Manteca is getting a Fatburger.

Given Manteca means “lard” in Spanish, the fact the city will soon have the first Fatburger location in the Northern San Joaquin Valley seems a bit apropos.

A franchise of the Beverly Hills-based firm is part of retail development immediately to the east of the ARCO AM/PM fueling station and convenience store complex at Lathrop Road and Crestwood Avenue just west of the Highway 99 interchange.

It is part of an 8,402 square-foot retail structure with three other suites.

The Fatburger will have a dive thru window.

Vehicles will enter the drive-up queue from the southern portion of the parcel that is being developed. That means those waiting in line won’t create any issues along Crestwood avenue .

Those trying to reach Fatburger and the other businesses will enter from Crestwood Avenue via current access points for the ARCO station with convenience store and car wash as well as an adjoining Starbucks.

 There is no access from either Lathrop Road or North Main Street.

The project is before the Manteca Planning Commission when they meet Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center council chambers, 1001 W. Center St.

A Fatburger in early 2020 was originally going to be where Starbucks ended up being located but then the pandemic hit.

The closest Fatburger stores are in Suisun City, Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, and Madera, There are no other locations in Northern California.

Fatburger isn’t your typical burger joint.

Not only are their signature burgers hand-pressed from fresh meat while their chili and onion rings are made from scratch on site but many locations have not just milkshakes made from real ice cream but milkshakes made from Craig’s Vegan Ice Cream made not from almond milk — a slight faux pas given the strength of the Manteca area almond industry — but from cashew milk.

While offerings vary by the company’s 200 plus locations, there are four versions of the Fatburger, six other burgers including vegan and turkey as well as one made with Impossible Meat, chicken sandwich, buffalo wings with and without bones, four different types of fries (fat, skinny, chili cheese and sweet potato), chili dog, chili cheese dog, onion rings, two types of milkshakes in various flavors, and more.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com