Fonda
“I have always gotten the guacamole, which is a bit of a twist on traditional guac and is delicious.”
“my perfect star review is for one thing only:
the "Rosalita", their signature hibiscus margarita!”
“The hibiscus margarita seems really popular and it was really good but I'm a salt on the rim type of girl.”
Fonda
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Why didn't I give Fonda five stars the first time around?! I don't know. I was young, cynical, foolish. Now I know better. So much better! Fonda is everything I said in my previous review and more. The food continues to get better and better. Everything is perfectly balanced and flavors are elevated without feeling like it's taking Mexican food to a pretentious nouveau level that makes you want to duck out and head to your local Taqueria. No, Fonda makes you want to stay and have another Margarita…and another…and another… and that fourth one that you didn't technically order yet but your waitress isn't gonna let you miss out on last call. Because at Fonda service is well-intended and matches the exceptional quality of the food. If you have the pleasure of sitting in Mindi's section during brunch, you are in for a lovely day!
As for the food, as always guacamole is a staple. If you think you like spice, test your limits with Fonda's guacamole. I like mine mild because it still comes with a kick. I also enjoy the medium spice guacamole and it tends to satisfy the table with all different spice tolerance. I enjoyed the Huevos Mexicana but I must admit that the one bight I had of my friend's Torta de Pollo had me seriously jealous. It was moan worthy good. Even the tortillas are flavorful! Honestly, I can't think of a place I've ever been where I would eat the tortillas as is, plain as can be, and be totally satisfied.
The brunch special is a great deal as it includes unlimited refills of standard brunch drinks. That could be dangerous but with a little planning it's well worth it. Although the Sandia hasn't been put back on the summer drinks menu (and it's very much missed!) the classics still hold down the fort and the new drinks are fun to test out. The classic Margarita is especially well worth it. Never watered down (even during happy hours and specials) and always packs a punch. Fonda never disappoints and with the warm weather coming, more fun brunches will be too.
I finally mad it out to Fonda to experience their boozy brunch. Since we missed our reservation we decided to sit at the bar. I must note that even though we were late the staff were very accommodating which i appreciated. Especially since it was super busy.
As soon as we sat at the bar the bartender was very attentive all the way thru our stay. For food we order the huevos rancheros which came with rice and beans. Delish!!! We went for the 1 1/2hr unlimited drinks. I enjoyed the fact that there are several drink options. Rosalita, margarita, mimosa, bloody mary and beer.
I lovedddd the Rosalita and also had the margs. My friend enjoyed the mimosa's. The drink service was excellent. I never had an empty glass. I've had that experience with boozy brunches where you wait and wait for your next drink.
Overall loved everything and i've already rounded up the troops for a group brunch. 🙂
My friend chose this spot for a happy hour catch-up!
$7 for pretty legit margaritas. I say go with the hibiscus frozen concoction, the Rosalita. It's great! Though the "hibiscus" part of the drink doesn't really go beyond the pretty pink color it is a cooler alternative to a regular on the rocks margarita.
The happy hour menu is $7. Drinks are 7 bucks and HH food is also 7 bucks. Only at the bar, which can suck if you don't get a seat.
The HH food is tapas style, small dishes but super flavorful. I had the beef tostadas, and though the beef was sort of chewy which made it real unsexy to eat (thank goodness I wasn't on a date), it was flavorful and that's something I can appreciate!
The best part of all?! The guacamole is also 7 bucks during happy hour which is AMAZING…I'm obsessed with guacamole. In fact, I could probably eat it EVERYDAY. Avocado over everythang! So yeah, I hate it when the guac is gross. This one is NOT.
AND only 7 bucks during HH so get on it!
Margarita + guacamole= perfect combination.
This has got to be one of my favorite brunch places because of the atmosphere and incredible service! The staff is very polite and constantly ask if everything is good. I got the Torta de Pollo because I'm not too fond of eggs or breakfast food in general. It was amazing!! The chicken is so tender and it's so delicious with the avocado. You have to try it!!
The drinks are also soo good! I ordered the frozen hibiscus margaritas as well as the mimosa. I got two of each during the duration of my meal. You're limited to 1.5 hours there. I would highly recommend going here because the drinks aren't watered down like some places I've been. They're strong and delicious! I was so happy when I left because of how great the food was and how wonderful the service was as well. Brunch is $29.95 which is on the cheaper side if you compare it to other brunch places. Just make sure you book a week in advance.
definitely fonda of good Mexican food, but don't call me Jane or Peter. seewhatididthere
most people know Fonda bc there are three of these joints: one in the Slope, one in Chelsea, and one in Alphabet City. i am frequent customer of the ABC location.
and let's be real most people know FONDA bc of its banging boozy brunch. AYCD (all you can drink) for 1.5 hours + an entree for about $28.50. though FONDA (in Alphabet City) seems to have cut its boozy brunch from 1.5 hours to 1 hour and raised the price to $29.95. definitely call ahead and check this out bc 1 hour of AYCD is just okay not the awesome insober-ing 1.5-2 hours.
the boozy brunch is/was bananas. if you do the boozy brunch deal the entree you get is savory and filling…like the huevos rancheros, chiliquiles rojos, burrito texano…the entrees w/o the booze option are about 14-15 on their own so basically your paying about $14 (not including tax and tip) for the unlimited booze option for whatever time limit it is now. if you're doing drunk brunch, definitely get the guacamole, it feed 3-4 people well and comes with chips, tortillas, & some tasty spicy salsa. booze options for the unlimited: rosalitas, margaritas, bloody marys, mimosas, and beer. there used to be more options before. oh well.
PRO TIP: boozy brunch on the early or late side…so your drinks get to you quick. if you DRUNCH during primetime hours…the bar is going to be slammed there fore your drinks will be delayed. the bartenders rock here but there are capacity issues when all tables are full. you were warned.
Fondas looks small from the outside but the dining room and table set-up stretches way back.
the ambience is tastefully festive without going overboard. there is some shine and a nice color palette to the space. it's slightly muted to keep the dining experience in-line with a classy dinner experience as opposed to a loud ( in terms of color) chain restaurant experience. the decor is still very evocative of Mexico without delving into the typical Americanized tropes of Mexican culture etc. in any case, even without reservation for brunch–you should be able to snag a table with a little bit of a wait. the restaurant works well for brunch (small or large groups); casual dates, family dinners, and entertaining out-of-towners downtown.
in terms of dinner, this place is solid and delivers on warm comfy eats on coldish nights. not sure i'd hit this place during the high heat of summer bc the fare can be a lil heavy.
do try: apps like the GUAC (as i rec'ed above), ceviche, fish tacos. also try entrees like the carnitas fonda (crispy pork yo!), guisado di castillo (short ribs Son!), fish tacos are also served as an entree at a higher price than the appetizer version, & the chiles relleno. not really a fan of the sides or salads at Fonda ehh. apps run between $9-12 and entrees $21-$28. so it is a lil pricy, but the quality of food is top-notch.
the service and staff? excellent. fast. friendly. answers q's without upselling. brunch booze service is pretty quick and does not lollygag. the dinner service is awesome. i really like the waiters here. they work hard to make your experience a good one without hovering over you.
is this the most authentic Mexican food i've had? nope because i've been to Mexico a lot and i ain't talking about Tijuana. however for NYC it's really good. the flavor and spice notes really hit some of the eats i had in Mexico without introducing weird Americanized ingredients (like kale, and other rando boojee ingredients etc.). that said, Mexican fare and your love of it is largely going to be determined by the region or regions that the chef and kitchen are pulling from like Fonda feels like it's more Mexico City style. idk and i'm no expert. so if you like food from Guadalajara and Oaxaca or elsewhere you may feel this isn't Mexico you know…however if you like food and are not a food critic in the making…you'll enjoy FONDA!
drop mic because it's rude to freestyle while eating.
i out.
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Got brunch here. It was great! Service was slow in the beginning, we did the $30 deal. I thought everything was nicely priced, my food was definitely excellent- loved the spicy. Although service was slow, our waitress did make sure we had enough to drink for the boozy brunch deal- as we were finishing up, she made a point to get us some drinks (rather quickly). Overall- would suggest for brunch, happening place… Definitely make a reservation!
Boozy brunch with 15 people…and Fonda was able to accommodate us. I love that..with a reservation we did not have to wait….and that means…quicker for us to start our drink on.
All their drink options are great and strong… I sipped about 1/4 to 1/2 of each drink before ordering another one..and passed it on to my husband to finish haha..they were great about bringing me drinks even when I was not finished with mine and making sure we understood when it was last call..
We started off with guacamole…. 3 guacs for a table of 15…was actually a lot… and we did not even finish it, but wow was it good!
I got the Texas Taco which is actually a burrito and btw I am from TX and our tacos are actually tacos…but I guess they were doing a joke with how everything is bigger in TX…. Ha. I didn't love my burrito.. I did however love the sauce on top…. I ended up eating more of the sauce with chips and guacs…the burrito just needed more meat it just tasted like it had only eggs in it
We also had a little mishap with a cockroach crawling on the wall and then falling near my husband….he had to kill it with a napkin and throw it away. The waitstaff and manager came by to apologize and make excuses about the weather and that's why the cockroaches are in their restaurant. That's gross.
Anyways, we got our bill and the whole table really wanted them to comp something because of the cockroach and they were kind enough to comp all 3 of the guacs…..Overall great spot… Maybe other food items will be better…but even a few other people did not eat much of their meals…one person got the tortas, and someone else got chiliques and said it was soggy on the first bite…..Maybe come here for HH instead??
3.5 stars – Good choice for brunch if you have a decent sized party.
This place was good for our 7-8 people group. Spacious, and food was decent. I made a reservation via open table and they called to confirm. Although they really do need to work on that phone (it was so hard to hear what was being said and what was lost in translation through all the static).
Hostess was friendly (staff was def friendly) and stalled our seating when we told her to – because there is a 1.5 hour all you can drink policy. The brunch drink offerings were strong!
Guac was delicious but the portion of my huevos rancheros was on the smaller side than I thought it should be. I mean I thought everyone else who ordered something different got a larger offering of food. Needless to say we all had fun and zero issues with them!
Accommodating with our cake for the bday girl.