‘Casado’ is a Spanish term that means ‘married’, and that is exactly what the plate is; a marriage of deliciousness! The Casado is comidas tipicas at its finest!
Traditionally it is named Casado because it is what Costa Rica wives packed for lunch for their husbands when they were the only ones that worked in the family in the early years.
They are served here far and wide in just about every restaurant and are usually the best deal on the menu.
It will usually cost about 2,800-3,500 Colones which comes out to roughly $7. A McDonald’s Value meal costs around $6 and a heart attack. When given the choice, I’ll take the Casado anyday!
What is a Casado?
At the base of every Casado is salty black beans and rice, a salad and sweet fried plantain. It is sometimes served with an egg and some sort of potato or vegetable. To this you may chose your meat of choice:
Pollo – Chicken (my personal fave)
Chuleto – Pork
Carne – Beef
Pescado – Fish
Now this may sound very simple and it is, but each and every bite will leave you wanting more.
Beans And Rice Didn’t Miss Her
Apparently I am not the only one who goes gaga for beans and rice. J Lo, a proud Puerto Rican loves her some beans and rice. She even has a published Chicken, Rice and Beans recipe which you can check out here. Eva Longoria is also a rice and beans lover who claims she still loves frijoles for breakfast. I overheard that eating this Latin American staple will also make you dance better….Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie! Here in Costa Rica and most of the Latin American countries – Curvy is In!
Costa Rica’s Best Casado
1. Arenal – The place with the Bull in front of it on the road from La Fortuna towards Tabacon. They serve it with mouth watering garlic bread and they have some of the best grilled meat we have had.
2. San Jose Area – La Fonda de Estancia – near the Butterfly Garden (La Finca Mariposa). They serve a delicious black bean dip before your food comes which makes me smile! They use wood grilling which gives it that smokey yet mountain flavor.
3. Poas Volcano Area – El Sabor de Montana – On the road up to the Volcano across from a Super of some sort. Also featuring the wood grilling with a mountain interior. But what really sells it is the Maple Syrup Plaintains…YUMMY!
4. Tamarindo – Hotel Diria – My friend Wamby highly recommends it after living in Tamarindo for 3 months. Although it hasn’t had the Frasco seal of approval, I trust Wamby’s food sense and will have to hit it up for lunch soon!
That’s why I say…Give me a Casado and we’ll call it even.
Costa Rica car rental can make or break your trip to this gorgeous Central American country. Without a car, you’re going to spend most of your time chained to tour companies or clipping your toenails at the hotel pool. With a car, you’ll have the freedom to explore the jungles, take exciting side trips, and see the best of 
It was my first time on AeroMexico and as the eater I am, I like to judge the airline by its food offerings. As we were only served snacks on both our flights to Mexico City and to San Jose, my judgement may be a bit one-sided. They served us a grilled cheese and ham sandwich with a variation of frijoles. It was a good sandwich, which means, I will fly them again… 
We just bought our plane tickets to Costa Rica. Needless to say, we’re super excited!