I have a good friend who is Costa Rican so he was pretty excited to try this place out. Beforehand I had only been to one other Costa Rican place and it was decent. This place upon entering seemed to be a lot more fancy than the other place I checked out. This place has a very tropical atmosphere, obviously because Costa Rica is a tropical place. I Decided on shredded chicken rice as my meal. It came with fries and a side salad. I thought it was cool that the owner lived 10 minutes away from where my friend used to live in Costa Rica. It's truly a small world after all! The owner was very nice and very accommodating I might add. Always a plus! So here is the moment you have been waiting for; the food! My shredded chicken rice was nice and moist. Shreds of chicken with carrots, peas, and seasoning made it all come together. Portion size was great as well! Had plenty of leftovers! The fries were golden and crisp with the perfect amount of salt. Those didn't last to long on my plate. The fries were just heavenly and could not be beat. Best fries I've had in a while. I also got a simple side salad as well. Whatever the vinaigrette is made out of it's pure gold! I would consider it sacrilegious not to try the vinaigrette on your salad. Everything was excellent! My friend got the skirt steak which he enjoyed as well. He also let me try this fruit drink he had which I totally regret not getting. From seeing a previous review it was probably "fresco de cas" but I'm not a 100% sure on that. So it's safe to say I will make like the terminator and "be back". "Pura vida" at it's finest! Cant wait til I stop here again. read more

TUCANES Restaurant - shredded chicken rice and skirt steak with rice and beans - Latin American Near Me - Prospect Park, New Jersey

See all

First time very good. Cerviche was tasty! Will definitely order again. Only drawback parking is horrible!

So I only stopped in for coffee here and, therefore, can't review much, but I was pleasantly surprised at the atmosphere of the restaurant. I drive by here all of the time and, I guess because of the area, never really thought to come in for a sit-down meal. Don't judge a book by its cover. The inside is so cute, the staff is friendly, and the coffee was really good! It was a big mug too so I left all jittery - whoops! I bookmarked Tucanes Restaurant to come and enjoy a meal. Judging by the other reviews, it seems that Tucanes has way more to offer than just a coffee. I can't wait to come back and find out what it is! read more

As a Latino, who also came back from a trip to Costa Rica two months ago, this food was to die for. Cool little place, with a homey vibe and nice decor. Service was also good. My girlfriend had the pinto special with steak and she loved it. The cheese, avocado, steak, rice and even the onions were perfectly cooked and seasoned. I'm not even a fan of maduros but not even they lasted. I had the Plato parrillero which was heavenly. I'm a guy who likes to go half on everything and enjoy variety when it comes to eating. I enjoy having a little bit of everyone's dish. But not today. It wasn't necessary. This dish comes with steak, chicken, shrimp, tostones and rice. It's a dish meant for two people so at the price for $18 you get a good amount. Highly recommended. I will definitely be coming back for sure. Might recommend this plate to people on death row as their last meal. read more

Incredible food and great service! The Gallo Pinto with steak was to die for! It's no wonder they've been in business for so long. Great place and I can't wait to come back for more! read more

Great authentic Costa Rican restaurant. We enjoyed a nice meal with friends. Food was very good and everything from fruit drink to dessert was Costa Rica. I could shut my eyes and I'm there. I highly suggest trying this place. It might be your new favorite spot. read more

See all

The food was EXCELLENT! Everything was delicious and the service was good. The Gallo Pinto is out of this world.

One word, Fantastic!!! Extremely clean place, I am a mother of a toddler therefore I need a changing table which I was pleasantly surprised to know the Rest bathroom have it,the majority of Hispanics Rest in this area don't. My favorite drink it is "FRESCO DE CAS"which is hard to describe, kind like lemonade/grapefruit/passion fruit but not as acid. Now, let's talk about food. I have to tell you guys that I am Costarican therefore i have a good sence of what this kind of food should be about and I can be honest with you and say that every time I eat there it's like my mom is cooking in the back! Lol I love my food with a lots of cilantro,red peppers, onion etc they Cook every time the way I like it, they are consistent with the flavor every time I have been there. About three years ago I hosted my friends Bridal Shower,lots of my girlfriends didn't know the place existed and since that night it has become their fav place to go. The atmosphere is very friendly, as soon as you walk in I can assure you, You Will Feel Welcome.!!! Prices are reasonable.That is always good! Downside it's BYOB Like I said at the beginning one word...FANTASTIC!!! read more

I stumbled upon this place when I was looking for a place to eat in the area - what a great find! The staff was welcoming, very pleasant and helpful; the food was delicious and presented beautifully; and the facility was clean, organized and tropically decorated. Our waiter made menu suggestions, as we were not familiar with the cuisine, and we were not rushed out of the place when we finished our meals. If you're looking for a good spot, this is the place! read more

I never give anyone a one star but this was so bad I can't imagine anything else. We walked in at 7:00, we were told to sit anywhere. Greeted by a pissed off waitress who only seemed to get more agitated when I said I couldn't have dairy. She barely went over option then walked away... when my husband asked for options for himself, she points to the two most expensive things on the menu. We gave her our drink orders two ice teas and a strawberry milkshake . They didn't have avocado very odd since it was on both items she recommended to my husband, and when we called her out on it she said they will just add an egg !!! As we we're placing our orders another family walked in and our server walked away mid order and actually sat them and took their order . I guess they were regulars because they knew what they wanted as soon as they sat down . Then She came back to finish our order and she still brought the second table their drinks first even though we were there for almost twenty minutes and not even a glass of water was offered to us . This is a cute local place I was really looking forward to trying it, I will never I repeat never step in this restaurant again! Thanks to the awful service I will never be able to tell you about the food, 20 min!!! We walked out!!! Only she is wondering why, if the owners read this get some nicer front house staff!!! read more

For the first time ever having Costa Rican food it was a great experience! The waitress was very attentive and able to help with my indecisiveness. The food was made on the spot even their tortilla chips. I will definitely come until I've tried majority of the menu. read more

TUCANES Restaurant - Costa Rican scenery - Latin American Near Me - Prospect Park, New Jersey

The food here is your authentic Costa Rican food, I've never had Costa Rican food, first time for me and since then I've come back a couple of times, they have huge entrees that can easily be split into two, because there is enough food to go around. Nice atmosphere, very nice waitstaff, and even for take outs, or on the phone the staff is so nice and helpful. read more

Not much. Grilled fish is dry and tasteless. Ceviche is way to sour and very plain. Not much service too. Only plus is cheap. read more

See all

Typical Costa Rican food! It's the hardest to find we came all the way from Brooklyn NY to eat here lol! Good sized portions, really good friendly service. The only down side is no alcohol and it's in the middle of nowhere!! Other than that it's a needle in a haystack but deff worth the trip! read more

TUCANES Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Prospect Park, New Jersey

expect delicious food and terrible service! that's why this place gets 3 stars. friend had churrasco tico style and it had a hint of BBQ sauce. wouldn't recommend! however the pinto de gallo was very good! read more

This past Sunday night my wife and I enjoyed a very good dinner at this little hidden gem on the main street of Prospect Park. I have eaten lomo saltedo in many Peruvian and Colombian restaurants, but this version, done Costa Rican style was the best! My wife, a churrasco fanatic said her steak was well seasoned and tender. The restaurant is very clean and well-maintained and the service was very friendly. This is a BYOB and the prices are extremely fair. My total bill, which included my wife's soda with tax was $38. We will definitely be going back! read more

Had such a great experience at this restaurant. The decor is beautiful and the service is great! Lots of parking in front which is always great for those who want to dine in. The restaurant itself is well decorated and had such a great vibe. There were many traditional Costa Rican art pieces which made it so unique. It was my first time here to today and I absolutely loved it. Our waitress was great and the food was amazing. I had a mango shake to start. (highly recommend it) It was just the right amount of sweetness and very refreshing. For an appetizer we had the small mixed ceviche to share. It was delicious. It was a mix of fish and shrimp with avocado and a side of chips. The small mixed ceviche was around $13, which was a little pricey but it tasted great. For my entree I ordered the Pinto Special with chicken instead of the steak. The chicken was well seasoned and was not dry at all. It was topped with peppers and onions which complimented it so well. It also comes with a side of rice, maduros, avocado and fried cheese. This dish was so delicious. I can't wait to come back and try more of their food! read more

TUCANES Restaurant - Pinto special and Mango shakes! Delicious!!! - Latin American Near Me - Prospect Park, New Jersey

Best Authentic Tico food closet to New York .. Service was fantastic the chef made fresh pinto and fresh Fish. Love the food read more

See all

My family and I live 2 blocks from this restaurant and I must say I have always enjoyed everything from the breakfast menu thru the dinner menu,absolutely delicious!! Also very very polite host and hostess. read more

The drive to this restaurant is honestly so worth it. The only downside would have to be finding parking. The food tasted amazing that I wanted seconds. I definitely would recommend getting the Gallo Pinto. It's delicious. The customer service was also amazing. They were extremely friendly and were always on their toes. This place is perfect to bring your loved ones. read more

Best Costa Rican food !! Ceviche , juices and the pinto ... Have been going for a long time and I love the staff

I love this place! Decoration is fantastic, really nice. Food is good besides the chifrijo- I was expecting more. We also order tacos and Casado and pollo en salsa. Good flavor. Definitely will come back. Very recommended. read more

TUCANES Restaurant - Really nice place, clean and decoration make me have a lot of memories from Costa Rica - Latin American Near Me - Prospect Park, New Jersey

Just tried them for the first time, I would always pass them and wanted to find an authentic restaurant. I'm upset I've never been here sooner! The food is absolutely to fantastic! I had the chicken breast with tomato sauce. Sooo good! read more

Overrated never again... I can go anywhere locally and get for my money also get a salad and a drink for the same price ..I recommend nobody to this place read more

TUCANES Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Prospect Park, New Jersey

Let me start by saying that I am Costa Rican. I have tried all the Costa Rican restaurants in NJ. They each have their own specialty. I highly recommend this restaurant. The foods here are as if they were home made Costa Rican. The service is impeccable. Arturo from the town of Perez Zeledon (same place where Keylor Navas -the 2016 UEFA champions league champion goalie for Real Madrid- came from) is affable and knows his Futbol well. The only problem is that he had an Herediano jersey hanging, but no one is perfect. There are two big screen TVs where one could watch matches from la Sele. I tried the Olla de carne and it was spot on delicious. This is a typical Costa Rican soup. The yuca was perfectly cooked and simmered with plantain, corn maize, chayote and a tender meat that melted in your mouth. I also Had the Casado with carne en salsa. This was so good with the blend of traditional Costa Rican staple of white rice and black beans balanced by a fried egg and the sauce from the meat. This was spot on delicious. However, you should not leave Tucanes without trying the Churchill which is Costa Rican shaved ice with powdered milk, condensed milk and ice cream. read more

TUCANES Restaurant - Olla de carne - Latin American Near Me - Prospect Park, New Jersey

See all

First time eating Costa Rican and I loved it! Waitress was super nice and accommodating..Latin flavors are the best!

One of the best places to eat and receive a great customer service! Me and my wife love this place. Their "Pinto especial" and their "Picada" are our favorite ones! read more

I had been in this restaurant more than 4 times, never wrote a review cause I did not know about Yelp , but let me tell you, this is a very inviting place, more like a family environment , the food is amazing and the attention has no word to describe, I will recommend the seafood soup which they make really good. Great place looking forward to go back again and again!!! Love this place!!! read more

Been to this place twice and I live close by it. My first experience wasn't that great, the rice was a bit cold and slightly uncooked, it was a beef steak lomo saltado, and the price was expensive compared to other Spanish restaurants (and I go to a lot of Spanish restaurants). My second experience wasn't that great either, I ordered the same dish, price was still expensive, the dish didn't improve much. Mind you this was a few years back and maybe they've gotten better but so far not a good look. The staff was nice and the place was clean. I'll try for a third time one of these days to see if they've improved. read more

I ordered takeout, their food is delicious! I dont need to travel to Passaic anymore to enjoy good lomo saltado with chicken, in fact, Tucanes was even better! read more

This is an amazing, and cute restaurant. Waitress is so friendly and fast with her orders. Don't know why someone would talk bad about this place I've been here so many times and have never seen or been treated bad in any way. read more

I've been here a couple of times and the food is always good and the service is usually good. I came here recently and the service was horrible. At first the waitress was nice but she was not attentive. After we finished our meal we waited an hour for our check. An hour is a ridiculous amount of time to wait for a check. The restaurant is small and I could hear her in the back talking and making jokes. This was the first time I went to have dinner here, I usually go during lunch and the service was great. I was extremely disappointed with the service I received that night, especially because I was bringing a friend to try Costa Rican food for the first time. read more

Excellent and healthy food. Very warm and friendly people, clean as a whistle and in a nice neighborhood. A humble restaurant with sophisticated underpinnings. Few people know that the owner is very well educated with an extensive teaching background in his native Costa Rica. These days one must look far and wide to find anyone who actually has read Don Quijote de la Mancha. Normally an undertaking for advanced scholars, the owner, Arturo has read the huge two volume work twice. So not only do you get a great meal in an immaculate and very friendly place; if you are lucky he will poke his head out of the kitchen to say hello. My trips to Costa Rica allow me to assure you that the food is authentic. Try it. You will be glad you did. read more

Clean, consistently good food, friendly wait staff and nice atmosphere!

Excellent service and great food. Feels like I am in costa rica when we go and visit restaurant.

I came here to try Costa Rican food being that I went to Costa Rica last year and enjoyed every second of it . First I ordered the empanadas and they were very greasy and the middle of it was still cold. Smh than my course meal the steak was so tough and the the plantains were super duper greasy. Only thing I enjoyed was the rice and the smoothie I had ,but it's nothing like the food I had in Costa Rica. read more