Café La Fonda is a cute and small eatery located across the street from Santa Barbara's courthouse's beautiful sunken gardens. The service is exceptional and their philanthropic endeavors beg you to try them. A small group gathered together for the weekend AYCE breakfast buffet, and free flow mimosa or margarita. The service was fantastic and the view of the courthouse was great as we sat on the front porch and enjoyed the company. The food offerings or what I expect of sweet pastries, fresh fruit, bacon, enchilada casserole, Menudo, posole, pork, verde, and more. It's difficult to judge food quality when all you're eating is the buffet, but I did enjoy the Menudo and the posole. The rest not so much. I urge you to come by and taste for yourself outside of the buffet and learn more about how they get back to the community of Santa Barbara, providing opportunity for their staff. As many have written on the weekends, they have a mariachi band. Great to have live music, but it's too loud. We were yelling over the music sitting at the same table just to communicate. For that I would also skip the weekend buffet. I'd like to come back and try something else off the menu as it does look authentic and I'm proud to support them. I just don't know how often. read more

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We came here on September 21, 2025 on a Sunday around 12:30ish pm for their burrito week burrito. We were on a mission to try a few different burrito week burritos and this one was our 2nd stop of the day. But to our dismay they were closed, as we parked right in front of their entrance to see a locked gate and all their chairs still on the tables. I went on yelp to make sure they open on Sundays which says there were supposed to be. Unfortunately we left immediately to our next burrito week location. read more

Grabbed lunch here while on break from jury duty across the street. The courthouse is freezing cold at the end of March, so I wanted a hot drink and soup before heading back. My first impression was that the service was lacking or untrained. Maybe the guy was new. He asked how many of us. 2. He grabbed some menus and proceeded to a table. We followed him, because isn't that how it works? Turns out he led us to another table - party of 6 - as he doled out menus to them. He noticed us standing there beside him and told us to sit anywhere. Awkward. We found a table and sat. Waiter came with iced water which we both recoiled from, and we ordered HOT tea, which he said he would bring. Studying menu, it's expensive. A bowl of soup is $17. Hope it's good, but wondering if we are in a high-priced tourist trap. Tea never comes. We are still cold. Menu has typical fare - al pastor, guac, rice and beans. For soup, choices are pozole (red kind), chicken tortilla, and menudo. New waiter arrives. Seems more attentive. We ask waiter which is his favorite soup. Menudo, chicken noodle, pozole - in that order. Damn, I had been leaning towards the tortilla. Wait! Off-menu chicken noodle? Ordered the chicken noodle and a grilled cheese off the kid's menu. Also reordered 2 hot teas again. Two mugs of hot water and a little bowl of tea bags arrived shortly after. (The new waiter IS more attentive!) sadly, the tea options are crap. Chamomile, peppermint, English breakfast, green with jasmine. Off brands and random. Plopped the tea in the water. No sugar subs, no lemon, no cream. A jar of honey that was so sticky on the outside, it made you immediately regret picking it up. The tea was ghastly. Probably the taste of the water. Maybe old tea. Grilled cheese arrived. Kinda greasy on outside, and cheese is cold and unmelted on inside. I immediately ask them to nuke it to warm it and melt the cheese. Soups arrive and surprisingly tasty. Chicken was shredded. Noodles were yummy. Overall, it wasn't as good as my own chicken noodle, but it totally hit the spot on a cold day. The 2nd grilled cheese arrived again, melty and gooey everywhere. It's an all new sandwich! But wait! The "cheese" is Velveeta and the menu said mozzarella was on the kids grilled cheese. Crap. I sent the sandwich back again asking if they could make it with mozz, like the menu says. 3rd time was the charm. A perfectly cooked, mozz-oozing grilled cheese arrived. The bread is nothing special, the melty part was perfection. Waiter said he wasn't going to charge for the grilled cheese. Original waiter stops by and says we will be getting 10% off our bill. Good recovery! I don't see myself going out of my way to return here. The food was more expensive than the tasty Mexican fare everywhere else in town. The complimentary chips and salsa were bleh. I wondered if the chips were store bought, but kept under a heat lamp, sprinkled with paprika, to appear more upscale. And the service was not great. Nice and friendly, but inexperienced. Also, bathroom was clean, but dining room seems beat down since when this address housed The Little Door. Apologies to the grammar aficionados for switching between present and past verb tenses throughout this rambling review. Too much to fix it, so if you got this far, thank you, friend! read more

Cafe La Fonda - Decent chicken noodle soup! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I had the huevos rancheros, and my partner has the breakfast burrito. We were also served chips and salsa. Everything was delicious. Fresh good. Music playing was great, and customer service was superb. read more

Just had my wedding reception here and it was beautiful! The service was amazing, the food was DELICIOUS, and the decorations they set up were perfect. The owner worked with my mother-in-law closely and helped make our day beautiful! The service was so good that the staff were actually asking us if they were doing well because they were nervous! You don't get that kind of care and attention anymore! I'd highly recommend Cafe La Fonda to anyone who wants to have any event because you will have a blast. We sat 100 people comfortably and just helped make our beautiful day even more so. Thank you to Cafe La Fonda, we will definitely see you all again! read more

Cafe La Fonda - Front View Decorations After Closing the Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I was driving around SB looking for a place to grab late lunch. Drive by this place and thought I'd give it a shot. I love the location and the ambiance. It's very cozy and homey. I was the only patron at the time and the staff was very friendly and kind. They allowed me to select whatever seat I wanted. Of course I selected the best view, of the courthouse garden. I ordered the cafe de olla to start which was so delicious. It reminded me of home. I also ordered the jalapeño poppers. It's a great take of them. They use a wonton wrapper folded into a triangle for the jalapeño poppers. On their menu though, the photo for their poppers are different. It threw me off because I was expecting the actual jalapeño cut length wise with mozzarella and breaded. That's not really what I got but nonetheless it was good. I would order them again! It came with a creamy sauce and a mango habanero sauce which had a lot of flavor and spice! I ordered the chilaquiles with eggs over easy and added al pastor meat. It came with a side of potatoes and beans. I'll say that the portions are a great value. I was definitely full and had to take leftovers home. I wouldve like some salt and more of a kick to my chilaquiles. This dish is meant to be spicy, its on the name, but that was lacking in my opinion. However I used the salsa to pour over it and enjoyed it. They have Valentines Day specials coming up with taco shaped heart box so if you're into that, you gotta come here. I'd come back and try more of their menu items. I also want to add they are so sweet because they brought me a heater when it was cold. I didn't even ask but that's so sweet of them! It was a chilly day. read more

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This place it's cute, food it's amazing I had the Chilaquiles rojos, they were amazing !!! Service was also very welcoming. It's definitely a try out place. Very good food. read more

Cafe La Fonda - Chilaquiles rojos with steak - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Café La Fonda is PERFECT. I just got married here and there was nothing I can say anything bad about this place. All of my guests and I loved the food, the service was quick and easy, and the restaurant owners worked closely with my mom to make sure our day was perfect. They decorated everything perfectly! I have no complaints about how everything was done and would definitely host future events here! The vibe was so nice and everyone is just so easy to work with. Thank you so much to Cafe La Fonda for helping us have our special day! We will see you guys again soon! read more

Such a lovely spot, overlooking the beautiful sunken gardens of the Santa Barbara courthouse. Nice ambiance, Mexican music playing, and our server, Ray, was so nice. I had already eaten, but he gave me some Mexican sweet bread to try, which was really good. And my husband got the mini breakfast burrito, which was very tasty. Will definitely be back! read more

Cafe La Fonda - La Fonda Mini Burrito Breakfast - really good! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Just had a late lunch on Saturday. Service was very attentive food was fresh good ingredients and portions good. Will be going back to try other things on the menu. From reading the negative reviews I would think they have listened and are working hard to make it better. I suggest trying them on a slower time as the front of the house is typically hard for a business that came from a catering history. read more

Well I have never leave a 1 star review, but this time I had to. Call on Thursday to make a reservation for 11am to came up to this restaurant for the Saturday brunch and there entertainment show they said they have, came all the way from burbank CA, to an empty restaurant I had read the reviews and honestly though this will be a great idea to celebrate my friends bday the person the greeted us was super short to said the least he seems upset and bother ask about the Saturday brunch with a very rude reply they only do it on Sundays but doesn't said that in the website. Another guy he was nicer brought us chips and salsa for a Mexican restaurant to give you a pizza salsa with chips you know it's not gonna be good... Then started to order food with the other unpleased guy and was very unhelpful and short, got our food and was super salty order there supposedly famosos green chilaquiles, came with super greasy fries, order a croissant sandwich that was well greasy the rest of the food was ok per my friends. Overall it was a super bad experience not only according to an other nice guy he said they had change ownership and hadn't it update the menus or anything else. My mom got supper sick after eating here. Wouldn't recommend this place to anybody .. if I can give a negative star I would read more

Cafe La Fonda - Green Chilaquiles plate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We visited here for the mariachi brunch. The brunch buffet is small and has your basic eggs (made to order), breakfast meats, pancakes, etc. You can have them make you an omelette but they provide minimal toppings (onions, tomatoes, cilantro). They advertise that they make chilaquiles but when we asked the attendant said they don't make them for the buffet. The service was good and the server was friendly. The food was ok, the best dish was the enchiladas. The patio was nice to sit at and enjoy the beautiful weather. read more

Cafe La Fonda - Patio seating - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Pure perfection, shrimp cooked perfectly. Rich flavors, definitely going back. Beautiful views of the Courthouse's sunken garden. read more

Cafe La Fonda - Excellent Margaritas and guacamole. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Chile verde omelette was fantastic! I wish I could say the same about the service. No coffee refill and no attempt to ask. I will be going back for the food though!! read more

Found this place on accident. Everything was really good. Steak quesadilla with steak was very flavorful. I can't wait to come back and try it again. read more

Cafe La Fonda - Chicken tortilla soup. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This review will be based solely on the food alone, as the service was fine. I do not recommend this place. We had a party of 12. My sister from out of town made the mistake of booking this place for a birthday. None of us liked our food. Why? This is not authentic nor close to authentic. This is a tourist trap. The location is amazing but the food is mediocre. This is what tourists think is "real Mexican food." It's not, because Taco Bell has more flavor than the food here. I feel like the Mariachi is there to distract you from the subpar food. I've lived in Santa Barbara my whole life and I've never considered this place, and now I know why. If you want authentic Mexican food, go to a different spot or come to my house . If you've ever watched the South Park Casa Bonito episode, it's the same exact situation here. read more

There are lots of respectable Mexican restaurants within easy walking distance of my home downtown. The newest is La Fonda, so I went to try it out! Very good food, a good price, and very good service. Big menu. I had the chili relleno with rice and beans, my standard. It was tasty and well-presented. AND the price includes soup AND salad AND chips and salsa AND warm tortillas -- that's a real meal deal that's rare these days! I took leftovers home for a light lunch the next day. Vegetarians take note: the tortilla soup has chicken broth, so they substituted an order of guacamole (fresh but bland, and little more spicy would be good), and their refried frijoles are not vegetarian, so they substituted whole beans. The side salad was a baby salad mix with spinach and tomatoes and warm nuts on top. A pleasant interior (candles on the tables), and a outdoor deck with a glorious view of the Courthouse. Live Mexican music on weekends. I'm concerned because there's been a number of failed restaurants at this location, and I hope it's not "haunted," and that the public will give them a go. I was the ONLY patron on a Tuesday night. A history note: Do you remember way back when this was Ray Klein's The Bakery and it was PACKED (in the 70s)? And this is for REAL long-term Santa Barbarans: Do you remember when it was it was the Irene Davis Bakery, a classic American small town bakery selling rolls to donuts? read more

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Don't miss this place! So delicious and the perfect outdoor morning setting. We had the chili verde omelette and avocado toast. Both were ! read more

Cafe La Fonda - Avocado Toast Breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Chile Relleno was delicious. Folklórico on Saturday morning was a big hit with the kids. Highly recommend! read more

Cafe La Fonda - Folklórico on the Patio - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We came here to celebrate my nieces baptism and it was a very horrible experience, waited 2 hrs for food and 1 for drinks, the buffet was a joke my pancakes were microwaved and potatoes were cold and raw, horrible food and extremely slow service, my family will never return. read more

HIDDEN GEM!!! This is such a great spot. There's outside seating facing the court house and if you sit at the bar they put on shrek for us!! The staff is so nice but the best part is the food and drinks are sooooo good!! You can feel the love they put into it. This place should be way more busy than it is and it's family run. Support our local restaurants AND have the best meal at a fair price. I recommend the molcajete, shredded beef flautas, the Cadillac margarita, the guacamole, and the hot chocolate (they boil it in a fricken clay pot with some cardamom and cinnamon). 10/10 read more

Amazing local spot for amazing Mexican Food, everything was super fresh and the staff was incredibly kind!

I'm here real time, and let's just say that their intentions are honest, but they seem overwhelmed as employees. I would say they're understaffed, and I am Latino so I hate to say this about my own people. Our food came out cold which is wild. They do have mariachi though, so that pulled my rating from 2 to 3 stars. read more

I enjoyed my delicious chicken sandwich on focaccia bread and the service was friendly. I will he going back to try the weekend brunch. read more

Cafe La Fonda - House Salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I've come here a few times once for lunch and once for some coffee and dessert. The place is great has a nice atmosphere. The food is delicious and the staff are very friendly. Perfect place to get a drink or for a meal with friends. read more

Food was good. We both had the buffet. Chilaquiles, omelets were average. Pozole was the best. Unlimited mimosas for$15 was nice. Mariachi band made the experience special. Service was good. Fruit was ok. Pastries were good. Price was average. read more

Horrible service, terrible food. The review from Marco H. on June 15 hit all the lowlights. He and his wife were seated adjacent to our table. Worst meal I've ever had in SB. My advice is.... Don't do it. read more

Wonderful, thoughtful, intentional family owned restaurant. Great service, food, staff and ambiance. And love the non profit component too read more

Cafe La Fonda - Tortilla soup samples brought to our table so we could try! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

New Mexican restaurant in Santa Barbara across from SB Courthouse Give them a chance as only been open for a month Food was ok read more

Terrible service, terrible food. I waited 30 mins for a drink, the servers were rude. The food was gross

First timer, went for lunch. Beautiful views of course. Large menu. Ordered from the vegetarian menu some potato taquitos that were served in a soupy mess and the black beans were pinto beans with some meat pieces . The rice was sticky and kinda bland too. The order took a little longer than I anticipated being that there was only like maybe 2 Waitress was polite but you can tell she was new. Whole experience was bizarre. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Really wanted to like it. Maybe I came at the wrong time ?? read more

The food was good both times I've been here. Not spectacular, but good. The prices are fair, and the portions are on the larger side. Both times, I took leftovers home. The staff are very nice and friendly, although they seem inexperienced in waiting tables. Our server couldn't seem to remember to bring us more chips and salsa, and never checked in with us to see if we needed anything else. There are a couple of things about this place that bothered me. The ambience and layout of the tables is just kind of odd and uninviting. And they give you the smallest and thinnest of paper napkins, which was annoying for a sit-down dinner. These things wouldn't keep me from going back, but they add to the so-so feeling about wanting going back. Beware, they also add on an extra fee if you pay by credit card. Sorry, but that's not cool at all in my opinion. read more

Everyone was so friendly and the food was delicious. My favorite, the cafe de olla! De Mariachi was a pleasant surprise

Finally a Mariachi Brunch Buffet in Santa Barbara! The food was amazing, the staff went above and beyond, very kid friendly. They have live folklorico dancers on Saturdays as well! Kinda wanted to keep this place a secret but decided to share because they deserve for this place to be packed. I gave them 5 stars and my 4 year old gave them two big thumbs up, we will definitely be back. read more

La Fonda just opened yet when I walked in it felt very welcoming and friendly. Ambiance was relaxing, service excellent , view of the courthouse beautiful. The food was Delicious and Authentic . The freshly made chips, salsa , guacamole, Chilaquiles and chicken mole all had a home made taste. Definitely a place I'll return to. read more

Great location. The service was friendly and efficient. The food was fresh and authentic. Prices were reasonable - about half that of the prices a blok away. Many have tried to make a go of this location. I hope this one succeeds. read more

I do NOT recommend this place at all. The food was bland and nothing special. The service was terrible. We asked for water and it took 30 minutes to get water. It was a small jug of water for a table 8 and that went very fast. It took another 30 minutes to get a refill. There were plenty of people around milling around the bar and still nothing. Blaring loud music can't stop the fact that their service was terrible and so was the food. Oh by the way there wasn't paper towels to dry your hands in the bathroom, which was dirty....so yeah, eat at your own risk read more

This place is so, so good! Everything tastes homemade, and growing up eating only Mexican good, I can attest that this is right up there to Mom's homecooking. Everyone needs to go at least once because you'll get HOOKED! I can't wait to go back again. read more

The service was great, friendly and welcoming! They give you so much food it's a fantastic value. The enchiladas were tasty, delicious tortilla soup. Beans and rice were tasty. The location is top notch and it looks like they have some good grab and go options if you work in the area. They recently opened so I think the space needs some fine tuning. They currently donate 20% of their profits to a non-profit organization which is awesome! read more

Sad, sad food. We were in town for the Summer Solstice parade and popped into this cute little restaurant for drinks and food. Unfortunately they were understaffed and unprepared. Service was slow and disorganized but the one server and bartender were nice. The food was just bland, no seasoning, no love whatsoever. Stale chips, bland beans, bland rice, bland everything. I ordered nachos and only ate the meat just to get something in my stomach. My friend had the tacos which they added the wet, bland beans inside of and were just a soggy mess. Our other two meals equally lack luster. Santa Barbara is a mecca of Mexican food so this was a very disappointing experience. They did loose our check multiple times so we didn't end up paying for any of our drinks so that was a plus. It's a cute restaurant in a good location so I hope they will get their act together to stay in business. read more