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Categories: Nightlife, Latin American, Tapas Bars [Edit]
1501 Solano AveMon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Fri. 3:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
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Despite less than stellar reviews from visits past, I keep coming back to this place. That's when I realize that it's not so much the food that motivates me (or that I have a very selective memory), but the cocktails. I've given up beer for several months now, with the exception of the occasional chugging contest ...
Of the beer cocktails I rank them from best to average:
Pancho villa (delicious)
Diablo (hot and yummy)
Sal's Michelada (perfect for a hot day)
Marisol (salty, sweet and a tart)
Other cocktails:
Kiwi caipirinha - hard to drink ... too much stuff going on to suck through a straw, but loaded with ice so hard to drink from the glass. The kiwi seeds look like little fleas floating around in the drink.
Ibarra martini - like a dessert in a martini glass.
We got the mushroom quesadillas which I remember being good, but Fred kept calling them hot pockets that smell like feet. :(
Later on we got the plaintains which I thought were tasty and you can't go wrong with some chips and guac.
As luck would have it, the place I was originally supposed to dine wasn't open yet at 4:00 (come on… Read more »
A couple weeks back, I finally made it out Berkeley to hang out with d and check out her new digs. Her place was dope; one of those "houses" we don't see too often in SF.
We decided to try Fonda, a Latin American tapas restaurant on Solano Avenue in Albany. It was bustling for a Tue night: downstairs was crowded with locals enjoying cocktails, wine, and tapas as we climbed upstairs to enjoy our meal in a quieter area.
The food was great. d and I shared some quesadillas with mushrooms, epazote and salsa cruda and I devoured the grilled skirt steak with Manchego onion rings and mojo colorado (a delicious savory sauce blended from tomatoes, garlic, cayenne and a touch of cumen). The steak was a perfect medium-rare, something so many restaurants fail to get right so it's worth giving them credit. We finished our meal with an outstanding warm chocolate cake, simple but rich and it was the perfect end to a solid meal.
The service was also friendly and warm, I recommend you check out Fonda if you're in the Berkeley hood.
The doors that face the street were open and the evening was unusually warm so it almost seemed like N and I were eating outdoors which made the dinner more enjoyable and I sort of imagined I was on vacation someplace other than Berkeley
We shared four plates. The quesadilla stuffed with mushrooms was a wonderful blend of mushrooms and cheese. I think the duck tacos are overrated; they were dry, small and overpriced. I would not order them again. The Cuban mini-burger with chorizo was a winner but cut in half there wasn't much to share. The guacamole, chips and salsa is worth ordering again. The dinner was enhanced by a tasty mojito.
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I went to Fonda about 3 weeks ago, and I have been procrastinating reviewing it because I just couldn't decide how I felt about it. So, I have decided my indecision was indicative of neutrality, and I submit to you, fair reader, my pro-con list so that you can make an informed decision for yourself:
Pros-
1. Small plates, meaning that you can try a lot of different things without getting too full.
2. Their happy hour menu is ALWAYS available, which is a major plus.
3. THE DUCK TACOS
Cons-
1. The tables are close together (and unfortunately my friend and I were seated right next to an anniversarying couple, and they were toooooo obnoxious to handle. Also, the tables are so close that they felt compelled to make comments about our food and drinks and tried to make conversation with us in general, which wouldn't be so bad if they hadn't been so lovey-dovey and obnoxious at the same time.) As I said, the tables are close...too close.
2. The food was good, but, with the exception of the duck tacos, unmemorable. I kind of expected more.
3. I was underwhelmed in general, and I can't identify the specific factors contributing to that.
Conclusion: I would go back but probably not any time soon, and it wouldn't be my first choice.
Well, out and about in the East Bay visiting friends. They took the bambina so we could have some face time at Fonda.
So for me, I was happy to get out and my top five reasons this place is enjoyable:
1. The Duck Tacos
2. The mini Coronas in a bucket.
3. The ceviche. Its just the right amount of spicy that you want to devour the whole cup.
4. The atmosphere & service were genial
5. It feels romantic with my special someone.
Yet, for all the spontaniety, I just couldn't decide how I felt about it. So, I have decided my indecision was indicative of neutrality, and now that I have thought on it some more......
Pros-
1. Small plates, meaning that you can try a lot of different things without getting too full.
2. Their happy hour menu is ALWAYS available, which is a major plus.
3. Solid drinks, not watered down
Cons-
1. The tables are close together and unfortunately, the tables are too close.
2. The food was good, but, with the exception of the duck tacos and ceviche, unmemorable. I kind of expected more.
3. I was underwhelmed in general, and I can't identify the specific factors contributing to that.
Summation: I would go back but probably not any time soon, and it wouldn't be my first choice.
My least favorite of the Berkely food empire that includes Lalime's, Sea Salt, and T-Rex -- it's still pretty decent. Drinks and a late closing time are the primary draw -- I find the Latin-style food decent but small and expensive for what you get. Why do I have to pay 3x more for a taco just because the place also serves a mixed drink? Why can't I find the cheap Mexican margarita-dive of my dreams?
Took advantage of the extended Happy Hour special with my ladies... and I recommend giving Fonda a try. The drinks are good (only 5-6 bucks!) the tapas were on the okay side.
I drank a Nahuatl Punch (meh) and La Morita (goooood). The small bites I recommend are the mushroom "quesadillas" as well as the tamal de elote. Thank goodness there are vegetarian options! The place was buzzin at 6 and by the time we left there were goups of people waiting to get in (a good sign, no?).
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I would totally go to brunch here again. The bloody Mary was a little watery and the Chilaquiles had a few too many tortilla chip (and not enough egg). BUT Hazel slept through the whole meal peacefully in her car seat propped up on our extra 2 person table.
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i have not had a bad meal hear yet! really, and i've been here a lot. my favorites are the grilled skirt steak and the sauted prawns with salsa negra. can't get enough of it! i always end up getting two orders.
and you can't beat the happy hour menu (everything is about $6) and the buenos dias brunch menu special is great (entree, pastry and coffe for $11! Plus little kids get pancakes and eggs for free).
let's not forget the fabulous bar with the very long list of cocktails. the bartenders have always been very generous with the booze...i've never gotten a watered down drink.
fonda is a good time no matter when you go: weekend brunch, dinner or late night drinks...good stuff!
Deposit me into Costco with a fryolator and microwave, and I could whip up the Fonda menu using just the deli, frozen section, and a couple of tomatoes.
At first blush, I was practically sharpening my teeth waiting for the duck tacos, shrimp and pescado ceviche, plantains, skirt steak and broccoli. Dish after dish, my hope for flavorful, thoughtful tapas rose and fell like a mean roller coaster ride.
Tasty, light ceviche with chunk of avocado was cheapened by the accompanying saltines. Then the uninspired duck tacos (serving these Mexican delights without piquant spicing is a travesty) only to be lifted by the plantains with black beans, then saddened by the one-dimensional skirt steak.
With the all-day happy hour serving tacos at three bucks a piece, the whole thing is a cleverly designed trick disguising itty bitty bits of food in big wrappers. I'll admit, the $5 margis might draw me in though. And that's the thing, the bar menu looks glorious and they have all sorts of tequila and beer cocktail delights. Problem is, the tequila in their signature drink tasted like rubbing alcohol smells. Maybe use a reposado instead?
Servers, keep doing what you're doing. Diners, sit up top and enjoy the lofty, chill area. Owners, remove the indoor trellis, it just looks odd and detracts from the exposed wooden beams. Good call on the 12:30am kitchen close, might just keep me coming back late night!
People thought this was:
I think the problem here was that I had heard so many people talk about this place like it was the holy grail, so I expected a lot when I went for myself. The atmosphere is very nice, and the food is so so, but the service just ruined it all for me. The waiter I had was a pompas ass who snarled at us every time we needed something like we were taking away from the personal time that he loved to spend standing in the corner. Then after wanting to split the check up 2 ways we received a death look like none other. Maybe it would be better if that pompass ass wasn't there, but as far as it goes for now, he ruined what could've been a great dining experience.
I've come here about three times in the past month and the food and service has been consistently good. My bf and I have never had to wait long for a table.
I recommend sitting upstairs as the atmosphere is more relaxed and conducive to having a conversation. Food-wise, try the plantains with black beans (to die for) or the fish tacos (very flavorful). Their agua frescas hit the right spot, if you're looking for a refreshing, non-alcoholic beverage.
Overall, a good restaurant and delightful dining experience.
People thought this was:
Fonda is open late! This is amazing! I gave it an extra star for having hours that resemble my eating patterns.
The food is always good. Some dishes being superior to others. But generally it is good. They also have this great stimulus package menu where everything costs $5-$6 but is of equal quality to the regular menu items. I particularly recommend the fish tacos and duck tacos. Very yummy.
I came here with a bunch of my coworkers the other day for happy hour. Everything is tapas, so we ordered a whole bunch of things. We ordered: the guacamole, chips and salsa; fish tacos, spicy Fonda wings, Cuban mini-burgers and the chicken flautas. The fish tacos we're okay, not super memorable. Don't even bother on the spicy Fonda wings, they're definitely spicy, but they have absolutely no flavor. The only thing that I did enjoy was the Cuban mini-burger, it is made with chorizo and it is delicious. We also had this corn dish that was yummy, but I don't remember what it was called. Basically it was all about the corn and mini burger.
Despite the food being just alright, the service was great. Our server was quite attentive and very friendly. The food and drinks are reasonably priced.
Sat at the bar. Had what I think might be the best cocktail I've ever had - vodka, jalapenos and lime - simple and fantastic. Enjoyed the haphazard conversation with Suki, the bar tender - she really has all that it takes to be a great person to be working behind the bar: she has opinions, she is generous with the pours and she is friendly.
Most importantly - the food was great, especially the Plantains, the Tuna Tartar and the tamales. Downside is that I left aching for more. I think that's because the food was so delicious and not because of what I think is one of life's maxims - that when you are famished everything tastes fantastic.
This joint is so cute. Great decor, vibe, food, DRINKS, overall FESTIVE =)
The tapas are to die for. They're waaaay more affordable than any other tapas place I've been to (Los Angeles) and they actually taste DELICIOUS. I had the duck taco and the flautas. The taco tasted fresh and there were generous pieces of duck. The flautas were flaky and crispy with loads of guacamole!!! yessss
My group of friends and I ordered a round of this tequila shot that you chase with tomato juice, comes with a lime slice and the rim was dusted with chili powder. Who knew tomato juice could be a brilliant chaser?! Well, I've never tried a bloody mary, but still. And the chili powder was nice, spicy, and it lingered on my lips for a while. That shot was the coolest thing I've ever tried.
BTW, service is amazing! The staff is super-attentive. Our waiter accidentally tripped and spilled tequila on my friend, apologized calmly (we mistook his reaction as not giving a care), cleaned up, and then returned to our table a few minutes later offering to reimburse her for dry cleaning (it spilled on her trousers)!!! She said it was unnecessary and once we received our tab, he comp'd her dessert and martini! I suggested she trip the waiter next time and make him crash our whole table lol.
Last thing! Try the warm chocolate cake (whatever it is!) Soft, warm, luscious chocolate cake with the freshest, cool whipped cream. HEAVEN. ON. A. DINNERPLATE.
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First of all, I don't have enough good things to say about this place!
My husband and I eat here at LEAST once a week and always love it. It's the perfect place for a late night, savory snack, to chill with friends and relax after a long day. And who doesn't love happy hour...at any hour! It's perfect that the happy hour specials are available at any time. The staff is awesome...they know how to treat their regulars. And I love the loft-y atmosphere...it's the next best thing to hanging out with my friends in my living room.
Suki is the consummate hostess turned bartender who's fabulous Cachaca Drops and Margaritas never cease to delight my tongue. I love the non-traditional quesadillas, the flauta, the warm chocolate cake and the mysterious chicken tortilla soup. (I say mysterious because the head Chef stubbornly refuses, despite my many requests, to serve it on a regular basis!!! It just mysteriously appears and disappears off the menu). The shrimp is great, the steak w/chimichurri to die for and the chips/guac/salsa are consistent standards.
To Kenzia, Lauren, Nina and Vanessa...we always appreciate your great service and remembering our favorites....thanks for making us always feel welcome.
Mexican is by far my favorite cuisine and Fonda never disappoints. If you're in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by ....you'll love it.
(From Wil & Sydni Hart :)
The food here is excellent, the drinks are strong (and rather large) and the atmosphere, especially on the second floor, is romantic and the right amount of casual and comfortable. But you can't charge 13 dollars for three chips and a dab of tuna tartare. My boyfriend and I went here for our anniversary so we were willing to spend, but he has been to Spain and was agonizing over how much they were overcharging on their regular menu for tapas that he's had abroad for a third of the price.
The economy all-the-time happy hour is a good choice, however. And one other thing that makes their portions look measly: possible the biggest silverware i've ever seen in a restaurant. I mean gargantuan. They looked like serving pieces. Pair that with two mini duck tacos and you have a problem.
People thought this was:
really enjoyed my dinner here. everything is tapas, so you need to order about 5 things between the two of you in order to be full. we tried the following:
skirt steak - delicious. served with manchego onion rings and a mild colorado sauce. meat perfectly cooked.
fried plantains - good but not great. texture was good but could have been a little crispier on the edges. served with nicely seasoned black beans.
chips and gaucamole - wonderful. chips were cut into strips and fried up nicely in house. guac was choice.
chicken flautas - one giant flauta cut diagonally. nice presentation. the sauces were good. filling consisted of chicken and other things. i couldnt really tell because it was dark in there. either way it tasted good and that is what matters.
sauteed shrimp: really good. there were six of them and they were sauteed in this really buttery, garlicky, limey sauce. they were well cooked and the buttery sautee that they were bathing in sealed the deal.
i only tried one cocktail. it was the "que sera serrano". it was a little stong on the vodka as first (and i like my vodka) but as the ice melted, the lime and serrano chili flavor was able to come through. nice with the salted edge too.
i definitely enjoyed my experience here and plan to go back. the bill came out to be $37 including tax and tip and drink per person, which wasnt bad at all. we left full and satisfied. the wait staff is also very nice and attentive. i recommend sitting upstairs if you can. they have really cozy and cushy lounge chairs and the atmosphere is a little more intimate. enjoy.
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Fonda was perfect on Saturday night. We went with a small group of friends to celebrate a friend's birthday. My honey and I decided to go a bit early to eat dinner. As other reviewers have pointed out, happy hour is every hour. Score!
We enjoyed the following:
- Sangrita y Tequila (Just a note that sangrita is not sangria. This drink is basically a deconstructed tequila bloody mary. It was spicy and a wonderful cocktail to start my evening.)
- Plantains. Not my favorite dish of the evening but still tasty.
- Fish tacos. Delicious. Try them. Or try the duck tacos. I do not like duck but I have heard they are good from people who do.
- Cuban burger. This was my favorite. We ordered two. I would have ordered a third but I have to draw the line somewhere, right?
- Tostaditos. Mmm, meat. Mmm, guacamole. Just the right amount of each.
In addition to the tasty food and cocktails, the service was friendly and quick. The host is amazing and has to be in super good shape based on the speed that he scoots around the restaurant to seat people. After we sat town, I got a text from my friend asking if we could ask about a table for 6. I got the host's attention and told him we had friends meeting us there and asked him about a table for 6. He said it would be no problem and he made sure that it wasn't. When our friends got there, we only had to wait a few minutes for another group to leave before being seated.
Fonda was very busy on Saturday night and a bit loud. I wouldn't suggest going with a group over 6, unless you don't care about talking to everyone else at the table.
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Five reasons this place is great:
1. The ceviche. Its just the right amount of spicy that you want to devour the whole cup.
2. The mini Coronas in a bucket.
3. Service
4. The atmosphere
5. It feels romantic with my special someone.
People thought this was:
Consistently one of my favorite places to go! Great variety of offerings and they are ALL good. The variety of cocktails is also impressive. They have a good happy hour (economic downturn) menu. Service is always good and staff is friendly. Great date place. The noise level can get a bit high here, but not bad. This is a 5 star favorit of mine!
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Love to sit at the bar and have margaritas, chips, and tacos.....the problem is I always eat too much because the plates are small and sooooo tasty! - I have to keep ordering more!
"Happy hour is every hour!"
UMMM....YEEEESSSSS!!!
On the Happy Hour menu:
-Chips with guac
-Duck tacos - GET IT
-Baja fish tacos
-Cuban mini burgers
-Hot wings
All are delicious and soo worth it!! Plus there are a ton of cocktails that are each $5-$6. Now that Fonda has wandered into affordable territory... oh... it's on. I loved loved loved Fonda already before, now I love it even more!!!!
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Excellent place for a small group reunion or birthday which is exactly what we came here for. Just… Read more »
Fonda is definitely a great place to go if you are in the mood for delicious food, great drinks, and a really nice, social, good-vibed ambiance. Their tapas-style menu changes occasionally, which makes for a ton of great choices in food! There always seems to be some yummy salad, tons of other small appetizer plates, and then several (slightly) larger entree items and some side dishes. Of course, there is a fair selection of desserts as well. The drink menu is also pretty extensive; ranging from Coronitas to some alcoholic concoctions most of us haven't ever heard of.
All in all, awesome place with deee-licious food!
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Damn fine first impression.
Went there for a friends birthday brunch, 11:30 am on a Saturday.
Beunos Dias indeed! $14 got me damn fine bloody Mary, cup of coffee, pastry, and the best damn steak torta I've had... ever. Not skimpy neither. A perfectly grilled stake sandwich with bacon, beans (yes, beans!), green chili, probably more, but that's what I remember.
I just looked up the menu to see what they called it exactly, it's not there.... if they took that steak sandwich off the menu they're not doing themselves any favors.
Anyway, anytime I can leave an upscale-ish looking establishment fed full and watered for less than $20, I'm happy.
damn fine
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Delightful hidden gem.
I went there for Sunday brunch and let me say I usually HATE going to restaurants for Sunday brunch. The service is usually bad, the food is blah and the wait is long. I am happy to say all of these were the opposite at Fonda's.
We were seated right away, the service was fantastic and the food, OMG was just delicious.
First we spilt a Caesar salad which was probably the best Caesar I've had outside of a 5-Star restaurant. It was just perfect. As a main the main course I had the Huevos Rancheros which was extremely tasty and fresh. I was really blown away by how good it was. My friend had the duck tacos and again so wonderful.
The is a few things that are keeping me from giving this place five stars however. I found the seating though very comfortable a bit too "crowded" for my taste. Parking can also be an issue. If Yelp allowed it I would give then 4.5 stars. A-/B+ for sure.
I will be going back to this place!
Fonda would get five stars if they had better drinks. The serrano chile gimlet I had was good, but a little too spicy. I like spicy, but the pepper really overpowered the flavors of the gin and lime, and burned my lips. No good. I liked the Cachaca lemon drop, but it was nothing amazing, and they dip the rim in superfine sugar instead of regular or rock sugar, which wasn't good because it hardened onto the rim of the glass and didn't come off in my mouth. I want sugar with every sip! Oh, well. I was also unimpressed with their margarita, which was really strong, but not tasty. My companions, Jason C., Debbie L, and John R. were also not impressed with their margaritas. Luckily, all these drinks were under $6 because of their excellent happy hour prices. The drinks are also pretty strong.
Fonda does happy hour every night from 9-12, but for a limited time, it's happy hour all the time at Fonda because of the economy. They call it "Estimulo de Fonda" - The Stimulus of Fonda. Nice.
Our waitress (tattooed) was great! She was very accommodating when we wanted the warm chocolate cake, but with ice cream... both kinds of ice cream. She said it was no problem. Jason C. had been there before when the waitress told him he couldn't get ice cream with his cake. Five stars for the waitress.
Dessert was too die for. I loved the brown sugar ice cream, which tasted nice and buttery, and the warm chocolate cake, which was very dark chocolate and the perfect gooeyness in the middle.
We got chips and guacamole, which was salty, creamy and really hit the spot, but the chips were greasy looking, which I didn't like.
I will definitely be returning to Fonda to try their other drinks and appetizers. It's a really sweet little place, and it's close to my home, and I can find a parking space near it. It's also right across from Safeway and BofA, so I could get money out of the ATM or buy breakfast cereal if i wanted to. Yes, I will be returning.
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Fonda in Albany, CA is *1*2*TRY.
-We found this place while driving around trying to, well, find somewhere to eat! The place is nice and the atmosphere is pretty fun. It's filled with a mix of young, hip college ppl and the older "just off of work" crowd. Sitting upstairs is probably a good idea, it's something different and a great way to enjoy a night out, it's a vibey place.
The food is not the greatest of all time, being that it's a Tapas place, all their dishes are served appetizer size. It's a great place for "portion control", you definitely do not want to go here if you're extremely hungry and can eat a cow. The food is not bad, it's good for what it is, try their Sopes (So-Pez).
The staff is nice, the place is pretty steep on the bill for the sizes they serve but you come here for the atmosphere, not so much for the food. I'm still trying to figure out whether I like this place or I love this place? Hmm
Overall being that the place has been kept well and a fun place to be at, Fonda is *1*2*TRY.
Song dedicated to this restaurant:
Good Charlotte - I Don't Wanna Be In Love
People thought this was:
Hmmmm. It must have been an off night.
Rachel H., Debbie L. and Jason C. and I all met for a few drinks during their Happy Hour. I had a mojito, and quite frankly, it was kinda gross. I kept getting big chunks of mint in my mouth every time I took a sip through my straw. It was also just way too boozy tasting.
Rachel H. had a signature drink which included some sort of jalapeno pepper floating on the bottom of the glass, and she said it was very strong too, but not delicious.
Jason C. had a lemon drop, which is a drink I have enjoyed very much at other bars, but when he graciously let me sip his it wasn't sweet. It was... yep. Boozy.
Debbie L. had their hot chocolate and I think she must have liked it. It did look yummy.
Jason C. said, "At least they are not stingy with the alcohol."
We decided second rounds may vindicate them, so we all ordered classic Margaritas with salted rims. (Sigh) Bitter and boozy (like my ex-boyfriend). It should have been salty and tart (like me!)
The chips and guacamole were fresh and satisfying.
We also ordered dessert instead of tapas. We had warm chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream. It was gooey in a good way and delicious. Jason definitely was a fan of the whipp. We also had their brown sugar ice cream which was my personal favorite. Lastly, we shared a chocolate sundae, which was just what sundaes should taste like (unlike their cocktails). Over all, the desserts were the high point.
The portions are still tapas size (which for me is cool cuz I don't eat tons in one sitting) but for a group who's hungry it could prove to be a mighty pricey evening. Dessert and drinks for the four of us was $75 not including tip.
The restaurant gets three stars for their performance on that night and time. However, my friends get five stars for being funny, charming, pretty and smart.
People thought this was:
As far as Tapas go, this place is top notch, with tongue pleasing choices like Duck Tacos, Tuna… Read more »
Good times overall.
I popped in with a party of 5 on a Friday early evening. They managed to get us a lovely table upstairs super-fast. I did not even know there was an "upstairs".
We sampled a few of their dishes. As others have said, the size & price of the dishes make it hard to get one's fill. I totally coulda had supper right after this dinner.
*heirloom tomatoes with siquil-P'ak, Armenian cucumbers and pickled red onion-I never got to ask what siquil-P'ak was. Our guess that it was the green salsa-like sauce over the tomatoes. The dish had a mild tartness to it (from the sauce) that was nice.
*vuelve a la vida: Veracruz style seafood cocktail with Caribbean white shrimp, mahi mahi and avocado-Ummm, this this was just okay. I would have loved to seen some sort of house-made cracker rather than saltines accompany the dish
*tostaditas de carnitas with guacamole and chipotle salsa-OMG. This was good. There were so many layers of flavor, it was almost too much, but it was perfect.
*quesadillas with mushrooms, epazote and salsa cruda-This lovely empanada-style dish was great and the most filling out of everything.
*sautéed broccoli with toasted garlic and sherry-We needed some greens and this fit the bill well. I liked it.
*warm chocolate cake-This was what you'd expect. It's a traditional lava cake with warm gooey chocolate in the middle. My sister-in-law makes them better. The server who took our plate away asked us if we were done with the untouched mousse concoction. Was that what it was? It did not have very much flavor, but it did not complement the richly-flavored cake, either. Ehh.
*mango slices with lime-Hell yes. This was so good! It was so simple but so perfect. According to the website, it is a favorite of the chef.
*duck tacos with guacamole and arbol salsa-Off the all-day-everyday happy hour menu, these were very, very perfect. Duck can be such crap, I always approach it with much trepidation, but my fears were assuaged after the first bite. The duck was perfectly tender and the whole dish made me very happy.
The service was good. We managed to find a parking spot just around the corner, but I think that was a fluke. Solano is now known for easy parking.
Excellent! All that you want in a friendly, warm restaurant with great food!
The ambiance is very comfortable, the host is very pleasant, the servers are very helpful and willing to give guidance, and the food is fabulous! We tried their skirt steak, Cuban burger, quasadila, grilled peanuts, etc. as well as some tequila. All were great. Nothing that I would not order again! Strongly recommend!
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Aaron's Big Eat East Bay: 100 Things to Try Before You Die
http://www.yelp.com/li...
#6 - Fonda cocktail from Fonda
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Cuban mini burgers, duck tacos, and shots of tequila with sangria all four around $4 each?! Is this a dream? Nope, its Fonda!
I first came here with a group of friends, and had an amazing experience. The ambience is great, its not too loud, nice lighting and all the furniture and decor is beautiful.
All of the wait staff is genuinely friendly and always super attentive. I've been going for a while now and continue to have great experiences, can't wait to go back!
People thought this was:
Yum yum yum. I go here for my birthday every year. Love it! Love the happy hour. Love the ambiance. Love the lamb, the ceviche, and just about everything else on the menu. It is pricey, though. Probably because their drinks are also very yummy and I am usually celebrating when I go. I always get the warm chocolate cake that is soft in the middle with bit of fresh cream. My husband gets the mangos with rum and I usually steal some and mix them with my cake. Oh so so yummy. You must check it out...
Came here for happy hour around 9:30 and it was great! We sat ourselves and a waitress came to give us menus.
On the happy hour menu, you can get chips and guacamole, duck tacos, fish tacos, hot wings, and a burger. They range from 5-7 dollars I think. We got everything but the chips and guac and enjoyed everything!
I expected everything to be super small, so I was fairly satisfied with the amount of food.
There were more than enough hot wings.
The tacos are a good size - delicious and keeps you wanting more but you know if you have more it just won't taste as good anymore. There was a ridiculously spicy pepper in my fish taco that greatly surprised my senses and thus I don't think I could taste it very well.
The duck taco was my favorite!! Soo good! I put the sauce in in but I don't even know what type of sauce it was, just know, if you go to Fonda, get the duck tacos.
The burger came out open-faced because there is a bunch of onion chips on top of the patty - kind of weird. It is yummy!! The meat is juicy, the bread is soft... mmm.
Oh and I had the equivalent of a lemon-drop for my drink. It was kind of strong but tasty!
I love Fonda HH =)
People thought this was:
This is a fun little restaurant / bar, which is well suited to meeting up with a group of friends to talk. The noise level is relatively low, and they have a good variety of rather unique drinks. Unfortunately, the drinks and the food (if you choose to get it) are pricey compared to other bars in the area. While this is a good, solid bar, I didn't feel there was anything specific that stood out about it to make me want to go here over a similar, less expensive bar. I would probably come here again for happy hour (much cheaper drinks) or late at night with friends, but it probably wouldn't be my top choice. As Albany goes, though, this is the best bar.
It is rare that my wife and I ever get to go out, especially with friends. Fonda is always brought up as a possibility, and many times we've made that short trek. It's the place where we can sit and talk casually in the comfy chairs upstairs, while drinking our half-bottle of Fat Tire and still getting somewhat wasted. It's not too noisy, service is good, and we love the menu. Anything with either avocado, mushrooms, carnitas or shrimp is always a winner. Many of these fantastic 'small plates' don't exist anywhere nearby, nor if they did, would they be this good. For instance, I'd definitely choose Fonda over Cesar for a nice evening of food and cozy conversation.
Be sure to get a table upstairs if you want a more mellow vibe. If you're young and single, or surprisingly sociable (to me), grab a seat anywhere downstairs! And don't miss the warm chocolate cake, even if you're bursting at the seams with all those small plates!
People thought this was:
Eh. We went for happy hour around 10:30 pm on a Tuesday night and tried everything on the happy hour menu. Nothing was awesome enough for me to go back. Duck tacos are probably the only standout. The Cuban miniburger is good, but definitely not worth the $6 pricetag since they only give you 1 slider. While the tapas are cheap, once you start ordering a bunch, it adds up, so it's not really as inexpensive as you think.
Service was good, and atmosphere is loungely, so it's definitely a more happening place than their sister restaurant T-Rex. But, I'm going to stick with T-Rex for happy hour. Better food and personally I like beer better than cocktails.
Have yet to try Seasalt's happy hour.
The atmosphere is awesome, late night when the rest of the town is dead, this place is fun and hoppin'.
Right now they have a special thing going on where some dishes and drinks are around 6 dollars each. Warning though, the portions are small. So if you are big eater, your bill might come out kinda expensive. Me and my husband are light eaters, so we enjoy coming here for a delicious light dinner.
My husband thinks the duck tacos are heaven on a tortilla. He order two dishes of these. I actually like the fish tacos better. You get two for 6 bucks, and the habanero hot sauce (made from scratch) is addictingly spicy- and I mean REAL spicy (this is coming from a Korean). The hot sauces are always ready to be used on the table.
The "quesadillas" are more like cheese and mushroom filled deep fried little empanadas, which are pretty damn tasty. 10 bucks for three.
The Lemon Drop cocktail which came in a martini glass was super tasty.
I also had a pecan pie that I thought was pretty damn wonderful, though my husband wished it was a more traditional pecan pie.
Someone got a fish main course that they said was really good.
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: French
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: Spanish
Albany, CA
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: Restaurants
Berkeley, CA
Category: Seafood
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