Lela's - Fresno

I have never been let down here. The food is fantastic, the service is excellent, and the portions are huge.

We decided to try Valentine's Day based on online reviews and photos of their food. Upon arrival, we were surprised by how bright the atmosphere was for what we expected to be a romantic Valentine's Day dinner. We were looking forward to enjoying a meal, but unfortunately they had a limited menu for the weekend and we were unable to order one of their steaks (no steaks on a busy holiday weekend?). Despite our disappointment with the limited options, we tried to make the most of the experience. The service was excellent and our waiter recommended a nice Syrah to pair with our meal. We opted for a cheese plate, which offered a variety of delicious choices including 3 types of cheese, crackers, figs, and a spicy dipping sauce. We would like to return on a different evening when they have their full menu available. Other diners seemed to enjoy their meals, which appeared to be generously portioned.

7 friends got together. We all enjoyed our meals...enjoyed the wine recommendations...and enjoyed conversation. Service was outstanding. Our waiter Ryan was fun and attentive. Highly recommend!

I"ve had several meals at LeLa's and was a bit disappointed with my most recent meal. I felt the food was over-flavored with tastes that were not compatable. My husband and I split a Caesar salad and the dressing had too much anchovy flavor for my taste, my husband loved it but I did not. My husband had the chicken and loved it too (I had a taste and can confirm that it was very good. I had the filet mignon and thought it had too much going on. The seasoning was strong and it was covered with a generous portion of a blue cheese which wasn't very appealing to me (and I love blue cheeses . The garlic mashed potatoes were too garlicky and the vegetables had a lot of seasoning too and the combination of flavos on the plate just didn't add up for me. The flan for dessert was outstanding. The wine list is very heavy on reds so us white wine drinkers don't have much of a selection.

After our third meal at Lela's in Northwest Fresno, located in the shopping center at the northwest corner of Marks and Herndon, in mid-December, I was so impressed that I sent pictures of the food and a glowing recommendation to two friends. One of them replied that he and his wife were already regular customers and agreed with my positive review. During this visit, I thoroughly enjoyed my perfectly cooked medium-rare lamb dish, accompanied by a Mexican-inspired green tomatillo sauce, cilantro, queso fresco, and delicious mashed potatoes. My wife opted for the generously portioned bone-in pork chop, which she couldn't finish, so I happily polished it off the next night at home. We have also tried other entrees on previous visits, such as a salmon dish that my wife loved, and I once tried a steak. The salads were always fresh and tasty, and we even made room for dessert once. The service during all three visits was consistently polite, attentive, and professional. I find the prices at Lela's to be very reasonable considering the high quality of the food. On a scale of 0-30, for cuisine, ambiance, and service, compared to restaurants in California, major cities in the east, and even overseas, I would rate Lela's around 25 for food, 22 for ambiance, and 25 for service. Lela's is a standout dining option in Fresno that I would confidently recommend to any out-of-town visitor looking for a refined dining experience.