If you're looking for a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine, look no further than Guadalajara Restaurant and Cantina in Fresno. Owners Cecilio and Rosalinda Garcia have owned and operated this restaurant for the past 35 years and have garnered multiple awards and television recognition. However, operating this popular local restaurant wasn't always an easy feat for them.
Cecilio and Rosalinda immigrated to the United States in 1978 in search of the American Dream. With the money they saved working, they opened their restaurant in 1988 in Fresno.
Facing impending costs from restaurant equipment, operations, and ingredients, the Garcia family did whatever they could to keep their doors open, and even sold their own car in the process.
The Garcia family also suffered from a house fire, where they lost many of their personal belongings. Local media and newspapers came to ask if they needed any financial assistance during this stressful time, but the family simply asked the community to dine at their restaurant.
The next day, the Garcia family were greeted by a whole line of customers who all anticipated their homemade meals.
Since then, Guadalajara Restaurant and Cantina are still run by Garcia's growing family and have become a local favorite in Fresno County. They have been featured on television and were also awarded The People's Choice of Best Tacos, Menudo, and Margaritas by The Fresno Bee in 2023.
If you love seafood, be sure to try their shrimp cooked in homemade hot sauce, or their fish tacos! We recommend their chilaquiles con asada, which are tortilla chips cooked in homemade sauce with grilled beef, or their fajitas combination plate, which includes chicken, steak, and shrimp.
You can choose to sit outside in their shaded patio or in their cozy interior which offers a familial feeling, similar to visiting grandma's house. The staff here will treat you as if you were a part of the Garcia family, enjoying a meal at their kitchen table. A mural of the Catedral de Guadalajara can be found inside the restaurant, an image that shows what the food served here pays homage to.
You can find Guadalajara Restaurant and Cantina off of Weber and Shields Avenue in Fresno. They are open Monday-Sunday, excluding Tuesday. Find more information about them here.
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