LA FONDITA 2

Went to this place on an off chance of it being good. They certainly didn't disappoint nor skimp on any of the areas I would be particular about and look for, to critique. Like cleanliness, ratio of proteins:fillers (i.e. in a burrito). Having just driven passed the restaurant I flipped a u-turn and went inside ambiance was great the staff greeted me and was happy to take my specific type of meal I wanted, that wasn't even on the menu! Thanks to the staff my carne asada with the rice and beans on the side was fantastic! And made my lonely Christmas day fulfilled. ¡Muchas gracias! Quizás nunca sepas lo mucho que me ha beneficiado esta breve visita. Pero quería comentarlo en esta reseña. ¡De nuevo, gracias! ¡Han ganado un cliente para toda la vida!

Great atmosphere and lots of room for the whole family. We tried several of their different dishes and their drinks and homemade Horchata and Tamarindo. So good!

This place was awful. They only had one server and everything was so slow. The food itself was pretty bad too. They sope was big and it tasted good. When I say the sope, I mean the actual sope and not the stuff on top. The pastor tasted like straight cinnamon. They did pile it high with lots of stuff so much in fact the toppings were falling on the table. The salsa waa good and they dries were good! I wanted to like this place I really did!!

Excellent service. The food was great. I had the chilaquiles con carne asada and its was the best I've had in a while. They also have home made aguas frescas. Would come back next time our family is in Salem.

I haven’t had a good carne asada taco in awhile. A lot of flavor. Glad I came to check this place out.

Been coming here for many years. They have authentic Mexican food. I highly recommend anything with red mole sauce (enchiladas, wet burrito, chicken). They serve delicious micheladas too.

Found out about this place from tik tok. Came here yesterday food and service was really good. I just moved here from Texas and I haven’t had super good authentic Mexican food in years! They serve you a BIG plate. I definitely couldn’t finish it, but I am definitely coming back.

Best / favorite place to eat when in Salem. Food always is great food and service. Definitely worth trying and bet will return. Hands down best one.

Found this uniquely located restaurant thanks to Yelp. Easy enough to miss as it shares a parking lot with a neighborhood grocery store. My point is, don't miss it! I had my rolled tacos that were cooked with a lack of oil. The chicken was seasoned with a red sauce, but was zesty in a good way. The highlight might be the mole. Verrrry traditionally cooked. I'm not a fan of this meal normally, but this version starts its journey far south in Joachata and makes it way up to this restaurant. Maybe this is the way mole is supposed to taste? Some of the meals are pricey, so don't rely on Yelp's price guide, but understand the meals are well presented and top notch in their quality. Serving portions are more than adequate. To sum it up, the outside appearances could dissuade you from missing out on a delightful culinary experience.

Wanted Mexican food because it was Cinco de Mayo. Found this place and decided to give it a try. Walked in and it was a great little hole in the wall. The waitress seated us right away and ca to take our order. The food came out hot. It was well seasons and nice portions. I got a tostada with regular grilled chicken. Coworker got some kind of shrimp and pepper dish. Her's looked really good. It all tasted and smelt fabulous. I love finding hole in the wall places with great service, friendly people and FANTASTIC FOOD!

Auténtica comida mexicana no tengo queja. Servicio al cliente excelente, este local se recomiende. Authentic Mexican food no complaints. Excellent customer service, I recommend this establishment.

A little hole in the wall with great food. Perfectly cooked carne asada. Enormous huaraches. It all tasted as good and as authentic as any Mexican food out there. The folks were very nice. Its right off I-5 so you can stop in easily if you are traveling. Im going to stop in Salem more often, just to come here.

Wow, I was told there was good Mexican food in Salem and coming from Santa Rosa, where I feel very spoiled I was not anticipating much. La Fondita was the highest rated on multiple sites. I pulling up I figured the food had to be good because the location was not. I ordered the Mole Verde and my brother had the Steak Fondita. The mole was amazing, so much depth of flavor, I would pull a franks red hot and put the ... on everything if I could. My brothers was also fantastic, that steak was a little grissly, but over all the flavor was so deep and rich, with a nice, very spicy slow burn. The corn tortillas were also great. Now the beans and rice... bland and boring, not even needed in the plate! But everything else is so good, they are forgiven

It was good, but a little pricey. About $25 per person and chips/salsa are not included.

Fabulous food with a Oaxacan flair. We had a great meal between the Mole, Pollo al la plancha, and a few margaritas. All outstanding. We wondered why the place was almost completely empty on a Saturday night but it all became clear when the bill came. This place is not cheap! Other than the very high prices, we would return. Bottom line, while the food is very good, it's not quite worth the price.

As mentioned by others, the outside is plain, but the food was good. I ordered the enchiladas suizas, and they were packed with chicken. The service was friendly but a bit slow, which was fine. The workers were friendly. We would go here again.

Fabulous food (try the mole), friendly service and one of the best margaritas ever! We were driving through OR and needed a place to stop for lunch. So glad we made this choice. I would be a regular if I lived closer.

We came here as we were traveling through the area on Christmas Eve. The ambiance was bright and welcoming, the staff were gracious and attentive. The food was so delicious- incredibly flavorful! There was karaoke in one of the rooms and it looked like everyone was having a great time. One of the best brick and mortar Mexican restaurants we've visited in a long time. We definitely plan to go again when we next have the opportunity.

My son and I had a great dinner here while visiting the University. I ordered a house margarita on the rocks at their suggestion. I usually order a cadillac but the house was fantastic. I opted for the chili relleno and it was perfect, especially the sauce. My son's carne asada burrito was even better. Not sure I'd order anything else in the future. Staff was friendly and welcoming, even on a quiet Tuesday night when we were the only customers.

Great food and fast and friendly service. We had chicken enchiladas and an asada torta. Enchiladas were on fire! Asada torta was good too. Service gave me family vibes, very welcoming and appreciative.

When you first arrive to this place, from the outside it looks like a very sketchy building & very small. However we decided to give it a try. My son always says to not judge a book by its cover and so we kept this in mind. Once you enter, it transforms into this really cute mom & pop shop/restaurant. We we're greeted by all their staff too upon entering. It was a really warm feeling & gesture. We ordered a Chile Relleno plate, a torta of Al pastor meat, a huarache with carne Asada, and a shredded chicken burrito. The portions are huge and pricing is great for the amount of food you get. On top of the pricing and portions being great, the food was so flavorful and tasty! Each bite from every plate was one of the best! And their red salsa (not pictured) was a nice hint of spice to add to their dishes. We will definitely be back to La Fondita next time we're in Salem, OR.

La Fondita is a nice lil spot with good fast food service and a happy lil bar! Come here for a bit and a drink on a casual lunch!!! We ate dinner here on Easter Sunday. The chicken was very spicy but also delicious! Try the salsa!!!!

We decided to stop here on our way to CA. The reviews intrigued me so we gave it a shot. The store is in a corner next to a bridal shop. We ordered 2 Sopes de Carne Asada & 2 carne asada tacos to go. They included red & green salsas, lime, sautéed onions, rábano, and one Serrano Chile. Food was delicious! Truly recommend for those on a road trip or near the area! The sopes were big and the masa was spot on! The tacos were excellent. The salsas were spicy as they should. I'm sad I don't live close to this local food shop! ------------------- Decidimos parar aquí de camino a CA. Las críticas me intrigaron, así que le dimos una oportunidad. La tienda está en una esquina al lado de una tienda de bodas. Pedimos 2 tacos de carne asada y 2 sopes de carne asada para llevar. Incluyeron salsas rojas y verdes, limón, cebollas, rábano y un chile serrano. ¡La comida estuvo deliciosa! ¡Realmente lo recomiendo para aquellos en un viaje por carretera o cerca del área! ¡Los sopes eran grandes y la masa estaba perfecta! Los tacos estaban excelentes. Las salsas estaban picantes como deberían. ¡Estoy triste porque no vivo cerca de esta tienda de comida local!

The back patio was cute and the service relaxed and friendly. I had the margarita and the wet burrito after a long hike and couldn't have been more satisfied. It was VERY tasty. It really hit the spot

We drove to la Fondita after yelp reviews. Surprised by the size of the establishment but thought food would be great. Not to be. Chips tasted store bought. Surprised bean dip wasn't very good. Then we got entrees. The carne asada was super over cooked. And the portion was nit large. I had shrimp wrapped in bacon. The bacon was good but the shrimp were so well done they were like beef jerky. The only good item was the rolled chicken tacos which were plentiful and good. No drinks, and a total price well over $50. Before tip. I can't even give 2 stars as the prices are inappropriate for mediocre food in a dreadful setting. Why does yelp have so many positive reviews? Please think twice before going as there are so many good Mexican options in Salem.

Me and my wife have came to La Fondita for over 8 years. We have noticed that the prices kept increasing. We understand that prices are up everywhere but not at these price increases. The food has also lost most of its quality and they will short the customers on meat. My wife got shrimp ceviche and it hardly had any shrimp in there. We took it to go, and she had to remake it to make it taste good, thank goodness she is a good cook and knows how to make it right. The picture shows it's all cucumber, little shrimp. I don't think we will be going back ever again and don't recommend others to waste their time and money here. There are better options in Salem. I honestly think that the 5 stars on here are either fake or they don't know what good Mexican food is.

This was a hidden gem great hole in the wall, very clean, very friendly!! For starters, it is very authentic so if that's what you're after then go here! The homemade tortillas were deelish! We had Enchiladas Chicken with Molé sauce and the Molé was off the charts NoM, not too sweet with a little heat, excellent flavor. Shredded chicken done right. Also had chicken a la crema and also thoroughly enjoyed this dish very much! The sauce had incredible flavor. And, tried a chili relleno which was yummy, the sauce was real good, it had ample cheese and the poblano was perfect. So why only 5 stars? what I didn't like, but definitely not a deal breaker because I will be back: beans were boring, yawn. Bland and a little runny. Salsa could have been fresher, I'm sure it was good when it was fresh but it was a couple days old. And the horchata was likely a premix as it sure didn't taste homemade.

Muy autentica! Que rico! This place is real good and we will definitely be back and running our mouths about how good it is!

Excellent menudo and homemade corn tortillas! Been looking for a restaurant that had great menudo. This is the place.

This restaurant is as good as it gets. When we visit Salem from Southern California we stop here for the best Mexican food in Salem. I grew up here in Salem until I was 19 and then left to serve in the military. I stayed in Southern California after my service. But I come back every year multiple times to visit my parents and family. I've had some of the best Mexican Food in Los Angeles and San Diego and Fontana and Santa Ana. And La Fondita is right up there and even surpasses some of those places. Always good customer services, the prices are reasonable for the quality and amount of food that is given. Keep up the great work. On our most recent visit we had Tacos Asada & Al Pastor with everything, as you can tell in the photo they were loaded with good yummy substance. My daughter had the enchilada plate and loved it and we all had a taste, great flavor, plenty of cheese and chicken. The rice and beans were good as well. My son had the bean and cheese burrito and it oozed with cheese when we cut it in half, he loved it. We also ordered Champurrado which was delicious and reminded me of when I was a kid. Later I'd go back for the Oaxaca Mole, I brought it home to where I was staying in South Salem. My grandparents are from Jalisco so the Mole they made growing up was different. And this mole was great full of flavor and spicy but not overpowering. Great job, growing up in Salem through the 80's & 90's you couldn't find a place like this. The decor screams grandmas Mexican homemade fair. It's good to see and enjoy this food in my hometown. Keep up the good work we will be back every year!

This place serves food really fast. That does not mean that they compromise on their quality. The food was tasty and spicy. I have not seen many places serve champurrado which they do. I will try in my next visit sometime as I was full from their main course dish itself. The place also serves warm tortillas.

El lugar está muy limpio la comida está fresca deliciosa y presentable , el personal es muy amable 10 de 10 recomendable

If you like Mexican food, then certainly head here and you'll be hooked. The high ratings are accurate for this place. Not only is the food great but so is the service and what nice, hard working folks. Well, I ordered the menudo and it was just as good if not better than anything I've had in Los Angeles, I also got the quesadilla and I thought it would be small but it was huge, sort of a meal in itself. They have inside seating and an outside covered patio. Don't go there with a huge group but groups of four to five will fit hopefully. Lastly, my friend ordered a couple of farmer asada tacos and he said they were amazing and fully loaded with meat.

Sometimes the best places are what look like a little whole in the wall that you drive by a thousand times without thinking about it. Then there's that one time you stop in and you say to yourself, "Why didn't I do this sooner?!" Case in point, La Fondita. My Mom and I were looking for a place to have lunch so I fired up my trusty Yelp app and picked a close spot with high ratings. The service was fast and friendly. Chips, refried bean dip, and pico de gallo were on our table before we knew it. Excellent pico. We opted for the lunch special and split 4 tacos, 2 chicken (not shredded, grilled), 2 pork (but it was called by its Spanish name). Our server put one of each of each plate since we said we were going to share, which was very cool. The tacos came covered in cilantro, with perfectly seasoned meat, lime to squeeze over everything, and as an added bonus, a grilled jalapeno and some leeks, which just gave it that extra "Holy Moly" my taste buds were waiting for. As we left, Mom told the staff that it was the best Mexican food she's ever had. Quite an accomplishment. We'll be back for sure. I'm dying to try their Chile Relleno.

I ordered the Pollo Asado, and it was delicious. It was fresh and hot. It was two big chicken breasts, with a half an avocado, sliced tomato, shredded cabbage, rice and beans, and 2 different salsas (plus 3 tortillas!). Both salsas were delicious. Lady was super friendly too. Definitely would go here again.

Locally owned. Authentic AF. Clean restaurant, friendly staff, very quick service. Food has always been tasty and hot.

BIRRIA! Authentic goat meat Birria I haven't had since So Cal. Homemade tortillas = bomb.com, carne Assad's tacos came with grilled onions and a chili toreado. Pazole was on point. The chips salsa and beans were good, although I've had a little better. Small place, great service!

Why not treat yourself? La Fondita is casual, comfortable and congenial. Simpatico! Ok I'm sure there are several other good Mexican restaurants in the area... no doubt there are other quality places. For me I do not need to look further (unless maybe the wait is too long). Carne Asada Tacos with homemade tortillas are absolutely perfect. This is not a fancy cut of meat, just delicious and grilled to perfection with onions and cilantro. I have yet to try the other dishes here. The tacos are so good it will be hard for me to stray. Awesome place for groups. Very nice service and full bar if you want a morning cocktail or to party a little after work. Absolutely 5 stars +.

Mexican. I ordered a burrito and I was pleased both by the size of a burrito, and The amount of meat they put in it. A lot of times you order a burrito and they'll loaded with veggies to try to skimp on the meat. But not this place. The service was really good as well.

I LOVE La Fondita. No, they don't have a huge menu or white people salsa with the beans and cabbage like La Hacienda. Instead, they serve up the best enchiladas, tacos, and camarones del coctel in town. It's the only place that will put pollo asado in their chicken enchiladas, and they always provide sour cream for free. Even in my grubhub orders, everything is as I request!

Highly rated on Yelp and very accurate! Great food, fast, great people, and outstanding service. Outside patio was nice even on a cold day. Should give this place a try for authentic Mexican food.

It is a little hidden away, but it's a hidden gem! There food was delicious and the portions were great, I've been there multiple times and I've never had a bad experience

Stalls: 0 Urinals: 1 Paper towels/Air dryer: paper towels Music: no Sinks: 1 Baby Change: no Motion Activated: nothing Mirrors: yes Only one bathroom in this small restaurant, but it was well stocked, clean, and actually smelled good. I could imagine during busier times there might be a wait, due to only having one, but not bad.

Yummy authentic food. Full bar. Two outside tables with a heater and TV. Very friendly staff and good service.

Delicious food at an affordable price with quick and attentive service. Our server even brought out small samples of horchata, jamaica, and tamarindo for us to try. A small hole in wall that's unimpressive from the outside but clean with a nice variety of authentic food. Best mole we've had!

This has got to be one of the worst spots for Mexican food I've ever had in my life and that is saying a lot as I come from the East Coast, where even slightly decent Mexican food is very hard to come by. I spent the last several years at school in SoCal and was never truly blown away by anything I've had, but have certainly had a handful of pretty decent Mexican cuisine experiences during my time out there. My friend and I were excited to see al pastor on the menu so we decided to order two burritos. My god was the al pastor bland. Every bite was just fat upon fat. The guac had no flavor and for some reason they put lettuce in the burrito, never seen that before in SoCal (except from a Chipotle... which obviously is far from authentic). I don't know how this place has such high reviews and I'm unsure why we have been recommended this place as much as we have since moving up North. We are not the type to let food go to waste (especially after paying $30 for TWO burritos... absurd), but after several bites we just felt so disgusted that we threw them away. Will not ever pay this place another visit despite the friendliness of the employees (this was the only good part about the place).

A little hole in the wall place next door to a convenient store but the food makes up for the location. Excellent food. Best I've eaten for a long time. Worth going or at least picking up take out.

This is more for an opportunity to vent than it is a review on the quality of the food or service because we actually left the restaurant before we could experience either. When we entered the restaurant, we sat down and were given menus and told that when we were ready to come up to the counter and order. The menu had pictures of most of the meals - a good 3/4 of them had pictures of some kind of chicken dish. When we got to the counter, the person taking orders informed us they were out of rice. Kinda stunned, we thought for a moment and still decided to try the dishes sans arroz. When I started to order the Mole Verde de Pollo, the person informed us they were out of pollo -- no pollo, no arroz. We handed the menus back and walked out. Bummer, because the pictures on the menu looked really good and the restaurant had plenty of good reviews.

After going over a few options on Yelp, my family and I decided to head to this place since the reviews were so great and honestly I'm always down for some Mexican food. Parking was a bit difficult and the lot was covered in trash. This was definitely a hole in the wall type place. My family didn't want to go in but I told them looks can be deceiving and that we needed to at least give it a try. We go in and the atmosphere was less than spectacular. The tables were oddly arranged and the colors threw me off. Again, looks can be deceiving. We were seated right away and after a couple minutes our drink orders were in. My brother ordered a mango margarita and to his great disappointment got something that looked like a mango margarita but tasted like Vicks cough syrup. Honest to god, we sat there trying to figure out what in a margarita would taste like that for the rest of our short visit there. The worst part... the part that made me take the time to write up this review. We got our food, my mom got the enchiladas and got some liquidy enchilada soup thing, just waaay too much sauce and cheese. My brother got a cheese quesadilla and it looked great, he said he enjoyed it as well. I got the burrito with shredded chicken and while it tasted really good... the cockroach I pulled out of my mouth ruined the entire experience. I complained to the waitress who was actually standing at our table when I pulled it out of my mouth, she went off to grab the cook without saying anything. The cook comes to the table and sees the cockroach. -"Sometimes they come in on the lettuce, it happens".- Is what he said to me. I was two seconds from vomiting on the table. This was a few days ago and I still can't get the crunch feeling out of my mouth. I have a hard time eating anything these days really. I've been so completely grossed out. I guess I should add that they did comp the meal. But ugh. Just wanted to warn y'all. Sorry about the pic.

This place is the best. It surpassed our expectations for sure. Food is fresh and delicious and portions are generous. Staff are kind and helpful. AND the margaritas are big! Only downside is they use styrofoam to go containers.

A little tough to find but a great place to eat. Food was fresh and tasty and while I had the "hot" version of a dish, it wasn't overpowering and was quite tasty.

This place is legit tasty noms. This is my favorite sit-down place in Salem for Mexican-inspired food. The flavors are consistently delicious and they helped my husband and me get through some of the darkest days of the pandemic. Nothing says love like a delicious plate of food! Some of our favorites: the Fondita plate, Sopes, and their fish tacos. So tasty! Thanks, La Fondita!

Great food, very clean restaurant and sparkling clean bathrooms. Service was wonderful.

Amazing tacos and hot dogs. Definitely recommend. Sucks that their other 5 star reviews appear to be hidden!

Worst food that ever tasted, a lot of bones in my pozole, my menudo tasted as it was rotten and the birria was 80% bones I decided to eat here because of the previous reviews that I read, but honestly Is not worth it to eat here. La peor comida que he probado el pozole tenía muchísimos huesos al igual que la birria y el menudo sabía a podrido, decidí comer aquí por revisiones anteriores pero honestamente no vale la pena son los $60 dólares peor gastados últimamente.

Awesome place! They brought out refried beans and salsa with chips. The salsa was amazing with great texture and flavor. I ordered the Carne Asada burrito and it was HUGE! It was the equivalent of two burritos from other places. The meat was delicious and the proportions of ingredients was just right. Very authentic Mexican. One of the best burritos I've had. The staff was really friendly and attentive. I highly recommend eating here.

Great little hole in the wall authentic Mexican restaurant....the wet shrimp burrito was an incredible bargain at lunch and loaded with flavor. The complimentary bean dip and salsa and chips were also outstanding. One of the best Mexican lunches I have ever had - and I have had 100s. Great spot. Don't miss this gem!

I went to this restaurant a few months back. No other patrons seated in the dining room at the time. The food was amazing some of the best Mexican I've had. If you like Mexican give it a try.