I was reading through what I wrote four years ago, and have decided to add a star and $5 to the previous review, because I have been spending more time (and money) lately at Jon's. I have had the pleasure of meeting the chef at one of the Taste of Fresno events, and have had several special occasion dinners here, and the food and service have not changed a tad over the years. Jon's actually has no competition in Reedley; there is nowhere else that one can go to get ribs, steaks and desserts like one can get here. Highly recommended for an upscale lunch or dinner in Reedley.

I have to agree with the previous review that Folia Bros. is very very good and very very underpatronized. During the 12-1 lunch hour, there were three tables out of twenty that were occupied, and I was one of them. Part of the problem is that Folia's occupies the building that once housed Schlotsky's Deli, which was eminantly forgettable and didn't last long, so there is some carryover effect there. And, to be honest, $10 for a sandwich, chips and fountain drink is pretty steep even if this is an upscale restaurant. Folia's serves breakfast also, which by all accounts is pretty good. Now that I have eaten here, I also would be upset if Folia Bros. went the way of Schlotsky's, because they are worlds better in quality. If I had the opportunity to suggest to one of the Bros, I would say: Drop a dollar from the price of the sandwiches, add pepperocinis (good ones, like Trader Joe's) either to the sandwiches or on the side, and take a look at Sam's Deli to see how to stock a deli case and create an atmosphere of a true European deli. Do these things, and Folia Bros. will have no problem getting the Big Five Stars and a lot more clientele.

Things have not changed much at Acapulco since 1999. The food and atmosphere are still very good, I am sorry to see that Yvette had a rough experience with the management but I have been treated well the times I have eaten here. The table salsa here is one of my favorites in the city; that and a couple of Negra Modelos will keep me happy for a while. This part of Fresno is certainly not aging well, but Acapulco is a welcome stop on the Blackstone corridor.

I am going to give JRs an extra star for the sole reason that they did away with the little cardboard trays that they were using, and have switched to real plates. Other than that, little has changed in the last three years (I guess that would be expected). Burgers are ok but pricey at $7. The clientele is mostly teenagers who would be uncomfortable at one of the other restaurants at RiverPark, not knowing that for the same money they could have a much nicer meal. For myself, a similar but cheaper burger can be found across the street at In'n'Out, and a better overall experience at Red Robin. Hooters? I will leave that for another review.

The Sawmill Restaurant is one of the very first things encountered when entering Shaver Lake from the south. It is perched on a little rise next to the highway, and its windows all face that direction. Inside, the atmosphere is rustic/log cabin, with an actual milling saw (!) planted inside. There is a full bar, but unless one is staying the night dont get tanked because Tollhouse Road is treacherous enough as it is. In the winter, there is nothing better after a day of skiing at Sierra Summit than to stop here for chili and cornbread and a Sierra Nevada beer. In the summer, the Sawmill is full of sunburnt people who have been out on the lake all day and now are enjoying burgers and sandwiches. The Sawmill is a little pricey for children and has a limited childrens menu, but they are welcome anyway and the service is very friendly. Recommended for an excellent end of a day on the mountain, either to warm up or to cool off. Sitting in a booth next to a window and watching the snow fall while sipping an Irish coffee here is a favorite memory of mine.

China Garden Express is in the new shopping center across from Reedley College, and seems to be doing a brisk business. While it could be said that Reedley really doesnt need another chinese restaurant, CGE focuses on take-out clientele from the college and surrounding businesses. There is seating in the restaurant, but the atmosphere is limited and the tables and chairs are economical rather than comfortable. The food, however, is very good. There is a steam table with ~20 choices, where one can choose 1, 2 or 3 items with chow mein and rice for a reasonable price. On the menu are a small variety of appetisers, soups and entrees. The ginger beef is as good as anywhere in town, and the szechwan pepper ribs are addictingly excellent. Hot and spicy tofu needed an additional kick, though. An entree is enough for two people, three entrees and chow mein should feed 5-6 people easily. CGE really isnt able to compete with Manning Buffet, but then again that isnt the clientele they are aiming for. The idea here is to phone or fax in an order, and take it back to the office or home to enjoy. With that in mind, CGE is a welcome addition to the foodscape of Reedley.

The Ahwahnee. No other restaurant in California has the history, the beauty, the surroundings that this one does. Tucked back into the northeast corner of Yosemite Valley, the Ahwahnee radiates prestige and splendor. The Delaware North Company, the same concessionaire that runs the Asilomar Conference Center (see review) has opted to keep the Ahwahnee at the upper edge of quality and comfort, which comes at a price. Of course, anyone who can afford the $300-$700 a night to stay at the Lodge is not going to complain about the cost of dinner. The service is impeccable, with staff from all over the world lending a multicultural atmosphere. There is special Ahwahnee china, etched glassware (which I am sure provides souvenirs for many people) and candles on every table. The menu leans toward fish and chicken (actually, not unlike Asilomar), but the steaks are of the very highest quality also. The grilled artichokes are amazing. People, the dining room at the Ahwahnee is not a place to bring children. Ever. The lighting is dim, there are many breakables, and diners will be extremely annoyed if they are distracted from their triple-digit meal by a fussing child. The Lodge provides babysitting, please avail yourselves of it. The dining room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and weekend buffet brunch. People scared off by the prices of the dining room can opt for the lounge, where a light menu is offered. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, there are two places in California that come to mind: the Top of the Mark in San Francisco, and the Ahwahnee Lodge.

Hey, I have to side with the limo driver on this one. Drivers often know better than concierges where the best dining is in town, and I make a point to ask whenever possible. Offending a driver through lack of courtesy can be a death blow to an establishment, not least because if management cannot show some respect for the person providing them with customers, how would the customers themselves be treated?

I was lucky enough to receive a $15 gift coupon from Mother Mary's Pizza (which will cover a 6-slice medium pizza, large pizzas are $18-$20, family pizzas are $20-$27). Yes, that is pretty pricey for a pizza, especially in North Fresno where there is a pizza restaurant on every corner and sometimes three or four of them (lets see, on 1st and Nees there are Da Vinci's, YouBee's, Round Table, and Straw Hat). Anyway. The local talk radio station used to play up Mother Mary's quite a bit but that has died down now. Finding the place is a bit of a challenge because it is tucked back into the northeast corner of the intersection of Champlain and Perrin. There are a couple of little tables to eat at, but for the most part this is a take-out restaurant. The pizza is pretty good, I ordered a Vinny's Veggie and was satisfied with it except that if it is allowed to rest for more than 10 minutes, not only will it be cold but soggy as well because of the tomato slices. This is one pizza that would not be a good choice for breakfast (which I have been known to do). There are pasta and sandwich options as well as pizzas, but they are fairly expensive also. IMHO, Mother Mary's is going to have to fight for customers because of all the competition in the area and lowering their prices would go a long way in accomplishing that. It is good enough pizza, but I probably would choose somewhere else unless another coupon finds its way here, or the local talk show guy serves some up for free.

I have very fond memories of the Claim Jumper when it was in Los Alamitos. Way back then, I was a starving teenager and could eat a whole Mother Lode sandwich on my own. The receptionist would give out coasters with western-kitschy names like "Black Bart" or "Calamity Jane" written on them to people who were waiting for their table, and there was this huge chicken-roasting machine where one could watch the birds rotate on huge skewers as they cooked. This new Claim Jumper doesnt look anything like what I remember. What bothers me is that the seating is "open" meaning any attempt to have a private conversation is impossible. There are some booths, but for the most part the tables are scattered around the floor in some randomized way which makes watching the servers try to navigate the floor pretty interesting. The restaurant is huge, like I remember the portions being, but the size of the building does not make it any less claustrophobic inside. The bar area is also immense, and there is some outdoor seating that looks comfortable enough. I do like the fireplace, I hope that they get a chance to light it someday what with all of the air quality restrictions. The food is good, steaks and chicken and ribs and fish for the most part. There have been some changes to the menu, but some things stay the same - the ribs are always good, the "I Declair" is an amazing thing. It is better food than Outback Steakhouse or Logans Roadhouse - actually, much better than Logans but maybe it isnt fair comparing the two. Since it is a newer restaurant, the wait time for a table and for one's order to arrive can be atrocious. I am glad that Fresno has a Claim Jumper now, but it will probably be a 2 to 3 times a year option for us, unless we start having football parties in their bar area. Recommended, but be willing to be patient for a table and for service.

Up-scale Chinese food is an oddity for Fresno - certainly, there are plenty of Chinese restaurants in town, and some of them are pretty good, but previously there were none that had the panache, the name recognition that PF Chang's carries. This is another one of the open-seating style restaurants, where the walls are lined with booths and the rest of the tables are scattered around the floor (did the same archetect that designed Claim Jumper also do this one? Hmmmm.) This is a smaller restaurant than CJ, but the interior seems much less crowded although there is a huge concrete statue in the center of the dining room. The afternoon sun will come flooding in through the windows on the west side, raising the temperature of that side of the room quite a bit. The service was professional enough, mostly young college kids though. Portions are not large at PF Chang's, the oolong tea sea bass was wonderful tasting but there were only four bites worth. I guess I am used to having leftovers from a Chinese dinner, but four of us cleaned up everything we were served and we went looking for dessert after. The prices are reasonable enough, especially for the high-end atmosphere, so I am not complaining about that. Had to shake my head, though, at the huge horse in front of the restaurant with its heart in the wrong place (if you see it, you will know exactly what I mean). Recommended for quality Asian food at a reasonable price and good service.

Bobby Salazar's has a questionable reputation anyway, but when I tried their little taco stand in Reedley a couple of years ago, I felt it was overpriced and didnt go back. Now I remember why. I have here, in front of me, the 3 Rico Tacos w/ rice and beans to go. I wish I could take a picture of this, it is so grimly humorous. What I was looking for was a quick lunch to take back to the lab, and I didnt feel like a burger. Port of Subs was crowded, so I stopped at BS's (lol). For $7, here is what I have: six micro-tortillas (for a sense of scale, they are exactly the same size as the stylus for my Compaq iPaq is long), doubled to make three "tacos". On these ummm surfaces, is one teaspoon of a meat that could be pretty much anything except hamburger (which is also on their menu, Skotos only knows why). Here, I am picking up a plastic teaspoon, and yes, all of the meat fits into the spoon easily. There are some shreds of wilted lettuce, and some cilantro that is black around the edges, and I would guess that this is some cheese that got sprinkled in here. Beans are standard issue, but this rice has a taste very very much like dish soap (nice to know that the pots get washed, anyway). What really frosts me is that for half the price and quadruple the quality I could have called in an order to Juanito's and be enjoying my lunchtime. There is really nothing on this menu that is under $5, except their "Super Taco" for $3 that would be called a regular taco anywhere else. BS's must be relying heavily on the high school and college kids for business, because anyone having to work for their money would be well advised to try somewhere else. Sorry, BS's, you earn the One Star of Shame for this effort.

Now, I have been writing reviews here since lord knows when, and I have always refrained from writing reviews on corporate restaurants for the simple reason that when one eats at one of these places, one would expect (and mostly get) the same experience from left coast to right coast. Also, and more to the point, I believe it is a great disservice to the mom-n-pop local restaurants to not try them out at least once, and when they are good, then recommend them, and when they are awful (which happens occasionally), say so, which is why I write these things to begin with. Now to Me'n'Eds. Reedley, imho, is the culinary capital of Small Town Central California. Compared to, say, San Francisco, the dining choices are pretty limited. Actually, compared to Fresno, or even Clovis, the choices are pretty limited. But the great majority of restaurants here are high quality, clean, friendly and affordable. Except when it comes to pizza, for some bizarre reason. In the beginning, there was Pizza Pirate, and it was good. Then Domino's and Papa Murphy's (neither of which allow dine-in, so they do not count as restaurants) arrived and Pizza Pirate became Pirate Pizza (see review). Straw Hat opened a micro-pizzaria near the college (been there, but was not impressed), and then Mountain Mike's (see review) came in later. But Me'n'Eds has endured in this little shopping center on Manning all the while. It was remodeled a few years back, which gave more privacy but less atmosphere (I used to love the old wooden picnic-style tables and the silly inscriptions on the wall) but the pizza remains the best restaurant-type in town. For a corporate restaurant, this place does not skimp on the toppings, and my personal favorite is the "Tuscan Harvest". Yum. And the price is affordable, there is no low-quality-stuff-yourself-silly buffet, and I have never ever been greeted with less than a "hi, thanks for coming in, what can I get for you?" attitude. Greatly appreciated, thats what that is. So I am breaking an old rule by reviewing Me'n'Eds, but hey, rules are for breaking, yes? Number One Pizza in Reedley goes to Me'n'Eds until a new challenger surfaces, and that might be a while.

What a difference four years makes! LOL, not at Archie's, per se, because absolutely changes at Archie's, but rather the town of Selma has grown like a weed but has left Archie's alone. Archie's has such an amazing atmosphere, even a Bose Wave radio (the one concession to technology in the place) put up on the pie cabinet contrives to look like an antique. When sitting at the counter, the patches worn into the surface by decades and decades of plates and elbows gives a real sense of continuity. The food remains very good, and the service is very friendly. Of special note is the homemade pecan pie, oh man is that stuff good! :-) Take the time to find Archie's for that nostalgic atmosphere and good cooking.

Craving a good burger after a recent chicago-dog incident, I stopped in at Island's on Seal Beach Blvd (looked interesting). Serious surfer theme inside, with surfer videos playing and grass shack decorations everywhere. The music, though, was some weird pop / light rock radio station that was very noticeable for being so out of step with everything else. Simply adorable waitresses, though, in little tiny surfer shorts :-) The prices, though, are seriously inflated which is why they only get the three stars. I thought $6 for a hot dog and a beer was bad; at Island's a burger and a beer are $15, fries not included. It would be insane for one person to order fries anyway, because they come out in a basket that would feed four people ($4 extra). I was seriously irritated because Island's doesnt serve Foster's on tap, which I would think is a requirement for a surfer restaurant. Had to settle for a watery Heineken, blegh. The menu is burgers and salads and a couple of sandwiches, pretty limited stuff. Island's is another of these restaurants that refuse to serve a pink juicy burger, their choices are either medium-well or thermonuclear-carbonized. Either the quality of beef at burger restaurants is declining, which is possible I guess, or the fear of a lawsuit by some patron with stomach flu forces the chefs to make sure that their burgers are just-from-the-autoclave sterile. Having tried Island's, I would say that this is an acceptable place for a weekend lunch, but thats about it.

El Paso Cantina used to be quite a chain of mexican restaurants in SoCal, but now there is just the one left. This is not a small restaurant - there are several rooms off of the main dining area that can hold large parties. The manager stands up front with his hostesses; we were personally greeted by him and shown to a table in the cantina to wait for the rest of our group to arrive. The ubiquitous tortilla chips come with a sweetish salsa (ask for the hot version, it is much better) and warm bean dip. The food is basic mexican fare, but El Paso is very flexible about making substitutions and if you want chile verde in your tostada instead of the shredded beef, ground beef, or chicken, they will say "you got it". I greatly approve of that. My personal favorite is the New Mexico style enchiladas, which is more like a mexican lasagna than anything but comes with a fried egg on top. Mmmmmm. Reasonable prices, friendly staff and pleasant atmosphere give El Paso the four stars.

Having been back to China's for lunch many times since the last review, I feel it is necessary to give them some love and revise what I said last time. The restaurant has a lot of atmosphere, and the chile verde has improved much :-) I seriously appreciate being able to have a decent lunch, with a beer, for under $10, and the service is always friendly. There is even a nice park right across the street for a walk after lunch, if the weather is not in the 100s. When passing through Lindsay and craving good mexican food, China's Alley is well worth looking for.

The thought of having a Chicago-style hotdog was really appealing, but if this is what Chicago-style is, then give me a good Dodger Dog instead. These things dont come cheap ($6 for a hot dog and a beer)and somebody please tell me, what is with this biohazard-green relish? I found it to be bitter and generally unpleasant. Whoever thought of putting a cold wedge of tomato on a hot dog should be condemned to watch SF Giants games for the rest of their lives. The large-screen tv gives the sports-bar atmosphere, but the walls just have random bits nailed to them - some from Chicago, some not. I didnt see any buffalo burgers on the menu, but almost everything has cutesy Chicago-centric names (the Sears Tower dog is $6 in its own right). It is an interesting concept, I guess, and if Bob reviewed this place back in 1999 (I seriously do not remember it being here that far back) then they must be doing ok, but I think next time I will skip Mustard's and try the Philadelphia deli across the street.

My first experience with a Red Robin was out in Colorado Springs about 15 years ago; I distinctly remember having a couple of "Nuclear Ice Tea"s and not thinking much about it until we left the restaurant and the parking lot turned to jello (we had a designated driver). Since then, Red Robin has come to California and we are lucky to have three of them in the metro Fresno area. The newest, interestingly enough, shares a parking lot with a Hooters, similar menus but different experiences entirely. RR is very family-friendly, and all of the clutter on the walls are probably selected by some bizarre consulting firm to be non-controversial and still eye-catching. RR seems to hire exclusively from the college-age labor pool, but their staff are very well trained and always courteous. Other restaurants could learn a thing or two about staff training from RR. The big draw are the burgers, and their burgers are very good although I think it is hilarious that they are cooked "a little pink" or "no pink". The "Royal Red Robin" burger has a fried egg on top, which is really good except for that it is usually sunny-side up and will spray yolk everywhere on the first bite if one is not careful. Think of it as a a steak tartare on a bun. The very best of the burgers is the "Five Alarm", with pepperjack cheese and jalapenos. Mmmmmmmm. Fries are all-you-can-eat. A meal with a soda is going to set you back $12ish, not counting tip. Have a beer or two with that "5 Alarm" burger and you are suddenly up to $20. Sign up on their website, and you get a free burger on your birthday (hey, that's the same as a $10 coupon so my whole family is signed up). RR doesnt get the Big 5 stars because it can be amazingly noisy and the menu is pretty limited, but it is the best restaurant of its kind that I can think of.

The Olive Garden puts out a ton of advertizing, which is probably why it continues to be a busy restaurant. The food certainly wouldnt draw many people back, I would think. The service is fairly efficient, but be careful when they offer the house wine because a couple of refills of that little glass and you could have bought a bottle of the good stuff. Also, do not believe for an instant that the food is always cooked fresh, because it is not. Their roasted potato-bits come frozen, as I unfortunately discovered for myself after trying to bite into some that still were. Plan on an easy $20 per person for a meal at Olive Garden. The little back dining-room at this particular one (where, I would guess, they host meetings and receptions and such) has not been cleaned since the restaurant was built, or so it would seem from the layer of dust on every surface except the tables. For myself, to cure an Italian craving I would rather find a convenient DiCicco's, but if I get another Olive Garden gift card then I might give them another try.