As a Guatemalan living in San Jose, I have no local spots to go to. Whenever I'm in San Mateo, for work or fun, I make it a point to visit one of the local spots. La Chapina feels like I'm back home, even hear...
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As a Guatemalan living in San Jose, I have no local spots to go to. Whenever I'm in San Mateo, for work or fun, I make it a point to visit one of the local spots. La Chapina feels like I'm back home, even hear people speaking dialects that are not Spanish. The service is good and staff is helpful, I do speak fluent Spanish so your mileage may vary. Be aware parking is very limited and you may have to walk from street parking. The food can't beat my mom's or aunt's cooking but feeds the need when the craving hits. Breakfast is good, I get the scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes (sometimes sausage) and it comes with black beans, hand made tortillas, fried plantains and Guatemalan sour cream plus a coffee. I then get to-go bread, atole (different hot drinks), and another dish like hilachas or chicken soup.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5