La Fonda

Have no facts, but it looked closed when I drove by last week.

I don't know if they have closed or not and I hate to see any place go out of business but based upon my wife's last experience eating there (and I won't share the details) she nor we have ever returned so I wondered how they lasted as long as they have.  Maybe finally reality has hit.

I never understood how that place stayed open. 

When we first moved here, CrustyWife and I tried it early in the evening one night - around 5:30 or so.  There were five tables occupied and five waiters.  It took us 15 minutes to get a menu.  By the time we were done eating we were worn out with the poor service and it took 15 minutes to get a check.  When we walked out, I think only one other table had been occupied.

I ate there a couple of other times, and the service was not quite as bad, but it really wasn't even adequate, and the food was mediocre.  Why go there when you can go to Rosie's or one of the other Mexican places?

I think that they are opened 11-2 for lunch and then open back up at 5 until 10 or so for dinner. They are actually my favorite mexican place, everybody else's just tastes like Taco Bell.  I fear that they may not stay open much longer since Jorge Sr. died, but I surely do hate to think about them closing.

Wasn't La Fonda's the 1st mexican restaurant in Florence? It's the 1st one I remember when we first came here 35 years ago. Foods ok but the bathroom gets my award for worst in the Shoals.

Bathrooms are an indicator of what the kitchen is like. 

 LaFonda's used to be the only true Mexican restaurant in the area, of course there was El Toro, but that was only a joke. At the time I had a Mexican working for me and he would rather go to Taco Bell than El Toro. Any way LaFonda was real good when they was in the old location close to the bowling alley. 

Like another poster implied, the place was held together by George Sr. George Jr. means well, but cannot hold the employee's to the correct standard, I think they get the most business when there is a band playing.

 The last time I went there it was about 11:30 am, George came to the door and said he had to go find his waitress before he could open.

I really liked their beans better than any other local place. They had a good lunch special when they was going well. I will hate to see the place close, but with all the other choices it kinda odds them out.

I believe this to be very true. 

The last time I ate at La Fonda was when it was by the bowling alley. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to write home about either. 

I remember going there many, many years ago with someone who had lived In Mexico who stated that it was the most authentic Mexican place around. Now we have a million Mexican joints and most of them are terrible. You know the South has changed when you three times as many Mexican restaurants as BBQ joints in town.

Well, I believe the Castell's were from Mexico. I heard Jorge jr. say he learned English from watching tv.

We are used to there being a lot of Mexican restaurants around now but back then, when they first had the place by the bowling ally, it was a novelty. It was good too. At that time there was a Mexican restaurant across the river but it was awful, tasted like a frozen tv dinner.

Gee, now I'm hungry for Mexican food.

IMHO the El Toro that was in Sheffield was the best Mexican place around. I grew up eating there at least once every 2 weeks. Years after it closed I remember we tried the one in Florence and it was nothing like the one in Sheffield. I still miss their cheese dip and their stuffed peppers.

I'm getting hungry now too. LOL 

Sounds like a good place for a Gordon Ramsey restaurant makeover.

I used to love El Toro too. I have liked La Fonda in the past but it has went downhill over the years and it is depressing to go there now. It is a shame because with some sprucing up and some nice landscaping, it could be a very attractive restaurant.

Speaking of good restaurants that are no longer here, anyone remember the Chinese restaurant that used to be next to Chuck E Cheese? That was the best Chinese restaurant around and nothing compares to it now.

That was China House or China Village by Chuck E Cheese.  I too enjoyed their food and ate there all the time. 

I remember that place. Didn't it burn down?

There used to be a Chinese restaurant near the Dairy Queen in that row of businesses on Florence blvd that they took out to build the new bridge, can't remember it's name. This wasn't on the menu but we found out that if you gave them a couple of days notice and had enough people they would fix a feast with incredible dishes not on the menu. We did that a bunch of times, gee, I miss that place.

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I remember that it burned down.  I ate there often and it was very good.  Service was excellent.

the restaurant has closed.

La Fonda?

yes. i went by the post office yesterday and heard it from don who worked there for years.

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Wasn't it Peking that moved to the other side of the street in the old Shoney's building?

Could  the upsurge in adopting dogs and cats have reduced their source of meat?

I remember it well. Me and my friends used to eat there a lot in the 80's. If I remember correctly it was in a converted McDonald's building. I may be wrong about that though. It's been awhile. Also ate at the Dairy Queen a building or two down from there just as often. Good Chili burgers and Chili dogs. 

Yep, Peking was the old McDonald's. I remember because I had a couple of relatives that worked at Culpepper's Bakery next door. The other side of Culpepper's was an old "walk-in only" KFC that I believe served the last few years of its life as a shoe store, and on the other side of that was a newer KFC. 

That Dairy Queen always seemed so dirty to me. I was a kid growing up in the 80s, and something must have been pretty bad there to keep me from wanting to go. Of course, I got plenty of treats from Culpepper's to make up for it. 

I wish we still  had a Dairy Queen!

The chinese restaurant was Golden Dragon. It was the best we had for years, no buffet just fresh. I miss them as well.