Not sure why the overall rating is around a 3 star, as I found that I had a great experience here. I came in on a Friday evening (walk-in) and luckily was able to get a back patio table as it was quite busy. The menu has quite a good amount of options so you'll be able to find something you'll like. We ended up sharing our dishes since it was much easier to try a bit of everything as a group. Sayulita Ceviche: Amazing flavours, quite nice on the tortilla chips as well as putting it on top of the other dishes. If you're a fan of more citrusy-sour tangy flavours this is a great dish for that taste bud. Perfect for sharing! Carne Asada Platter: Great meat quality, the carne asada was so delicious! Perfectly seasoned. Birria bowl: The birria meat was great, though I feel like this was a bit more plain that it didn't really standout to me flavour-wise compared to the other two dishes. The back patio is cutely decorated and perfect for more quiet chill vibes compared to the inside where it is more loud. The weather was a bit chilly at the back patio unfortunately the heat at the back wasn't working that well that we got a bit cold later in the evening but the service was great and accommodating with this issue. Also a big plus, they were able to split our bills of our group evenly which is a huge help especially most places don't always split the bills. I would totally come back again as I had a great experience here (highly recommend getting reservations in advance)! read more

Fonda Lola - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Don't sleep on Fonda Lola First of all, I love their back patio, it's lowkey and so serene We got the Nachos as a snack and it was HEFTY. For $18 we were stuffed ‍ For my drink I got the Hibiscus Margarita & lemme tell you it was STRONG. Can't wait to come back and try their other flavours Food: 9/10 Service: 9/10 Ambiance: 9.5/10 read more

Fonda Lola - Lola's Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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We came here for Summerlicious, but discovered the Taco Tuesday deal was better. The website says on Tuesday all tacos are $14, but when I asked the waitress she said they are $16. It's still a pretty good deal, but I don't like that their website is misleading. We started with the Guacamole and Chips which was pretty good, though I expected a little more for the price. We ordered a lot of different tacos and generally found them enjoyable. The Top Sirloin and Shrimp tacos were probably the best, with great toppings and well prepared meat. The Chicken Poblano taco was pretty good, though it wasn't exactly what I expected with the goat cheese crumbled on top. I was excited to try the Mexican Chorizo taco and although the flavour was no disappointment, the taco shell was wet and soggy for some strange reason. For dessert we ordered Churro Bites and waited at least 20 minutes for them. The waiter assured us we had to wait because it was being cooked fresh, but then it arrived lukewarm. Any fresh churros I've had before were blazing hot, so their excuse didn't seem particularly believable. Perhaps I sound a little harsh, but this restaurant was jam packed with no A/C or fans so I was sweating from the moment I walked in. With all of us feeling the heat we went through our waters pretty fast and the servers made no effort to top us up. I had to request water multiple times and even then they sometimes kept us waiting another 15 minutes. Even after the long wait they didn't give us a single ice cube! I really enjoyed the food here but the service and dining conditions were atrocious. read more

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The space itself is really cute and casual. The back patio is a great space to chill in the summer. Wednesday is margarita day so take advantage of this. I had the Lola margarita and was it was delightful . I saw the woman adjacent to me order the el diabla. Unfortunately, the same dish I had did not look as plentiful as her plate which is why I was so surprised when I saw mine. The shrimp itself was full of flavour. The side salad I thought this was a complete afterthought. It has no dressing or seasoning. The rice was hard. Completely undercooked . Knowing that now I wouldn't order this again. Maybe try another shrimp dish? Because of the 2 accompaniments are not good then the tacos are the safest bet. I've definitely had better dishes than this. However, customer service was spot on! Friendly and accommodating! read more

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Came for taco Tuesday where you get 3 for $15. We got the nachos to start and boy are they generous with the cheese. It was very thick and almost congealed, but still tasty, just difficult to eat. We got the pork shoulder, baja fish and shrimp tacos. The pork was so tender and juicy, flavours were great. The fish and shrimp both had an interesting breading and lots of veg. My favourite of the night was the shrimp. The service was great, they refilled our water all night. The ambience was nice and we had a blast just chatting all night. read more

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We decided to try this place since I was looking for something close by and it was a big disappointment. To start with, there was lot of confusion on giving us the tables, despite having a booking and restaurant being half-empty. The service was extremely slow and we had ask for attention. The staff looked confused and kept changing as they were serving. We had Smoked Beer, which was overly sweet and there was no fizz. Adobo Tofu Taco had no flavour, we asked for lime to add some flavour but still it was bad. Desserts took forever to arrive. Overall I will not go here read more

Fonda Lola - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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My company had a private event here where they booked the entire restaurant. We ordered drinks and food. I got a chance to try their chorizo taco and shrimp tacos. I found their tacos were ok. I didn't like the soft shell tortilla. It was not soft at all. The queso fundido was the most disappointing. Not sure what had happened to it. When I got it, I was a giant blob that held itself together very well. Forget about dipping a nacho in it. The queso fundido came with some soft shell tortillas so we tried wrapping the blob of cheese in the tortilla and it was not easy at all. The churros was just as bad. It was the second worse churros that I have ever had in my life. It tasted like it was a day old. It was not soft at all. I did like the atmosphere. The drinks options were good. I liked the fact that they have a patio outside in the front and at the back. I had better Mexican food before. read more

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Service was 10/10, ambience was 10/10, food was 9/10, drinks were 9/10. Such a great experience! Qe reserved a table but was advised that we could only stay for 2 hours so remember this! Servers were wonderful and so friendly. Honestly went over and beyond. The patio was gorgeous and so romantic. Food was fresh and so good. The cheese on the nachos unfortunately solidified but the chips underneath remained crispy which was a plus. Margaritas were yummy! Did not enjoy the craft beer. But that could just be my inexperienced palate. Will be coming back to try the rest of the menu. read more

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Pandemic takeout service was smooth with Ritual. Friendly staff. QUESABIRRIA CON CONSOME - Strong consommé game! I could use a bit less salt in there. Condiments where needed. I wanted more acid but then what was given. Tripe soup hit the spot on a cold day. I like it but maybe they can source different tripe or have it cleaned better. I am Chinese so, and I know cleaning this part can be hard for less of a dead carcass smell. Some foodies may enjoy it! I don't mind it but I can see locals who don't usually have tripe might now like the strong aroma. read more

Fonda Lola - Tripe soup with chickpeas also flavourful - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Small cute restaurant , not a lot of tables so make sure you make reservations. Came here on a Wednesday and it was packed. They have their $10 margarita special. The spicy margarita was great with a good amount of spice. The Lola margarita is infused with lychee, if you like lychee you'd enjoy this. The shrimp tacos were 10/10, made with tiger shrimp and portions were generous. I like the complimentary hot sauce, goes well with the food. The fish tacos were 7/10. Wish the fish was a tad bigger, I do like the garnish though. Well done on the presentation. Churros were beautifully plated, jus wish it was made fluffier, it was too hard and overcooked. I'd come back here to try their other tacos. read more

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The environment is comfortable and decorated with a Mexican style, making it great for taking photos. Even the restroom has a unique design. The four of us ordered fish tacos and shrimp tacos, both of which were delicious. The fish was crispy and went well with the vegetables. However, if you order just one taco per person, you may not feel full and may need to order some appetizers. One of our friends ordered the Enchilada de mole, which tasted okay but didn't leave a lasting impression on us. The service is very nice and very kind to us that keep on asking what we need and do we enjoy the food. That's make us very enjoy the dinner: read more

Fonda Lola - Fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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One of the best spots for cocktails in the city. The Mezcal margaritas are 10/10 and the food is fresh and good portions. Overall good vibe and friendly staff. read more

first of all - HUGE shout out to our server and the manager at the restaurant for dealing with our paranoia. We were extremely grateful for you catering to our needs. We had reservations and came here as we were both craving mexican food and i will say WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED! we were seated in the back patio and were served immediately- we ordered the guac to start and i hit a coke zero - about 15 mins into our meal we started getting harassed by a wasp and couldn't enjoy being outside so we asked if it were possible to move inside so we could enjoy our meal. this establishment is not open yet indoors unless it's raining (which it wasn't - it was a beautiful sunny day) but they made the exception for us and we were beyond grateful. i ordered the baja fish tacos and my friend had the vegetarian salad. We were both extremely happy with our food, i loved the flavours in the fish and sauces! i appreciate the fact that when a wasp found it's way inside and harassed us, the person behind the bar was at our rescue. All in, we had an amazing experience here and definitely would recommend it for the food and service - i'll be back in the fall when the wasps are gone! Thank you for your hospitality! read more

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Let me tell you a story of how I ended up at Fonda Lola. It's snowing. It's quite early for snow. Glistening black wet streaks on top of asphalt give false sense of comfort. Shrieks of tires spinning in the distance and the smell of exhaust lingers in the cool air. A faint "ding" is heard as a cyclist brusquely brushes past pedestrians. One person displays discontent and waves a particular digit. Is this cyclist a brave soul and champion of green power? Or merely an unstable sot who feels indestructible on his two wheeled machine? The cyclists jumps off and locks his bike outside a bistro and runs across the road. One wonders why he wouldn't just have locked it across the street with him. Perhaps his cranium has frozen. And, by the way, the digit waver was me! As I approach the chained demon machine, a bright halo appears on the ground. The light was rotating and it was trying to tell me something. It was bright. Colourful. Welcoming. It strongly suggest to come in out of the cold. Like a moth to the flame, I am drawn in. I obey the beckoning. I step inside and it will be a great night!!! Welcome to Fonda Lola! As the punsters would say, I am FONDA this place. Take pause here for all the groaning on that one liner. Inside this small and comfortable bistro, I had the pleasure to meet owner, Ernesto Rodriguez. He was nice enough to gave us a quick history and meaning of the bistro. Lola was the name of their Matriarch, their Abuela, their grandmother. The food is to bring back how grandma made it. Fonda means cafe or bistro. So what to have at Fonda Lola? Ceviche, Tacos, Churros and Margaritas! What else!?!? Have a gander at my photos...it's quite the spread. The three kinds of taco that I had was the Shrimp, Smoked Chicken, and Baja Fish. The churro was the heavy, and crispy kind, not the imitators that are a modified donut. Big stand out for me on the food was their Baja Fish Taco - Corn battered basa fish and oh so delish. Drink of choice was La Rosa with Chambord and Hibiscus - I can sip that all day! Please remember that Fonda Lola is an authentic experience. There is no Chilli Con Carne, no Nachos Supreme, no chihuahua asking you if you want to run to the border. The food is real, right down to the their corn tortillas. If you want Tex-Mex, look for a purple sign with a bell on it, next to some old guy that calls himself the Colonel. If you happen to be running around Queen West or you're just one of those psycholing (hmmm...I meant cycling) enthusiast that likes to ride in snow and ice, drop by. I'm so happy that Fonda Lola had a projector spinning their logo on the snow! CHEERS!!! read more

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Thought we would try this place after seeing them on Insta. My wife tried the strawberry lychee margarita and tried the classic lime. Both were very good. My wife and I shared the hot guac (guacamole with warm tortilla chips with three salsas). Guac had a good amount of lime juice which we liked. We asked for some hot sauce and they brought out this amazing chilli oil. The oil had some serious heat. Dipping a tiny corner of a chip in the oil and then scooping up some guac made for a great bite. The tacos were good but were even better when we added some of the chilli oil and some of the sauces from the hot guac. Recommend. read more

I received tried Fonda Lola after hearing many good things about their authentic Mexican food and great selection of tequila. It's a cozy Mexican bistro in downtown Toronto and the patio at the back is like a secret garden that you definitely have to check out! The restaurant really embodies the Mexican heritage and every corner showcases the story of the founder's background and the Mexican cooking. I tried out a few of their Tacos and I think my favourites were the Baja Fish and Pollo Al Carbon (chicken with chipotle aioli). They have a special every Tuesday which all Tacos are only $3.50 each. read more

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This is an absolute delicious restaurant. @fondalola specializes in Mexican food. Therefore, if you want authentic Mexican food in Toronto this is the place to go. Come on Tuesday for Taco Tuesdays. They have a delicious selection of Tacos. My favorite is the fish tacos. Crispy and delicious. The guacamole is fantastic as well. On Thursday, come for a lesson about Tequila from the owner who has a good background of quality tequila. You can sample some great tequilas for a descent price. Also the master bartender takes great care in his drink creation. The drinks are carefully mixed and he can personally create a drink that suites your taste buds. read more

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Heard about Fonda Lola's cute patio! The patio was cute however we were disappointed by the lack of taste with the vegetarian and fish tacos. They didn't have any adobo tofu so asked if they could substitute it for veggies and I said yes. However, flavour seemed to be missing. Nice place with a nice vibe and decent service. Just disappointed with the tacos. The guac and chips was good though! Presentation was nice! read more

Fonda Lola - Guac and chips - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Ambiance: We sat in the back patio and people were packed in the patio like sardines with no social distancing. They had 4 people sitting around tables for 2 on either side of us. Food: We got the fish tacos and the ceviche. The fish tacos were breaded in a shake'n'bake style. They were not that great. The ceviche was ok. Service: The service was slow. We sat for a while before we got any water or service. We had one meal come with no cutlery and a good 15 minutes before the other persons meal. Overall it was a disappointing experience. read more

Came here last night with 2 friends and it was such a vibe! We originally booked their dining room but decided to go to the back patio after hearing the waiter's recommendation. My friend actually told us about this place when we were looking for dinner spots bc she saw they had taco tuesdays where tacos (3pc) are 5-6$ cheaper than their usual price ($19)! We ended up getting 4 different ones: Mexican chorizo, shrimp, top sirloin and baja fish. My favs were the shrimp and chorizo! We also got some ceviche for an entree, everything was super tasty. It was about $27 per person, great spot for a girls night out! We didn't get any drinks as we all don't really drink alcohol but their cocktails seemed bomb! Would def come again read more

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We had very high expectation before we went there. Tbh, food looks very inviting and tastes good, I highly recommend the shrimp and fish taco. Our hibiscus drink was impressive too. It's just when we arrived there, a skinny girl with long hair who brought us to the table, the way she talked to us with both her hands in pockets, sounded very impatient like we owed her a million dollar. I do not understand that part, is she a waitress or the owner? And what's that attitude for? Then when we ordered food, there was another waitress helped us. She is new and sweet. We tipped double for her excellent service. read more

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Great backyard patio but mediocre food. Make reservations if you want to enjoy the backyard. It can get very popular during the summer time. We had the Baja Fish, Pork Cochinita, and Top Sirloin Taco. Found that the fish was over-fried, the pork and beef were a bit dry. Dessert was disappointing. We had at churros and thought it come with a side of chocolate for dipping but chocolate was just drizzled on top of the churros (barely enough chocolate) and the churros itself was too dense. Overall, I would recommend just ordering some tapas, pay more attention on their drinks menu and enjoy their lovely patio. read more

Returned to Fonda Lola after one year and continued to be mesmerized by their beautiful cocktails and exceptional service! Their carnitas tacos were delish! Also have us extra soft taco shells free of charge. Looking forward to visiting again during Winterlicoous- hope they participate again in 2020! read more

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So the hottest waiter with all silver head and bodacious lips and a mean Hispanic accent works at this joint :-D Ok back to the service.. Upon checking In they give you a free hug and a smile and a free shot of tequila.OH YES YES YES..yes I finished:-) The tacos here are mean we went with fish and beef brisket we were seated on this beautiful patio on the back, the weather was nice and the place was lit! I loved it. read more

Fonda Lola - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Overall, I enjoyed this place! They have an an excellent back patio and super fresh chips and salsa. Would not order the nachos again, as the cheese they use isn't ideal (it clumped together in one huge blob, making sharing / eating in even a moderately graceful way pretty challenging). The drinks were perhaps a bit hit and miss as well - for example the Sexy Lady was great, but not sure the Oaxaca Negroni works that we'll. read more

A Mexican taco and tequila spot with a great patio. Tried the fish, cauliflower and pulled pork tacos and the fish was the best! Cauliflower could use a better sauce for the vegetarians out there! There's Taco Tuesday of course, but they also offer Tequila Thursdays. They have great deals on the good stuff as well as flights of tequila paired with a tequila lesson. Cute spot! read more

Came here on a Friday night with reservations. Small but very nice m vibe. Cool lights and ambiance. I had the mole enchilada and my friend had the vegan burrito. We also ordered chips and pico de gallo. The chips were house made, the pico was just okay because it had way too much onion, however for $7 it was a good portion. My enchiladas were very good, not the best mole sauce I have ever had but it was pretty solid, the enchiladas were nicely cooked and had good texture. They also had a good portion of chicken in them which I appreciated. It came with a side of tasty rice and refried bean dip, it was a great meal. My friend got the vegan burrito, it looked like it was a good size and she said it was pretty good but I can't comment on it too much since I didn't have it myself. She also had a margarita which looked very good. Overall I really enjoyed my experience there. I hear they have a nice patio and I would return in the summer to check it out! read more

We ran into this little gem completely by accident while we were out exploring Toronto. It has a beautiful little patio out back. Picturesque even if there is no crowd. The water comes out in a tequila bottle which makes everyone look like they are having more fun. The drink and food were all prepared so perfectly. This is not the cheap Mexican food we all love but instead a more conscious application of ingredients to produce a better culinary experience. The horchata was phenomenal and all of the details including the dishes added to the experience. There is a check-in offer here for the yelpers out there.....1 FREE HUG. Apparently, I was the first person to redeem the free hug and the gentleman serving us laughed and joyfully embraced me as I redeemed the check in offer. It was hilarious but totally worth it. Not so humbly submitted, Michael C. read more

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I came to Fonda Lola with a couple of coworkers for a farewell dinner. Our guest of honour had met one of the owners while partying in Brazil during World Cup earlier this year. So, thanks to him, we got a free round of margaritas on the house (yay!) and had a great time on the lovely patio in the back. There were 3 types of margaritas on the menu, and between 7 of us, I was able to sample all 3. I had the Coco Loco personally, which was a coconut water based Margarita. I love coconut water, so this drink was right up my alley. The original one was delicious as well, but I wasn't a big fan of the variation with Komboucha. We decided to try the entire menu. The highlights are as follows: Candied bacon- yum! a good mix of spicy, sweet & savoury! Panela popper- jalapeño marinated panela cheese coated in corn meal. Piping hot deep fried cheese was delectable! Steak tartare- I don't like all steak tartares, but this one was light and not over-seasoned! Thumbs up! Hand held caesar- a hybrid of a lettuce wrap and a salad, and to make it even better, it had some of that delicious smoked bacon. Bonus points for creativity! The ones I would skip next time: We had the cod, and it was the only thing that I didn't like. The fish was a little bland and tough- not a good combination. Churros- normally I love churros, so i really wanted to love them. Unfortunately, I didn't. These were a little on the heavy side and for me, there were too much sugar coating. All in all, we really enjoyed dinner and margaritas. read more

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Maybe I was really hungry but this was one of the best fish burritos I've had in my life. Mezcal cocktails were great too. Lovely backyard patio, cozy and quiet. Wonderful service. I'll be back!! read more

I came here for drinks with coworkers on a Friday night. We had reserved a table so we didn't have to wait. The restaurant is quite small and narrow. It was very dark and dimly light when we came and the music was quite loud. We were a big group so we were automatically charged the 18% gratuity. I ordered pulled pork tacos and it was so disappointing. For $16 there were 3 flour tortillas wrapped tightly in paper and they were cold. The tortillas were so small and the pork portion was also very small. It was totally not worth the price and it wasn't even good. It was bland and dry and didn't have any flavours typical of Mexican tacos. My mojito was large and mixed well but had a very dry and old lime right at the top of it. It didn't look appealing at all. Everything seems very overpriced for the quality and quantity, I wouldn't come here again. The washrooms are on a lower floor and I think this was the only part of the restaurant I liked. It was nicely decorated and was very clean. I'm glad they at least keep this well maintained. Food was a complete bust and I wouldn't want to order those tacos again. read more

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This Mexican dish I had was AWESOME the Baja Tacos just simply awesome! The flavours are truly amazing! read more

Fonda Lola - Baja Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Food was ok. We got 2 sets of tacos chicken and shrimp. Disappointing that you couldn't mix and match tacos in a set of 3. Server got the order wrong despite correcting him when he was reciting it back. read more

Came here for winterlicious a few days ago and was really excited! Unfortunately the whole experience just fell short and I was honestly a little bummed and disappointed. The food was pretty good, really loved the apps (tortilla tomato soup and guac & chips). We had tacos for our entrees and they were flavourful and good but I couldn't get over how the tortilla would just get soggy and rip in the middle... it was pretty messy and quite frankly kinda annoying. For dessert, the waitress told us while we were ordering that the churros on the menu weren't available because they had sold out during lunch... I'm not a huge dessert person and don't like overly sweet things so I was really looking forward to churros in place of the other options which were much too sweet for my preference. Overall just kind of disappointed by the whole experience. read more

Really gorgeous patio, tasty drinks and amazing fish tacos! So light and crispy. The churros we're also phenomenal. read more

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food lacked flavour and the service was sub par. Waiter never bothered to check on us and we wanted to order drinks. The nachos were a giant glob of cheese with zero spice. The service was typical Toronto sub par service where the staff act like they don't care, attached to their phones and biting her nails. read more

This is a review for its drinks only. Fonda Lola did not appear to have any vegan options (one out of two of us in the party is vegan). Fonda Lola serves legitimately strong (not too much) and soothing drinks. I wish I could remember what my friend had because she couldn't stop raving about her tequila cocktails and the options were so tempting. I had the best Oaxacan Old Fasthion ever, and that's been my drink of choice for quite a while now. We sat at the bar each time we visited and enjoyed friendly enough conversation with whom I think was the owner/manager. The decor and atmosphere were lovely and I was strangely impressed with the restrooms. I highly recommend Fonda Lola to anyone craving a serious tequila cocktail. read more

I reaaaaaally liked this place! Took me back to my honeymoon in Mexico! The ambiance of the joint was perfect for me. Felt as though I was transported back to Mexico! And the food tasted so fresh and delicious! Servings were the perfect size. Did I mention they refill your tortillas for no extra charge???? Love that! Came here for brunch. Had their freshly squeezed non-alcoholic drinks. Started off with their guac. Ate their huevos rancheros as my main and finished off with churros. Did ya see my pictures from my meal??? Made me want to lick my screen remember how food everything tasted! Lol read more

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The atmosphere was wonderful, so friendly and welcoming and fun. The drinks and bartending was beyond expectations, the food was better than that. I will make this place a regular spot for dining and going out!! read more

Fonda Lola started their business as a pop-up in 2012, and was one of the popular vendors at the The Stop Night Market. Due to gaining a following, they quickly acquired a spot on Queen St W, and opened a restaurant by 2013. Fonda Lola's space was quite warm as it was designed with rustic materials, painted ceramics, and other Mexican mementos. To this day, Fonda Lola strives to remain an ambassador of the Mexican culture, and have brought the food, tequila and customs to the multiculturalism of Toronto. Guacamole - A national Mexican dish. At Fonda Lola's, we don't add any tomatoes or onions to our recipe in order to give you a smoother, creamier, richer texture. Served with crunchy freshly-made tortilla chips. The chips were incredibly crispy, and tasted great with the creamy guacamole. Shrimp Aguachile - A more piquant version of ceviche, lime and jalapeño concoction. This particular dish hailed from Sinaloa Mexico, and Vickie's take on it was very flavorful. The shrimp was marinated in lime and jalapeño juices giving it with a very zesty flavor. I also thought that the saltiness balanced quite nicely with the citrus making it a refreshing Mexican-style ceviche. Tacos Gobernador - A creamy tender shrimp taco. We take onions, tomatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, mix them with chile ancho, and cook for three hours to bring out a full flavour. We add oaxaca cheese and melt it just a bit before serving. From Mazatlan, Mexico. I highly recommend this traditional creamy shrimp taco, as it was just a delightful concoction. read more

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