Juan and Juana Valadez, owners of Café Leon bid you welcome. Steeped in Family Tradition, Café Leon, has been serving fine Mexican Food to Fresno’s diverse community for over seventeen years (the last seven at its’ present 4239 N. Blackstone location) focusing on quality over expansion.
The origins of the wonderful Mexican dishes and salsas, which are prepared and served daily and the warm friendly service are a product of over sixty years of Family Tradition.
Even the name “Café Leon” has a long history rooted in Old Mexico. In the Mexican State of Guanajuato, the city of Leon is located. Leon means “Lion” in Spanish and is the namesake of Café Leon. A picture of the famous Arch of Leon with the Lion perched atop can be seen on the front of each menu as can many pictures of Lions in the Café itself.
It is there, in Leon, that lived Juan’s Great, Great Grandmother Maria Padilla. Maria was the creator of the dishes and recipes that are still prepared in the old tradition with care to this very day.
The recipes were handed down to Elena Montenegro, Maria’s daughter and Juan’s great grandmother. Elena handed them down to her daughter Dementria Valadez, who handed them down to her son Juan (the head chef) and his wife Juana.
Dementria has always loved to cook and can still be seen from time to time in the kitchen helping Juan prepare some of the authentic dishes the public has enjoyed for many years.
This culinary connection from past generations to the present is at the heart of The Valadez family’s commitment to continue serving the Fresno Community into the future.