I have no reason to wake up hungry,
but how I miss Estrada’s dark-red
enchilada sauce on my tongue,
macaroni, stuffed rellenos, sizzling
tostada compuestas with chile
con caso, beans and rice—
or all you could eat prime rib
at the Red Barn, south of town—
thick slabs sliced from half a cow,
bloody juice pooled and running
right before your appetite—kids
well-fed at two bucks a head
for hard-working families
out on the town. Visalia was
the place to eat well before
it wanted to be like everywhere else—
before the fast-food similes
from the cities it escaped.
drycrikjournal 
I hope Estrada’s still exists!
LikeLike
Unfortunately not. It closed its doors in 1992. There is an Estrada’s in Daly City, but I don’t believe they have the same recipes, none of which were written down and stayed within the family.
LikeLike
“Fast-food similes” = excellent!
LikeLike
Stumble, bumble upon one every once in a while, glad you liked it 🙂
LikeLike
And don’t forget those ice-cold stainless steel salad bowls with that dressing! And the Margaritas!!!
LikeLike
Yes, there are many unique things to remember. I remember picking up ‘Spanish’ with my mother in the old house above, take-out parking left of the structure, pick up just behind the two windows… a coon’s age ago.
LikeLike
That made me drool. I remember the steaks the size of half a football, that could be cut with a butter knife.
LikeLike
Thanks, Bruce, that’s the ultimate compliment…’drooling’… fun to do with poetry every once in a while.
LikeLike
First off, the first Estrada’s (the picture shown) was in Fresno.
Second, there was young couple that had purchased an Estrada’s Restaurant in Daly City and had “purchased” the Estrada’s recipes in about 1990 or so (the family will stated that it could never be sold, but….kids will be kids; we had a neighbor that was one of the Estrada’s grandchildren, many years ago).
We met the new owners, they liked the food so much when the owners retired, they bought it. I also heard it closed down in 2019. But was open in 2022. I felt they were the same dishes I had eaten in Fresno so many times.
If they are still operating, I do not know if they are currently using the same recipes
But there was an Estrada’s (opened by one of the children/grandchildren I was told) in Visalia we tried many years ago when visiting my wife’s parents, That was nowhere as tasty as the Fresno or Daly City Estrada’s. All three had similar menus.
LikeLike