At least 30 new restaurants have opened so far in Fresno and Clovis in 2022. Here they are
The year is half over and it has been a busy one for the Fresno/Clovis restaurant scene.
At least 30 new restaurants have opened so far in 2022.
There are the big boys – like Raising Cane’s, where people lined up hours in advance of the opening. And the little guys, like the 20-something buddies who opened a barbecue spot inside a gas station, for example.
The new restaurants serve all kinds of cuisine: Sandwiches, burgers, ramen, pizza, cookies, Mexican desserts and more. The fried chicken trend also continues to explode in Fresno, with several restaurants opening that specialize in chicken.
It hasn’t been an easy year for the new restaurants. They may have avoided the worst that COVID-19 inflicted on the industry, but they’re still dealing with inflation and a labor shortage.
Fresno Bee subscribers may have read stories about these restaurants as they opened. We’ve linked to more in-depth stories if you want to know more about the restaurants in the online version of this story.
Restaurants that opened in 2022
Angry Chickz opened its third Nashville hot chicken restaurant in Fresno. This one is in the former Chronic Tacos spot in the Marketplace at El Paseo near Highway 99 and Herdon Avenue.
Araz Bakery opened in April selling Armenian favorites like lahmajoon (sometimes referred to as Armenian pizza), cheese borek and other pastries. It’s at the southeast corner of Shaw and Marks avenues.
Boba Fresh: Boba & Rolled Ice Cream specializes in bubble tea and rolled ice cream that is made right in front of you. It opened in April in the same building as Jus’ Jo’s Country Kitchen at 701 W. Shaw Ave.
Blast & Brew opened in March near Palm and Herndon avenues in the former Piazza Del Pane spot. It has the same owners (who also own Me-n-Ed’s) but has been remodeled with a new menu similar to the other Blast & Brew locations in California.
It has 26 self-serve beer taps, pizza, lots of appetizers and other full entrees, along with a full bar. It’s family friendly.
The Burger Shack has opened in the former Geno’s Sandwiches on Ashlan Avenue near Blackstone Avenue. Burgers are the star of the show here, from a pastrami burger to a smoked jalapeno burger.
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf quietly opened its first Fresno location in January at the Park Crossing shopping center at Friant Road and Fresno Street. The international coffee shop also opened a counter in February in the Refresh Travel Center, a newly-built truck stop on Avenue 7, just west of Highway 99.
Crave Cookie opened a shop in Clovis, its second in the area.
The locally-owned maker of giant cookies celebrated its grand opening earlier this month at Third Street and Sunnyside Avenue, in the same shopping center as the Peacock Market.
DiCicco’s Italian Restaurant & Bar opened its newest location in January, near Shields and Armstrong avenues.
Flippin’ Dave’s Burgers and Fries opened to a long line of people last week at Shaw and Blythe avenues, in the same shopping center as Costco.
By the same owner as Angry Chickz, the burger restaurant has a limited menu featuring crispy smash burger patties – sometimes stacked three high – and loaded fries.
Fluckers Nashville Hot Chicken is the creatively-named chicken restaurant that opened in April at the southwest corner of Cedar and Shepherd avenues.
Be prepared: This restaurant goes all out with the play on its name at the restaurant. Its menu includes variations on fried chicken tenders, including sliders, tacos, taquitos, and chicken and waffles.
The Hotbox BBQ opened this spring by a couple of 20-something buddies. It’s a quick-service barbecue restaurant inside the Valero gas station at Maple and Shields avenues.
Kam’s Pizza & Ice Cream opened in January, at Shaw and Woodrow avenues, across from Fresno State. It serves all kinds of pizza, plus ice cream.
Kurotaka Ramen opened this spring at the southeast corner of Bullard Avenue and First Street. Its menu features large bowls of traditional spicy ramen with noodles, broth and meat, along with a few other dishes like fried chicken over rice.
La Michoacana Plus opened its third location in Fresno this spring, near the Vallarta Supermarket on Clinton Avenue near Highway 99.
A Mexican dessert shop, it sells ice cream, paletas (popsicles), and all kinds of Mexican snacks.
Locked In Sports Bar opened in May at the southwest corner of Bullard and Marks avenues. It’s a bar that’s also a seafood restaurant, in the former Fat Boys Taqueria and Sports Bar.
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Marco’s Pizza opened its second Clovis location in March. The pizza franchise is at the northeast corner of Willow and Alluvial avenues (its first opened not long ago at Herndon and Armstrong avenues).
Mochinut is open at Campus Pointe, near Fresno State. The business specializes in mochi donuts, a combination of donuts and the Japanese treat mochi.
It’s also getting attention (and lines) for the Korean corn dogs it serves on Fridays and Saturdays, coated in toppings like potatoes or Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Monkey Dog Coffee has opened on the southeast corner of Ashlan and Peach avenues in Clovis, near the former Costco that was converted into county offices. It offers all kinds of coffee and espresso drinks, mixed energy drinks and tea, along with fresh-based croissants.
Mountain Mike’s opened a new pizza spot at the southwest corner of Herndon and Fowler avenues in Clovis.
Ohana Shack Hawaiian Grindz got its start as food truck 808 Poke Shack. Now it’s a brick-and-mortar restaurant at the southeast corner of First Street and Bullard Avenue.
Its menu features Hawaiian-inspired dishes like garlic furikake chicken, kalua pork and Spam musubi (a snack made from a slice of Spam on rice and wrapped in seaweed).
Papi’s Mex Grill opened its second location early in the year, technically in Madera. It’s at Riverwalk, a new shopping center on Avenue 12, just west of Highway 41 and just north of Fresno.
The Pickled Deli opened in March in the former Full O Bull at Nees Avenue and First Street. The restaurant features all kinds of sandwiches and fried pickles.
Pressed is a juice bar that also carries smoothies, smoothie bowls and vegan soft-serve ice cream. It’s in the Villaggio shopping center near Lazy Dog Restaurant on Blackstone Avenue.
Qué Pasó Camarón? (translating to What’s Happening, Shrimp?) is a tiny Mexican restaurant inside El Toro Loco supermarket at Shields and West avenues.
It serves all kinds of Mexican food: quesabirria tacos, asada fries, burritos, tortas, and breakfast enchiladas. Find them serving from a tent in front of the grocery store on weekends.
Rainbird is in Merced, but drawing diners from all over, including Fresno. A high-end restaurant in the El Capitan Hotel, Rainbird has focus on “hyperseasonal” cuisine and food sourced mostly from nearby farms.
Its five-course tasting menu costs $85 a person and its three-course brunch menu costs $38.
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened its first Fresno location (the Clovis one opened last year) in February.
The popular drive-thru restaurant known for its focus on chicken fingers is on Blackstone and and El Paso avenues, on the site of the former Logan’s Roadhouse.
Raw Earth Juicery opened at Campus Pointe near Fresno State earlier this year in the former Farm Fresh Bowls spot. It specializes in juices and smoothies but is one of the few Raw Earth locations that also serves food. The menu features sandwiches, gluten-free pancakes and more.
The Rosé is a romantic downtown restaurant and event venue complete with a wall of roses that opened in the former Hop PK spot on Van Ness Avenue. It’s only open for private bookings.
Round Table Pizza has opened at least three new locations in 2022, with more on the way. One opened in the Marketplace at El Paseo in northwest Fresno. Another opened in front of Sierra Vista Mall in a former Starbucks.
It also just opened at restaurant on Bethel Avenue in Sanger.
Russo’s New York Pizzeria opened its first location in the area on Herndon Avenue, just east of Fowler Avenue in Clovis.
Seventea is a boba shop that opened in the former i-Tea spot at Shaw Avenue and Fresno Street. In addition to bubble tea drinks, it has munchies like popcorn chicken and fried mini egg rolls.
South of Shaw Beer Co. is a brewery serving its beer and pizza in downtown Fresno. It opened in February inside the Peerless Building at Broadway and Amador streets.
Despite the geographic accuracy of its name, the business is named after a band called South of Shaw from the early 2000s.
Vampire Penguin is a dessert shop that opened in January at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue. It specializes in shaved snow with lots of toppings.
Wayside Noodles opened its second location in Fresno, this one at Campus Pointe near Fresno State. It plans to eventually close its Fig Garden location.
It best sellers are pho (the Vietnamese soup), traditional spring rolls and sushi-inspired rice paper rolls. It serves lots of noodle and rice dishes.
Yogurtland opened a location at the Marketplace at El Paseo near Highway 99 and Herndon Avenue. It’s near the movie theater in the southern portion of the center.
This story was originally published June 29, 2022 at 2:30 PM.
