La Dona

First time here and last food was really bad I returned my menudo and ordered just a cheese Tamal I didn’t eat that either it wasn’t fully cooked and was mushy I took a pic through Unilocal but for some reason it didn’t save. I know good Mexican food and I know this wasn’t it I see they have good reviews so I don’t know if it was just today but I won’t be coming back also the waitress seemed overwhelmed rude and stressed, you pay $$ to get good food and service

La Doña (New Mexico Café) has been one of my favorite breakfast spots since childhood. The machaca is perfect although the ‘huevos a la mexicana’ is my favorite overall. The chorizo is always tasty and for the days when I’m under the weather, nothing soothes me like their caldo de rez or caldo tlalpeño. These are recipes my nana would make, and the staff at La Doña do right by them!

We have eaten here off and on for over 20 years. Some of the ladies have passed, but the food is still good. One person left a bad review and said to eat across the street at the Blueprint, well they went out of business. For the ladies that work here, if you don’t understand they will gladly help you. They’re all sweet and nice, We plan on having a family breakfast there tomorrow morning. Old New Mexico Café, La Dona now, normally has Policemen, city workers and locals at the tables. Everyone I have taken here has enjoyed their experience.

I discovered La Dona last September when visiting for the first time the new San Diego Public Market and checking what was around that will get my interest. Of course, the colorful façade go my attention and my friend and I decided that we were hungry enough to venture and try it out. I enjoyed my tacos and the service. Contrary to other reviews, the 2 ladies working there that Sunday were super nice to us, very friendly and talkative. Don’t know if it because we are Spanish and that helps in the communication, but we all had a good time. We all liked the pics of actors and singers in the walls, and the authentic Mexican food of a place that is a staple in Barrio Logan and has been there in the same corner forever.

Dry tamales, horrible service. Lady gave me an attitude, place napkins down then took back some while I was eating. Gave me a half a cup of water, no ice. Also demanded a tip. No bueno.

1-​star ratings are amusing because we Unilocalers find that peoples’ «terrible experiences» are usually dramatic and sometimes just unlucky. Mind you, this review will be hilarious because we unfortunately ate at the most disgusting restaurant that we have ever seen.
There is one lady/​dragon woman that works here with such a sour attitude that i almost feel sorry for her and her very apparent unhappiness. One would think that such a hideous, soulless creatures such as her wouldn’t have to go through menopause, but I suspect that she might be an exception because she was an unpleasant, screeching monster.
Anyway, the food came out. After a few bites into some low quality rolled tacos, a slumbering fly crawls out of one. It peeks out to say hello, and then takes a few steps into the sunlight so that we may observe its cheese covered body in awe. It doesn’t even bother to move anywhere else, probably because it and its homies have made a comfortable community within the kitchen of la Dona.
Staff offered replacement food, but I would be damned if we (and anyone reading this review) should consider their food.
I beg of you, do not go here. Go to blueprint café across the street instead.

I having been coming to the New Mexico Café (what the locals call I) for over 20 years. I usually order the beef soup (cocido) made with short ribs and veggies including garbanzos just like my mom would make. The flour tortillas are made fresh each morning. The ladies are not rude despite what some reviewers have stated.
Overall the food is home style and very tasty. I have never had a bad meal here so I really don’t understand the negative reviews. Admittedly, the two abuelitas (grandmas) that have since passed on were better cooks than the current cooks but still the food is authentic and good. The place has more variety than Cuatro Milpas, which to me is a different style of food and good– but comparisons are unfair to both restaurants. You can get excellent chile verde or Colorado, lengua and good Mexican breakfasts. I have not tried the birria but I hear it is good.
Give it a try and be patient and enjoy some great authentic Mexican food… try the beef or chicken soup.

I had a craving for menudo, and I was cruising through the area so I ended up here. The place is interesting interesting photos of singers and movie stars of a by gone, yet nostalgic era.
I ordered the medium bowl of red menudo with corn tortilla and a side order of rice and re-​fried beans. The rice and beans cost $ 2 on the menu, but for some reason I was charged $ 3 for them. Tar-​nations! The bowl of menudo was $ 6.95.
The menudo was okay. The meat was tender but the soup lacked hominy. (
) It got a little better after I added all the goodies; the onions, cilantro, oregano, and a few squeezies of lime juice. (
) The you a shallow wide bowl which gives the impression that their is a lot of soup, but really there is not. No bueno.
The re-​fried beans and rice were good. (
) The beans had a little spicy kick to them but they were a little over salted. The rice was very good and was probably the best part of my meal. What really bummed me out was that I only received two corn tortillas. That was so sad.
Overall, it was A-​okay, but nothing to get excited over.

So my buddy and I wanted to go to Los Quatro Milpas around the corner, but the line was around the corner. Not wanting to waste to much time i quickly pulled out my iphone and Unilocaled this place. We considered Blue Print Café across the street, but we were already hyped up for Mexican food.
So I ordered the birria plate that came with rice and beans. The birria was good, flavorful, but not memorable. I mean it did the trick and I liked it, but the thing is if I have $ 6 in my pocket and there is not a big line I would choose Milpas instead.
Not a knock on this place its just that its the second best place on the block. Like I said if your looking for some Mexican food that is good this place will do. If your looking for some great Mexican food… wait in line.

Great food to go made with love.

Best Tamales Ever !!! I attended December Nights 2011 at Balboa Park this past weekend and Saw the Tamales La Dona Booth. They said «BEST TAMALES» and They were right — So much meat and the Red Sauce in the Pork Tamales made the Meat in the Tamale Succulent and Moist. The Tamale Corn Meal had a Sweet Taste and it inspired me to buy a Dozen. I ate Two at the Booth and couldn’t wait to get Home and share them with My Husband. Looking forward to going to La Dona on Newton Ave to enjoy the Rest of the Menu from this Restaurant.

Went here for breakfast with friends from out of town. We’ve been here before. It is my friends favorite.
This time was different. My kids ordered Pancakes. The butter on them refused to melt which I found odd. Bacon cooked with mixed results to over cooked and undercooked. The syrup came out of the cooler and was Ice cold.
Now lets get to the Mexican food.
I had red Menudo which was bland and tasteless with very little hominy grits. I asked for flour tortillas and received corn instead. The waitress asked if I wanted anything to drink. I asked for water which never came. My bean burrito with cheese was OK.
She also seemed put out when my wife asked for Decaf coffee.
A friend ordered the chorizo with eggs they were too dry and crispy as was the rice.
There were only two other tables being serviced so I know being busy was not a factor in how the food came out. Disappointed but I will give them another try in the future as they may have just had an off day.

5 Stars means «Woohoo! As good as it gets!» and yes, this is as good as down home, hole-​in-​the-​wall, Mexican joints get. the food is all home made and delicious.
Breakfast might be their best meal.
The food here is so good and so cheap, I giggle when someone talks about a place that is cheaper nearby. After paying uptown prices at some of the places I go, La Dona is pretty damn reasonable.

Pretty decent mexican food. Good breakfast burrito and cactus tacos. Also their torta sandwiches are HUUUGE and dripping with greasy tastiness. Chips and salsa are pretty delicious as well.
This place is near where I work so I’ve been plenty of times. Honestly, I recommend Rivas a little up the street (it’s cheaper) or Blueprint Café across the street (better quality food) over this place but really what I am saying is that you should try all three.

We came heavy, but left full…
Real as it gets mexican food. Start to finish, soup to nuts mexican. Hard, too thick tortilla chips that could only be home-​made… Delicious salsa that isn’t quite thick enough to stay on the chip, damn I love this place.
Bfast was huevos napolitano, machaca, and pancakes. Horchata was good, beans were good. Service was in spanglish and kinda pushy in a good way.
Don’t come alone, lock you car (no kidding) but enjoy yourself after you pass through the lime green doors. We always do.

Great menudo… the staff is very nice, the restaurant is a bit rundown but clean but you can’t be the prices…

It’s true — the «Where This White Boy Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead At Night Tour 2009» continues! This time, I made another stop in the Barrio (Logan) and made new friends at La Dona (
).
This place has an interesting thing going — Mexican food AND smoothies (
). As much as I love smoothies, I’m only here for one thing and it’s for the food part.
The girl who brought my food (who is/​was kinda hawt) didn’t even look at me when she brought my food. She finally did though when it was time to pay up. I’m sure she felt an attraction to me that was so intense that she couldn’t even bring herself to look at me. Yeah, right! This was on my first visit which was for their breakfast burrito.
Breakfast burrito # 76 —
They have a good one that’s for sure! It comes with potatoes (or should I say, french fries) so I passed on those — just bacon, egg and cheese.
My second trip was for their carne asada. It was a different woman who served me this time and I unexpectedly ordered in Spanish (which I’m capable of doing if someones English isn’t all that great).
Carne asada burrito (with beans and cheese only) # 59 —
Damn — two for two! This place has excellent carne asada AND beans. The guy in the kitchen really knows how to work some magic. I wish I would’ve asked about their chicken but I’ll swing back through one of these days and find out.
If you try to use a credit or ATM card they will laugh in your face because they only take cash. In fact, everyone (even the customers) will stand up, point and laugh at you for trying to pull that crap with them.

I have to agree with three stars here. It’s a great local mexican restaurant. The women who work there are awesome… they’ve got some attitude and they use it with a smile. Overall it’s a cool experience and the food is good if you’re in the neighborhood.
The thing I really liked about La Dona is that you get a lot of bang for your buck. I definitely liked their Horchata also — it was right on the money for me.
I was really looking forward to their breakfast burrito but realized that I liked it a lot more soaked in the salsa I kept dousing it with before every bite. A bit dry, but not «bad».
Definitely don’t shy away if it’s a convenient choice for you because you will leave content regardless.

Great neighborhood Mexican restaurant. Just shy of Unilocal 4 star IMHO.
The tamales are pretty tasty and huge. I went by in the morning and had a two tamale (beef and pork) plate with rice and beans. Really should have just gotten a single. Definitely a bargain.
Free street parking around the corner.

La Dona’s, also known as New Mexico Café, serves the best restaurant chilie Colorado and chilie verde around. (The best chilie dishes are served up by apron-​clad woman, who lives in an adobe home, up in the mountains of Taos, New Mexico.)
The chilie dishes, verde and Colorado, are the only dishes I have tried because they are so good I feel no reason to ruin my visit by ordering something else on the menu. Just the potential of disappointment in something else is enough for me to stay with the tried and true. The pork in the chilie dishes is so tender that it almost melts in the mouth. Accompanied with fresh flour tortillas, the dishes are just incredibly delicious.
You can also order the chilie Colorado with eggs during breakfast!