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La Fonda On Wilshire
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
2501 Wilshire BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90057
Neighborhood: Westlake
(213) 380-5053
- Hours:
Wed-Sat 5 pm - 2 am
Sun 11 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
107 reviews for La Fonda On Wilshire
Review Highlights
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"I recommend you stop by for the Mariachi and drinks." In 40 reviews -
"Tortilla soup was delicious and very flavorful." In 5 reviews -
"The Carne Asada Plate is so good and the regular green..." In 6 reviews
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107 reviews in English
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Review from Mel D.
5/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
It breaks my heart to give La Fonda on Wilshire a 3 star review. After the yelp elite cinco de mayo event, I rushed home and booked dinner reservations for my dad's bday (coincidentally the weekend of Mother's Day).
La Fonda is a live mariachi dinner show. Normally, they expect you to spend $25 pp and the show is free. But for Mother's Day weekend they charged $45 for a prefixed menu.
Drinks:
--Beer: No Dos Equis, Only Heinekin. Weird that there were no Mexican beer option!!! This has never happened in my life. Even a regular non-mexican restaurant offers a few mexican beer options. Very strange.
--Regular Margarita on the Rocks lacked tequila. It tasted like 95% margarita mix and 5% ice.
I ordered an Iced Tea and was told it hasn't been brewed yet and will bring it to me a bit later. No problem. As they were taking away our appetizer plates, I asked again and again when the main entree's came out. By the time I finished my dinner, I still had nothing but water. I didn't want to be too pushy but after a spicy Mexican meal I wanted something other than water. I realize it was crunch time before the show so I wasn't able to flag down the server. I finally complained to the manager who took care of it right away (brought me lemonade) - she was very friendly and helpful. Bottom line is that I didn't appreciate the server acting like "it's coming, it's coming" and it never came, I would have gladly ordered something else. When I walked back to my table the server made a lame excuse saying that they couldn't find it?!?! They couldn't find what? The tea? What kind of excuse is that? He went on to make more excuses saying "I was waiting for it too" - horrible server. Why would you say that to a paying customer? He could have simply apologized. Worst part, they added an automatic 18% tip - 18% tip on an expensive dinner came out to almost $40. He didn't deserve it but I didn't want to make a scene as it was a special day.
Food review:
--Soup: Tortilla Soup. Tasty, on the spicy side.
--Appetizer: Chips with 3 different dipping option Queso Fundito, Guacamole and Ceviche. All were delicious.
--Carne Asada: Overcooked and tough.
--Camarones (Shrimp) in Garlic Sauce: tasty!
My mom didn't want to eat her carne asada so I ended up giving her half my shrimp dinner. My poor mom on mothers day weekend eating a crappy dry meat dish! She's not a picky eater so the meat was simply too tough for her to eat.
After all this, why would I give this place a generous 3 star review? THE MARIACHI BAND kicked A$$!!!!!!!!!!!! They are all so talented and I can easily say they are the best I've seen and I've seen quite a few throughout LA and Mexico.
Would I go back? YES, for the show. I'm hoping I just had a bad experience because this place has great potential and so much history. The just need better servers and well prepared dishes. -
Review from Erin H.
5/4/2012
Just came here on Wed evening for Fiesta de Yelpo! Another awesome event by Katie :D The finger foods were great! I really liked the grilled salmon (I don't think I ever had grilled fish at a Mexican restaurant). The margaritas were also really interesting, especially the mango-jalapeno, in which they put in slices of jalapenos! I had wayy too many that night haha
"Unique Entertainment" was how Katie described what we were about to watch. Every Wed, there are live mariachi bands that come to perform, and they are awesome! That night, we saw an all female band and afterward, an all male band! Super fun!!
Anyway, it turns out that I had actually been to La Fonda before! Last year, my sorority had one of our date parties here and we reserved the upper level, which overlooks the stage/dancefloor. I remember it was really fun (can't remember which night we had the event), but the tables on the first floor were cleared away, so there was space to dance. There was a DJ on the stage, but at one point of the night, a band came to play as well.
All in all, a pretty fun night (for both nights!). Great drinks too, except don't order the mojito! Everyone is really hardworking and making sure your night goes smoothly :DListed in: Put your f*ckin` drinks up!, Event Planning, SWAG SWAG SWAG
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Review from Mike F.
5/3/2012
If you like mariachis then this is the place to go.
If you love mariachis then seriously, this is the best to go.
Food is great for the price, and the drinks are strong and handmade. That means no premade margaritas in a blender or dispensing machine. It means hand poured ingredients (no mixes) and hand shaken. The margaritas are delicious and pack a punch.
Staff is friendly and helpful, and very hardworking.
Mariachis are even more hardworking under those bright lights, but they never frown. In fact they're always smiling, especially when they get their notes just right. And there definitely is not a bad seat in the house. -
Review from Vanessa F.
Covina, CA
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
This really is a fantastic venue for a delicious meal and great show.
It's such an interesting venue on the inside. All the tables surround a stage up front where dancers dance and mariachis play. If you don't have a good view (you're almost guaranteed it) they a screen that also shows the band playing.
Their tortilla chips are addicting, slightly salty and kind of thin and a perfect match for the salsa.
I ordered the chicken enchiladas when I went upon the recommendation of someone else, and I didn't regret it. I was a bit hesitant since I'm not the hugest mole fan, but they were enjoyable.
Cocktails are well made. I love that the margaritas are handmade/shaken and NOT made with sweet and sour mix or margarita mix. I really despise the two. These are genuine margaritas that are worth the price.
Mariachis put on an outstanding show. They're not the stoic mariachis you're used to seeing at Mexican places. They're interactive with the audience, and you can tell that they really love what they do.
I'm definitely bringing my mother back here. -
Review from Carol N.
Redondo Beach, CA
4/9/2012
Finished a show up on Wilshire around 5pm Sunday; decided to try out this restaurant as it was nearby.
Let's start with the margueritas: they dipped the glass in sugar instead of salt. The drink was so bland. If you want to drink there, pick something that comes bottled - beer, wine or soda.
We ordered the chicken enchiladas in tomatillo sauce. Tasty, but almost no sauce - very dry. Also tried the Camarones Borrachos which is shrimp in a guahillo sauce. So fishy! :-(
The best thing we had was the guacamole - bland but plentiful.
So, 2 drinks, guacamole and 2 entrees for $95.00. I'm heading back to the El Torito Grill! -
Review from Patty O.
5/7/2012
Most of the reviews are pretty accurate...if you love mariachi bands & dancing, then this is your place. But if you want mariachi entertainment coupled with great mexican food, this isn't your place. The mariachi's were entertaining & really great but the food was not good at all. I tried a few dishes...queso fundido (i'll pass on this in the future), chips (not fresh), carne asada (no flavor & cold) and the shrimp with garlic (soggy veggies & rice).
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Review from Ed A.
5/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
There is live mariachi. That alone is worth a trip. The food is very good. It's a bit on the pricy side for Mexican food, but it's good. No complaints on the taste. The bar tender has a heavy hand on the pour. If you drink, this is a plus. A quite big plus.
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Review from Whitney G.
Marina del Rey, CA
3/14/2012 8 Check-ins Here
LA FONDA!!!
I have only been to La Fonda a few times after a long hard stressful day of work.
At first glance, one might think this place is closed because its kinda dark, there's no real "in your face" signage and the only light that shines is similar to that of a porch light...but once you walk into those doors...
BOOM!! its like explosion.
There's all sorts of artwork on the walls, a full bar, some cute loungy ottomans and tables. On the opposite side, there's an area for formal dining and a stage for the mariachi band.
When the band plays, they get down with their bad-ass musical selves!!
Each time I have been the experience has been quite stellar. The drinks are delicious (try the Cosmo) and during happy hour the menu has a good selection of things to choose from and they're all so moderately priced.
Love love love their guacamole!! ...and my girly friends just love the quesadillas and taquitos.
I think for sure though, the reason I keep returning is because of the ambiance and the staff. It's just the perfect place to relax and the staff are super friendly and accommodating.
See you Friday La Fonda :) -
Review from Amanda N.
2/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Review is for the nightclub on Friday, which is supposed to be their Colombian night. My friend had his birthday party here specifically for that reason (he is Colombian, of course).
It was nice. You can make arrangements ahead of time for a no-cover guest list if you plan on having a party. There are places to sit in the first room with a bar, and they play more contemporary American music out there. Once you go into the main dance floor area, they play a wide range of Latin American dance music and everyone is getting down on the dance floor. It's pretty spacious, though be careful because dancing salsa takes up a lot of room and heels were flying everywhere (especially for the inexperienced, like me -_- ). The venue itself isn't particularly nice, but it's decent and somewhat clean. Sidenote: they carry Latin American liquor brands like Cristal (Colombian aguardiente, not the champagne)
Overall, La Fonda is a-ok. Perhaps not my cup of tea, but if you are an avid salsa dancer or want to try, I'd recommend La Fonda.Listed in: Club life, one of the reasons…
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Review from Jennifer D.
Los Angeles, CA
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
LESSON LEARNED: I had read the previous bad reviews on the service here! But I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and purchased goldstar tickets. Their seating system is the absolute worst ever! We bought goldstar tickets for the brunch and we were told to arrive by 11 am which prompted us to arrive 10 minutes early. We could have arrived at 12 and it wouldn't have made a difference! We were seated upstairs which is fine but only after repeated attempts to get their attention and seat us. As we all know an empty stomach and waiting forever on mother's day is not a good mix. Finally seated, the waiter brought us the menus we explained we had goldstar tickets and he rolled his eyes and said it probably wasn't valid for mother's day! I responded somewhat annoyed by this whole ordeal and asked him to see on the tickets that I had bought them specifically for mother's day May 13! I was planning to go here for my wedding anniversary but absolutely changed my mind based on the second rate service.
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Review from Tanya P.
Los Angeles, CA
4/9/2012
This is for their nightclub on Saturday nights.
I have been a customer of La Fonda along with my friends and family for years, and I had never been dissapointed as I was Saturday night. I don't know who manages their nightclub but whomever it is, is doing a horrible job!
We got there at 11 and it was great because there was no cover charge. I had a party of about 10 all girls. The place was kind of empty, which was fine because from what I understand they're barely starting with the nightclub thing, plus im a firm believer of "its not where you are, it's who you're with" ;) and I was with 9 of my girls so we were golden! We were able to find a nice area by the dancefloor to sit and chit chat and what not so that was good. The music at first was mostly cumbia and merengue and then they switched to house and top 40. The first dj was ok but the second one mixing house and top 40 was better. It was here were I was dissapointed. They cut the dj short and turned on the lights a little before 1am. Usually bars and clubs around the area close at 1:45/2am. They didnt even have the courtesy to announce last call.... I understand theyre starting but how do they want people to reccommend the place if they closed early? and the time span left wouldnt even give us time to get to another place. Also the drinks were not bad, nor in taste or pricing but they ran out of amaretto sours... Seriously? The place was not even half full and it was a Saturday night. They were obviously not prepared.
I believe the place has great potential. and I would more than gladly take my friends there and recommend it, but the fact that they closed so early, cut the dj short, and didnt even announce last call as a courtesy makes me think the night management does not know what they are doing. -
Review from Elizabeth R.
Lake Balboa, Los Angeles, CA
3/27/2012
We went here on sat.night thinking we had reservation for bottle service to celebrate 2 of my gf birthday. Some guy Walter who they said was from management and the girls there were just jerking us around. Giving us 101 reasons why our booth wasn't ready "that they were cleaning it, than that we didn't have reservation, than five more min." And so on. We got seated @ 11:30 when we got there @ 8:30. And when we were asking for this guy Walter he was no where to be found. Worst service ever.
I'm giving it 2 stars only because the marachi show is great!! But food and service is effen wack!!!!! -
Review from Delilah M.
North Hollywood, CA
5/17/2012
Myself and a group of about 10 went here Saturday May 12th for a birthday celebration. We made reservations a few days before and were told we had to spend a minimum of $24 per person. No problem. We arrive for the later show and are seated on the back against the wall. The menu is a "special" mother's day menu at $45 per person! Strike one. We were NEVER told when we made the reservation we would be forced to buy a $45 piece of carne asada. At this point we have no choice so we proceed with our evening.
Our food takes SO long to get to us that the table next to us has finished their dessert and we have not even received our food yet! Strike 2!
The mariachi show that we are paying for performs 4 songs only! Then the DJ proceeds to play the rest of the evening!!!! Strike 3!
Why are we paying so much money to listen to a DJ??? I am so disappointed by our service and experience I am sad to say I will never return to this restaurant and I will tell ALL my friends the same. I went here a few years ago and I had a great time, guess the place has just gone down hill. -
Review from Doug B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/10/2012
What can I say about our night at La Fonda?
It was terrible... absolutely terrible.
Cold pasty food, rubbery steak tacos, sloooooow service... too many nightmarish things to add.
The one positive note about the place was the live entertainment. The mariachi band performance was fantastic. But that said, the experience was like getting a winning lottery ticket and then having your dog eat it and poop it onto your dinner plate.
Shortly after the band ended, it was followed by abusively loud music over the speaker system. Maybe I would be more forgiving if we were at a night club, but if I'm at a restaurant and have to yell at the top of my lungs for someone 1 foot away to hear me, something is definitely wrong.
The worst part was that we were there for a dear friend's birthday party. We wanted so badly for her and her group of friends and family to enjoy the night, but clearly this didn't happen. Everyone was clearly in agreement that they would never set foot in the place ever again.
If you happen to find yourself at La Fonda, make sure to bring a bag lunch and ear plugs. Buy one of their overly sweet margaritas, watch the band, then get the hell out of there as soon as possible. -
Review from Diana K.
Burbank, CA
Updated - 3/4/2012
I just received a very nice note on YELP from one of the owner/managers. They have made amends to the party of folks I was with, and evidently have new strategies in place, in addition to a new chef.
The stars I give now are for the prompt actions taken after I and the birthday host met with them shortly after the fiasco party in January. The venue is lovely and could be a real highlight for this city. I hope things get better for them and that everyone has learned from the mistakes.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/23/2012
I would dispute the charges on my credit card which is what we are doing, and then contact the… Read more »
Comment from Karla C. of La Fonda On Wilshire 2/29/2012
Diana, Thank you and Jani for your feedback regarding your… More » -
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Review from Osbaldo N.
Los Angeles, CA
1/11/2012
The mariachi is great, but the food and service is horrible. The bartenders wouldn't give me change for a $20! They acted like they didn't have change, really?
The tortilla soup was pasty and cold. The chicken was dry...no flavor. Save your money!Comment from Karla C. of La Fonda On Wilshire 3/7/2012
Thank you very much for your statements regarding your… More » -
Review from Carolina S.
Pasadena, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
The worst service & the food did not make up for it. It was luke warm & bland. If not for the chips & salsa I would still be hungry. I will not come back & do not recommend anyone else should should waste their time & money. The live music is definitely worth listening to but not at this location. They ran out of several items on the menu. It was not a busy night at all, the place was not full at all.
And this was the second time we have this happen. They were aware of our bad experience and still did no better the second time around. -
Review from Montserrat G.
Garden Grove, CA
1/6/2012
The one star I am giving is for the nice mariachi band who played. It was an all girl band and they do sing beautiful! However, everything else was very dissapointing.
Where to begin? **sigh**
Service: Poor...it wasn't a busy night and the waiters took a long time to serve a tequila shot...come on! all you need to do is pour the tequila on the shot glass! does it really take 15 minutes? It takes me ONE when I do it at home...maybe seconds!....One of the busboys who served our appetizers wasn't even careful to leave the guacamole on the table. I can go on and on about the service but it's pointless let's move on to the food.
FOOD: One word "YUCK!" I can go into details though...usually Mexican restaurants are "Americanized" not too many "Mexican" restaurants have truly authentic food but it's still tasty! this place however, had a mixture of " I don't know what" with "I don't know what the hell" ...
Guacamole: OK...I;ve had many many maaany better ones!! From the appetizers the chips and salsa were the best!
Main entree: I forgot the name of the ckicken I ordered but it was salty, the chicken tasted horrible..it looked like plastic and was hard to cut...It was served with black beans that for a second I thought they were maybe canned beans, there was some white tasteless rice too....I did not finish it!
DRINKS: I got a tequila shot...it was great even thought it took them 15 minutes to serve it. Margarita...Hmmm...I think self serving machine margaritas are better...not need to say it was served in a regular glass...they can't even get the mood started by serving it on a real margarita glass.
DESERT: They didn't even nail the churros!!!
Not going back! not worth it! The entretainment does not compensate the rest.
End of story! -
Review from Shaun B.
Burbank, CA
12/19/2011
Well, I wanted to like this place. I really did. Walking in you've got a nice atmosphere, huge projection screen and of course, the mariachi. (I called it a mariachi "band", but was quickly chastised by a customer who made it clear it was not a "band". After wiping away the tears, I regained enough composure to write this review).
Some notes:
The prices- Out of control. I ordered the filet mignon. $30 for a couple of pieces of meat which were as filling as they were pieces of chicken. The point is, they were tiny. The fact they came with a dollop of mashed potatoes and literally four pieces of vegetables didn't help. Even the $11 Jagerbomb didn't help mask my pain.
The "fresh guacamole"- I've had fresher guac from Ralph's. Seriously. The great thing about fresh guacamole is the word "fresh". I'm pretty sure this was leftover from a family game night one weekend. Sad thing is they were playing Zenga. Who plays Zenga anymore? This isn't 1995. But I'm off topic. Guacamole. Don't get it.
The drink selection- This actually happened. Me: Can I get a Corona? Them: We're out. Me: How about a Dos Equis? Them: Okay. Wait, we're out. Me: Of both kinds? Them: No, we have the Amber. Me: Okay, give me the Amber. Them: (Walks to the bar, comes back) Sorry, we're out of the Amber.
It just got worse from there. My suggestion? Wear a sombrero. Not only will you fit in with the mariachi BAND, but you can sneak in a 40 oz of your beer of choice. Mickey's sounds good about now.
It just got worse from there. Our fourth bowl of tortilla chips were clearly heated Tostitos. The first few batches were great, mind you. Fresh chips are outstanding. But come on. I can tell when you heated up Kirkland brand tostitos. You're serving food to a guy who once got drunk and microwaved Ruffles with American cheese on top. So let's put in some effort, people.
Overall, a two. The mariachi was incredible. Great singers, acoustics were great, instruments fantastic. But for the best experience, eat before you go. -
Review from bill s.
Los Angeles, CA
4/18/2012
don't write much reviews, but i just had to with my recent visit to this place. of course i yelp it first and saw all the bad reviews, but i thought i'd go anyway since i had out of town guests who wanted to see mariachis. made reservations for a party of 5 on apr. 14 for the 6:00 pm show. since it was a birthday, we arrived early and gave the hostess a cake if they could present to our visitor after dinner. from this moment on, everything went down hill.
you sit and wait for your cocktails and chips and salsa. and they are not even busy yet.
first off, everything is way over priced for the portions they serve and it's not even that good.
tipped the mariachi women 25.00 to sing a song for our guest....she never did. the server forgot to bring out the cake saying he was never aware of it. spoke to the hostess who told me she told the server. they kept blaming each other. asked for take-out containers for the two carne asadas. server said he'll do it for us. took the steaks off our table and never brought it back. when we asked for it after 15 minutes, he said again he forgot. i knew he threw it away so we never got it.
at this point i am so pissed. went to the front to complain and the women with the dark hair just shruggs me off. asked for my cake back, paid the check which was almost $375.00 and left. we than went to el mercadito in east l.a. and had a MUCH better time.
never again will i recommend this place. one more thing. the menu states a gratuity will be added for parties of 6 or more. i had a party of 5 and yet cleverly they added a tip to my check. be aware of these guys. -
Review from Todd O.
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
We stopped in for a happy hour drink before a play at the theater next door. It wasn't crowded and it wasn't too loud either. It was damn cold because the front door was open. The place is nice. The bartender was friendly and the chicken taquitos and tortilla soup were delicious. I wasn't expecting it to be as good because of some of the reviews but we were really happy with it.
I can't comment on how it is when its later and way busy but we had a nice time. -
Review from Lindsay F.
Los Angeles, CA
8/29/2011
I will probably never come here again, and definitely advise against taking a large party here.
I arrived early since we were surprising a birthday boy, and there were 24 of us to seat. The restaurant was made aware of these things when the reservations were made practically a month ago but somehow found themselves behind on putting a table together for us because of another large party lingering long. I am going to give them benefit of a doubt on this excuse but have reason to wonder after the way the rest of our service went. They ended up improvising something and putting us on the mezzanine floor, which was nice because it was all ours, but maybe not as nice as I thought because we were all at different tables now, and got to meet just about every drunk guest as they went on their way to pee in the nearby restrooms.
I think our reservations were for 7:30pm.
They refused to split the checks even though the one who made the reservation had discussed this with someone, explaining that everyone would be paying for their own food. If this was their policy, that would have been a good time to say so, not the moment we were all half ordered.
Speaking of half ordered, by the way, they gave menus to half of our group, then took their orders, only to realize the rest of us didn't have menus after they had already taken their orders. Really? I had just ordered when half of our group got their appetizers, then oddly I didn't get my appetizer because they accidentally brought us the wrong one, however we did get our food before the other half of the group? Talk about horrible timing of service.
By the way, I got to order my food a little bit before 9pm. Did I mention I'm 5mos pregnant? Yeah, I was ravenous by the time the food got there.
The menu was really pricey, but very small in selection. I realized we were paying for the show as well as the food, but I still figured the food was going to be REALLY good, not the best I've ever had, just really good. When you only serve so many items it allows you to control quality much better and all. Instead, I'd say it was pretty good, OK, but even as starving as I was, I ate surprisingly slow paced.
I ordered two virgin pina coladas while I was there. One was in a margarita glass and was pretty huge, while the other I ordered was in a club drink glass, and half the size. How much you wanna bet I paid the same for both, and probably almost as much as regular margarita with alcohol was? I wouldn't know since they put it all on one bill and I couldn't tell what was what on that long ass check.
I don't know what to say about entertainment. I have no standard of measurement to judge mariachi and such. I thought some of it was pretty fun.
The waiter who took our orders was very nice and polite. The birthday boy seemed to have a blast, (drunk!) so all in all, mission accomplished. That's about the best thing I can say.
I think the problems we had were the kind that an establishment as old as this would not have had. Especially considering that they are a dinner and show- they probably get tons of large parties. I was pretty shocked they were as much of a mess as they were. And I hate that I'm only giving them one star, but it was really that bad. -
Review from Jeanette H.
South Gate, CA
I only have one word for this place....expensive! I'm glad I got a @VoiceDailyDeals 1/2 off deal on it or I would not have gone. Food is good. Had the Camarones Borrachos (drunk shrimp, drenched in a sinful creamy tequila sauce) that was delicious but $26! As a side note, for tequila shrimp I recommend my fav spot in SG, La Huesteca. My bf had the Mignon Al Huitlacoche (a giant tender stack of Filet Mignon and sides) which was tasty but $28. This dish was well worth the price..you get layers of steak with this! We also tried the Guacamole for appetizer...it's a simple snack but perfectly ripe!
I guess it's priced appropriately for the entertainment that arrives in the evening but they should discount you if you arrive too early for a show right? I would definitely go back and try other dishes here but not without another Groupon type deal LOL. I'm also curious how the nightclub part is because I do love dancing :)..next time!
We did get seated right away, I had made reservations earlier that day on http://opentable.com but the ambiance is a little on the noisy side for me. They have mariachi videos playing pretty loud on a projection screen so I felt like I was dining at a club at times lol. -
Review from Daniel Q.
Canoga Park, CA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I ordered the carne asada dish and that meat was extremely chewy to the point I thought I was chewing gum. We also ordered a bucket of beer only to be served warm beers.The overall atmosphere is very par. Service was not as good either. The only thing this place has going for it is the live mariachi band. If you're looking for good mexican, I'd suggest to go to that truck parked outside.
Comment from Karla C. of La Fonda On Wilshire 3/1/2012
Thank you very much for your statements regarding your… More » -
Review from Stephen M.
Paso Robles, CA
9/4/2011
Loud, disorganized, and over priced.
We had planned a surpise 60th bday here. On arrival the first show was running 30 behind. This means the table we were supposed to be at was not available. Luckily there was an upstairs balcony that we got all to ourselves. Ended up being better because we could mingle.
The food was meadiocre. It was nothing you couldn't get for half the price somewhere else. You are paying for the show, which was very good. The mariachi's were very good. They even came upstairs and sang for the bday boy.
We were told they would provide seperate checks, they didn't. Menus took 30 min to arrive. And what is the deal with the waiter touching the women, brushing their hair. Luckily he didn't touch my wife or he would be flying over the balcony rail.
I've been once for the experience, don't need to go again. -
Review from Paul N.
Torrance, Los Angeles, CA
2/5/2012
The food is no longer as bad as the reviews suggested - they just hired a new chef. With that said, the food was solid (not horrible, but not fantastic either) - however, the Mariachi show was definitely the highlight of the night! For anyone who knows how to play an instrument.. you'll find an appreciation for these fun and talented performers. :)
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Review from DA B.
Lakewood, CA
2/24/2012
I was here last week for my friend's bday party, which was the same night as La Fonda's Carnaval party. Overall, the party itself was fine, but I won't be coming back.
Let's start with what was good... The shows and live bands were fine. The crowd was very lively and the dance floor was packed, I think in large part to the 2 big private parties that were there that night. Basically, there was a good party atmosphere.
Everything else was pretty bad. The service was terrible. I will say that the waitresses were all really nice and accomodating. It's just that they seemed a bit overwhelmed by the number of people in the party. I blame management more than I do the actual servers. We had wine and bottle service for our private party, but even though management was told how many people were coming, they didn't have any wine glasses. People were drinking their wine out of champagne flutes, which was kinda tacky. They were also initially short on plates and silverware, and people had to wait a long time for them to bring us more, again, even though they knew how many people were coming. The food was also pretty mediocre. The bottom line is that there were a lot of little problems here, the kind of problems you would not expect to see for the kind of money that my friend spent. -
Review from Janysh O.
North Hollywood, CA
3/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was their for a birthday party. Their menu prices look little expensive, but live music was very good. We were not quite satisfied with their service. We waited for about 25 minutes just for the waiter to come and take our order. Food was ok.
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Review from Pam S.
7/5/2011
Went here too for the DJ actually for about 3 DJ's this Saturday night 7/2
This place reminded me of a place that Thomas Jefferson took me to in Oaxaca when I visited him. Unique building open wood beams overhead, wrought-iron candlelabras, wide windows draped with sheer organza greens and purples and stainglass arches above. Large alabaster marble floor lamps... beautiful and luminscent. Spanish art throughout the walls made to look like some place you would find in Spain or Mexico. Check out the Gallery on the website it's very swank and had lots of dark air conditioned corners which was great as the day had been hot and the night really hadn't cooled off much.
HUGE PROBLEM- Restrooms the main one is located directly as you walk in straight back but is is Men/Women. The next one is located upstairs and sort of hard to find as the way is dark. Parking lot was on the side of the building (dimly lit area) but had a sign that read $5.00 I suppose on evenings when they expect a large turnout they charge but not that night.
We will definitely return if the DJ's choose to spin here again.
Oh yea bar service was AWFUL!! drinks were okay nothing spectacular but the service at the Bar was slow and inconsistent tsk tsk probably did not think they would have the crowd they got so was not prepared.
Respectfully ReviewedListed in: My Life without Thomas…
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Review from Robin K.
Hayward, CA
8/9/2011
Sunday Brunch with the Fam.
Brunch menu included pan dulce, fresh fruit, choice of entree, and 1 glass of champagne or mimosa. Entree choices included Chilaquiles or Huevos with your choice ingredient. (nopales, machaca, chorizo, or mole) I was a little disappointed with the slim pickings.
Fruit was really sweet, bread was fresh, entrees were just o.k. We had to ask our waiter for tortillas and salsa with our meals, which was odd, considering it was a Mexican restaurant.
The mariachi show, albeit loud, was really good. We requested a song and they happily obliged.
This place is great for anybody celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or even a divorce. :) -
Review from G S.
Los Angeles, CA
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Be prepared to have a good time with the music. Not so good with the food. Tasty, a lil overpriced. I do not recommend the molé because I've had better. We were a large party of 8 and I guess if you go in and the waiter senses that money is not a problem you'll get good service. It's like they anticipate the tip by judging you before you order. When we started with the shots and didnt want the house Tequilla only Patron he got really happy and we didn't have a problem after that. What I'm saying is show you got dough and you'll get better service. Shouldn't have to be that way but it is. Last tip... When we had to use the restroom he directed to the ones upstairs.... Trust me. Don't use the downstairs johns!
Comment from Karla C. of La Fonda On Wilshire 2/29/2012
Thank you very much for your statements regarding your… More » -
Review from natasha h.
Beverly Hills, CA
12/30/2011
if i could i would give this place negative stars.
The food was HORRIBLE. It took two hours to get to the table.The portions were very small for the prices and the taste of the food was DISGUSTING.
Enchilladas - the tortilla tasted like soggy bread
Tortilla soup - tasted like dirty water
Filet mignon - no flavor - mc donalds tasted better
Mashed potatoes - GROSS
Sangria - i dont think they know what sangria is
All alcoholic drinks - watered down - no alcohol
check your bill because they overcharge - found two items that we never ordered on the bill
party of 14 - not one of us were able to finish our plate - not one of the dishes were tasteful
All 14 of us - left hungry, dissatisfied - upset about the $600 bill and headed to McDonalds for a much better meal -
Review from Martha L.
Ontario, CA
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Don't recommend. Paid $28 for one enchilada even though the menu said enchiladas with rice and beans.
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Review from annA n.
Pico Rivera, CA
10/2/2011
Nice dark place for a romantic evening. 20 mins to be seated
20 mins to get a drink
1 hour to get our food
30 mins to get the check
The mariachi show is one hour and entertaining. It makes u forget how long u are waiting for the food.
We were a party of 10. Two people got there food, they waited 15 mins for everyone else to get their food ... Hence they ate cold food.
The food wasn't authentic Mexican cuisine At all! The enchiladas were quesadillas with salsa on top, the rice was white rice from a Chinese place and the beans weren't very good.
The soft drinks came in cocktail glasses. Three sips and you're done. Water is tap unfiltered Los Angeles river water.
And the bill was outrageous $427.00 like if it were gourmet food! Oh and the pictures on yelp are not what you get when you're there.
They were hurrying people out to turn it into the super club!
Nice place for drinks and a show that's about it. Good luck! -
Review from Lisa A.
Torrance, Los Angeles, CA
2/20/2012
SOOOOOO me and my friends (7 ppl total) found out about this Brazilian carnaval party on saturday feb 18th. On the flyer it said there is going to be 2 sections: one for salsa/ bands etc and the other for house music... I went online to check the pictures of the place and it looked pretty nice so we decided to go. we didnt buy tickets in advance ($25) so by the door they were charging $40 !!!!! Bouncers weren't nice to start with... Then after waiting for an hour in the lane finally we are getting in... The place is SO GODDAMN crowded ... bartenders are so busy i couldnt get a drink for 45 minutes! INSANE! no space to dance and no way to see the band because there is so many ppl standing infront of you :/ half of our friends love house music so we went to check out the other section... You go up the stairs and already start to smell the stale air, there is no ventilation at all. You can see that you are no longer at the club but you are in an old dance studio for kids ( one wall is a mirror), portable bar with only vodka or rum as a liquor. There is 10 huge windows with regular curtains so the place is not dark at all... overall experience was horrible, the good thing is that i was drinking since 6pm that day so i was already tipsy by the time we went there so me and my girlfriend were able to dance for awhile (btw in a house music section there was only 4 ppl dancing + us two).. boys were extremely disappointed and didn't enjoy one second in that shit hole.. never again!
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Review from Celia C.
4/14/2011
It was a week before I jet set to Mexico and what a more appropriate dinner to kick off before my departure. I invited my two friends to celebrate the mariachi dinner; one of whom had never seen mariachi being from Europe. Here are my ratings:
4 stars for entertainment
3 stars for food (although, my friends may beg to differ)
4 stars for margaritas
4 stars for service
3 1/2 stars for atmosphere
This is more of a special occasion place and I'm not sure I'd return, but I had an overall fun time. I love dinner entertainment and think this place fell a little short to give it 4 stars. -
Review from Myra A.
Santa Monica, CA
5/16/2011
The 3 stars are for the great Mariachi band! Margaritas are good too.
The service was pretty slow and the food is very average.
I recommend you stop by for the Mariachi and drinks! -
Review from Davee H.
Burbank, CA
8/24/2011
Went there for a club last night - and after being there for 1 1/2 hours we left. Their security team were rude and annoying - - had me throw away a water bottle that my guy had bought for me from THEIR bar - all because I didn't leave it unattended inside the club while I went to have a cigarette outside. (Because it's safer to leave it unattended??? Yeah right.)
They were more interested in making the patrons uncomfortable rather than doing their job and keeping a presence of peace. Most of my male friends were very unhappy about the "pat down" (more like feel-up) that they had to go through every time they came back inside after having a smoke (yes, they pat you down and check your pockets/bags every single time). They are a bunch of bullies, with no concept of customer service - and I don't appreciate being treated like a criminal suspect. You Guys Are Not COPS - no matter how badly you want to be!!!!!!!!! And a REAL police officer would never treat anyone like that. -
Review from Ronald B.
Santa Monica, CA
1/21/2012
I'm sorry that my review of La Fonda is 2 weeks old, but my laptop collapsed on me and then I got lazy, so as I sit here drinking my Corona and watching a bad movie on the SyFy channel here goes my review; I feel bad giving La Fonda 2 stars, but my review of basically everything at this restaurant will vary:
5 stars for the music/entertainment, it was great, my mother & aunt loved it and so did I, the leader of the band serenated a girl on stage with "Sabo A Mi" and I wished I was up there (hee-hee).
5 stars for the way they remodeled this place, it was very nice, and 5 stars to the hostess, vey nice and polite....and yes, very pretty...(yes you that works Sun noon).
5 stars for the service, they were very fast and friendly, and the drinks were very strong.
2 stars for the bathroom, make sure you shut and lock the door when you enter, you have to walk down a small hallway and there in front of you is the porcelan throne, not very clean, didn't even have paper towels.
1 star is for the food, like everyone else states, I ordered the carne asada as did my aunt and moher, and it was very tough to cut and chew, overall the presentation was not very nice, beans and squared potatos that you would normally order for breakfast at Denny's, the mgr brought us a new order of carne asada but it was the same, very disappointed.
1 star for the desert that my mom & aunt ordered, just plain yogurt and berries.
But 5 stars for the mgr, he was very friendly and courteous, and did everything he could do to help, at least he tried.
In the end, eat before you arrive or wait until after the show and go somewhere else.Comment from Karla C. of La Fonda On Wilshire 3/7/2012
Thank you very much for your feedback regarding your… More » -
Review from johnny O.
Studio City, CA
1/24/2011
IT USE TO BE SO MUCH BETTER...............
is the common theme of many reviews and I too will jump on that wagon.
La Fonda was once run by Nati Cano and the house Mariachi group was Los Camperos today a new company owns the place, made changes to the menu, the bar the price points and sucked out the soul of this place and spit it out somewhere on Wilshire Blvd..
La Fonda was the PRIME destination for parties, celebrations, out of town guests, 21st birthday party's, international travelers etc., it's been replaced with menu's that promote $200.00 Vodka Bottles of grey goose for the ultra lounge supper club, The mariachi dinner show an after thought.
My father just turned 70 and as always he wanted to go to La Fonda, I warned him about the reviews and the changes but none the less his La Fonda could not fail him. We walked in and the place does look amazing, the bar is bigger, flat screen TV's (needed?) and the dinner area looked much improved, only thing missing........................people.
Yes we were the only people there on Sunday before the early show something we never have seen before in 30 years plus. I felt bad for my pops, the memories of long ago are just that ...long ago.
We stretched out a couple beers before we actually sat and at least some people showed up to join us.
We sat, ate stale chips, ordered over priced food and watched a memorable Mariachi Show, enough to create the sound track to memories of La Fonda long ago.
At least we had a groupon to ease the pain.
