Lemoore, California: The Blog

Lemoore Restaurant Review: Señor Panchos

2010-05-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

I consider Señor Panchos to be a historic site in Lemoore. It's been in the same location (Pioneer Square) for decades and it's truly stood the test of time. Besides Me-N-Ed's Pizza, I think it's the only business in the Pioneer Square shopping center that has been there since I was a little girl back in the 80's.

Surprisingly, though, I had never eaten at Señor Panchos - even when the restaurant sponsored the softball team I played on back in 6th grade. At least I don't recall ever eating there.

I did have a craving for Mexican food last night, so I called in an order for a beef enchilada combo...

When I walked into the restaurant, I noticed how "homey" it felt...like you were walking into someone's house. Besides the big, flat screen TV on the wall, the restaurant was reminiscent of ones I've been to in Mexico.

They must have known how much I love cheese, because there was plenty of it on my beef enchiladas and beans.

The food was pretty decent, but I can't really say it was the best enchiladas I've ever had. I will give them points for adding cheese to the beans, though. The total I paid for this meal was $10.25, which is a little on the high side considering that I'm used to getting this same combination in San Diego for around $7.

Señor Panchos is located at:
1250 North Lemoore Avenue (Nearest cross street: Hanford-Armona Rd)
Phone: (559) 924-8121

Photos: Winter in Lemoore

2009-12-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

I enjoy visiting Lemoore during the winter because the air is much more brisk and cooler than Southern California. Most of the days are spent inside, however. I do venture outside to take my parent's dog for a walk and usually take a camera with me to take pictures of nature...

It's nice that we don't have to deal with major blizzards or storms during the winter! Once in awhile you'll come across a tree that turns colors and the leaves fall (as pictured above), but other than that the vegetation is pretty green here.

Today the streets were very quiet (as usual). Lemoore is one of those places where you can get away during the winter and really, really relax.

Things To Do in Lemoore

2009-07-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

Many people complain that there isn't much to do in Lemoore. Once upon a time I would agree that this is true, however, I've thought about it and decided that there really is "More in Lemoore".

For instance, you can go boating or kayaking along the Kings River...

If you're into skateboarding or watching kids do their skateboard stunts, you can check out the skateboard park...

You can also watch various performances at the Tachi Palace. Here's a video of Drake Bell performing during the Fourth of July...

Here are other things you can do in Lemoore:

Play golf at the Lemoore Golf Course
Watch a movie at the Lemoore Stadium Cinemas 10
Have a picnic at one of the many parks in Lemoore

What is your favorite thing to do in Lemoore?

You Don't Get This in the City

2009-06-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

The nice thing about living out in the country is that you can get fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers at much cheaper prices than the supermarket.

Coming across a fruit or vegetable stand is common in Lemoore being that the whole town is surrounded by agriculture. When I was young my family would go to some of the farms and pick everything from garlic to grapes. During the springtime many of the tree-lined farms display a colorful array of blossoms.

The bright colors of this particular fruit stand just down the street from the Tachi Palace enticed my friend and I to stop and buy some mangos and avocados...

My friend taking a photo of her buddy, Squirtle, in front of the fruit stand...

Lemoore Homes: What Are the Values?

2009-05-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

People moving to Lemoore may or may not be surprised that home values in Lemoore are relatively low compared to the rest of California. Lemoore isn't a big-name city like L.A. or San Francisco, so homeowners don't command high prices.

According to Zillow.com, the median price of a home in Lemoore (Zip: 93245) is $225,710.

Below is a map of homes for sale in Lemoore as indicated by the blue and red icons...(Taken from the Zillow website). This area is the North West part of Lemoore along Hanford-Armona Rd. Click on the image for a bigger view...

There's a shopping center with K-Mart and Save Mart in this area (see big blue arrow pointing to it). Right across the street from the center is the new Walgreen's as well.

Being that it is a small town, home values in Lemoore increase at a fairly slow rate. My father bought the home he lives in now for around $80,000 in the mid 80's. In the current market it's worth about $185K.

Boba Island: A Favorite For Smoothies

2009-05-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

Whenever I'm in Lemoore for a visit, I have to pay a visit to my favorite refreshment spot, Boba Island.

Boba Island is located right across from the Lemoore movie theater in downtown Lemoore and has these delicious all-fruit smoothies with boba in it. You could choose to have boba or not, but it really is much better with the boba!

Boba Island not only sells smoothies, they also have snacks such as sandwiches, wings, fries, and more. I've tried the garlic fries - which are delicious, by the way - and the empanadas (Mexican style) are really good as well.

My favorite drink is the iced mocha...with boba, of course!

Read other reviews of Boba Island at Yelp...

Address: 201 E. Street * Lemoore, CA
Phone: 559-924-1027
Hours: 11 am -7 pm Tues - Sun

April 2009: Upcoming Events in Lemoore

2009-04-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

The Lemoore Advance has published some upcoming events - one of them being the Ninth Annual Pizza Festival which I attended a couple of years ago.

Check out the video of my pizza festival experience in this previous post...

You can also check out the Lifestyle section of the online newspaper for other events.

And who says that there's nothing going on in Lemoore?

Historic Sites in Lemoore: Hotel Lucerne

2009-04-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

Lemoore is a town with a very rich history. I lived in Lemoore for many years, but it wasn't until recently that I started really paying attention to some of the historic buildings that still stand tall.

If walls could talk, I'm sure the Lucerne Hotel on "D" Street would have many stories to tell...

Back in the day the Hotel Lucerne was known as the social center of Lemoore. The building itself gives off an aura similar to the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Right across the street from Hotel Lucerne at the D Street Plaza is a huge mural of what D Street would have looked like in the early days. This mural is one of the many murals created by Colleen Goodwin Chronister...

Upcoming Events At Tachi Palace

2009-02-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some upcoming events at Tachi Palace:

Thursday, February 19: The Commodores

Thursday, February 26: Cheech and Chong

Saturday, March 7: The Temptations & The Four Tops

For more upcoming entertainment events, visit the Tachi Palace website.

Have an upcoming event happening in the Lemoore area that you'd like to share? Email: maria [at] salondemaria [dot] info.

Walgreens Comes to Lemoore!

2009-02-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

Watch out, Rite Aid. Here comes competition!

Walgreens is setting up shop in Lemoore right across the street from McDonald's which is located on the corner of Hanford-Armona Rd. and 18th Avenue.

Now if we can get an In-N-Out Burger restaurant, I will be very happy!

Video: Lemoore High School Marching Band

2009-01-21T23:15:00.000-08:00

One of my fondest memories of growing up in Lemoore was participating in the Lemoore High School marching band. I loved being able to travel to other places and playing in front of crowds.

Here is a video of the Lemoore High School marching band performing at a competition in Merced this past October...

Find out about upcoming Lemoore High School events by visiting: www.luhsd.k12.ca.us/lhs/

Brrr...It's Cold In Lemoore

2008-12-27T16:29:00.001-08:00

Well, compared to East Coast weather, it's actually pretty warm this time of year in Lemoore. In December typically the weather is in the 50's and 60's. It does rain every now and then and it actually hailed a little on Christmas Day.

You do have to be careful driving sometimes because it can get really foggy - so foggy that you can't even see a foot in front of you. I remember driving to Lemoore from San Diego when it was real foggy. As I was driving through the back roads, I actually passed Lemoore and ended up in Hanford because the fog was so thick!

If you're visiting Lemoore this time of year, you can get by with a sweater and a light jacket. You don't really need gloves unless you get cold easily.

I love this time of year as compared to summer time in Lemoore when it can get up to 110 degrees!

Where Do People Shop in Lemoore?

2008-12-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

Just ten minutes east of Lemoore is the city (or town) of Hanford, California. Since residents of Lemoore don't really have a mall to shop at, people head to Hanford where there is a shopping mall, Target, Walmart, and some of the major store chains.

I'm not a materialistic person that needs to shop all the time, but I have to say that whenever I'm in Lemoore to visit my parents, I get ansy and want to head to Hanford to shop. I guess I could go to the movies or learn to play golf (Lemoore does have a nice golf course), but what else is there to see and do? Gamble all my money away at Tachi Palace like many residents do? No, thank you!

Whenever I'm in Lemoore, I'm happy to get out of the house and go anywhere - even Home Depot. The Home Depot in Hanford has this little food stand called "Dogfather's". A great idea, I must say. Home Depots in San Diego don't even have these food stands! Oh, the little things that get me excited when I'm in Lemoore...

Moving to Lemoore: From Hatred to Love

2008-11-14T22:03:00.000-08:00

Moving to Lemoore can be a huge culture shock for people - especially if you've lived in urban areas most of your life. I was a little girl when I first moved to Lemoore in the 80's, so it was very easy me to adjust to living in this small town.

As I browsed YouTube today looking for videos about Lemoore, I came across this one produced by an aspiring film maker who documents her journey from hatred to love for this little town we call Lemoore...

Yes, Lemoore does take some getting used to, but it is a very peaceful town and there are little treasures to be found when you dig deep enough...

A View of Downtown Lemoore

2008-11-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

Downtown Lemoore is your typical small town downtown area. Don't expect skyscrapers or condo buildings!

"D" Street is the main street that runs through downtown where there are many mom-and-pop stores, a couple gas stations (Shell and Mobile), banks (Wells Fargo and Bank of America), a small library, and a few eateries.

One of my favorite places to go walk the dog or just relax and read a book is the Lemoore City Park. This small park is located in downtown along Bush and Fox Streets. On the weekends you'll often see people hosting birthday parties at the Lemoore City Park. And of course, the kids love playing on the playground...

Learn more about parks in Lemoore...

Get To Know Ed Martin, Lemoore City Councilmember

2008-09-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

by Vilma Palma

As former mayor of Lemoore and Lemoore City Councilmember for the past 18 years, Ed Martin has led a very busy life. With a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a Master’s in Education, he had high hopes to be of service to the community and that is just what he did. While serving as a Councilmember on a part-time basis, Mr. Martin is also an assistant principal at Lemoore High School.

When Ed Martin came to Lemoore back in 1982, one of his first jobs was editor of The Lemoore Leader (now known at The Lemoore Advance). This offered him the opportunity to get to know the town of Lemoore and learn more about what the community was like. From then on being of service to this community appeared to come naturally for him. Mr. Martin has taught at Lemoore High for many years, he’s been the Mayor of Lemoore for 8 years, and in addition to being a Councilmember, he serves as a member of the Kings County Association of Governments, also known as “KCAG“. Being a former mayor alone certainly gives him the credentials to be able to serve as Councilmember.

If you ever want to be a Councilmember, you must know that you have to have a passion for serving the people because doing it won’t be for the money! Mr. Martin makes $300 a month serving as a Councilmember part-time. He spends anywhere from 10-20 hours a week attending meetings.

One can only imagine the kind of head-butting that goes on when you’re involved with politics - especially if you’ve been a mayor and a Councilmember for 18 years. For some reason, though, it came as no surprise when Mr. Martin said that he gets along with everybody that he interacts with on the council.

When asked what accomplishment he is most proud of, Mr. Martin said that he was happy to be involved with creating more jobs for the people of Lemoore. However, he does regret not being able to bring in big companies like Walmart into the city to create more of a sales tax base.

After much service on the Council, Mr. Martin recently made the announcement that he would be leaving to focus his energy on his family and being the Assistant Principal at Lemoore High. His last term as Councilmember will end in December of 2008.

Would you like to contribute an article to the Lemoore Blog? Email your proposal to maria [at] salondemaria [dot] info

Photo Journeys Through Lemoore

2008-08-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

It's very rare to come across someone blogging about Lemoore, but somehow I was able to dig up a couple stories to share...

Patrick Flood shares some beautiful photos of the Lemoore countryside. However, do keep in mind that Lemoore isn't all run-down looking like that!

Here's another photo documentary of Lemoore from a family who's thinking about moving to California.

Pictured here is the side of the Lemoore movie theater. Check out more photos of Lemoore at my Flickr album...

Tachi Palace: Lemoore's Biggest Attraction

2008-08-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

One of the big attractions to Lemoore is Tachi Palace, a casino/event venue where many locals spend a great deal of time and money! 20 years ago it was called "The Bingo Palace" and consisted of a big one-story square building out in the middle of nowhere. Now it's a place that could rival any casino in Las Vegas...well, almost.

I would say that Tachi Palace is about the only form of nightlife or entertainment in the Lemoore area - or any surrounding area for that matter. There are tons of slot machines, card tables, a couple restaurants (my favorite is the buffet), a spa, bars, and of course, the new hotel that is the tallest building in the town. It sits out smack-dab in the middle in the "boonies" and is surrounded by farm fields.

I've never been in one of the rooms of the hotel, but judging from the very modern and chic lobby area, I'm sure the rooms are just the same.

Tachi Palace Casino and Hotel is located at 17225 Jersey Avenue just off 18th Ave. Click here to get directions.

Lemoore Event: Central Valley Pizza Festival

2008-07-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

Life in Lemoore, California isn't that eventful, however, every year the town plays host to the Central Valley Pizza Festival. Hundreds of people come from near and far for this 3-day event. This year the event took place at the end of April which was perfect because the weather wasn't quite hot yet!

Food and merchandise vendors lined "D" Street between 18th Avenue and Fox Street. There were also kiddie rides as well as a rock climbing wall for the adventurous types ;) For those who have strong stomachs, there was a pizza eating contest.

The highlight of the weekend, of course, was the pizza decorating contest in which teams competed to create the most unique and visually stunning slice of pizza (the slice was about 3 feet long). Every piece of the pizza had to be edible - so basically everything that was used to decorate the slice had to be made of food.

Here's a video with some of the highlights of the festival...

The Insider's Guide to Lemoore, California

2008-06-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, there IS more in Lemoore!

The Lemoore blog is dedicated to providing a personal perspective of what life is like in Lemoore, California. As a resident of Lemoore all throughout the 80's, I've seen Lemoore slowly grow over the years. Although things have changed quite a bit, there are many things about this little ole town in Central California that hasn't changed - like the down-to-earth ambience characterized by most small towns.

I know that there are many people who move to Lemoore because they're in the military and will be stationed at Lemoore NAS. One of the reasons I started this blog was to provide some insight into what Lemoore is all about.

I'll be covering business reviews, news, and any events going on. I'll also share personal stories from time to time on how life in Lemoore was "back in the day".

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments about this blog, feel free to contact me at maria [at] salondemaria [dot] info.

~Maria Palma
Editor-in-Chief