Great Food Search: Quesadilla Gorilla

Aug 26, 2017 | 2017 Articles, Terrance V. Mc Arthur, The Great Food Search

Our roving food critic Terrance Mc Arthur continues his search for great food in Sanger and the surrounding communities. Check out more Great Food Search here!

If you’ve lived in the Valley long enough to care about how you pronounce Spanish, you’ll probably try to say, “Kay-sa-dee-ya Go-ree-ya.”

Wrong.

It’s “Kay-sa-dill-a Go-rill-a.”

Go figure.

Like a pizzadilla! At Quesadilla Gorilla

However you say it, it’s a great place that makes quesadillas, and that’s about the size of it. Quesadillas and soft drinks. The dillas cost more than your typical fast-food variety, but you should consider what you’re getting. A simple cheese (cheddar or white blend) quesadilla runs $4, but anything beyond that ranges from amazing to spectacular.

Want vegetarian? The Atomic Veggie explodes with pico de gallo, black beans, and fajita veggies with the white blend for $5.50. Their veggies are not limp. They have pride.

Who is Evan Boling, and why is his name on this quesadilla at Quesadilla Gorilla?

The other standard combinations ring up at $8, and there are some lively choices, like Evan Boling. What’s an Evan Boling? A who, not a what. Once upon a time, the real Evan asked for cilantro-lime chicken, jalapenos, and bacon on white cheese, and we get to honor him each time we order it. Tasty! It has a friendly heat that is not off-putting, the bacon is crunchy, and the snap that goes with the chicken says, “Muy bien!”

The Classic piles chile verde atop black beans and Spanish rice, with the white stuff. It’s habit-forming. If you can imagine the taste, you’ll want one. If you can’t imagine it, there isn’t much hope for you.

Where’s the Beef? In the quesadilla

My wife’s favorite of the standard combos is Where’s the Beef? Fajita veggies, black beans, and braised, seasoned beef with the white cheeses on a good-sized flour tortilla is a major meal, and nobody will food-shame you if you only eat half, and save the rest for another meal. It ages well. (By the way, if you need gluten-free, you can substitute three corn tortilla for the flour one for an extra $.75)

With the dillas, you can choose two sauces, ranging from a smoky Roasted Sour Cream to an Avocado Salsa, or raise the heat quotient all the way to a Habanero Salsa. Ole!

Meats can be doubled if you say, “Kong it!” ($4 extra). There’s a BIY (Build Your Own) option that lets you tailor your dilla according to your culinary desires. The menu may not be extensive, but each day offers a special, opening whole new worlds of culinary pleasure.

Luigi’s Revenge offered pepperoni, salami, roast beef, red onions, peppers, and olives with white cheesiness. Total Eclipse of the Heart stopped my breath with chicken, bacon, pepperoni, red onion, mushroom, fresh marinara, and parmesan and white cheeses, a veritable folded pizza.

Luigi’s Revenge at Quesadilla Gorilla

Quesadilla Gorilla started as a food truck, but now there are three locations.

Visalia:
302 W. Main Street
Open Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.—8 p.m.
Closed Sundays
Call in your order (559) 636-6375 during business hours; All Call-in Orders STOP at 7:45 p.m.

Fresno:
608 E. Weldon Avenue
Around the corner from Ampersand Ice Cream and across from Fresno High
Open Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.—10 p.m.
Closed Sundays
Call in your order (559) 412-7468 during business hours; All Call-in Orders STOP @ 9:45 p.m.

And the newest location…
Fresno:
744 P Street
Downtown, next to Dale Bros Coffee between Ventura and Tulare Avenues

Facebook-www.facebook.com/QuesadillaGorilla?ref=hl
Website—www.quesadillagorilla.net

You can pay less for a quesadilla at other places, but you’ll get less.

Check out more food articles and more of Terrance’s Great Food Search column in our Food Fun section. And check out a KRL staff profile this week on Terrance!

Terrance V. Mc Arthur is a Community Librarian for the WoW! (WithOut Walls) Division of the Fresno County Public Library, roaming the Valley to meet the public’s information needs.