Everything is great at Fonda! Is the best Mexican food in town, service is amazing and drinks are fabulous. Price is good as well.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Fantastic staff and food! I highly recommend it for events and dining out! This is your spot to try authentic Mexican food with incredible drinks and, most of all, extraordinary service!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Al Pastor
Tad pricey for ‘upscale’ Mexican in Evanston, but the food is delicious. The unique spicy take on the Caesar salad is phenomenal (warning to those with low spice tolerance from high spice tolerance, there is quite some kick). Chips and salsa are incredible to indulge on as they are light and crispy and the salsas range in taste. Mole is delicious and seemingly freshly made (not can-starter). Tacos have generous portions of meat. Come here either incredibly hungry or with a large group so that you can experience tasting everything bc whether upscale or not, Mexican food is always VERY hearty and filling!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes
Al Pastor
From the moment we stepped into Fonda, it was a delightful experience. Everyone greeted us with smiles & warmth & made us feel very welcomed. I loved the decor & atmosphere, very comfortable & interesting. The service was excellent & the food was the best that we have experienced since we moved to town.
The basket of home made chips came with a red & a green salsa. Both incredibly tasty & very unique. We ordered the shrimp ceviche, which was delicious! Made with mango & avocados & a wonderful marinade. I ate every last drop! The guacamole was some of the best that I've ever had. My husband ordered the barbacoa de res & enjoyed that, while I ordered the special which was branzino & pozole. It was literally the best dish that I have had in ages. It was so good, I didn't want it to end! & I wish it was on the menu, because I would gladly order it again. Finished the meal with the flan. The caramel sauce was heavenly! Again, I ate every last drop! Chef Miguel certainly has a way with sauces! It truly was a fabulous meal. The best one that I've had since we moved to town last spring. No wait, actually it probably was the best meal that I've had in years! Fonda with its wonderful people & delicious food will most definitely become a part of our new lives here, I can't wait to go back.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Great flavors from the chef, very reasonably priced and friendly staff. Thank you! Oh, and the chips and green salsa are to die for. Only suggestions to make - revamp the wine list and add a few more options to the menu.
Service
Dine in
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Excellent food, upscale Mexican dining experience. We had the special menu, featuring chile en nogada. Chile en nogada is a seasonal delicacy in Mexico, traditionally available in August-September. I was over the moon to find it here. The nopales salad (cactus) was really good. I enjoyed my habanero margarita very much. The al pastor tacos are some of the best I have had in the Chicago area. Definitely recommend
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Al Pastor
We've been to Fonda twice, for brunch and dinner, and it really is hitting its stride with food, drinks, service, and ambiance. The space is beautiful, with an inviting bar and a comfortable, not-too-crowded dining area. It was lively, but not too loud, on a Tuesday night, and we ordered everything from cocktails to appetizers to mains and dessert. We enjoyed every sip and bite. The cocktails were especially good, showing that the bar program is taken just as seriously as the food and service. The guacamole and chips were a generous portion, the chips made in-house. I enjoy trying new things from restaurants that introduce you to flavors, ingredients, and dishes the come from the chef's background, culture, and vision, so my favorites were the sope de tinga (I'd never had sope before) and the barbacoa and al pastor tacos. The chicken with red mole sauce was as good as any I'd had anywhere. Desserts, too, were special, as we tried the cheesecake and Mexican chocolate ice cream with fried pastry. And a shout out goes to our server, Joey, who made the evening more fun and with his friendly, engaged service, knowledge of the dishes, and good recommendations.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Sope
I was unsure of making the trip out of the city for Mexican food, but friends loved it and said the food was excellent. They were right. The decor is lovely and the staff helpful and welcoming. But come for the food and then come back because you won't have an easy decision with so many terrific creative dishes. The Caesar salad was lovely. Dressed lightly and amazingly tasty. If you like your salad drenched order more on the side. This alone was worth returning for. The chips and salsa (complimentary) came with two salsas. I loved the cilantro tinged green one. The other - red salsa - is mole based with a variety of peppers flavoring it. The Pastel de Azteca was delicious and big enough it will be my next lunch as well. I always like to try the dessert options but didn't have any dining companions to go for the guilt free share - so I opted for the ice cream. I wish I had been able to taste the tres leches too.... The server, Joey recommended the flan as his favorite. Sadly, you can't eat the whole menu the first time. So the answer is a return trip.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Pastel Azteca De Mole
Fonda is a lovely spot, good food! The carnitas and shrimp tacos were my favorite…small in size, big in flavor. You’ll enjoy every bite.
The ambience is really beautiful…two bars and plenty of room to mingle. Perfect for parties and solid date night. The artsy light fixtures and wall piece were a win for me.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Dinner was beyond disappointing. The Caesar salad had no dressing! How did those plates get sent out from the kitchen? Then again, most of the plates were bland. The tacos (ordered several of both) were below average at best.
The service was pleasant. If you go, stick to the fish in banana leaf or carne asada. The rest of the menu was extremely bad. The chile relleno was cold (with average tasting filling) and the mole was flavorless. The food was so comically bad that the group was in disbelief. Hope it improves. Won’t be back to find out
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
