This area is kind of a food desert at lunch, & this is an oasis. Everything here is sort of too big & not quite warm or intimate. The staff is very friendly, tho, & the food is good & not overpriced. DEF better than all the nearby mall food. Has a parking lot. read more

Olga's Place - Not really beer, but palatable. They have a BIG selection of NA beer. - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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It's been renovated since last time. We do miss the Costa Rican vibe of the wooden bar, but it is nice and clean. Service was great as always. Kids got arroz Amarillo y arroz blanco. Tortillas se maíz. The picado platter was delicious. Carne en salsa and ensalada rusa fueron perfectos. It's like la comida de mami. Of course the drinks were delicious too. read more

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The good Latino atmosphere and food are prevalent in this place, the issue is the discretionary billing from a few bartenders or waitresses, inclined to overcharge, which is a turn off; therefore, you visit once and disappear for months before you decide to return in hopes that they have improved and be honest the next time. It has been the theme for years. The attached receipt is a good example of what I am referring to. Consistently reasonable prices would attract more customers folks... smh.... read more

Olga's Place - Latest bill from Olga's Place - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Can't get no disappointed from this place , totally great Costa Rican food , the staff was super friendly , I'm from Costa Rica and have to say it give me a experience if I was eating back in Costa Rica , place is great for big parties as it has lots of seating There's only one way to describe this place ..... PURA VIDA !!!!! read more

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Ordered the yellow rice with shredded chicken and it was delicious. I suggest the cabbage salad on top for the perfect bite.

Nice resturant/bar. They have hookah+ the bar on one side and then traditional seating on the other side. Very Lowkey with good music, food and drinks ! Not to mention the mama zing service you're greeted with.. Would recommend for a dinner night read more

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This is more than just a "place", it's a pleasant experience! This bar/restaurant has a lot to offer. It's drink menu and experienced bartenders can make you a great cocktail or serve up an ice cold beer. On one side, it has the bar atmosphere. Long bar, TV's for the games, table tops with high chairs. It has the dive-bar feel, but with open space. On the other side, the restaurant with table seating and TV's. The menu seems simple, but the food items are a plenty. I believe this is a Costa Rican based menu that also caters to most Spanish influence cuisines. I ordered a SMALL fried platter, and it was HUGE!! They have this homemade spicy sauces that are a MUST try. They have plenty of bartenders and waitresses all over the place checking in on everyone so you will never have to hunt for service. And, they are pleasant to deal with. Some may not speak English well, but it's a bar I'm sure you will get what you ordered. On certain nights they have live karaoke singing. I went on a Sunday night, and they were up and running. Cons: -The speakers are wayyyy too loud. -Parking can be tough, so you may have to settle for street parking if you can find any. read more

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I'm gonna leave this comment because it's a lot of people that liked a lot of things for free. And I guess we all know that there's complicated customers. I went with a couple of friends first time in the place the ambiance was great servers were busy. Food was amazing as well too because it brings me back to Costa Rica. The servers and the food were on point. I have no complaints. The server, Claudia was very friendly, even got one of a request of a song for one of my friends. He felt very welcome and we definitely will come back to visit. We currently live in Maryland. But we have Family in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut so this was a one surprise stop recommended by a family member of ours. I hope this comment helps you to identify the different people that like to leave low stars for no reason.... Appreciate what we have and know that every restaurant tries their best in their staff so please respect that those work hard everyday to serve you . This restaurant Latin cuisine. read more

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Parking is normally a problem because they have two lots but are very small and street parking is very limited. We arrived just an hour after they had opened and it's was super cold and dark. We asked about both but were told that the lights could be turned on but nothing they could do about the heat. Every single person was wearing their coats. Personally I don't like eating with my coat on or eating in the dark. The service was good.... Our waitress was very attentive. The food was good. but portions were small for the price. . This place looks ok but still a divey type of bar restaurant. read more

Dummies take over two hours to get my soup delivered and then when it comes, there's no freaking utensils even though I selected utensils but you can clearly see. It's going to a freaking hotel. Why wouldn't you provide spoons stupid. I'm sick. I ordered fucking food so I can try to get well and then I gotta go hunt down spoons or eat like a savage with my hands thank you guys. So annoyed!!!!! read more

The food was so good, especially the guacamole and fried plantains! The atmosphere was a lot of fun as it's a sports bar. The night we went there was a game on and the place was packed with energy! I love fun, loud places so it was perfect for me. Be mindful that most of the staff speaks Spanish. They do have menus in English if need be. read more

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Every dish I tried was exceptionally. The waitresses were attentive and food came out quickly. I would recommend going during non-peak times since parking does seem limited. read more

Overnighting in Newark and a friend brought me to this Costa Rican spot for dinner on a Sunday night. They're usually open late, until 2am or 3am on different nights. They host a karaoke night on Sunday and it was LOUD and energetic in there! Family-type atmosphere as there were kids in there also, but if you're trying to have a conversation, not the best environment for that (it was a little too loud for my personal liking for having dinner but fun atmosphere). The wait staff spoke mostly Spanish so my friend was our translator. If you love sweet fried plantains, you MUST try their Platanos con Queso (plantains with cheese). As I'm writing this review I just got a craving for those plantains! They are THAT GOOD! I would never have guessed to put melted cheese on plantains so was a little skeptical to try it but WOW, they were DELISH! And you got three huge slices. My main dish was a Costa Rican plato tipico - Casado - Steak in a sauce with rice, beans, salad, fried egg, and more plantains. Very big portion, everything came out hot and was delicious. I'd probably order take out from here again but unless I want to party, not sure I'd want to sit in on a karaoke night with the club-type volume of the music. read more

Olga's Place - Casado - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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I order a bacon cheese burger and I ended up refusing it, meat was too small, it was disrespectful to Sever me that, meat was also rubbery I ended up not eating anything else, then the waitress took like forever to bring the check I was at the point of walking out without paying, but I'm not like that kind, place is just nice to go and have a drink that's it read more

Olga's Place - Real bad burger - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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This was my 2nd time there, the first time I couldn't say enough good things about the food, after tonight's visit, I couldn't believe it's the same place!! Besides the waitress couldn't speak English, which didn't bother me , we were first served with the wrong dinners, everything was cold ! When they served the correct meal , chicken and steak fajitas the chicken had bones in them the steak was rubbery and they had the audacity to charge me for tortilla wraps , aren't they suppose to come with the fajitas??? I really hope the cook had a bad night because I really enjoyed the first visit there. To top things off is we had a total of 4 people, the check included gratuity of 25% are you Fuc-ing kidding me!!! read more

Went on a Sunday which is Karaoke Sunday . Ambiance was great, everyone cheerful from patrons to staff. The food, DELICIOUS! I had the octopus cooked ideally! Frijoles and tostones. Excellent meal. Oh did I mention plenty of beverages to select from. ALL staff was very attentive. I'll be back read more

Can't enjoy the food because of the extreme noise. As a small restaurant, the level of extreme loud music is higher than any night club. Food is good, depending on what you order. And some portions are small for the price. Waitresses said some of their coworkers have had loss of hearing. read more

Olga's Place - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

It was a pleasant place to spend some time, but unfortunately, they had an issue with their advertising to attract customers to Golgas Place. They posted a special offer for margaritas on their Instagram story, claiming a 2-for-1 deal. I called to confirm the offer, and the waitress I spoke to also confirmed it. However, when I received my bill, I was charged the regular price instead of the discounted price. It was completely wrong and misleading for them to advertise something they couldn't follow through with just to attract customers to call. It was disappointing to have such an experience, especially when trying to enjoy Cinco de Mayo celebrations read more

The food is great but the service is horrible. Unless you're a man you won't be getting the service you would normally get. 95% of servers are women who are looking to earn their tips. Therefore, they only care about serving the men. Olga's place should dedicate a particular person to the side of the restaurant where they promote for families to come. What a shame. Such good food and potential. read more

While visiting Newark we came across this place for Costa Rican food. The place is has more of a sports bar feel with some beautiful servers. The place is clean with friendly staff mind you spanish speaking servers. The calamari was delicious the drizzle was very different a sweet n spicy. My niece ordered a stuffed pasta with enchilada stuffing. I ordered pollo al francés. We enjoyed our meal read more

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Holly buckets did this Minnesota boy get lucky! I tried to go to a different restaurant in Elizabeth, NJ but there was no place to park. I stumbled upon this Costa Rican bar restaurant and it had a parking lot so it parked. This place is tucked away in the middle of a neighborhood block. Very nice! Lots of seating. None of the staff spoke English and my high school Spanish is long gone. They just brought me food and it was AWESOME. The chicken was cooked perfectly and in a cream sauce that I would spend thousands to learn the recipe. The rice and beans were so tasty and the bananas were of the foster type in a Costa Rican style. So good. I had to get the Tres Leches cake. Unreal. I hardly ever get to New Jersey so I doubt I will ever get back here but if I do I am conf back. I will never forget this experience. What a find! read more

Olga's Place - Some chicken dish? And AWESOME! - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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Very clean and organized place. The food is good and they have the best margaritas !! Waiters are kind and polite.

To my knowledge, there's only one Costa Rican restaurant in town. Known as Olga's Place, it is a nearly hidden, tucked away bar on a side street downtown. For the lunch rush, those living locally or those working construction in the area tend to flock to the bar for a drink and a quick bite on their break. The vibe inside told that Olga's gets much more popular at night, and serves as a night-club and karaoke destination for locals. There were several pages of menu, but I aimed straight for the "typical dishes of Costa Rican" page. I opted for the "casado", known as the national plate of Costa Rica and a lunch staple there. The dish name casado translating to "married," referring to "married man," or when wives would pack their husband's lunch before a long day of work. The dish was made up of a well seasoned steak topped with caramelized onions and an egg on top. On the sides were fried plantains, rice, beans, a corn salsa, as well as a pink beet potato salad. Everything was so packed with flavor, and paired well with one another. I was almost brought to tears just from the taste of the onions and steak alone. The casado was an extremely hearty dish and rich with flavor, and I'd gladly return again for some of their other Costa Rican specialties. read more

Olga's Place - The casado con bistec encebollado - a typical lunch dish of Costa Rica. - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Appetizer's we're Really Good and the main course was unbelievable Highly Recommended if your in the area

Olgas has just been refurbished and tables have been added. Their soup is better than most eateries. Their fare is tasty and well done. I will be back soon. read more

Amazing Tico cuisine. Had to come through while we were in Jersey. Glad we stopped by. read more

Olga's Place - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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My wife and I took her mom here all the way from the Bronx to get some authentic Costa Rican food since she was born there. Let me say most of this review is based on what my wife and mother-in-law thought since as a gringo I can't really comment on the authenticity. :) First of all, very loud and crazy on Sunday nights due to Karaoke so probably not best time to bring the mother-in-law (MIL). Though if you are here to party it's probably a good time. More bar than restaurant. The decor is not necessary authentic to CR. They have some flags and red/white/blue decorations but it kind of seems like any old party restaurant/bar. The Sangria was good, though you can only order a full pitcher, so hopefully everyone is drinking. Ordered some tamales as an appetizer which were good. Kind of skimped out on the chicken. Have had tastier tamales at a Salvadorian restaurant in Newark. I had the Pollo en Salsa con arroz which was excellent. My wife had the Casado which was very good. And my mother-in-law had the Pollo a la Plancha with a side of gallo pinto and liked it very much "estaba muy rico." The service here needs work. When my wife ordered a glass of sangria the waiter brought a whole pitcher which goes back to my original sangria comment. The guy took my MIL's appetizer and took her fork. And sure enough when he brought her entrée he didn't bring her a new fork. Also he brought a Flan for the table but then only one spoon for the 3 of us. Just common service stuff here that annoys me. Oh, and BTW they charge you $2 for water. Overall, the food was good with generous portions, but the atmosphere and service brought the "nice Tico restaurant" experience way down. Maybe it would've been different on another night. But the 3 of us agreed, the food was good, but not unlike some of the food we can get in NYC where we'd get better service and atmosphere so, sadly this was not worth the drive down. read more

Olga's Place - Yummy Costa Rican food - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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Food was great and atmosphere. Our server was very helpful and friendly. There is only outdoor seating due to COVID and it's best to get there before 10 at night since it gets packed. read more

Don't normally give reviews to places, but I just had to give this place one. It's not going to be a good one, I order the filet mignon medium. It was completely over cooked. Someone else ordered a hamburger that was completely undercook, food wasn't as expected. Service is just horrible. Their rating doesn't fit with the food or service. read more

I loved the restaurant. Visiting from Chicago... I found this place on my phone. To be fair, I was hungry, but the moment we walked in to eat... well, I was hooked! The hostess was amazing- she made the recommendations. I told her I was vegetarian and did not want meat. She made a suggestion to include all the classic Costa Rican food. It was DELICIOUS. When I go back to New Jersey... I will visit again. Loved this place. Loved the ambience, the people and especially the food. Gracias!!!! read more

Simple and warm place to get together with friends for dinner and drinks. Not a big place but service was great as well as the food and music. First time there and everything was good. read more

I went to Olga's Place last week with my father in law. Great atmosphere, very clean bar with a great selection of rums from Central America. Its a Costa Rica bar with mostly Costa Rican food on the menu. Priced very well for the amount of food you receive. Gallo Pinto with steak and a fried egg were great($11). He got the mixed plate with chicharron, shrimp, and platinos.($15) If you are looking for a safe, friendly, Costa Rican Resturant in New Jersey this is the place. Weekends they offer dancing and a DJ! I lived in Costa Rica for 6 months and have been looking for this food for a while. Really glad i found it! read more

Olga's Place - Gallo Pinto - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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This probably the place to chill, drink, eat great food, even sing karaoke if that's the kind of stuff you want without the stress of getting into a fight around Elizabeth NJ. People are friendly staff it's great. I definitely recommend this spot. read more

I don't normally do reviews,but I felt like this time I had to because the waitress and staff were quit rude and the customer service was really bad before going I called to check what time they closed and they told me 12:30am and that the kitchen closes at 11:30 ok perfect we get their I order a bucket of beer and the picada grande which comes with pollo,carné,Chicharrón,camarón,pescado,calamares while we are waiting and drinking after 30min the waitress comes out and ask everyone for ID ok yes I understand she is doing her job but that's the first thing you ask for,we finally get our food and realized that the picada didn't have the camarones,pescado, or calamares we called the waitress and told her things were missing she told me oh no it does not come with it it's wrong on the menu so if she knew from the beginning that it wasn't what we wanted she never explained the menu while ordering told us if we wanted exactly that it would be extra money my daughter ordered food to go showed her exactly what she wanted and when she opened the food to check the Chicharron was missing we ordered an other bucket of beer and at this point its 11:45 so I figured that we still have till 12:30am to finish dinking nope she brought out the bill and ask if we wanted the beer to go!!! If that was the case I wouldn't had ordered more drinks I asked to talk to a manager she told me that she was the manager!first time here bad experience and the food was dry looked like everyone was rushing to leave will not come back!!!! Looked like a nice place to come out of the house have a few drinks,but that didn't happen at all!! read more

Olga's Place - The menu - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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Delicious food! Friendly service ! Nice atmosphere.

Fun place for fam and friends to enjoy a meal or some cocktails beautiful atmosphere and great service. Love the staff

Costa Rican food!! The food, the service, the atmosphere, the music everything is good but this last couple of months I can say they changed a lot of option on their menu.. now you can't substitute one thing with the other like it used to.. if you ask for it they don't give you the best look.. the food still good though.. it got a little pricey compared to the area.. it's ok read more

I am from Costa Rica and yes the food is real costarican I love it. I order a "Chifrijo" that is rice, beans, meat(pork)... and it was a truly costarican chifrijo. Also the spaghetti is good. read more

We always eat here, we've been coming for years. Always have had the ceviche de camarón which is great. Eat ceviche from all kinds of restaurants and can differentiate between a good one and a bitter one. Tasted it and right away tasted how odd and bitter it was. We told the waitress to please take it back because it was not good. Manager then comes and tells us she's still going to charge us because it tasted good to her, she told us it's a matter of preference which I think was a horrible way of handling it. The manager Rosie still charged us for it. I've loved this place and so many years of going, this one time was a horrible experience. read more

Amazing Costa Rican food at such a value price! Came here with my fiancé and enjoyed a pitcher of blue sangria - YUM! We ordered a large chifrijo for an appetizer, it was so big we had to take some home! It was delicious, I highly recommend asking for some limes and squeezing it on top, totally makes the dish! I had arroz con pollo, another HUGE dish but it was so good I was compelled to eat the entire thing! My fiancé said in Costa Rica there's also an Olga's Place and I can see why, the food is so authentic and so delicious. I can't wait to come back!! read more