Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
We have been customers of La Fonda for over twenty-five years, and for six years, after we moved to Baja as our main home, we were regulars at Sunday
brunch and it was our first choice for a place to take visitors for a meal and a view.
When Joe Dmytri sold the business to the Las Vegas group, everything changed, except the rooster and hen wandering the patios.
The Good:
1. The new owners dramatically upgraded the infrastructure; they replaced the antiquated, very old kitchen with a stainless steel refit with a fire
prevention system (I hope).
2. They greatly expanded the dining room and patio to take full advantage of the world class ocean views.
3. They remodeled/upgraded the accommodations (not that I know this first hand)
The Bad:
1. Their total indifference to the ideas/opinions/service to their local customer base (i.e., living in Baja year-round, the customers who can keep
you alive during the off season). If you want to know where many locals go now, it’s to Ruben’s Bar and Grill at Las Gaviotas. I can’t count how
many people have come up to me during Sunday brunch at Ruben's, saying, “I recognize you from seeing you at La Fonda; I stopped going there because
the food got so awful.”
2. The last few times we had dinner there (here’s how the conversation went, “Well, we liked it so much in the past, maybe things have improved.”
Well, our dinner was terrible and when we complained, the staff/management just shrugged.
3. Most important of all, is the terrible hygiene practices regarding the food handling standards for the buffet(s). They put out huge amounts of
food in giant pots and let it stand without replacement. As of the last time we were there, no sneeze guards protected the food. We have directly
witnessed people picking food out of the serving containers, tasting it and putting back into the pot. One local couple who are friends of ours went
back to brunch there a couple of months ago for the same reason we did, fond memories of the past, and they were sick for days afterward.
So, if you go, my recommendation is to go for a drink (alcoholic, it kills the germs) and a world class ocean view, especially at sunset.
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