La Esperanza

Hidden gem!La Esperanza's makes some of the most authentic Chile verde and other Mexican entrees. Service is swift, kind and pleasant. We are greeted with a smile and seated promptly. Prices are very fair. Restaurant is clean, great atmosphere and plenty of parking.

Extremely disappointing. I stopped by La Esperanza while passing through Cutler because of its high Yelp rating, but after my experience, I'm baffled as to why it's rated so highly. The food did not live up to the 4.5-star hype. Initially, I planned on giving 2 stars, but after getting very sick from my meal, I couldn't even justify that.The famous 'Espe Chips' had decent flavor, but the pork was incredibly tough--more like chewing jerky than the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture you'd expect from chile verde. I ordered a combination plate with a taco, enchilada, and chile relleno. The asada in the taco was overly salty and hard, the chile relleno lacked any real flavor (though the cheese was good), and the chicken in the enchiladas was bland. Unfortunately, the rest of my table had similar complaints about their meals. At one point, someone in our party had to leave the table because of an unpleasant smell coming from the food.On a positive note, the service was excellent. Our server was friendly and attentive, which was the only highlight of the visit. That said, I don't plan on returning to this restaurant. I sincerely hope the food quality improves for the sake of future customers.

I just had a terrible experience at one of my favorite and often recommended restaurants, La Esperanza. The background: I used to work in Cutler and my co-workers and I used to have lunch or after work dinners & drinks there. The staff recognized us and were always friendly and caring! I no longer work in Cutler but whenever I'm in town I will make time or even go out of my way to stop and order my favorite menu item Espi Chips. I always highly recommend the restaurant. I no longer recognize or know any of the staff.The story: I went to watch a family member play football in Orosi so of course I recommended to my family and friends that we stop by La Esperanza for dinner afterward. We had a party of 7. Everything went as expected, the food was great, the service good but the issue was the bill. We actually had two families there so the bill was split, 3 meals on one, 4 on the other. When I asked for the bill, (I was treating), I was directed to the cash register. At the cash register, the cashier read off of a paper ticket (I believe) as he added the items to the iPad cash register. I was half heartedly listening but I surrounded by family members and a toddler so I was not focused on what cashier was doing. After totaling the bill, he flipped the iPad on its stand to face me and all I saw on the display was a signature box and 3 or 4 choices for a tip (18%, 20%, other) There was no itemized list of our order. I added the tip and signed the iPad. I received an itemized paper receipt but did not inspect it at that time. It wasn't until the next day that I looked at the receipt and realized that I was charged for a large party and automatically charged an 18% tip. I really felt swindled! There was no way for me to know that I was being charged this fee before I signed the credit card charge because I was never given the opportunity to see the bill. I'll be the first to admit that I missed a few opportunities and made some rookie mistakes when handling this situation. 1. I should have been aware that there may be a large party fee because we had 7 people in our party. 2. I should have asked to see the itemized bill before signing. 3. I should have checked my itemized paper receipt before I left the restaurant. 4. When I saw the amount I was signing for, I did feel that the bill was a little on the high side but thought to myself, "meh inflation". Had I followed my gut feeling or done any one of the above things, I could have saved approximately $18-20. If anyone knows what the Swiss Cheese Model is, this was a perfect analogy. From the customers point of view, this situation almost seemed intentional. I'm not saying it was, I'm just saying it has the appearance of impropriety. Not advising me that I was being charged an automatic tip or giving me an opportunity to see the itemized bill before I signing, seemed to be a strategy. If I had a chance to look at the bill before I signed and missed the automatic charge, that would be 100% on me. I guess the restaurant got one over on me, and I'm not gonna squawk over 18 bucks but damn! I hate feeling like I was taken advantage of!So long La Esperanza, Martha's in Orosi will be my go to in the future. You may have gotten me this time, but you'll lose any future business from me and certainly anyone I recommend to you!

Been coming here for years and La Esperanza never disappoints and is Homemade cooking. I come on Thursdays to have their Daily Special: Costillas de Puerco en Chili Colorado!! The sauce is spicy but flavorful! Start with their famed Espie chips (topped with Chili Verde)! The Barbacoa Special on Saturday and Sunday is worth a drive too! Service is always fast and friendly! Wonderful to have this gem in the small farming town of Cutler, CA.

This place has a Resturant side and bar side. Sat at the bar side; which was pretty busy and very chill. Service is good though. Ordered some drinks ....i ordered a pina colata... which was superb. Cool; refreshing; made me think I was in a tropical paradise for a minute. My other half and friends ordered beers. We decided we were a little hungry and needing something to munch on : so we ordered espe chips. Where have these been all my life? So good; the chips were thick; able to hold the toppings on well. The flavor; a little spicy; but tasty and addicting at the same time. Yum!

I order some food yesterday and I live in Oceanside but I used to live in Dinuba so I come back and for. When I lived in Dinuba we used to go their slot. I always order cheese enchiladas, they were delicious but now the sauce was terrible that I had to throw them away. It's so sad that we're going to be go to Martha's. Sorry but it's true.

Come here often and I'm 15 minutes away. Worth the drive. Always satisfied with the food

This place will always be a 10/10!Been coming to this place since I was a kid and I'm now 37. If you're ever in the area you have to try this gem. You won't regret it.

The food was very good. We enjoyed the various dishes/flavors of their Mexican cuisine. The service was good, but slow on drink refills. Good atmosphere, decor

Amazing, authentic Mexican food! I also ordered a Miche which was great too! Our server was super kind and attentive as well, even with the two babies and 3 kids we brought! They need one of these in Fresno! Absolutely delicious, will definitely return & recommend