Chris Meat Market

I use to go to Cris Meat Market as a kid when it was back on Kern street. I gotta say I miss the place. Now that it’s relocated on Blackstone & Cambridge it just doesn’t have that same type of feeling or taste anymore. I still go there sometimes & tacos are still fully packed with meat. The cheeseburgers are still okay too. Overall I miss the old place even though it was in the ghetto it was a place to beat.

This is no longer the Chris’ Meat that I once reviewed. It has moved by the FCC Stadium. The meat isn’t as tender, the salsa isn’t the same… This has become more average than it used to be… No fue penal… No fue (_​)

Actually this is the place that doesn’t have tripas.

Ok… was in the mood for Tripas, so I went to their new location on Tulare St.
Great…Tripas is still on the menu
«I’ll take 2 Tripas Tacos please»
«We don’t have any Tripas» was the reply.
This was the first time that I have been to the new location and when I walked in I was surprised how warm in temperature it was and very small and disorganized. They did not have a large selection of cold beverages.
I was kind of glad that he stated he did not have any Tripas, because I really wanted just to leave at that point.
This place has gone way down in popularity.
I went around the corner on Kern Street to «CRIS MEAT MARKET»

Merged from old profile: Review of 4÷26÷2010.
Yes it is a scary place, yes it is south of Shaw, and yes I have seen police tape across the door after a shooting there one night. Is it still worth it to risk my life for their food?
Oh hell yes…
Their tortas are the best in Fresno, no comparison. Get it with extra salsa (if you can handle heat) and man… delicious! And yes, the lemon is used to squeeze over your food lol. Their hamburgers are pretty damn good too, strange how some of the Mexicans go for the hamburgers and white people go for the mexican food. It used to be Chris’ Meat Market til he died and April took over (at least that was the rurmor I heard). Try it… But DO be careful after dark because you ARE «south of shaw.»
Below is an example of an afternoon at the meat market where a bum tried to sell us his dentures (that weren’t even his) for $ 2.

Love love love this place. I still call this place Chris’. We usually get the tacos on Monday for $ 1 a taco. So good. It does matter what meat you get because its all good. Give it a try!

Took my hubby for his first trip to somewhere ALL Fresnans should go at least once… we got the cheeseburger/​fry combo and a carnitas burrito… the burrito was a fully packed, juicy meat filled delicious belly buster. the burger and fries were classic… and what a bargain! 3.99 regularly. on wednesdays the combo is only 2.99!~ Best bargain in town! Very delicious. So don’t be a snob or a chicken… go during a Sunday afternoon if you don’t wanna be bothered by the outside peoples… give your order to the guy at the cashier counter, then take your paper bag that your order is written on and give it to a food prep guy… then wait. good food takes time… you will be rewarded with some of the best in town…

I still call this place Chris’. We typically order a pound and half of carnitas and carne asada and get a package of warm tortillas. The salsa is mega spicy, and the meat comes with a side of lemons, cilantro, chopped onions and cabbage. Sooo delicious! There will be homeless people out in the front, it’s just the location. So buy an extra taco for him and it makes for the perfect taco lunch!
Open 24 hours!

By far the best tacos in Fresno, the authentic of Mexicano tacos in Fresno, you got try them if your scared crossing south of shaw go during lunch time you’ll be ok.

3.5 star
i used come here when it was still chris meat market
tasty and cheap Carnitas & Chicken (rico-​style) tacos, haven’t tried the asada (its a market and they sell avocados @ the front entrance produce section you can purchase and the cooks will put them on the tacos/​burgers for ya: 0)
i haven’t yet tried the burgers, but my bestie gets all stoked when I’ve asked how they are.
as for the market, overpriced and nothing you couldn’t pick up @ a 7 eleven, or an actual grocery store.
now for the disclosure:
this area is f&%king seedy as hell! maybe if your a guy its no biggie, but i have friends who grew up around the downtown area and wont go here @ night nor come in solo, my first trip here (noon on a sat) i kid you not it felt like i was risking my life to eat here, anybody who can drive up with a few (deranged) homeless people standing @ the curb inches from their car and stare @ you without moving to allow u the courtesy of getting out of your car and then upon walking in tweeked out crack addicts (track marks on arms) on either side of the entrance. if that doesn’t bother you to some degree i’m sorry you had such an unfortunate upbringing! i’ve lived south of Shaw my entire life and i often frequent tower area and i wouldn’t EVER compare the two.

Had to stop the guy from dipping my tortillia in pork juices prior to frying it. Had me thinking, «Wow! Is that the way tortillias are truly prepared?» Despite having to opt past pork flavored tortillias the food was great. Panhandlers and Meth addicts do wander in uncomfortable proximities and add to thecharm of the April’s (Chris’ Meat Market experience). This place is legendary in urban Fresno lure. I’ve heard stories of gang members dumping bodies in the fields of west Fresno then stopping by Chris’ to grab a bite afterwards. Crazy stuff but fun to talk about over a beer and tacos. Good food, sketchy location.

I went to Edison High 03 – 06, and «Chris’ Meat Market» was always a tough toss up – «either Central Fish or Chris’ guys?» So good.
As for the «south of shaw» scare… I grew up in Tower, went to Computech and then on to Edison so north of shaw scares me more than south.
Go. Eat. Smile.

I wanted to like this place. I really did. After the other Fresno disappointments, this place had hope. Got a tongue burrito, a cheek burrito, and an intestine burrito.
The tongue didn’t have the «usual» flavor I’ve come to expect. In fact, it was somewhat hard to tell the difference between the tongue and cheek. Go figure. The burrito style was a bit more «authentic» (well, from what I read on Wikipedia) than at other places in that it was basically rice and meat. But at $ 4.50 per burrito, that’s competitive with the taco trucks. They seem to have all the meats, except for goat.
Well, we bought a pound of carnitas and lengua back home, so we’ll see how that goes. Oh yeah, the latest prices are $ 7/​lb and $ 8/​lb. And a thumbs down for the panhandler standing by the doorway.

Yes it is a scary place, yes it is south of Shaw, and yes I have seen police tape across the door after a shooting there one night. Is it still worth it to risk my life for their food?
Oh hell yes…
Their tortas are the best in Fresno, no comparison. Get it with extra salsa (if you can handle heat) and man… delicious! And yes, the lemon is used to squeeze over your food lol. Their hamburgers are pretty damn good too, strange how some of the Mexicans go for the hamburgers and white people go for the mexican food. It used to be Chris’ Meat Market til he died and April took over (at least that was the rurmor I heard). Try it… But DO be careful after dark because you ARE «south of shaw.»
Below is an example of an afternoon at the meat market where a bum tried to sell us his dentures (that weren’t even his) for $ 2.

This place is crazy good.
Huge servings, excellent food, and dirt cheap!
I usually go for a carnitas burrito or combo plate.
If your dining outside in the back parking lot next to HWY 99 prepare to fight the pigeons (and homeless) for your food.
I caution those who expect Cal-​Mex flavors, sanitized floors, and safety after hours (google it) against this place.
I will always return.

The Al Pastor taco was kick ass. Unfortunately, the asada was bland and the carnitas was too fatty. This might be odd thing to complain about, but there was a bit too much meat in the taco. I like a nice balance with the tortilla, not an overflowing mess.
Also, be forewarned, the place is a bit s-​c-​a-​r-​y.

Best tacos in town hands down. I have no idea how they get the carne asada so tender! Tons of meat in tacos! Also try the tripas! So milky! Cash only! Watch out for bums.

Excellent authentic northern and central Mexican food. Pleasantly greasy, dirt cheap, and generous portions of meat. Wide variety of cooked meats from asada to tripas are available for your savory taco, burrito, or scrumptious torta. It’s a perfect middle of the night stop on weekends and conveniently located off the 99. If you’re male be prepared to be propositioned by a toothless crack whore as you enter or exit the premises.

Note: I don’t shop at this little market for meat, spices​.etc​.so my review is based on the food they make in there.
Love their burritos, their tacos and they make the best fresh hamburgers!!! A biggo0o hamburger with fries for $ 2.99. That’s some good stuff for an affordable price. The quantity of their tacos & burritos are not like the taco trucks. They really hook you up with your choice of meat. =)
Their service is really quick too. The guys that work there are always fast-​paced with all that they do. However, it gets pretty busy there and people will order crazy amounts of items that you can wait up to 30+ minutes to get your order in. They get really busy from 11−3pm on weekdays. This place is open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays so it’s always a good spot to grab some delicious authentic mexican food when and/​or if you’re hungry and on that part of town, late nights, during the weekend.

It’s 4 star worthy really but since they can’t do too much about the panhandlers out front I can’t really ding them for that. I found Chris Market finally after beginning a search for the «best» carnitas in Fresno after Unilocaler Nichole mentioned the market some weeks ago. They are not in the print Yellow pages or anywhere on the web. Why? Because they are really April Meat Market #2! Why it is not called April’s instead of April is anyone’s guess. It was called Chris Meat Market instead of Chris’s Meat Market so maybe they wanted to keep the theme? Ok now on to something that makes sense, their FOOD!
The carnitas were a little dry. The gold standard of carnitas is Chipotle and April (April’s, formerly Chris [Chris’s]), did not meet that standard. So why did April’s deserve a 5 star rating? Because of the rice, beans, chorizo, tortillas, salsa and down home Mexican food store ambiance.
How good is the rice? My 13 year old even ate the veggies in it and then exclaimed it was the best rice he’s ever eaten.
The pinto beans are the real deal. The beans are freakishly gigantic, like beans on steroids and very soft. If you have ever tried to make a good pot of beans you know it’s not that simple.
Price is cheap compared to the prices you pay in North Fresno for comparable quantity. I paid $ 3.25 for a carnitas burrito that came with the equivalent of one lemon quartered. Couldn’t finish the monster. My son had the chorizo burrito, ($ 3.25,) we brought home a pound of carnitas ($ 5.00) and a quart of rice ($ 3.00) for the wife and oldest.
This place is the real deal for authentic Mexican market deli style fast food.
One last thing. What’s with the lemons? I’ve eaten a thousand burritos in my life and never had lemon wedges on the side. Wife says it’s probably a regional thing but even so it makes little sense to squirt lemon before each bite. I’d be blind before finishing the thing.