Recent Business Reviews: Bakersfield.com

Sertinos Café

I'm a breakfast sandwich fan, and there are not many choices in Bakersfield for a good one (and I'm not going to McDonalds or Jack in the Box). So I was happy to learn this cafe was popping up in the area. This newly opened place has a few kinks to work out, however.

I've had the bagel breakfast sandwich with bacon, and a croissant breakfast sandwich with ham. They forgot to put egg on my bagel sandwich. Service from three teenage-looking employees was a bit slow, but I assume they're still learning the job.

The croissant sandwich was good, except the ham was barely warm. My girlfriend had the same sandwich at a different time and loved it, and the ham was nice and hot. So I'm thinking they forgot to heat it up last time.

I like that this place has a variety of other choices besides sandwiches, including ice cream, smoothies and well, coffee.

It's a nice calm atmosphere too, and pet friendly I assume because two guys brought their lab dog in and had coffee. There are a few nice, comfortable love seats to relax, read a free issue of the Californian and eat some grub. Plenty of seating. Bathrooms are nice and clean too.

Overall, not a bad restaurant at all, but may need a few weeks to get full steam. I know they'll be seeing me again.

Wings To Go

I think this is a great boneless hotwing place. My personal favorite sauce is the Buffalo Garlic!!!!! Oh my it is the best!!!!! The service is good and the cashiers are always very friendly and efficient. The wait time has never been too long so your able to enjoy your food and relax during your lunch hour. Keep up the good work.

Red Lobster

The best seafood in Bakersfield?! Are you kidding me? There is no other seafood place in Bakersfield better than the Red Lobster?

Teaser Pleaser Club

I'm just a regular dude with a little too much spending money who's relocated to Bakersfield within the past year or so. I've had the experience of spending way too much money at all 3 Bako hot spots (Vu, Kitty, Teaser). Teaser Pleaser is VERY rough around the edges BUT, I love all of the bay area rap music they play and fortunately enough I've been able to avoid the elementary school chairs. All it takes is one lap dance from ANYBODY to forget that there aren't any flat screen TV's displaying ESPN. The top-of-the-line ladies who REALLY enjoy their work and know how to show you a good time are Marella, Courvasier, Fallen (incredible pole work), and Isis. Management is very relaxed. They seem focused on counting money and giving out free passes. The dancers have a lot of freedom. No more Vu or EK for me.

Bakodude.

Red Lobster

I have been to the Red Lobster twice. The first time my food was barely edible. I honestly don't remember what I had it was so long ago. My daughter had fish tacos and they were pretty good. The second time there were 6 of us. My dish (scallops) were overdone and I could not eat them. The other plates were all overcooked too and tasteless. I did complain, something I never do unless it is really bad. The chef came out and took one look at the food on our plates and comped the meal including the drinks. I have no idea why he could not see what was coming out of the kitchen. Red Lobster is not the place to go if you want seafood. I have not been back and will not go back. I wish to heck that King Seafood was coming to town as promised.

Elaine's Cafe and Market

I grew up eating meat and dairy products...in fact, i still do. As a result, I have not been very attracted to vegan and vegetarian food; however, after eating at Elaine's Cafe and Market, I am very attracted to vegan and vegetarian food...so much so, that I want to marry it some day....that is if I don't find a wife first. Anyways, the food is so stinkin' good that I would recommend everyone to go to Elaine's and eat...try the ice cream too!!!

Romano's Macaroni Grill

There really is not much wrong with Mac Grill but I like to come to a place as a regular more for the people that work there than for the food. The food is fine, very good for a chain store. But like a chain store, people are just numbers as are their employees.

I come in often just to have a drink or dinner and the staff knows me. I have a bad day and I like to come to a place where I can be around friends. But it seems that those nice friendly people of the Grill are constantly changing. I like, as I said, to go to a place as much for the people as anything else. At Macaroni Grill you don't want to be friendly because they will all be gone the next week. I guess that is what a "chain" is all about. Sorry but that is not what I am all about.

Red Lobster

I will admit that the biscuits are awesome.

Perhaps I am a bit spoiled, because the last time I had lobster, it was at Warren's Lobster House in Kittery, Maine. And the food at Red Lobster doesn't even compare to a true lobster restaurant in New England. My belief is this--if a business proclaims itself to be an authentic restaurant with the best products to offer, that business ought to be held to to that desired standard.

For those of us with trained and discerning palates, Red Lobster is nothing more than another lame Darden Restaurant.

But those biscuits are awesome.

Rosemary's Family Creamery

I think Rosemary's has the best ice cream in town, however, the service is awful. There are always dirty tables and when they seat you they always stick you in the most cramped spot. Forget getting a refill on the water.

Golden Empire Suzuki

Vehicle purchased 12/07 and paid off 2/08. Complaint made 4/9/08, for services and products that were paid however not submitted by dealership. Things really got moving after this complaint was made.

05/13/2008 WEB BBB RECEIVED BUSINESS' ADDITIONAL RESPONSE : We issued Mrs. Salazar a check for $695.00 for the refund in full on April 21, 2008. The check number is 2972. It was mailed to the last known address on file for this customer. The check for Express systems was cut in January 17, 2008 for this customer, as well as others. Express Systems is non-refundable as customer states in her complaint. As for as the customer complaint about registration, that cleared the DMV on 4/18/08 and was mailed to her last known address.

Now read the part stating that a check had been cut for Express Systems 1/17/08. Called Express Systems 7/28/08, only to find out that they had recieved the contract along with payment 4/18/08. This was done after I clearly stated to them that I no longer wanted this service. Then to boot I been getting billed for DMV fees after the contract has been paid off. No I will definately not go back. In the first place, I was at Autoshopper where car was at. Next thing I know the contract comes up Golden Empire Suzuki. That was the last place I wanted to deal with. I had been dealing with Suzuki in 07 for a car that I kept having to return for repair. Finally I filed a lemon law claim and won 5/07.

Romano's Macaroni Grill

This is one of our favorite places to eat! The food is always spectacular and you are served very larger portions.

As an Italian, I have to say this is very authentic food.

Spencer's

Awwww yes Spencer's. I quit going there a couple of years back when they took out the counter... I'm a counter person... The other Saturday Morning a friend was buying me Breakfast in trade for a small job, and I asked where he liked to go.. He said the senior place. I asked where that was??.. finally He remembered the name "Spencer's on Rosedale" I said well that sounds OK with me... I was very surprised upon entering the place, after not being in the place for a couple of years...(they have been working on the building and parking area a lot, lately) It now is very nice and clean, and very busy, had to wait about 3 minutes to get a booth, could have sat in the dinning room at a table right away if we had wanted. We wanted a booth in the main room, where they have large flat screen TVs with sports, etc. for their customers enjoyment.

The food was very good! along with great service... Big portions and very tasty... Like I said, I was pleasantly surprised, I will now make Spencer's a regular dining place again.

Greecian Pool Care

I am using Greecian Pool Care and am extremely happy with them. I have used other pool care services but none that compare. They take extra care with detail, clean the baskets, etc and leave a detailed list along with any repairs that may be needed. I would recommend them to anyone with any size pool or spa. Their prices are very reasonable

Red Lobster

Red Lobster is a great place to eat, and to work. I am a Server Certified Trainer there now and for the last three years I have seen the company get better and better. Yes is it expensive, but the value for what you get is phenomenal. We charge $35.00 for our steak and lobster, and at some of the other "better" restuarants in town you have to pay $60 for the same quality and usaully even less quantity. Not everything can be fresh because of the volume of gueststhat we serve, but you can't go wrong with fresh fish (2 days out of the water), or live maine lobster, hand-breaded shrimp, and fresh baked biscuits. And how many places include a salad with your dinner anymore? Not many that I have been to. We are also offered much better benefits than most restaurants are willing to provide, even for part-time employees. I hope that anyone who reads this will come in and give us a chance to give a you a great experience, and if you ask for me, MISTY, I promise to give my best service, and treat you as well as I would hope to be treated if I was spending my family's hard earned money.

Replay Lounge & Grill

Oh dear.

Wickersham Gordon Jeweler

Excellent jewler. Friendly service. Very knowledgable and trustworthy.

China Palace

yummmy!

Darshan R Shah MD

well, i went off the reviews in this site, and glad i did! I met dr shah at a consult, and was immediately impressed by his bedside manner. the VERY SAME DAY, a friend of mine told me about how Dr Shah serves dinner for homeless people every year! I had my surgery by Drshah, and not only am i thrilled with the results, but with the reputation of my doctor in bakersfield as a ture community advocate.

Camino Real Restaurante

Went at 1pm on a Friday for lunch with a friend. We both had the buffet (though she had planned to order off the menu until she actually saw the buffet). We were both happily impressed with the food. Of note: the white enchiladas, the chicken al pastor, the chicken lime soup (very yummy) and the flan. I just LOVED the salsa! Service was quite attentive: we were helped by several people. Another good point: the owner's son is a cutie!

China Palace

China Palace is the best Chinese Buffet I have ever been to... It is also only 1 of 2 Chinese Buffets that I have ever been to. So it is up to you whether or not to listen to my "review".

China Palace has become a staple in Chinese Food Consumption for my girlfriends and I (we try to go at least once a week, although it usually ends up being 3 times!) I love the pot-stickers and the grilled green beans. I stay away from the seafood (simply because I don't like it enough to eat it anywhere) with the exception of the "GARLIC SHRIMP" it is absolutely heavenly and yes the very best shrimp I have ever had!

They have recently undergone some interior design and the changes are subtle as not to give the regular customer a big scare and noticeable enough to welcome new guests. I definitely recommend China Palace to anyone looking for a great deal, great food and great ambiance.

Replay Lounge & Grill

I would not like to "replay" my experience here.

Greecian Pool Care

I have used Greecian Pool Care since my pool was built by their parent company Greecian Pools. Extremly happy with the customer service from both companies as well as the quality of work they perform. Highly recommend their services for pool construction and weekly maintenance.

Replay Lounge & Grill

I’ve been there a couple of times, mostly on the weekends for dinner and the food has always been up to par. Their food is Excellent and I can honestly say that’s the reason I keep going back. The service however, it’s a different story, its not as consistent as the food, there are times when the service is excellent, and other times it takes a while to get your order especially when it’s busy. Overall I really enjoy the atmosphere of the place and it’s always been a good experience… I just would not chance it if I was in a hurry!

Replay Lounge & Grill

I went last night pleasantly surprised. The i really liked their food i had the steak and i have to say i highly recomend it. The atmosphere and the look of the restaurant is like nothing else in Bakersfield. The selection of beers they have available is second to none in Bakersfield.

Replay Lounge & Grill

i really like this restaurant its not to far from my work so its a good place to go for happy hour. they also have one of the best menus i've seen in a while, and the food is really good which is the reason we keep going back

Sun Valley Pool Service

This is a great family owned pool service with personalized care and a wonderful work ethic. I would definitely recommend them!

Tony's Pizza

Awesome chile verde pizza! Only other place I have enjoyed such a treat was at LR's Pizza in Delano. Tony's is great place for family fun, soccer teams, birthday parties, and more. Kids have fun while the adults enjoy fab pizza!

Randolph's Lounge

The pub section of the lounge is classy and comfortable. We went there on a Saturday night to listen to live jazz music, and it was very relaxing!

The night club section on the other end of the building comes alive with Hip Hop music on weekends and has lines of people extending down the sidewalk waiting to get in. We, however, were there for some soothing jazz and were able to find a relaxing spot in the lounge to enjoy the vibe. Nice place!

BJ's Restaurant & Brewery

went there for drinks with my sister and some of her friends on her birthday. the waitress had no personality, but did a great job at splitting everyones drinks to individual/seperate tabs.

my mom went there this past monday for lunch. she had a meal but her and i both agree that this place is always TOO COLD!

Rosa's Italian

We really like the food here. We wish that they would upgrade the inside and get rid of the plastic flowers, but the food is excellent and reasonably priced.

K Le Salon and Spa

Kristen has been doing my nails for over six years now, and I have always found her to be very personable and professional in all that she does. Her new salon is beautifully decorated and it is a pleasure to walk in the door. It is always clean and tidy inside. She truly wants her customers to be satisfied with the services they receive in her salon and it shows!

The Orchid

We had the same experience as "Poprocks". My husband and I had heard mixed reviews about this restaurant and wanted to decide for ourselves. We went on a Thursday night (for our anniversary). We were seated promptly, but then forgotten. NO ONE came to our table even though we tried to catch the attention of more than one employee. After 20+ minutes of waiting to at least order a drink, we got up and walked out. (I wonder how long it took staff to notice?) We were VERY disappointed, but had an excellent anniversary dinner at another local establishment....

Kosmos Restaurant and Sports Bar

I went there to eat today, and the place has closed down. Weak.

Muralles Murals

Excellent work! I just had a mural done in my son's room and I couldn't be better. I will highly recommend his work. Very talented and easy to work with.

Champs BBQ & Catering

Ordinarily I love Champs, but I don't know if they have changed cooks or what, but the food has not been as good the last couple of times we went. I always order the tritip sandwich, which for some reason was lacking in flavor and WELL DONE. Who ever orders tritip well done? That is sacreligious. It may as well have been microwaved. My husbands hamburger was good, kids meals were still good. Ordered Chocolate cake for dessert, which was allright and chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles for the kids - Cookies were so BAD the kids wouldn't eat them. That has never happened before. Spent $40 for 2 kids meals, trip tip sandwich, fries and a burger along with drinks and desserts - yes I would say they are now overpriced. Staff has always been great and I did not bring the sandwich quality to their attention - they had their hands full dealing with some ridiculously picky and rude people with badly behaved children. I decided to take pity on the poor girls and suffer through my sandwich - at least if it was well done I won't get e-coli:) We will eat there again, but if it is bad again, we will look for another place to eat.

Champs BBQ & Catering

I usually have the BBQ'd tri tip plate with their great green beans but this time I decided to have the patrona salad since everyone seems to rave about it. Although I did for the first time have a semi bad experience with the server the salad (the second one) was great even though there was much less tri tip on it than the first one. I probably should explain what happened. She brought the first one to my table and I picked up the BBQ sauce to put on the meat when low and behold some smart a.. had loosened the top so it fell off into the salad along with the entire contents of the bottle. I picked up the mess and took it to the same server explaining what had happened but was greeted with reluctance to replace the meal. I explained, after all, it was not my fault that a customer before me was having some fun at my expense. I finally convinced the server to replace the meal but when it came back it had about half the meat of the original. That was my first bad experience at Champs and I hope the last.

34th Street Deli

By far the best cheeseburgers in town, of course that is only my opinion. I sometimes go there just to eat and not get my car washed.

Rosa's Italian

BLAND FOOD AND LESS THAN GOOD SERVICE.

I ate there with a date last Friday evening. It was the first time in about 15 years. I was very disappointed. Although the food was plentiful it was bland and the service was to say the least mediocre. I had the clams and linguine with a white sauce and my date had the chicken Marsala. The meal started with cold Italian bread then a small salad. My date asked if she could have a balsamic dressing on her salad and was brought a bottle of balsamic vinegar. I emptied the butter dish and mixed some olive oil (the oil was so thin it was like water) with the balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper to save the day. I asked for blue cheese or Roquefort if they had it, and mine came with ranch and not a good ranch. No offer of cracked pepper just plunk on the table. The linguine came with a more than generous amount of clams but the sauce again was very nondescript. We didn't see the server or waitress or whatever you call them these days, again through the entire meal and had a very difficult time getting my dates iced tea refilled. NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE TO SAY THE LEAST.

Guild House Gourmet Luncheons

Every time I go to the Guild House I come away feeling like a Queen. The food is fabulous, the ambiance perfect, staff wonderful - I could never say enough about this "little piece of history" that is still alive. To miss the Guild House is to miss one of Bakersfield's finest.

Thai Taste

Great Service, Great Food, Great People and Great Environment. This is now one of my favorite restaurants. My family and I have been their four times since its opening. Try it and yours will do the same.

Thai Taste

Again these wonderful people have opened a First Class Restaurant with Service to match the WONDERFUL Thai Food. I have been a regular customer of the Restaurant on Hageman since it opened. The food there is superb. When I discovered the second restaurant on Panama Lane I was delighted as were my friends. We enjoyed our first visit there a couple of weeks ago and plan to make this a regular option for us. The prices are very reasonable and the portions ample (in fact we all took home enough for a light meal the next day.) The wait is only as long as it takes to prepare your meal so it depends on what you order. If you have not tried either of these restaurants you are in for a delightful meal. I urge you to visit the one most convenient for you. You will not be sorry.

Camino Real Restaurante

I have tried many other mexican restaurants and have never ben as pleased with the food, service and atmosphere as i was with Camino Real. Food is creative, the people friendly overall a great experience. Looking forward to my next visit and i recommend the pepperjack echiladas, very tasty!

Camino Real Restaurante

Well, I'd say this corner will soon be vacant again unless the owners of this restaurant step things up considerably. We arrived at 1:30pm, presumably after the lunch rush and the restaurant was slow with only 3 tables occupied. filled. Looking around, however, we could see there were plenty of people on staff.

We waited for a booth to be bussed. Interestingly, the booth tables included tablecloths and paper overlays. After the busboy cleared the table, instead of throwing away the paper and laying a fresh piece, he just turned the paper over. Stains from the last patrons were visible through the other side.

We were seated without menus and had to wait about 10 minutes to receive them. When we did get them, we were surprised to see menus printed on cheap copy paper from and inkjet printer, stained and stapled haphazardly. I didn't expect leather-bound menus with glossy overlays but neither did I expect something my kid could've done a better job with just by using nicer quality paper. It did not bode well.

While we waited for menus, we checked out the lunch buffet. Many of the stainless serving dishes were empty and the rest of the food looked overcooked and dried out. We skipped the buffet.

I ordered the two fajitas tacos plate and my husband ordered the burrito al pastor. Once we ordered, the waiter brought us our drinks (water and iced tea) and did not come back until the food was delivered. As he dropped the dishes down in front of us, he asked if everything was alright here. I thought he might want to wait until we tasted our food to see if everything was ok. My husband asked for a refill on his iced tea and the waiter said he'd bring it right away... but never did. Nor did he ever return to see if the food was ok.

My tacos were served cold (absolutely no hint of warmth at all) and with hardly any meat in one of them. The sour cream is actually hard to spread. I never knew sour cream could be so... um... solid. My husband's burrito was served lukewarm. Again, he felt the burrito was skimpy on the meat and overpriced for what it included. The meat in both our dishes was tough and unseasoned.

The waiter did return, finally, when we were finished and asked if we'd like more water or iced tea. We told him what we thought about the food and he blamed the problems on the newness of the restaurant and comped our food for us. So, I'd say service, food, and atmosphere were all seriously lacking. As stated earlier, the restaurant was nearly empty, so there was no excuse for poor service or cold food.

I hope they fix their issues because I've always loved the building and the location.

Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins

I love this store! It's the next best thing to Whole Foods. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, and it has the best selection of organic produce in town. They also have a great deli with fresh squeezed juices and vegan dishes.

Sinaloa

I visit Sinola's at least once a week with rave reviews. So for the first time today co-workers visited for lunch with the worst service ever for Sinaloa. They were seated, and about 15 Sheriff Department Officers came in, and my co-workers no longer got waited on, only the Sheriff Officers as they got drinks bread salsa, chips water and of course their food. As we sat their still waiting and waiting never once did we get a drinks when we finally did get our food we were so disappointed we got up and left only paying $5 for this poor service.

Disappointed first time customer never to return (Sonny Cardoza)

Thai Taste

I have been to Thai Kitchen and Thai Gardens, both owned by the same couple that owns the Thai Taste on Panama Lane. The food is delicious, the employees are hospitable and very polite and the prices are just right. If you have never tried Thai food, I suggest you begin your meal with a simple shrimp cake. These little darlings come with an apricot sauce that is sweet but not overly-sweet. The California rolls and the Mango-Shrimp Tempura rolls are excellent! The Shrimp wonton soup is a must, as is the fried rice with your choice of meat. I prefer my fried rice with chicken, but pork, beef and shrimp are also available. The plates and bowls are beautiful, which add to the whole dining experience. I used to drive across town to eat this delicious food but now, I can just drive up the street! I recommend Thai Taste for anyone interested in expanding their tastebud horizons!

Hawley AC & Heating

These guys saved me when I could not get anyone else to come without paying a "Preferred Patsy" fee... I called one the large AC companies in town and they told me it would be a week before they could come out, but if I paid a fee to join their "Preferred Customer" program it would be sooner. Uh, no thanks. If they try to take advantage before they even show up, I did not want to find out what they would try to pull when they got here. I found some good reviews here for Hawley AC, so I called and they came out almost immediately. They found the problem right away. It was a minor repair and a major relief! The best part is just feeling like you can trust somebody.

Hawley AC & Heating

I use Hawley A/C . There is no one else that I would call to service my air conditioning needs. They always goes far and beyond the call of duty. They are dependable and honest. Reasonable prices. A great company you can trust!

Harmony Road Music School

WHAT AN AWESOME MUSIC SCHOOL. KIDS LEARN AS THEY PLAY. THEY BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE AS THEY GROW. IT'S GREAT TO SEE KIDS LEARN AND HAVE FUN. I HAVE 2 KIDS IN THE PROGRAM AND I AM AMAZED AT WHAT THEY CAN PLAY. HOPE THEY ARE STILL AROUND WHEN I HAVE GRAND KIDS.

Hourglass Kitchen & Bar

Went here for drinks last night and I loved it (I will write a review when I have dinner here soon). Went at around 9pm and there was a good amount of people there at the bar. I thought the decor was really pretty and the staff was very friendly. We had Jeff the bartender taking care of my girlfriend and I the entire night. After about 10pm, that is when it got much busier (plus it was Wednesday) so I was surprised and happy that I found a place to go to that isn't dead in the middle of the week. The drinks were really good and the prices not that bad. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the ladies room was very pretty as well, haha (that's always a plus in my book). I wouldn't change one thing about this place. I hope it sticks around for quite awhile and I can't wait to come back and also have dinner as well. I would definitely recommend for a nice night out.