I ordered a Baja Taco and it was GREAT! Fried flour tortilla, ground beef (choice of beef or chicken), cheese, lettuce, tomato, you get the picture... topped with white queso cheese! (Fork required) Served with rice and beans. It wouldn't be enough for a large appetite, but it was perfect for me. I really liked the fact that the beans were an edible temperature and didn't blister the roof of my mouth as with many places. The quacamole could have been better, it was a bit bland, but not bad. The chips and salsa were good, no complaints there. I was REALLY hungry, and completely forgot abut taking a photo when food was placed before me. I need to get better about that. Our server was pleasant, but not very attentive. It wasn't easy to get his attention when we needed something, even though it wasn't busy. (That's the reason I deducted a star.) It's very nicely decorated, lots of seating for larger groups as well as cozier seating for two. All in all, it was a very good lunch experience and I am sure we will eat there again. read more

We have been going to La Fonda for over 10 years. Service is always friendly. Most times chips are fresh and crisp. Salsa usually tastee. We love the chimichangas the most read more

This has become one of our two favorite Mexican restaurants in Edwardsville, service is great, food is great and hardly ever have to wait to be seated. It's not fancy on the outside and could easily be overlooked with it being tucked in a strip mall but it's worth seeking out, you won't be disappointed. read more

La Fonda - Molcajete, and shrimp fajita in the background - Mexican Near Me - Edwardsville, Illinois

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Came here with family , did not enjoy the food at all and the chips were cold store bought tortilla chips bad experience, the staff was very friendly though read more

i love la fonda the employees know my order because of how often i come here and their prices average $1-2 cheaper than la casa!

Perhaps we caught them on a bad day. Salsa was watery, taco salad was mushy, and rest of our food was a bit bland. Might be awhile before I go back. read more

Being from Texas and having vacationed in Mexico several times I wasn't expecting much from an Illinois Mexican restaurant. I was Wrong! The La Fonda had well above average food. We visited on a Sunday around 2 pm. We were seated immediately. The chips and salsa came out quickly. The chips were perfection as was the salsa. My husband, myself our teen son and his friend all Ordered different dishes. We were so impressed we were actually saying "try mine" to see who order the best meal. We couldn't decide because they were all so good! None of us were able to finish our entire meals because of the large portions. I had the beef street tacos. I couldn't even finish a whole one. We ended up bringing home leftovers with almost as much or more food than we ate while dining. Service was pleasant, impressively fast and food was fresh, delicious and the portion sizes were overly generous. Needless to say, I would highly recommend it for a casual, filling family meal. read more

Not good. Server was distracted and got our order wrong. Enchiladas Verdes had a fishy aftertaste. Tacos al Pastor were served with a strange barbecue-like sauce. Margarita was meh. Nothing was flavorful or spicy. read more

Absolutely terrible. Terrible microwaved food and terrible service especially including the manager. First of all my mother loved this restaurant up until now. The staff here completely ruined my mom's birthday and actually laughed in her face when asked why simple nachos take an hour and 15 minutes to cook. When we explained our issue with the service we had an employee laugh at us while the manager stood by. They took absolutely zero accountability and said it was our fault for sitting and waiting over an hour for the worst make believe Mexican food I've ever had. If I could leave zero stars I would. What type of people laugh at a customer for asking a simple question? I'd highly recommend Taco Bell or Jack In The Box for better quality because this food here is absolute trash. read more

We stopped on a road-trip and we loved this place. Food server was friendly and the food was possibly the best Mexican restaurant food we have had (and we have had a lot all over the country). read more

We wanted to try something new, so we went here. Not a new place to the town but new to us. We had an experience. The server spoke to us in spanish, and even tried to get us to participate. I think if we had had better days we would have been better and been more fun. He caught on that we just wanted food and to be left alone. ( all great) We ordered the cheese dip, and I had an iced strawberry margarita. I had the nachos ( and the name of them are escaping my head but I posted a photo) and they were great! No need to go hungry with these bad boys! Sooo good. The margarita was okay, I would have it again, I just need to be in a better mood to enjoy it. We will be back and maybe we can order in spanish this time! read more

La Fonda - Mexican Near Me - Edwardsville, Illinois

This restaurant menu lies about the vegetarian options. My family has had dinner at LaFonda multiple times, and two of us follow pescatarian and kosher-style diets. We ordered off the vegetarian menu, which includes refried pinto beans. On a separate occasion, I ate lunch there with some co-workers and asked if the Mexican sauce on the huevos rancheros was vegetarian. The waiter said that yes, the Mexican sauce was vegetarian, but the refried pinto beans were made with lard. Those are on the vegetarian menu! So not only were we tricked into eating a meat dish, we were also tricked into eating pig! We will NOT be back, which is a shame especially because the waiter we usually get in the evenings is fabulous. read more

E'ville's venerable "old" Mexican option. I'm always comfortably cozy there; it's warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and even when it's crowded, I never feel on display or overwhelmed by noise. Food and drink specials are plentiful. Most of all, I prefer the taste of the beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp. This is just an impression, but it's as if the meat has been cooked over a flame in a big old iron skillet. Tonight at our table: Camaron Yucatan (grilled marinated shrimp with peppers, onions, zucchini and more), Pollo Jalisco (grilled marinated chicken with cheese, ranchero sauce, onions, mushrooms, and more), and a half-pitcher of margaritas. read more

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An Edwardsville staple. La Fonda is THE place to take your friends and family. Large seating to fit all of the loose ends (or as some call them little kids) and also intimate booths with comfortable seats. The second the guacamole and chips were consumed by my party, the tone was set for the meal to come. I was a goner by the second seafood taco. Thankfully, our waiter revived me with more chips and guac and a refill on my Sprite. I'm just a little upset that I fell in love with a food place 40 minutes away from my home. Best wishes! read more

Menu was pretty standard for selection and price. Nothing surprising there. Huevos rancheros was very good. Service was fine. However, my daughter decided she'd order the mac n cheese at a mexican restaurant. Whatever. Her choice. But what came out was a medium sized serving of boxed mac n cheese. Like straight out of a 75 cent box of kraft. And it was $6.50. That was a ridiculous ripoff. Had it been cheaper, or at least homemade, I would have still been a little disappointed, but at least it wouldn't have felt like a sick joke. read more

I love this place I've been going here for years. I love their chimmey changas and all the other food is great to. The service is always excellent and they are always fast. The ambiance is great and the lighting is very nice. Oh and a recommendation is the chips and cheese dip. read more

It's...fine. Nothing special and kind of expensive. Seems like maybe there aren't good Mexican restaurant options around here. The chips just taste like Tostitos, which is fine if you like those but I like thicker tortilla chips. Margaritas taste like cheap margarita mix you could buy at Schnucks. Ehh. I got the chicken and beef taquitos (aka flautas) and it came with a salad instead of the standard rice and beans. I asked for no cheese (just in case) and the waiter said there's no cheese in the dish and I saw he didn't write it down. But then the side salad was covered in cheese. The waiter was polite and the place had nice ambience, but I wouldn't go back. read more

I have only been here once, but the food was good, and we had decent service. The only problem was that we were a party of 5, and one person in our party didn't get her food until the rest of us were done. read more

Delicious! We had lunch here, first time trying it. We got the fajita burrito, and the enchiladas Verdes. Both of them were super flavorful, and the food was hot when served. Great service as well! read more

La Fonda - Enchiladas Verdes - Mexican Near Me - Edwardsville, Illinois

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On the search for a new favorite Mexican restaurant after a move Glen Carbon. La Fonda is very close. I had a standard combination with ground beef. Not very adventurous but I like to set a base line. My wife had the carne asada tacos. The carne asada tacos were pretty good. The steak was cooked well but not very flavorful. The ground beef in my combo items was very watery. I won't try to name the seasonings but they just didn't ring my chimes. Others may disagree. We did take out. Here's where La Fonda really shone. The service was fast. The plates were really well packaged. The servings of rice and beans were plentiful and also really tasty. Chips and salsa came with the order. The chips serving was generous. The salsa was very good and there was plenty of it. The restaurant itself was very pleasant. We will try again and will sample some of the specialties. Next time I'll try to remember pictures! read more

The food is always good. Service is friendly and efficient and food always comes out fast. This is our go to Mexican restaurant. We have tried others, but always end up back at La Fonda. read more

Perfect service, wonderful food, cozy atmosphere The waiter was a delight!! I highly recommend this restaurant!!! The staff is super friendly,, and are genuinely happy!!! The portions are huge and delicious This is by far the best dining experience I have EVER had!! So if you are looking for a great experience, with authentic Mexican food??? Go to La Fonda!!!!! Anime Mom read more

Wow the chicken soup is something special. A lot of chicken, veggies are still firm and slightly crunchy. Very friendly service.

I have been going to this place since I was about 16 years old and the food nor the margaritas have ever disappointed. (You decide which of those two things is more important when attending a Mexican restaurant.) The chips and salso always arrive hot and crispy, the salsa is delicious and the price is worth the trip, my husband and I had a margarita each, chips and salsa, which are free, and then each had a very large entree and our total was $26.00. Can't be beat. I urge you to give this restaurant a shot, I have never left this place feeling unsatisfied, try anything with the white queso if you're new and afraid and you'll be satisfied. read more

Some of the best salsa I have ever had at a Mexican restaurant!! I know that seems like a strange first thing to mention about this place, but the salsa stood out! The perfect amount of kick and flavor-- loved it! Now onto the food. Very delicious, my wife mentioned hat her chimichanga tasted slightly bland, but nothing that a little salsa, salt, and hot sauce couldn't fix. Very friendly service, and food served promptly on a very busy Friday night. Would definitely come here again! read more

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At first glance I thought there would be a long wait to be seated since it seemed busy. I was surprised to be seated almost immediately. The food was delicious and authentic. I think the servings were decently sized. I was able to eat half and save the rest for a different time. I think from the time my family and I arrived and left about 30 minutes had passed. La Fonda will continue to receive our service in the future. Changed rating to 4 stars. The service is still quick but I was quick to judge on how "authentic" the food is by one plate. I would say it is more Tex-mex. read more

La Fonda - Mexican Near Me - Edwardsville, Illinois

Always friendly staff and great food for a great price. By far the best Mexican joint in the area.

Absolutely love this place. I've never had a bad experience. The wait staff is always friendly and prompt. Restaurant is clean. Food is delicious every time. Highly recommend splitting the molcajete with someone. read more

Probably the Mexican restaurant that's been in our area the longest. Has changed locations one time, a long time ago. I love this restaurant for its amazing food and employees. Always a hit. Their salsa and thin chips are addictive! If you want Mexican, please remember LaFonda. I always eat to much and curse myself when leaving. But wow! Good stuff! read more

This is my go-to for Mexican food!!! I absolutely love La Fonda! The employees are fun and friendly, the food is superb, and the service is exceptional!!! The only problem is that I tend to overeat and stuff myself!!! read more

This is by far the best Mexican place in Madison county. The chips and salsa are always fresh and fabulous. We always try to be waited on by Jesus who makes every meal enjoyable. The tortillas are amazingly soft, Guacamole and all their sauces are spot on. Portions are huge with good value for money. The Camarone a la diabla and their burrito a la suprema (or something like that) are our favs. Their margaritas are a little watered down and that's the only negative thing I can think about. Also, the decor is real cute and colorful. read more

This is a nice quaint little Mexican restaurant. They offer both booth and table seating with lots of room between tables to be comfortable. The decor is cute and not too over the top. The wait staff is mostly friendly. Our waiter never checked on us after we received our food. My husband had to stop him and ask for napkins and drink refills. It wasn't that we were out of his way, either. He passed by multiple times and never said a thing. We are really good tippers and we understand when it's busy and such. However, they were not very busy at all. The good is decent. They use canned mushrooms in their dishes not fresh which is just one of those things that turns slimier when they are cooked. My dish I found out later was supposed to have more to it, but I wasn't going to argue the point. We usually have a super nice waiter that likes to teach customers Spanish. He is amazing. The guy we had needs some training. read more

We rolled into town as newcomers to the area feeling hungry and tired. It was warm and rainy outside and our Sunday dinner choices seemed pretty limited. That's when we spotted La Fonda and decided to stop in. Being from California, I have pretty high standards for authentic Mexican food. From the outside, it blends right into the commercial building. One step inside, however, and you'll forget where you are. The restaurant is tastefully decorated and has a cozy feeling inside. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and promptly taken to a nice, comfy booth. I ordered a margarita and a shot of Patron. It seemed only fitting after being in a moving truck for 3 days. That's when I discovered that margaritas are only $3 on Sundays! In fact, they have specials everyday of the week. I quickly knew that we would be regulars here. I ordered a taco combo and it was delicious! Definitely went beyond my expectations. The rice and beans were really good. I will definitely be back again soon! read more

La Fonda - Mexican Near Me - Edwardsville, Illinois

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This was great steak Jalisco. My companion had chicken taquitos. Both were fabulous. Had sangria not great a little too sweet and no fruit? Had the queso also and other reviewers were spot on. It was great. Really cool interior. I don't think English was the waiter's primary language? All told an excellent evening. Will be back and will avoid the sangria. read more

Horrid. I got the foot long seafood burrito and my girlfriend ordered the nachos. Neither of us were satisfied. I'm fairly certain they used cheese-whiz on the nachos. Just don't go there. read more

We LOVE this restaurant service is always friendly and attentive extremely knowledgeable we highly recommend the Bola dip and cheesy steak.

This is just another OK Mexican place we've had nothing in there that was bad. It was our second trip there the food is very edible I've been to some places where I just didn't even eat what was on the plate. All the ingredients were very fresh from the guacamole to the lettuce on the tacos. Our waiter was trying to teach us the spanish words for the items. read more

When La Fonda opened several years ago, it immediately became my favorite spot for Mexican food. I was in college at the time, and it seemed like for a while, I was there at least once a week! The service was second to none. Quick seating, chips and salsa on the table the second the waiter took your drink order. Drinks delivered, order put in, by the time your salsa bowl was empty, your food was either on the table, or there was more salsa and chips delivered! In most cases, the food was there, steaming hot, and perfect. I cannot say enough about this place, other than I do not get there nearly as often as I would like to. I've since moved out of the area, and the entire town has blown up to include so many new eateries that it makes it difficult to default to La Fonda just because we love it so much. Now, if I'm in the mood for anything other than Mexican, there is always something to try. The conversation usually starts with my wife: "Let's go to La Fonda while we are in town." Me: "Yeah that's an idea. But I heard there is this new (burger joint, italian, BBQ, etc) place in town too." In all honesty, I have some digestive issues that really prevent me from being in the "mood" for Mexican food very often. The fact is that I'd pass on most places, new or old, just to eat here, but being so far from home makes it hard to eat a meal that could put me in stomach cramp hell for the next few hours. If you are physically able to tolerate spices and great Mexican foods, this is the place to go in Edwardsville, hands down. Just writing about it is making me hungry and glad I'm off work tomorrow. I may have to find an excuse to drive over, just to satisfy this sudden urge to torture my gut! read more

There isn't a ton in Edwardsville in terms of food so this place was pretty good. It wasn't exactly authentic but the food was good Mexican-American. I just got the nachos and they were good. They were really cheesy but lacked veggies/other topping but the chicken had good flavor. My friend got the beef tip burrito and she really liked it. The chips were fresh and the salsa was decent. Sometimes when you go to these restaurants their salsa is like ketchup but theirs wasn't. I would be interested to see what their other, "more authentic/traditional" dishes were like and would try it again! read more

We have been going there for a few years now. I first started going when I was here for college. Best chips and salsa around, and the rest of the food is really good as well. They always have the friendliest service too. They're one of the few businesses left around that still believe in always making the customer happy. read more