New Fresno area restaurants: At least 30 have opened since COVID-19 pandemic started
It may seem counter-intuitive to talk about restaurants opening in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic.
Some have shut their doors for good.
But still others have opened in Fresno area, with about 30 opening since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Whether it’s their owners’ hardy entrepreneurial spirit, or just the fact that they were so close to opening before the pandemic hit, they are all moving ahead with their plans.
Here’s at look at what food spots have opened in Fresno and nearby since mid March.
559 Street Tacos opened on Clovis Avenue this summer. It’s a taco truck that opened a brick-and-mortar location.
It sells tacos, of course, including red tacos (dipped in a chile oil mix that gives it a red color) and quesatacos, (meat and cheese tacos folded in half and grilled).
It also serves other Mexican food and drinks.
Details: 1320 Clovis. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 559-360-4706.
AC Deli/Market opened in late spring in its new location on Shaw Avenue. It’s an Asian deli and market that also sells quick meals.
Its menu includes pre-made meals like sticky rice with chicken, pork or sausage, egg rolls, bamboo salad and boba drinks.
Details: 1440 E. Shaw Ave. 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. 559-441-7518.
Bella Creamery is an ice cream shop in downtown Kingsburg opened by the people behind Bella Bakery. It specializes in sheeps’ milk ice cream, but also serve’s traditional cows’ milk ice cream.
Details: 1512 Smith St., Kingsburg. 1 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 559-419-9093.
Boston House of Pizza is an East Coast-style pizza and sub shop that started in Hanford and opened its Fresno location at Herndon and Cedar avenues this fall.
It specializes in pan pizza with a thick crust and recommends its Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. It also serves salads.
Details: 6761 N. Cedar Ave. Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays til 11 p.m. 559-449-3880.
Casa de Fuego is a Mexican restaurant that opened inside Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino last month. With coronavirus closing its buffet, the casino decided to turn it into a restaurant serving crispy fish tacos, burritos and lots of appetizers, like elote roasted cut corn.
The restaurant also serves cocktails – including seven types of margaritas – made with more than a dozen types of tequila.
Details: Inside Chukchansi, 711 Lucky Lane, Coarsegold. Hours: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 1-866-794-6946.
The Chicken Shack opened two new restaurants this year. The locally owned restaurant already has locations in Hanford and Fresno serving its chicken fingers, wings, fries and more than 30 sauces.
This fall, it opened a new restaurant at Sierra Vista Mall and another in Selma.
Details: 1220 Shaw Ave, Suite 109 at Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis. 559-712-6633. 2940 McCall Ave. in Selma. 559-318-9449. Both are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Crumbl Cookies is a national franchise that opened its first location in the area this summer. It sells big thick cookies and ice cream.
Details: 1850 Herndon Ave. Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. 559-345-5304.
Downtown Deli & Market opened right at the beginning of Fresno’s shelter-in-place order. It specializes in sandwiches, hot dogs and healthy options like avocado toast, salads and vegan wraps.
Details: 2621 Fresno St., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. 559-449-3905.
Dutch Bros Coffee opened its latest drive-thru at Herndon and Brawley avenues in late April.
The popular high-energy coffee shop also sells tea, energy drinks and drinks for kids.
Details: 6770 N. Brawley Ave. 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Frida Café opened in September inside Los Panchos Mexican Restaurant in downtown Fresno. It’s an espresso and pan dulce bar inspired by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
Details: 1000 Fulton St., 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
The Golden Tamale is a new little tamales shop and Mexican restaurant in downtown Fresno. It serves several types of tamales, including dessert tamales, based on the founders’ grandmother’s recipes.
It also serves tacos, tortas, burritos, breakfast burritos and bowls, which are essentially burritos without the tortilla.
Details: 744 P St., Suite 103, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. 559-825-0615.
Heavenly Freeze is a dessert shop by the same people who used to run Rita’s Italian Ice.
It sells ice cream made in house, Italian ice and soft serve. Inside the new 76 station at Fresno Street and Bullard Avenue, it also has a walk-up window and outdoor tables.
Details: 5790 N. Fresno St. Noon to 9 p.m. daily. 559-835-1300.
Kabab City opened its second location in Fresno in September, this one on the Fig Garden Loop, near Bullard Avenue. The Mediterranean restaurant’s popular dishes include chicken, lamb and beef kebabs, spicy chicken, and lamb chops.
It’s a faster, more casual version of the existing Fresno Kabab City.
Details: 6095 N. Figarden Drive. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. 559-375-1515.
La Bou II is a new walk-up window in the Pacific Southwest building downtown by the original La Boulangerie in Fig Garden Village. It sells pastries, coffee, and breakfast and lunch dishes.
Details: 1060 Fulton St., 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
L’Aperitif Bistro Fusion was opened Aug. 1 at Cedar and Herndon avenues by the owners of the former Tower Sushi. The chef with an international background has brought cuisines from all over the world to his restaurant, along with an extensive sake menu.
Details: 6650 N. Cedar Ave. Hours: 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays. 559-472-3824.
Mélange is a eatery and juice bar serving healthy options in north Fresno.
It offers salads, sandwiches, wraps and bowls – everything from a ceviche bowl to a vegan bowl of veggies over rice. It also presses fresh juices daily and sells “wellness” shots, small doses of drinks with health benefits.
Details: 9525 N. Sommerville Drive. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 559-515-6729.
Nina’s Bakery reopened at its new location near The Market grocery store at the beginning of the pandemic.
A favorite among Armenians, it carries pastries, fresh-made food like lahmajoon (Armenian pizza), cheeses and other groceries.
Details: 7054 N. West Ave. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. (559) 449-9999.
Nothing Bundt Cakes opened its second area location in August, this one in Fresno at the shopping center near Highway 99 and Herndon Avenue. It sells “bundtinis” and various sizes of bundt cakes.
Details: 6493 N. Riverside Dr. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. 559-214-0145.
Ono Hawaiian BBQ opened in May in front of the Walmart on Kings Canyon Road.
Its focuses on the plate lunch, including a protein, white rice, macaroni salad and steamed vegetables. Also on the menu: Spam musubi, a grilled slice of Spam served on a block of rice and wrapped in seaweed.
It has a drive-thru.
Details: 5075 E. Kings Canyon Road, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Pho Ever Vietnamese Cuisine is a pho restaurant near Herndon and Armstrong avenues in Clovis, specializing in the Vietnamese soup. It also serves noodle and rice dishes, fruit smoothies with boba, and banh mi, the Vietnamese sandwiches.
Details: 2230 Herndon Ave. #105. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. most days except Sundays when it opens at 11 a.m. Closed Wednesdays. 559-797-4038.
Piara Pizza is a Los Angeles-based franchise that opened at Maroa and Shields avenues. It usually has hot pizza ready to go when customers walk in. It’s also on an expansion kick, planning two more locations in Fresno. It’s already opened several in outlying communities.
Details: 3131 N. Maroa Ave., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 559-666-4143.
Ramen Hayashi is a new ramen restaurant by the same family who owns Hino Oishi and J Pot Mini Hot Pot & Bar in Clovis.
It serves three kinds of ramen, including the traditional tonkatsu made from pork broth and two lighter options made from chicken broth. You can also order a build-your-own ramen.
The menu also includes other noodle dishes and a small plates menu featuring takoyaki (fried octopus ball) and Spam masubi. It also has beer and sake.
Details: 1755 Herndon Ave., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, and til 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 559-940-6400.
Rhapsody’s Restaurant is a new soul food restaurant on West Shaw Avenue.
The menu includes fried chicken, chicken and waffles, fried fish, po’ boy sandwiches, and oxtail and ribs as specials. It has all the regular sides, including mac n’ cheese, potato salad, and baked beans.
Details: 3209 W. Shaw Ave., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. 559-515-6328.
Sake Japanese Cuisine just barely opened west of Highway 99.
It’s a sushi restaurant that also sells rice, noodle and Thai dishes.
Details: 4462 W. Ashlan Ave., 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays. 559-375-1722.
Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery isn’t technically new, but moved to a new location in River Park next to the IMAX Theatres in June. It specializes in cupcakes and ice cream.
Details: River Park, 140 E Paseo Del Centro, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. 559-293-3967.
Straw Hat Pizza Grill is a new restaurant on Shaw Avenue in Clovis. But anyone who’s lived here a long time will remember when Straw Hat had multiple locations in the area.
This restaurant features pizza, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, and salads.
Details: 80 W. Shaw Ave., Clovis. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. (559) 323-1300.
Super Burger Drive-In opened in June in the former Jack in the Box on Clovis Avenue. It has two other locations in the Fresno area.
It serves burgers, chicken and fish dinners, corn dogs and sandwiches. It’s known for its pastrami sandwich and pastrami burger, said its managers. It has a drive-thru.
Details: 1132 Clovis Ave. in Clovis. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 559-900-4684.
Tulare Street Bistro also opened right before shelter-in-place orders took effect in Fresno. The little downtown restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch, the restaurant serves sandwiches, burgers, French toast with fresh berries, breakfast tacos and more.
Details: 1342 Tulare St., 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 559-385-7196.
Valley Food is a small grocery store on the edge of downtown that also has a little taqueria inside.
It serves tacos, burritos, and tortas, along with other Mexican food. It sells menudo daily.
Details: 50 N. Van Ness Ave. 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 559-412-2079.
Yoshinoya America opened in Visalia in late March. The global franchise has a Japanese-inspired menu featuring bowls of rice or noodles with various toppings: teriyaki chicken, steak glazed with sweet soy sauce, grilled tilapia and more.
The restaurant has a drive-thru.
Details: 2545 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 559-667-9669.
This story was originally published October 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
