La Fonda - Ensenada

On the toll road, about 15 miles in front of ensenada, they would like to stop for lunch or dinner in la fonda. ocean side with the sound of ozean near eating, it will enchant while enjoying an authentic Mexican meal. most dinner for...less than 200 pesos.

Due to miscommunication with the other travelers in our group we missed our planned lunch stop just outside Rosarito and instead landed at Gary's La Fonda for lunch. We were seated on the lower patio and with the great weather we were treated to an...amazing view of the Pacific. Unfortunately, after settling into my chair and soaking in the amazing view this visit fell apart. Now, I've been going to Baja for 48 years so I am well acquainted various eating establishments from the border to Ensenada and with service in Mexico. Don’t know if it was because it was mid-week but from the time drinks were ordered to settling the check, service was just unacceptable for the type of restaurant Gary’s is projecting. When your lunch menu includes filet mignon, your saying something about your establishment. Sadly, the service and the food just didn’t live up to expectations. Even for Mexican table service the waiters on shift were extremely slow taking orders and bringing drinks and food. I ordered the sea bass plate and my wife ordered the Chile Verde plate. We had to order off menu for our kids because they were craving carne asada tacos. After receiving my fish plate I told my wife I think they purchased frozen filets from Costco. Wasn’t very pleasing. The Chile Verde my wife ordered had extremely fatty pieces of pork and the green chile was a thick paste and lacking fresh chile flavor. It appeared as if the chile verde had been over cooked. Except for my nine-year old, who likes his tacos plain (meat/tortilla), the other kids gave the tacos a thumbs down. I’ll say the only positive of our lunch was the view of the Pacific. Given the number of great restaurants popping up along the Hwy 1, Gary’s La Fonda needs to really re-access their menu and table service.

We enjoy the variety of foods. We sample a lot. We also drink a lot of the coffee (very American), enjoy the view of the ocean and talk.

La Fonda is a place that my friends and I always stop at on the way to and from Ensenada. We plan our day around getting to La Fonda in time for either Brunch (on Sunday's) or a nice lunch after/before crossing the border. Food...is always good and you can not beat the view of the Pacific Ocean. Gary, who I believe is the owner, always greets you with a smile and makes you feel at home. It is a go to stop for my crew and I who frequent Baja at least 4 times a year for off-roading and the SCORE races. Thank you for always being awesome Gary's La Fonda!!

Let me start off by saying that I read several reviews before going back to La Fonda. I tried all the restaurants along the row their over a year ago and was NOT impressed. But I was willing to give it another chance. Big mistake....The food is mediocre at best; It is very uninspired and not that tasty. The service is lackluster. The restaurant is not clean. (The view is beautiful. I seriously doubt I will return. You can get a much better meal for the price and there are lots of great views along the Baja coast.