dining

Las Costillitas

by Eric Jackson

On Via Argentina there's a venerable open-air place that used to be very popular with American military personnel in the days that the US Southern Command was here. The name says it all, and if you have a craving for the Archie Bunker special, this is the place for a meathead to go.

Yes, you can get fish or chicken or many other things at Las Costillitas, but the ribs are what make this restaurant special. Those and the huge plates, with portions to fill them and prices lower than you would ever expect.

Sometimes they do unexpected diet busters like baked and fried potatoes on the same plate. But if you can't handle that, it is possible to order some fish and a salad that won't puff you up too much.

But go to this place for the ribs --- a half order is plenty, a full one is immense, and they do them right by gringo standards. (Well, maybe not by some fire-eating US regional barbecue cuisines, but by American standard anyway.) There just aren't too many places in this country with that knowledge and appreciation.