Great food! Fast service! They were very busy but after we were sat it was very fast. Recommend the steal burrito.

Stopped here before going home. First time to eat here for lunch. Had buffet and it was incredible. Had delicious to choose from: we had the chili rellenos, wild rice with mushroom chicken, fajitas, tacos and enchiladas. Also had chicken wings. Desserts were great too All 4 of us had great food experience. The only thing is: they dont open on weekends or we would drive to eat here on the weekend. Staff really nice and ambiance just great. Highly recommended. read more

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We stopped here after a long road trip. We enjoyed this place once before as newlyweds and now, 17 years later we got to enjoy it with our teen. It is located on Main Street and there were lots of cars. Generally that's a good sign. We walked in and were seated right away and offered a booth or table. I loved that. We like the booths and so often have to ask for them in places. The place is a very nice design. It's almost as though most of the tables have an intimate setting. Our server was pleasant and kind. We enjoyed her as she was very attentive as well. I read complaints on the salsa and while I can be a bit picky myself, this was okay. I'm originally from Texas and I know we are kind of salsa snobs. I mean....I was making my own salsa in my molcajete as a young teen. I got a small bowl of lemons for my water and dressed up our chips with lemon and salt. The chips were delicious and you can tell homemade. Our server never used empty with chips, salsa, or water. We were recommended to get the carne asada plate, southwest combo, and the chili rellenos.we had the rellenos on the buffet years ago. It was all still so good. The carne asada was amazing and moist. The flavor was amazing. My son got it cooked well done and it was still delicious. Highly recommend! The southwest combo was perfect for someone who wants a bit of everything. I got it with green and red sauce because I couldn't decide that either. The whole plate was great. The cheese chili rellenos with cheese sauce was epic. I mean it's like a spicy hotdog had a baby with a funnel cake. Yum!!!! We wanted to stick around and come back another day but we were on a tight schedule. Until next time. I don't understand why some of the reviews were so harsh. I mean there are all different types of Mexican food. I enjoy that New Mexico puts a bit of their own spin on it. read more

La Fonda Restaurant - Cheese Chili Rellenos plate! 3 huge and delicious pieces - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Artesia, New Mexico

Amazing food and service The wait staff is courteous and super friendly, and they always have smiles on their faces.

A Mexican American restaurant that should just stop! I came here on a busy Friday night so I will disregard any bad service or wait times. My meal started off with cold chips served with what tastes like Jarred mild pace for the salsa. I ordered the soft pretzels for an appetizer which consisted of 3 frozen "Super Pretzels" that you can buy from your local grocery store. For my entree I ordered a carne asada burrito topped with queso. The burrito itself was a soggy mess of char flavoring, aside the burrito was a small pile of week old lettuce distasteful rice and watery beans. None of which tasted of anything positive. read more

La Fonda Restaurant - Carne Asada burrito - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Artesia, New Mexico

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My friend, a new Yelp user, found Lafawnduh as we were passing through Artesia. Against my better judgement, I allowed him to direct us to a 3-star restaurant with no photos of the food. After eating here, I understand why no such evidence exists. I thought my novice friend had made a sound choice in dining options when I first observed a waitress pushing around what appeared to be a fresh-made guacamole cart. Unfortunately, my hopes would be upended soon enough. To make a long story short, I would describe this culinary journey as: bland, straight-from-the-box OR jar, and surprisingly (and deceptively) cheese-laden. I imagine whoever created the menu had only heard tall tales about Mexican cuisine, but never actually ate, saw, or even smelled such food. Though whomever they are, they must have a pretty good sense of humor as the menu itself was funny to read, and the food was fairly comical to match. This restaurant was pretty busy, so I'm not sure if they have low expectations in Artesia or just limited options. The waitress was nice though (yet not entirely certain of what the food contained) and for that, I'll give them 2 stars. read more

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Best place ever!! This place never disappoints, I read through the reviews and they don't seem accurate at all! This place is amazing for kids as well. Also if you have a big party they have plenty of room! They buffet has many different foods to chose from. The staff was all so friendly and willing to help. read more

This is another unfortunate example of NM doesn't know how to make Mexican food. The service is great but the food has no real authenticity. Pretty sure the salsa is Pace brand. The shredded beef in the chili relleno reminds me of dog food. It seems clean, everyone is friendly & the beer is good and cold. Stay away if from Texas or Mexico. Yuk read more

It is ok- servers were very friendly but food was bland and drowned in iceberg lettuce (watery). Not what I was expecting but I know people that would really enjoy it. read more

Heard about this place. Came to visit for a graduation. Apparently they shut down early all the time. Don't trust the hours online. They were supposed to close at 9pm then when we got there at 745pm they said they were closing early cause it's slow.. Do you not want the business? I know how restaurants should operate and you stick to your hours. This is simple bad customer service. All the hostess in front didn't even feel bad. It's like all they wanted to do was go home. read more

Good food just bad service. Amd restroom needs cleaning. So I have to add more so

oh man where do i begin??? we had just finished visiting the carlsbad caverns and we were extremely hungry! We were a big group of 10 (two kids). The restaurant closed at 9pm and we got there around 7:45pm. This might have not been the ideal time to eat here for i believe our food came from the bottom of the barrel. First off, the place needs a remodel inside. Its kind of dingy in there. They sat us down quickly and we ordered our drinks. It took a while to get them and some were actually wrong. The waitress took our order and she memorized it all. Which would have shown skill, but she managed to mess up our orders when she brought them out. The beans were hard and cold, and something funky was up with the ground beef. The ground beef in the enchilada, taco, and sopapilla was all bad. One of us ordered the pollo loco (grilled chicken breast) that turned out to be raw. Even one of the kids who loves food pushed her taco plate aside and said,"this tastes weird" Like i said, it was the end of the night so this could have been bottom of the barrel stuff but still give us a break!! Only two people liked their dishes and they came from the American side of the menu. So all the mexican dishes we ordered were just terrible. The owner took off the dishes no one touched off the bill and she brought out free sweet sopapillas for everyone. Basically, i would never come back here! worst mexican place ever THE END read more

It's La Fonda! Service is wonderful! Food is pretty good. They have always accommodated my special request and have never had any issues with their service. Best part...they have Sweet Tea! read more

La Fonda Restaurant - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Artesia, New Mexico

This place has been here forever! It's more southwestern cuisine and not so much "Mexican". I've yet to have a bad meal, plus the portion sizes are huge. The cocktails are good even though they're made with wine. They have a huge selection of beers. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly. read more

I gave this restaurant 2 stars because of the poor quality food. The salsa is terrible! It was likely store-bought salsa mixed with way too much CANNED tomato sauce. It's very embarrassing to serve salsa like that considering it is a Mexican restaurant. I ordered the chicken soft corn tacos, and since they only serve them with one thin tortilla each, my tacos were very soggy and fell apart, so that I had to eat them with a fork. They were also not serving margaritas when I went, although other alcoholic drinks were available. Again, not a good move for a Mexican place. Unfortunately, I will not be returning. read more

We really enjoyed La Fonda. After reading some other reviews I was a little worried , but the service was fast and friendly and the food was good. It's not the best New Mexican food I've had but it hit the spot, and it's way better than the Tex Mex crap we have to put up with in Texas. I will say the red chile had no bite to it, but it's flavor was good. Their Spanish rice was the tastiest Spanish rice I've had--peppery and delicious. Usually Spanish rice is bland. If you happen to be in Artesia, this is a good place to eat. read more

La Fonda Restaurant - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Artesia, New Mexico

Not too friendly waitress.... ordered chili rellenos and they were very OVER breaded and over cooked! Hard rellenos???? I didn't order burned toast... So no.... this place is not for me! Also I wanted margarita but no margarita in Mexican restaurant they don't have liquor license! Fancy decor...... but I came for good and drink not for decor... read more

We love dining here. This place is one of the tourism icons in Artesia. It serves awesome Mexican food that would make you come back again and again. Tradition and culture blend in every plate they served! read more

The chips and salsa that started the meal were great. I ordered the chicken burrito which was covered in green chile sauce. If you want a comfort-food burrito full of dairy (not sure if it was cream cheese or sour cream) and topped with cheddar cheese, this is the dish to order. A combo of southern comfort cheesy goodness and Mexican food. Not very spicy, added a side of jalapeños and it didn't add to the heat factor. Good place to grab a quick meal. read more

DO NOT EAT HERE!! Got the chicken chimichanga and got food poisoning. Spent 12 hours in a hotel bathroom throwing up and had to miss going to Carlsbad caverns because I couldn't even drink water without throwing up. Called to inform them of their problem and they didn't apologise or anything, just got defensive and then hung up. NOT a good place. DO NOT TRUST. read more

If there is anyone in particular you are trying to avoid running into in Artesia, New Mexico, just skip La Fonda altogether. After everyone gets out of church on Sunday morning, there are two places they all flock to: La Fonda and Pecos Diamond. I guess if I had to pick between the two I would pick La Fonda, but I would pick Mexican food over a steakhouse most any day. The food is pretty good here, actually. They have a daily buffet that is pretty decent, or you can order off the menu. It haven't really had anything there that I didn't like, but of course I only go a couple times a year. It's a funny little place, with a style all it's own. The service is usually really nice, and for the most part attentive. But you have to remember this is Artesia, NM, so that is to be expected. I have never really had a bad experience at this place, except the one time I ran into the one person in Artesia that I would never in my life want to see. But you can't really blame that on the restaurant, can you? read more

Never again. Needless to say it was the worst Mexican food I've had in NM. My 5 yr old even said we are never coming back mom.

I grew up in Artesia. Thank you I appreciate your sympathy. There are two things that people think of when they hear "Artesia": Football and La Fonda. I'm not going to bother reviewing the former, but as for the latter here it goes: It's good, but not the best. It is however, original. That is how I believe it got to be of such an Artesian cultural phenomenon. Don't ask me why (because I have no idea) but once in a while I get the craving for some La Fonda. I've heard that over the years it's been through a few changes, and the last time I ate there was probably 4 or 5 years ago. But if you haven't been here before and you unfortunately find yourself stuck in the crappy little town of Artesia, NM; then you should definitely go here. Unless you want alchohol, and then you should go to the Wellhead, because this town has some silly law about drinking and eating at the same place. Come to think of it, if La Fonda served booze, I might actually give them 5 stars. read more

In our road trip from Texas to California, we traveled through a lot of little towns where your best food option is usually Dairy Queen. We were pleasantly surprised to find a restaurant in Artesia that not only was good for a little town, but downright craveable by any circumstance. The trick here is to not get too creative, and just order what sounds good. I don't remember the name of the dish I ordered, but it tasted like two large enchiladas covered in 7-layer bean dip made fresh. If you find yourself in Artesia, head to La Fonda and enjoy this laid back little restaurant. read more

This can't be authentic Mexican food! You can definitely tell that most of it comes from a can or jar. I really can't understand why people actually love this place read more

I was taken here while visiting for work. My host said that if I'm at all hungry this is the place to go... And, I'm going to have to agree! The lunch buffet looked decent but it was rather generic and nothing jumped out at me. I decided on the Beef Enchilada Plate with Red Sauce. IT WAS HUGE! I was very full and very satisfied at La Fonda. I was also curious how every time my tea was refilled it was by a completely different person. Seriously, I think I saw 43 people fill me tea that day -- it was great. read more

I arrive at the restaurant around 1pm. An older gentleman and lady were at the table next to me. As I was seated, the gentleman got up and walked away. Several minutes later he returned and his wife said she'd be right back. I assumed they were using the restroom as neither returned with a plate from the buffet. So...two elderly people each visited the restroom and I was STILL waiting for service. I left a note, "Waited 15 minutes. I'm leaving." A two-star rating only because this might have been an unusual day for them. Will I visit this place again? Probably. Any time in the near future? Nope. read more

The food was very good! I don't understand the bad reviews. We had tacos, beef & cheese enchiladas, chili rellonos and guacamole. We will be back. read more

I didn't want to chance it but my picky work buddy didn't want fast food so we stopped here. We were acknowledged as soon as we walked in and the staff was friendly and professional. I would definitely come back I love the sopapillas. The waitress was sweet and attentive no complaints here! read more

Limited vegan option but very good taste in customized veggie Mexican food . Good ambiance, very good service 3 stars from veggie guy else could be more read more

On our way west and hungry for Mexican food, we stopped here and it's a great choice. Fast & friendly service, generous portions and all delicious. There's additional parking in the back & plenty of seating room. The Guadalajara is huge! We will surely be back the next time through here. read more

We love this place! Great Mexican food. We live in Carlsbad, but we drive up to Artesia for their food. Great service, good atmosphere, and a fun place to go eat. Would recommend it, for sure! read more

I am from Carlsbad, some 36 miles to the South. I moved away to France when I was 17, but would come up to La Fonda with a schoolteacher friend of mine at least once a month because the restaurant's food was so outstanding. I have to report, however, that it WAS outstanding. I recently went with my sister and nieces and it was just awful. The Guadalajara, which I had always ordered, was overly salty and the guacamole did not taste fresh. Even the rice was bad (undercooked). My sister did not eat 1/2 of her Chimichanga (my schoolteacher friend always had it and it WAS delicious). The girls had American food and said it was okay. It really is true: you cannot ever go back home. read more

First time here. Had seen mixed reviews so was a little weary. I ate the asado plate a really enjoyed the asado, as for the rice , was dry and didn't try the beans. The salsa tastes like Pace for sure. A lot of tomato, jalapeños taste pickled. Not good. My husband ordered the carnitas taco plate. He said his only complaint was the the tortillas tasted like they were heated in a microwave as did mine. Service and ambiance were good. Not from Artesia but would recommend it. ;) read more

La Fonda Restaurant - Liked this mural! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Artesia, New Mexico

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This place isn't bad at all. The reasonable prices and gigantic portions make it a winner. The only downer is that they don't seem to serve alcohol, which might be a problem for some. Still though, the food is good and in a small town like Artesia, that counts. read more

This has to be the worst Mexican food in the nation. Slow service, rock hard chips, salsa tastes like ketchup, I don't think they even cook with any spices, and if you ask for hot sauce you will only get Tabasco. What type of Mexican restaurant doesn't have a variety of hot sauce? I would go hungry before I went back!! read more

It's basically a family Mexican buffet. Sadly no booze (Mexican without a margarita - really??!!). Absolutely NOT memorable, not tasty - was tempted to give 3 stars because was affordable - but no I think not..... read more

Amazing food , good prices. And all around friendly staff. All my meals from La Fonda have been on point since I started working in Artesia. I'll will be going back on a regular basis. read more

This is an ok setting as far as atmosphere is concerned. Only being here about :15 minutes I do have one quick suggestion..... Make sure you have your drink BEFORE you start eating from the buffet. I was halfway through my plate before my drink arrived. If you've never had Mexican food before this is a good place to start. That way anywhere else you go the food will taste better. A good amount of the food tasted bland and some were even a mystery. I thought I was getting a chili type concoction. You can imagine my surprise when I found out it was suppose to be "Enchiladas"!! read more

Boring normal text max. There is nothing to be excited about. Also the staff forgot about me and I end up having to track them down to get my bill read more