Top stories: Mega Texas wins; Highway 41 project; Fresno sci-fi play launches

The Fresno Bee covered a range of news Wednesday, from a surprise winner in a local food poll to a major infrastructure project breaking ground in Madera County. Health inspectors shuttered two Clovis eateries, and a new theater company in Fresno prepared to debut its first production.

Here are the top stories of the day

• This Fresno eatery has the best tri-tip sandwich. It’s not who you might think: MEGA Texas Barbeque won a Fresno Bee reader poll for best tri-tip sandwich, taking 41% of the vote and beating out longtime favorites Dog House Grill and Mike’s Grill. Owner Anthony Vallejo smokes the tri-tip to medium and hand-slices it against the grain, serving a half-pound on a Max’s Bakery potato roll for $22. The restaurant, which started at a gas station in 2018, was named one of the Top 50 Texas-style barbecue restaurants outside of Texas by Texas Monthly in 2024.
• Major roadwork begins on Highway 41 in Madera County. How long will it last?: Construction has started on a $130 million project to widen Highway 41 between Avenue 10 1/2 and Avenue 15, the largest transportation improvement project in Madera County’s history. The four-mile stretch will be expanded to four lanes, with a new southbound bridge over Avenue 11 and improved turn lanes at Avenues 12 and 15. Construction is expected to last until May 2028, with no daytime lane closures currently anticipated.
• Mice, roaches closed 2 food businesses at Clovis shopping center. Which ones?: Pure Water and Ice Cream was shut down after a May 18 inspection found a severe cockroach infestation, and must now receive pest control twice a month for four months. China To Go, located in the same shopping center at Ashlan and Fowler avenues, was closed May 26 after inspectors found both cockroaches and mice. China To Go reopened May 30 after a re-inspection and now receives weekly pest control service.
• New theater company will showcase original plays in Fresno. Here’s the first: Playhouse Fresno, founded by director Claudio Laso, will debut with “El Rayo; or Self Deportation Nation,” a sci-fi satire by Mexican-born, Fresno-raised playwright Rodolfo Robles Cruz. The play follows three immigrant siblings in Fresno and was funded partly through a Measure P grant and a Kickstarter campaign. The inaugural production premieres June 12 at Arte Americas in downtown Fresno.

Original stories from Bethany Clough, Erik Galicia and Joshua Tehee

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