Fonda Lupita

Mexican restaurant · Durham ·

Fonda Lupita

Mexican restaurant · Durham ·

Homestyle tacos, birria ramen, full bar, and churros await.

Information

905 W Main St Suite 21A, Durham, NC 27701 Get directions

$10–20

@eater

390,870 Postcards · 10,986 Cities

13 Hottest Restaurants in the Triangle, July 2024

"Named one of Eater’s 11 Best New Restaurants in America back in 2021, Sanford’s Fonda Lupita has heeded the calls from fans and opened a second location in Durham’s Brightleaf Square. The homestyle cooking of owner Biridiana Frausto’s family’s home state of Querétaro, Mexico, fills the menu, as in the original location. Slowly braised meats and stews are served as tacos, gorditas, quesadillas, and more. When the menudo is on the menu, it’s a must-order." - Matt Lardie

https://carolinas.eater.com/maps/best-new-restaurants-raleigh-durham-chapel-hill

Forrest Mason Media

Fonda Lupita

@eater

390,870 Postcards · 10,986 Cities

12 Best Taco Stops in Durham, North Carolina | Eater Carolinas

"Sanford’s heralded Fonda Lupita, named by Eater as one of the best new restaurants in America in 2021, has opened a second location in Durham’s Brightleaf Square. With this new location, it’s slinging the homestyle tacos that made it famous, like the quesabirria tacos or tacos filled with one of the rotating guisos (homemade meat stews). There’s a full bar for those looking to make their taco experience a party and birria ramen for those who might have partied a little too hard the night before." - Matt Lardie

https://carolinas.eater.com/maps/best-tacos-durham

Forrest Mason Media

Fonda Lupita

@eater

390,870 Postcards · 10,986 Cities

Mexican Restaurant Fonda Lupita Opens in Durham | Eater Carolinas

"Opened by restaurateur Biridiana Frausto as the Durham outpost of her Sanford original (which was named Eater's Best New Restaurant in 2021), this Brightleaf Square spot showcases the family flavors of Querétaro. The kitchen is known for hearty gorditas generously filled with chorizo or chicken tinga and comforting stews like a peppery menudo; the rotating menu also features quesabirria, tortas, tacos, burritos, sopes and other soulful Mexican dishes, all served with fresh tortillas. The restaurant operates daily starting at 11 a.m." - Erin Perkins

https://carolinas.eater.com/2024/2/7/24064142/fonda-lupita-open-durham

Fonda Lupita

@eater

390,870 Postcards · 10,986 Cities

10 Most Anticipated Restaurants Across North and South Carolina | Eater Carolinas

"An expansion of a celebrated taqueria known for expertly crafted quesabirria, gorditas, and tortas, bringing the celebrated flavors that earned prior recognition to a new Triangle location. The operation aims to reproduce its award-winning street-style Mexican offerings for a broader local audience in 2024." - Erin Perkins

https://carolinas.eater.com/2024/2/1/24054477/most-anticipated-restaurants-carolinas-2024

Fonda Lupita

@postcardnews

20,018 Postcards · 1,278 Cities

The Sanford sensation brings homestyle guisos, gorditas, and quesabirria to Brightleaf Square. Named one of America’s best new restaurants by Eater, its Durham outpost pairs soulful cooking with a full bar and late-night birria ramen.

https://fondalupita.com/page/locations

Mexican Food in Durham (2025)

Fonda Lupita

Jeff

Google

Last night's dinner was @fondalupitanc! A really good friend of mine took me out to dinner for a late birthday dinner. The only location they have avaliable to tag is the Sanford location. We went to their Durham location. Drinks: BERRY PINEAPPLE Tequila, strawberry, pineapple, and citrus. OLD FASHIONED This was mine, I bet you never would have guessed. 😂 Mains: BIRRIA RAMEN (mine) Ramen noodles cooked in our consome, shredded beef, topped with onions and cilantro. FONDA BOWL There is no description of this online, lol. It had chicken, lettuce, rice, black beans, guacamole, sour cream, tortilla strips, and cilantro. I am probably forgetting something. The old fashioned was really good! I loved the ice. 😂 The birria ramen was all I was hoping it to be. Super flavorful, had spice, and really hit the spot. The beef was so tender. I always love it when resturants top theor food with the onion cilantro mix! Ever since I have been seeing it online and social media, I have wanted to try it. It is worth the hype. I took some of the broth home and I can't wait to drink it later. The bowl was pretty good, but there was a lot of juice from the black beans in the bottom of the bowl making it pretty soggy. The chicken tasted good, though! I WILL be back for the ramen. This is located in a really cool spot in Durham. There are lots of little resturants all around. It would be a cool spot to do a resturant crawl.

Katharine B.

Google

The restaurant is clean and located inside Brightleaf Square. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. I have never been and heard about the hype from the Sanford location so wanted to check it out. We tried a variety of items to-go and I enjoyed the food. My favorite item was actually the dessert- the apple churro! Get that! We also tried the burrito, chimichurri , tacos and quesabirria. The cantaloupe juice was also very refreshing. They have a bar with salsas and toppings. The food was made fresh and with a smile and I would seriously go back for the churros.

Hikmah S.

Google

One of the best Mexican restaurants!! Birria ramen and grilled cheese birria were my favourite. The staff were friendly and very helpful in choosing the menu and their service was quick. Best place to hang out with friends and family, and to satisfied your cravings for spicy food.

LA B.

Google

super yummy i got the $2 taco tuesday deal, chips & salsa, and agua fresca de sandía. boyf got the tacos de guiso we both loved everything. the staff was really nice and it was pretty inside. we’re gonna come back and try some drinks bc they looked good. the toppings are in a bar so you gotta get the cilantro, onion, lime yourself but i liked it that way. loveeeed

SinsAngel

Google

Fonda Lupita has officially become one of our favorite spots! Last week my fiancé and I tried the birria grilled cheese for delivery, and it was so good we had to come in person this week — and it did not disappoint. The birria is packed with flavor, and the consomé is so rich and delicious I could honestly drink it. Our oldest had a quesadilla with rice, and our younger son had the kids quesadilla with rice and beans — both plates were fresh, tasty, and gone in no time. You can taste the love and care in every bite. Whether you’re ordering in or dining at the restaurant, the food is consistently amazing. We’ll definitely be back again (and again)!

Linda

Google

The restaurant was clean and had a nice bar. Plenty of seating. You order at a counter and the food is brought to you quickly. I was not impressed with the food I ordered. The corn tortilla did not seem to be cooked thoroughly. I would try this place again, but order something different.

Keisha J.

Google

I’ve eaten at Founda Lupita 3 times this week. To say the food is phenomenal is understatement. If you want Authentic Mexican food please come here!! Every staff member in there is very nice and professional. The Birria Grilled cheese is out of this world!!!!

Cindy C.

Google

The staff is really nice. The food is so flavourful! The food came out in a reasonable amount of time. I do wish there were labels on the condiments so that I know how hot the salsas are. The place is clean and it was a very enjoyable place. I got the Menudo, Birria De Res, and Sweet Iced Tea.

Jahnavi Y.

Yelp

Birria ramen here is a MUST TRY, definitely lived up to my expectations. The meat is tender and cooked well. The noodles are pretty basic, ramen noodles. Highly recommend the chips and salsa, which were delicious! Fast service, no wait to order and plenty of tables on a Saturday around noon. Great place catch up with friends over a yummy meal.

Kong L.

Yelp

I'm thrilled Fonda Lupita has opened a location in Durham! The restaurant itself is lovely, and the convenient location is a plus. The food was definitely delicious, but it didn't quite capture the same magic I remember from [Sanford location, if applicable]. Perhaps it's a slight difference in the love put in the food. Regardless, I'm excited to explore more of the menu and see what hidden gems I discover. With some fine-tuning, I know this Fonda Lupita can be just as amazing as the original!

Alyssa C.

Yelp

Any place that has a salsa bar already wins my heart. The salsa verde and spicy salsa were both very good! The queso had a little kick to it which I loved and didn't make me miss getting chorizo in it. The chips were thick and crunchy. The guacamole was also very good and fresh. We had plenty of queso and guac so took some home. We both really enjoyed our margaritas. They weren't too sweet or syrupy. They were perfect for the hot day! My taquitos were crunchy and with the salada tasted great. The rice and beans were also very good and flavorful. My friend enjoyed the ACP and thought the vegan chicken was good. Our food and drinks were both prepared fast making this a great fast casual restaurant with real fresh food. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town visiting!

Glenn G.

Yelp

We had heard great things about the original location and were glad to hear they opened up another location in Brightleaf Square Durham. We stopped in for a weekday dinner with a discount offer from a local dining club. They were brand new and still getting into the swing of things. We ordered at the counter and food was brought to our table. We enjoyed the gorditas and vegan chicken burrito. Portions were not huge but the quality of the food was unmistakable. We will be back to try their other options. This is not a fancy or date night type place, but more of a casual neighborhood place.

Erica P.

Yelp

I had high hopes based on the reviews of their Sanford location, but unfortunately, the Durham location missed the mark for me. The food is best described as "ok" and the drinks, while pretty, are mediocre at best. The cashier was very friendly taking my order, and instructed me to hand the register ticket to the bartender for her to make my drink. While that worked during a time where it wasn't very busy, I wonder how well the system would work during peak. The salsa bar left much to be desired, but I did manage to try some of their salsa verde, which was pretty decent and added some much-needed flavor to the relatively flavorless food. I probably won't be back for a while in case it's just a case of the new restaurant woes. It's a cute space with lots of potential, it just needs to make some major improvements with its currently bland foods.

Dan H.

Yelp

It's great that there's a new place in Brightleaf. There's a good deal of space and ample room for people to sit individually or with groups. Given its a high ceiling place it's typically pretty loud. The prices are a little all over the place but skew mostly affordable. It's an order at the counter type place where you get a buzzer and go back to pick up your food. The staff was nice and the location was clean. The traffic flow with the salsa bar could be better. I ordered the ACP with shrimp, which was very good but a pretty small portion for the price and compared to other local places with similar offerings. My wife ordered the quesabirria taco combo, which was 3 tacos with the birria sauce. She found it to be lacking flavor given everything going on. I tried it, and it was fine but I've certainly had more flavorful versions. Overall it was a decent meal, maybe we didn't order the right items. Its nice because you can walk across the street and get ice cream afterwards. The parking at Brightleaf is still not ideal.

Kyel R.

Yelp

The venue is in an inviting area of Durham, near a shopping center like area with a few restaurants and bars. Primarily came for the birria ramen which was a little in the lackluster side. The flavor was mild to bland, but the worst thing about it was the temperature of it. Typically when I get ramen or pho, the temperature of the soup itself is hot and not lukewarm. The tacos were decent I must admit though.

Katie T.

Yelp

Not sure this will be on my list of go to Mexican spots. You don't get any sides with your meal, and there are no sides clearly listed on the menu anywhere. My friend asked about chips, salsa, queso and guacamole and was able to order those. This was pricey for not getting anything with your meal. I got the grilled chicken torta. It was a bit bland and I wish it had had more kick/spice. I got a little of their green jalapeno sauce which helped some. The button for water on the drink machine got stuck so that was flowing non-stop (one would think for a new restaurant this wouldn't have been the case). In added, the trash can and busing station (where you leave your dishes) was completely overflowing to the point where people were standing there inserting what to do with their garbage/plates. When we were leaving, an employee finally came out but all he did was stuff the trash further down.

Chandra J.

Yelp

I see why so many people in Raleigh have told me that this spot was worth the drive to its first location in Sanford. The food is delicious! Fonda Lupita is tucked in the Brightleaf district in downtown Durham and worth the hunt. Upon walking in their doors, you are greeted by the heavenly aroma of onions, garlic, and grilled meat. There's tons of seating sporting colors of white and turquoise throughout and a wrap around bar. Their menu is tiny, but mighty sporting tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taquitos, and others. I got their shrimp and pork tacos and a chicken quesadilla. Wow! Wow! And did I say wow?!? So full of flavor and made with heart. The tortillas are on the thicker side but soak up so much of the cheese and flavor of the grill. Every bite leads to another and another. And I so savored every single bite until my pants told me no more. I will be enjoying their leftovers as dinner tonight! Another thing that I love about this spot was their salsa bar! They had a green, red, spicy Pico mix, onions, cilantro, and cucumbers. Also, the staff are so nice! Eating at Fonda renewed my waining faith in finding a delicious and accessible Mexican spot in this area!! I can't wait to go back!

Andrew D.

Yelp

We have been driving an hour to their Sanford location since they were in the old spot, so we were very excited that they opened up much closer to us in Durham. On our one visit, I found it to come up a little short - I got birria tacos and they were good but not as good as at the mothership. Tablemates liked their food but weren't like "I'd drive an hour for this". Also the tray-and-pay process + the availability of tables ended up for kind of a wonky dining experience. That may improve as they settle in. The night we went, they had *just* gotten their liquor license, and they were doing some bullshit with drink tickets. Everyone's feedback on the cocktails was that there was barely any cocktail there. We'll definitely try it again, but I think we'll also keep going to Sanford...

Joy C.

Yelp

I just recently checked out the new Durham location and loved it. The quesabirria tacos were very good, but I think I enjoyed the shrimp tacos even more! The staff were also super nice and friendly and it's in a very spacious location in Brightleaf. I will definitely be back for the Birria ramen!

Mohamed N.

Yelp

"Mexican in Brightleaf in Durham" Came here on a Thursday evening with a friend. The interior was a bit dark in the middle but brightly lit both where the people were working and reasonably bright near the doorway. The setup is such that one orders at a counter, gets a buzzer, and then picks up their food when ready. Soft drinks are self-serve after you pay, and there's a decent sized salsa bar sitting in the middle. I didn't try the salsas given I ordered a burrito rather than tacos. I was sad they didn't seem to have horchata, but I saw they had various agua frescas. I ordered a shredded beef burrito and shared some of my friend's chips. Food came out in maybe 10 minutes. The burrito wasn't exactly what I envisioned, but it was good-- it was "flatter" (in shape) than I would have thought so it was almost like a sandwich. It came with an "au jus"-like dip, which was tasty but a little hard to use for the burrito, though I did like it for the chips (which were THICK, so good at soaking some jus up). As burritos go, it was good-- I would've loved it more if it had some lettuce/ tomatoes or guacamole or something like that, but it was pretty much meat/ beans/ cheese/ rice. But the meat tasted high quality and the rest was fine. I probably wouldn't order that again-- if I was craving a burrito, I'd be way more likely to hit up Cosmic Cantina nearby. But I would be keen to try some of their other dishes. Overall, good. Not somewhere I'd rush back to since we have so many great Mexican and Central American restaurants in the area, but decent change-of-pace.

Ashley F.

Yelp

I've been really wanting to try this out since the other location has so many rave reviews so I came here with my husband and son for a quick weekend dinner. I love how bright the atmosphere is, it's wide and open with plenty of light. You walk in and order at the bar and get a buzzer. The menu has all the classic Mexican restaurant dishes and then there are specials for the week on board of front. All the dishes are reasonably priced, I was actually surprised that they were affordable. The meals don't come with chips and salsa, that's an extra 4 dollars so that does add a little to whatever you decide to get. They have many different flavors of agua frescas, I ordered the mango one and it wasn't bad. For food it wasn't amazing, but it was good. I had the birria tacos and thought they could have used a little more flavor, they are better at a taco truck in the city but overall it was a fun experience. There are a lot of wonderful food places in the city so I'm not sure if this will be my go to for Mexican but it's definitely worth a try.

Jessica H.

Yelp

Cute ambiance, affordable prices. It was very loud in there- we went on a Sunday night and it was maybe half full, and I could barely hear my dining companion. I can't imagine how loud it must get at lunchtime. They seem to do a big take-out business. You order at the counter, and the cashier was very friendly. The food was ok- honestly not that flavorful and the portions aren't noteworthy. I got the quesabirria taco combo, which was 3 tacos with the birria sauce- it was fine, but not particularly flavorful. I even had to squeeze lime on my beans and rice side to add a little something. I also tried a shrimp taco- fine, but just had shrimp, cheese, and some sautéed onions on the side. My dining companion had the ACP with shrimp, which he said was fine. All in all, the affordability make this spot a welcome addition to Brightleaf and the downtown area, but since it's not in my regular travels each week I'm not sure I'd rush to go back.

Elsa A.

Yelp

The food and drinks were delicious and ready pretty quickly! The burritos come stuffed with rice, beans, cheese, and your choice of meat. They have a salsa bar with a few different salsa options, cilantro, onion, and peppers to add to your meal too. The chips & queso were on point. The margarita was good - I could tell it was real freshly squeezed lime juice vs. a chemically fake mix. Super cute place and will def be back! They also have different specials daily and on weekends for different food options.

Becky B.

Yelp

Im being generous with four stars because the food was delicious but the size of the taco left much to be desired. My taco was pork carnitas for 7.25. It was on a ten inch flour tortilla filled with pork and cheese and had grilled onions on the side. Charlie got three different tacos. Two 2for Tuesday little tacos with just meat in a little corn tortilla. More like a street taco. He also got a shrimp taco (3.75) with three small shrimp in it. Sister Becky got 'stewed chicken'- a lump of shredded chicken with rice and beans for $13 -she ate it all and said it was delicious. The best thing is the salsa bar with a variety of sauces, cucumbers, onion, and cilantro. The worst thing is to be at a Mexican restaurant and have to pay FIVE DOLLARS for chips and salsa. That's just not okay. The menu on line was vast and the menu at the restaurant was not. The girl taking our order was not friendly or helpful at all. Although the food tasted fine, we won't be back. There's too many friendlier places with chips happily served with a meal. For free.

Tiff T.

Yelp

Food was decent but the portions were fine for the cost. We ordered a steak burrito, chicken taco, quesabirria. The guacamole was very fresh. The menu online is different but they do serve nachos in the restaurant. They just started serving alcohol the day I went so there wasn't much to choose from. The line moved fairly slow so we ended up sitting at the bar. I went within the first 2 weeks of opening day so I will give them some leeway. I can see the potential. Quick spot to grab food in the brightleaf district.

Laura E.

Yelp

The food and drinks were pretty good. You have to stand in line to order your food and go back and pick it up as well as clear your table so the only service is that they'll bring you your alcoholic beverage. It's a nice environment- clean and well lit.

Jonathan B.

Yelp

Tried Fonda Lupita for the first time this evening and I am, for one, overjoyed to have a fabulous taco establishment in downtown Durham! Being that it's located in Brightleaf, the restaurant is very spacious with plenty of room and tables for a group dinner or just a drop in for a quick bite! It appears that the space still is being fleshed out with a bar looking set up that I will be excited to see come to fruition! The staff were very friendly and offered great explanations and recommendations for menu items we weren't familiar with. Any taco lover MUST try out Fonda Lupita! You won't be disappointed!

Lauren V.

Yelp

I started going to Fonda when they first started at their first location in Sanford. This location doesn't disappoint, as I expected. Delicious Mexican food--which is hard to come by in the South. I'm from San Diego, so my standards for Mexican food are high. The service here is great as well. I can't wait to come back for drinks too!

Jennifer H.

Yelp

This was a decent dining experience. I would describe it as a quaint space, but not easy to find. Please take down the coming soon signage on the windows! I would also like to encourage you to mark the door with the name of the restaurant inside of Brightleaf. Service was fine, and the gentleman floating around the dining room was very pleasant and seemed to take great pride in his work! I'm kicking myself for not trying the tacos bc they looked amazing, but I'll be back! I ordered The taquitos and they were pretty good and came with a side of rice and beans. The rice wasn't even warm, but the beans were absolutely amazing-my favorite part of the meal for sure! I also can't believe I spend $3.69 on a glass bottle of Coca Cola!

Charlie C.

Yelp

Awesome addition to Downtown Durham! Great location and design, tacos were delicious and at a great price point.

Natalya R.

Yelp

Amazing food, amazing drinks, and great service. The place was packed but all our food was ready very quickly and we had no issues finding a table.

Charles B.

Yelp

We found the experience mediocre. The food was tasty but with small portions for the price. Our lunch was ok, but it's a very loud place with counter service. I had 3 tacos and left hungry. No sides, no free chips and salsa (which is pretty much expected in a Mexican restaurant). If you want chips, it's $5. The (small) shrimp taco ($3.75) had only 3 medium shrimp! We probably won't be back. The one good part is, we saved 20% because one should not tip for counter service.