I was impressed with this little restaurant downtown. I was with a friend looking for breakfast options on a Saturday morning. We stumbled upon Lily's Cafe, and I am very glad we did. It wasn't crowded on this Saturday morning at 9:30. We spoke with a nice guy who was also our waiter, and were given our menus and told to sit anywhere. While we were checking out the good sized menu, we were happily surprised by fresh chips and salsa. Both were very tasty. The salsa was the pico de gallo type, and thats my favorite! I ordered the breakfast burrito without meat. It comes with your choice of bacon, sausage, chorizo, or ham. There were refried beans, cheese, potatoes, and scrambled eggs inside. It looked pretty dull when served as there was no garnish or sauce, but it really wasn't necessary. My friend was a bit hungrier than I, so he ordered a small guacamole with chips and a taco plate. They came with carne asada and looked really good! He said the corn tortillas were fresh and he ate the whole plate, so that's a good sign! I would definitely come back to Lily's again! read more

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Food: 4/5 Everything my husband and I have tried here has been delicious! We love the Milanesa, Chile relleno, Enchiladas Suiza, carnitas de puerco, and mole enchiladas. I gave a 4/5 because the amount of seasoning changes each time, but the flavors are great. I always leave satisfied. Our bill is typically around $40. Service: 5/5 The service is just the right amount. Not too much, just enough. They're very friendly and quick! Ambiance: 5/5 Family friendly and cozy with lots of seating. Nice spot for a quick lunch in downtown Fresno. read more

Perfectly cooked pork in the chile verde sauce, eggs were fantastic. Extremely delicious, highly recommend! read more

Lily's Cafe - Huevos con chile verde - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

Forgot to take picture. Food looks awesome, and I was starving. You know what they say you eat with your eyes. I ordered the chilaquiles, which were spectacular. You can tell the difference if the food is fresh. Which it definitely was. My coworkers both got seafood plates. I'm not much of a seafood lover but the smell makes me want to try it. They did say it was small but spacious. Service was pretty fast since it was during lunch time. read more

They never disappoint me. Always great food and wonderful service! The restaurant is so cute and beautifully decorated too. It's a great place to go for breakfast or lunch. They are very quick to bring out your order, even when they seem busy! read more

Lily's Cafe - Chorizo breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

We ate there on Cinco de Mayo. I got a queso dip. It was bomb Diggity! Definitely recommend.

Service is excellent , it's a pretty busy restaurant . The chips and salsa are a must . I elected to try the chicken fajita and found that I would pass on these next time . There was allot of food but I've had better flavors . It was missing the sour cream read more

Lily's Cafe - Chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

Great spot downtown! I usually miss it but walked by and decided to stop by. What we got + what we thought: Chips & Salsa (5/5): Salsa was a little watery but the flavor was great. Asada tacos (with red sauce) (5/5): These weren't spicy at all (despite the red sauce) but they were still good! Chicken Tostada (5/5!!): This mountain of a plate was like $12. Insane. Chicken was great. All the toppings were great. Just make sure to get extra napkins! Service is great, food comes out quick (like 7 minutes if it isn't too busy), and there's lots of spots to sit at. Interior is clean and there are parking meters right across the street. read more

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I came all the way from San Jose on the Amtrak and was super hungry, so I was looking around for a good place to eat and came across Lily's Cafe. Walking in was a great experience, the service was really good, and the food was sooo good! Everything tasted fresh and flavorful, and it definitely hit the spot. I'm so glad I found this place and would definitely come back again! read more

I wasnt happy with the enchiladas. They literally put a slice of swiss cheese meant to be for a burger or sandwich. I had to scrape it off to be able to eat it. Ive had it made differently before at other locations. Just wasnt impressed with this particular dish from here. read more

Lily's Cafe - Enchiladas suizas - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

Very nice place, Ernesto and Jose were very welcoming, we always enjoy conversing with the owners. Our breakfast was amazing. On other occasion's I'd had their meals at events so it was time to visit in person. You will find your new favorite Mexican Restaurant here. read more

Lily's Cafe - Nice place! - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

This thing is humongous and it is quite tasty. They give a lot of avocado and all the fixings. Will definitely come back for other stuff. read more

Lily's Cafe - Torta de Asada - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

Met a friend at Lily's for lunch recently. Great service. Nice selection of food on the menu. I had the carne asada tacos, very tasty. Lots of tables, clean restaurant. read more

Super flavorful food, great service, clean dinning room. A gem downtown near the convention center.

I usually don't come to the downtown area so I rarely know anything about the local restaurants. Came here because my cousin suggested it and I do not regret it one bit! For some reason they had all but a few tables open and they were in the process of cleaning. We came in around 2:30PM. We got seated and they brought over seasoned chips with salsa, really delicious but the chips that are super seasoned is salty. We ordered their dinner combo plates. The chili verde is amazing!! Super delicious and melts in your mouth. I wouldn't mind coming back to this place, especially since the prices for the meals are worth how much you get! read more

Lily's Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

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OM Gelicious!! If you're driving through - stop by here! I had the biscuits and gravy. El Gringo style - however the salsa I had with my chips made this the very FIRST galletas y salsa! read more

Lily's Cafe - Biscuits and gravy - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

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Authentic food, attentive and kind service, and decor inspired by a long tradition. My wife and I visited Lily's before seeing a show at Saroyan, and we were both impressed with our meals. We both ordered the chilaquiles (hers with chorizo) and we both enjoyed the bold flavors of the salsa and chips that were not too salty or bland. They did a great job of letting the natural flavors speak for themselves. The food tasted like eating at someone's home kitchen, which we both appreciated. The restaurant wasn't very busy on a Sunday afternoon, so the staff were responsive and helpful. Would definitely recommend for those looking for a good meal. read more

Lily's Cafe - Indoor seating area - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

Excellent Service and Loved the chips and salsa. Could eat them all day. Had the Enchi-Burrito with rice and beans, everything tasted amazing! read more

Just ordered an asada burrito for lunch and it was really good. The meat was fresh and had lots of flavor. Service was great and it was very clean inside the restaurant. Will definitely be returning. read more

Food was okay. Not spicy enough. The enchiladas and rice lacked flavor. Maybe I need to try a different dish

Amazing food. Great service. I've had breakfast and dinner there. Always fresh and delicious.

Where do you go for breakfast or lunch on the weekends in downtown Fresno? Lily's restaurant open 730am-5pm on weekdays, 830am-3pm on Saturdays and 9am-3pm on Sundays. Big windows, open and airy atmosphere, with colorful decorations, even on the ceilings. Came here for breakfast. So early that the chairs were still stacked on top of the tables. The chairs stacked on the tables is a good sign -at least they mop the floor overnight, as the floor, like the table tops and chairs, was spotlessly clean. We were seated in the booths, with a party of six on the other side of the room, and a solitary diner still farther away, probably at least 20 feet social distancing among the three parties. Those are regulars, who come in every weekend morning. Our masked waiter Ernesto brings the chips and salsa first. Very spicy chunky picco de gallo type sauce to go with the generous portion of chips. Too little salsa for the large portion of chips. I ate all the salsa, but Ernesto gives us a free refill. Glass of water for each of us. Wife ordered the $11 vegetarian omelette, and I got the $11 chilaquiles. Service is leisurely. Wife's omelette comes with a three egg omelette , sauteed vegetables, mushrooms, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes topped with jack and cheddar cheese, served with beans and cooked chunks of potatoes. Big dish, enough for two smaller appetites. She puts on the entire spicy chunky picco de gallo over the omelette to give it some kick. My chilaquiles comes with crispy strips of corn tortillas in a green tomatillo sauce with onions, cabbage, cheese and sour cream, served with rice and beans. The green tomatillo sauce is loaded with tiny pieces of spicy hot red chilis. For those of you who complained about the blandness of the dishes here, complain no more after you try this. I was literally on fire inside after eating this dish, skipping the sour cream, and drinking two full glasses of water. The dish was delicious, with the crunchiness of the corn tortillas contrasting nicely with the softness of the onions and cabbage. Ernesto says that lunch time weekday traffic is about back to normal, as city and state government workers are back in the office, with only the federal workers still working at home. The only thing I remember about Fresno is that it used to be where I sent the IRS my completed tax returns and tax bills. Waddled out of there totally full. Huge serving would last me 8 hours from 9am to 5pm, as no lunch service at our hotel on weekends. And no way wife was walking 0.4 miles from hotel to Lilys for lunch, as we would be roasted like our food in the record breaking 113 degree mid day heat. Too hot for even the muggers in sketchy downtown Fresno. read more

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One shrimp cocktail ordered. The worker was kind. Said it would be ready in 10-15 minutes. I went in to get it. Really nice restaurant! Cute cafe! Very open and airy! Nice decor with Spanish music playing! The worker was nice. Paid for it and he said it would be ready shortly and it was. Another worker handed it over with well wishes! The worker also gave me a very nice calendar while waiting that shows their restaurant info on it. Appreciated! Lunchtime! Shrimp cocktail split! My half was really fresh and delicious! It came with crackers and that made it better! Adding a nice crunch! Mother said her half was great! Flavorful! She liked their chips and salsa that were included also! Good service and great shrimp cocktail! Highly recommended! read more

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Big restaurant with quick service and delicious food! They give free chips and salsa and everything from the tacos to enchiladas are delicious. read more

Nice big dining room. Music was going on the digital DJ. The carnitas tacos were great. Tacos were usually not served with cabbage, but it was well balanced. Grilled tortillas and well seasoned meat made it a perfect stop! #spicemeister approved! read more

Lily's Cafe - Carnitas Tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

I just wanna say that the food is delicious and the service here is 100% filled with love and compassion as I watch the restaurant owner and his team feed a un house woman who had asked for food. I teared up as I'm reminded that we still have compassionate people who care with a humanitarian heart. This Business is about serving the community . Delicious food and service read more

Got the carne asada chimichanga, came with rice and beans, but chimichanga had no cheese inside? That was a bit disappointing since I've usually had it at other places with cheese. Beans and rice were good. Side chips are good as well. Maybe next time if I do reorder I'll ask for cheese. The Guac salsa was good. read more

Lily's Cafe - Carne asada chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

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We enjoyed a super yummy lunch at LC today. The rice was perfect. The sauce was delicious. It was a good value for a quality meal. If you are downtown in Fresno, give Lily's a try. We will be back! read more

Lily's Cafe - So many great choices - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

This place took forever to get our drinks, order, and food. I was on my lunch break and it took them about 30 minutes until I got my food. I had to ask twice for my water. I got the meatball soup (Albondigas soup). The flavor was ok. It was not hot, just warm. The meatballs had rice mixed in it and was tasteless. The potatoes, carrots, and cabbage were very over cooked. It also came with tortillas and rice on the side. Chips and salsa are not refillable. They will charge you. I will definitely not order that again and most likely won't come back here. There are way better Mexican restaurants near by. read more

Lily's Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

Food is good, service is hit or miss. Chips served with salsa is a treat, but the chips aren't the best. The salsa is good though! This place gets busy over lunch but the food comes out quickly and is always consistently good! read more

Lily's Cafe - Machaca with flour tortillas - delicious - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

I've tried this place twice, but as a disclaimer I've only had their burritos... 1st burrito was chorizo, and was decent but didn't have much flavor. I'm the type of guy that likes to taste my food before adding salsa or condiments to see if the food can stand on its own, and it wasn't impressive at all. The 2nd burrito I ordered was supposed to have sausage, but when biting into the burrito there wasn't any! The 2nd burrito also wasn't tasty at all, and I thought the flavor of sausage would help, but I guess I'll never know. Not only that, the cup of soda to go had a spiderweb with a leftover eaten bug attached to the side of it...I guess my burrito came with a spider's burrito? This place is in walking distance downtown, and I love to support local, but I won't be back. read more

Arrived to pick up order, had to wait 15 minutes while the manager placed a catering order while my food was in front of him at register. The manager blocked the register even when other employee brung all my food and attempted to cash me out. (she was sweet and the cook has great energy). After he finished phone call , he showed poor body language and continue to sigh as if he had long day I guess. Finally he had the audacity to talk about me in Spanish after I refused to leave tip for the unacceptable service and waiting that long just for pick up order while he refused to simply acknowledge custome. The behavior was so bizarre, I used to be a regular customer and also spend very heavy with business leaving health tips. I was really HURT by this, used to be one of my favs!! :( read more

I love lillys they never disappoint. I love their tomatillo sauce. Breakfast sandwiches are my favorites, i like how they give chips & salsa

Went here for lunch and ordered a taco salad. It came out pretty quickly even tho there was alot of ppl there for lunch. This was the worst taco salad I have ever had. It came with shredded beef that had bell peppers and onions mixed in, beans, lettuce,a sprinkle of cheese,tomato that tasted like it had been in the fridge for a while,a dollop of sour cream and a spoon full of the saddest guacamole I've ever tasted. Usually the shell is the best part but nope you can tell this one had been sitting out for a while because it had no crunch and tasted stale. I paid $16.00 for that bullsh*t smh read more

Been here a handful of times now. On my most recent trip I ordered the half-order shredded beef quesadilla. It was delicious! Would order again, maybe even the full order! read more

Lily's Cafe - Half-Order Shedded Beef Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

We were there for a late lunch. The food was delicious. Our server came to check on us several times during our meal. The atmosphere is very casual. read more

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Great Mexican food. It was not much to look at from the street so we almost gave it a pass. But once inside it was clean, fresh, and well decorated. I had the "ultimate burrito" and it was excellent. Not like any Mexican burrito I have ever had. Service was right on. Host was friendly. Food was all good. It was quiet when we went. You should check it out read more

Nice location across from school district HQ downtown Fresno. Street parking at ends of the block, directly across the street in front of Fresno Unified building, parking garage at east end of the block on N Street. My favorite meal here is lunch special : chicken enchiladas, rice and beans. Chips and salsa are free with the meal. Colorful interior, very friendly staff, tasty food, good prices too. read more

After years of research, I've come to the conclusion that Lily's has the BEST BURRITO in all of Fresno. I order hash browns with bacon and fresh diced jalapeños. It's amazing! And it comes with their house made chips and salsa. Their burritos never disappoint. Big enough to split too. read more

Lily's Cafe - Breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - Fresno, California

*Food: was excellent good portions what impressed me our coffee cup was served with a saucer *Service: was very good brought out in a timely manner came by our table multiple times to make sure we were good Ambiance: was cleaned and organized *Parking: on a Sunday perfect weekday & Saturday hard to find a parking spot and pay for meter read more