No one names a bad dish after the restaurant. So, try the tacos la fonda. Very generous portions and reasonable price. The staff is very friendly and quick to refill an empty glass.
(5)
J J.
Inedible; truly terrible food. My wife wanted Mexican and we were both really hungry. "Let's just pull over the old fashioned way, and not look it up on first." Big mistake; using Yelp beforehand would have saved us $48 and the price of the second meal we had to buy. Our big clue should have been their empty parking lot, while the pizza place down the street was packed. The con-queso was grainy as if someone had added too much corn starch (or other thickening agent.) Bad flavor, too. The Strawberry Margarita tasted like pure syrup; undrinkable. Both meals we were served had the same thickening agent (Corn starch? Flour?) film across the top of the sauces. The sauce tasted like someone had added roasted peppers to cheap, canned (Dinty Moore) beef stew. We boxed up both meals with the excuse that we had to run, ended up giving them to a drunken bum at Sloane's lake. I even felt bad about that. I couldn't brush my teeth quick enough when I got home to get the taste out of my mouth. I'm not exaggerating; it was that bad.
(1)
Michael S.
We have dined here a couple of times with mixed results. There are certain items on the menu that my partner really likes. He has found those delicious items that are to his liking...but I have not had the same luck. Everything that I have had has been fine...but not amazing. ALSO. One of the most important things that makes or breaks a Mexican restaurant in my opinion is the chips and salsa. Here...they have improved, but they're still not close to where they should be, in my opinion. It seems like they get their chips and salsa at the grocery store. The service has always been fine.
(3)
Stacy G.
Not good. Chili con queso was bland, chili Relleno was was more like an egg roll, chicken enchilada was flavorless. The 3 items were completely drowning in a flavorless brown sauce covering the entire plate. Will not return.
(1)
Ambra G.
This place is so close to my house, I had to try it! Guacamole is really good and the service is pretty good. It's very American and nothing stood out. I will possibly go back if I want quac tostadas, and their beans and everything else are NOT cooked in lard. Great for vegans and vegetarians like me. It's worth going, it's not horrible.. The rice was just like my gramma's..
(3)
Tom S.
This is a quintessential 3-star, comfort food place, and I have been coming here for 20 years. I don't live in the neighborhood anymore, but often when my wife and I are looking for a steady, absolutely predictable and easy outcome we come across town to LF. The good: salsa, green chile, friendliness, parking, the so-so: margaritas, chips, speed of food delivery and wait staff follow up. Nothing bad! Very inexpensive, clean and tidy. For total experience comparisons: Better than- Blue Bonnet, Las Delicious. Same as- El Tejado, Brewery Bar. Not as good as- El Noa Noa, Rio Grande.
(3)
Nick B.
This chips and salsa is awesome. The chips are crispy and fresh. The salsa was spicey, fresh with just the right amount of cilantro. We got the fajitas and split them . They came sizzling to our table. Perfect amount for 2.
(5)
Mike C.
I don't want to give this place them a bad review because it is close to my house. But I've tried a lot of things on the menu and they are pretty decent but one thing I would definitely highly recommend you stay away from is the Mexican potatoes I order them and oh my god they were saturated soaked covered in oil and grease that they were so bad I couldn't even eat them but other than that the food is pretty good.
(3)
John F.
Most frustrating restaurant in Denver. Good food awful service. Gave benefit of the doubt because they were busy the first time but here again mid day with nobody else here and can't get a refill to save our lives. Good luck getting served if you are white.
(2)
Alice K.
The restaurant gave my husband and I really bad indigestion. We tried it a few times and every time we got indigestion. The food is very very bland without any flavor. To make matters worse, it's pretty pricey and I ended up really upset when a meal for my husband and I cost us $38 - and that is for only 2 regular meals and 1 drink (non alcoholic). We will never go here again, we gave it a few tries, but they failed each time.
(1)
Christina S.
Great grandma loves it, Olive Garden is also her favorite restaurant. Seriously lacking in flavor, no texture, did not seem fresh.
(1)
Lisa D.
My kids and I came for dinner the patio scenery was nice but the waitress wasn't very good and the food was cold and not very good..
(1)
Brittany C.
My Husband and sister-in-law love Mexican food. I am not a big fan, but since we wanted to eat and this was so close to where I live, we all decided to try it out. The food: DELICIOUS and you get a good portion for what you pay for! I had to have a box for mine after and it took me two other days to finish. The Atmosphere: AMAZING! Service: Fantastic! There is no doubt in my mind, I am definitely coming back soon!
(5)
OhMya O.
Food is decent. Service is poor. And they charge for chips. My garlic shrimp came with garlic bread which I found odd.
(2)
B H.
With so many good mexican restaurants in this neighborhood forget this place. The combination plates are priced like any other place but no rice and beans, in fact no garnish of any kind. Cheap. My relleno was microwaved and tough and cold in the middle. The tamale was all cornmeal with very little meat. The margaritas are those awful green foamy things made from a mix. The service was bad. We asked for more chips when our meal came and they never brought them. When it was time for the check all the waitresses were one table away completely ignoring us. We had to get up to ask for the check. Don't waste your time.
(1)
Kathleen H.
I really like their food and atmosphere. The staff is very nice and helpful. My son and I really enjoy this restaurant. Also my husband likes this restaurant and my mom likes going here too. Been going here for years and I have always had a great experience.
(5)
Erica A.
I really don't want to give this place two stars. It's been here forever. I've always wanted to try this place. The place is old and needs a burst of NEW energy. Place was filled with regulars. All in their 70's. Server was very nice and the host was very nice.
(2)
Adam J.
This is a Mexican restaurant. Review over. It looks like a Mexican restaurant. It smells like a Mexican restaurant. After eating there, I smelled like a Mexican restaurant. The decor is Mexican restaurant. I swear there must be a store called Mexican Restaurant depot where every suburban Mexican restaurant gets their paint colors and decorations because seriously, they all look the same. The waitresses hovered somewhere between disinterested and aloof. I don't think any of them smiled. I suspect they were just cursing their parents for making them work for the family business at night. At one point we just went up and got our own refills of chips because no one seemed to notice that we were all empty and staring into the kitchen like dogs that hadn't been fed recently. The chips are store bought, but I don't care. They're free. The salsa was pretty good, actually, and everyone gets their own bowl, which is nice for people like me who don't want to share one tiny bowl of salsa with everyone else at the table. I had fajitas, like I usually do. They were solid. The steak was cooked and spiced nicely, and they actually came with an appropriate amount of tortillas, unlike most places that bring six tortillas worth of toppings and two tortillas. The lettuce had been frozen recently and was kind of gross, and the sour cream was weirdly watery. And there was no cheese, which was strange. But it's Mexican food, so it's good, whatever. And that about sums this place up: It's Mexican food, so it's good, whatever.
(3)
Ken K.
On one quiet afternoon, I walked into La Fonda. The Spanish name, colorful stucco walls, and menu contents led me to believe La Fonda is a restaurant that might serve Mexican food. But alas, La Fonda does not serve Mexican food, or food at all. Instead, it serves crap. I ordered a chili relleno, a shredded beef taco, and a guacamole tostada. The relleno was a decaying pepper fiber stuffed with oil and wrapped in a half-dozen wonton wrappers before being deep fried right out of the freezer in oil so old it permeated the whole thing in that "gross old oil" taste. My shredded beef "taco" had beef out of a bag put in a crunchy "taco shell". Being merely bland, inauthentic, and sad, this was the highlight of my meal, because the guacamole tostada had quac on it that tasted like it might have been mixed with spoiled sour cream. I left La Fonda contemplating the fact that organized crime uses failed businesses to launder money, but must keep those businesses open to maintain the appearance of legitimacy. Just saying.
(1)
Sean H.
Dearest Hipster Yelpers: Far after you've realized that skinny jeans, neon faux-Ray Bans, and a can of PBR make you look like a douchekabob, La Fonda will still be around, serving consistently yummy fare. Is this Mexico? Nope. Dine here for solid, Americanized Mexican food, at a local, family-owned joint. Yes, as you're organizing the next Occupy Wheat Ridge encampment while moving your money to a community bank, you can nosh away knowing your cash goes towards keeping a neighborhood institution from being bulldozed away to clear space for the next franchised Quick/Fresh/Fast QSR concept. Their chile rellenos set the bar by which all other chile rellenos are judged in my mind, and their guac is delicious, creamy, and worth the price. I have my standard fave dishes - all smothered in their wonderful green chile sauce. Omnomnomnom. Their burritos are monstrous! Speaking of price: this isn't Taco Bell, and it's a standalone location that doesn't employ 15 year olds and pay them minimum wage. Many of the staff have been there for 15+ years ... so expect to pay more than the 99 cent value menu. My family's dined here for over 30 years. The staff is courteous and attentive. Ask for Luli as your server, she's a delight. Looking for trendy/hip vibe, serving fusion cactusjuicetinis? Try a Richard Sandoval concept like Zengo or La Sandia. Want a neighborhood restaurant serving solid, quality fare? Give La Fonda a shot.
(4)
Mo C.
This is a good spot in the 'hood. I got the fajitas combo (shrimp, steak & chicken) which came out sizzlin. It came with beans, but not rice (weird) and I wan't such a fan of the beans, but the fajitas were quite good. My buddy got the T-Bone, a strange choice for mexican restaurant, but he said it was good. Ditto on the chips, they're store bought and not very good at that. But, since the beans and the chips are what I'm attempting to stay away from, these being bad really was more of a blessing than a curse. The large margarita comes in a fish-bowl style glass and is very tasty. There was almost an entire page of the menu dedicated to shrimp dishes, yum! I will definitely be coming back to try the garlic shrimp or the shrimp with bacon & cheese :) The restaurant itself is cute. I definitely felt comfortable there in my jeans, sweatshirt and tennies. We came in for a hangover lunch about 3 in the afternoon on a Sunday, so it was pretty dead (which was great for parking). Overall, I would say that El Paraiso up the street on Harlan is the better of the two sit-down mexican places in the area. But, I think I will definitely find myself here again.
(4)
Shawna S.
I'm new to the neighborhood, and love Mexican food. After looking at some of these reviews, i was apprehensive about trying La Fonda, but I took a leap of faith, and boy am I glad I did! This place rocks, and it has a bad rap on this site that I don't think it deserves. The food is delicious and totally affordable. I thought the margaritas were wonderful. The service was nice and attentive. I really can't wait to go back and try other items on the menu. I guess most people come on this site if they have something to complain about, but I say give this place a try!!
(5)
Rman F.
Horrible Mexican food...canned dry refried beans...smothered burrito with COLD unmelted cheese...tasteless green chile :(
(1)
Polly P.
So I owe LaFonda another review since 2 years ago because it has actually become our basic/standard for Mexican food in the 'hood. We're closest to a lot of joints surrounding Fed, have tried a lot of places from Regis to Lo-Hi & Highlands/Tennyson but this is the one to which we return when we just want Mexican food. No frills. Not a place I would rave about but the combos do the trick for the Mr and the beef fajitas are tasty and meet my craving. I am guessing the whole place is run by family because the staff is always super-nice and seems to always be the same faces each time. I love the booths and the more cheerful colors. On principle - I just cannot bring myself to give any more stars, though, because I feel I would be lowering my So TX & Mexico palate reference - just because this is Denver and the collective city just doesn't provide (at least that I have found yet) doesn't mean I should settle or stop my search. A solid go-to restaurant, though - worth going.
(3)
Rachel M.
It's easy to make mediocre Mexican food. It's difficult to make great Mexican food, and it may be even harder to really screw it up altogether. La Fonda really just screws it up. I could only take a few bites of my meal, the quality of the meat was so bad. My companion's meal was equally gross. The chips and salsa can go a long way to help save a Mexican restaurant, but like other Yelper's have said, these chips are like 7-11 corn chips and the salsa make Pace Picante sauce look gourmet. There are so many other great Mexican joints in the area, skip this one.
(2)
Becky S.
Food = Average. Value = Ripoff. The chips are pre-made, bagged. The salsa is delicious. The guac is fresh, but a bit bland. The tostada we got was soggy, the steak in my fajitas was so overdone it was burnt. They charge for refills after one, and only if you buy a large soda. The SMALL side of guac was $5. The good thing was their kids' portions are huge. BF's two-year-old nephew ate about a quarter of his burrito. Would've been enough for both kids we had with us to split! The dinners were average, if you're looking for just generic Mexican Food. I'd rank this about a star above Taco Bell - the ambiance is authentic, the service was good, but the food is pretty mediocre.
(3)
Anne H.
This is a good place to go for some okay Mexican food. I ordered the vegetarian enchilada, which didn't have any surprises or anything special, but it was totally fine. The service was fast and friendly, and the salsa was very good. Nothing remarkable, but a good place to go if you want some decent Mexican food.
(3)
Claude C.
Great family owned mexican restaraunt. Good food and service.
(3)
Annie R.
The service was good, but the food was terrible. I will not go back.
(1)
K N.
The worst ever. The sauce on the chicken burro tasted more like Chicken Gravy than anything you should eat in a Mexican restaurant. I should have walked out after tasting the awful salsa. I can not recommend this place to anyone.
(1)
Tiffany W.
I can think of three Mexican restaurants that I would choose the Taco Bell bean burrito (no onions) over. One of them rhymes with "Basa Lonita", the other is in my reviews, and now La Fonda. I went to this restaurant while doing research for a birthday party. After visiting their website, the food was well-priced, the drinks were reasonable, and they were within walking distance of the party location (so hey no drinking and driving--always gotta think ahead). Unfortunately, after my experience there I was very glad I tried it first and saved a group of unsuspecting party goers from crappy food. Chips and Salsa are (or at least should be) the crux of any Mexican restaurant. This place? The chips were like the chips you get at 7-11 to go alongside that molten radioactive-orange "cheese" stuff, and sadly their salsa (which I would give 3.5 stars) couldn't save them. I ordered a margarita (in the name of research, of course) and could tell it was sweet-and-sour vs. fresh lime. When my food arrived, it was indistinct mounds swimming in red sauce. And the red sauce... oh god. It was tomato sauce + red chili. And that was about it. It tasted "dusty" from the chili and that was about the most I got out of it. The best part of the whole thing was the service. It was fast and friendly and I was done with it all in about 25 minutes. So I imagine if I had taken a large party there we would have had good service. Unfortunately, I won't be taking a party or even just myself back to La Fonda.
(2)
L R.
A different type of Mexican food for this TX girl, but we enjoyed it. Don't know that it will go down as a memorable experience. The service was awful. Brought the food out right away but never checked on us again. Had to flag her down for more water, to go boxes and the check.
(3)
Austen V.
My wife and I went to La Fonda for our date night since they had a coupon in the entertainment book. The atmosphere is that of a typical mexican restaurant and the food is fairly standard mexican food. However, their combination plates have awesome combinations. I had the mixed up enchilada combo (don't remember the exact name). My wife had something that was pretty good too (don't remember what she got). Overall, not a place I would make a special trip to, but if in the area I would eat there again.
(3)
Karl C.
R u kiddin, La Fonda rocks... Their margarita's are great, the guac is killer. The "La Fonda burrito" is the bomb. It will keep u and ur children coming back 4 more. I've been goin there since I was 10. The "chimi" is good. Friendly staff. True Colorado-Mex.
(5)
Daniel T.
This place used to be a lot better when I was growing up and didn't know that Mexican food shouldn't taste this way. Not really the best anything, and I've never had any restaurant give me such consistent... digestive problems. Only redeeming quality is the guacamole and the classic velvet paintings on the walls.
(2)
Kym B.
Because Napoleon Dynamite references are SO 2004, and because LaFawnduh herself outshines this place like a diamond outshines a crusty-ass rhinestone from Claire's, I'll break it down to some Mickey Avalon isntead: "One, two, three, four get your booty on the dance floor work it out, shake it little momma lemme see you do the La Fonda..." In this case, "doing the La Fonda" means doing it with some seriously stale and generic chips, some heartburn-inducing, sour-mix-heavy margaritas, and some boring and forgettable Mexican staples. Underwhelming all around. The staff, however, is super-nice and (though by that point we'd already eaten) I did see some seafood dishes coming out of the kitchen that looked and smelled delicious. Because it's close to our 'hood, I guess it's worth going back one more time to experiment with the higher-end seafoody stuff... but the straightforward menu options are a straight-up fail.
(2)
Michael S.
My girlfriend seems to like this place, but I hate it. The food tastes like it came from a can and the environment is cheap as well. I don't recommend this place if you're interested in good Mexican food. To be honest with ya I'd rather eat Taco Bell than this place.
(2)
Tiffany J.
La Fonda - I LOVE the new homemade chips you are now making - please keep them they are fantastic. It looks like you guys listened to the Yelpers and made this change - thank you so much!
(4)
Aaron A.
The saving grace for this restaurant was that the ground beef in the enchiladas I had was spiced to taste almost exactly like it does at my favorite Mexican restaurant. As far as the overall presentation and taste of the meal: Nothing spectacular. I ordered a rocks margarita and it was delivered to me frothy as if it had been poured right out of a store-bought bucket of margarita mix and spun around in a blender for a few seconds. I don't know the brand of chips they served, but I'm sure they were store-bought as well. Certainly not fresh. Mediocre salsa as well. Maybe this works if it's a short walk away from home or work and you become a regular there, but if you have other options, why here?
Good food and friendly service. I live really close to this place so I had to try it out. It was surprisingly good. The prices were average, which is nice, they have a good selection of food but no great drink specials. Although the drinks weren't over priced. Seemed to a family run restaurant, so they keep a small staff on hand which can slow service down, but I was still happy with the place overall.
(4)
James R.
Best chicken quesadillas I ever tasted. I love the salsa too.
(4)
Travis C.
The only reason I stopped in this place is the name. I like the movie Napoleon Dynamite and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat a place named "La Fonda" as it closely resembles "LaFawnduh". I was hoping this place would caress me in the same way that LaFawnduh held Kip in her (maybe his, who knows?) overpowering, manly embrace. With my moon boots shined and displaying my fantastically flamboyant unicorn shirt, I strutted through the front door where i suddenly felt like I had the deep dark bowels of La Fonda. The smell of grease steadily wafted across my nose as tried to keep my arms from sticking to the plastic table top that was not nearly as shiny as my moon boots had been before entering La Fonda. I didn't come here for the glamor though, its all about the food right? Oooooh SPECIAL, i always try to get the restaurant's special so I ordered "La Fonda's Special" as it stated on the menu. Out came my Horchata (excellent, which gets a star) followed by my platter of "stuff". It was hard to tell exactly what part of La Fonda was entering my mouth at any given time, as it was covered in a discolored gelatinous sauce. I can imagine the cook having the motto "When in doubt, smother it in sauce". Oh La Fonda, I had high hopes for you. You had me with your name but you've pushed me away. I don't know if it was your smelly interior or your output covered in goo, but you've got to do better to obtain these mad bow-staff skills! Overall i give one star for simply having a catchy name and I'll give another star for having a pretty good horchata.
(2)
Ivan C.
Been going here since I was a little kid and this place has awesome food! I recommend the La Fonda burrito or the chicken chimi, either way you can't go wrong!
(5)
Craig D.
I ate here once last year, only because it was very close to where I lived. The food was marginal at best. The service was tolerable. Besides Casa Bonita, probably the worst mexican food I have had in Denver metro. 2 stars is being nice. 1 1/2 would be more like it.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Tyler Z.
No one names a bad dish after the restaurant. So, try the tacos la fonda. Very generous portions and reasonable price. The staff is very friendly and quick to refill an empty glass.
(5)J J.
Inedible; truly terrible food. My wife wanted Mexican and we were both really hungry. "Let's just pull over the old fashioned way, and not look it up on first." Big mistake; using Yelp beforehand would have saved us $48 and the price of the second meal we had to buy. Our big clue should have been their empty parking lot, while the pizza place down the street was packed. The con-queso was grainy as if someone had added too much corn starch (or other thickening agent.) Bad flavor, too. The Strawberry Margarita tasted like pure syrup; undrinkable. Both meals we were served had the same thickening agent (Corn starch? Flour?) film across the top of the sauces. The sauce tasted like someone had added roasted peppers to cheap, canned (Dinty Moore) beef stew. We boxed up both meals with the excuse that we had to run, ended up giving them to a drunken bum at Sloane's lake. I even felt bad about that. I couldn't brush my teeth quick enough when I got home to get the taste out of my mouth. I'm not exaggerating; it was that bad.
(1)Michael S.
We have dined here a couple of times with mixed results. There are certain items on the menu that my partner really likes. He has found those delicious items that are to his liking...but I have not had the same luck. Everything that I have had has been fine...but not amazing. ALSO. One of the most important things that makes or breaks a Mexican restaurant in my opinion is the chips and salsa. Here...they have improved, but they're still not close to where they should be, in my opinion. It seems like they get their chips and salsa at the grocery store. The service has always been fine.
(3)Stacy G.
Not good. Chili con queso was bland, chili Relleno was was more like an egg roll, chicken enchilada was flavorless. The 3 items were completely drowning in a flavorless brown sauce covering the entire plate. Will not return.
(1)Ambra G.
This place is so close to my house, I had to try it! Guacamole is really good and the service is pretty good. It's very American and nothing stood out. I will possibly go back if I want quac tostadas, and their beans and everything else are NOT cooked in lard. Great for vegans and vegetarians like me. It's worth going, it's not horrible.. The rice was just like my gramma's..
(3)Tom S.
This is a quintessential 3-star, comfort food place, and I have been coming here for 20 years. I don't live in the neighborhood anymore, but often when my wife and I are looking for a steady, absolutely predictable and easy outcome we come across town to LF. The good: salsa, green chile, friendliness, parking, the so-so: margaritas, chips, speed of food delivery and wait staff follow up. Nothing bad! Very inexpensive, clean and tidy. For total experience comparisons: Better than- Blue Bonnet, Las Delicious. Same as- El Tejado, Brewery Bar. Not as good as- El Noa Noa, Rio Grande.
(3)Nick B.
This chips and salsa is awesome. The chips are crispy and fresh. The salsa was spicey, fresh with just the right amount of cilantro. We got the fajitas and split them . They came sizzling to our table. Perfect amount for 2.
(5)Mike C.
I don't want to give this place them a bad review because it is close to my house. But I've tried a lot of things on the menu and they are pretty decent but one thing I would definitely highly recommend you stay away from is the Mexican potatoes I order them and oh my god they were saturated soaked covered in oil and grease that they were so bad I couldn't even eat them but other than that the food is pretty good.
(3)John F.
Most frustrating restaurant in Denver. Good food awful service. Gave benefit of the doubt because they were busy the first time but here again mid day with nobody else here and can't get a refill to save our lives. Good luck getting served if you are white.
(2)Alice K.
The restaurant gave my husband and I really bad indigestion. We tried it a few times and every time we got indigestion. The food is very very bland without any flavor. To make matters worse, it's pretty pricey and I ended up really upset when a meal for my husband and I cost us $38 - and that is for only 2 regular meals and 1 drink (non alcoholic). We will never go here again, we gave it a few tries, but they failed each time.
(1)Christina S.
Great grandma loves it, Olive Garden is also her favorite restaurant. Seriously lacking in flavor, no texture, did not seem fresh.
(1)Lisa D.
My kids and I came for dinner the patio scenery was nice but the waitress wasn't very good and the food was cold and not very good..
(1)Brittany C.
My Husband and sister-in-law love Mexican food. I am not a big fan, but since we wanted to eat and this was so close to where I live, we all decided to try it out. The food: DELICIOUS and you get a good portion for what you pay for! I had to have a box for mine after and it took me two other days to finish. The Atmosphere: AMAZING! Service: Fantastic! There is no doubt in my mind, I am definitely coming back soon!
(5)OhMya O.
Food is decent. Service is poor. And they charge for chips. My garlic shrimp came with garlic bread which I found odd.
(2)B H.
With so many good mexican restaurants in this neighborhood forget this place. The combination plates are priced like any other place but no rice and beans, in fact no garnish of any kind. Cheap. My relleno was microwaved and tough and cold in the middle. The tamale was all cornmeal with very little meat. The margaritas are those awful green foamy things made from a mix. The service was bad. We asked for more chips when our meal came and they never brought them. When it was time for the check all the waitresses were one table away completely ignoring us. We had to get up to ask for the check. Don't waste your time.
(1)Kathleen H.
I really like their food and atmosphere. The staff is very nice and helpful. My son and I really enjoy this restaurant. Also my husband likes this restaurant and my mom likes going here too. Been going here for years and I have always had a great experience.
(5)Erica A.
I really don't want to give this place two stars. It's been here forever. I've always wanted to try this place. The place is old and needs a burst of NEW energy. Place was filled with regulars. All in their 70's. Server was very nice and the host was very nice.
(2)Adam J.
This is a Mexican restaurant. Review over. It looks like a Mexican restaurant. It smells like a Mexican restaurant. After eating there, I smelled like a Mexican restaurant. The decor is Mexican restaurant. I swear there must be a store called Mexican Restaurant depot where every suburban Mexican restaurant gets their paint colors and decorations because seriously, they all look the same. The waitresses hovered somewhere between disinterested and aloof. I don't think any of them smiled. I suspect they were just cursing their parents for making them work for the family business at night. At one point we just went up and got our own refills of chips because no one seemed to notice that we were all empty and staring into the kitchen like dogs that hadn't been fed recently. The chips are store bought, but I don't care. They're free. The salsa was pretty good, actually, and everyone gets their own bowl, which is nice for people like me who don't want to share one tiny bowl of salsa with everyone else at the table. I had fajitas, like I usually do. They were solid. The steak was cooked and spiced nicely, and they actually came with an appropriate amount of tortillas, unlike most places that bring six tortillas worth of toppings and two tortillas. The lettuce had been frozen recently and was kind of gross, and the sour cream was weirdly watery. And there was no cheese, which was strange. But it's Mexican food, so it's good, whatever. And that about sums this place up: It's Mexican food, so it's good, whatever.
(3)Ken K.
On one quiet afternoon, I walked into La Fonda. The Spanish name, colorful stucco walls, and menu contents led me to believe La Fonda is a restaurant that might serve Mexican food. But alas, La Fonda does not serve Mexican food, or food at all. Instead, it serves crap. I ordered a chili relleno, a shredded beef taco, and a guacamole tostada. The relleno was a decaying pepper fiber stuffed with oil and wrapped in a half-dozen wonton wrappers before being deep fried right out of the freezer in oil so old it permeated the whole thing in that "gross old oil" taste. My shredded beef "taco" had beef out of a bag put in a crunchy "taco shell". Being merely bland, inauthentic, and sad, this was the highlight of my meal, because the guacamole tostada had quac on it that tasted like it might have been mixed with spoiled sour cream. I left La Fonda contemplating the fact that organized crime uses failed businesses to launder money, but must keep those businesses open to maintain the appearance of legitimacy. Just saying.
(1)Sean H.
Dearest Hipster Yelpers: Far after you've realized that skinny jeans, neon faux-Ray Bans, and a can of PBR make you look like a douchekabob, La Fonda will still be around, serving consistently yummy fare. Is this Mexico? Nope. Dine here for solid, Americanized Mexican food, at a local, family-owned joint. Yes, as you're organizing the next Occupy Wheat Ridge encampment while moving your money to a community bank, you can nosh away knowing your cash goes towards keeping a neighborhood institution from being bulldozed away to clear space for the next franchised Quick/Fresh/Fast QSR concept. Their chile rellenos set the bar by which all other chile rellenos are judged in my mind, and their guac is delicious, creamy, and worth the price. I have my standard fave dishes - all smothered in their wonderful green chile sauce. Omnomnomnom. Their burritos are monstrous! Speaking of price: this isn't Taco Bell, and it's a standalone location that doesn't employ 15 year olds and pay them minimum wage. Many of the staff have been there for 15+ years ... so expect to pay more than the 99 cent value menu. My family's dined here for over 30 years. The staff is courteous and attentive. Ask for Luli as your server, she's a delight. Looking for trendy/hip vibe, serving fusion cactusjuicetinis? Try a Richard Sandoval concept like Zengo or La Sandia. Want a neighborhood restaurant serving solid, quality fare? Give La Fonda a shot.
(4)Mo C.
This is a good spot in the 'hood. I got the fajitas combo (shrimp, steak & chicken) which came out sizzlin. It came with beans, but not rice (weird) and I wan't such a fan of the beans, but the fajitas were quite good. My buddy got the T-Bone, a strange choice for mexican restaurant, but he said it was good. Ditto on the chips, they're store bought and not very good at that. But, since the beans and the chips are what I'm attempting to stay away from, these being bad really was more of a blessing than a curse. The large margarita comes in a fish-bowl style glass and is very tasty. There was almost an entire page of the menu dedicated to shrimp dishes, yum! I will definitely be coming back to try the garlic shrimp or the shrimp with bacon & cheese :) The restaurant itself is cute. I definitely felt comfortable there in my jeans, sweatshirt and tennies. We came in for a hangover lunch about 3 in the afternoon on a Sunday, so it was pretty dead (which was great for parking). Overall, I would say that El Paraiso up the street on Harlan is the better of the two sit-down mexican places in the area. But, I think I will definitely find myself here again.
(4)Shawna S.
I'm new to the neighborhood, and love Mexican food. After looking at some of these reviews, i was apprehensive about trying La Fonda, but I took a leap of faith, and boy am I glad I did! This place rocks, and it has a bad rap on this site that I don't think it deserves. The food is delicious and totally affordable. I thought the margaritas were wonderful. The service was nice and attentive. I really can't wait to go back and try other items on the menu. I guess most people come on this site if they have something to complain about, but I say give this place a try!!
(5)Rman F.
Horrible Mexican food...canned dry refried beans...smothered burrito with COLD unmelted cheese...tasteless green chile :(
(1)Polly P.
So I owe LaFonda another review since 2 years ago because it has actually become our basic/standard for Mexican food in the 'hood. We're closest to a lot of joints surrounding Fed, have tried a lot of places from Regis to Lo-Hi & Highlands/Tennyson but this is the one to which we return when we just want Mexican food. No frills. Not a place I would rave about but the combos do the trick for the Mr and the beef fajitas are tasty and meet my craving. I am guessing the whole place is run by family because the staff is always super-nice and seems to always be the same faces each time. I love the booths and the more cheerful colors. On principle - I just cannot bring myself to give any more stars, though, because I feel I would be lowering my So TX & Mexico palate reference - just because this is Denver and the collective city just doesn't provide (at least that I have found yet) doesn't mean I should settle or stop my search. A solid go-to restaurant, though - worth going.
(3)Rachel M.
It's easy to make mediocre Mexican food. It's difficult to make great Mexican food, and it may be even harder to really screw it up altogether. La Fonda really just screws it up. I could only take a few bites of my meal, the quality of the meat was so bad. My companion's meal was equally gross. The chips and salsa can go a long way to help save a Mexican restaurant, but like other Yelper's have said, these chips are like 7-11 corn chips and the salsa make Pace Picante sauce look gourmet. There are so many other great Mexican joints in the area, skip this one.
(2)Becky S.
Food = Average. Value = Ripoff. The chips are pre-made, bagged. The salsa is delicious. The guac is fresh, but a bit bland. The tostada we got was soggy, the steak in my fajitas was so overdone it was burnt. They charge for refills after one, and only if you buy a large soda. The SMALL side of guac was $5. The good thing was their kids' portions are huge. BF's two-year-old nephew ate about a quarter of his burrito. Would've been enough for both kids we had with us to split! The dinners were average, if you're looking for just generic Mexican Food. I'd rank this about a star above Taco Bell - the ambiance is authentic, the service was good, but the food is pretty mediocre.
(3)Anne H.
This is a good place to go for some okay Mexican food. I ordered the vegetarian enchilada, which didn't have any surprises or anything special, but it was totally fine. The service was fast and friendly, and the salsa was very good. Nothing remarkable, but a good place to go if you want some decent Mexican food.
(3)Claude C.
Great family owned mexican restaraunt. Good food and service.
(3)Annie R.
The service was good, but the food was terrible. I will not go back.
(1)K N.
The worst ever. The sauce on the chicken burro tasted more like Chicken Gravy than anything you should eat in a Mexican restaurant. I should have walked out after tasting the awful salsa. I can not recommend this place to anyone.
(1)Tiffany W.
I can think of three Mexican restaurants that I would choose the Taco Bell bean burrito (no onions) over. One of them rhymes with "Basa Lonita", the other is in my reviews, and now La Fonda. I went to this restaurant while doing research for a birthday party. After visiting their website, the food was well-priced, the drinks were reasonable, and they were within walking distance of the party location (so hey no drinking and driving--always gotta think ahead). Unfortunately, after my experience there I was very glad I tried it first and saved a group of unsuspecting party goers from crappy food. Chips and Salsa are (or at least should be) the crux of any Mexican restaurant. This place? The chips were like the chips you get at 7-11 to go alongside that molten radioactive-orange "cheese" stuff, and sadly their salsa (which I would give 3.5 stars) couldn't save them. I ordered a margarita (in the name of research, of course) and could tell it was sweet-and-sour vs. fresh lime. When my food arrived, it was indistinct mounds swimming in red sauce. And the red sauce... oh god. It was tomato sauce + red chili. And that was about it. It tasted "dusty" from the chili and that was about the most I got out of it. The best part of the whole thing was the service. It was fast and friendly and I was done with it all in about 25 minutes. So I imagine if I had taken a large party there we would have had good service. Unfortunately, I won't be taking a party or even just myself back to La Fonda.
(2)L R.
A different type of Mexican food for this TX girl, but we enjoyed it. Don't know that it will go down as a memorable experience. The service was awful. Brought the food out right away but never checked on us again. Had to flag her down for more water, to go boxes and the check.
(3)Austen V.
My wife and I went to La Fonda for our date night since they had a coupon in the entertainment book. The atmosphere is that of a typical mexican restaurant and the food is fairly standard mexican food. However, their combination plates have awesome combinations. I had the mixed up enchilada combo (don't remember the exact name). My wife had something that was pretty good too (don't remember what she got). Overall, not a place I would make a special trip to, but if in the area I would eat there again.
(3)Karl C.
R u kiddin, La Fonda rocks... Their margarita's are great, the guac is killer. The "La Fonda burrito" is the bomb. It will keep u and ur children coming back 4 more. I've been goin there since I was 10. The "chimi" is good. Friendly staff. True Colorado-Mex.
(5)Daniel T.
This place used to be a lot better when I was growing up and didn't know that Mexican food shouldn't taste this way. Not really the best anything, and I've never had any restaurant give me such consistent... digestive problems. Only redeeming quality is the guacamole and the classic velvet paintings on the walls.
(2)Kym B.
Because Napoleon Dynamite references are SO 2004, and because LaFawnduh herself outshines this place like a diamond outshines a crusty-ass rhinestone from Claire's, I'll break it down to some Mickey Avalon isntead: "One, two, three, four get your booty on the dance floor work it out, shake it little momma lemme see you do the La Fonda..." In this case, "doing the La Fonda" means doing it with some seriously stale and generic chips, some heartburn-inducing, sour-mix-heavy margaritas, and some boring and forgettable Mexican staples. Underwhelming all around. The staff, however, is super-nice and (though by that point we'd already eaten) I did see some seafood dishes coming out of the kitchen that looked and smelled delicious. Because it's close to our 'hood, I guess it's worth going back one more time to experiment with the higher-end seafoody stuff... but the straightforward menu options are a straight-up fail.
(2)Michael S.
My girlfriend seems to like this place, but I hate it. The food tastes like it came from a can and the environment is cheap as well. I don't recommend this place if you're interested in good Mexican food. To be honest with ya I'd rather eat Taco Bell than this place.
(2)Tiffany J.
La Fonda - I LOVE the new homemade chips you are now making - please keep them they are fantastic. It looks like you guys listened to the Yelpers and made this change - thank you so much!
(4)Aaron A.
The saving grace for this restaurant was that the ground beef in the enchiladas I had was spiced to taste almost exactly like it does at my favorite Mexican restaurant. As far as the overall presentation and taste of the meal: Nothing spectacular. I ordered a rocks margarita and it was delivered to me frothy as if it had been poured right out of a store-bought bucket of margarita mix and spun around in a blender for a few seconds. I don't know the brand of chips they served, but I'm sure they were store-bought as well. Certainly not fresh. Mediocre salsa as well. Maybe this works if it's a short walk away from home or work and you become a regular there, but if you have other options, why here?
(2)Dustin Y.
Actually the last time I went back I was disappointed. Maybe it's new management slacking, but alas the place has lost the luster of old. The chips sucked, the salsa sucked, and correspondingly the guacamole and even the entrée wasn't the same... I was quietly bummed out, and found it hard to admit to myself and family that my fave old La Fonda has lost a step but it has. But I'm still not willing to go below three stars for sentimental reasons.
(3)Aaron B.
Good food and friendly service. I live really close to this place so I had to try it out. It was surprisingly good. The prices were average, which is nice, they have a good selection of food but no great drink specials. Although the drinks weren't over priced. Seemed to a family run restaurant, so they keep a small staff on hand which can slow service down, but I was still happy with the place overall.
(4)James R.
Best chicken quesadillas I ever tasted. I love the salsa too.
(4)Travis C.
The only reason I stopped in this place is the name. I like the movie Napoleon Dynamite and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat a place named "La Fonda" as it closely resembles "LaFawnduh". I was hoping this place would caress me in the same way that LaFawnduh held Kip in her (maybe his, who knows?) overpowering, manly embrace. With my moon boots shined and displaying my fantastically flamboyant unicorn shirt, I strutted through the front door where i suddenly felt like I had the deep dark bowels of La Fonda. The smell of grease steadily wafted across my nose as tried to keep my arms from sticking to the plastic table top that was not nearly as shiny as my moon boots had been before entering La Fonda. I didn't come here for the glamor though, its all about the food right? Oooooh SPECIAL, i always try to get the restaurant's special so I ordered "La Fonda's Special" as it stated on the menu. Out came my Horchata (excellent, which gets a star) followed by my platter of "stuff". It was hard to tell exactly what part of La Fonda was entering my mouth at any given time, as it was covered in a discolored gelatinous sauce. I can imagine the cook having the motto "When in doubt, smother it in sauce". Oh La Fonda, I had high hopes for you. You had me with your name but you've pushed me away. I don't know if it was your smelly interior or your output covered in goo, but you've got to do better to obtain these mad bow-staff skills! Overall i give one star for simply having a catchy name and I'll give another star for having a pretty good horchata.
(2)Ivan C.
Been going here since I was a little kid and this place has awesome food! I recommend the La Fonda burrito or the chicken chimi, either way you can't go wrong!
(5)Craig D.
I ate here once last year, only because it was very close to where I lived. The food was marginal at best. The service was tolerable. Besides Casa Bonita, probably the worst mexican food I have had in Denver metro. 2 stars is being nice. 1 1/2 would be more like it.
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