Santa Fe Basque Restaurant & Bar

What a wonderful delight! Today my friend and I decided to revisit the Santa Fe Basque - it's been many years since either of us had enjoyed a meal there. My friend decided to take me there for lunch and what a fun, tasty and enjoyable lunch it was! We both ordered the full "set up". First in line was their lentil soup and baguette bread! Oh, heavenly! The first spoonful of soup and I knew that this was a lunch that would never be forgotten. As I knew what was in store for us with the rest of the courses, at first I thought I should forego the bread. Oh, what the heck! it is my birthday, try the bread! The bread rivals any bread that I have tasted in the Fresno area! Fresh with a crisp crust and oh, so soft inside. The lentil soup was so divine that I had to order a side to take home! The salad was nothing to shout about, but never mind, the potato salad with shrimp was wonderful and the rice side dish was to die for!

My friend ordered the fried chicken as she remembered from the past how awesome it was and she wasn't disappointed! I was hoping that they had the lamb shanks as a side dish this day, but my prayers weren't answered for the lamb shank. I opted for the chicken fried steak as a side dish instead. Forget the lamb shank, this chicken fried steak was like none I'd ever had before! The gravy was extremely creamy, thick and smooth and with a flavor that I will dream about for years to come. Mash potatoes that rival any potatoes my mom has ever made. And the chicken fried stead was fabulous!

The vegetable side was green beans. When you get the green beans as a side, it's not your run of the mill green beans, they have been stewed with potatoes, sausage and onions in a wonderful broth. Everything served at the Santa Fe Basque was expertly and freshly prepared. You know you're getting a fabulous "home cooked meal". Comfort food as good as it gets!

Dominique, our waitress, was attentive as any waitress could ever be. She was timely, served all our requests immediately. She was pleasant without interfering with our meal and was informative when we asked about the history of the restaurant, the chef and all of the dishes.

We are planning on heading back to the Santa Fe Basque for our annual friendship Christmas lunch. I also plan on taking another friend here for his birthday at the end of November.

Remember that the Santa Fe Basque has a rich history in Fresno. It's a well-respected old time restaurant that many long-time Fresnans have known and grown to love. Give yourself a treat and go for the food and enjoy the ambiance of days gone by at the Santa Fe Basque, Fresno, CA. You won't be disappointed!

Amazing, homey food served family style. This is a family owned and operated place and the atmosphere feels comfortable, like going to visit a friend's home. It's been here a long time and maybe is slightly dated, but who cares! The food and service are amazing and that overcomes any trepidation one might have when they first walk in.

Highly recommend!

You won't regret eating here. It's a wonderful place for a casual, sit down family dinner. The food is simple and cooked deliciously with love. I no longer live in Fresno, but I still dream about the setup.

The best Basque eatery I've been to!
Fried chicken is the most popular dish, and for a good reason, too. It's crunchy on the outside. The meat's well seasoned. Spaghetti with meat ball was good. Kalimoxie was interesting, to me it almost tasted like sangria. The servers were exceptional, so friendly and helpful.

Poped in for a couple of cocktails. Super chill place. Highly recommended.

It's been years since we came here. The food was amazing, and you could tell the dishes were made from scratch. Vegetable soup with pasta, potato salad with bay shrimp, chicken in a Basque sauce, northern beans and a smothered 6 oz sirloin. (Biggest 6 oz steak I've ever seen.) The service was on point, 100% and the experience was perfect. A great place for my birthday dinner!

The food here is very delicious. The employees are always helpful. Fast refills on all our drinks, and we didn't have to wait long for a our food.

Santa Fe Basque is an example of how a restaurant should always be: succulent eats, table service that is extraordinarily impeccable, and an eclectic atmosphere that is cozy, quiet, and smothered in conversation pieces. I admire the ceiling above the bar that is pierced with many currency bills.
The menu is impressively unstoppable. There is a cuisine for all walks of life, but the juicy fried chicken will bring all to their knees for its flavorful addiction. And when one does decide to patronize this establishment, please do not eat before. You are going to require enough leg room for dessert.

This place is a gem! Amazing affordable Basque Restaurant.
My husband and I celebrated our 11 th wedding anniversary here.

Featuring 7 course meals.
Served family style except the main course of your choosing. Soup and bread are amazing, as are the other courses leading up to the 6th course, your chosen main course, and then your 7th course is dessert.
I went with the main course option of Ribeye, so tender it practically melts in your mouth even with mine being well done it was moist and amazing.
My husband ordered the fried chicken which I happily tasted and was very pleased and will probably to get it next time, if I can talk myself out of the ribeye.😉
Courses served before our main courses were soup to start, pasta with meatballs, potato salad, a garbanzo bean salad, a green salad, and served after the main course was dessert, the 7th course.
Bread was brought out throughout the meal and was delicious. All of the courses were delicious.
Thank you for a great meal Santa Fe Basque Restaurant.

Excellent food ! They also host gaming in their back patio!! My kids had a great time!

Great home style cooking, you won't leave hungry. The calamari was done to perfection, best I've ever had!

We had a wonderful dinner. Everything was delicious!

Today, we had our fathers 90 birthday celebration for 50+ guests. The booking was a breeze. The staff were so wonderful! The food was absolutely delicious! Thank You Manuella & company!!!!

My wife and I dined with another couple who had never been to a Basque Restaurant. We all ordered a entree with the setup. Each of us ordered calamari piccata or almandine. Cookoo was our waitress who treated us very well. All of us enjoyed our food and took boxes home for another meal.

I was informed that you better arrive with a large appetite. Well, this location did not disappoint. The service is the best part of the night. Not once did we have to ask for anything. Our servers were attentive to our needs and anticipated our wants. The food was excellent and was delivered promptly. When you come here you are treated like family.

Basque restaurants are popular in Central California. The meals I like best are served family style. I selected pork chops and my buddy got fried chicken, and we split them between us.
Starting with a tasty soup with plenty of sourdough bread with butter, followed by courses of green salad, beans, macaroni salad, potato salad, your main course, then dessert. If you go away hungry, you must be sick!
Served family style with communal bowls, it was great for our group of 16. Plenty of selections of wine, sangria, beers on tap and bottles or cans, plus mixed drinks.
The Santa Fe Basque Restaurant moved to near-north Fresno from its former location across from the downtown Santa Fe railroad depot. Plenty of its ambiance was carried to their new location and has taken root. It's a popular spot!

So much flavor and so much FOOD! Delightful staff.

One of the best restaurants in town. The food is outstanding. The sangria is delicious. We come here on a weekly basis and we've never been disappointed by any of the food we've had here. Truly a great atmosphere and even better people. The service is the best. A MUST place to visit in Fresno.

Came in from out of town and found this lovely place. Kuku was our server and she did a fantastic job. I had the lamb chops and my friend had the fish both prepared in an excellent fashion. Highly recommend!!! Thanks for a great meal!

I have lived in Fresno my whole life and would drive by this restaurant often. I never gave it a chance back then.

On a whim, my fiancee and I decided to give it a try. We were pleasantly surprised. The staff was supportive and gracious with helping us understand the way "family style" dining works. We didn't expect to have so much food!! We will definitely be coming back.