido will not disappoint you here. We split the nachos (excellent) and an Arenal Sandwich, which involved chicken, cheese and bacon and although it was not authentic tico cuisine, it totally hit the spot. Great meal for a good price.

Food was ok .. maybe we ordered the wrong items because alot of people do rave about this place. Or maybe we went on the wrong day because the servers were very serious and non-welcoming they did enjoy hang out in clusters amongst themselves. The decor though is very nice and traditional.

The dinners served at the resort we stayed at were so dismal we started asking locals where to go. We were told La Choza de Laurel by three people so that was where we headed. This restaurant is fabulous! The ambiance is worth the visit and the delicious cuisine will have you coming back for more! The steaks that were cooked in the giant smoker were out of this world - Lomo a la Parrilla. The arroz con pollo was a big hit at our table as well as the Pina Coladas that are served in pineapples! Service was impeccable and the food presentation was outstanding. The 6 year old had plenty of options and the adults were more then satisfied.