Mad Duck Craft Brewing Northwest

First, for those of us still concerned about COVID, they have a REALLY great, accessible, covered & tarped outdoor patio w/heaters in addition to tables outside. So ambiance is GREAT! Service was just ok. ORDER:Save yourself $12...pretzel is atrocious! Seriously, it's just bread in the shape of a pretzel (no pretzel malt flavor). Cheese sauce was thin & not very cheesy flavored.Mad CA Burger: Not wildly overcooked but has that really nice charbroiled flavor. Clearly, not just slapped on a griddle. Generous amt of avocado & bacon, while not crispy & fresh, was at least not wobbly & rubbery. Tater tots not hot but definitely crunchy as requested. Ahi Tuba Poke Cups (no rice & no tortilla strips): Bestie said they were delicious but more snack size w/out the carb-filler. Overall, I'd really like to give them a 3 1/2, but... I'd come back for another burger or try something else.

Probably the worse service I have ever had in a long time. I checked in on the app to join the waitlist given it is a Friday night I know better to set up a reservation time. When we arrived the host asked us if we wanted a booth, because in the notes I requested a booth. I said yes we would like a booth. She said "are you sure you don't want to sit somewhere else it will be quicker." I said it's ok we will wait for a booth. She said "ok it's probably going to be at least 30-40 mins" I said "ok" we waited 10 minutes to be seated which was nice. I felt like she just said it be 30-40 minutes to try to get us to agree to sit anywhere which I thought was weird to try to influence us to just say yes instead of just saying ok no problem. We placed our order and drink order & the waiter said I am going on break, but my other server is going to take care of you. Another girl continuously ran by us looking at us and said how are you doing? Without stopping just speed walking by. I think she thought we were done eating, but we were still waiting on our food to arrive 30 minutes passed by and she finally came back with our food and said I am so sorry, but that was it. After our original server came back from lunch she only checked in once after our meal was finished and asked if we were ok. We were not asked for a refill of any drinks at all not even offered a single water. We ordered originally only 2 drinks from the bar, probably would have ordered more if we were offered the opportunity, but the service was just terrible. Honestly I haven't sat in a restaurant to have a meal like this in a while and the service was TERRIBLE! The bill was 68$ one of the meals I ordered was a salad and the chicken was so dried out it was hard as a rock as I was eating it. Probably because our food was ready long ago, but the server was not good and didn't get us our food on time. For 68$ that price for dried old chicken won't be coming back. We were still nice enough to leave a tip even though the service was terrible. Also the servers were having some sort of reunion to the left of us pulling tables and chairs to get together. It's sad because I have had positive experiences in the past, but it seems the staff is really young kids who maybe don't take customer service seriously.

Had a lunch with a friend and I'm so glad we picked this place. Service was friendly and we got a table quickly. The atmosphere was great. Not too loud so we could have a good conversation. We split the grilled steak bites. They were so juicy and I loved the sauces they came with. I got the sliders and a side of fries while she got the nachos. I would definitely dine here again.

Our server was great. Friendly and attentive helping with our little ones. The food is consistently delicious. I enjoy the French dip and loaded tots. The steak sandwich is a solid choice as well. The bread pudding is delightful

Food and service are great. Nice place to go and hang with friends or coworkers. Tasty menu items.

Good beer, decent bar food Bring back calamari sandwiches Good service & staff & patrons adore my sweet Irish Wolfound!! Especially kids love this boy. And he loves the French fries. Staff always brings him a bowl of water!!

Lots of food items to choose from along with alcohol if so desired. Here with my group of seniors who picked Mad Duck for our monthly lunch where we sample the different restaurants in the Fresno/Clovis area. The restaurant offers monthly specials that you can choose from along with the regular menu. My choice was the Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich with glazed chicken breasr with grilled pineapple, jalapeño and onion topped with lettuce and tomato on a toasted brioche bun with a side of house fries. This was delicious choice that our server,Caitlin recommended. The dining is large and spacious with multiple TV screens. Great place dine and relax with family and friends. Next door you can get your desert at Ampersand.

Always the greatest vibes here! Been coming here for a while, but this past weekend was a special one with our server Gracie! Super welcoming, very educated on the whole menu, and especially knowledgeable about the beer! Will definitely visit again and request for Gracie!

I love other Mad Duck locations, and have been visiting Mad Duck ever since it was just the one little location in Clovis.Over the years, we've settled into a routine where we visit the Campus Pointe location most.But since this Herndon/Marks location is the closest to our home, we've tried multiple times to visit. At least twice, the huge crowds standing around outside waiting have made us drive away and not even try.Another time, I came with friends and were told it would be 40 minutes and the group wanted to stay. After we'd waited over an hour, we gave up and went elsewhere.So on a recent Friday, my husband and I decided to go early (like the Old Folks we are!) thinking the wait wouldn't be too long. They said it would be half an hour. It was longer than that, maybe 40, 45 mins. We were at a high top in the bar area.We had a truly nice and friendly waiter who brought us water, took our order promptly. Drinks and food came in a reasonable time. So. Our service would be 5 stars.Our food and beer were just as good as we've had at other locations. Mostly. The deviled egg appetizer with bacon, green onions, and sriracha was just as delicious as I've had at other Mad Ducks. So was the steak salad.On the other hand, the new dish myhusband decided to try, the baked salmon from their daily specials menu, was bland, soggy, and boring. It was served with some kind of ground up vegetables that seemed like cauli rice (?) and a bland sauce. Total miss.My husband said he should have gotten the fish and chips, which is a really good choice at Mad Duck if you're wanting fish.The place had the same vibe as other locations: brewpub decor, bricks and shiny metal, with some cute duck imagery here and there, representing their brand. Sports showing on multiple screens. Lively atmosphere.So then: why did we dislike this location so much? Why was the experience so much worse than their other locations, such that if this Mad Duck was the first I'd tried, I wouldn't even give the other locations a chance?Here's what I'd like to tell the owners in the spirit of genuine helpfulness:1. This location is too busy, too consistently. You need a bigger location for this part of town.2. The two occasions I chose to wait, wait times were longer than estimated. Usually restaurants err on the other side and overestimate, so you're pleasantly surprised. People get frustrated and unhappy when waits times are longer than they're told.3. It's a little TOO crowded and a little TOO lively. I understand, with this location being so popular, that they want to fit as many people in as possible to meet the demand, but the people next to us were a little too close, especially when they saw their friends who stood between their table and ours for an extended period and were practically in our laps and in our plates, screaming to be heard. This was something I'd expect in a bar at midnight (too loud, too drunk, no awareness that you're in some stranger's personal space). But we were just trying to eat our dinner in a neighborhood spot at whatever time it was by then ...630 pm? Early dinner time -- definitely not "drunk, loudmouth, party time."Now the obnoxious loud guests and their obnoxious loud friends -- maybe that's not totally Mad Duck's fault -- but also ...sort of it is. The original Clovis location was loud and lively and felt more like a bar than a restaurant. Fair enough right? I expect a bar vibe. But even when it was loud and lively, the Clovis location never felt like some loudmouth was in my lap ruining my dinner: the loudmouths were in their own space and I was in mine, ignoring them and focusing on my own business and friends and convo and food.So basically it comes down to this. We love this small local chain, and yet we didn't have a nice time at this location. Herndon & Marks is too small, too crowded, and the wait times are not accurately stated. They could solve all of this by moving to a bigger location in NW Fresno.Unless they open a bigger location near us, we'll keep going to the Campus Pointe location, which has all of the good points and none of the disadvantages of this doomed Herndon and Marks location.

We got a tip to try this place while we were visiting Fresno recently. We decided to give it a shot, and we weren't disappointed. The restaurant was easy to find, just off Herndon, and parking was easy. We elected to sit outside because it was a gorgeous day. Seating was comfortable, and shady. We had an onion ring appetizer, which we enjoyed, followed by the Soba Noodle and Shrimp Salad and the Chicken and Brie sandwich. The presentation was pleasing, and both meals were good, though we liked the salad a bit better than the sandwich. The fries that came with the sandwich were OK, but we'll opt for a different side next time. This place has brewed iced tea, which we really appreciated.We were remiss in getting our server's name, which was a shame, because she was wonderful. She dropped by several times to make sure we were happy, and she was pleasant, quick and accurate.We'll go back, and we suggest you try it.