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El Cochinito Contento Mexican Restaurant, is located in the historic Tower District of Fresno, CA, and it is located near such landmarks as downtown Fresno, and the world famous Chafee Zoo. The restaurant is owned and operated by a local family, and has been serving authentic, amazing Mexican cuisine at their location on Olive Ave. for over 20 years. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's 0930 on Wednesday morning, September 11, 2019, and I've arrived at El Cochinito Contento, located in the Tower District of Fresno, CA, to enjoy a superior Mexican breakfast.
Photo: As you walk up to the entrance, you'll notice the "Happy Hour" sign that advertises $3.00 domestic beers, and the patio, to the right of the entrance. On this Wednesday morning, the patio wasn't open, so I chose to dine inside. If you're familiar with Fresno, you know the weather is HOT much of the years, so if you choose to dine outside on the patio, the shade trees will be very welcome.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll get a peek into the first of two dining rooms. The larger dining room is located to the right, and you pass through a wall to enter it. I love the tile floor, the warm colors, and the "funky," earthy decor.
Photo: The cashier's station is located to the left of the entrance, and I was "meeted and greeted" by friendly Margaret, the charming lady on the left, who happens to be the owner of the restaurant. Lulie, my friendly server, is the gal on the right. Both of these lovely ladies are welcoming, hospitable, and will treat you like family.
Photo: I sat in the main, or larger dining room, which I had all to myself on this Wednesday morning. Note the tile floors, the colorful, warm paint, the "old school" wood paneling, and the many posters of Mexican musical groups. On a side note, traditional Mexican music was paying in the background, which added to the festive atmosphere. No, the dining isn't fancy, but it's colorful, clean, a lot of fun, and it serves to enhance the delicious cuisine offered at El Cochinito Contento Mexican Restaurant.
Photo: The menu at El Cochinito Contento is extensive, and includes all of your Mexican favorites and the "Breakfast Menu" is quite extensive. El Cochinito is serious about breakfast, as breakfast is served any time the restaurant is open. As it was 0930 in the morning, so I was interested in breakfast, and when I opened the breakfast section of the menu, I stopped at the top of the menu, on the "Chilie Verde Breakfast Plate."
Photo: All meals, including breakfast, include a complimentary bowl of fresh, in-house made salsa cruda, along with a basket of tortilla chips. Refills aren't a problem, as all you have to do is to ask your friendly server to bring you more. It's still morning, but a Corona beer sounded good, as I'd been up for nearly four hours, and I was in a "relaxed" mode. Unlike other restaurants who keep their chips under a heat lamp for days, the tortilla chips I enjoyed were fresh, crispy, flavorful and perfectly cooked. The salsa cruda was simply amazing, as it was chunky, fresh, perfectly seasoned, but not excessively spicy. Such a great way to start off breakfast!
Photo: The ambiance of the dining room is enhanced by hundreds of posters on the wall of Mexican music groups, which seems to fit in, as this fine restaurant serves authentic Mexican cuisine.
Photo: After my server, Lulie took my order, walked around, and happened to peek into the kitchen, and watch the staff at work. The kitchen isn't exactly "open," as you have to walk down a aisle, but there is an open door, when you can check it out, without intruding.
Photo: Meet my amazingly friendly server, Lulie, who brings my breakfast to me with a smile. During my visit, I enjoyed chatting with her about many subjects, including food, area restaurants, and life in general. Like me, she's a dedicated "foodie." She treated me well and provided outstanding service. Such a nice person!
Photo: Thanks, Lulie, for snapping my picture, as I prepare to get "down to business" and enjoy an amazing breakfast at El Cochinito Contento, located in Fresno, CA.
Photo: From the "Breakfast - Served All Day" section of the menu, I started at the top, which happened to be the "Chilie Verde Breakfast Plate." As the name implies, the breakfast features chilie verde, and refried beans, fried potatoes, two eggs, and tortillas are included on the plate. How many ways can you say "muy sabroso???" My breakfast started out 20 minutes earlier with a bowl of fresh, in-house made salsa, known as "salsa cruda," along with a bowl of tortilla chips, and a cold Corona beer. That made a good start to the breakfast, but when Lulie brought this delicious "plate" to my table, I was both dazzled and amazed! The breakfast features the restaurant's in-house made chilie verde, which is lovingly made by dedicated chefs who use a family recipe that's been passed from generation to generation. The pork is tender, cooked to perfection, flavorful and spicy - but not hot - and is covered with rich, green chilie verde sauce. The pork is the showpiece of the meal and is simply amazing! I can't think of a better side dish for breakfast than refried beans, and El Cochinito Contento definitely provides refried beans, as the perfect "comfort food" for this amazing breakfast. These aren't you "fast food" variety of refried beans, as you can TASTE the lard, which gives the beans an earthy, "nutty" flavor, just like the beans you'd be enjoying at a loncheria in Mexico. The deep fried potatoes worked as well, as they were deep fried to a golden brown on the outside, a tender white on the inside, and along with the beans, made a perfect side dish. Since it's breakfast, the meal includes two eggs, cooked either over easy, or scrambled. As per my usual routine, I ordered my eggs cooked over easy, and they arrived perfectly cooked, over easy, just the way I'd ordered them. Rounding out the breakfast was a stack of corn tortillas - you could order flour tortillas if you prefer - which arrived hot, moist, and ready to scoop up the goodness of the beans and the eggs. Such an amazing breakfast! El Cochinito Contento Mexican Restaurant is serious about breakfast, as the menu offers breakfast anytime the restaurant is open, and not only are they serious about breakfast, but they serve a world-class breakfast plate. If you love breakfast, check out this fine restaurant!
Photo: The web site advertises "The Best Breakfast in Town," and I'm don't have talent for determining "the best," but I can say the "Chilie Verde Breakfast Plate" is as good as a breakfast can get. Not only was this breakfast delicious, but it kept me full for the rest of the day. I absolutely ADORE Mexican cuisine, especially when it's served with love and dedication by a local family, made from locally-sourced ingredients, and prepared by chefs, who cook using recipes passed down from one generation of family to another. When you're enjoying your fine meal at El Cochinito Contento, close your eyes, savor the smell and the flavor, and if you didn't know better, you'd think you were in Mexico. Folks, it's THAT GOOD! When you're in Fresno's Tower District, and you're in the mood for a delicious, authentic Mexican meal, prepared and served by a local family, head over to El Cochinito Contento. As it's said in Mexico, "La comida es muy sabroso..." El Cochinito Contento Mexican Restaurant Copyright(c) 2019 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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