Seeing a star fruit (or starfruit) in the grocery store can be a little intimidating or seem ‘too exotic’ if you’ve never sliced and eaten one your self, but don’t be scared, it’s delicious and easy. Follow this step-by-step, no-fail method of slicing and creating beautiful dishes with the starfruit. They are a cheap fruit in Costa Rica, but well worth the price in the United States too.

It’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll leave The Waffle Place more than just full, but completely satisfied. I always get the waffle with creamy bacon and mushroom sauce over a fried egg, but they also have an amazing lunch menu complete with soups in a sourdough bread bowl. The Waffle Place in Escazú has mastered the combination of sweet and savory on top of a Belgium Waffle.

The place is pretty non-descript, but has a blue sign saying BUBBA’S with a marlin on it. No matter what you see on that menu, get the fish taco, all the way. That includes fresh grilled Mahi, cabbage, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, lime and a large dose of delicious! They come with a buttered ‘elote’ or corn-on-the-cob and don’t forget to order the fresh cut french fries and a lemonade.

The Pavas farmers market is the place for cheap food in Costa Rica. Everything isn’t priced lower than the grocery stores, so be careful to take note of prices, but the majority of the food is fresh, cheap and delicious.

Empanadas are something my husband and I regularly lust after and following a failed attempt at cooking our own, we tried a highly recommended place in San Pedro, Costa Rica just east of San Jose. Donde El Ché is the name of the joint and it’s specialties include empanadas Argentina-style and a chimichurri that will make you want to slap your mama (I’ve been trying to work that in somewhere). But seriously, these are definitely the best empanadas you’ll find north of Argentina.

After being recommended by a friend in the neighborhood, we were led on the search for cheap food in Pavas, San Jose, Costa Rica. The bar’s name is Jettsy and looks like your typical Costa Rican bar on the corner but the food is extraordinary. It’s an open air restaurant, similar to the others around the country, with TV’s over the bar, rustic wood tables, plants everywhere you look and an attentive waitstaff (which is tough to find, mind you).

Chain restaurant Rustico boasts a special for arroz con pollo for 1,000 colones. Now that’s cheap food.

Since living in San Jose, Costa Rica and working in the Sabana area, the Flor de Loto Chinese restaurant just South of the Subway in Sabana Norte has quickly become a company favorite.

It can be quite a challenge to find fine-quality meats at a reasonable price in Costa Rica, especially beef. Don Fernando carnicería (butcher shop) is the place to go in San Jose, Costa Rica for the best meat money can buy.

Ignored and then banned from therealcostarica.com site and forums after posting relevant restaurant content about two places in San Jose, Costa Rica. Was www.cheapfoodhere.com wrong?