Fonda

Finally had a chance to come here. I'm very fond of Sea Salt, Lalime's and T-Rex (same owners). This place is busy!! We had to wait almost an hour for a table but luckily found a spot at the bar for a few pre-dinner cocktails. Pricey but strong and good! We finally got seated and orders tapas and small plates. Some better than others but all were pretty good. We went on a Sat night so it may be easier seating on the weekday. Will try them again for sure.

Posted 06/04/08

This place was amazing. Top quality. I went there to celebrate my birthday with my sister. We started off with the chips, guacamole, and salsa appetizer. We then ordered the duck tacos (very small, but delicious), the scallops (also small, but equally scrumptious). At this point, I was still hungry. But then came the mushroom quesadilla (they're really empanadas). These were so hearty and filling. After this, we ordered the passionfruit creme brulee. It was amazing! My sister and I practically licked the plate! The service was also excellent. Quick tip: Try to sit in the big, soft chairs. The upstairs room is nice.

Pros: Quality food, ambience, good service

Cons: A little pricey

Posted 10/28/07

Have been to Fonda many many times before and always left feeling satisfied and fgood about the experience except this time. Four of us went on a Friday night recently and we noticed that some of the items on the menu had changed. The drinks were great as usual and almost perfect. However the food was lacking in taste and quality as compared to the past times we had visited. I am assuming that their chef was out for that day. We ordered more than 12 dishes and the only one that came close to being decent was the lamb. Most of the dishes were cold and the broccoli looked like it was cooked in the morning-- discolored and pale, cold with the garlic soft and soggy-- no flavor what so ever! The fish tacos that we ordered were miserable! They had more sauce than anything else! The spicy wings looked like they were cooking in stale oil for a long time and then dunked in bbq sauce to be presented at the table in a big heap. That totally put me off!

Nevertheless, I would not pass off on this place and give it another try. I really like the service, good bar and atmosphere -- a little loud and might need to speak loudly. The warm chocolate cake makes me want to go back there again and again.

Pros: Ambience, Friendly service, Great bar

Cons: Loud, Undependable cook

Posted 06/15/07

Any restaurant can put food on little dishes- but at Fonda's you'll find some of the tastiest tapas in the east bay. This restaurants lands on the top of my list of places to eat at when I visit the bay area.

Some of my favorite dishes:
Veracruz-style scallop, seabass and dungeness crab cocktail
Duck tacos with arbol salsa and guacamole

The restaurant generally does not take reservations- arrive early.

Pros: Tasty, delicious tapas-excellent!

Cons: No reservations-arrive early (worth the wait!)

Posted 10/28/06

They have a great happy hour- drinks for $5 starting at 9pm. The nice ambience and this drink special make it a favorite of mine for having a couple drinks and catching up with friends. Servers are nice and unpretentious. Some happy hour drinks are better than others, but they are all a bargain compared to almost anywhere else.

Pros: happy hour drinks, chocolate cake is amazing!, salads are generally good

Cons: some drinks are strange but worth trying to see what you like

Posted 10/15/06

A word to some other reviewers: tapas ARE small. They are not supposed to be a meal. They are supposed to be a compliment to an evening of drinking and socializing. That said: yes, it's a bit pricey, but the food is so good -- every single tiny tapas morsel -- is absolutely scrumptious. Michael, manager/host, is always professional and accommodating. The drinks are stiff, unique and delicious. The service has always been good. I admit that my son cooked there for a time, so I probably got some "special" treatment, but my portions were the same as everyone else's and the drinks were, too. This is a terrific place to have a lively chatter with friends, wonderful drinks and truly wonderful tapas. If you want to fill up a bit, try the black beans and/or guacamole and chips, a hearty portion of refried black beans or guacemole with chips is really affordable and very good. The meat and fish dishes are more expensive and lesser in volume, but well worth it. When scallop ceviche is on the menu, do not do yourself a disservice, you must order it. The lamb is awesome, my favorite of the meat dishes. If you like lively nightlife, unique drinks, excellent tapas, and a notch too loud but moody, cozy atmosphere, this place is not to be missed, but do be ready to spend some bucks if you are looking for a full on meal. Cindy and Haig really surpassed themselves with Fonda, and yes, I say this after revisiting many times, even after my son left the kitchen. My only wish is that I could walk home after an evening here, because after two drinks in an hour, you really shouldn't drive.

Pros: Food and drinks are excellent, service is friendly, comfy atmosphere

Cons: can be loud and crowded, can be expensive if you're looking for a full meal, service can be uneven during peak hours

Posted 09/14/06

I've been to Fonda twice this month because I wanted to try everything on the menu. I recommend sitting at the bar, it's highly entertaining and I found that if you ask enough questions about the drinks the bartendress will start giving you little tastes, perhaps to shut me up. The two ladies behind the bar were both very well versed in the recipies used in the kitchen and in their cocktails. The best deal by far is the happy hour margarita (starts at 9pm!) for $5. All top shelf and fresh ingredients -and a heavy pour to boot!

If your not familiar with the menu a little assistance can get you a long way. Asking whats good is kind of silly seeing as everything really IS good on the menu. Asking what may fill you up may be more appropriate. I found that 2-2.5 plates can fill me up. The Prawns are delicious! The Lamb perfectly cooked and I was warned it would take a little longer that the other dishes (about 20 minutes.)

It's a fun, loud, hip enviroment. We were two people and were quickly seated at the bar on a very busy Friday night. If you like quick service and even quicker wit then sit at the bar, the stunning 6 foot bartender had me in hysterics and kept me at the bar two margaritas longer than I had planned for.

Get going!

Pros: Charming service

Cons: I live too far to walk there

Posted 08/08/06

Went there last night with a couple of ravenous friends. The margaritas and agua frescas were quite tasty, and the food was superb, but the size of the plates definitely left much to be desired. The plates here were smaller than any other tapas place I've been to.

We had the chips and salsa (great), prawns (delicious sauce), tostaditas de carnitas (excellent blending of flavors), grilled skirt steak (wow!), molotes (too salty), and quesadillas (looked like empanadas, but still quite good). We still weren't full by this point, so we ordered the grilled lamb. Service had been quite brisk, so we inquired about the lamb about 10 minutes after ordering, and were notified that the dish usually takes 20 minutes to prepare. This would have been good to know *prior* to ordering. Lamb was a little undercooked, but good, although not quite worth the extra wait.

All told, we did quite a bit of damage and still walked away without feeling full. It's a good place to go for drinks and snacks, but if you want to pay less for more food, try Colibri Mexican Bistro in the city.

Pros: inventive food combinations, tasty drinks

Cons: overpriced, not enough food

Posted 08/06/06

We like to sit at the bar and watch the food coming out. Love the scallops, duck tacos, tuna on chips, lamb, halibut tacos, and just about everything else. The margaritas are just ok but love the sangria. A bit on the pricey side but perfect when you want lots of different tastes. Michael, the host, is fantastic!

Pros: service, food, action

Cons: price, wait, margaritas

Posted 05/12/06

Met a few friends at Fonda tonight for drinks and dinner. The wine list was ok, but they don't have any wine by the glass for under $7. The portions are small- like the halibut for example, which costs $13.50, and not worth the price. Dinner for two was way over $100 with tax and tip. I would go back for a cocktail, but not fot dinner. Also, our server was prompt but not personable.

Posted 04/16/06

I have been anxious to try Fonda as I have heard good things about the food. After trying it last night, I have to say that it's a lot of hype. Yes, the food is good, but the portions are extremely small and overpriced. I can get food this good at El Huarache Azteca for about 1/4 of the price. Our server was great - very friendly and attentive and the drinks were also good. They have an extensive, and somewhat unusual, cocktail menu, which is nice. However, I can't say this place was worth it. If you are looking for comparable food and don't care about the atmosphere, go to El Huarache on International. If you want even BETTER food and atmosphere, check out Limon in the Mission.

Pros: Good food, Good Service, Extensive drink menu

Cons: Pricey, Small portions

Posted 11/13/05

My wife and I have been to Fonda several times now and we have always been pleased with the experience. The drinks are great and a good value given the taste/quantity of alcohol. The plates are not large (given that Fonda serves tapas) but we feel that they are a good value given how good they are. Several reviewers have remarked that the tapas are ridiculously small and highly priced, but my guess is that these people have not eaten at many other tapas places. Compared to Acote or Cesar, the tapas at Fonda are cheaper, and just as large if not larger. You can certainly leave with a full stomach without spending a ton of money (4 tapas + 3 drinks = $55-60).

Pros: Food, Drinks

Cons: Busy

Posted 10/28/05

I took my friend for dinner around 7p on Thrusday. We were greeted/seated as we walked in. The service and attention we received, although the place was busy, was exceptional! Thanks Ivan. The food was experimental in my view, but tasty - new combinations for me. Plates are definitely small. I expected small but these were smaller than anticipated. We had 4 mixed drinks and 6 plates - $104+plus tip. Ambiance was nice, little noisy but not too bad. Get the comfy soft chairs if you can, more relaxing that steel tables and wooden chairs. Overall had a great time there and would visit again. If you're out to have fun with friends or just hangin' for drinks and snacks, this is a good option. If you're looking to 'fill up and get stuffed' you'd better plan to spend a lot.

Pros: Super service, tasty food, easy parking

Cons: small plates, pricey

Posted 09/01/05

This is our neighborhood joint and a favorite...often when we're heading out for the evening, we find it hard to get further than Fonda. The drinks aren't cheap, but they are fresh, tasty and plenty strong. The food is great--try the prawns, duck tacos and especially the mushroom quesadillas (nothing like a quesadilla you'll get in most restaurants, but awesome nonetheless). As some have said, portions aren't big (similar to other small plates places with a cocktail focus), but everything is yummy. The service varies--I would say that this is a place to hang out and enjoy, not a good option for a quick in-and-out meal (although I have sometimes had very rapid service). At any rate, the regular manager/host, Michael, is a great guy who'll go a long way to please. Overall, we always have a laid back, fun time at Fonda and walk away happy.

Pros: Great food, Nice staff, Great drinks

Cons: Gets busy, Service Varies, Not cheap

Posted 05/08/05

I was looking forward to a great meal based on the comments left by others, but I have to say I was really disappointed in the quality of food and the service. Everything was sooooo slow and we had three different wait staff helping us. The food was just okay really...nothing compared to the many other amazing places I've eaten in the Bay Area. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't exciting either.

Cons: Expensive, Crowded, Bad Service

Posted 03/14/05

This is the restaurant of my dreams...we had an amazing meal last night. Ordered several dishes and they were all exceptional.

Latin American food with complicated ingredients and flavors. Just enough spice. If it's not hot enough for you, they make their own hot sauces! You have to have the shrimp plate! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. A perfect blend of flavours.

Great service and generous drinks. I think this place would be perfect for a date or ladies night out!

Pros: incredible food, great atmosphere, great service

Posted 02/24/05

This nice spot is tucked away across from a Safeway supermarket on Solano. Decor is hip and colorful with little metal tables, an upstairs loft and patio out front. Small Latin American plates are the draw here, we tried the chips/salso, duck tacos and prawns negra, all very spicy and good! Service was very professional and courteous. Overall a nice experience at an eclectic little spot, good for smaller parties.

Pros: Tasty Plates

Posted 08/06/04

While Fonda delivers tasty tapas, the portions are ridiculously small and the prices very high.
Each dish is usually not more than a few bites (a few SMALL bites may I add!). Don't expect to get
full here unless you blow big bucks. Their cocktails are pleasing and the ambience is cozy but is not
a good value for your money at all.

Posted 02/16/04

The molotes are delicious as is everything on the menu. Pricey, but well worth it. The shot of tequila with the spicy orange/tomato juice chaser is refreshing. although they recently downsized the size of the chaser glass which was the best part. It can get loud, but its a cool place to hang out with friends as well...

Posted 06/25/03

I described my experience at Fonda Solana to a snooty foodie acquaintance of mine, and his response was, "The experience is lost on you." This is the typical snotty attitude of Fonda, its clueless servers and its surprisingly rude clientele. You will pay about 50% too much to be simultaneously ignored and insulted. Come alone; you'd have to shout for anyone to hear you.

Pros: tasty food

Cons: rude, loud, expensive

Posted 05/06/03

If you saw the movie than you will understand that you just HAVE to come eat this food! Everything is tasty and clearly prepared with a great deal of care and committement to quality and authenticity. The tamale is an extra special treat. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly and the hustle bustle of the restaurant are a unique for quiet little Albany.

Pros: Great for groups, Free parking, Open Late everynight

Posted 12/08/02

This is a tapas restuarant, but serves South American rather than Spanish tapas. Same owner as the top-rated LaLimes. Most dishes are something that you have never heard of before, but sound and taste intriquing. Very fresh ingredients. The atmoshpere is modern, mellow and very stylish, with open air dining during summer. The servers know a surprising amount about the dishes and their national and ethinic origins and enjoy sharing this with you. Great wines. Extra plus is that like many Berkeley restaurants, it's kid-friendly. Weekend brunches too.

Posted 12/04/02