14-05-2025
Heading to Yosemite? How to eat like a Fresnan on your way there
Yosemite National Park's tourist season and its waterfalls are about to be at peak flow.
And if you're making the trek there — on a busy day when reservations are needed or not — you're going to need to fuel up.
Whether you're just driving through Fresno, spending the night at a hotel here, or you live in Fresno and are taking a little staycation, we know all the popular places to eat out.
So if you want to eat like a Fresnan for a day, here are a few restaurants to choose from.
Some serve foods that Fresno does best, such as tri-tip and Mexican food. Others are popular for good reason. And some are just perfect for refueling after a hike.
In no particular order, here's a sampling of delicious options our city has to offer.
1. Heirloom. Fresnans line up for this food. The north Fresno restaurant serves seasonal, local farm-to-table food from one of the best chefs in town. But it's not upscale dining. It's order-at-the counter, cafeteria-style dining with a patio.
Or, if you want to avoid lines, you can order online, pick up at the take-out window and take it back to your hotel room.
The menu, which changes seasonally, features sandwiches, burgers and pasta with a fresh twist, and salads loaded with local veggies. Some highlights: The tri-tip sandwich, the cashew cauliflower and the Surf N Turf. There are cocktails that also incorporate local produce, along with beer and wine.
Details: Heirloom is at 8398 North Fresno St. in the Park Crossing Shopping Center, and open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except for Sunday, when it closes at 8 p.m.
2. Sam's Italian Deli and Market. This deli and market is another eatery that Fresnans are extremely loyal to. It's ranked on list of Top 100 restaurants nationwide.
It has hot and cold sandwiches, and also sells deli meats and cheeses, desserts, salads — including potato and macaroni — and hot prepared foods such as chicken Parmesan.
It's got portable market items too, including lots of wine, crackers and other snacks. Sounds like a Yosemite style picnic, doesn't it?
The sandwiches are the star of the show here, including top seller Sam's Special, made with ham, mortadella, turkey breast, dry salami and Jack cheese for $10. Order online or inside the busy store.
Details: Sam's is at 2415 N. First St. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays.
3. rock 'n' roll-themed breakfast restaurant started as a food truck and turned into one of Fresno's favorite eateries.
It's got one location now and a whole opus of creatively named breakfast dishes. The menu is available by QR code on your phone, featuring breakfast and lunch.
You can find a simple breakfast, such as the Eggman, an omelet with meat, veggies and cheese.
But where Benaddiction really shines is the indulgent breakfasts: Try The Hotel California, an eggs 'Benaddict' made with chorizo hash, avocado and eggs. Or maybe the Kokomo, pancakes infused with rum-infused pineapple and topped with housemade salted caramel.
The hash browns are also a favorite, made with potatoes shredded directly into the deep fryer.
Details: Benaddiction is at 10063 N. Maple Ave. Open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
4. Country Fare Cafe. If you want to get a taste of hearty Mexican food and are willing to brave the underbelly of Fresno that doesn't have a chain business in sight, check out Country Fare Cafe. It's a hidden gem with bars on the windows, parking that is frustratingly mysterious and it only takes cash or credit cards — no debit cards.
But the food here gets great reviews — and they serve you so much of it, it will likely be spilling off your plate.
Some highlights: The enchiladas, the chile verde omelet and its huevo divorciados — two eggs on separate sides of the plate — one smothered in chile verde, the other in chile Colorado — with potatoes, beans and tortillas in between.
Details: Country Fare is at 4662 E Belmont Ave. Open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
5. Ampersand. This homegrown ice cream shop has three locations in different sides of town.
And it is not just an ice cream shop. No, it's like an entire art school only had ice cream as its creative outlet and came up with every imaginative flavor they could.
Seasonal flavors change monthly, but have included agave matcha, hazelnut coffee cake and a Pimm's cup sorbet.
The standard flavors are always on the menu and include whiskey caramel swirl and honeycomb, along with dark chocolate and vanilla.
Gluten free and vegan options are available. Lines sometimes stack up, but they move quickly.
Details: Ampersand has locations in central Fresno's Tower District, northwest and northeast. Click here for addresses. Open noon to 11 p.m. daily.
7. Sal's Mexican Restaurants. Sal's is a legacy in the Fresno area; the family named Restaurant Royalty by The Bee last year.
It's more of a sit-down dining experience than a taqueria. Its Fresno location is at Fresno Street and Alluvial Avenue, with other locations in Madera and Selma.
The family-run restaurant has birthed other restaurants from the multiple generations behind it, including the Bobby Salazar's restaurants and Lucy's Lounge cocktail bar.
At Sal's, a highlight is the fancy burrito, which was once voted Fresno's most famous dish in a Fresno Bee poll. It comes with beans and chili con carne in a large flour tortilla and lots of melted jack cheese (though you can get it with chile verde or half and half too).
Details: The Fresno Sal's is at 7476 N. Fresno St. and open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sundays through Wednesday and until 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Details about other locations here.
8. The Dog House Grill. If you're looking for two things that Fresno gets really excited about — tri-tip and the Fresno State Bulldogs — this is your place.
It's a noisy, good-time place with a bar and sports on TVs. Smokers out front cook 400 cuts of tri-tip a day — 700 on weekends.
The tri-tip comes on sandwiches, salads, and on a single huge taco that could be a meal in itself.
It's across the street from Fresno State and is the place to celebrate big wins after sports games.
But take note of one down side: Its parking lot is tiny and there is almost never a slow period here. Be prepared to park creatively. Take out is always an option.
