El Lagarto Steak House & Seafood

We chose this restaurant because they offer grilled food and have a beautiful beachfront location. Unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing. We ordered one appetizer and two main courses, but the service was extremely slow. Our appetizer arrived after 45 minutes. When we asked about the delay, we were told they had to serve 26 other people as well—an unfortunate and unprofessional response to give a customer. The main courses arrived about 1.5 hours after we sat down. On top of the long wait, the food itself was very bland and lacked flavor. Considering the prices, the quality and service were not worth it. Sadly, despite the nice location, we would not recommend this restaurant.

El Lagarto was recommended to us by our house manager, and it ended up being our favorite meal in Sámara. We both ordered the ribeye steak and it was cooked perfectly- tender, flavorful, and seasoned just right. The sides (potato, tomato and zucchini) were just as delicious as the steak, which is saying a lot! The service made the experience even better..Stephanie and Nadia were so sweet and friendly, making us feel completely at home. Highly recommend El Lagarto for anyone visiting Sámara. We can’t wait to come back!

I had a very disappointing experience at El Lagarto, which is located on the beach in Sámara. The food had an unpleasant lighter fluid flavor, suggesting the wood used might have been impregnated with some fuel. The calamari and shrimp were undercooked and inedible, and the meat and vegetables had an off taste. Additionally, the napkins smelled like bathroom disinfectant, and the grilled pineapple dessert tasted chemical. This was one of the worst meals I’ve had in Costa Rica, and it was around $80 per person, totaling a bit under $160 for two, which is noticeably pricey for the area. The only redeeming factor was the kind and pleasant waiter named Steven. Unfortunately, this poor experience seems to be a common theme in other reviews.