La Fortaleza
“Went with my wife and 2 year old son for a birthday lunch and Gretty our waitress was magnificent.”
“Food was good – we got nachos, guacamole, and jalapeño poppers for appetizers, all very fresh and authentic.”
“Only thing is no BYOB anymore but still a good place to eat, lots of Mexican decor to look at every time I go.”
La Fortaleza
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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We live far from Garfield but my wife works around here and she was here for an office party and loved it. I came here for dinner recently and was impressed – the decor is kitschy Mexican which makes it fun.
Gauc was good but the chips were a bit stale. The patron bottle margarita comes with a mini bottle of patron turned upside down in the margarita. That was a strong and pretty good drink. $15 though but all we needed was one. The family was very impressed with the presentation of the drink. They have a similar corona one for a bit less.
The entrees were great as was the service. Popular with the birthday crowd as they do the sparkler, hat and yelling on a megaphone routine. Overall a fun place with good food.
I was in between the 3/4 star rating so we'll say 3.5 for La Fortaleza.
For those driving, the place offers plenty of parking. The place is filled with vibrant colors and Mexican art and decorations – Frida, Sombreros, Pinata? I may have thrown that in there.
I started off trying their Lime Margaritas-on the rocks. We then ordered the Guacamole ($8) Guacamole is so important…and this was not up to par to other Mexican restaurants I have visited. It was watery, bland, and believe it or not…we did not finish it. I don't recall the last time I have left guacamole unfinished.
I had the Mexican Cemita (sandwich) filled with avacado, Oaxacan cheese, jalapeno. This was pretty damn good! For dessert, we had the Churrasco ice-cream. I'll recommend this one as well.
As far as service, our waitress was nice when she came to attend us but we were soon forgotten due to the big parties that began arriving. To get the dessert menu and the check, it started to become a bit of a staring contest.
Just FYI not sure if this is a daily thing but around 6 PM (Wed) they had 2 singers and a lady who does a traditional Mexican dance stop by. It was nice but it was non-stop so if you sit around the area where they perform expect it get loud!
I wish I can give a 3.5 star. I've had delivery as well as dine-in. I'd give my delivery experience a 4 and the dine-in a 3. That averages out to 3.5.
I've passed this place a lot and had always been curious to try it out. I was mainly attracted to the funky decor as well as the cute VW delivery car with sombrero hat on top. I finally got a chance to come here with my co-workers on a Friday afternoon for lunch. We were a party of 4 and it was not that busy. For some reasons, though, our server was rather slow, not quite attentive, and it took us some times to get her attention to ask for the check.
Don't get me wrong though, the food was really on-point. I would highly recommend the chimichanga and the milanese de pollo sandwich. Really reasonable price for the portion size
Comida Mexicana! Come here, you're gonna wanna.
Looking to celebrate something? They go all out here for special occasions. My sister made a reservation for her bday, when we arrived they already had a balloon set up by our table. And not like a plain, 60 cent Party City balloon. A huge, legit, "happy birthday" balloon. It was a pleasant surprise and a much appreciated touch.
BYO, so no alcohol as of yet. Buttt, if you bring wine they're able to make it into sangria for you. Si, por favor!
Decor is kitchy. Bright and colorful, with signs and chotskis everywhere. No actual place settings, they throw a roll of paper towels and a cup with utensils on the table and call it a day.
The menu was pretty big, not too many vegetarian options so I decided to go with a side salad (Viva la dieta) and the veggie burrito. The food was run of the mill, but the prices were great! $5 for the salad, $8 for the burrito. Que barato!
Service was spectacular! Our server, Chris, was friendly and genuine. When dessert time came, he and two others came out with loud instruments, funky hats, and practically a firework for a candle to sing happy birthday. Que divertido!
They really go above and beyond here. Next time you're looking to celebrate a special event with a whimsical and playful atmosphere, you know where to go -Fortaleza FTW!
FUN FUN FUN atmosphere if you're in a good mood for something loud and zany. Otherwise steer clear, it might all be too obnoxious.
Things I loved:
-This place is basically a shrine to Frida Kahlo
-Free giant guac with check-in offer
-Margaritas (nice and strong!) are served in clay pots (adorable!)
-Great selection of hot sauces
-Great for birthday parties – they bring you a sombrero and balloons and everyone sings
-Churros are delicious – but only order if there's more than 2 of you as they give you A LOT
-Host and service left nothing to be desired, all was perfect!
One Thing I didn't love:
-The fish tacos underwhelmed me….just corn tortillas with some fish and cilantro on them.. very bare bones, would not order again
Will definitely be back to sample more of the menu.
Was not blown away with the food here. Okay Mexican food, fun atmosphere though. I got one of the sandwiches, not much flavor, was looking for a little more from it.I got the Fried steak with avocado and Mexican cheese, not much flavor at all, steak was not really seasoned much either. They are about to get their liquor license so I am interested in seeing if they have a good happy hour. I will be back to try some of their more traditional dishes like the quesadilla or burrito.
loved it!
I went on a Friday night. It looks like a small hole in the wall. When you walk in it is PACKED. Lots of tables and they can hold large parties.
It is BYOB! and they also can provide margarita mix, along with other mixers for whatever you bring. We had a few bottles of wine that they were able to open for us.
It was a great opportunity for me to practice my Spanish. They have karaoke going, plenty of families celebrating, waitors singing happy birthday (in Spanish), etc. IT IS LIVELY! So don'tgo if you want a quiet night out lol.
The staff was very friendly, helpful and efficient.
I had the steak fajitas and YUM! The steak was tender (maybe slightly salty) but well seasoned and PLENTY of food. The food was also reasonably priced.
Parking is limited in the lot but you can also find some on the street.
I;ll be back!
I am kind of in between a 3 and a 4! We came in and were seated immediately. There were 2 other tables seated with 5-6 people at it. We didn't get water or drinks ordered until about 15 minutes later. Check in via yelp and get a free guacamole, now it's worth it to get for free, but not worth the $8. Definitely isn't fresh, maybe it was made the same day but it had been made earlier and just had that not fresh avocado taste.
We ordered a pitcher of mango and a lime, one pitcher could have been easily shared by 4 people and most of our pitcher went to waste! Also it was $9 per pitcher, it would be nice to have known that before ordering. It doesn't show that on the menu and our waiter didn't tell us this either. Now on to the food, I am from Texas and I know my Tex-Mex and I know authentic Mexican food, i ordered the chicken enchiladas with the verde sauce which had a nice spice to it. I loved my meal! You get 3 enchiladas to a plate which is more than enough. Their salsa is also delicious, tastes fresh, and has a nice spicy kick to it! If this place just did a little better with the attending of tables, and made the guacamole fresh per table…. I could definitely give it 5 stars!