Heirloom — Restaurant in Fresno

Summer 2022 Menu Review: I've eaten virtually everything on the menu. It's all pretty amazing. Heirloom is a fast casual sit down restaurant. Typically, you order at the counter and then they take you to a seat, but the restaurant is very popular and there is regularly lines out the door for dinner service. Wait times can be kind of long, but once you order your food all comes out, at once, in about 10-15 minutes, so your time at the restaurant shouldn't be too long. They have a bar that is first come first serve seating as well where the bartenders will take your order.

The food here is all things you'd pay double-to-triple the price for at a high end restaurant, and they're the kind of entrees you'd expect to get from a modern hip restaurant. Prices are extremely reasonable, entrees typically range between $13 to $20. Salads will be cheaper, but they're typically full meal size for a regular eater. There a few more expensive options as well for like a rib-eye steak. They have a "build your own plate" option where you can pick a protein (for vary prices) and pair it with 1-2 cold or hot side options, which lets you build a custom entrée to your liking.

The bar isn't a full bar, they have a list of cocktails you can order, as well as draft beer and wine options. The cocktails are seasonal options as well, so they'll change to reflect what is available that season. They're all some kind of seasonal fruit mixups of classic cocktails.

Since everything is good, it's a bit hard to go over specific recommendations. If you see something you typically like, order it and be pleasantly surpised. But it also can be fun to try something new and different.

What I've got included in my photos are, review for all these is "It's great, I love it!":

Drinks: Pineapple Mule, Keto Mojito, Blood Orange Cocktail, Fig Old Fashioned, Mango IPA Appetizers: Avocado Hummus, Mushroom Taquitos, Fig Flatbread, Tempura Shrimp Bites, Burrata Bruschetta, Eggplant Parmesan, Loom Bread and Brie Salads: Hipster Caesar Salad, Sesame Salmon Salad, Keto Salad, Wawona Peach Salad Entrees: Shrimp Scampi Pasta, Spinach Carbonara, Sweet Corn Ravioli, Roasted Chicken with Sweetcorn and Squash, Spicy Lamb Burger with French Fries Custom Plates: Boneless Fried Chicken with Market Greens and Rigatoni with Meat Sauce, Ancho Crusted Tri-tip with Sweet Corn and Sweet Potato Tzatziki, Hamburger Steak with Broccoli Salad and...

I usually discuss any comments I have with the waiting staff, however my mixed bag of feelings I had over our experience at the Fresno location took a while to evaluate. There were highs and there were lows, but I will be optimistic to try it again another day.

This was my family’s first time at Heirloom after receiving a recommendation from a colleague based on the quality food. He didn’t tell me, nor did I read reviews about, the format in which you line up like you’re in kindergarten going thru the cafeteria lunch line. I did hear it was kind of Hipster which I’m still trying to wrap my mind around.

Upon arrival, we almost drove away because the line wrapping around the front exterior gave the impression of long wait, but were pleasantly surprised by the speed in which we got thru the line to order and find our table.

The table selection process was interesting with the surveillance cameras over the dining area to quickly find available seating. That’s kind of cool/creepy. We chose outdoors with our party of 6. By the way you need to let the staff know as soon as you get in line about your 6 or larger party.

The outdoors is nice with the exception of the little birds playing above you in the pergola pergola full of vines and flies that were all nuts. We did receive a little helicopter fan to shoo away the flies, except it then became a toy for my 6 year old. The icing on the cake was my daughter got pooped on by a bird. I wouldn’t recommend sitting outdoors unless you are seated away from the birds and hope flies aren’t out.

The food was hit and miss for me. The fries and sweet potato waffle fries with the avocado ranch were great, my wife enjoyed the herb roasted chicken, but my Santa Maria burger just kind of tasted burnt. I ordered it at the restaurant standard medium temp, but it came out more well done/burnt. And to top things off, I ordered a beer with the burger, and was 75% done eating by the time it was delivered. That ain’t cool.

The serving staff were constantly delivering food as it came up hot from the kitchen, which is a huge positive, but since they are just delivering items, there isn’t much personal interaction from a specific server invested to your table asking if everything is going good, at the very least to gauge your enjoyment to hopefully bring you back, which I felt was lacking. Maybe that’s not a Hipster thing to do? Or maybe I’m just too used...

2022-10-09

I was recommended to try this restaurant two years prior to the pandemic and then pandemic happened. It’s only recently that Heirloom was brought to my attention again. Instead of putting it off this time, I’ve decided to go there for late lunch (around 2pm). What can I say? The hype this time isn’t some fluke. From the food, to the customer service, to the atmosphere I can’t find an issue. Of course I’ll be going back, and I’ll update should thing changes. (Pick the right time, and you won’t have to wait in line too long.)

The line wasn’t bad when we arrived. So you walk in, and if there is a line you wait in line to put in your order. It’s here you decide whether you want to sit outside or inside. Waitstaff walked us to our table, and along the way he pointed us to where we can grab drinks. I like that they just do that as part of the customer service and not making assumptions that you’ve been there before.

Soon after we are seated the drinks arrived, then the appetizers, and soon after our main dish arrive. The speed of this is whirlwind when comparing it to other places.

Let’s start with the appetizers. We got the Fig Pizza and the Sweet Potato Waffle Fries. Where do I begin? The way each flavors is distinct yet compliment each other that is unique but not strange. The dipping sauce that comes with the fries is so, so good. As for the Fig Pizza, I’m just going to call it a nice pre main course dessert. It’s just a delicious goodness.

It was hard to decide what to try for the first time, so I went with the typical item. I got the Ancho Crusted Tri Tip with a side of green beans and the fall slaw. Let just say, I found no faults with the sides. If you do not request how your meat is prepared, it will come the way it’s showing in the picture.

To end this long review, I am recommending this place.

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After going back two more times, and ordering three different other items, I’m going to have to recommend you’re staying with the Crusted Trip Tip and the salad.

I ordered the pasta and it was very salty. The chicken was dried. As for the steak, while it was tender and melt in your mouth it was wrapped in this...