La Fogata is the new(est) Mexican restaurant in Nappanee. It opened in the building that Ron's Bakery occupied for decades. The restaurant serves authentic Mexican food.
(March 2009 revision - I wrote some extended comments about La Fogata in the comments of this post - in which La Fogata is ranked as my second favorite restaurant.)
First Visit:
The first time I was there I ordered a vegetarian combo meal that consisted of a bean burrito and a cheese enchilada. It was OK, but I have definitely had better elsewhere. Mostly it was the sauces on the entrees that were not my favorite. But stick with me, it gets better. Kylee and Makenna ordered cheese quesadillas from the kids menu. They were made with a whitish cheese that was not the girls favorite. Everyone seemed to like the rice pretty well. Kristi ordered a chicken "burrito loco." I ate some of hers. We both agreed the burrito loco was fantastic!
Chips and Salsa:
The chips are not my favorite, but good. The chips are pretty thick and crispy. The salsa is too mild for my taste. (July 2008 revision: You can ask for hot salsa, which they happily provide. I mix some hot in with the standard mild salsa and the result is excellent salsa!)
Second Visit:
Kristi and I shared the chicken burrito loco. It was awesome again. One of the better burritos I've had anywhere. Kylee ordered a chicken hard shell taco kids meal. She liked it. I tried it and thought it was really good too. Makenna ordered a beef soft taco. She didn't like it. I tried it and didn't like it either. It was kind of greasy and a little soggy, with not much flavor to the beef. This time we were with a group of 17 people, so I checked out some of the stuff other people got. Almost everyone seemed to like their food, with some raving over it. The steak burrito loco was very well liked. Also, my uncle ordered a five-meat fajita. It looked awesome! He said it was fantastic.
Price:
We spent about $27 (including tax and tip) the first time we went, and about $20 the second time when Kristi and I shared the burrito. The price reflects all of us ordering water to drink. The kids meals do not include a drink.
Atmosphere:
The restaurant is very clean and festively painted, with a large campfire on the back wall. I noticed they had Pulse FM playing on a stereo. There is no Latino music playing through a speaker system. I appreciate the Christian music, but think that whole restaurant Latino music would add to the atmosphere. (July 2008 revision - They have had Latino music playing the last few times we have been there.)
Service:
The service is exceptional. The staff is very friendly. They also handled our party of 17 with ease. They brought the food about 15 minutes after our large party ordered. Very fast! They also didn't seem to mind at all that Kristi and I were sharing a meal. They brought an extra plate without us asking.
Other Stuff:
On future visits we will probably stick with the burrito loco or fajitas. The girls will likely get something with chicken. (March 2009 revision - The girls usually get the grilled chicken nachos or the grilled chicken kids meal. They love both of these meals.)
They are open from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM. 16 hours a day! (July 2008 revision - They are now only open for lunch and dinner. I think they open at 11 AM now.)
The whole restaurant is non-smoking.
Conclusion:
I'm tickled to have a restaurant of this style, casualness and quality in Nappanee. I'm looking forward to going back and highly recommend La Fogata. (July 2008 revision - I just wanted to note that all of the ingrediants of all of the dishes we have ordered have been very high quality.)
La Fogata
108 W Market St
Nappanee, Indiana
Phone: 574-773-0216
4 comments:
Great Recommendation.
Loved your review. I found your site searching for the phone number for La Fogata. I, too, am thrilled that we have a restaraunt of this caliber in Nappanee. I have been to La Fogata many times. Never completely blown away but always entirely satisfied...and then I had the Enchildas Yolanda! WOW! Five Stars! And I totally agree on the service. Fantastic! Quick, courteous and accomadating evertime.
I most definitely recommend!!! We went there on Nov. 1, 2009. I have been looking for a good Mexican restaurant since we moved here. I was blown away by the food. I had the "make your combo" & had a soft corn taco, Tamale, cheese enchilada, & Chili poblano. They were all delicious. I took your advice and had them bring us the hot salsa too. The service was great too. Glass never went empty nor chips either. The peach margarita was great too.
We ate here yesterday, my husband just accepted a job in Nappanee, we are from Grand Rapids Michigan, it was one of the BEST mexican restaurants we have been too, and we are the king and queen of those restaurants! very very very good food, sorry but the chips were awesome and salsa was great, i like it a little hotter, but they are smart not to make it like that, if most people do not like the "hotness". very impressed! told my husband bring some home when he comes home on the weekends!
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