La Fiesta Restaurant

We ordered grandma’s special there. The portion size is very generous. The sauce was delicious!
The servers are really hospitable. Ask for the complimentary soup along with the chips. We even asked for a second, it was so good!
I will bring back my friends here.

I came here with some coworkers. This is our first time here for all of us; and for two of our Chinese colleagues, the first time having Mexican food.
You automatically receive a bowl of tortilla chips and two salsas – a fire-​roasted, spicy red salsa and a pico de gallo salsa. Both very good!
When I first try a new Mexican restaurant, I order the chile verde as a barometer. They serve the rice and beans (which you can get either black, refried pinto, or whole pinto beans) on the plate and the chile verde in a separate dish. At first sight, with serving seemed small, but it actually was just right. Other restaurants serve a bit more but this was fine.
Overall, the food was great! Everyone enjoyed their meals. I’d come back again and try other dishes.

Solid mexican food joint.
I came with coworkers during lunch. Free chips and salsa were great, they give you three different kinds of salsa and they all were spicy but with very unique flavors. Awesome.
I ordered the nachos with beef. They came with cheese, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole and a slice of tomato. I really liked how they mixed in the sour cream with the cheese so it kind of melted together into this creamy sauce. The beef was in big chunks and was easy to shred, but didn’t taste very seasoned. Overall a pretty good dish. It was enough food that I had like 5 chips left, so not enough for leftovers unfortunately.
Some of my coworkers got the combos with grandma’s sauce, that shit looked bomb. Bright orange creamy sauce, totally looked delicious. They said it was really good. I would try that next time.
The burritos and combos were a normal price ($ 12), but they were hidden on the very back page of the menu. The entire inside of the menu was full of super expensive dishes (like $ 17+). Soo it can be expensive if you’re not watching what you’re ordering.

Awesome food! The place is in no mans lands, but its a hidden gem.

Over priced. I had fajitas and meat tastes bad!
I could not eat after that. I at least wanted to eat my beans but couldn’t after that. The presentation was awful too! The place was lovely inside but my stomach hurts now. If u like blah Mexican food come here. Sorry will never b back

Awful Service! And by that I mean the worse ever we experienced!
I have never been a fan of service at this place but since we were regulars at this place for past 3 – 4 years, I feel the need of sharing our recent experience here.
On Friday night, after about 30min of wait we were seated at around 9:15pm and order was taken by 9:20pm since they told us the kitchen is about to close. We kept waiting for our food to arrive but no sign of food until 10:15pm. We asked couple of waiters (including the one who took our order, tall bald guy) about our order but they kept telling us it should be out any minute. People who arrived after us started leaving after finishing their dinner but still no sign food for us!
Meanwhile, all the waiters of the restaurant start bringing their food on the table right next to us and enjoying their dinner. I don’t mind waiters having their food esp. since it was near closing time (10pm) but their is a sense of hospitality this place needs to build by at least serving their customers before getting their own orders onto the table right next to us. Or they could have simply told us that they cannot serve us today so we wouldn’t have wasted 1 full hour waiting for the food we never got. Finally we gave up, left the place without having any food! No one had the courtesy to ask us what went wrong since they were too busy enjoying their dinner!
We have always been generous with our tips at this place but some people don’t appreciate their regular customer base! Never going back their again!

La Fiesta doesn’t really live up to its name in terms of appearance — you would never associate a party with an old yellow building in the middle of suburban nowhere. The interior, however, is vibrant and poppin’, if I do say so myself. The walls are adorned with colorful murals and paintings, and service is extremely friendly and quick.
I ordered the Grandma’s Especial solely because the description looked so freakin’ appetizing and the concept of a 100 year old recipe written by lil Abuela sounded intriguing. While the chicken was very tender, the dish was overall bland — the sauce was too overpowered by the sour cream, the beans didn’t taste like much, and the rice was lacking. I also had a bite of the mole vegetarian enchiladas, which I preferred. Sangria was served in a pretty pitcher and was really tasty — that definitely brought the fiesta.
While the food didn’t blow me away, I’d still return because (a) the ambience is wonderful, (b) service is outstanding, and © I’d like to try other dishes on the menu because I think I may have picked the wrong dish for someone who doesn’t particularly like sour cream. I’ll be back if I’m in the neighborhood for the fajitas and the margaritas!

Service can be a bit patchy weekends. But the food is top notch. There’s enough options for vegetarians.
Unlimited chips and yummy salsa. Superb.

Oh my god! This place was amazing… I just happened to check for some Mex places around San Jose and stumbled up on this… since it had really good reviews, we decided to give it a try… we arrived and there was a long wait… We put in our name and started waiting… after 30 minutes…
While waiting we happened to speak to one of the people waiting and commented about the wait… she said… I have been coming here for 15 years… trust me its worth the wait…
Then in a few minutes we got seated and per the suggestion from the regular I got the Grandma’s special on veggie enchilada and my wife go the fiesta enchiladas… Best part about this place is all beans and rice are vegetarian.
The Grandma’s special… was AMAZING. buttery…delicate delicious sauce…
The service was wonderful too… we ate till we couldnt eat a grain of rice anymore…
We are definitely going back

Caught La Fiesta while traveling. Ordered the Grandma’s Especial Burrito with chicken. Food was good but not extraordinary. Would be interested in trying a different meat instead of Chicken next time. Salsa selection is quite exceptional and flavorful though.

Still my favorite Mexican restaurant! I love the décor and the laid back atmosphere. Grandmothers special is my go to. The service here is not always fabulous, but my reviews tend to be more about quality of food and ambience and less about service (unless it’s terrible).
Coming here with my family is one of my favorite things to do! It is accommodating and everyone LOVES the food! We are also big fans of the house margaritas.
This restaurant is one of four (I think) sister restaurants. There is one down the street called Fiesta Del Mar Too, Palo Alto Sol (California Ave, Palo Alto) and Fiesta Del Mar which is now closed. All the restaurants are stemmed from the same family, but La Fiesta is far superior with Palo Alto Sol coming in second.
Excellent food. Eclectic décor. My go to Mexican restaurant.

Even though it’s nestled in a residential neighborhood, one can’t miss La Fiesta with its electric signs and painting of a matador getting the butt of his pants eaten off by a bull! I had high expectations of this place based on its reviews, but sadly have definitely had better Mexican food for much cheaper prices elsewhere. La Fiesta is very expensive for Mexican, with most entrees at least $ 15 and many for more than $ 20. I got the mole enchiladas, one chicken and one beef, and they were nothing outstanding – rice, beans, meat, tortillas all average. The mole was quite sweet, a flavor which I do not like to dominate entrees. Not worth the walk from Castro/​Los Charros.

This was our first time here. We came here due to the great reviews we read.
#1 Terrible Service! (Had to ask for water, chips, the bill)
#2 Dirty floors and walls (needs painting and cleaning badly)
#3 Bad reception set up (nobody acknowledged us coming in and we didn’t know where to go to put our name in. When we finally did find reception desk we received no acknowledgment and another customer told us we have to write down our own name to be seated.
#4 food was just ok bit overpriced!
We will NOT be back, sorry…

$ 13 for a plain chicken burrito with rice and beans, IMO it’s a ripoff. Service was horrible, took order and drop off plates, and I had to call the bus boy to get the check.
If you fools want to waste your money at this place go ahead.

The food was ok. The service was worst tonight. We were a group of 12 and a friend had unexpected delay because of toddler kid. The server gave us a lot of tantrum that we should me mindful of time if we reserve a table. Server was not happy, he will not even take the order completely and go away. They didn’t even gave us water refill.

Great food not sure if it’s authentic. But my friends who loved texmex like this a lot. Vegeterians can never go out of options. They also have speciality vegetarian options. My favorite is fiesta burrito, that has the best sause with it.

A solid 4 star experience. The Mole Poblano was flavorful and had a bit of a kick, but not too much. Not the absolute best mole, but I’d happily return for it. I do wish they’d given me 3 – 4 tortilla though, instead of just 2. The Grandmas Enchiladas were creamy and addictive. I can’t decide if I liked that better than the mole or not. The chimichanga wasn’t quite as good, but it was still a solid entrée with pretty good flavor. Oh, and all three complimentary salsas were delicious and quite spicy. It’s good to find a place that isn’t afraid to serve spicy and flavorful salsa… though I would expect at least one salsa to be more on the mild side for those who don’t like spicy. The beans were nice, with some flavor (lard?), but the rice was ultra-​bland. The service was friendly, though sometimes we were waiting for our waiter to pass by. Looks like a good place to try some tequila or get a margarita but I didn’t this time.

Great vegetarian food and margaritas!
Ordered the chicken and vegetarian fiesta enchiladas and the skinny margarita!
Great taste — huge quantity !
Complimentary chips with fantastic 3 types of sauces!

Good salas, Fresh chips — complementary
I ordered chicken salad for lunch — Although it came with a well grilled, good spiced chicken breast and had fresh lettuce & avocados, at $ 15 it was way overpriced for a salad.
I am disappointed.

Get the grandmothers and the mole sauces. They will blow our mind. So good. Great service. Oh, and the margaritas are fabulous too! Never had a disappointing meal here.

I found La Fiesta to be just «okay» — nothing more, nothing less.
The interior is pretty cute and fun, but the lack of happy hour baffles me. Service is decent, food and drinks are alright. I just wasn’t blown away. I would be willing to try it again, though.

Great neighborhood place. We live nearby and this place is luckily a great go-​to.
Food: Chips and three different salsas are on the house. Their margarita pitchers are great, but get it on the rocks. If you’re looking for super healthy, try the salad. It’s super lean and simple, but the chicken is well seasoned. I ALWAYS get soup here. It’s always just right with giant chunks of chicken and just a tiny bit of rice.
Service: friendly and attentive service, but you’ll be hard pressed to find the one waiter who speaks English really well.

Beautiful art pieces adorn this place. Greeted by friendly people. Salsa and chips gives you a taste of their fineness with simple ingredients.
I ordered the chicken, beef, and cheese grandma’s special enchiladas and they were simply delicious. Remenicent of humble home cooked meals from my aunts house in mexico.
Will be back soon.

tl;dr: Long time popular spot for sit-​down gringo Mex. Didn’t like the sour cream based Grandma’s Especiales recipe… sorry Grandma. Chips and salsa were good…
****
From the name you might expect a pretty festive spot and I would have to agree that the interior is adorned with some interesting wall hangings and fixtures, but sorry Grandma, I didn’t really get into your 100 year old family recipe. Too much sour cream taste for my buds. I might have done better ordering milanesa or camarones but I wanted to try the Especial…
This review probably suffers more unfavorably from my own bias since my dining partners all liked their dishes, in particular the mole had a nice smokiness with chocolate notes in flavor. I was surprised that everyone at our table but me went «gringo» Mex and had enchiladas and a burrito, I usually make it a point not to order something I can get at my favorite taco stand…
I was favorably impressed with the roasted pasilla chile that accompanied the Tortilla Soup. It had a nice crunch to the casing and wasn’t spicy at all. It was almost like having a giant croûton to go with the soup which was quite a surprise considering. The soup itself had a very nice presentation to it, even after they happily divided it for my wife and I simply by asking, I appreciated it a lot. Unfortunately the cheese didn’t play well with the thin broth and sort of emulsified in it staying divided and separate. I would have liked to have a cheese that would melt over the tortilla strips. I also like avocado in my tortilla soup and missed it in LF’s version…
I will also admit that I ate everything that I was served so I don’t want to leave the impression that the food was terrible. Quite the contrary, the restaurant was busy even for a Tuesday evening so many people seem to like the cuisine. The chips and three versions of salsa were very good. The service I thought was prompt and attentive although a slight ding since my brother-​in-​law had to ask for their soup (broth) that normally comes with the meal…
I might have had a different opinion if I ordered something else instead of Grandma’s Especial, I guess I’ll never know…

This place is incredible! We come here so often and the hospitality is exceptional. This is by far my favorite Mexican place in the Bay Area. Everything from the drinks to the chips & salsa to your last bite; it doesn’t get better. Come here if you enjoy great food and great service!

So glad someone recommended this place! We went around 12:30pm and it was packed but we were still seated right away. The food came pretty quickly, however, one person had to send hers back because she found it too salty.
I ordered the vegetarian la fiesta burrito and it was great! It came with rice and beans and was such a huge serving size.
Also really liked the atmosphere, it seems really authentic!
The only downside for me was the price. We ordered 4 things and it came to be over $ 60.
However, I would go again :)

Everyone knows it’s difficult to find that ultimate spot-​hitting authentic Mexican restaurant.
I really liked the ambience of this place. The colors are vibrant, and staff is attentive and friendly. The menu is somewhat expansive — although I didn’t find any tamales, I did decide to try Grandma’s Especial chicken entrée plate. Supposedly a 100-​year-​old recipe. Basically I got a dish that consisted of one chicken breast that was drowning in a sour cream and cheese sauce. The flavor was incredibly basic. It was only served with beans (sprinkled with cheese) and rice, accompanied by tortillas. There was nothing real in the seasoning, everything was spices. No onions, garlic, cilantro, just little flecks of dried seasoning. Not very authentic. I was really disappointed, especially for the price. It was somehow $ 18.
Try adding tequila.

This is really a 3.5 star review but since I can’t go half and the food hasn’t been as good as it was a few months ago, Im posting it at 3.
I’ve been to this place a few times in the last few years as I work somewhat near by. Its a small hole in the wall spot recessed in between an automotive shop and some condos.
Upon walking in, you will see the bar as its right in front of you. To the right is the hostess station and the main dining area. Once you are seated, you are quickly met with some chips and three kinds of salsa (the green one is my favorite). We were given water as we sat down but the cover of their menu does say water provided upon request due to the drought.
I typically order some sort of burrito. I’ve had the grandma’s special version before but wasn’t a fan. Today, I went with the colorado burrito (chopped beef in a red sauce) since the don’t serve carne asada in their burritos (though you can order a plate of carne asada). The food came out in 7 – 10 minutes. Not too bad. The initial bite I took, the meat was flavorful but was a tad on the dry side. As I continued to eat, the meat didn’t taste was dry but might have been since it had time to absorb some of the red sauce.
The burrito was just meat in a tortilla with red sauce and some cheese on top. It does come with beans and rice on the sides. Overall, it wasn’t bad but seemed quiet basic. I could’ve added guac and sour cream but didn’t want to pay the extra this time.
Overall this place is a good option in the area but you can find better.
Would I come back? Probably.

Do you like Mole? If so, you will enjoy this place.
The food was very good. We had the Mole Poblano, Chile Colorado, Grandma’s Special and Chili Verde Enchilada. The spices and seasonings were dancing on our taste buds. We enjoyed all the meals and our dishes had zero food left after we finished.
The staff was nice and the waiter service was top notch.
Note, the parking lot is small and narrow and the area is residential so street parking is difficult.
Overall, a very good place to have Mole and other traditional dishes. I would recommend it.

I am giving this place 3 stars because I don’t want the googlers to find out about it but it is indeed ⁵⁄₅.
Small parking lot. 20 spots maybe but tons of street parking. Inside has air conditioning and the entire vibe of the restaurant is relaxed and warm. Everyone here seems to be local to the area, I didn’t see one privileged techie inside. Floor plan is slightly tight but has a lot of seats and can accommodate large parties.
The food is authentic and delicious. Grandmas special is as good as raved about. It’s warm, Mildly spicy, creamy, and nutty. The rice and beans were perfection. The margaritas were also some of the best I’ve had on the peninsula.

4.5 stars but will round up to 5.
Came here on a Wednesday night. Parking lot was full but there was plenty of available street parking. My order was taken promptly and I was given chips and salsa. Not sure if the chips are home made or store-​bought but they were good and fresh. The 3 salsas were excellent.
My entrée came out within 5 minutes. I ordered the beef and pork enchiladas with the mole poblano sauce. The enchiladas were cooked perfectly and the mole sauce is among the best I’ve ever had. Rice and beans were also good.
Prices were high but I’d come back since the food was good.

4 stars because it is as close to TexMex as I have gotten to in the bay area. I ordered the carne tacos which came with rice and beans, and my husband ordered the Ensalada Fiesta. The carne tacos were topped with onions and cilantro. They were really good! Especially after I added some avocado slices and salsa to them. The carne was juicy, slightly chewy, and had a nice grilled taste. The downer was the super plain and boring Ensalada Fiesta… It was more like an Ensalada Siesta, womp womp. I loved the free chips and 3 salsas that came with it. Not a bad joint; it’s worth a try. I would pass on the salad.

Good Mexican food.
Very busy for a Monday dinner.
Hard to get hold of waiters. They just serve food and run away. It is hard to get hold of them.
However food was tasty.

Awesome enchiladas — it’s all about Grandma’s Special! Their mole sauce is also fantastic, and drinks are made well. Some dishes are definitely a bit overpriced, but the flavor is there.
The décor is fun and festive, with a very lively environment and great service. It’s amazing how often I see the owners chatting with customers like they’re all family.

We went back and forth on Unilocal with a number of Mexican restaurants that looked and sounded promising. We finally decided to come here and thrilled with our decision. Party of four and two out of four ordered the grandma dish one being the special and other the grandma enchilada. They were fully satisfied with grandma’s sauce.
I had the Fiesta enchilada and was just as satisfied. I tried the grandma’s sauce in my enchilada and I was Wow’d! I don’t recall the fourth dish, but it no longer mattered at that point.
Parking is situated up front and customer service was fairly good.
Thank you, Unilocal

I don’t eat Mexican food that much. It’s not one of my favorite cuisines. I did think this restaurant was pretty good though. They give you chips and salsa, and the light colored tomato one was delicious.
I got a chimichanga since I used to like those when I was younger. This one was good. It paired well with the white sauce and the guacamole. The rice was ok (maybe a bit dry).
There’s also a small parking lot which is great.
Each entrée is about $ 13 or so.

We came here because we got turned away from vive sol just a couple miles away. They were very accommodating to our group of 10. Got seated in under ten minutes on a Friday night.
Grandmas special seemed to be the thing to get. I was hesitant because I don’t really like cream sauce. It ended up being very good! I got chicken enchiladas with the sauce and ate the whole thing. The enchiladas themselves were just shredded chicken in tortillas but they were plenty flavorful.
The service was incredibly fast. Food came out probably 10 – 15 after we all ordered and to remind you, we were a big group.
I liked the three salsas they give you with chips too. Good spicy level!
Prices varied. Dishes were a little more on the expensive side ($ 18) and things like enchiladas and burritos were more like $ 14.
Pretty good place to check out!