John Muir Tavern — Restaurant in Fresno

Pros? For one, I believe it’s the only sit down “restaurant” option in the entire FAT airport, so I suppose they definitely have that going for them. And there is a bar area where they serve beer, wine and mixed drinks if that’s what you’re in the mood for, although I can’t attest to the quality because I didn’t actually try one myself.

Also, the young woman, Vellshay, who was working the resister during the lunch rush today (Monday) was an absolute delight, which was such a pleasant surprise in a world today where most people do not bother to take enough time to show even a basic level of human decency anymore. I even personally thanked her for being so polite and mentioned how rarely I see that anymore, and she told me she just tries her best to treat people the way that she would want to be treated herself. So well done, Vellshay! You keep doing you, cause it looks good on ya! And management, if you read this review, you’ve got a gem in her.

As for the cons? They have a very limited menu, which is somewhat to be expected during Covid, especially for an airport “restaurant” (insert air quotes here). But it is also EXTREMELY pricey for what you actually get, even taking into account the normal airport $$ markup. I ordered the Boneless Buffalo Bites, and what I received looked strangely similar to the frozen chicken nuggets my mom used to dump out on a baking tray and pop into the oven when my sister and I were hungry for a snack after school. Except they tasted much better when I was 10. Although I will say that they were very generous when I asked for extra buffalo sauce on the side (yes, this Southern girl likes it spicy!), and they also didn’t try to nickel and dime me for it either, so I’ll allot them a few extra points for that.

Overall, I’d say the subpar food quality and high prices grant them a 2 out of 5 in my opinion. However, the unexpected, yet much appreciated, courtesy and kindness from their staff (I’m talking specifically about you, Vellshay) bumps them up an additional star, rounding them out to a solid 3...

When I arrived most people were sitting at the bar, which must be the only good thing here.

I ordered two things here: 1. the steakhouse burger (or whatever the "premium" one was) 2. Wings with the korean sauce.

When asking for drinks, it felt like they were out of a lot of things. Even the lady next to me was asking for wine and out of the whole page of wines they had two. I got water.

The wings were fine. They got soggy eventually, but the sauce was actually pretty tasty.

The burger was kind of problematic. First it had 0 flavor. It had cooked onions, I think it was missing the sauce it comes with, but had 0 flavor, and when I opened it to put at least ketchup on it (which didnt help) it was apparent that this burger was a frozen puck before. For $21.50 I would have expected more. I upgraded to tots, but they apparently were out, and I got a sad pile of fries.

The service was also lacking. For starters, I was never told they were out of tots. I would have just done the included chips, and not paid for fries that looked like they were undercooked. Second, my food was sitting there a while. Where i was sitting I could see into the kitchen and I saw the plates up there that I thought were mine, and confirmed about 9 minutes later when they came out.

The atmosphere gets a two simply as the organization of the place its hard to tell where the self-service tables are, and where the full service tables are.

Unfortunately unless you want a muffin from Peets, this seems to be the only place to get something to eat here at the Fresno airport. As others have stated, better off eating before you get here, or pack a sandwich. Don't...

This is the only sit down restaurant within the secure area. It apparently was named John Muir Tavern in the past, but changed to Tap & Pour in fall 2023. At 9:30am on a Friday in early November, there was plenty of seating. Note that even though you’re handed a comprehensive food menu and drink list, breakfast food is all that is served before 10. Not a huge menu, especially if you have dietary requirements. I went with the toasted breakfast brioche. It was actually better than expected, with a fresh enriched bun, egg (I asked for scrambled), bacon, and cheese. Tater tots were on the side. The meal was supposed to come with salsa, but it was left off, and I wouldn't have used it anyway, so no problem there. My order came out in a plastic to-go container because the dishwasher was being repaired at the time. It was a proper carb load to help me get through the first log leg in a day of flights. The overall service was good, with the food out in about 10 minutes. The check was fast, too. That attention is much appreciated in an airport...