Where to eat smoked brisket, Argentine asado and a proper steak in Santa Teresa and Montezuma in 2026: cuts, prices, portions, reservations, and which grills are closed for green season.
The best BBQ in Santa Teresa is Kooks Smokehouse and Bar, open 10am to 10pm with smoked brisket, pulled pork and ribs and a 5,000 colones midday menu. The best steak is at Casa del Mar, the Argentine-style parrilla in a garden that residents keep to themselves, where dinner for two runs about $50 to $70.
The short version
Meat in Santa Teresa comes in two schools. The American smokehouse school is Kooks, which imports its beef and smokes it low and slow. The Argentine school is Casa del Mar Seafood and Grill, on a side street behind Amici. El Facon, the asado house on the main road, is listed as temporarily closed, so check before you plan around it. Montezuma adds Chelo, where the charcoal grill runs on weekends next to the pizza oven, and Mocha's Monchis Grill.
Two names you will see recommended elsewhere are not steakhouses at all or are closed: Gaucha is an Argentine ice cream shop, Brasas del Mar was the restaurant at Casa Chameleon, which now trades as OCiO Mal Pais and is marked temporarily closed, and Tierra y Fuego above Montezuma is an Italian farm restaurant, also temporarily closed. Expect $25 to $40 a person for a proper steak dinner with a drink, and half that at Kooks at lunch.
Kooks Smokehouse and Bar
Kooks Smokehouse and Bar is the meat restaurant most people in Santa Teresa eat at most often. It is in central Santa Teresa, open 10am to 10pm every day, and it smokes brisket, pulled pork, ribs, pork belly and wings, with imported meat and local produce, per kookscr.com. Google has it at 4.7 across nearly 2,000 reviews, and Tripadvisor reviewers describe "really tender brisket, great wings, ribs and pulled pork" while noting it is a bit pricey for the town.
The value is at lunch. Kooks advertises a midday menu for 5,000 colones plus tax, and its takeaway boxes have run around $8 for a quarter-pound pulled rib box and $20 for a combo of brisket, pulled pork and two ribs. At dinner, a burger, a salad, a dessert and a beer for two lands around $40 to $43, per our best restaurants guide. Tacos on homemade tortillas, a full cocktail list and live music most nights round it out, and it delivers through the SIPP app.
Who it suits: groups, early dinners, the post-surf brisket sandwich, and anyone who wants BBQ with a band. The caveat: it is loud, and the smokehouse plates are heavier than you want at 2pm in September heat.
Casa del Mar Seafood and Grill
Casa del Mar Seafood and Grill is not in our directory yet, but it is the parrilla residents send people to for a steak. It sits 200 metres northeast of Amici on Calle Buenos Aires, in a garden that Tripadvisor reviewers call a secret garden and a jungle setting, and the menu is Argentine-style parrillada with grilled meats, wood-fired pizza, grilled vegetables and a strong dessert list, per casateresacr.com. Google has it at 4.7 across more than 330 reviews and Tripadvisor calls the ribs excellent with good non-seafood options. The one recurring complaint is an out-of-date menu online and a manager who was curt on a busy night.
Who it suits: a quieter steak dinner off the main road, and people who want ribs and a pizza at the same table. The caveat: no reliable published hours, so message ahead, and cash is easier.
Chelo, Montezuma
Restaurante, Pizzeria y Parrilla Chelo in Montezuma runs its charcoal grill on weekends, with Argentine chorizo and cuts alongside the wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta and empanadas, open 4:30pm to 10pm Tuesday to Sunday with a happy hour until 6pm, per pizzeriachelo.com. Google has it at 4.9 across nearly 100 reviews. If you want the asado, go Friday to Sunday.
Who it suits: a Montezuma weekend dinner where one person wants steak and another wants pizza. The caveat: the grill is a weekend thing, and it closes Mondays.
Mocha's Monchis Grill, Montezuma
Mocha's Monchis Grill Restaurante is the grill in Montezuma village, open 4pm to 10pm and closed Sundays, with a 4.7 on Google across 139 reviews. We have not verified a menu online, so treat the details as a lead: reviewers describe grilled meats and fish at fair prices and friendly service, and it is the option in the village centre when Chelo is closed on Monday.
Who it suits: a simple grilled dinner in Montezuma. The caveat: closed Sundays, and check the current menu before you plan around a specific cut.
Manzú at Nantipa
Manzú a Beachfront Restaurant is the splurge steak. Head chef Pedro Caja's menu at the Nantipa hotel includes a New York strip with grilled asparagus and a cold-smoked tomahawk with coffee chips from the kitchen's smoker, served at beachfront tables from 7am to 10pm daily, per nantipa.com. It is a seafood restaurant first, covered in the seafood and ceviche guide, but the tomahawk is the most theatrical piece of beef on the coast.
Who it suits: an anniversary steak with the sunset. The caveat: hotel prices.
How to choose
| Restaurant | Style | Signature | Price for two | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kooks | American smokehouse | Brisket, ribs, pulled pork | About $40 to $60 | 10am to 10pm daily |
| Casa del Mar | Argentine parrilla in a garden | Ribs, grilled meats, pizza | About $50 to $70 | Confirm by message |
| Chelo | Weekend parrilla, pizza | Chorizo, grilled cuts | Mid | 4:30pm to 10pm, closed Monday |
| Mocha's Monchis | Village grill | Grilled meats and fish | Low to mid | 4pm to 10pm, closed Sunday |
| Manzú | Beachfront hotel | Tomahawk, NY strip | High | 7am to 10pm daily |
Prices exclude 13% tax and 10% service.
Practical notes
Most beef here is imported, which is why a steak costs more than the fish next to it; Costa Rican grass-fed beef is leaner and chewier, and the Argentine grills tend to import for the premium cuts. Portions at Casa del Mar and Kooks are American-sized, so a shared parrillada for two plus a salad is often enough for three. Book by WhatsApp for Casa del Mar on weekends and any night in high season; Kooks is walk-in. Cards work at all of them. Kooks closes at 10pm, so it is a dinner-time smokehouse rather than a late-night stop, and Casa del Mar has no reliable published hours, so a WhatsApp message that afternoon saves a wasted trip.
September and October are when grills take breaks and hours shrink, so message that afternoon. If you are here for a special occasion, the date night guide pairs a steak with the rest of the evening, and the live music guide lists which nights Kooks has a band. Budget travellers get a better deal on meat at a soda: a pork or beef casado at 4,000 to 6,000 colones is covered in the sodas guide, and the broader budget picture is in cheap eats in Santa Teresa.
FAQ
Where is the best steak in Santa Teresa?
Casa del Mar, the Argentine-style parrilla in a garden behind Amici, with dinner for two around $50 to $70. El Facon, the asado house on the main road, is listed as temporarily closed.
Is there good BBQ in Santa Teresa?
Yes. Kooks Smokehouse and Bar smokes brisket, pulled pork, ribs and pork belly, opens 10am to 10pm, and runs a 5,000 colones midday menu. It is the only smokehouse in town.
How much does a steak dinner cost in Santa Teresa?
About $25 to $40 a person with a drink at Casa del Mar, before 13% tax and 10% service. Kooks is cheaper at lunch, and Manzú at Nantipa is the hotel-priced splurge with a cold-smoked tomahawk.
Is Gaucha in Santa Teresa a steakhouse?
No. Gaucha is an Argentine ice cream and pastry shop with two locations, and it is covered in our ice cream and desserts guide. For an Argentine grill, go to Casa del Mar.
Is Brasas del Mar still open?
Brasas del Mar was the restaurant at Casa Chameleon in Mal Pais, which now trades as OCiO Mal Pais. Google marks the restaurant temporarily closed as of September 2026, so we have left it off this list.
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