Amanda’s Fonda

Great margaritas and great food! The queso with the chorizo was amazing! Great service as well. Ask for Monica!

I love Mexican food, and this one of my favorites, but not typical tex/​mex. Their chunky salsa and guacamole are simply the best anywhere, and the spinach mushroom enchiladas are unique and delicious. Prices are quite reasonable, and service was excellent.

Love love love this place!!! Every Tuesday taco Tuesday!!! My mother and I go and get the carnitas tacos and they are awesome every time!!! The servers are awesome!!!

We went to Amanda’s Fonda on N. Academy hoping it was better than the one on the West Side, which I tried years ago and found lacking. Sadly, the shiny new building and fancier décor didn’t improve the quality of the food. We each got 3-​item combos so we could sample a cross-​section of the offerings. Each of us got a relleno, hers soft, mine crispy. Aside from the Anaheim chilies being stringy and tough, they were as hot as firecrackers. It was more like punishment than culinary delight. Her standard beef taco and ground beef enchilada were passable, and she liked the homemade taste of the corn tortillas. My pork enchilada was filled with chunks of meat that seemed like they’d been cooked too long, just dry and not the least bit tender. They don’t offer pork tamales, only chicken and beef, so I ordered the chicken. Instead of nicely simmered, shredded chicken, it appeared to be just chunks of mostly dark meat chicken with massa pressed around it. I’d be surprised if their tamales ever got within a mile of a corn husk. The rice was very bland, and the slaw seemed out of place.
On the good side, the chips and salsa were terrific, and our server, cute as a bug, did a good job.

Tried this place yesterday, got a free queso with my Unilocal check in and it was outstanding!!! I am dreaming about it for lunch today!!!

Our service from Guadalupe was absolutely fantastic. I was truly impressed by her great personality, knowledge of the menu, recommendations, positive attitude, and attentiveness. She was really great.
I also liked the interior of the restaurant– it’s really cute and colorful and comfortable.
We also appreciated the young men who kept filling our chips and salsa. I wished the chips were saltier (I know I can add my own salt) and I thought the salsa had too strong of a cilantro taste.
However I unfortunately was really disappointed with the food. I ordered a chicken tamale and a beef tamale and they fell apart and just didn’t taste good at all. I also didn’t care for the runny refried beans and thought the cabbage salad was really weird and not tasty. Most of our table (a group of six) were disappointed in their food too.
Way to go, Lupe, though! You were delightful! :)

Second visit to Amanda’s Fonda at the Academy location is our last. It was so bad, I left no tip and you know how bad it has to be for me to leave NO tip! It began with the drinks… OMG, if it begins with the drinks, you know you’re in trouble! Hubs ordered a beer (ok, simple enough, eh?) and I ordered the Black & Gold margarita. Both were served, but we had asked the waitress for a glass for the beer — no glass delivered. So, we had to ask a second person to bring a glass and after 10 minutes, when the waitress arrive with WATER, we told her we had asked for a glass twice and still had not received it. All the time… I’m drinking my Black & Gold that has almost NO alcohol in it — it was mostly raspberry liqueur and orange juice. Anyway, waitress now returns with a DIRTY glass from the bar! Hubs points this out and gets cheek back from the waitress that it is just ice marks. He then holds up the glass in the light and she realizes the glass is in fact dirty. So, off she goes again (now obviously mad at us???). Eventually a bartender comes out with a clean glass with a slice of lime on it — that’ s first for both!!! Now, hubs realizes the glass is not cold, but drinks his warm beer instead. OK, now that sounds like enough to go wrong right? — NOPE! Now we ordered our meal… and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited (yeah, we were just as frustrated as you are at reading this review by now!). Finally, after many people before us were served (yes, do believe staff were pissed at us about the beer and glass issue), we received our food. Now, can it get any worse? You betcha! I ordered actually a fantastic dish they call Molcajete, which in reality is the name of the bowl the dish is served in. A molcajete, pronounced mol-cah-hay’-tay, is a stone mortar bowl used in preparation of food, but can also be used a cooking and serving bowl. This dish, which was an awesome combination of skirt steak and chicken with bell-​type peppers and onions cooked in a cheesy sauce, was cooked in this bowl inside a very hot oven on a board of wood and it is as hot as red-​hot coals when served. Along with the dish, you should receive fresh flour tortillas. So, sounds like a little extra precaution should be used when serving this dish, wouldn’t you say? Well… I got the fright of my life when the waiter attempted with one hand to hold this dish (which is also very heavy) and bring me another plate of «sides» because my original plate (which was delivered to the table before the molcajete and includes what you’d expect to receive with fajitas — WARM beans, rice and all the other staples) was having a very difficult time getting the molcajete onto the table. In fact, it was teetering on the edge of the table, he was shaking, and I was moving over because if it had spilled on me, I would have had to go to the ER for burns! It took me, my husband and him to get the thing on the table and in the process I burned my finger when I accidentally touched the HOT mortar bowl — and at no time did the waiter ever tell either of us that both our dishes were hot, don’t touch! However, as far as the molcajete, no one had to tell me it was hot, I could tell from all the steam coming out of the bowl. After all this, I had to beg for my flour tortillas so I could eat my dish. I was given no PLATE to eat off of (used the tin foil the flour tortillas were wrapped in!) and during our entire visit no one ever said I’m sorry, thank you, you’re welcome or anything to us — they just came and went with glasses and food when you could get them too and acted like they did not want to be at work. The ONLY time we got a cheerful, smiley, so glad you visited our establishment face from the waitress was at the end when she brought the bill — in hopes of a great tip! As far as the food, I did enjoy mine, but hubby’s was a type of sandwich with dry meat that he would have rather passed on. And, as far as a tip… well, you know the answer!

Absolutely delicious! Sat up at the bar with Brandon, the bartender. He made some fabulous margaritas. He suggested the carnitas street tacos, which were very good as well! Definitely worth coming back.

We went there to Amanda for dinner and was TERRIBLE. The food tasted just like a tv dinner. It was previously frozen and thawed out in the microwave. Shame on you for charging 45 bucks for opening a can of rice, beans, and enchiladas. It doesn’t deserve one star.

Used to be so much better. My plate with the beans and rice came out cold. The salsa tasted funky. Hoping I’m not going to have food poisoning from dinner. My kids liked their food. El Padrino’s is my go to place for Mexican food from now on.

Worst Mexican food in Colorado Springs. First of all my margarita was so watered down and then when I got my food there was a spider crawling around. The waiter brought me a new plate but my appetite was gone. Did not even offer to comp any part of my meal. Do yourself a favor and walk across to Taco Bueno

This restaurant is fantastic. Chips and salsa are A+. Bartender Alexis is a badass. That is all.

Not good. Had two chicken enchiladas.
As usual for these parts, the arrived seconds After ordering them. They were not hot, and had very little flavor and no cheese. Just chopped chicken, tortilla, and sauce… all slapped together with a quickness. Its the supercuts of Mexican food.
The food just sucked… I was sad.
I was driving down the road when I saw a sign that said «serious Mexican food», i swerved across 4 lanes and busted a u turn to get here. I was so excited, followed by disappointment.
The server never asked me how the food was, they must know better than to ask.
There is a very good reason that there are only 4 tables on what is supposed to be the lunch rush.

1 star for the chips and salsa. Asked the waitress to modify a dish to make it vegan. She agreed and seemed knowledgable so we felt comfortable ordering. Our order came out and was covered in cheese, refried beans and sour cream. She acted clueless as to what was wrong. She said that she didn’t know what vegan meant yet she didn’t question is when we ordered. Was completely horrible.

AWFUL!!!
Cold rice and beans, Moldy cheese, worst enchiladas ever. Carne Asada was disgusting. Do yourself a favor and find another restaurant.

It is no longer «Amanda’s Fonda» and is now called Amanda’s Cantina. I asked the server is it was under different ownership and got an evasive reply about the recipes being the same…
I won’t go to the Amanda’s Fonda on Colorado Boulevard because it has been incredibly poor Mexican food. Every once in awhile I would try Amanda’s again only to find out it was still poor food.
My daughter-​unit said that this Amanda’s on Academy was different and quite good. She was with us for our first time here and noticed that the menu was different. There were four of us and two of us didn’t like the food, mine was OK but certainly good. The mother-​in-​law-​unit actually liked hers, go figure. My wife-​unit loved the spinach enchilada, as did my daughter unit from past visits to Amanda’s. They were lousy today. They actually are now mushroom/​spinach enchiladas and the mushrooms seem to come from a can. The daughter-​unit who had been here before said that they were completely different this time.
The salsa was really good and I did get a free guacamole for checking in with Unilocal and the guacamole was quite good. I had the house Margarita and it was entirely satisfactory, I can’ imagine any upgrade tasting better.
I put a star back on because of the salsa, guacamole and Margarita. So this might be a place to catch a drink and some chips and then go elsewhere for the meal.
The rice, re-​fried beans and cole slaw are served family style on one platter with one serving piece. They tend to get mixed up and the rice which has meat broth in it touches the re-​fried beans and cole slaw which do not, compromising the vegetarians among us. Kudos for having meat-​free re-​fried beans. Although the distinct possibility exists that the server who told us about the beans might have been talking through her hat (sombrero?).

With so many Mexican Food restaurants in the Colorado Springs market, and the variety of say «style» it becomes difficult to choose just one. But if I had to choose 5 of the best Amanda ’ s would be in the top 3 and that says something since I am proud to be from New Mexico.
Normally we order the green chile, but it seems that they removed the item from the menu. Big mistake. By any measure there are 10 distinctive qualities that set apart a Mexican food joint and a taco in a can ss follows:
1) 1^st and foremost the green chili
2) Salsa
3) Street Tacos
4) Margarita’s
5) Ambiance
6) Chips and Tortillas
7) Guacamole
8) Ceviche
9) Plating
10) Desert
How did Amanda ’ s fair?
1) No Green Chile
2) Salsa, good but not memorable.
3) Good street tacos, This Taco is for you…
4)Margarita’s while tasty not a knock ou of the park.

Three of us came in for lunch. All of us had the lunch mini Enchiladas. The waiter let us do half beef and half chicken and they were damn good. They came with this guacamole sauce which was amazing. Since it was more of a business lunch, we were preoccupied with other things and not the menu. Our waiter stopped by several times and was very patient. After our food was served, he stopped to refill our soda — yeah, that will automatically get you a 20% tip.
Back track — we never ran our of chips and salsa! Yeah, just as important as the soda refills. Salsa had nice flavor and the chips were not stale. Restaurant was very clean and plenty of elbow room. TVs in the bar. Everyone was friendly and the food was tasty. Prices were reasonable. Well done Amanda.

This place has bad food, bad service and is horribly overpriced. We went in on my birthday to have dinner and margaritas. My date ordered a pizza and the entire crust was burnt and tasted like old deep fried oil and ruined the entire pizza. When we talked to the waitress about it, she offered no apologies and asked us with attitude «do you want another one or something else?» We opted to try something else. My friend had a large OVER PRICED margarita. She said it was good. Too bad that was the best of our experience. I had sangria. It tasted HORRIBLE. We opted for the guacamole which is small and VERY expensive and again… not worth the cost.
Save your money and time. Albertacos is on Austin Bluffs and they have amazingly delicious and reasonable priced food plus their guacamole is MUCHO better.

Pretty disappointed. I had high hopes for this place because the Old Colorado location was pretty good and because it’s close to my house. I don’t know if the owners are different, but you can really see and taste the difference in the quality of food here.
I had the especial nachos (loaded) for appetizer, chicken chimichanga for entrée, and shared some sopapilla with the kids for dessert. The food tasted bland, greasy, and didn’t taste authentic. I hope I’m not being offensive here, but the food tasted like it was prepared for the uncultured. I’ve had better tasting nacho cheese made by Velveeta. The thought that this wasn’t authentic Mexican food kept running though my mind.
My suggestion, if you want real Mexican and don’t mind the difference in the way the establishment is presented, hit up Viva El Taco. The beef tongue taco’s there are amazing. Wary of the adventurous stuff? Their chicken taco’s and machaca is very delicious too. The breakfast burrito is always a hit too.