Stiefel Pub & Primate Brewery

this was the first stop for us in costa rica, and it was a darn good one. this is a tiny little brewery operating out of a rad little old house turned beer bar. theres probably only seating for 20 or 30 people, and that would be pushing it, but its cozy and cool inside, and i instantly feel like its someplace special. off the beaten path, we walked a few rainy blocks through a not so polished looking neighborhood to find this place the only bar or even place with lights on within a few blocks, kind of comes up out of nowhere, a few quite fellows smoke cigarettes outside and sip beers on a small patio. short and narrow inside, very dim lit, almost dingy and divey, but with interesting art and craft beer swag on the walls, a small kitchen, and the bar running across the back, a bunch of taps, they had an epic selection of their own and other costa rican draft, and well as a large bottle list as well. i did not see their brewing operation, maybe in the back or downstairs or something, but we had their ipa and their saison, and both were simple but very well done, ahead of expectations for sure, not that i really had any, and majorly easy drinking. the vibe was awesome, other beer people around, quiet conversations and upbeat music, short of bustling but definitely happening. service did an awesome job with just a few guys for how busy it was, people were drinking out of boots, laughter was everywhere, it was a great vibe. we also had some fish tacos and chicken strips that were both excellent, simple but fresh and good. perfect beer food. prices were reasonable too compared to what i had heard about craft beer in the city. this place is a must stop, it was so fun in fact that we didnt make it to our other beer destinations in san jose, but without regret. i will definitely be coming back next time i am there, this was a mighty good time and a wonderful welcome to both the country and its beer scene!

 

What I read elsewhere said this was the best bar in Costa Rica and probably all of Central America and I don't have enough experience to say if it's true but I don't doubt it. First off, if you're an American you're probably confused by the addresses or lack thereof in San Jose but the map link is accurate. If you're taking a taxi tell them Bario Amon and Avenida 7 and you should get in the area (the one we took didn't know the bar or our hotel for that matter). They said they took credit cards but I doubt they take dollars (it was a good way to use up our colones anyways). One weird thing is they made you pay up front; no running up a tab even though it's a restaurant.

The bar is casual with a nice eclectic atmosphere but nothing fancy. I'm pretty sure the customers are 99.9% locals but the waitress spoke English well enough that we were able to get by. They don't have a beer menu which means you need to ask the waitress and try to hear over the crowd which would be a challenge even if there wasn't a language barrier. They do samplers of 4 beers of your choice which was great. Beer selection was very good and for Costa Rica I'm guessing this is as good as it gets. Lots of interesting beers and everything we had was very tasty. They seemed to have a decent variety of breweries. Beer was served warmer than I'm used to but most bars serve too cold so that's OK.

Food was basically interesting pub fare, menu was in Spanish but manageable even with my weak Spanish skills (just get the Chuck Norris if you can't figure anything out). The food was easily some of the best we had on the trip and all in all this place is highly recommended. My only suggestion is for them to use that board in the back to list what they actually have on tap, not just beers they've had at one time or another.