Chicago, IL > Restaurants > Colombian Restaurants > La Fonda Latino Grill

La Fonda Latino Grill

773-271-3935

5350 N Broadway Chicago, IL 60640

chicago.citysearch.com

http://chicago.citysearch.com/profile/35186930/chicago_il/la_fonda_latino_grill.html

Unassuming Andersonville spot wins fans with right-on Latin fare.

Categories:

Restaurants, Colombian Restaurants, Latin American Restaurants

Details:

Group Dining, Hidden Find, Local Favorite, Lunch Spot, Outdoor Dining

Insiders:

6 reviews

Give us the inside scoop on La Fonda Latino Grill
Write a review!

Recommended:	yes	0	no	0
Kid Friendly:	yes	0	no	0

See hours

Tue-Thu 11am-9pm Fri 11am-9:30pm Sat 11:30am-9:30pm Sun 11:30am-8:30pm

Upload Photo

Message from La Fonda Latino Grill

La Fonda specializes in Colombian and Latin dishes. The restaurant has a full bar that's ready to accommodate with a variety of drinks. Specials are available and they change daily. Moreover, the restaurant is decorated in a contemporary fashion, but with a Colombian theme, adding the more traditional flavor.

Editorial by

The Scene
Soft green and mustard panels contrast with rough brick walls at this simple, casual Colombian restaurant. Laid-back couples linger at tables in the bi-level dining room, where tasteful art hangs side-by-side with Latin tchotchkes, and the ceiling is painted a convincing copper.

The Food
Classic, reasonably priced Latin American dishes shine at this place. Empanadas are hot, crispy and stuffed with beef or spinach and mushrooms, and chicken tamales are moist and meaty. Black bean soup is a big, hearty bowl, and bacon-wrapped shrimp is another succulent starter--two shrimp perched atop sweet corn cake and drizzled with red pepper aioli. Can't decide between the grilled churrasco (New York strip), chicken breast or shrimp? Order the Plato Mixto and you'll get all three, plus sweet fried plantains and corn salsa. Creamy flan bathes in a light blackberry sauce instead of the usual caramel, giving this classic dessert a delicious twist.

Key Points

Colombian Cuisine
Traditional Experience
Full Bar

The Inside Scoop

Save Money - La Fonda offers an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $7.95 Tuesday through Friday.
What to Drink - Complement your meal with a mojito, margarita or sangria--served by the pitcher, half-pitcher or glass.

Reviews for La Fonda Latino Grill

Interesting Latin Flavor Combinations

A M. | Insider Expert | Rank: 5,030 4 La Fonda Latino Grill

The service at this place has ranged from gracious and helpful to brusque and haughty. The quality of food, however, has remained constant--it's excellent. I've tried some of the more renowned Mexican and Latin eating establishments in town, but find the simple and fresh approach of La Fonda to be more consistently satisfying.

PROS: great food, relatively good value
CONS: level of service varies

Posted 08/02/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Latest reviews from Citysearch.

Great Neighborhood Spot!

pjs2780 4 La Fonda Latino Grill

My husband and I ate at La Fonda last night and we loved it! The atmosphere is very warm and inviting and the food was delicious. Even on a Thursday night, there was a steady flow of customers, but we were served promptly and our waters were never more than half empty. We had the spinach-mushroom empanadas to start, I had the arroz con camarones, and my husband had the cazuela de mariscos. Both servings were large and full of seafood, and delicious! For dessert, we shared the brevas con helado, which was excellent -- the figs had a spicy taste to them which went well with the ice cream. The service was excellent, and the place had a really nice vibe to it -- amongst the families and couples, there were several people dining on their own or studying on one of the tables while they enjoyed a huge plate of food. Plus, the ceiling is really neat! We would defnitely go back.

Pros: great service, delicious food, large portions

Cons: slightly expensive

Posted 10/27/06

service stinks

lapicos 1 La Fonda Latino Grill

we went to this restaurant to have dinner before catching a play nearby. the service was terrible. we were sitting for 10-15 minutes and didnt have a server even approach us to ask us if we wanted drinks. my husband got up to ask server if we could have somebody wait on us but she seemed to have trouble finding someone herself. i was soooo upset that we just walked out. i will not be back here again EVER. service is everything especially when u cant even get served food.

Pros: none

Cons: SERVICE WAS TERRIBLE!

Posted 10/24/06

Great Sancocho

sandrao 5 La Fonda Latino Grill

We visited La Fonda this past weekend and ate a great chicken sancocho that I highly recommend. The plantains were delicious as well as the Guanabana juice. YUMMY!!!

The chips at the beginning were not needed. I felt that I was at a Mexican restaurant and they were a bit out of place. The empanadas were ok, not as great as others I've eaten. Make sure you ask for green sauce since they don't serve them with it.
The Yuca was served with a melted cheese that I had never eaten before and didn't like, they should make suero casero or something else that is from Colombia when service the Yuca.

The service was not the best, the waiter was very cold, but hey, the food was great.
I really really enjoyed the Sancocho, the portion is huge! and super delicious!

I highly recomend it and will return.

Pros: Great food

Cons: Uneven service

Posted 01/12/06

Well worth repeat visits...

scatteredshadows 4 La Fonda Latino Grill

A most welcome addition to our restaurant rotation!

Chips with a very nice, fresh salsa started proceedings. Empanadas followed, featuring beef and spinach fillings. Both were outstanding, with crunchy, non-greasy crusts and were accompanied by excellent light, peppery guacamole. To drink, we had wonderful frothy fruit shakes, one with mango and one with blackberry. Both were creamy, yet not sugary.

Both generously-portioned entrees, one with steak, one with pork loin, were well-prepared with fairly complex, flavorful sauces and plantains and yuca on the side.

The only downside was that the service needs smoothing out. We werent greeted upon walking in, and our waitress was fairly impatient. However, this was offset by the woman who brought our food, who was very warm and informative. Decor is tasteful, prices are what I expected, although drinks, desserts and appetizers are definitely good values.

Overall, we'll be back and recommend La Fonda to anyone...

Pros: Flavorful food, Good drinks, Tasty appetizers

Cons: Uneven service

Posted 01/03/04

Latino Comfort Food

edgewaterfoodie 4 La Fonda Latino Grill

Excellent food. Think comfort food with a Latin twist. Tasty appetizers (look for the specials). The sobrebarriga comes with plantains, rice, and a small salad, with or without Creole sauce. The meat is very tender and the sauce adds complexity. Specials are also excellent. A recent Saturday visit offered a difficult choice among many wonderful dishes. I settled on the lomito de res, a tender steak with mushroom sauce, plantains, asparagus, and "potato flan." Everything on the plate was delicious. Highly recommended.

Pros: Moderately priced, full bar service

Posted 12/21/02