I want to be upfront with you about something before we dive in to this latest blog in my Lunch Spots series – every installment of this series features a Fresno lunch spot that has stood the test of time and earned its place in this city’s food scene, but this one is personal. This one is my all-time favorite. My family goes to El Premio Mayor on average once a week, and has for years, and I am not even close to tired of it.
El Premio Mayor, which translates from Spanish to English as “the top prize” or “jackpot”, is Fresno’s premier destination for authentic and flavorful Mexican street tacos, and the name could not be more fitting. Their tacos have won Best Tacos at the Fresno Taco Throwdown multiple years in a row, in both the judge and people’s choice categories. That’s not a fluke. That’s consistency. That’s excellence. That’s what happens when someone puts their whole heart into their food for three decades.
Founder and single mother Belen Melendrez Ramirez started El Premio Mayor in 1996 as a taco trailer, powered by an extension cord plugged into her apartment. Let that sink in for a moment. From a single extension cord and an extraordinary amount of grit and talent, Belen built what is now three brick and mortar locations across Fresno, all of which remain open and thriving today.
The original location sits on McKinley just east of First Street. The second is on the southwest corner of Maroa and Shields. And the newest, which recently opened in a former Popeye’s, is right near the original on the southeast corner of McKinley and First. Each location has its own hours, so it’s worth checking before you go, but between the three of them you have plenty of options throughout the week.
Now, let’s talk about the space, because I want to be honest with you: El Premio Mayor is about as no frills as it gets, and that is not a criticism. It is a statement of priorities. These are humble establishments in the best possible sense – they feature counter ordering, tables for dining in, and an equal number of people taking their order to go. There are zero pretenses here, and that is a huge part of the charm. You are not here for the decor. You are here because the food is absolutely, undeniably, legendarily good.
Here’s what makes El Premio Mayor’s tacos stand apart from everything else in town. The meat is incredibly well seasoned. The salsas are delicious. The portions are generous, no skimpy fillings here. The prices are reasonable. The service is fast, and they have clearly got the operation down to a science. And every taco order comes with grilled onions and peppers on the side, which takes the whole experience to another level of flavor.
I personally get three asada tacos every single time, without fail, and I never once get tired of them. My husband swears by the Al Pastor and Adobada. I’ve also heard wonderful things about their breakfast burritos, which are reportedly enormous and excellent. Beyond tacos, the menu also includes bacon wrapped hot dogs, sopes, quesadillas, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, and menudo on the weekends, but the tacos are the reason most people come, and the tacos are the reason people keep coming back.
I’ll leave you with this. When I mention El Premio Mayor to my coworkers as a lunch option, the response is immediate and unanimous. “We’re in.” Every single time. One coworker agreed to go this week even though she had already planned to have tacos for dinner that same night. That is the pull of El Premio Mayor, and once you’ve had them, you’ll completely understand why.
Go get the tacos. Use the grilled onions. And don’t be surprised when once a week starts feeling like a perfectly reasonable frequency for returning for more.
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