Review Fonda - Collingwood

A decent place for mexican food. Enjoyed my prawn taco but personally think that the crispy cauliflower one was a little bit lacking of flavours. Quesadilla was decent. The star of the night for me was watermelon juice with lime - so gooooood! I will definitely come back just for this drink.

We were a party of multiple people. Staff did their absolute best to accommodate us. Food came out hot and fresh. Fish tacos, chicken tacos and fried Cauliflower were great. Quesadilla was amazing, burrito was not the best I had before. Definitely recommend trying out some of the amazing cocktails on offer. Mango lime chilli was the best. Would I come back here- undecided

The food was pretty good but the service was surprisingly bad. We were asked to sit on very little tables even though there were bigger tables with cushion seats and there were only a couple of people there. Then I asked for black beans instead of chick peas and they said they could not swap them and I would just have to pay $5 extra for black beans with seemingly not a second to think about helping me out. Also the soda water was not on the menu and is actually on tap but they didn’t offer it until I asked about it.

Wow it has been a long time since I have had to walk away from the restaurant without finishing the food. Purely disgusting food. Ordered tacos shrimp and fish. They were edible nothing amazing and nothing with flavour. The cauliflower bites were sooooo salty I was in disbelief. Also got the mushroom quesadillas and it tasted like cardboard, not being dramatic seriously tasted like a box. Think the mushrooms might not be fresh and the tortillas tasted awful. The traditional lemonade and strawberry was also horrendous. Tasted like pure fake strawberry syrup. Didn't taste the lemonade in it AT ALL. Huge disappointment. Will not be coming back and will not be recommending this place. $55 bucks down the drain for food that was not edible. The photos is how much food I left, it was THAT BAD. 🤮

My partner and I really enjoyed our experience. The lady that greeted us was very kind and we enjoyed the QR ordering system especially being able to see the pictures of each item. The cauliflower burrito, corn, and quesadillas were delicious and fresh. The beef brisket taco was a real highlight - out of this world!

I love a meal with so much colour and character to it. Great flavours and a really well thought through menu combination combined gloriously with some epic drinks for a very appreciative group overall. The gozleme was delicious, but I personally prefer when they are flattened more so they're easier to eat without dropping contents. That said I did really enjoy it anyway. The churros here are thankfully of a very high standard and not an after thought like at MadMex. A very crunchy and satisfying end to any meal.

Nice casual experience, food came out very quickly, hot and tasty. Good value too. The frozen cocktail wasn't that great but the margarita tasting flight was excellent. Ambience is like a fun diner with Formica tables etc. Our table was at 8:15 but they stopped taking orders through the app at 9pm which meant we couldn't have more than 1 drink. Wish they were open later!

I’ve had food from here so many times. Recently the service and food has been lacking, and my last experience, especially, was not a good one. We placed an order for delivery and paid extra for one item to be made gluten free. The order was delivered but the gluten free item was not labelled and so we couldn’t tell the gluten free item apart from the others. We tried calling the restaurant several times but phone kept ringing out. We were extremely disappointed because one of us had no meal to enjoy. A bit of attention to detail goes a long way.

Ordered a fish burrito got a beef one. Rang to let them know and it’s lock down so can not get dinner. All she offered was maybe a refund. Um yes you will refund. Don’t work in food if you don’t take peoples dietary needs seriously. People have allergies and religious beliefs. Check the food before you send it out. She agreed that a fish burrito was ordered but did not check and even ticked beef on the box. Poor form.

Had to search out plain water. All staff looked so busy so maybe understaffed. One simple order of a quesadilla took 20 min. Dry and Tasteless pulled pork Not worth $16 and will not be back!

Always visiting Fonda when I feel like some yummy Mexican! I love their menu and the horchatas here are just amazing I want to drink it all day <br/>The tacos are great so much flavour in each one and their the perfect size. We tried the corn on the cob this time and it had a nice spice to it with the melted cheese aswell. <br/>The store location I think works well being on the corner and it’s always busy! The service is great they are really friendly and helpful!!

I stopped by for a weeknight dinner and the tacos and nachos were delicious. The restaurant was busy but it wasn't too hard to find a table.

Came here with our friends last night. They were pretty busy. We ordered some corn, chicken nachos, fish tacos, beef tacos, chicken taco, pulled pork quesa and<br/>Grilled chicken salad. Everything was delicious! Our favourites are the nachos and pulled pork quesa.<br/>

Can't really go wrong with Fonda for fresh and healthy veggie friendly food. Sure it's a chain, but at least it's consistent although a bit pricy for what it is. My mex bim-bap was small for the price ($15 not including protein) but taste was great. It featured a bunch of my favourite ingredients including sweet potato, roasted corn, sauerkraut and crunchy chickpeas. I love all the textures and flavour profiles present in this option. Probably one of the better Fonda dishes I've had.

Against my better judgement we had lunch here and loved it. Friendly service, great food that belies the chain store setup. Beef tacos were sensational as was the tumeric lemon "soda". Staff also a highlight, and were friendly and inviting.

Fonda at Collingwood. Mexican food is always on my top list and especially during summer time. Fonda is a popular chain restaurant serving Mexican food. It was nicely decorated and friendly staff with good service. Grilled chicken burritos were nice and healthy. Good lunch choice.

The burritos are really yummy here. Ordered the grilled chicken with baby spinach, pickled carrot and onion, charred sweet corn, chipotle aioli, quinoa and black beans. The charred sweet corn was like bits of nacho in the burrito which made it really tasty.

Was here on 14 Dec 2018 for dinner, had some tortilla chips for starter and as we were almost finished with the food, we found a strand of hair. We called the attention of one of the young staff (who was chatting with her co-staff and pretending to not see us for quite a while), told her what we just found, and lo and behold all she said was.. "Oh.. that's gross.. let me take that away."<br/><br/>We were a regular customer, having lunch/dinner at this place almost every week as we live nearby BUT NEVER COMING BACK AGAIN EVER!!

(Disclaimer: True rating is 3.5 however on Zomato this is closer to a 3).Three words: the beef burrito. Packed to the brim with fresh cabbage, caramelised onion, salsa, quinoa, black beans and beef, this little sucker packs an absolute punch. It all comes down to the chipotle aioli and the little pieces of crushed tortilla chips, which add a touch of extra flavour and interesting texture respectively. When you pair this burrito with dashes of the restaurant’s complimentary ‘F U Sauce’, the dish is irresistible. It definitely makes you do a little boogie when you bite into it. The only downer is the size of the burrito, which is good to share among other things, but probably not filling enough on its own.

Really enjoyed everything about Fonda! From the minute you enter, you are greeted with friendly staff. I love the colours used in the space as it creates an inviting and fun vibe.<br/>The tortilla chips with guacamole is a must! The corn is delicious but it took me a while to get use to the burst of flavour on the corn.<br/>We tried the quesadillas and really enjoyed. I would love to come back and try the rest of the flavours.<br/>The fish taco is also a must have! Love the feeling of being full but not overly full. Will definitely be back!

Been here once and had the fish burrito and tortillas. Great service but don't really crave it hence haven't been back. Would recommend. Staff were friendly and food was tasty.

I am very disappointed that when I ordered dinner for my partner in the late night. They misunderstand the sweet Patato chips to sweet patato taco ? I then been told they hAve never done sweet patato chips which is fine. But they could clarify they don’t have sweet patato chips instead assumed I wanted sweet patato taco. That’s very different thing. We I bring the food back to exchange they just told me the kitchen is closed nothing can be done but refund. I mean at this late of time all we wanted is food. I don’t care about refund. Sometime refund does not change the fact that we don’t have food. The waitress was very rude as well because she had no attention to even apologize at the start but basically telling me it is my fault I ordered something they never had.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME<br/><br/>I have just had - by far the worst experience I have ever had for a restaurant let alone Fonda. <br/><br/>We arrived at the Fonda - Collingwood , advised the waitress that we were in a bit of a rush as we had a meeting to get back to, so she took our order straight away (we thought)...<br/><br/>Then 25 minutes passed, and we noticed that the kitchen staff were looking pretty cruisey in the kitchen, and everyone else getting their meals but us. <br/><br/>So we went to one of the waiters and wanted to see where our order was, his response was he will look into it. He found the waitress who took our order, in which she still had in her pocket and had not put our order through. <br/><br/>After that, no follow up to us - no apology for not putting the order through. Nothing. <br/><br/>Then 5 minutes passed, and they brought out tortilla chips (thinking these were complimentary for the wait - nope!) this was by accident, the waitress thought we wanted tortilla chips, but indeed we ordered chipolte chips.<br/><br/>5 minutes further passed, and we got our chips (not our tacos, or salad). <br/><br/>We are currently sitting at 50 minutes we have been here. We had to follow up, AGAIN with the waiter (still no apology) Our tacos FINALLY come but no salad in sight. <br/><br/>Salad we ended up having to get as take away. <br/><br/>We proceeded to go to the cashier to pay, explain how bad the service was and how it was handled. And we got a very "pathetic" apology and made us pay for our entire meal. <br/><br/>Please see attached photo of my friend as she had to end up taking her salad as a take away with no take away fork supplied to her and eat it in our car in order for us not miss our work meeting. <br/><br/>To say the least, we will not be coming back to Fonda Collingwood, again.

Nice food, friendly staff, would definitely come here again. Tuna ceviche was great! Also good location with lots of interesting street life to observe

Fresh modern take on Mexican food. Great interior. It was packed with locals on a Tuesday night. I love their soft tacos they are so tasty with fresh ingredients and packed with flavour. Also love the grilled corn both served with beer, gotta say, I'm kinda Fonda of this place.

Really nice interior.. quite modern and open which I love. Also very clean and spatious. <br/>Food had incredible flavours and was quite decently priced compared to some other places similar that I’ve been to! really enjoyed my meal but we definitely ordered too much for two people as it was quite filling! <br/>Will DEFINITELY return.. those quesadillas are too good not to!

Standard Fonda fare. Relaxed vibe and fresh menu. Staff were friendly and service was quick. I ordered the grilled chicken salad. Loved the variety of ingredients. Healthy but really tasty.

Enjoyed my food. Tasted fresh and delicious.... nice clean comfy restaurant. I definitely will be back. Rating under 4 only because of price 😉

Terrible food and service. Had lunch there with a group of colleagues and did not enjoy the food. Its not traditional Mexican, more akin to hipster over priced tiny portioned cafe fare. I had the grilled chicken "burrito" which tasted bitter and left a bitter aftertaste which didn't go away for the rest of the day. It was not spicy at all and I've had better Mexican style wraps and service at McDonalds. I ordered with the other people in my group and my food didn't come out until the others had almost finished theirs and only after I had to ask the waiter where my food was. It appears they overlooked my order which is surprising considering you pay at the counter when you order the food. I will never eat here again and would not recommend it to others.

What a great place! Went there with my girlfriend for a spontaneous catch up- couldn't ask for better service! Food was amazing, our waiter Nathan was amazing, margaritas, just devine! Will def go there again! Well done! Great work!

It looks good - lots of white wood and pastels, and friendly enough but the food doesn't quite do it for me. Small portions and high prices.

I don't understand why this place has such a low rating? I've eaten at a number of Fonda restaurants and this one is as good as the others! I've been here twice and for both times I ordered the pork quesadilla (gf) and corn on the cob and they were both delicious!!!! Corn was charred to perfection and tasted amazing. The quesadilla as per usual was really good too (I'm so glad they have a gluten free option). My friend ordered the beef burrito and they also said it was amazing. Would recommend this place!

Went here for a team lunch of 14 people. Service was quick. The food was fresh and yum but the servings were small. We all left hungry which was disappointing. $25 for a corn chips and a plain salad (no additional meat or veg).

The food here is so good and reasonably priced! There were 3 of us, we ordered 3 entrees, 6 tacos and a quesadilla which came to $90!! I will definitely be coming back!

I am surprised at the low rating here. I have been to several of the Fonda restaurants around Melbourne and they have always been a fresh and vibrant experience, the latest Collingwood branch is no exception. The staff are friendly the space itself is bright and cheery and the food is utterly delicious. Even the toilets are sexy in pretty shades of pink and their signature pastel murals adorn the walls as well as the restaurant exterior. <br/>This was my first visit to Fonda while attempting to eat healthily so I chose the deconstructed salad, the mex bim bap and added the yummy beef I know so well from eating too many pulled brisket tacos on previous occasions. The dish was packed with flavour and hugely enjoyable. Great atmosphere as always too

Service was unfriendly, uncaring and just plan horrible. Food came out quick and was okay. Ordered an additional drink and instead of bringing to us the staff cleaned walls, stamped takeaway boxes and chatted with other staff. Then had to get their attention to get the drink, it came straight away but not even a simple apology. More staff than patrons so the service should have been spot on. They had the potential to do such but it seemed they just did not care. Kitchen staff however seemed to be productive. Will definitely stick to Hotel Jesus in the future :(

I came here on a weeknight. The place was pretty quiet and there were only a few patrons. The service was good. The waiting staff explained the menu and the way for ordering food. I ordered the prawn tacos and shared the chipotle chips, toastada board, grilled chicken salad and grilled chicken quesadillas. The food was pretty average and the prawn tacos which was made up of caramalised kimchi and pineapple, guacamole, betel leaf and japanese mayo wasn't such a good combination but I did enjoy the quesadillas.

The food was nice however more vegetarian options would be good other then mushrooms. As most of the main vegetarian dishes only use mushrooms. However good Mexican food but can be pricey

Fit out is great along with the rest of the Fonda's popping up. Food is a let down for the Fonda name.. corn was chargrilled and looked delicious but clearly Pre charred as it was not even slightly warm with a weird watery texture with only 4 other people (2 tables) in the whole place. Corn chips came with a poor portion of pico de gallo and avo, eating the last 1/3 of the bowl plain. The mex-bim-Bap took longer then it should and the fish taco which bench marks Mexican, if you can't nail the fish taco and corn then you're probably in the wrong cuisine.. was average at best. <br/><br/>Stick to prahran or hotel Jesus up the road. Disappointing as I had more hope for Fonda, maybe over time they will pick up their game.

Food average, staff rude giving you no time of day, space ok. One thing that doesn't sit well with me is the fact that they still serve drinks in jars? Hmmm... Out of all Fonda's Richmond is still my pick of the bunch....

Can’t decide whether to go out for a fun, cheap meal or to a top quality restaurant for your next date night in Melbourne? Why not have both (¿por qué no los dos?) *Cue mariachi music* Fonda does mexican street food and it does it very well. They focus on food that is fresh and meant to be shared, so find someone to share it with and awake your love life from its siesta.

The decor was the only good part of my experience at Fonda; the food was average, staff  wereunfriendly (they clear plates from the table before everyone is finished by reaching over those still eating), and the music was way too loud to even hear the person beside you. I didn't think the quesadillas were worth $15 as they only had a few ingredients so all I could taste was cheese and the dip wasn't paired well. All the food didn't seem that fresh either.

Best experience I have ever had! Great food , great staff. Went with my group of friends and were very looked after. The fit out of the venue is fun and different and we got to sit on the balcony which was great as the night was warm. Will be back !!

Having been to Fonda on Glenferrie Rd and Chapel St, I was excited when I saw them opening this store up, but now I think I'll stay away.<br/><br/>The food portions are too small, and therefore overpriced for what you get. I had a salad, and 1/3 of the bowl was left empty. Taste was the saving grace for the meal, but that isn't enough.<br/><br/>The red wine I had was pretty standard price and quality - so no complaints there. <br/><br/>But the key factor that turned me off was the attitude of the staff. Considering the whole process of ordering and paying requires you to go up to the counter, it probably wouldn't hurt the business if the moody girl behind started smiling and stopped acting like I was the biggest inconvenience of her life.<br/><br/>Appears like Fonda are relying on their brand to attract people to Collingwood, rather than open up a quality and inviting place.

Predictable South side spartan sleek layout that plays obnoxiously loud rap... Never seen this formula before (not). The food overpriced, lacking flavour and underwhelming, pulled pork watery and tasted like tuna. Staff were friendly.. but for the price of the food I expect a little more than self-serve water, sauce and ordering. I wouldn't bother

Not the biggest fan of Mexican food, however Fonda wasn't too bad.<br/>Their salad was healthy and nice <br/>The fish taco could have been more hotter and fresher<br/>Pulled pork taco wasn't bad as well.<br/>Love the watermelon and strawberry juice. <br/><br/>Take your lover, friends or family here for some Mexican food. But if you want my opinion, head down to mamasitas for better Mexican food. <br/>

I queried my partner on how many stars I should give - he said 1.5, and "do you want me to list the reasons?" I gleefully said yes. <br/>"Number one - it's Valentine's Day and they have run out of corn before 8pm." We both agreed that, given that Mexican and mesoamerican cuisine was, indeed, founded on the cultivation of maize - this is the last thing they should run out of. Perhaps bring your own corn and masa just in case.<br/>"Number two - the burrito," he said, referring to our first and only other visit here, when I ordered the Avo Burrito to find that there was, in fact, no avocado in nor near my burrito whatsoever. This was rectified to some degree, however one would think that the name would serve as a reminder to the chef to make some effort to include avocado - though maybe Avo is now just an abstract concept or feeling in Melbourne rather than a proper noun.<br/>"Number three - quinoa." It's in everything, soiling the earth with its pseudo-grain, snarky little hipster personality. You cannot escape Fonda without this sad reminder, lodged between your molars. Positively the top way to ruin any burrito.<br/>"Number four - where are the drinks?" He said to me, thirstily, while wiping the salt and searching desperately for an oasis or cactus from which to drain moisture at our table. It's been 25 minutes, we've had the majority of our food, yet no sign of those drinks. I'm sure they'll be great when they do arrive, however...<br/>He would also like me to add that Corona in a can is a carnal sin.<br/>And so, while I would agree with his 1.5 based on the above, I need to mention the chipotle chips and pork quesadilla - I could eat these to the point where 'excess' is a distant memory, they are so good, and so I have to bump it up a bit...

Terrible staff that couldn't figure out how to relocate us from inside to outside after we had orders. Tasteless food..! We left half. Definitely won't be returning. JUNK!

Tastes great. A new take on the classic burrito without straying too far from what makes burritos great. That being said, portions are too small. Was not full when I left. You're supposed to be full after you eat a burrito.

The newest Fonda opened up last week in Collywood, and I supposed I should have checked it out given it’s proximity to the home base (and Messina). I’ve seen its mini-transformation from a weird cheesecake shop and barber and was eager to see what they’d do with the resulting space. It's fab. Along with Hotel Jesus we’ve had a mini-influx of Mexican in the area and Fonda brings the same characteristic charms as its other stores. Not sure if this store has yet found it’s footing, the dishes were on the rushed/ dry side and not quite on par with my other Fonda experiences. Pricey, but clean (too clean) Mexican flavours. The fit out at Fonda is fantastic and although I didn’t see all the levels, there’s a lot of potential with the three storeys (and courtyard) and I’m sure it’ll be a hip get together place in no time.