Nearly every Tico we encountered on our trip said that La Esquina is one of the best restaurants in San Jose, so we made sure to say yes to a 9:30 p.m. reservation (the only available) on our last night in San Jose. You wouldn’t stumble on La Esquina, tucked as it is in a rundown block just a shade outside the tourist sphere around the National Theater. But once inside, it’s a rich haven for carnivores, all red leather and Argentine cuts of beef. We started with Manhattans, which were old-school and stiffly refreshing. We ate empanadas—highly recommended—and chased them with a hefty skirt steak. Funniest highlight: Smitten, we tried to order another round of empanadas to which our server replied “No, I don’t think so, that is probably too much [food].”

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You Should Definitely Eat Argentinian Steak in Costa Rica

Nearly every Tico we encountered on our trip said that La Esquina is one of the best restaurants in San Jose, so we made sure to say yes to a 9:30 p.m. reservation (the only available) on our last night in San Jose. You wouldn’t stumble on La Esquina, tucked as it is in a rundown block just a shade outside the tourist sphere around the National Theater. But once inside, it’s a rich haven for carnivores, all red leather and Argentine cuts of beef. We started with Manhattans, which were old-school and stiffly refreshing. We ate empanadas—highly recommended—and chased them with a hefty skirt steak. Funniest highlight: Smitten, we tried to order another round of empanadas to which our server replied “No, I don’t think so, that is probably too much [food].”

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