Right on the sand at Playa Herradura — just a few minutes north of Jacó — Soda Bahía, also known as Bahía Herradura Grill & Seafood, is one of those spots that does it all: a casual roadside soda for a cheap granizado and a quick bite, and a proper rustic-chic grill and seafood restaurant with the bay right across the street. As your local private chef, when guests out in Herradura want fresh ceviche and ocean views without going far, this is one of our go-to answers. Here's the rundown.
A beachfront spot with serious charm
Don't let the word "soda" fool you — this place has been done up beautifully. It's a big open-air room under a timber-and-tin roof, with a live tree growing right up through it, woven pendant lamps, rope-wrapped posts and tropical plants everywhere. One side opens straight to the beach road, so you're looking out at the calm Bahía Herradura bay and the boats while you eat. Roomy, breezy and relaxed — a great pick for a group.
The food: fresh ceviche, seafood & Tico breakfasts
The kitchen leans into fresh Pacific seafood, and the menu (prices in colones, taxes included) is genuinely good value. A few highlights:
- Ceviches — passion-fruit & yellowfin tuna ceviche ₡5,500; mixed salpicón ceviche ₡5,000; a trío de ceviches (fish, spicy shrimp & salpicón) ₡6,000.
- Tacos — breaded fish tacos ₡5,500; shrimp tacos ₡6,500; Pacific rock lobster tacos ₡10,000.
- Platters & grill — fried chicken wings ₡4,900; a mixed "tablita" to share ₡11,900; whole Caribbean-style fried red snapper in coconut sauce ₡12,000; the full mariscada (fish, shrimp, octopus, clam, crab, squid & lobster in garlic butter) ₡14,900.
- Crispy fish burger — with cheddar, jalapeño, coleslaw & onion rings ₡5,950.
They also do a full Tico breakfast — gallo pinto típico ₡4,900, American breakfast ₡4,900, omelettes ₡4,900, huevos rancheros ₡4,900 — plus treats like a chocolate brownie (₡3,500) and granizados (shaved ice) for just ₡1,500.
Good to know
Where: on the beach road at Playa Herradura, a few minutes north of Jacó, Costa Rica — across from the sand, near the Auto Mercado, POPS and La Puesta del Sol in Herradura. What it is: casual soda + beachfront grill & seafood, roomy and group-friendly, great value. Prices shown are from the posted menu (taxes included) and can change — if you're bringing a crowd, message us and we'll help you set it up.
Beach lunch out, dinner in — let us cook at the villa
Here's where we come in. A fresh ceviche lunch at Soda Bahía is a perfect midday move on a villa trip — and for the main event, let us handle it. As your private chef in Jacó, we cook a fresh dinner right at your rental and clean up after, so a beach lunch out and a chef dinner in makes the whole day easy. Hosting a wedding week in Jaco Beach? See our Jacó wedding planning guide and our Bahía Herradura area guide for everything around the bay.