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| Dona Timo’s Mexican Grill Cocina 8836 Sierra Ave. Fontana, 92335 (909) 427-9441 Hours: 9 am to 9 pm Mon-Thursday 9 am to 10 pm Friday 8 am to 10 pm Saturday & Sunday Price Range: Breakfast $5.95 to $7.95 Lunch & Dinner $4.50 to 16.95 Kid friendly Disabled accessible Full Bar Rating: B+ |
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Dona Timo Mexican Grill Cocina is a small family restaurant that does things that
all Mexican restaurants should be doing namely, making great authentic regional
Mexican dishes without compromising their distinct flavors and presentations like
many Mexican restaurants do.
The dining room is festive and colorful while the outdoor patio is the perfect
dining spot when the weather is nice. Since the menu looked so exciting, I
decided to skip the appetizers and go directly for the dinner entrees.
The first flight of dishes include the Chiles Rellenos $8.95, the Molcajete $12.95
and the Fajitas de Mariscos $15.95. The Chiles Rellenos consisted of two fresh
Anaheim chilies stuffed with Mexican cheese, fried in a light egg batter and
bathed in a flavorful ranchero sauce. The Chili was slightly crisp while the
cheese, batter and sauce made for one great relleno. The next dish was the
impressive Molcajete. This masterful creation featured a stone Molcajete (a
Mexican mortar) filled with pieces of steak, chicken, nopales (cactus), shrimp,
onions and cilantro swimming in a mild, but very flavorful and slightly smoky
guajillo chili broth. This dish was loaded with layers of flavors and was
outstanding. The same could be said of the Fajitas de Mariscos. This popular
dish consisted of 4 large plump scallops, 8 succulent shrimp and a filet of red
snapper served in a hot metal sizzling skillet plate with onions and bell peppers.
The seafood was perfectly cooked and filled the entire dining room with great
aromas when carried to our table.
The last two dishes of the evening were the Pollo Con Mole $8.95 and the eye
popping Parrillada Mixteca $32.95. The Pollo Con Mole was presented on a large
plate with chunks of chicken drenched in a mild spicy and complex tasting mole
sauce.
What made this mole dish different than most I have tried was that it was not as
thick as most mole’s tend to be, yet had a nice back of throat heat and palate
pleasing taste. The owner, Maria Padilla informed me that this, as are all of the
dishes served at her restaurant are family recipes from the Jalisco region of
Mexico and are dishes that you would find if you dine in her town she grew up in.
The Parrillada Mixteca is intended to feed an entire family and consisted a huge
platter filled with sliced grilled marinated steak, chicken, shrimp and roasted chili
peppers.
The meat and chicken was tasty but some of the steak was a little over done and
tough however, once placed inside one of their homemade corn tortillas with a
little salsa, they instantly turned into some great tasting beef tacos. All entrees
are served with beans and rice which were better than most.
For the holiday season, Dona Timo’s is serving and selling special homemade
sweet strawberry, guava, or pineapple tamales. The tamales were delicious and I
could have eaten a million of them!!!!
Overall, Dona Timo’s Mexican Grill Cocina is a restaurant I would definitely go
back to again since the food was fresh, tasty and the prices are extremely fair.
Meeting and talking to Maria, a very gracious owner is also a huge attraction.
all Mexican restaurants should be doing namely, making great authentic regional
Mexican dishes without compromising their distinct flavors and presentations like
many Mexican restaurants do.
The dining room is festive and colorful while the outdoor patio is the perfect
dining spot when the weather is nice. Since the menu looked so exciting, I
decided to skip the appetizers and go directly for the dinner entrees.
The first flight of dishes include the Chiles Rellenos $8.95, the Molcajete $12.95
and the Fajitas de Mariscos $15.95. The Chiles Rellenos consisted of two fresh
Anaheim chilies stuffed with Mexican cheese, fried in a light egg batter and
bathed in a flavorful ranchero sauce. The Chili was slightly crisp while the
cheese, batter and sauce made for one great relleno. The next dish was the
impressive Molcajete. This masterful creation featured a stone Molcajete (a
Mexican mortar) filled with pieces of steak, chicken, nopales (cactus), shrimp,
onions and cilantro swimming in a mild, but very flavorful and slightly smoky
guajillo chili broth. This dish was loaded with layers of flavors and was
outstanding. The same could be said of the Fajitas de Mariscos. This popular
dish consisted of 4 large plump scallops, 8 succulent shrimp and a filet of red
snapper served in a hot metal sizzling skillet plate with onions and bell peppers.
The seafood was perfectly cooked and filled the entire dining room with great
aromas when carried to our table.
The last two dishes of the evening were the Pollo Con Mole $8.95 and the eye
popping Parrillada Mixteca $32.95. The Pollo Con Mole was presented on a large
plate with chunks of chicken drenched in a mild spicy and complex tasting mole
sauce.
What made this mole dish different than most I have tried was that it was not as
thick as most mole’s tend to be, yet had a nice back of throat heat and palate
pleasing taste. The owner, Maria Padilla informed me that this, as are all of the
dishes served at her restaurant are family recipes from the Jalisco region of
Mexico and are dishes that you would find if you dine in her town she grew up in.
The Parrillada Mixteca is intended to feed an entire family and consisted a huge
platter filled with sliced grilled marinated steak, chicken, shrimp and roasted chili
peppers.
The meat and chicken was tasty but some of the steak was a little over done and
tough however, once placed inside one of their homemade corn tortillas with a
little salsa, they instantly turned into some great tasting beef tacos. All entrees
are served with beans and rice which were better than most.
For the holiday season, Dona Timo’s is serving and selling special homemade
sweet strawberry, guava, or pineapple tamales. The tamales were delicious and I
could have eaten a million of them!!!!
Overall, Dona Timo’s Mexican Grill Cocina is a restaurant I would definitely go
back to again since the food was fresh, tasty and the prices are extremely fair.
Meeting and talking to Maria, a very gracious owner is also a huge attraction.
