One of the greatest things about living in the Central Valley is access to incredibly fresh, authentic, and flavorful Mexican food. It’s one of the things you hear of people missing the most if the grew up here and later had to move to another part of the country. One local Mexican restaurant has gained attention nationwide however, earning a top ten spot on Yelp’s review site for having one of the best brunches in the US and that is Las Mañanitas.
Las Mañanitas opened their first restaurant six years ago in South Fresno at 1329 S. Hazelwood. With just five sets of dining tables and chairs, the restaurant is small but the flavors offered inside are BIG. Owners Ana Navarro and Allen Juarez are the humble but incredibly talented couple behind the restaurant which rose to the top of Yelp charts in 2021. Their many regular customers as well as local businesses supported them throughout the pandemic, and now they are realizing their dream of opening a second location in Downtown Fresno.
Las Mañanitas Downtown restaurant is located inside the historic State Center Warehouse Building at 747 R Street, which is now owned and recently renovated by Bitwise Industries. Though other businesses will soon be open inside, Las Mañanitas is the first to be serving customers in the new food court.
Las Mañanitas serves traditional Mexican breakfast and lunch fare, as well as a sprinkling of diner offerings like pancakes and French toast. Their most well-known dish is their chilaquiles (pronounced “chee-lah-keel-ehs”) which is a traditional meal made from lightly crisped corn tortillas, eggs and a flavorful green or red sauce – and at Las Mañanitas it’s also prepared with the meat of your choice, cotija cheese, and sour cream. Though technically part of their lunch menu, they also make amazing sopes, (Pronounced So-pe; rhymes with “OK”) which is similar to an open faced-taco, but they are served on a thick corn-based bread cup that is lightly fried and crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside — though made with the same basic ingredients, it’s thicker than a tortilla, and a smaller than a gordita.
When you visit the new restaurant you’ll see that ordering is done at the counter, and seating is plentiful. You’ll be given a number to place on your table, and a server will bring your meal to you when it’s ready.
If you’ve heard of Las Mañanitas and have been wanting to go, but were intimidated by the popularity of the restaurant in combination with tight seating, visiting their new Downtown location could be just the thing to add to your calendar this week! My family and I visited this past weekend and we are so glad we did. Everything we ordered was fantastic, the service was great, and though the place was bustling with excited and hungry people, there were plenty of tables for all, and the food arrived relatively quickly. We will definitely be returning soon and often!
You can check out Las Mañanitas at either location every day of the week for breakfast or lunch between 8:30am and 2pm. Enjoy!
Find Las Mañanitas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/las_mananitas_/
Phone: 559 531-5473
Address: 747 R St, Fresno, CA 93721
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