New restaurant in downtown Fresno offers authentic Mexican food

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new eatery in downtown Fresno is serving up tamales and Mexican favorites based on grandma's recipes.

Many restaurants have struggled and even closed during the pandemic but now that some indoor dining is allowed, the owner of the Golden Tamale figured this was the perfect time to give it a shot.

The search for authentic Mexican food has long kept locals on the move.

The folks at the Golden Tamale on P Street in downtown Fresno were thankful for that.

Co-Owner Sergio Velasco explained, "We get the actual, real taste test. We got the Immigration next door to us. There's some people who come from different areas in Mexico. They actually taste it and come back in here and say, 'Thank you guys'. I felt like I was back at home."

It is a family operation.

All of the recipes come from Grandma Juanita, who is from Guadalajara. She ran two restaurants in LA and also sold tamales in Washington state.

Velasco said, "She still comes in here. She'll kind of, you're doing something wrong. She'll tell you in Spanish. Hey, let me do this. Go wash some dishes or something. She's still kind of the captain of the kitchen."

Velasco learned many customers don't just want one or two tamales. People bought them by the dozen so they sold out on this day.

Sergio knew restaurants were struggling during the pandemic but said history has taught him a lesson.

Velasco added, "Like when the McDonald's brothers got started after the World War II and everyone wanted that fast service. That's when they really had the boom."

In addition to tamales, they also serve up tacos and burritos.

The Golden Tamale is usually open Monday thru Friday but it won't reopen this week until Saturday so the crew will have more time to make tamales to meet the demand.