by Jim Mulligan

As the holiday season is in full swing and Christmas fast approaching, eating and snacking is surely a prominent feature of many of our lives. While not specializing in holiday eats specifically, a new shop is open in Reedley that seeks to quench your thirst, satisfy your sweet tooth, and satiate your craving for a tasty treat. As its name implies, Munchies sports an eclectic menu of food and drink for those hankering for quick bite, not a whole meal. The items range from a sweet scoop of ice cream to a very authentic and scrumptious fresh ceviche: more on the ceviche later, so good.

Munchies is the brain child and labor of love of Reedlyites, husband and wife team David and Brenda. I would be remiss if I left out that this is a whole family affair. While one-year-old Emma and four-year-old Laylah provide mostly cuteness to the atmosphere in the shop, eight-year-old big brother Kayden is a key player and is happy to take your order and receive payment for gastronomical choosing. Think food truck meets high school snack bar meets gourmet recipes. Munchies doesn’t specialize in any one thing except snacks to satisfy a variety of cravings.

Their ice cream and non-dairy frozen desserts are themselves a very interesting mesh of flavors. They do have the American favorite, vanilla, but there are so many other unique offerings. One can try Rompope which is a Mexican egg nog-like flavor that is creamy and fruity. I had to try the non-dairy tequila flavor, which was mild and refreshing. But, if a burst of flavor and hint of sweet spiciness is your style, the non-dairy cucumber with chili is a show stopper—think fruit cup with chamoy whipped up into a smooth, frozen dessert.

The menu goes from sweet to savory and back again. The menu item that seems to be a customer favorite is the mini pancakes. The bite-sized pancakes, cooked on a special cupped griddle, are served with a variety of sweet toppings including Nutella, fruit sauces, and whipped cream. And, if French crepes are your style, they do that, too. How about some tantalizing street corn in a cup? Munchies serves up the golden kernels of corn with the traditional topping like mayo, butter, cheese, and chili powder. Milkshakes, aguas frescas, fruit cups, chamoyadas, and tostilocos are all available from the menu.

As promised, let’s circle around to the ceviche. I couldn’t resist trying it as it’s one of my favorite foods. I’ve had ceviche in high-end eateries and local holes-in-the-wall, in Mexico and Nicaragua, but I’ve never had ceviche as satisfying as the recipe at Munchies. They present finely diced cucumber, tomato, and onion with a super fresh minced seafood mélange marinated in lime juice and spices. I realize that this seafood delight is not appreciated by everyone, but if you are a ceviche fanatic or you just love it, it’s a must have at Munchies.

This holiday season as you are out and about, stop by Munchies and have your favorite savory snack or treat your taste buds to a new tangy indulgence. Remember, calories don’t count again until after New Year’s Day!

Munchies Bar
785 N. Reed Ave.
Reedley, California

You can find more Reedley stories in our Reedley News section.

Jim Mulligan was born and raised in Selma. He has been employed in Reedley on and off for the last twenty-plus years. He married his college sweetheart, a Reedley-ite, Kristi. They now reside in Reedley amongst their children and grandchildren. Bonsai, traveling the world both near and far, and motorcycling take up most of his free time.