La Fonda Latino Grille

10/27/06

Great Neighborhood Spot!

by pjs2780 at Citysearch

My husband and I ate at La Fonda last night and we loved it! The atmosphere is very warm and inviting and the food was delicious. Even on a Thursday night, there was a steady flow of customers, but we were served promptly and our waters were never more than half empty. We had the spinach-mushroom empanadas to start, I had the arroz con camarones, and my husband had the cazuela de mariscos. Both servings were large and full of seafood, and delicious! For dessert, we shared the brevas con helado, which was excellent -- the figs had a spicy taste to them which went well with the ice cream. The service was excellent, and the place had a really nice vibe to it -- amongst the families and couples, there were several people dining on their own or studying on one of the tables while they enjoyed a huge plate of food. Plus, the ceiling is really neat! We would defnitely go back.

• Pros: great service, delicious food, large portions
• Cons: slightly expensive

10/24/06

service stinks

by lapicos at Citysearch

we went to this restaurant to have dinner before catching a play nearby. the service was terrible. we were sitting for 10-15 minutes and didnt have a server even approach us to ask us if we wanted drinks. my husband got up to ask server if we could have somebody wait on us but she seemed to have trouble finding someone herself. i was soooo upset that we just walked out. i will not be back here again EVER. service is everything especially when u cant even get served food.

• Pros: none
• Cons: SERVICE WAS TERRIBLE!

01/12/06

Great Sancocho

by sandrao at Citysearch

We visited La Fonda this past weekend and ate a great chicken sancocho that I highly recommend. The plantains were delicious as well as the Guanabana juice. YUMMY!!!

The chips at the beginning were not needed. I felt that I was at a Mexican restaurant and they were a bit out of place. The empanadas were ok, not as great as others I've eaten. Make sure you ask for green sauce since they don't serve them with it.

The Yuca was served with a melted cheese that I had never eaten before and didn't like, they should make suero casero or something else that is from Colombia when service the Yuca.

The service was not the best, the waiter was very cold, but hey, the food was great.

I really really enjoyed the Sancocho, the portion is huge! and super delicious!

I highly recomend it and will return.

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: Uneven service

01/03/04

Well worth repeat visits...

by scatteredshadows at Citysearch

A most welcome addition to our restaurant rotation!

Chips with a very nice, fresh salsa started proceedings. Empanadas followed, featuring beef and spinach fillings. Both were outstanding, with crunchy, non-greasy crusts and were accompanied by excellent light, peppery guacamole. To drink, we had wonderful frothy fruit shakes, one with mango and one with blackberry. Both were creamy, yet not sugary.

Both generously-portioned entrees, one with steak, one with pork loin, were well-prepared with fairly complex, flavorful sauces and plantains and yuca on the side.

The only downside was that the service needs smoothing out. We werent greeted upon walking in, and our waitress was fairly impatient. However, this was offset by the woman who brought our food, who was very warm and informative. Decor is tasteful, prices are what I expected, although drinks, desserts and appetizers are definitely good values.

Overall, we'll be back and recommend La Fonda to anyone...

• Pros: Flavorful food, Good drinks, Tasty appetizers
• Cons: Uneven service

12/21/02

Latino Comfort Food

by edgewaterfoodie at Citysearch

Excellent food. Think comfort food with a Latin twist. Tasty appetizers (look for the specials). The sobrebarriga comes with plantains, rice, and a small salad, with or without Creole sauce. The meat is very tender and the sauce adds complexity. Specials are also excellent. A recent Saturday visit offered a difficult choice among many wonderful dishes. I settled on the lomito de res, a tender steak with mushroom sauce, plantains, asparagus, and "potato flan." Everything on the plate was delicious. Highly recommended.

• Pros: Moderately priced, full bar service