Soda Soy Tico: Is It Worth a Stop in Santa Teresa?

Is Soda Soy Tico Worth a Stop in Santa Teresa, or Only for Playa Hermosa?

Soda Soy Tico is worth a stop if you're staying in Playa Hermosa or on Santa Teresa's north end, where Google rates it 4.9 in a 2026 survey of local sodas. It's not worth a special drive from central Santa Teresa, since closer sodas match it on price and portion size.

A soda, in Costa Rican terms, is a family-run kitchen built around the casado: rice, black beans, salad, fried plantain, and a choice of protein. Soda Soy Tico is one of three sodas commonly named in Santa Teresa coverage, and the only one of the three sitting in Playa Hermosa rather than central town.

The bigger factor is geography. Soda Soy Tico sits in Playa Hermosa, the beach most surf schools use for first lessons, a drive the same 2026 survey puts at roughly 10 to 15 minutes from the cruce at the center of Santa Teresa. If you're already in Hermosa, it's an easy, well-reviewed lunch. If you're based in central Santa Teresa or Playa Carmen, Soda Tiquicia and Soda Pura Vida sit closer and give up little on portion size or price.

For a north-end stay, Soda Soy Tico ranks among the stronger casado options on the peninsula. For everyone else, treat it as a solid backup rather than a destination meal.

Where Is Soda Soy Tico, and How Far Is It From the Cruce?

Soda Soy Tico sits in Playa Hermosa, at the plus-code address JRQP+GQ2 in Puntarenas Province, according to Wanderlog's profile for the restaurant and matching coordinates on the restaurant's own directory listing. A 2026 survey of Santa Teresa sodas puts it roughly 10 to 15 minutes by road from the cruce at the center of Santa Teresa.

That places it north of Playa Carmen and the main restaurant strip, closer to Banana Beach than to the sodas clustered around town. The distance matters more than it sounds: ten to fifteen minutes on Santa Teresa's side roads plays out differently depending on whether you're driving a rental or working around a shuttle schedule, and whether you actually need a car for that stretch depends on where you're staying and what else is on the day's list. For a Playa Hermosa stay, it's a convenient, close-by stop. For a central Santa Teresa base, it's a deliberate detour.

What Are Soda Soy Tico's Hours, Including Sundays?

Soda Soy Tico opens at 8:00 AM and runs until 10:00 PM Monday through Saturday, with a later 10:00 AM start on Sunday, according to the restaurant's own directory listing. The listed contact number, +506 6323 6605, is confirmed on both that listing and Wanderlog's profile for the restaurant.

The Sunday start rules it out as an early-breakfast option once a week, and even on weekdays, 8:00 AM comes after the sunrise-surf-session breakfast window some visitors want. It works better as a lunch or dinner stop. The kitchen runs the full afternoon and evening every day, more coverage than some central Santa Teresa sodas offer. Wanderlog notes that people typically spend about 10 minutes at the restaurant, consistent with a quick-turnover soda built for ordering and eating rather than lingering.

How Much Does a Casado Cost at Soda Soy Tico?

A casado at Soda Soy Tico runs 4,000 to 6,000 colones, about $7.50 to $11, in the same general price band as other Santa Teresa sodas, according to a September 2026 survey of local soda pricing. A fresh fruit juice adds 1,500 to 2,000 colones in that same survey.

Soy Tico isn't cheaper or pricier than its neighbors on the strip. It has a reputation for bigger plates at the same price, per that survey's review notes.

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What Should You Order at Soda Soy Tico?

Order garlic shrimp or chicken fajitas if you want the dishes sources mention most at Soda Soy Tico. Casado pescado and the fresh fruit juices are the safer standard picks. Wanderlog and a 2026 survey of Santa Teresa sodas both point to these dishes pulling ahead of the standard rice-beans-plantain plate, and portion size comes up in nearly every mention of the restaurant.

1. Garlic shrimp. Named repeatedly in reviews collected by that 2026 survey as one of the dishes driving the restaurant's rating.
2. Chicken fajitas. Wanderlog lists this alongside garlic shrimp as a flavorful standout beyond the basic plate.
3. Casado pescado. The fish version of the standard casado, called out specifically in Wanderlog's menu notes.
4. Spaghetti with red sauce. An unusual find on a soda menu, and one Wanderlog flags as a popular order.
5. Fresh fruit juices. Wanderlog recommends the fruit drinks directly, and the 2026 survey notes smoothies among its review themes.

The through-line is portion size. That survey describes Soy Tico as having some of the biggest plates on the north end, and Wanderlog notes customers can substitute plantains for French fries, a small accommodation that shows up in guest reviews more than once.

Soda Soy Tico vs Soda Tiquicia vs Soda Pura Vida: Which Fits Your Trip?

Tiquicia fits a central-Santa-Teresa stay, Soy Tico fits a north-end stay, and Pura Vida fits a later meal. That's the short version before the specifics.

A 2026 survey of Santa Teresa sodas calls Soda Tiquicia "the soda residents send visitors to first," on the main road a short walk from Playa Santa Teresa, with a fried red snapper casado and a seafood soup the survey describes as a meal on its own. Soda Pura Vida, also central, is the later-night option, serving nachos and typical plates past the hour most kitchens close.

The practical read: Soda Tiquicia is the default answer for anyone asking where to eat a casado in central Santa Teresa, backed by a 4.6 rating across nearly 1,000 reviews in that same survey. Soda Soy Tico pulls ahead only on raw portion size, and only if the 10 to 15 minute drive from the cruce isn't a problem, which it is for most visitors staying near Playa Carmen. For a broader read on which Santa Teresa kitchens earn the trip on a short visit, see Santa Teresa restaurants worth it for a short trip.

Who Should Make the Trip to Soda Soy Tico?

Soda Soy Tico makes sense for travelers already on Santa Teresa's north end, families who want large portions, and surf-camp guests based in Playa Hermosa. It makes less sense as a special trip from central Santa Teresa or Playa Carmen, where Soda Tiquicia and Soda Pura Vida deliver comparable value without the drive. Match your situation against the list below.

1. Staying in Playa Hermosa or on the north end. This is the clearest case. The soda sits inside your neighborhood, and the 10 to 15 minute drive from the cruce that central visitors face doesn't apply to you.
2. Traveling with family or a group that wants big plates. A 2026 survey of Santa Teresa sodas and Wanderlog both describe portion size as the restaurant's defining trait, which matters more when you're splitting dishes or feeding kids.
3. Booked at a Hermosa-area surf camp. Surf schools use Playa Hermosa for first lessons, and having a soda nearby makes it an easy lunch stop between sessions. If you're weighing ATVs in Santa Teresa to get around the north end, a lunch stop at Soy Tico is a reasonable excuse to rent one for the day.
4. Based in central Santa Teresa or Playa Carmen with limited time. Skip the detour. Soda Tiquicia or Soda Pura Vida deliver comparable value without the drive.

The stop-or-skip call comes down to geography, not quality. If Playa Hermosa is already on your map today, Soda Soy Tico earns the stop. If it isn't, skip the drive and eat at Tiquicia or Pura Vida instead; you won't give up much.