Recent Business Reviews: Bakersfield.com

Firehouse Restaurant

My family and I went on a Friday Evening around 6:00 P.M. and were very disapointed. The service was horrible, the waiter hardly ever came around to check on us to see if we needed anything. We had to ask for refills on our drinks numerous times and they still failed to get them to us in a timely manner. The food was ok. My wife and I ordered a sandwich and hamburger and they were good. The onion rings were good. The side salad we ordered was horrible and 4 bucks at that - a SIDE salad! My Mother ordered a pizza that was nothing more than a frozen pizza you'de buy at VONS. We will definately not go back unless it is just for drinks and to play the billiards!

Toro Sushi Bar & Grill

I went on a date, they brought dirty wine glasses.. I asked for clean glasses they washed the same glasses and brought it back wet on the table. Inside decoration is nice but very pricey & slow service.

Sequoia Sandwich Company

I have been going to the downtown Sequoia every week for almost four years and I have never been disappointed. The food is great, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is welcoming. I would recommend any of the Sequoia locations to anyone looking for a great sandwich with fresh ingredients.

T-Bones Ranch House

We first tried this restaurant when they first opened. They were just "ok" at that time, and were definitely in the "training" mode and needed to get some experience under their belts. Their prices were way too high for the lack of food quality and below average service. We tried again just recently. I can't believe they actually got worse. Food quality is poor. Service is poor. Atmosphere severely lacks the ambiance that their prices command. This is yet another patron that will never eat here again.

Moo Creamery

My partner and I had a late lunch/early dinner at Moo Creamery about 2 weeks ago. I had the Monte Cristo with fries. The sandwich had the barest amount of meat on it and the fries were so salty I had to brush them off before eating them one at a time.

My partner had the Roasted Turkey CLub which he said was fair. His onion rings were over-cooked- as though they had been double-dunked in the fryer to warm them up after already having been cooked once.

At $8 per sandwich and $2 per drink the place is a little on the pricey side for the quality and portion sizes.

Despite being un-impressed with the food we each had a single scoop of ice-cream (their name-sake and calling-card) on a waffle cone. I had the pumpkin pie and my partner opted for vanilla. I will say that it was (for me) very tastey, not overly sweet. My partner said his ice-cream was "OK" but he likes sugary-sweet (Coldstone) ice cream anyway. Still, it was hard to justify $3 per scoop of ice cream. The one redeeming quality is that they pack the whole cone with icecream rather than just resting a single scoop on top.

My guess is that the concept of Moo Creamery will be sold as a franchise to a large conglomerate before the end of 2 years. What started as a Bakersfield-based business will eventualy become just another Rosemary's-like novelty.

T-Bones Ranch House

The food is alright, slightly overpriced, but the happy hour is to die for. Thanks T-Bones

Big Popy's Deli

12:32 PM

I chose to try Big Popy's for lunch after reading through a menu at my work place. The restaurant was clean (with the exception of a few tables) but a bit crowded- not with people but with numerous retro-esque chairs and tables. There were perhaps 4 other parties having lunch in the space.

When I got to the counter a lady who took my order was indifferent and seemed tired &/or distracted. While I was placing my order I witnessed one of the kitchen help (large, pink flower pinned to the left side of her baseball cap) take one of the "to-go" salads from the white, retro-styled cooler in front, carry it to the back area and- with her bare hands- scoop the salad out into a large, white salad bowl. She fussed with it for some time as she completed what I assumed was an order for "eat-in". I never saw her sanitize her hands. Consequently, I will never order a salad from Big Popy's. (Note: I saw another middle-aged lady bring a sandwich to a customer- she was wearing blue food service gloves so I know they have them.)

My sandwich (Heart Attack Panini- $8.25) came in relatively short order. It was filling and tasted fine but nothing extra-ordinary. The pastrami was thick and tended to come off the sandwich like a grissly piece of meat that wouldn't be chewed. The dressing was light but it tasted like Thousand Island rather than "Russian Dressing" as it is decribed in the menu. My bill came to $11.64 which included a sandwich and fountain soda. If I had to guess I'd say this was about $4 too much for the size and quality of product I received.

During my stay a middle-aged gentleman (who resembled the cartoon face on the website, felt porkpie fedora and all) arrived to wipe tables.

The website for Big Popy's is flawed with links that error out, spelling & punctuation errors. This may not seem like a big deal unless one takes it as a lack of attention to detail- something that shouldn't happen in any aspect of food service.

The decor can also lend itself to alienating a large number of the Bakersfield population since it is very pro-war (an entire wall dedicated to war/troop support). With one son in the navy I am all about supporting our troops- but this establishment crosses a delicate line that could be construed as war-mongering rather than simple allegiance.

Over all I find this establishment suffering from an identity crisis with too many individual characteristics and no cohesive feeling: I got more interaction from my HS lunch line than I did here. If the lunch hour I was there is any indication Big Popy's isn't long for the Bakersfield business community.

San Joaquin Veterinary Hospital

I have been going to SJV Hospital for over a year now. They have been nothing but wonderful to me, my husband and of course my pets. They are patient, caring, friendly and very willing to answer any questions I have. I've had three cat emergencies and they always manage to get me in ASAP to see a Vet. The girls working the front desk are awesome. The entire staff is friendly and courteous. I hope I never have to take my pets anywhere else.

Connie Woodruff

Barbich Longcrier Hooper King

Amazing group. Met with Pat Johnson, wow, what a great Representative for this company. Attention to detail, kind, explains w/o putting my staff down. Deadlines always met,in fact usually ahead of deadlines.

Who would have thought I could actually like a CPA??!!

Coffee Road Animal Hospital

Preface: I have had pets all of my life. My last two cats (Bentley and Bully) moved all across the country with my for the past 16/17 years! The avatar for my profile is a quilt I made in honor of my last cat (bully). I have always loved my pets and made every sacrifice to care for them as though they were my own children. The following is a true story, un-embellished by emotion:

I took a pet to Coffee Road Animal Hostpial three times, twice for accidental injuries incurred while playing with another, larger pet (also mine). On the second visit I was obviously exhausted and distraught having stayed up all night on the floor with the poor thing. I took the pet in the first thing in the morning (they have standard business hours so I had to mis work to do so) and had the pet examined. They provided an "estimate" of servies (and prices) and sent me home to await the news. "Dr." Mischke was the attending vet.

I received a call about 4 hours later to inform me of two things: 1) That the pet had suffered a fracture of a hind leg- I was heartbroken. 2) That they were essentially KEEPING the pet! They claimed (after this SINGLE incident) that I wasn't capable of providing a "safe environment". "Dr." Mischke was rude and had absolutely no compassion for the situation. She then proceeded to tell me that, in her opinion, this was a second injury- she believed the pet had another, older injury (?!) which she all but accused me of doing.

The truth is that the pet had an impacted tooth which had caused an infection- something THEY diagnosed and THEY treated!! In fact, since the day I had rescued the pet Coffee Road Animal Hospital was the only care provider (and beneficiary of almost $1000 in bills). I couldn't believe what I was hearing: Suddenly the ailment that I PAID them to diagnose & treat was now something else (based on a guess) and thusly became a reason to force me to give them the pet. When I tried to explain to them that I also had another healthy and happy pet (also under their care) "Dr." Mischke cut me off with a speech about how pets are "just like children" and require the same if not more care than she thought I was able to give. She was condescending and rude.

Over-all, the entire staff was cold and indifferent since I am certain I was labled an animal abuser in their office- the tone from everyone I spoke to was more than clear; one woman who answered the phone put me on hold the moment I said my name without so much as a pleasantry. They made a lot of money, provided minimal (and inaccurate) care and managed to get a free pet in the bargain.

The business is irresponsible, "Dr." Mischke is a fraud and I wouldn't trust them to euthanize a pet much less care for it's well-being.

T-Bones Ranch House

I can't believe people still go to this place. It must have more 1 star ratings than any other restaurant in town!

San Joaquin Veterinary Hospital

Quickly got my cat an appointment. However, this Dr. is completely rude and unprofessional!! I was "recommended" a blood panel test of $145 and said I would be notified the next morning of results. A week later, I had to go and get results on my own! The Dr. came out to give my results and the first thing out of his mouth was said rudely-- "Is THE cat still alive?" He then went on to say "I take full responsibility and am sorry that you were not notified--somehow your test fell through the cracks." He told me I should wait another 3-4 weeks and pay $145 for another blood test--he didnt care about my pet, just my money! Finally, he told me there was nothing else he would do about not notifying me and said he would transfer my paperwork elsewhere!! I would recommend this hospital only if you enjoy dealing with rude dr's who don't care about your pets!

Victor Victorias

Our Halloween visit to Victor Victoria's was a real treat! We started with the oysters rockefeller and a spicy shrimp cocktail. I had the flat iron steak cooked true to medium rare and Patrick enjoyed the catfish, topped off by yummy desserts of tiara misu and raspberry cheesecake. The beautiful decor and attentive service were especially enjoyable. Thanks Alia for a great experience! Paula Mande

Camino Real Restaurant

This is an absolutely fabulous restaurant! I have tried many of the Mexican food places in town, and this is by far the most original, best value, and best atmosphere I have found. The pepper jack shrimp is amazing. The margaritas are spot on, and the service is always friendly and attentive. You can tell the owners have a passion for what they are doing. HIGHLY recommend!

Si Senor Grill

We used to frequent Si Senior Grille quite often...but since we discovered Camino Real, I would rather spend my time and cash there.

Si Senior is "OK" ~ not bad food at all, and they do have amazing Chile Verde, perfect amount of spice/heat. I order the chile verde burrito, and have never been disappointed.

The have a decent buffet for lunch too, worth the $$ for that, M-F

The bar-drinks are WAY over priced, and NOW ~ to the service, NOT GOOD service at all, especially from the owner/manager lady. She is VERY rude !

One evening we took the kids, and my step-son never ventures out from his comfort zone, so he ordered the kids hamburger meal. When he complained about the taste, i ignored him at first, since he likes VERY few things...BUT - he insisted, and we all took a taste, it was TERRIBLE! the worse meat patty ever, i have NO clue how you can mess-up a a plain hamburger kids meal! when we asked for a re-do, the owner lady was Super Bent Out of Shape! insisted it was OUR fault that the burger was inedible! haha, crazy lady! Recently, i went thru the drive thru to get a quick chile verde burrito meal, and the drive-thru menu is NOT written to where you can understand anything! jumbled mess, so when i inquired (via the speaker box) about an item on the menu, she got short and snippity again. I will deff spend my money at Camino Real before going there again.

Posh Salon & Boutique

I just got my nails done by sara at posh and she charged me $20 for full rockstar nails with FREE nail art. she will never nickle and dime you ever. she was amazing, very sweet, and fair prices. I have had rockstars done for $60 and up and i cant tell the diffrence between the two. She is the only place in town to get good quality work at a fair price. I am recomending her to the 100's of people commenting on how amazingly cute my hello kitty nails are! I have had my nails done by alot of people and she has been by far the best dont believe me look here this proves the last review wrong if the nails she does are so awful than why do all these look so HOT?! http://www.myspace.com/brokenheart089

T-Bones Ranch House

I consider myself to be a fair woman. I firmly believe in second chances, especially in a restaurant setting where all it takes is the cook being preoccupied for 2 minutes to ruin your dinner.

I will NEVER give T-Bones a second chance. There is a better chance of me being struck by lightening than going here again.

My brother is a hard-working officer, so on his day off my parents and I decided to have a nice night out. There was a 30 minute wait for the table- which, to be fair, a lot of places have. We got seated and waited over 20 minutes to have our drinks put in..and another 15 to get them. I noticed crumbs on our table, like it wasn't sufficiently wiped down after the last customers. I wiped them off myself since there was no waitress to tell about our dirty table. The bread we had brought to our table after we placed our order tasted old- like it had been sitting out for a day or so. It was like eating croutons.

Our meals finally came- three of which had to be sent back due to being overcooked, too salty or just plain the wrong order. They came back correct, but lukewarm. Am I wrong in thinking a steak should be served hot? I was nervous eating my food for fear of food poisoning. My brother's shrimp was rubbery, my mother's pork chop tasted sub-par. Worst yet was my nephew, who said his food "tasted gross." Even when prompted by his mother, the child refused to finish his food.

Our drinks went unfilled until we had to physically wave someone down. When a member of my family or myself would ask for something from whomever saw us waving them down, the wait staff seemed bothered and would promptly tell us "I'll inform your waitress." Yeah, good luck! WE would have liked to have known who that was!

We asked for our check since we had a movie to catch at a certain time. After not receiving it for 10 minutes, we asked again. We finally recieved it and it was incorrect. We had to make the corrections (AGAIN flagging someone down) and due to the lousy service and incorrect processing of our check, we were late for our movie. I had a hard time paying for a meal that was incredibly lousy and expensive to boot.

My mother later complained of stomach cramps and the only thing I could figure was bad food. My brother had stomach issues the following day as well. The only thing they had in common was T-Bones.

Bad Service. Horrid food. Incorrect check. Dirty table. Getting sick. LEAVING DINNER HUNGRY. How pathetic that this place is still in business.

I have read other reviews on here where the manager posts, apologizes, and asks you back. Please, sir, save your time. I wouldn't come back if I had a gift certificate.

Si Senor Grill

We go to Si Senor's about twice per month.

The food is average-to-good with decent portion sizes.

We've never had to wait an excessive amount of time for drinks, refills or food.

My only gripe is that some of the servers wear those damned head-sets as though they're running a Jack In The Box drive-through as well. (Are they?) I do not appreciate having to compete with the added noise from those things just to get/keep the servers attention. A good server doesn't need a headset to tell them when the food is in the window.

El Portal West

We visted the new location once about a week ago. I can only echo the many (legitimate) problems this restaurant experiences: Apathetic service and average food.

We were sitting in our booth (closest to the kitchen) some ten minutes before soft drinks were finally brought to the table, I had to go to the bar myself for the beer.

Chips and salsa came to the table only seconds before the meal.

I believe we waited about 30 minutes for the food and it certainly wasn't worth the wait. Average taste, bland beans and rice and luke-warm at best.

We also had no idea who our server was as each person who made it to our table was someone completely different. We asked for water refills twice before I finally got up, went to the servers station and got it myself.

Clearly there is no management, no desire to serve the guest and no responses to the posts here leads me to believe they simply don't care. El Portal West will never see a dime of our money again.

Denny's

You know... I'm so sick of hearing how "decent" or "family-style" the Denny's restaurant chain is, I'm not going to even give a huge effort into this review.

Now in case noooooooooone of you have ever heard of Denny's befooooooooore, it's simply a restaurant chain that serves a variety of below-average plates; and breakfast and lunch are served all day, everyday. This Denny's location here at 8710 Rosedale Highway has one dining room and public restrooms.

When considering the amount of effort that Denny's corporation put out in releasing good food to customers, all I can say is that their lazy effort was wasted. I have been to several Denny's stores over the last 12 years, and I have not had one good product from any of them.

And to make matters worst, the customer service is usually either mediocre or poor. My drinks aren't checked on, I'm not asked for condiments, my silverware is missing,... so many things happen each time I visit a Denny's store like this one on Rosedale.

The workers do put in their work effort, I understand that. What I don't get is WHY organization isn't present at any of the locations I have been to. Have any Denny's Inc. stock holders ever been to a freaking Burger King?! They need to visit one and eat some real food!

What was special and unique about this business? NOTHING. I don't feel like I need to go in depth on this. The fact is this: Denny's sucks, and should be avoided at all costs.

My Rating: 0.1 Centimeters out of 10 (UNQUALIFIED)

... And on a plus note, they serve good fries, beverages, and shakes! :D

Si Senor Grill

Terrible service. I was blamed for the incorrect order. As I ordered the waitress/manager stopped listening and rolled her eyes and did not even write down the salad request. No suprise that NO salad was brought out. I also order two carne asada taco and a plate that also had rice and beans came. Never ordered that either. And the tortillas were fried. Previously they never had been, and I have ordered them before. Then the salad came and had dressing AND I requested NO dressing. Then when I sent it back they simply dumped the same salad and same wrong fried tacos on another plate and brought it out to me. I sent it back and ate at home. When I tried to address the rude service I was told I must have not ordered the right thing. ME? I said had she listened and WROTE down what I ordered MAYBE I would have gotten the right order. Never returning. And to top it no one asked for drinks for 5+ minutes and then 10+ minutes to take the order after that.

I also had a three yr old and an infant. She brought the high chair and walked away and I struggled to get it turned over and the infant in it.

Country Club Car Wash & Detail

Believe me... Country Club Car wash has the best car wash service in town.

It is 100 % hand wash with great attention to detail. Your car is showroom perfect when they have finished.

Manuel, the owner, is there overseeing all work as he works along side his employees. He is dedicated to perfection.

Wash, Wax job, Delail, whichever- you will be pleased.

Give it a try...It's truly the BEST!

Peking Palace

As so much time has passed since I last visited Peking Palace, and now that eastbound Highway 178 is open to the Fairfax exit and there is no road construction or detour on Auburn, my companions and I decided it was the perfect time to make the trek. It was as good as we remembered.

The quality of the food is high, and has been consistently so over its twenty years in Bakersfield. Past reviews agree. If memory serves, it was officially voted the best Chinese restaurant last year by The Bakersfield Californian’s food critic.

For good reason. The menu is extensive, offering a variety of Chinese dishes for lunch and dinner at reasonable prices. Our favorite lunch specials were the Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken and the daily special. The dinner menu is also worth considering for lunch. Our favorites from this menu were the Peking Prawns, Orange Chicken, Pad Thai Prawns and Mango Chicken. Do not forget to try the incredibly spicy combo noodle soup.

Traditional ambience abounds, friendly and polite servers await you, great food, plus an owner who really cares. Yes, this is definitely a place everyone should try. Peking Palace rocks. Best place for Chinese food hands down.

Body Xchange Fitness Spa

Been going to BX for nearly 4yrs. We love it, the staff is very friendly and facilities are clean and in good working order. I prefer the fitness spas because the atmosphere is a bit more upscale. Our kids love the childcare and membership is reasonable especially when counting the cost of childcare for 3 kids.

Burger King

Hello Bakersfield.com users! Today I will be reviewing this Burger King location at 3302 California Avenue! See my profile for more business reviews!

As of late, I’ve noticed a great decline in Burger King’s store chain in the sense that they can’t all seem to follow a general business pattern. This business pattern includes food quality, customer service, and cleanliness.

As far as this Burger King location here at California Avenue goes, I can care less. For one thing, the food quality lacks in a serious way. Whenever I’d order a sandwich with fries, the meal turns out to be either warm or cold. And this wasn’t with just one coincidence either; it seemed to happen about 90% of the time.

The cleanliness in the dining room is pretty good for the most part, but the restrooms need some management overview. When considering the self-serve sink wash, floors, toilets, and walls, there’s much more work that can be done.

As far as customer service goes, it’s pretty good. The workers care about your own personal needs as a customer. Also, they simply are friendly, so social skills are not a problem here.

All in all, while it seems that I hate this place, I actually don’t. It is enjoyable to eat here, but food quality and bathroom cleanliness (while not bad) can be improved.

My Rating: 6 apes out of 10 (Fair)

Don’t be bashful folks, try writing a review yourselves! Remember, a review can’t be either right or wrong. It’s just simply your summary of your own experiences.

Tom's Famous Burgers

Heard good things about this place so I sent my wife to get us lunch.

1 Dbl CheeseBurger
2 fries
1 Bacon Burger no pickle/tom

She came back with
1 Dbl Cheese Burger no Pickle/Tom
1 Fry
1 Bacon Buger with Pickle/Tom

Wife HATES pickles... WITH A PASSION!. Smell, Taste, Look. EVERYTHING.
No problem, we will call them up and explain the mixup, stuff happens right.

Wife calmly explains issue to employee, Tom's employee then argues with wife that she only ordered 1 Fry. Now, if this is me I would say yeah, coulda happened, but not her.

Ok, so call that a draw. Tom's employee never says anything about the burger issue. Doesn't offer to make it right if you bring in the food, NOTHING!

Sorry Tom but I don't care how famous your burger is, Bad Customer Service makes it taste BAD. I would give you another shot, but my darling wife won't. That's too bad cuz if your burger was that good you would have been a regular stop.

Henley's Photo Inc

As a professional photographer, I am in need of photography supplies all the time. In 1968, I started shopping at Henley’s. I soon found that I didn’t have to go out of the city to get all the supplies and equipment I needed. The staff was very knowledgeable on all my photography questions and friendly as well. I am glad to have their services available and recommend them to anyone interested in photography regardless of their skill level.

Kevin Fahey, Fahey Photography

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

Although I consider Red Robin to be a bit overpriced (most adult meals are just shy of $10), they have good food (I love their fries), and it's a great place to take the whole family. It's definitely kid friendly and their kids menu has many options, even for the picky eaters. Unfortunately last time I was there, they were out of crayons for the little ones. Of course they didn't actually tell us they were out. We had to ask. In fact, I was a little disappointed with our waitress. She had to be asked a few times for simple things like a refill on a drink.

I will say that their "secret sauce" on their regular cheeseburger is a little strange. Next time I would probably either tell them light sauce or none. They should also offer to give you a choice of bun with each burger. Other than that, I would have to say I recommend.

Burger King

You are looking at the Trebuchet MS word format from Microsoft Word 2003! It doesn’t look too bad either; I love the shapes of letters “b” and “m.” Both of them remind me of an Atari 5200 game: “Beamrider.”

But knowing that is not important. This here is my review for this Burger King location off 8200 Stockdale Hwy L. Burger King’s chain has so many stores, it’s made to be the biggest fast-food burger chain next to McDonald’s. They serve a variety of food other than burger sandwiches, including chicken fries, onion rings, cheesecake, icee beverages, and so much more.

The store I’m reviewing has a one-way drive-thru, and the car line goes quick from my own personal experiences. There’s also a dining room of cute, yet grand size; and the restrooms are open to the public.

As far as cleanliness goes, this is one of the best fast-food locations that I have ever been to. There is absolutely nothing on any of the tables, the soda fountain is looking sharp, and the floors are well maintained.

(Dang, what happened to my text? It changed shape, and... stuff. Oh well, I'll just use my imagination and pretend like nothing ever happened.)

Customer service is pretty nice. The workers are focused on your personal needs, and are very friendly about it.

Speed of service? Top-notch, absolutely top-notch; you usually get your order within 3 minutes.

Now, onto the food quality and taste of the food. How is the quality? How is the taste? Well, to be perfectly honest, it isn’t perfect; and I’ll explain it in a little bit.

The quality of the burgers themselves is truly outstanding, and they taste great. I like how the vegetable toppings compliment the meat and bun as a whole, rather than being indifferent. If you have ever had burgers at Denny’s Family Diner, you’ll immediately know what I’m talking about.

As for the fries… geesh, compared to today’s competition, they don’t have alot to punch at. They are fries that have been French-cut, and that leaves much to be undesired. I now prefer potato sides from places like Carl’s Jr. or Jack in the Box; they leave some skin on them.

The soda fountain is just AWESOME. Instead of having to press a tiny button to get a soda, you can just press on a big touch-screen bubble. So much easier to use; plus, the soda tastes great!

I conclude this review, and will definitely say that I, the Very Mad Fast-Food Geek, recommend this joint.

Here’s my rating: 7 BK Cupcake Sundae Shakes out of 10 (FAIR)

Camino Real Restaurant

I love this place! The food is always so fresh and original. The atmosphere is calm and the place is so clean. I never leave a place satisfied or happy i am a tough critic but this place nailed it. I will continue to support this locally owned and ran restaurant as long as i live and will continue to tell my freinds and family about this place. The staff is so polite and professional ask for alesandro hes a great host/owner who goes above and beyond for his customers he waited on me and my family as well as the tables around us and did a great job. If you havent tried camino real you must they offer the best mexican food and some california favorites.......try the mixed drinks and the margaritas are always top notch. Camino Real is Bakersfields Better kept secret! Like Alesandro told me the better place is Camino because better is always better than best. Pete Tittl got this place right!

Vallarta Mexican Grill

Some really amazing Mexican Food, and lots of it. Their prices are very reasonable. I have there 5 or 6 times over the last year (Oct. 09) and have never been disappointed. I have concentrated on the burritos, while my wife goes for the enchiladas. The rice is very good and the beans creamy and hot. The tortillas are always fresh and large (For the burritos) And a very large percentage of meat. You also get chips and salsa with every meal.

The one down side might be the service, but the waitress has always been friendly, just a little inattentive at times.

I will absolutely use them again and again. Really, a great bargin.

California Pizza Kitchen

I’ve had the CPK frozen pizzas from the supermarket but decided to give the restaurant a try. Called to make a reservation for Friday night before the “Cirque Dreams- Illumination” show at Rabobank but leaned that they don’t take reservations. Instead, they allow 1-hour “call aheads” before the expected meal time. On a side note, when will Bakersfield restaurants finally learn that reservations are an important aspect to their success?

I immediately noticed that this is a very, family-friendly place since there were kids coloring with crayons at almost every table. We ordered the Singapore Shrimp Rolls to start which was fresh and light. My aunt had the appetizer, Lettuce Wraps, as her main dish. I had the Thai Linguini which was no comparison to the Thai Chicken Pasta at the Cheesecake Factory. We do not normally order dessert but decided to get the Sticky Toffee Cake. I have never had an “Oh my, God!” moment in this town after eating something really good. However, this was my first. I would encourage all patrons to get this dessert the next time you visit CPK. You can all thank me afterwards.

I know what everyone is thinking: You got Asian food at CPK? Yeah, yeah, I did, but I will definitely be back to try the pizzas another time. Besides the good food, the venue was very clean. Whenever a table had left, the busser who had the “Donald” hair was very good at clearing the table for the next guests. He even wiped down the booths. Another reason, our waitress, Desiree, was super and very friendly. Last reason, I loved how the manager was eager to help his waiters/waitresses by serving plates to various tables. Love that gung-ho attitude!

AT The Oaks Pet Hospital

Dear God do NOT take your pets here!!! The Dr. seems okay...but the groomer and kennel is the worst I've ever experienced!! The groomers are as mean and hateful as it gets. The things I have seen and heard, I should have called the animal control and the police department.

Seriously, the WORST EVER!!!!!!

Naked Al's Tattoos

I got my first Tat at Naked Al's this past Saturday, Oct 24th. Colby was great. He let me look thru 100s of eagle designs until I picked out the one I wanted. And we're not done. I'm having my bass guitar added on my next visit. Everyone at the shop was friendly and encouraging. I'll definately be back. Dave Sanders Bassist for CATCH22

Noriega Hotel Restaurant

My step father was French Basque, and I grew up going to the Basque restaurants in Bakersfield. It's been 13 years since I lived there, but whenever I come to town, Noriega's is definitely on my list! I love the bar. There's no other bar quite like it!

Indian Delhi Palace

I visited this restaurant for the first time with a couple of friends. We liked the buffet and everything was cooked well. A bit spicy than usual but then I can deal with it. Unfortunately, the decor is mediocre at best, and the ambiance is lacking.

Desi Cafe

Last week a dining companion and I went to the Desi Cafe for the first time; however, I was familiar with the dishes served there having ordered through Restaurant Runner several times. My companion on the other hand had never eaten Indian food. We went during the lunch hour. My companion chose the lunch buffet. While the lunch buffet looked very appealing, I knew the spices would be mild so I ordered off the menu so I could get the heat I craved. I asked for everything extra spicy. I know this is probably not for everyone. They will adjust the spice to suit your palate I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, Channa Masala, Raita and garlic naan. The server even brought out papads. The Chicken Vindaloo and Channa Masala were dynamite (no pun intended). My companion enjoyed his buffet choices especially the Tandoori chicken, the butter chicken and vegetable korma. The service was outstanding and our server was so friendly. The interior is small but cozy. It even has a full bar. I would highly recommend Desi Cafe and will definitely be returning.

Indian Delhi Palace

We have enjoyed their daily buffet several times and did again on 10-24-2009.

It is a homey family run restaurant with good food. It is spiced more so than other Indian restaurants in Bakersfield but that suits us fine. The Chicken Tikka Masala is excellent, the Naan is thinner and crispier than others, but it is good. The vegetable dishes were very good especially the Zucchini. They served a goat dish which we have never had before. Interesting! The rice pudding here is not as runny as others and has a nice taste.

They have separated the dining area from the bar and it is much nicer than before.

Service is good and you will enjoy a nice meal at the Indian Delhi Palace.

Camino Real Restaurant

After riding the Spooktacular we wanted fish tacos and beer. Since our last trip to another old favorite was disapointing, we decided to try El Camino Real.

Wow!

We had the grilled fish and adobo fish taco plates with black beans and sweet potato fries. The tacos came with red cabbage that seemed pickled and finely shredded with a small avocado slice in each one. My adobo was spicy and just salty enough after the ride to perk me up. The different sauces were outstanding. I asked for some salsa and was handed a perfectly prepared serving with spice, heat ,and flavor thatv was just perfect for the beans anf fries.

Our waitresses were attentive without hovering, helpful and sparkly.

When friends from out of town want excellent Mexican food, ECR will be first on my list.

Monroe Construction

Well, I called to ask who the President or CEO of the company was because I wanted to kno who I was dealing with and I was told they don't give out that information and then I was hung up on. If I can't ask who I'm dealing with and find out then why should that company have my business.

El Adobe Mexican

Obviously a very unethical business-will never, ever set foot in this place and will let everyone I know why they shouldn't either. Better start looking for a new line of business-karma's gonna bite you in the butt.

Los Molcajetes

Excellent food and service.

Good Music....a little noisy, but if you like action while you eat....this place is a thumbs up.

Akira's Japanese

Stay away....there are a lot of better sushi places and a lot better service.

Camino Real Restaurant

We love going to this restaurant. We love the food and the staff. The rice is so fluffy and great! Tocos Adobo is one of my personal favorites. My husband always gets something different and the kids always go for their "Alex Special!" The staff really make a special effort to make sure we are comfortable and that we like our meals. Thanks to Alejandro and staff for making Camino Real our FAVORITE restaurant!

Home Town Buffet

We go once a week and I am always amazed. The salad bar is good, some of soups are excellent (try the cheese soup), the meats are good! Weakest part to us is the dessert bar but you can always get decent soft serve with hot fudge. The meat loaf is better than Moms, the steaks are tender and juicy. Considering the price, I am amazed they are so good. Love some of the veggies like the spinach souffle and the cabbage. The place can be noisy, the rest rooms can be messy but overall the quality of the food is good and consistent. The selection is good and the people are friendly. Try it when you want good food at a reasonable price.

Subway Sandwich Shop

i love the blonde girl name laura shes really nice and so is vikki and oh yeauhh trevor i think but seriously you guys should realzie you have beter empoylees

and these are people who are rude and have a attuide allen debbie and zuly these people always talking spanish rude comments hair in my food debbie she throws my food and she gives mean looks

El Adobe Mexican

What the heck? Did you pay someone to dog the other mexican restaurants? It would help if they didn't copy and paste the same review in every section.

That is poor practice. I will never be back to El Adobe, period.

El Adobe Mexican

El Adobe is disgraceful. You can obviously tell that they went to every other Mexican Restaurant's site and gave them a bad review. I really find it horrible that a company could stoop so low in this time of economic crisis. And btw, El Adobe's food is the worst, they overcharge for drinks and make the costumer feel unwanted. If you are looking for excellent Mexican food, my suggestion is El Sombrero off Golden State. Now that is quality Mexican food! Don't support El Adobe and their shady business practice!

La Cabana

THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE! THE FOOD IS DISGUSTING! AND IT LOOKS SO UGLY! NOT NEAT AT ALL! THANKS BUT ILL STICK TO THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD, EL ADOBE!

Anita's Mexican Grill

THIS PLACE IS NOT GOOD AT ALL! HORRIBLE SERVICE AND FOOD! I WILL NEVER BE BACK! ILL STICK TO THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER, EL ADOBE! THANKS ANITAS NASTY FOOD