BajaNomad - La Fonda Rip Of supporters

La Fonda Rip Of supporters

Anonymous - 8-21-2004 at 01:30 PM

Why does this board turn its nose at the rip offs goin on at la fonda? for all the of the good people screwed after years of D's *************************** *************** the clique on this board cant believe its happening, ****************** ***************** ***********.

***************************.

answer the question WHY? :saint:

[Edited on 8-22-2004 by BajaNomad]

Anonymous indeed

thebajarunner - 8-21-2004 at 01:49 PM

My pet peeve on this board is folks hiding behind the "Big A"
I would strongly recommend not responding to this post since 'it' does not have the guts to identify 'its' self.
And I got no dog in this La Fonda fight, just a strong revulsion to those who don't "come out."

Baja Arriba

Mexitron - 8-21-2004 at 01:50 PM

Personally never been there, and less likely with all the bad press......maybe Baja Blackie is a better person to ask....he seems to like the ruthless businessman type. :lol:

[Edited on 8-21-2004 by Mexitron]

Another brilliant and most informative post

jrbaja - 8-21-2004 at 02:46 PM

made by some piece of anonymous. They just get smarter all the time don't they? :lol:

bajaandy - 8-21-2004 at 03:55 PM

I don't go to La Fonda either. Maybe if
Anonymous Unregistered didn't go there they wouldn't get ripped off.

Dislike Anonymous Posters also BUT

Baja Bernie - 8-21-2004 at 04:35 PM

I started going to La Fonda's in 1964 when Eve Stocker owned the place. Demetri (spelling) took it over after her death, She supposedly tripped over one of her cats and broke her neck while on a moonlite stroll in her garden-- but that is another story and does NOT involve Demetri.
Anyway, most people who have been going there, we quit twenty years ago, know to really check the bill and to count their change, IF THEY CAN. Good food, but with the added tare quite expensive.

PS--Used to love the old waiter who would finally bring your shrimp coctail to the table as you finished eating.

Some night park with your lights off, facing north, and watch the rats, as big a rabbits, scurry across the road. I always wondered where they were going.

[Edited on 8-21-2004 by Baja Bernie]

Germanicus - 8-21-2004 at 05:28 PM

Baja Bernie, asking where the rats go, those as big as rabbits????????
Don't you know that Mexicans do have big pans?

Don't order

jrbaja - 8-21-2004 at 05:31 PM

the fried chicken! :lol:

surfer jim - 8-21-2004 at 10:42 PM

Answer the question WHY?....because we can :lol:

David K - 8-21-2004 at 11:27 PM

It's not just us evil Baja Nomads spreading rumors! Go to Fred's board... someone just posted that La Fonda hotel lost a week's reservation (pre paid by a returning guest)!!! Would not honor it...

BajaNomad - 8-22-2004 at 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Baja Bernie
...watch the rats, as big a rabbits, scurry...

I've seen 'em scurrying down the halls outside the door to my room when I've been there.... didn't faze me much since I didn't see/hear them IN the room... but I know it would give some folks the creepies to know/see that.

--
Doug

Bob H - 8-22-2004 at 10:33 AM

We have been stopping at La Fonda for years, and have never been ripped off. Never seen a rat. Never had a bad meal there. Never had bad service. Never never never. But, I have enjoyed my meal with a live chicken watching me! :lol:

Bob H

Anonymous - 9-3-2004 at 08:03 PM

I have spent many wonderful days at La Fonda. My wife and I have not had a bad adventure there. Althought it has been several years since our last visit, I believe things can change over a period of time. Is it possible Dometre has sold the place, and the new owners are causeing all the discotent?

JESSE - 9-3-2004 at 08:24 PM

As all of you know, i am also in the group that thinks La Fonda is just not good, i wouldnt recommend the place to anyone, i get better service at any local Taco stand than there.

DanO - 9-3-2004 at 09:30 PM

Honestly, where is the cheese to go with that whine? I likewise have been going to La Fonda for many years. I've always liked it for the funk factor. The donkey and the chicken coop (ok, so I don't miss that, ah, aroma). Stumbling down the slippery path to the great waves out front. Wacky furniture and ornamental televisions (one of my kids turned one on the last time we were there and I was amazed that it actually worked). Steamed clams and a cold one at sunset. The world's worst jazz combo. Bedside fireplaces. Showers with windows to the beach ("hey, isn't that your wife up there taking a shower, dude?").

The Four Seasons it ain't, and it doesn't aspire to be. To the contrary, for the amount of food you get (I can practically feed my whole family with one plate of codorniz), the prices are pretty reasonable. Jesse is right, it's no taco stand either, but that's really comparing apples with oranges. (I'll put in a plug for my two favorite taco stands here as well -- El Trailero and La Floresta -- if you know them, you know where they are.)

With very few exceptions, I've always enjoyed the quality of the food at La Fonda, and the c-cktails can't be beat. The service can be slow, but hey, slow the hell down, take a deep breath and relax. It'll get there and if you're in a hurry, you're in the wrong place. I have learned to be careful dealing with the waiters, but I could say the same about more than one place stateside. A fool and his money are soon parted no matter where you are. As for the hotel, I've never had a room reservation lost, and have always been treated with respect by the restaurant and hotel staff (even if we've had some, say, corrections to work out on bills).

As for wildlife, I've been there plenty of late nights, on the beach, on the stairs, in the parking lot, even on the frickin' roof (don't ask why), and I haven't seen any rabbit sized rats or chupacabras or whatever. The rats that infested my apartment building in New York back in the early 80s, on the other hand, were something to behold (and let's not even get into how big the roaches were).

The way I see it, complaining about La Fonda is like complaining about some show you don't like on TV. Don't like it? Don't go there. Simple. For those that have been offended by their experiences, go ahead and post, but if I were someone who'd never been there before, I'd go and draw my own conclusions.

My 2 cents.

elgatoloco - 9-3-2004 at 09:34 PM

amen

Nikon - 9-3-2004 at 09:59 PM

That was pretty eloquent, DanO. This is not in refute, I've never been in exactly the right writing mood before to tell my experience; I made my first visit for dinner with friends from Chula Vista, among them the mayor, and her husband. Dimitri knew the others and brought over a bottle of wine, a gift. We had drinks, then dinner, and I alone ordered a piece of pie for dessert, paying for it with a twenty, since the dinner bill had already been paid. So the waiter doesn't return with the change, and we flag someone down to go and ask about it. The guilty party can't be found, so we enlist the aid of Dimitri, and it's revealed that the guy who took the order wasn't a waiter, but a busboy and further, has already clocked out and gone home! Much discussion between Dimitri and the union steward, but no one wants to come up with the change, HEY I COULD HAVE BEEN LYING ABOUT IT ALL!

Hey, at least I didn't lose my date as another guy had a couple years earlier when his lady stepped outside for some air and disappeared into a thin layer of it instead.

Well, DanO

FrankO - 9-3-2004 at 10:09 PM

it's great you set the bar low. That way you're never disappointed! :lol:

Try Pat and Bob's place up the road. Killer rooms.

DanO - 9-4-2004 at 09:19 AM

Everything's relative -- different people take different things away from each experience. Same goes for the place I think you're talking about, Hotel La Mision. I stayed there once, when I couldn't get a room at La Fonda. We had the big room with the jacuzzi, which was nice (TV worked, heh), but way too noisy at night with all the partyers right outside in the parking lot and in the trailer area. I've also eaten there a number of times (particularly when La Fonda's restaurant was closed) and I found the food and service to be pretty good. The view from their restaurant balcony is great for a long lunch.

David K - 9-4-2004 at 09:54 AM

Hmmm... interesting thread!

I think I will go back to La Fonda just because of this thread! I ate there once, last year with the Humfreville's and El Camote (down for the first booksigning at the nearby Pyramid Resort). As I think I posted before, dinner was awesome (I had leg of lamb, I think), but the bill was wrong.

We did have breakfast that year and again at this year's booksigning, at Hotel La Mision's restaurant and was good both times. Great view too!

Herb - 9-4-2004 at 10:26 AM

I agree with DanO's last post that different people will come away with different opionions about a place. The fact is that no business will stay in business unless the majority of the people who go there have a positive experience.

But I also think that no one should rush to try to discredit the validity of someone sharing information about their bad experiences with a place just because you've never had a bad one there. After all, that is one of the main things I looks for in a Baja Board is for people to share their experences, good or bad, to help me decide on places to try.

I've never been charged more than the stated price for anything there, never been robbed and never seen that rats. However, I've met Bernie, Doug and Cyndarouh and cannot imagine a reason in the world they would make up their experiences, so I'm willing to believe they have happened. And there have been enough "happenings" at La Fonda to convince me of one thing: Nice guy or not, the owner is not a good manager and the place is not well run. You can explain away one bad incident as a rogue employee, but not a pattern as has been demonstrated by the numerous complaints posted here and elsewhere. That is a reflection of leadership. Case in point... How many of you have ever been "ripped-off" at the El Rosario gas station or the Baja Cactus Motel? I'm sure it could happen, but you would be hard pressed to find enough stories to show a pattern.

I personally believe the food is very good, the view is awesome and the rooms are funky/cute. With that said, I rarely go there anymore simply because I believe it is over priced by Mexican standards for everything. I live within walking dinstance of the Redondo Beach Pier and can get tasty $20 seafood meals with killer ocean views without ever starting up my car's engine. I'm also not particularly fond (no pun intended) of the loud obnoxious clientele that they typically attract. (Last time I ate brunch there, there was a family complaining about how much Mexican food was being served.) Still, I have frequently taken first time baja visitors and guests there just because I know that it is "what they are looking for" in a Baja "experience."

To each his own...

But please keep the reviews coming!

The Bottom Line

Mike Humfreville - 9-4-2004 at 01:07 PM

to me is:

I know the habits of La Fonda and if I continue to go there I know what to watch for and can take care of my own problems.

The value of this thread is to make OTHERS aware of what to watch for, not just to bad mouth a place many of us opt for.

Just be aware of the situations you might get into there.

[Edited on 9-4-2004 by Mike Humfreville]

FrankO - 9-4-2004 at 01:58 PM

Maybe I came across a bit harsh in that previous reply. That happens on occassion. Actually there is a couple who rent out some pretty awesome private rooms. They are in the place behind the big stone wall halfway between the two hotels. You drive up to their place by going thru La Misions parking lot. Dimytri knows them, he had actually referred them to me.

DanO - 9-4-2004 at 02:40 PM

That sounds like Colonel Lyons', the place with the big lion on the wall. My brother stayed there once a long time ago. They have a huge spotlight that they sometimes use at night to illuminate certain, uh, shenanigans going on down on the beach. Not that I would know about such things, but I have this friend . . .

Dave - 9-6-2004 at 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FrankO
Maybe I came across a bit harsh in that previous reply. That happens on occassion. Actually there is a couple who rent out some pretty awesome private rooms. They are in the place behind the big stone wall halfway between the two hotels. You drive up to their place by going thru La Misions parking lot. Dimytri knows them, he had actually referred them to me.

Hacienda Del Encanto, owned by Bob and Pat Gee. Some of the nicest folks you will ever meet.

Phone# 011-52-646-0310

JESSE - 9-6-2004 at 12:36 PM

I guess we can all agree that La Fonda gets a "C" rating as far as service, a "C+" as far as food, and an "A" as far as athmosphere and view. Many will keep going there based on the view alone, but with my experience in Baja restaurants i can honestly say the place has some of the worse waiters around, slightly better than what you find at any of those nasty Tijuana and Rosarito bars.

The place is much too nice and they seem to be making enough money to hire some decent waiters, otherwise, what good is the view and the food if you can get ripped off or discriminated against.

Just my two cents.

DanO - 9-6-2004 at 01:44 PM

I'd give the food a solid B. 2+2=4.

pappy - 9-11-2004 at 01:27 AM

my eperiences there have been bad service, decent fod and one heck of a view.the funk factor rates high as well.yes, have had issues with the bill, but easily resolved.the ultimate rip is the unfortunate experience my friends had there when they were robbed at gunpoint in the lot and relieved of their vehicle and all that it contained.fortunately, about a week later they got their truck back in good shape, sans the contents..

Barney - 9-23-2004 at 08:28 PM

My wife and I have had many of great times at La Fomda, althought we have not been there in a year or so, I realize things can, and will change over time. So what is the truth about Demitri and La Fonda? I know he wanted to sell the place the last couple of times we were there.

The truth about Dimitri

jrbaja - 9-23-2004 at 09:39 PM

cannot be told by anyone other than Dimitri, no ? :light:

The rest falls under Novela or Soap opera in gringo terms! :light:

They still have the second best chips in Baja. :biggrin:

elgatoloco - 9-23-2004 at 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jrbaja

They still have the second best chips in Baja. :biggrin:

Let us in, JR! Por favor! :saint:

Bob H - 9-24-2004 at 07:54 AM

Audrey and I have had many meals at La Fonda over the years. Even when they were in the old place, the food and view were outstanding. Waiters were "so-so". And we never, ever, got the runaround with our bill. The new La Fonda is a big improvement in service over the old place, for sure. I'd still go there any time I can! That Sunday brunch is unreal.... and unlimited bloody mary's included!

Bob H

And now announcing

jrbaja - 9-24-2004 at 08:51 AM

The best Tortilla Chips in all of Baja, drum roll please, Tomi, la cocinera in the Club Marlin, El Centenario makes the best in my opinion. Dimitris a fairly close second, and home made ones from Flaco coming in third.
I should also mention that Chipotles in Rosarito makes flavored tortillas and chips. I believe there were 3 or 4 different flavors including chipotle and other south of the border spices.
Really good but disqualified them from the competition because this was for "standard, everyday tortilla chips".
The first two took the lead because of taste and consistency in the fact that they have always been "that good" on every visit to these places.
Flaco lost points because we never knew what they would taste like although, never bad. :biggrin:

PJC - 9-28-2004 at 06:06 PM

A little slander from the whining commie-lib gallery will only incite my laughter.

Take this to the OFF-TOPIC forum and let's discuss my business dealings at length. Will you?

Quote:

Originally posted by Mexitron
Baja Blackie is a better person to ask....he seems to like the ruthless businessman type. :lol:

[Edited on 8-21-2004 by Mexitron]

synch - 9-29-2004 at 08:16 AM

Is La Fonda in Rosarito?

Closer to Ensenada

jrbaja - 9-29-2004 at 08:27 AM

It's in the La Mission area and you take the Alisitos exit off the toll road. Look for lots of cars.
The people will all be inside trying to get the rest of their change. :lol:

Gringo Tax!

bigzaggin - 9-29-2004 at 09:41 AM

A few extra bucks tacked onto the tab? For years I've alloted an extra $20+ for every mission, no matter how long, knowing I'd rather get shortchanged a tad than suffer the details, calculations and arguments. Call it lazy, say I'm perpetuating bad habits, but most people I meet in Baja need $4 more than I do and I think there's a karmic exchange (i.e. more fish/surf).

GRANTED, I won't get hosed big-time and know when/where to put ye olde foot down...and maybe La Fonda is such a place. I haven't eaten there in years and rarely surf there (as I'm not on the SDSU surf team) but allz I'm sayin' is ask yourself if this much stress over a little check tampering is worth it.

Anyway, north of Ensenada....WHAT DO YOU WANT?!

Nikon - 9-29-2004 at 10:18 AM

Why not wear a sign "Make Me Your b-tch" when you walk into La Fonda, and complete your image?

FrankO - 9-29-2004 at 11:56 AM

Now that's funny. :lol:

I thought so too.

jrbaja - 9-29-2004 at 03:34 PM

And, after I made the earlier post, we went to Ensenada to pick up some school supplies from a certain human down there.
And, on the way home, Carol not being interested in readiing the crap on here says, "let's go to La Fonda for lunch". :lol:

So, after hiring everyone we could find outside as security guards linking hands around the truck, we braved our way into the den of bandits.
After finding a table, (there were four other tables with victims) we ordered our drinks, eyeing the probable robber/waiter and his every move suspiciously. We knew he was up to something ! After all, this is La Fonda.
Carol thought it a little strange after I placed our chairs with the backs to each other, but she has seen weirder stuff come out of me!
We then had them bring one more table so we could each have one facing any of these criminals so we would be ready for anything from any direction.
Now, we were comfortable and ready for a nice relaxing lunch.
Unfortunately, we were in the mood for prime rib sandwiches of which they didn't have any.
Obviously, the waiters families enjoy prime rib sandwiches because they had to have gone somewhere. Pretty suspicious if you ask me. Dimitri and Sara didn't know either.
So, after a pleasant conversation with a couple who had lived through a night there last year and us just having the chips and a drink, we left unscathed and paid the 30 security guards around the truck.
Only cost us about $83.00 dollars for 2 drinks without lunch but hey, the bill was right on the money and the truck was still there.
Viva Baja and the tranquility available here! :lol:

[Edited on 9/29/2004 by jrbaja]

elgatoloco - 9-29-2004 at 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jrbaja
Only cost us about $83.00 dollars for 2 drinks without lunch but hey, the bill was right on the money and the truck was still there.
Viva Baja and the tranquility available here! :lol:

[Edited on 9/29/2004 by jrbaja]

$83.00!!!!!! You must have JUST missed Happy Hour!!!! :lol:

I dunno

jrbaja - 9-29-2004 at 04:13 PM

they all seemed pretty happy the hour we were there :light:

Anonymous - 9-29-2004 at 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
It's not just us evil Baja Nomads spreading rumors! Go to Fred's board... someone just posted that La Fonda hotel lost a week's reservation (pre paid by a returning guest)!!! Would not honor it...

The food ripoffs are infamous and the room ripoffs are legendary for years. Tht's why they have been in the mood to sell the place for ten or more years and no one has bought.

After reading all of the ripoffs and the kindly old ladies (kindly old lady voice) ""now, you be careful down there in baja"", comments...lets admit it, we accept the frauds we want to.

The frauds we like, the frauds we dont mind, the frauds that make us laugh and pour us a drink.... :yes:

oh, sweet oblivion :lol:

"Sweet Oblivion"

Nikon - 9-29-2004 at 08:17 PM

This is apropos of nothing on this thread, it just felt weird seeing that term again after thirty nine years. That's what Alex, from Arkansas, used to say in Panama when he took his first drink of the night. We always carried him up the stairs of the barracks for the night, when the drinking was done.

allz I'm sayin is...

bigzaggin - 9-29-2004 at 11:56 PM

if you think any measure of complaining and bill bickering will affect change on any greedy businessfolk, in Mex or elsewhere, you're tragically mistaken. The very basis of this thread is that La Fonda has been ripping people off "forever."

There's always another taco stand, llantera, bottle shop, etc. just down the road...go there instead. Finding honest people takes less time than trying to reform crooks.

la fonda crooks

Anonymous - 9-30-2004 at 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigzaggin
if you think any measure of complaining and bill bickering will affect change on any greedy businessfolk, in Mex or elsewhere, you're tragically mistaken. The very basis of this thread is that La Fonda has been ripping people off "forever."

There's always another taco stand, llantera, bottle shop, etc. just down the road...go there instead. Finding honest people takes less time than trying to reform crooks.

i agree.
but isnt it interesting how many baja frauds are supported by the clique?
that is exactly why one must shop around and take what is said, anywhere witha grain of salt.
i mostly lurk, not enough time to devote to any online life. but, i one could make a list of the double standards and fraud supporters...
:lol:

For some reason

jrbaja - 9-30-2004 at 11:47 AM

"not enough time to devote to any online life. but, i one could make a list of the double standards and fraud supporters... "

This piece of anonymous sounds just like the rest of them. If it weren't for blah blah blah, I could blah blah blah.
While insinuating they know a lot about Baja while having vacationed here once or twice. :lol:

Anonymous...

bigzaggin - 9-30-2004 at 02:39 PM

Jesus, you get a seriously bum rap for being "anonymous" around these parts. As if every screen name on this site the reveals the home address of its owner. Also as if being registered implies a deep knowledge of Baja. Hopefully I never stumble on team self-righteous with flat spare halfway between Canoas and Catavina.

Well, I would help them anyway but enough with the holier-than-thou 'tude.

Now, someone get me a cold ballena from the cooler!

Anonymous for the new guys

jrbaja - 9-30-2004 at 03:40 PM

Anonymous posters in the past have been blatant pompous ass gringos who do nothing but try and stir up trouble with quotes or babble they have heard from someone else or out of the gringo gazzoot and seldom have been able to prove they have a mind of their own.
Forgive me for generalizing but living here and listening to what generally comes out of nameless posters gets old after a while.
Know what I mean ?

This may come as a surprise to you but many on here that use their handles to post have some really valuable information.
This hasn't been true with nameless posters and with the potential for so many of them, it's just a little confusing as to which anonymous is which or what they have to say. Thus the attitude :light:

JR..your point is exactly on target

Gypsy Jan - 9-30-2004 at 06:19 PM

If anyone is interested, back at the beginning of this thread is the first answer to Anonymous, which outlines the situation perfectly.

Those of us who register are, thanks to the freedom of the Internet, disclosing as much as we are comfortable with, and perhaps enhancing or refining our wishes about how we wish to be perceived.

To me, *Anonymous* posters kind of resemble that boiling soup of guck that the Terminator 2 got dropped into at the end of the movie. The pot boils and rumbles and every once in a while, something ugly sticks its head up out of the muck to try and stir things up on the outside again.

Just IMHO

Dave - 9-30-2004 at 07:52 PM

I've read all the threads accusing Joe and Sara of ripping people off with amusement.

1. La Fonda is the only gringo tourist restaurant on the coast that is consistantly busy. In fact, when every other place is empty, they are full.

2. Their clientele is mainly repeat business that they have developed over thirty years.

These are facts and can only lead to two seperate conclusions:

Either the derogatory stories are false or...Most everyone who goes there is an idiot.

Help me out with this gato. Are we idiots? They say you're always the last to know. :biggrin:

elgatoloco - 10-1-2004 at 08:47 AM

Yes we are idiots!!!!!!!

Meet you there for dinner Sunday?
:lol:

get over it!

nombre descondido - 10-5-2004 at 05:03 PM

Did someone call the whambulance? Jesus h. christ.

If you don't like it, don't go back.

And get two ballenas while you're up.

JESSE - 10-5-2004 at 05:10 PM

Idiots everywhere.

elgatoloco - 10-5-2004 at 05:33 PM

Had dinner there last night! Nice sunset,soothing guitar, good c-cktails,great meal,fabulous company. The bill was right on and the car was there when we walked out. :lol:

See you there soon?

David K - 10-5-2004 at 07:07 PM

You know that Aztec pyramid (smaller than original naturally) on the west side of the toll road, south of Rosarito and Cantamar? Well that is where the Pyramid Resort is (Plaza del Mar), and the next exit after passing that pyramid is signed (one or more of these): Plaza del Mar, Alistos, La Mision... take that exit!!! and when you hit the old (free) road, you are almost across the street from La Fonda, just south of Hotel La Mision and Alistos K-58 beach. :wow:

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Or not.

DanO - 11-10-2004 at 04:03 PM

The only time I've ever had to sleep with one eye open at La Fonda was when the knucklehead my sister was dating started tossing firecrackers down our fireplace chimney one night. Nothing like an exploding fire to get the ol' adrenalin pumping. He got what was coming to him a short time later, when my sister threw up all over him in their bed. Heh. Tequila is the perfect instrument of revenge.

Good one "Hose A"...you snagged one!

CasaManzana - 11-10-2004 at 04:54 PM

:lol:

paul r - 11-11-2004 at 08:20 PM

la fonda is the classic mexican road house, and sara and joe will be missed even by nut-jobs that allow themselves to get screwed.... all nomads should stop by and wish sara and joe well!!!