LA FONDA DE LOS CARNALITOS

I came in on a Friday morning and from the moment I walked through the door, the person who seated me was incredibly sweet, attentive, and caring—it felt almost like being at home. The food was amazing and truly exceeded my expectations, especially the handmade tortillas. To top it all off, the cafecito with flan was the perfect finishing touch. While prices may be on the higher side, the outstanding service and quality of the food make it absolutely worth it. If you come here, your expectations will not only be met, but exceeded.

Food was Great, Customer Service was Great. Even the Menu has some very Intresting Names for their Plates. It also has some Great Art Work all around. We sat on the Top Balcony and the Murals where Awsome. I would defenetly Recomend this Place.

Great food, beer and cocktails. All the food was very fresh and distinctive. Especially loved the mole poblano sauce. Very attentive and friendly service.

Walked in for lunch recently, was immediately acknowledged and politely asked to wait while the table was wiped. Very attentive server, just one woman. Atmosphere/Interior is nice and decorative. TVs were off which was nice. Good 1st impression. Paper menus are heavily soiled, though. I wish I had brought rubber gloves. Please throw these gross menus away! Bad 2nd impression. Ordered a Mexican IPA $9 and the fish taco lunch $16 which comes with a small soup and side salad. I tried to order the mahi mahi ceviche, but they were out of it. Small pieces of lettuce very difficult to eat with a fork, so I used the fork to shovel greens into my spoon. Server brought my beer together with my food about 10 minutes after I placed the order. She forgot to bring my soup, too (soup is usually served first in my experience), so I had to remind her - “this lunch comes with soup, doesn’t it?” - after nearly finishing my 2 fish tacos, which were ordinary, not outstanding in terms of either taste or volume. The fish has a light batter and is fried. I was still hungry, so I ordered the mini crispy gorditas $14 filled with chiccharon. These were specifically mentioned in the article I read. After tax and 15% tip, my bill was over $50…. for lunch!! Oh, I forgot to mention that my server originally billed me for TWO beers which would have brought my subtotal to $48, but I looked at the handheld screen and said, “excuse me, but you only served me one beer!” How could the server make such a silly mistake? She removed the extra beer. No apology for forgetting my soup nor for trying to charge me for a beer I did not drink. Mind you, she’s the one who poured my beer. I found this place on SF Eater’s list of 25 top places to eat in the Peninsula and saw the high Google ratings, so I was looking forward to it, but alas, disappointed AGAIN by the opinions and 5-star ratings of so-called foodies and food critics. Ho hum. Overpriced and underwhelmed. Cute plates and dining area, though! I’ll stick to the taquerias frequented by Mexicans. Not a single Mexican person in this place except for the staff. That says something! FOOD - 3 stars SERVICE - 3 stars ATMOSPHERE - 4 stars Overall 3 stars. Just ordinary nothing even close to 4.6 stars. Update: Printed Menu says $14 for Gorditas de Chicharrron, but my receipt says $15. Dropped from 3 stars to 2 stars for discrepancy and overcharge. Not worth driving to Redwood City for a refund.

Hands down the best Mexican food I’ve had outside of Mexico City. Every dish is bursting with flavor and freshly prepared, from the bold mezcalitas and creamy guacamole to the unforgettable mole sauce. The food transported me right back to the streets of CDMX. Ambience is laid back with a steady stream of local regulars. The service is warm, though it can take a bit of time, and can be a little inconsistent. Be sure to check what is included in your order. The servers made a mistake with the order but were open to feedback. Their drink menu features a great selection of mezcals and well crafted cocktails, and the house-made churros are the perfect sweet finish. The menu is concise but well curated and you really can’t go wrong with anything you order. I loved it so much I went twice during a short visit to California, and I’m already looking forward to going back. Highly recommend for anyone craving authentic, soul satisfying Mexican cuisine.

A Gem! Each dish was bursting with flavor. Guacamole was fresh, nice lime tang. Huevos con chorizo and huevos ranchero were also excellent. Fresh and flavorful. Lentil soup was on the house. Some of the best lentil soup I’ve tasted. Service was attentive and warm. Definitely be back!

A unique menu featuring dishes you won't find in many Mexican restaurants. Food is delicious, though chese in my Chili Relleno was not melty at all. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but I wouldn't order it again because of that. We also ordered the pozole and the enchiladas, which were fantastic. Full bar with a good choice of tequilas.

It is a Latin dream. Stepping into your favorite relatives kitchen knowing you're welcome and in for a treat. Feeling like royalty from the beverage to the appetizers to the meal and the dessert. Customer service at its best. Erika is an angel. And the kitchen is not messing around. You will not regret stopping by.

Great food and service! Guac and chips were good and came with some chicharrones. I got the crab and shrimp enchiladas and it was very tasty. The tortillas were not soggy and they were filled just right. I poured their red salsa over it to get a good kick of spice! My friends had the mezcal tasting and they said it was good. Came with a side of crickets ! The mixed mixed drinks weren't too strong but tasty. Our party of 9 was seated on the upper level and it felt like our own little space with a few other patrons arriving later in the evening. Finished the night with churros and flan! Other thing to note - The parking lot is small but there is street parking.

A favorite for us on the Peninsula, we've been here a few times. Reasonable prices and excellent food. Very good cocktails as well. Everything we've tried so far has been wonderful but for me the standouts are the gorditas de chicharron, crispy little pockets filled with delicious fried pork, and the huarache with cochinita pibil... a handmade long oval tortilla stuffed with beans and topped with rich slow cooked pork, pickled onion and spicy salsa. The best.

Hubs read reviews and wanted to check this place out. Arrived at around 11:30am for lunch - quite a few tables open. We were greeted and seated quickly. The huarache caught my attention, ordered it with the cochinita pibil. Hubs ordered the special - skirt steak which was served with tortillas, beans, half an avocado, and salsa. Both entrees came with soup. Soup was served lukewarm and a little bland. However, I enjoyed the huarache - may not look like much but it was quite filling. Although I like pickled onions, glad they were served on the side as they were quite spicy with the habanero. Hubs enjoyed the skirt steak. The ingredients tasted fresh.

La Fonda has always been a spot I've passed by in the area, but I've finally gotten to try it and I wish I've gone sooner! This spot offers dishes that I don't often see in the area, especially mole. The interior is nicely decorated and feels very welcoming. It was busy when we came but were able to get a table. The service was super quick and she was very attentive. We order the guacamole to start which comes with chicharrones and if you do not eat pork, they add more chips instead which was really great. For mains, we shared 3 dishes, the mole, enchiladas & the arracherra. Everything was delicious and super flavorful. The arracherra was cooked perfectly, and the dish also comes with chorizo but instead they added extra steak. I love how accommodating they were and we truly enjoyed the whole experience along with the meal. Highly recommend you stop by if you're in the area!

This place offers the very best chile relleno I have ever had! The service is fantastic as is the food. This restaurant offers a full bar with an emphasis on tequila. For dessert I got the churros (3) which are stuffed with something, perhaps caramel and they were piping hot and fresh. Parking is tight, so be prepared for that. Enjoy!

First time visiting this spot and loved the cute decor! Their drinks menu is so fun and they have a great selection of Mezcal if that's your thing. I got La Pinche Vida and husband got a margarita. Wonderful presentation and the vida was surprisingly tasty - the rhubarb offsets the sweetness and gives it an unexpected flavor. A little tart, a little sweet and overall delicious. Margarita was good too, classic salt rim and good, balanced flavor. We started with the guacamole, and both ordered the enchiladas verdes de Pollo. The guacamole was excellent and had a good little kick to it, might be a little spicy for some, though I loved it. I could've used a few more chips because it came with Chicharrones well, which are not my favorite. The enchiladas were excellent. I really liked the sauce and the rice was so good! We had our baby with us and she loved the rice and beans as well. Service was good, but it was pretty slow when we were there (we ate at the parent dinner time at 5:30pm LOL) so can't comment on how it would be when it's busy. My husband thought the enchiladas were just so-so, but he also loved the guacamole. Overall, a solid place with good food, but definitely a bit on the expensive side.

Food and great mezcal all the time . I went this time for breakfast and it was delicious. The service is always good and the place is cute and clean. This time I tried something new. The chilaquiles verdes with steak and eggs .

Easy to locate, greeted upon entry! Amazing server (Grace) she explained the specials, gave recommendations & was attentive. I think every table felt like we were her only table! The guacamole appetizer was delicious! So many flavors in the guacamole, every bite was something fresh and the chips & chicharones were warm and perfectly salted. Dinner was delicious, I had the taco trio (steak, chicken mole & pork) I ordered a side of refried black beans & rice. I never had refried black beans OMG so perfectly seasoned with unique rice (nice touch pyramid rice presentation) The chicken mole was authentic & sweet, my aunty loved the Poblano and flan. The churros are freshly prepared & delicious! The condensed milk for dipping was an incredible pairing! I didn't get to try the tequila bar but it was amazing, I will go back with a designated driver! Thank you Grace, your service was "heaven sent" iykyk....!

Walked in for lunch recently, was immediately acknowledged and politely asked to wait while the table was wiped. Very attentive server, just one woman. Atmosphere/Interior is nice and decorative. TVs were off which was nice. Good 1st impression. Paper menus are heavily soiled, though. I wish I had brought rubber gloves. Please throw these gross menus away! Bad 2nd impression. Ordered a Mexican IPA $9 and the fish taco lunch $16 which comes with a small soup and side salad. I tried to order the mahi mahi ceviche, but they were out of it. Small pieces of lettuce very difficult to eat with a fork, so I used the fork to shovel greens into my spoon. Server brought my beer together with my food about 10 minutes after I placed the order. She forgot to bring my soup, too (soup is usually served first in my experience), so I had to remind her - "this lunch comes with soup, doesn't it?" - after nearly finishing my 2 fish tacos, which were ordinary, not outstanding in terms of either taste or volume. The fish has a light batter and is fried. I was still hungry, so I ordered the mini crispy gorditas $14 filled with chiccharon. These were specifically mentioned in the article I read. After tax and 15% tip, my bill was over $50.... for lunch!! Oh, I forgot to mention that my server originally billed me for TWO beers which would have brought my subtotal to $48, but I looked at the handheld screen and said, "excuse me, but you only served me one beer!" How could the server make such a silly mistake? She removed the extra beer. No apology for forgetting my soup nor for trying to charge me for a beer I did not drink. Mind you, she's the one who poured my beer. I found this place on SF Eater's list of 25 top places to eat in the Peninsula and saw the high Google ratings, so I was looking forward to it, but alas, disappointed AGAIN by the opinions and 5-star ratings of so-called foodies and food critics. Ho hum. Overpriced and underwhelmed. Cute plates and dining area, though! I'll stick to the taquerias frequented by Mexicans. Not a single Mexican person in this place except for the staff. That says something! FOOD - 3 stars SERVICE - 3 stars ATMOSPHERE - 4 stars Overall 3 stars. Just ordinary nothing even close to 4.6 stars. Update: Printed Menu says $14 for Gorditas de Chicharrron, but my receipt says $15. Dropped from 3 stars to 2 stars for discrepancy and overcharge. Not worth driving to Redwood City for a refund.

Everything was great. The taco trio was fantastic. The pork was probably the best I've had and I think it rivals Guidados in LA. I would eat here all the time if I lived here. Must have. Lovely service. Perfect Mexican vibe.

Surprisingly nice interior for a restaurant in a strip mall. And the people working here are very nice. Huevos Rancheros: 4.5/5. Really well done. And it is great that you can order it during lunch time during the week. Just the right amount of food and spice-level. I will be back!

My group and I came around 6pm on a Saturday. The parking lot is quite small, but we luckily found a spot and it wasn't as busy inside. The vibes were pretty chill and not too loud. Food: - Guacamole: Delicious. Seasoned perfectly and super flavorful. The creaminess of the avocados balances out with the salt and zest. It also came with chips and chicharrones made to order. 10/10 - Gorditas de Chicharron: The gorditas were crunchy, the pork belly was juicy and not dry at all, and packed with flavor. I enjoyed the fresh cheese with its soft texture and mild flavor which paired well with the dish. The salsa was delicious and added some heat to the gorditas. 8/10 - Plato de Arrachera: The skirt steak and chorizo were tender and juicy and presented in a mini cast iron skillet. It came with handmade warm tortillas. The grilled cactus was too slimy in texture for me and bitter. I was also not the biggest fan of the refried beans. 7/10 - Enchiladas Verdes: The salsa verde packs a zesty punch which goes well with the crab/shrimp meat. It was too liquidy for my preferences, but my cousin enjoyed it. 8/10 - Churros: Fresh and crunchy. There was an unexpected caramel vanilla filling that came out hot like lava. It was evenly coated with cinnamon sugar and also came with a condensed milk dip. 9/10

The meal started out really well, when we got the gorditas; they were so warm and tasted amazing, with a crispy but not hard shell. Our entrees were okay, but not great. The pozole lacked flavor. I did appreciate the plethora of shredded lettuce and radish on top. Service was fast!

Clean and inviting place. Service was great and I enjoyed my Chicken Taco Trio- yummy! I'll be back when I'm around.

Went here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Place is pretty casual and wasn't very busy. We were seated right away and checked the menu. Waitress brought some water and we ordered the Tacos de Pescado and the Cochinita Pibil. Food arrived pretty quickly. The cochinita pibil was mostly good and nice combination with the pickled onions. Had a few dry pieces in there as well though. Overall was bit too spicy for me, but still a good dish. The fish tacos were good, crispy fish, but also a bit too spicy. Service was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed.

We were seated pretty fast but were made to wait about an hour before we even got word of our food while other tables had long gotten their food and left, they had only brought our drinks and appetizers while the waitress just eyed our table and even asked us if we liked the food...

La Fonda De Los Carnalitos had been on my wishlist for a while, and was worth the wait! We made a same day dinner reservation for our party of 9, which wasn't an issue on a Monday. The interior had brightly colored walls, lots of Mexican decor, and an overall casual vibe. Service was super friendly, and we were immediately walked through the most popular menu items. We started with 3 orders of Guacamole for the table, which was the perfect amount for us. The Guacamole was so fresh and tasty, and came with both tortilla chips and chicharrones. For drinks, I got the Mango Agua Fresca - tasty, good level of sweetness. Their signature cocktail menu featured a ton of enticing options, and my friends loved the La Pinche Vida and Rojo Amanecer (both boozy and so well made). We were also given a cup of complimentary soup before our entrees came out, which was a cute touch! For food, I went with their specialty, the Mole Poblano. The mole was so rich and flavorful, and the chicken was perfectly juicy. They let me substitute the beans for a double serving of rice, which was also tasty. It didn't look like a huge dish, but was deceptively filling. My friends all loved their entrees as well, including the Cochinita Pibil (another house specialty), Chile Relleno, Flautas, and Enchiladas Verdes. Overall, La Fonda was great for dinner as a large group!

Five stats for my new favorite Happy Hour spot! The two for $5 tacos al pastor and $11 Mescalita with small batch mezcal and artisan chapulin (grasshopper) salt ( a surprise and a revelation - when I commented and was informed of the secret ingredient. i could see the tiny legs and detect thr crunch to the salt) are both very special. In fact I ordered two orders of the tacos because I was starving and they because they were perfect. The handmade soft (thick enough to hold up to being filled without breaking )corn tortilla and pickled nopalitas and onions with the most delicious green salsa. Quality ingredients for an incredible price, especially at Happy Hour.

I've been told I needed to try La Fonda I finally had the opportunity and I must say it lived up to the hype walked me by my self and wanted to sit at the bar people moved so I could sit everyone was super friendly so now for food outstanding if you haven't tried this place it's a must

We were referred to this restaurant by a friend because it was near my Kaiser clinic. It was located next to a donut shop with a couple of small parking lots. Once entering the restaurant you are greeted by a wonderful inviting bar with a shining wall housing lots of tequilas. Loved the hanging lamps. You can sit at the windows, at the bar, along with other surrounding tables. Service was friendly and attentive. The food was fantastic, fresh and generous. It was beautifully presented. It was delicious. I had the shrimp and crab enchilada with a pyramid of rice which included a salad and a little soup. And of course, I had a margarita which refreshing. Unfortunately, they were out of the chocoflan recipe I wanted to try. Need to come back soon.

The food and service here are amazing. I loved the grilled pork plate and the rice here is just amazing. I like the vibe of the restaurant, it feels very open and refreshing.

Great place to get tacos. Guacamole is amazing. Clean kitchen and awesome staff. Becoming regulars here and proud of it!

Great experience! Nice place, attentive staff and freshly hot food. The fish tacos were awesomeeee.

Highly recommend! Food from Mexico City, a bit different to that served at other Mexican restaurants. Really delicious. Great service. Comfortable ambiance. We'll be back to try more of the dishes!

Popped by La Fonda for a quick lunch last week and I'm so glad I stopped by! I had about an hours lunch for jury duty and since La Fonda was nearby, I was able to just walk over and get a bar seat pretty quickly. There weren't too many people in there so it was relatively quiet. There were a few items on the menu that weren't ready yet as those were for dinner but I had my eyes set on the mole poblano as I haven't had mole in a while. The mole was fantastic! I've only had mole in Mexico City and this was comparable to that. The chicken and rice were both well done and the tortillas were hot and fresh. I'm definitely coming back again for dinner to try out some other goodies and to try out their drinks!

Had a fantastic dinner here. I would highly recommend a visit. Everything really was perfection. Everyone either got the taco trio or the plata de arrachera and both were so good. Amazingly fresh ingredients and flavor. Our expectations were exceeded.

La Fonda has been in my bookmarks for some time and my friend wanted to meet up in Redwood City, so we decided to try this place. I made reservations for 4 and the place was pretty full. There was about a 5 minute wait for our table upstairs. The place has interesting art pieces as well as a nice chandelier! As for the food, here's what we ordered: **APPETIZERS** MAHI MAHI CEVICHE ~ this was bland. When we have ceviche, we expect tartness from lime juice and spiciness from jalapeños but there was neither. Chips were hard. All of us rather have crispy chips. 3/5 **ENTREES** 2 TACOS TRIO ~ in our party of 4, 2 ordered this with beef and fish. From what they told me, beef was better than the fish. It tasted ok but there wasn't much to eat for $18. My bf left hungry, so if you're starving, this probably won't fill you. 2/5 COCHINITA PILBIL ~ if you like spicy food, maybe you'd like this one. This was my order and it was spicier than I would have liked. My friend ended up eating most of my dish! My ears were tingling cuz I don't typically eat too spicy. 3.5/5 PLATO DE ARRACHERA ~ tough skirt steak! My friend left her skirt steak and ate the red ground beef since it was the only meat that wasn't like beef jerky. And she ate the rest of my cochinita pibil because she could handle the spiciness. 2/5 **DRINKS** MARGARITA ~ I've seen margaritas and this one looks plain and much smaller than the usual margarita. It wasn't in a margarita glass. Tasted ok. 3.5/5 MEDIA NARANJA ~ Pretty drink, but it would have been better if they included a stir or straw so it could be mixed while drinking because the bottom was too sweet and the top tasted like alcohol. 3/5 Pretty unfortunate because we haven't seen this friend in a while and wanted to have a nice dinner with good food! Ambiance was nice, but food was mediocre at best. $150 for disappointing food and drinks. My mistake, so I ate the cost.

Not only was the service awful today but there were cockroaches all over by the kitchen area. I've been here a handful of times and the service declines each time. It's a shame bc they have decent food but today was the worst it's been. There may have only been one server, was hard to tell who is who but we were there a good hour and a half before we got our food. Apps included! Then we were half way down with our food and noticed we had company, the bug type! Will not be back here again!

I've had La Fonda on my list for years, and after dining here, I'm mad at myself for not coming sooner! We stopped in for dinner about an hour before closing and we were able to get a seat right away on weekday night. Looking at the menu, the prices are definitely reasonable for the amount of food you get for the main dishes. I went with the skirt steak plate, and this was absolutely delicious. It came with plenty of skirt steak, homemade chorizo, cactus, and a grilled jalapeno. It came with a side of refried beans and their homemade tortillas which was very tasty. The steak was cooked perfectly but the chorizo was by far my favorite. I could eat an entire order of chorizo if it was available! I asked the waitress about serranos instead of jalapenos, and they said you just have to ask when you order, which is something I'm going for next time around. If you enjoy Mexican food, mezcal and tequila as much as I do, IMO, this spot is worth checking out!

Low key, full service and very casual. I'm guessing this is a family owned and operated place. If you don't want pomp and circumstance and are just looking for solid, filling Mexican food in a nice warm atmosphere. This is it. They make their own tortillas in house, that should say enough right there. Our server was great. A very nice older woman who actually seemed to care about our food. Do it.

I was pleasantly surprised and hate that it took me so long to try this spot out. Everything was delicious and full of flavor. I got the chilaquiles with ranchera.. The meat had a rich and yummy seasoning, the sauce was good (maybe a little too much sauce for my liking), and the chips had a nice crunch which I personally prefer. Also tried an appetizer but I forget what it was called, it was potato taquitos or something, but they were also really good, just wish the gave more verde sauce with them. I'll definitely be back to try more dishes!

Absolutely delicious! I had the huarache with cochinita pibil, and the flavors and spice were perfection. Service was friendly, genuine, and quick. Lot of exciting things on the menu- can't wait to come back for brunch and try the chilaquiles.

My first time here, it gives you a nice and warm kind of vibe.  The walls were bright and had nice photos and decorations I ordered: 1. Chilaquiles verdes with steak - The steak was tender and chilaquiles cooked perfectly with the egg.  The verde sauce had a kick, where you can't stop eating it. 2.  Gorditas de chiccharon -    First time having this, but it was good.  The tortilla was crispy with a light doughiness.  Chicharon was perfectly seasoned. Once you get to the middle, the spiciness hits you.      Overall the food was delicious and the lady who took my order was nice.   I will definitely come back to try their other items.   My only complaint would be,  I wish it came with chips.   Something to help balance out the spiciness.

Excellent food that is a nice departure from the usual local Mexican fare. I recommend the Albondigas.

I had pretty high expectations for this place given the glowing reviews on here but was sadly disappointed. The food was pretty bland, overpriced, and broadly disappointing. Not many vegetarian options as well. Great ambiance and good service though

I love this quaint Mexican spot in RWC. Friendly service , very cool decor and most importantly quality food. Have had several dishes here but I lean towards the Mole and the Green Enchiladas which remind me of dishes members of family make. Great friendly service as well which makes it a place I'd totally go out of my way for as well. If you like my reviews, consider "following" my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area . Why "follow" someone? It causes the person you follow's reviews to tier to top when you pull up a business. I find this very handy when researching venues. Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews)

Awesome food. Friendly staff and diid I mention the food was amazing?!?!?! We will definitely come back for some Flautas and Meatballs

Visiting SF and staying in San Carlos and found this restaurant. I had the huarache with nopales, it was very delicious. For our appetizer, we had choriqueso, and that was excellent. The menu could have more variety as it's limited. I also had the Agua de guava, and that was amazing.

I came in with high expectations, and while the service and ambiance were great, the food didn't quite land for me. Nothing was bad -- the staff was very kind, and the place itself had a nice, relaxed vibe. But flavor-wise, nothing stood out as particularly memorable. I left underwhelmed.

For looks, presentation, and cleanliness, I'd say 5 out of 5 stars. Nothing to fault, as far as what I was aware of. I had to knock a star for a Mexican restaurant (especially in the Bay Area) that doesn't have chips and salsa... not even an option to order. If it's not something that's brought out, like bread & butter at other restaurants, at least have an option to order some! I would totally be fine with that. But come on..... the complimentary soup is nice and all but we all know what people look forward to at Mexican restaurants, the chips and salsa! I felt like another star should be knocked because the portion size, along with the lack of chips and salsa, leaves your stomach still growling for some food. And no, not everyone is looking to have chocolate flan at lunchtime. It's hard to know what the portions are just by looking at photos posted, but it's not nearly what you're used to. If you've grown up in the Bay Area, eating your fair share of great Mexican dishes from all over, you'll know right away the portion/price scale is definitely off. We also had two dishes of enchiladas. First thing we noticed was the lack of beans... weird. Then I noticed that my mole enchiladas didn't have a salad with it, but the verde enchiladas did... again, weird! My overall take: The price is too high, portions too small, and key traditional (maybe Bay Area traditional) elements are no where to be found. Also, we were given some excuse as to why they don't have chips and salsa and instead give a small cup of soup... it didn't really make sense to me and I didn't care to clarify it. I noticed on another person's yelp post they were told they were given the soup because some of their food was taking a long time to prepare.

Located next to a donut shop/cafe, Red Wing shoe store and Chinese take out place, this is not your everyday Mexican joint. It seems like a nice little secret tucked away in this drab, unassuming spot. It's not large but probably seats 50 - 60 people. You enter on the first floor, there's a bar, a bunch of high tops and 3-4 low tops that seat 4. There's an upstairs loft area that seats about 30 comfortably. The servers know their food well and are super courteous and helpful. The food prepared well and full of flavor. GUACAMOLE - Avocado, pico de gallo with chicharrones and chips - very fresh and light, not a ton of lemon squeezed in, good crunchy pico throughout. The tortilla chips have to be made there, they were on the thicker side and warm. It's not a big serving but it was more than enough as an appetizer for 3. ENCHILADAS VERDES - Chicken, or Crab Shrimp, Salsa verde, sour cream, Chihuahua cheese. I'm not a big enchilada fan unless they are exceptional. These were exceptional. Like the chips, the tortilla was hearty. Even soaking in the sauce, it had great texture and "chew" to it. It was filled with imitation crab and bay shrimp. The verde sauce had a slight kick but wasn't hot hot. COCHINITA PIBIL - Marinaded pork, pickled onions with habanero, black beans, rice and handmade tortillas. My friend says this is her go to. Always, no matter what other dishes she tries, she always prefers to eat this one. DAILY SPECIAL - pork ribs w/ nopales, black beans & rice. Our server rattled off this daily special and even speeding through it she made it sound grand. My friend didn't like it. He didn't like it SO much that he ate everything and might have just wiped the plate clean with his tortilla to get every bit of sauce. CHURROS - filled with cajeta and a side of condensed milk for dipping. I was surprised to see the churro filled with cajeta down the middle. I've only been regaled with stories of the amazing churros in Mexico from another friend. This churro was a little dense for me BUT I did love that the sugar on the outside was lightly sprinkled and that the cajeta down the middle made it moist and provided sweetness from the inside out. I'd definitely choose to eat here again. The decor is interesting, the furniture is "warm" but the space is somewhat cold and sterile. The walls are decorated with modern x folk-y art, there are interesting (but maybe misplaced) glass chandeliers hanging from the two story ceiling and large cold tile floors. If you come in the winter bring a sweater. I can imagine Parking is terrible during the week. The attached lot next the donut shop is super small.

Went there on a Friday afternoon, two ladies working. I waited patiently over an hour for food when I noticed food was being delivered to guest who had gotten there over half hour after us, horrible service . I left and still got charge with appetizers that got left at the table horrible experience

I absolutely cannot say enough good things about this restaurant! Firstly, the decorations are gorgeous! I love the paintings on the walls and the whole ambience of the restaurant. We went on a Wednesday afternoon and were seated immediately. The server was so sweet and polite! We also noticed that it was all women! Chef, cooks, server! Go ladies! Now the food...omg. Everything was just amazing! The sauces were so well balanced but with bolt flavors. The choriqueso was to die for! I could eat that over and over again even though I'm lactose intolerant...the taquitos de papa were perfection! And I love that they came with some lettuce on top to add some freshness to the dish! I am going to tell everyone about this place! And I definitely will be back for dinner so I can try the mole! Hands down top 3 favorite Mexican restaurants for me!

We wanted to try a new Mexican restaurant so picked La Fonda and ventured out into this lovely weather! Restaurant was very busy and very noisy. We sat in the back and the hostess noted that they were going to turn down the music which I thought was nice. Service was very nice and super prompt. Almost a little too fast. We ordered a margarita, a Coke, the enchiladas and I got the poblano mole. The mole sauce was delicious but the 3 pieces of chicken were tiny and all bones. Hubby said his enchiladas were full of chicken so I guess that's where it all went. Entrees came with rice and beans plus they serve a nice cup of soup. Tortillas were nice and hot. Unfortunately the margarita, at 16.00, was very weak and had a dried out slice of lime for garnish. I would not order a drink there again. All in all, I would give it 3.5 stars but rounding up because the servers were so nice. Not sure if we will be back but glad we tried it.

This spot is located off of Veterans Blvd which is a main street, so it's easy to miss. They have a small parking lot outside the restaurant so parking may be tricky during a busy time. We were seated right away but service was a little slow as it took multiple attempts to flag our waiter down to take our order, and we waited around 35 minutes for the food to come out even though the restaurant was not fully packed. I ordered the Taco Trio with fish (you can also get the tacos with a different protein) which were decently sized. The fish pieces could have been a little bigger but they tasted fresh, and the sauce had a little kick of spice to it. I tried my friend's flautas which came with hard shelled rolled tacos. Pretty good flavor, we were just expecting soft shelled rolled tacos. We tried their flan napolitano and churros for dessert; the flan was much thicker than we expected and the churros came with a filling that wasn't too sweet.

Came here during the weekday. Parking lot is small but thankfully it wasn't busy. The restaurant itself is cute but small. There is a bar so you can enjoy drinks. Service was quick and we were seated promptly. Choriqueso- This was 4/5. The flavors were good and it was extremely cheesy. I would get this again! Cochinita pibil- 4/5 the presentation was amazing but this was extremely spicy so just be aware when you order. The flavors blended really well and meat wasn't dry but the spices overtook the flavor. I'd give it a try if you like spicy. Overall, it was a good first experience and I would go back if I was around the area!

I have no idea why this place has such high reviews. What we ordered was absolutely horrible. I had the crab and shrimp enchiladas Verdes. The problem was all the fake lukewarm crabmeat and very chewy tortillas. They tasted rubbery. It was so overwhelming bad. The worst part was our waitress came over and asked us if everything was okay and I said no, the fake crab was awful, and she just said that's the way it is and walked away! Why ask, and I tell you exactly how I feel, and you don't try and make things better? She also didn't bring us more napkins (that we requested), or refill our water. The guacamole was okay. Two small pieces of Chicharróns, and not enough chips. Our original plan was to get the enchiladas and see how they were before ordering another one OR something else, but they were so bad we decided not to order any more food here. I broke down and ordered their chocolate flan which was 3 stars. Super cheap tasting cake (like a cheap cake mix) drenched in syrupy sugar sauce topped with flan. Just horrible food all around and a waitress who didn't care. No way am I, or anyone I know of, will come back to this place.

Can't say enough about the food and the service we got. Our server was super friendly and professional, every food and drink we got was delicious. We were offered Lentil soup which was great also and it was perfect for the cold weather days. Highly recommending this place for anyone who'd like to experience delicious Mexican food. Oooh and don't forget to Churro

Went here on MLK Day and definitely glad I did. It was the perfect day for their delicious pozole. It was rich and flavorful and the addition of their tostadas with crema and cheese provided a nice crunch. It was definitely a hearty soup! I also got a glass of their guava agua fresca. Nothing too shocking, but still good Overall, I would come back here if I was in the area! Only bummer was they didn't have the choco flan, which I really wanted to try.