Los Gables | Fountain, MN

Los Gables Junction of US Hwy 52 South & State Hwy 80 | Fountain, MN 55974 507-268-1020

Never under-estimate the richness of small town restaurateurs.

I am tired. It is 5 pm. I am just leaving Rochester. One child waiting at an after school program in Preston. One child attending wrestling practice in Harmony. Child #3 playing an away basketball game in Caledonia that I could not attend due to – what else – scheduling conflicts. The trick of parenting teenage athletes is devising clever distractions and activities for you and the other children while “killing time” in remote locations. This to avoid driving all over the country and back in the taxi business. Through the years, we have become trusted patrons of open-late libraries, long and winding bike trails in the summer and relaxed-atmosphere restaurants that allow us to linger just a little longer than normal. One such dining establishment is Los Gables in Fountain, MN. Fortunately for my family, we all share a love of Mexican-based dishes. From the road, this charming building appears to be its own island with a circular driveway acting as the protective moat. Inside, are brightly-colored chairs and walls, with a lot of décor to look at. When you go, see if you can find the flip flops strategically placed. Email us if you spot them! During our last visit, we had no less than 2 hours of unformatted time to get creative with. My young son and I leisurely walked in, visited with our favorite waitress and ordered. This only after a slow-paced nibble on chips and salsa. I told Becky (aforementioned favorite waitress) “take your time” and she was more than happy to oblige. This particular night was on the eve of our first hunker-down winter event and business was slow. Julie, the owner, cook, server, extraordinaire, sat with us and explained that she would be soon decorating the annual holiday cactus with strings of lights for all to see. During our lazy chat, she decided that it would be good entertainment to do the light-stringing now with the help of my little guy. Perfect distraction for a 6 year old! That night, we enjoyed our made-to-order chimichangas and burritos and reveled in the comfort of the home-style surroundings in this sweet little restaurant, miles from home. I would be remiss if I did not rave about the home made salsas – there are 3 heat levels. And the food – delicious and open for discussion. Julie likes to hear about her menu and entertains the diner in whatever modification you can throw at her. My daughter initially commented that the chicken quesadillas were too bland for her. The addition of onions, garlic and a dash of salt made all the difference. The baseline dishes are made with limited spice, as the Los Gables crew recognizes not all folks are fond of fire! My eldest son loves their rendition of Bistek, a dish with Philippine origin, which incorporates steak strips, peppers, onions and a perfect garlic sauce. It is served with flour tortillas, rice, beans and a lettuce mix. And sour cream of course. What’s more, Los Gables has breakfast items for the pancake and egg lover to the breakfast burrito for the rushed commuter. My custom drive thru order is a meatless breakfast burrito with green fire salsa and milk. Nature’s candy! All items at Los Gables can be made meatless if requested. Also for sale are t-shirts and gift certificates. Wonderfully-priced. Happy and gracious staff. Warm and inviting atmosphere. Incredibly-delicious. Culturally-aware. Buy-local evident. Oh yes – and margaritas are great! A+.