{"id":291902,"date":"2026-04-29T20:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T20:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/291902\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T20:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T20:04:10","slug":"moses-mcqueens-brings-a-happening-vibe-to-downtown-fresno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/291902\/","title":{"rendered":"Moses McQueen’s Brings a Happening Vibe to Downtown Fresno"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 110 years old, one of downtown Fresno\u2019s oldest homes has found a new purpose that its original builder and previous occupants may have never imagined \u2014 a restaurant and cocktail lounge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have entertainment that\u2019s taking place, concerts, baseball games, very soon I hope to have a soccer stadium being built with a professional soccer team. We\u2019re not too far from Selland Arena, where a lot of activity occurs. I think this place, Moses McQueen\u2019s, is situated in the right place at the right time for a booming downtown.\u201d \u2014 Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer<\/p>\n

While the bar and restaurant had its grand opening three weeks ago, on Tuesday, the owners of Moses McQueen\u2019s<\/a> cut the ribbon on the space at 634 Van Ness Ave. in the former Elia Home, along with Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.<\/p>\n

Co-owner Phillip Kliewer said people coming in will experience something different than anywhere else in Fresno.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it does feel like a bar and restaurant, it also feels like you are coming home or you are going to your auntie\u2019s house, or you\u2019re going to your grandma\u2019s house,\u201d Kliewer said. \u201cYou\u2019re just enjoying the space with friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dyer said turnout and popularity at the restaurant shows downtown\u2019s momentum.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be able to bring a restaurant bar like Moses McQueen\u2019s downtown is significant especially on the southern part of downtown, where really there\u2019s not a lot of activity,\u201d Dyer said. \u201cBut if you come in here throughout the evening, even at lunch or on the weekends especially, it\u2019s hard to find a place to sit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Classic\u2019 Menu, Drinks<\/p>\n

The freshly painted domicile stands out amid downtown\u2019s commercial corridor. Being in Moses McQueen\u2019s feels like visiting someone\u2019s home. Bookcases, low ceilings, and a retro bar give the space a warm feel.<\/p>\n

The bar serves classic cocktails and drinks, offering everything from palomas and old fashioneds to cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. With a small kitchen, Kliewer says they try to keep the food menu tight, serving hamburgers, chicken wings, and catfish tacos.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything that we\u2019re doing isn\u2019t necessarily avant-garde,\u201d Kliewer said. \u201cIt\u2019s classic and that\u2019s what I think most people actually like on a day-to-day basis. It\u2019s something that feels comfortable to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the bookcase and up the stairs is where the owners hid an upstairs bar in what feels more like a study. A connecting room overlooks the patio, where patrons can play games on the lawn or enjoy drinks and food.<\/p>\n

\"\"Moses McQueen\u2019s co-owner Phillip Kliewer (center right) and his family cut the ribbon on the downtown Fresno restaurant and bar along with Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer on Tuesday, April 28 2026. (City of Fresno)
\nRestoration Process a \u2018Labor of Love\u2019: Kliewer<\/p>\n

Kliewer called the restoration process a \u201clabor of love.\u201d Shortly after the home\u2019s 100th anniversary<\/a>, Kliewer and partners began renovations. Today, he co-owns Moses McQueen\u2019s with business partners Miguel and Diego Arambula.<\/p>\n

Had it not been for Kliewer and his partners purchasing the home, it likely would have been demolished, he said.<\/p>\n

While Kliewer owns a construction company \u2014 NexGeneral Construction \u2014 bringing the home back to life was a completely different undertaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t typically take a 100-year-old house and turn it into a commercial project, first of all,\u201d Kliewer said. \u201cAnd then, second of all, you don\u2019t turn it into a bar and restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The building had been vacant when they found it.\u00a0At the beginning of the process, the home had to be lifted five feet in the air so the foundation could be reinforced and electrical wiring added. Builders opened up the lower floor and had to reframe much of the home.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t predict everything in a 100-year-old house,\u201d Kliewer said.<\/p>\n

Dyer said Moses McQueen\u2019s plays into a well-rounded, \u201cvibrant\u201d downtown. Located less than a third of a mile from Chukchansi Park, he said it supports activity in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have entertainment that\u2019s taking place, concerts, baseball games, very soon I hope to have a soccer stadium being built with a professional soccer team. We\u2019re not too far from Selland Arena, where a lot of activity occurs,\u201d Dyer said. \u201cI think this place, Moses McQueen\u2019s, is situated in the right place at the right time for a booming downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

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