In Brightleaf Square is a second location for popular Sanford, NC Mexican restaurant, Fonda Lupita. For those who’ve visited the original location, you know how lucky we are to have this gem now a short drive or walk away! In 2021, the Sanford spot appeared on Eater’s “11 Best New Restaurants” list, and it’s easy to see why. Fonda Lupita is the real deal—homemade Mexican food in a welcoming and modern, yet unpretentious atmosphere. Traditional Mexican recipes include stews, gorditas and slow-cooked birria beef alongside tacos and burritos rolled in fresh homemade corn tortillas.
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Hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
One of the best Mexican restaurants!! Birria ramen and grilled cheese birria were my favourite. The staff were friendly and very helpful in choosing the menu and their service was quick. Best place to hang out with friends and family, and to satisfied your cravings for spicy food.
SinsAngel
Aug 7, 2025
5
Fonda Lupita has officially become one of our favorite spots! Last week my fiancé and I tried the birria grilled cheese for delivery, and it was so good we had to come in person this week — and it did not disappoint. The birria is packed with flavor, and the consomé is so rich and delicious I could honestly drink it. Our oldest had a quesadilla with rice, and our younger son had the kids quesadilla with rice and beans — both plates were fresh, tasty, and gone in no time. You can taste the love and care in every bite. Whether you’re ordering in or dining at the restaurant, the food is consistently amazing. We’ll definitely be back again (and again)!
Katharine Bayer
Jul 1, 2025
4
The restaurant is clean and located inside Brightleaf Square. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. I have never been and heard about the hype from the Sanford location so wanted to check it out. We tried a variety of items to-go and I enjoyed the food. My favorite item was actually the dessert- the apple churro! Get that! We also tried the burrito, chimichurri , tacos and quesabirria. The cantaloupe juice was also very refreshing. They have a bar with salsas and toppings. The food was made fresh and with a smile and I would seriously go back for the churros.
LA BINKITA
Jun 17, 2025
5
super yummy i got the $2 taco tuesday deal, chips & salsa, and agua fresca de sandía. boyf got the tacos de guiso we both loved everything. the staff was really nice and it was pretty inside. we’re gonna come back and try some drinks bc they looked good.
the toppings are in a bar so you gotta get the cilantro, onion, lime yourself but i liked it that way. loveeeed
Keisha Johnson
Jun 13, 2025
5
I’ve eaten at Founda Lupita 3 times this week. To say the food is phenomenal is understatement. If you want Authentic Mexican food please come here!! Every staff member in there is very nice and professional. The Birria Grilled cheese is out of this world!!!!
Linda
May 17, 2025
4
The restaurant was clean and had a nice bar. Plenty of seating. You order at a counter and the food is brought to you quickly. I was not impressed with the food I ordered. The corn tortilla did not seem to be cooked thoroughly. I would try this place again, but order something different.
Rosmery Lopez
Apr 24, 2025
5
The food was delicious and fast. We were in and out in 30 min, which was perfect since we were in a rush. The only thing is the juices they were really good in flavor but extremely sweet. Other than that it was perfect.
Cindy Chan
Apr 5, 2025
5
The staff is really nice. The food is so flavourful! The food came out in a reasonable amount of time. I do wish there were labels on the condiments so that I know how hot the salsas are. The place is clean and it was a very enjoyable place.
I got the Menudo, Birria De Res, and Sweet Iced Tea.
Kita Teel
Mar 30, 2025
5
My Family and I visited after church. We had heard great reviews and wanted to give it a try. Everything was absolutely amazing. Estrella, Johnathan and Leo were absolutely the beat. The Ramen Birria was so BOMB.COM. Can't wait to come back!!!!
Tina Riley
Mar 7, 2025
3
The torta was pretty decent but I was disappointed in the birria. The birria juice was very salty and the birria taco was bland, didn’t have a lot of cheese and the size for the rice and beans were small, it also lacked flavor. Nice establishment and the staff were nice.
Amy Wall
Jan 18, 2025
5
We came here because they are the only ones with quesabirria tacos. This place is such a gem! The staff are amazing!! The food is top tier!! Best tacos we’ve had in Durham! The bar is great and they have daily special margs. This place is a must if you love tacos!
Laura Steed Lorino
Jan 1, 2025
5
We had such a delicious dinner tonight. I split the Fonda Bowl (with marinated pork) and 3 dip special with my wife. The bowl had great flavor! The passion fruit agua fresca was so good!!
My only complaint is that I ate too much 😂
Ashlee Moody
Dec 23, 2024
4
Ashlee with Offline - This was my first time hearing about Fonda Lupita and I was very excited by the menu before visiting. The restaurant was clean, well designed, and had a great atmosphere. I ordered the elote, a chicken Gordita, the grilled cheese birria with consume, and. mango passion fruit drink. Overall the food was okay, but I wasn’t wowed. The elote had amazing flavor but I didn't like that it was cold. The chicken on my Gordita was cooked perfectly but even with the beans and cheese the overall dish was bland. I wanted to love the grilled cheese birria, but it to was bland. The bread had more flavor than the cheese and meat. The consume was “chef’s kiss” which is what saved the grilled cheese for me.
On the other hand, whoever made the mango passion fruit juice needs to sale it by the gallon lol.
I can see myself coming back to try a different dish for comparison.
Madeline German
Sep 5, 2024
4
Everything about this place was wonderful. The atmosphere, the food, the service, the drinks, all of it. All the food was made fresh and tasted so good, and the price was perfect. I got one drink and it was also refreshing and pregectly balanced for a crazy good price. They have options on the menu for many different dietary restrictions, including vegans, which I loved, and the portion sizes are on point, you definitely wont leave hungry. The chips are fried to order, and that's something you don't see in this area too often, and they were crispy, thick, and delicious and you get way more than youd get anywhere else, including a nice sized salsa. I think my favorite part was that they had multiple types of tacos on corn tortillas and they had cactus! I love cactus and it's a hard one to find. Will definitely be coming back.
