Don Fernando’s

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. Don Fernandos is hands down the best southwestern Mexican cuisine that I have EVER had. Fernando and Teresa opened this little gem after moving from their Palm and Maroa restaurant and before that, as head chef at the world renown Ernas Elderberry House in Oakhurst. Everything on the menu is exquisite even the bacon cheeseburger. The ribs are my favorite and the shrimp cocktail is divine. This is a place not to miss if driving to or from the Sierras. Or even make a trip, like we do, from Fresno or surrounding areas. We have celebrated birthdays with large groups and business celebrations. The service has always been excellent. I’m not sure why there were bad reviews on the service. Every time we come (which is often) it has been great. Take a moment to get to know Teresa. Say hi to Fernando. We are waiting for it to open to eat here as I write this review. :)

Friends recommended this great Mexican restaurant in a slightly out of the way place. This is fine Mexican cuisine in an unassuming but charming location. The food – lamb, pork, beef and fish, is absolutely fresh and up to the standard of the best Mexican gourmet fare, beautifully seasoned and cooked. Don Fernando has cooked in some of the finest restaurants in California before opening this superb place. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. This restaurant is superior to anything within 25 miles and is absolutely worth a detour. Diners come from Fresno and Clovis to eat here, and with good reason. Highly recommended! (Don’t eat at the nearby casinos. Come here)

Crazy Bernie has but one Mexican restaurant he calls his favorite. It is called Don Fernandos!!! If you are anywhere near Auberry road between Friant and Prather and you don’t choose Don Fernandos for dinner then you need to get your head examined. We were greeted by the loveliest woman named Theresa. She happens to be the wife of Fernando, the executive chef who actually prepared our delicious meal. My wife, Tammy the Tornado ordered the chile relleno. It arrived as 2 perfectly cooked Anaheim chills with a side of rice and beans. My meal chicken fajitas (my standard test order) arrived at the table without the industry standard sizzle. At first I felt underwhelmed but after biting into my first of many rolled pockets of perfection I realized that Fernando does not need to conform to the run of the mill fajita presentation. His chicken was surrounded by so many red and green peppers that made my meal unforgettable I could hardly believe I was in the foothills. I devoured the perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked chicken along with the vast array of sides as if I hadn’t eaten in a week. Our experience here was one for the record books. From this moment onward I have but one chef that I trust to fill my belly with food cooked to perfection. His name is Fernando, and he does business very close to the Crazy Bernie castle.

Unique, mild, light flavors created with FRESH ingredients that left both hubby and I continually making «oooh» and «ahhh» sounds throughout our entire meal. No heavy greasy taste, and we don’t feel like we have bricks in our stomachs following our meals. Both hubby and I had leftovers.
Hubby had Lamb Chile Colorado — tender, lean lamb w/​full flavor and NOT gamey tasting — served with fresh flour tortillas. I had the green sauce chicken enchies made with fresh corn tortillas. Each din was served w/​an **amazing** mango, corn, onion salsa as well as with rice and boiled beans.
Flan for dessert is a must. Light and flavorful.
Mellow, friendly ambience. Soft Spanish music in background.
Refreshingly different! We WILL be back — with friends!

Tried this place tonight and the service was so poor. We were basically forgotten at our table. My son began to melt down, so my wife took him out to our vehicle so I could wait for our check to pay and leave. I had to ask for our check after sitting at a table by myself for 15 – 20 minutes. I sat there, arms crossed, just waiting to be acknowledged. 1 of 2 staff people hungout at another table just yapping away, and ignoring the rest of the establishment. The second staff person didn’t seem to interested in asking me how I was doing as she helped the table behind me and to my left. I was basically a ghost. Probably could have done a dine-​and-​dash and no one would have noticed. The food is not worth the drive. They do not offer free chips and salsa like most Mexican restaurants, unless you purchase specific items. My wife and I were so thoroughly unimpressed and can’t understand why anyone would ever go back. These people have a lot to learn about running a restaurant.

We were in Friant, CA and were looking for something yummy. Unilocal led us to Don Fernando’s near Auberry and I’m so glad it did. The food was delicious and the prices were very reasonable.
I ordered take out, but when I went to pick it up I wished I had eaten in. The country ambiance was tasteful and gave a very authentic feel. I’d love to go back if I’m town again.
We ordered vegetarian soft tacos, a veggie burrito, chicken crispy tacos and a cheese quesadilla. There was a small mixup and we got a cheese enchilada instead. No matter, because it was delicious.
One last thing, while we were driving away someone ran out to the parking lot and flagged us down. They had forgotten to put in our guacamole. –1 for forgetting, +100 for bothering to run out and bring it to us when they realized.

Just Has Lunch and it was so good! The most authentic Mexican food I ever had! I will be coming back here again for sure!

Family owed and run, this restaurant is a blessing to those in the foothill communities. Not sure why it was listed so far down on your ratings. Have tried just about every offering on the menu. Each was as good as the next. Fresh ingredients, expert seasoning and preparation, this is Mexican cuisine not just mexican food. I love the corn chowder and their tropical ice tea.
Down side is that this is family owed and run, so at times, they can be overwhelmed by the volume of customers. Just be prepared to slow down and relax, while you wait for some of the best cuisine in Fresno County.

Great food and service is always amazing. The chef (Benny) is magical! Definitely recommend this restaurant to all.

My girlfriend and I stopped here after a backpacking trip. We were expecting sub par tacos and burritos… Wow were we wrong. From the tacos to the moletas to the cactus, it was all top notch. A little less on the authentic side and more on the gourmet end, but who can complain about that.

Very very good! This little gem is less than a mile from my parents house and I’m looking forward to returning on my next visit from Seattle. The food is thoughtfully prepared and delicious. Not the usual plate of slop you might get from other Mexican restaurants (i.e. massive amounts of rice and refried beans). You get just the right amount of food at Don Fernandos and it tastes great. Order the Flan!!!

Our favorite place for dinner! The corn chowder is incredible and everything is FRESH!

Very good traditional south-​western food, you can even try cactus. The owners are friendly and the service is excellent. The atmosphere inside the historic Marshall Station restaurant is unique. They host parties on request and do an excellent job. Fresh Flan, guacamole, and corn chowder are our family favorites. My family has been eating here since week 2 of their opening in 2004.

The owner/​chef was at Erna’s Elderberry House before opening the very successful Don Fernando’s location in Fresno in the 1990’s. I was so pleased to find this quaint outpost at historic Marshall Station a few years ago. Same great Mexican and southwestern cuisine I recall from the original location.
This is a great stop when traveling to and from the Sierras on ski trips in winter and lakes in summer. Have made several visits and tried many menu items without disappointment!

The owners of this business have had restaurants in Fresno for many years. The last time I ate at Don Fernando ‘s was about 15 years ago when it was located at Palm and Maroa and it was more of a southwestern cuisine which was excellent.
This restaurant is Mexican cuisine and caters to the «white people» of which there were 4 tables occupied during my experience there.
When I walked in there was 1 couple eating. No one to seat me nor any music playing. so I sat myself. I waited about 4 mins and still no one to help so I go up and obtained the menu myself. When another couple walked in and made some more noise, the server then came out of the kitchen and noticed me and them.
I ordered the Sopes, ($ 8.25 for 2) 1 shredded beef and 1 Longaniza (Mexican sausage), I wish they had an Carne
Asada option for meat as well. The Sopes (see pic) were built up with boiled pinto beans, the meat, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa and some crumbled white queso. The shredded beef was bland. The sausage was very good. The thick corn Sopes (thick maize tort) needed more seaoning before cooking it and was sort of jello like in texture in some parts… btw. Don Peppes in Fresno is much better.
You will see on their menu that there are two sides to it. On the least expensive side, chips and salsa are not included but can be purchased for $ 4.50. On the more expensive side of the menu, you get chips and salsa, and only one serving. after that there is a $ 2.75 charge.
I would go back 1 more time to try the other side of the menu.

I have passed this place dozens of times on my motorcycle rides and I always say I’m going to stop next time. Well yesterday I finally stopped and I was very glad I did.
It’s a very small place, rustic and cozy. There’s a bar, but they don’t use it any more so it’s just a dining room now. It looks like a family run operation because there was one lady running the front. This means the service was a bit slower than your average corporate run restaurant, but I enjoy a place where they aren’t just herding you through to make room for the next customer.
The food was great. I had fish tacos and they were nice nice tacos with big chunks of juicy fish. The chips and salsa were also very good. My buddy had a burrito and said it was fantastic as well.
So this is a great little place. Love the atmosphere and the personal service. I highly recoomend it.

Family owned, great food! It is like having dinner at your grandmother’s. If you ask for some guacamole it takes a while to show up at your table. That’s because it has to be made right then. So, if your in a hurry you will be disappointed. But if you like nice people and a homestlye feel with the best food ever, you will love it.

Just simply the best little Southwestern-​Mexican restaurant you will ever find out in the middle of nowhere… a dusty little place along Auberry Road four miles short of Prather. It’s in an old historic railroad station, along a railroad line that no longer exists and is largely forgotten.
Five of us went there for a family birthday celebration, and we had a splendid dinner and got out of there for less than $ 80 and we can’t stop raving about the food. I had baby backs in an amazingly sweet and spicy Chipotle sauce. The ribs melted off the bones, and were served with real beans (not cooked in lard), and a corn and mango salad. OMG!
Other members of the family had the chicken in mole sauce, the chicken enchiladas, the beef chimichangas, and a warm chicken salad with huge strips of chicken breast, caramelized onions, garlic, and a vinegarette sauce.
This place is well worth the trip. Hell, even the salsa and chips are homemade, and the second you taste the fresh, thick salsa, you will know that you’re in the right place.
Great food at reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

Don Fernando’s serves the best Mexican food I have ever eaten… even in Mexico. Fernando moved as chef from a 5 star restaurant in Oakhurst, CA on the way to Yosemite. Now he is going it alone and we all hope he succeeds beyond his wildest hopes. We all win. Anyone going to Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake, or anywhere near, save some time to eat at Don Fernando’s Marshall Station
Wayne

Definitely a unique place. It’s almost like someone turned a 1970’s ranch style house into a restaurant. The nachos were delicious, but didn’t come with jalapeños.
Ay caramba!
The fajitas were also tasty, but my corn tortillas were 4 inch tortillas. And I got four. The flour tortillas on the other side of the table were 8 inch tortillas. She got 4 also.
So close to five stars.