Fonda La Catrina
| Address: | 5905 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA 98108, USA |
| Phone: | +1 206-767-2787 |
| Site: | fondalacatrina.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–12AM 10AM–12AM 10AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
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Alec Boyle
I am normally pretty hesitant to write a bad review of a restaurant. I understand that people are working hard, and that mistakes happen. My dinner at Fonda was executed so consistently wrong that I feel a need to explain my poor rating of it. We got 2 dishes: the cochinita pebil tacos, and mushroom enfrijoladas. To begin with, the tacos were not assembled as tacos. The tortillas were laid flat on the plate and then slapped with a mound of pork so over-sized that one could not possibly form them into any kind of hand-edible food. Which might normally be exciting, except the pork in question was both dry and bland. The mushrooms in the enfrijoladas on the other hand were extremely under-cooked...and bland. The beans in the rice and beans I got to accompany the tacos (at a ludicrous $4 up-charge) tasted fine, except they were seasoned like Cajun red beans, not Mexican pintos. Then as a sad final white-people-tacos cherry on top, the hot salsa which we deluged our plates with in a desperate attempt to inject some flavor proved to be mild at most (tangy Christmas colored water might be a more apt description.) Kitchens have off nights, I understand. Somebody doesnt show up, an ingredient doesnt get delivered, people get slammed, whatever. Our experience here was so consistently badly executed and under seasoned that I cant help but consider it a general failing and I strongly recommend that people go look for a Mexican place with more flavor and less flash.
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Michele S
When this first opened it was a favorite spot however now the food is sub-par, the service is hit and miss but the bartenders always manage to save the day by mixing great drinks. My last visit was on 12/5/15 and we were seated on the patio under heat lamps. Everything was going pretty average for this place until we went to leave, the bench I was sitting on splintered into my pants and skin. The pain so was horrible that I could not sit down in the car. I have pictures of the 1/2 splinters removed from my legs and butt. It took the restaurant 5 days to respond and the co-owner named Carrie sent a quick and completely insincere email not even bothering to read enough of my email to figure out which restaurant this happened at. Sorry Fonda La Catrina but your food, service, drinks and care for your clientele are seriously lacking. As a former bar owner myself, I could never imagine being so careless. They do not deserve your money.
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Johnny
Servers were rude, and the food sub par. Was ignored when I came In with my friend, and we sat down were ignored for another 20 minutes. Finally after getting some crappy Sopes and service I paid and as I said goodbye to the server he just says "no tip!" What he failed to realize was that there was a tip on the table. Expect to pay high dollar for the base dish but another high dollar amount for the meat or toppings. Chips were ok, but they wanted another 5 bucks for an avocado. Im not a cheap person especially when Im on a date or out with friends, and i have worked In the restaurant industry, i get it cost is high on products, but should that affect quality of service and respect to your customers. In essence save your money folks, you can get better tasting and much more authentic Mexican food from a Truck or other Mexican restaurant chain. But if your up for being treated poorly and get bland food this is the place for you.
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Antonio Varchetta
EVERY SINGLE DAMN TIME I GET A TO GO ORDER OF PORK TAMALE, RICE AND BEANS WITH NOOOOO CHEESE I ALWAYS GET CHEESE. I get home, happy as a clam, to eat my delicious food. I slowly open the wonderful package of smells and tastes to find cheese covered erthang. I take it back and return it and the bartender says "Its good that the kitchen messes up because that means dinner for me". NO THAT IS WRONG check the box to make sure the order is correct, its not just the kitchens fault. TODAY I get cheese on my to go order. I brought it back, I was quickly given a new one. I get home, excited, a second time to find some more cheese on my meal. I decide to not go back to return it for I will not be going back there. I am also at fault for not checking before leaving the restaurant, but Im always just so excited. Dat food hella good doe Hostess is nice
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David Katz
Lets start with the house margarita, which is much too sweet and not limey enough. It tastes like nothing so much as a ready-made Jose Cuervo. The bar service is pleasant but distracted at peak times, like the Saturday night we were there. The food is nothing to complain about really (except for the chips, which are too thick). But the food isnt really very good, either, its just OK. The tacos de lengua did feature perfectly cooked tongue, but it was under-seasoned. The very tasty tomato based salsa (with chipotle or ancho?) is too thick, the salsa verde too watery. The asada is indifferent. You can find carne asada that good anywhere and dont have to look far to find better. The tinga de pollo is unmemorable. Its a shame that such a nice environment doesnt produce better food than a taco truck.
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Jeff Halverson
The host ruined the experience. The food was great. Our server was great. My wife walked in to get a table while I parked in the parking lot. The host made my wife stand and wait until I parked and walked in. Wouldnt let her sit at a table, sit in the entry, or stand off to the side. He made her awkwardly stand in the middle of the doorway, and she had to move out of the way while other couples walked in and were seated. I understand if youre trying to prevent one person from arriving and saving spots for an hour for a 6-top. But to not seat one person because they have to wait for one more person to arrive is ridiculous. Almost everything is made in house. Chips, salsas, sauces, etc. It was all delicious.
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Victor Szalvay
This place offers the best Mexican food in Seattle, straight from and industrial trendie part of town. Do not miss their freshly made to order tortillas (which are gluten free). You can watch them make it and eat it 30 seconds later. Another must is the Pabil which is a braised shredded pork over those tortillas I just mentioned, topped with pickled onion. Their mole enchiladas is seriously dark, sweet, spicy and heavenly savory. According to their menu their meats are all carefully selected, hormone free, and of generally high quality. Decent beers on tap, which is a must for me. Do make a rez or prepare to wait a while (which is easy to do with all the bars around).
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Louis & Stacy Bruskin
The food was good except for the two long hairs, the first in the table bowl of salsa, which the server changed out once out was pointed out. The second was in my wifes entree, and was also shown to the server and "remaid" but my wife felt they just put new sauce on it. There was no offer for a comp of any kind. I could have complained and demanded they take it off my bill. But chose to stay in a good mood as I was out with my family. The server should have gotten the manager and compensated me for the two hairs without making play "angry customer". We wont be back. A resturant should quickly and happily take off a meal that had a huge hair, even if it was remaid.
