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- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 pm - 9 pm
Fri 11 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
28 reviews for La Fuente
Review Highlights
"and a really entertaining mariachi band."
(in 4 reviews)
"Guacamole made fresh on a Cart brought to your table."
(in 5 reviews)
"I usually get the Pastel Azteca, the mole, or enchiladas."
(in 4 reviews)
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Tiffany S.
Tucson, AZ
1/6/2012
I had a wonderful dinner at la fuente. The restaurant was VERY similar to one that I visited in Oaxaca, Mexico. It was so authentic and similar it felt as if I had slipped back in time. The food was amazing, we ordered the guacamole (made tableside), Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Mole and the Pork with Chile Colorado. The enchiladas with mole on top were the best, perfect balance of sweet, rich and spicy. I also really enjoyed the mariachi band and the variety of songs they planned In all, it was even better than going back to Mexico because I didn't have any problems with tasting lard in the food and worrying about the water!
I will be back for sure! -
Review from Yolanda G.
Tucson, AZ
It is very sad to see this place go away. We have had good experiences there. The last time was average. The waiter was friendly, but the ambiance was only so so. Though the mariachis were distracting when they were around, it was what made La Fuente memorable for me as a very young child. The mood music is ok, IMO. The guacamole grows on you after you have a lot of it. The tamales are average in taste. The margaritas are divine and will be missed.
The decor is very colorful, but it was a little too quiet this last time.
Farewell, La Fuente, you will be missed. -
Review from Stephan H.
Tucson, AZ
2/5/2012
went to La Fuente for brunk. the food was fine, the service was excellent.
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Review from Felicia C.
Atascadero, CA
12/19/2011
Worst lunch buffet & customer service not far behind. Disorganized, messy, unmarked (didn't know what 90% if the food was), food luke warm, film over the refried beans because they'd been sitting too long. Margaritas sitting in pitchers ready to serve rather than made fresh. Host & waiter both surly & unfriendly. The waitress was the only saving grace to this place.
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Review from Evan B.
7/6/2011 10 photos
I got stuck on the cactus after that the rest seemed to not matter too much.
The pros of this place sit squarely with the vegetarian section of the menu and the Nopalitas on the menu, well seasoned flavorful strips of prickly pear pads served with some flavorless beans and three little tortillas. The strips were soft and full of a bright and savory flavor.
The Cons list is a bit longer:
The table side guacamole is novel but over priced and lacks a full flavor, the other items I sampled were mediocre at best including the chillie rellno, super sweet tamale and some hard enchilada like thing.
The service was good with refills of water chips and salsa, but the restroom situation was terrible. No lights in the hallways out of order sinks and women's restrooms and no AC.
We were also in a bit early at 5:30 and we were one of the two tables dining.
If you like cactus come here for that otherwise go elsewhere. -
Review from Peg P.
Oct. 20: Tucson Business Week reports that as of early January 2012 La Fuente will be publicly auctioned off. Another landmark Mexican restaurant becomes a victim of the times.
Listed in: Tucson Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/16/2011
I haven't been here in a while and I left saying the say thing I said the last time I was here,… Read more »
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Review from Julie S.
Tucson, AZ
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Arrived for Brunch around 1:00pm on Sunday. Started out nice with warm, thin, crispy chips and a decent Margarita. Went into the buffet room around 1:15. I was the only one in the room getting food as my friend went before me so that I could stay with our purses at the table. There was no one in the room attending the buffet, either. The word that comes to mind is "tired." It looked as though everything had been put out at 11am and then hadn't been refreshed since. The food tasted good, but most of it wasn't even hot. The staff was very friendly and the Mariachi's were entertaining. I want to give it a try for dinner. Fresher food would be a plus.
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Review from Stacey Y.
Tucson, AZ
10/12/2010
I heard that this place was an institution, and it was close to our next stop- the JW Marriott at Starr Pass. So I decided to take my aunt and her friend who was visiting, thinking that they could experience an authentic southwestern meal.
The place definitely screamed southwestern decor, but as you enter the front there is a musty-type of odor.
It was a Monday night so I understand that it may not have been as packed like if we went on a Saturday. There was a guy on stage singing and playing the guitar... he was okay, but my aunt liked him and thought it was fun.
On to the food-
The chips were good, but salsa was extremely salty.
I first ordered guacamole (and keep in mind they will charge by head), which was pretty decent.
We then ordered three items to share... charboiled chicken salad, sopa de camaron, and arroz con pollo.
1. The salad was made up of pieces charboiled chicken breast, tomatoes, lettuce and avocado... the interesting thing was that there was absolutely no dressing?!
2. Sopa de Camaron was way too salty.... the chef definitely has a heavy salt hand, and needs to lighten it up. We told the server, but he just said "ok".... I just hope he told the Chef...
3. Arroz con pollo was probably the best of the three.... just a little salty but not as much as the salsa or the soup. The fish and chicken was very yummy.
We had leftovers and got some to-go boxes, but they ran out of plastic bags or any bag!!!??!
I have mixed feelings about this place, and I hope they will lighten the salt. -
Review from Ryan J.
3/5/2010
We came at the recommendation of my wife's parents, long-time patrons. It has a lot of things going for it and a few things that keep it from getting out in front of the rest of the myriad Mexican places in this city. The good: Great ambiance- in an overly adorned cantina sort of way-, attentive service, high quality mariachi, and some incredible flan. The ok: chips/salsa and enchiladas. I ordered the camerones fantasias, typically a personal favorite. Who doesn't love shrimp covered in bacon and cheese? Well my bacon was sooo salty that I could feel my blood pressure rise with each bite. So much so that I didn't finish the dish. Ironically, the veggies had no salt or flavor and were just a shade north of insipid. The prices also were too high given the quality and portions of the dishes.
I'd probably return and try something else. The flan is good enough to merit another visit. -
Review from Cianne M.
San Mateo, CA
7/11/2009
The owner here is a total asshole. My parents' dishes were served cold and asked to have them re-heated. The waiter was cool about it, but for some reason the owner had a problem with our even mentioning the food was cold. He came over to our table and told us the food was not cold. He saw the food himself and it was all piping hot. Que?? So basically he called my parents liars and apparently they like to send food back for fun. Oh boy. This is where smoke starts to come out of my dad's ears and my brother and I seek shelter underneath the table.
A shouting match ensued all the way from the middle of the packed restaurant to the front door. It was ridiculous. When we got to the parking lot, two busboys ran out with big smiles on their faces. They came to shake my dad's hand and thank him. Turns out Mr. La Fuente treats his staff terribly and shows up to work drunk a lot of the time. They were all happy to see someone stand up to him and put him in his place. Haha...we felt better about the night after that. -
Review from Bryce F.
Pleasant Hill, CA
6/14/2011
The service was outstanding, and the food was good, but nothing any different than Chevy's or the like. The guitarist was good.
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Review from His T.
Tucson, AZ
8/8/2009
I decided to take advantage of one of their BOGO entree coupons and it was a good thing I did as their prices are really quite high (the one I had taken off was $17).
The place still has a lot of character and charm. The decor is fanciful and the Mariachi band is entertaining as always.
The service was slow and apathetic, the meals came with the lo-grade standard bean paste and rice, and I got the impression that they had been pre-constructed by which I mean that precooked meat had been put on a plate with pre-prepared sauce, pre-prepared rice, and pre-prepared beans and heated up in the microwave. Further, the seasoning for the sauces was kind of amateurish - too sweet and too simple.
I used to love their chicken mole years ago and when I suggested going here to my girlfriend, she responded by saying "Meh, they're okay." The next day I told a buddy of mine who is first-gen Mexican American that I went here and he said "Meh, they're okay." I have since realized that both of them are quite right and I have reassessed my opinion accordingly. -
Review from Stephanie B.
Saint Louis, MO
2/24/2009
While I don't live in Tucson, this is one of my must-eat-at places when I visit. Their chicken melt is to die for! The queso with chorizo, also to die for (okay, so the amount of oil, grease, and fat may actually kill me, but it's well worth it). And if you have room left after your yummy meal, try the flan. There is always live music of some sort and it's not that in your face loud mariachi, but good background music that you can enjoy.
I've been here twice a year for about four years now and in my opinion, nothing has changed. The service is fantastic, the margaritas are strong, and the food is delish. The only thing I can think of to complain about is the horrible pink color of the building.Listed in: Spring in Tucson
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Review from Brian K.
Tucson, AZ
11/28/2009
I must drive by La Fuente at least fifty times a month. Almost every single time, I confuse it for the adult shop next door. After literally years of hearing that it was "amazing" and absolutely wonderful, I was forced to visit it when my roommate decided to celebrate his birthday there. Spoiler: It really wasn't that amazing.
I don't know what it is about Tucson and what I term B- Mexican food restaurants. This is really just another of them.
Menus were presented promptly, beverages came fast, that I'll give them. My beverage drink was taken, processed, and presented promptly. That I'll hand them. But when the food itself is burned and prepared so much that it really only classes with wood, there's something wrong.
I ordered a cheese crisp appetizer for the girlfriend and I, and I'm glad I did so. I likely would have been starving if it wasn't for this and a huge margarita. The cheese crisp was good, but hey, it's cheese on a tortilla. Not exactly something challenging.
It was when the Carne Asada tacos came that my experience fell off the deep end. I don't even know where to begin. They literally amounted to completely burned, overcooked beef cubes (say 1 cubic centimeter) in an uninspired soft taco shell. Three of them, surrounded by the obligatory seas of beans and rice. The meat in the tacos were like eating wood, complete with the overdone fibery bits that stick between your teeth. I choked two of the three down just from being so hungry and hoped that the gallon of margarita would make up for their dryness. In retrospect, I wish I had sent the lot of it back, there wasn't a single redeeming bit about it.
You'd think Carne Asada tacos wouldn't be *that* hard for a Mexican restaurant in Tucson, right?
Is this the *real* Mexican food people get defensive about? The kind people visit Tucson for? I'm embarrassed for the city if this is what people remember. -
Review from Eamon C.
Purcellville, VA
9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
All around, pretty awful. The tamale was tough and bland. The beef taco had ground beef and lettuce in it.....THAT'S IT! Everything on the plate was really dry. The only reason it gets one star is because the margaritas were drinkable.
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Review from Amalia B.
Tucson, AZ
4/20/2011
I've been here 3 times, 2 not my choice, but friends' birthday dinners. Besides a fun-looking atmosphere it just doesn't cut it. Not in service, convenience, or food. Service was slow and impersonal and I've been a server for awhile and know quality. Its always a pain to park, on a busy night you're directed to cross the street where I worry for my car every time I have to plunge over that dip. The food has never been bad per se, but its not anywhere near great mexican food. It really doesn't stand up to other mexican spots like El torrero or Guads. Not likely I'll be going back.
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Review from Judy H.
Beverly Hills, CA
4/24/2007
What a beautiful restaurant! Lots of color and lights...and a really entertaining mariachi band.
Drunk college girls dancing on stage...but it's fun to watch others make silly.
The food was great too - yummy table side guacamole, delicious fajitas. I'm an out of towner but I look forward to visitng La Fuente again! -
Review from greg s.
Phoenix, AZ
10/9/2010
$31 dollars for the worst margarita ever... I dunno if it is the price or all the sweet and sour, but I now have the worst heartburn ever. My gross carne asada tacos.... yeah i said gross. were dry and cold...no cheese or lettuce, could have over cooked beef and made a cold plate myself... Kinda dissapointed in myself because we went becuse of how "amazing" it was.... blah.. Fresh tableside guac, made by a 12 year old, tasted like shit... our meal for five with one pitcher of original margaritas was $130 ha ha ha eff this place....owner was a total douche... GO SOMEWHERE ELSE
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Review from Jennifer D.
Tucson, AZ
11/10/2010 3 Check-ins Here
The atmosphere is very delightful. I can't say the food is kick@ss, but it mexican food, can't go wrong with that.
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Review from Simon E.
Tucson, AZ
3/28/2009 1 photo
Chile rellenos in the Tucson Area rated according to the Homeland Security Advisory System with three word descriptors.
La Fuente Restaurant & Lounge: damn yellow cheese. Orange
See photos. -
Review from Jeffrey M.
Seattle, WA
11/6/2010
One of the best in the country. Everything is perfect. Guacamole made fresh on a Cart brought to your table. Live mariachi band. Excellent drinks. Authentic and classy. I can't think of a better Mexican restaurant in Seattle, San Diego, Colorado or Phoenix!
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Review from Molly H.
5/26/2009
For those of you not in the know, or those who have not seen the signs plastered all over town, you can now dine at La Fuente for half off through the summer. BTW this includes your drinks, everything is half-off. The deal is you have to dine after 8:30 weekdays, 9:00 weekends. Okay, awesome deal, right? Yes, but the food is mediocre. I would never pay more than 10 bucks for any of their bland food, so the half off deal works for me. The mariachi music is really great and the atmosphere is some kind of cross between rainforest and your grandparents forgot to take down their Christmas decorations. Anyway, get the half off deal and enjoy.
Listed in: Deals Around Town, Mexi-Can't you do better than…
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Review from Thomas H.
6/4/2010
Go for the lunch buffet.
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Review from Alyssa F.
Seattle, WA
9/20/2007
3.5 Stars. I have been here numerous times and I love La Fuente but the food has really gone downhill, kind of hit or miss. I usually get the Pastel Azteca, the mole, or enchiladas. I prefer to go here over El Charro because the wait is not as long and the service is 10x better. The last time I was there I went with a bunch of sorority sisters (maybe 10-15ish) not all of us were 21 and they didn't card any of us. Our waiter was so much fun and took pictures with us and chatted. We had a great time. The guacamole cart is a must.
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Review from Travis T.
Tucson, AZ
5/31/2011
The WORST service I have ever experienced at a restaurant. My carnitas took forever. I had to ask 3 times for them to bring my tortillas. Never refilled the chips. Rarely refilled my water. Waiters were clueless. Food was decent, but ridiculously overpriced. Margaritas were the worst part. No alcohol and incredibly expensive. Ended up spending $30 and all I had was the Carnitas and a couple margaritas.
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Review from Honey Lee B.
Tucson, AZ
6/26/2005
Have been twice. Mariachi's music one time was really fun. Food is overpriced and quality is just O.K. Will not be returning.
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Review from Danny M.
Tucson, AZ
4/25/2009
Pretty good. The Sonoran Enchiladas (masa patties covered in cheese) are something you don't find everywhere. I wouldn't go here every night (it's kinda pricey), but every once in a while it's good for a change.
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Review from A B.
Columbus, OH
3/26/2011
The main course items were pretty good, but everything else was terrible. The chips were stale and essentially inedible and the salsa was too runny for my taste. The house margarita was just satisfactory (not good) and the flavored margaritas were way too syrupy to even finish. We also had the tortilla soup, which had way too much cheese. The live music consisted of a guitarist with a looped drum machine playing Jimmy Buffet song. You can have a decent dinner here, but there are way too many other options in town to make it worthwhile.
