50 Best American Restaurants in Bakersfield

“Oscar was our waiter for lunch. He’s very accommodating. He brought our drinks right away. Took our order. He was friendly, outgoing very positive vibe. Our order without any problems. The steak was cooked to perfection. Even asked if you wanted tea to go. he was an excellent waiter.“

“best food and service ever!“

“Love their food. I eat their quite often.“

“Interesting (in good sense) breakfast choices. Shakshouka was perfection. Finally, it's rare to get a sweet potato dish that tastes amazing. Don't miss Moo Creamery's version of sweet potato.“

“Friendly staff, and tasty food with lots of variety. This is the place to go for down-home eats and plenty of them.“

“Chili verde omelette 🔥🔥🔥🔥“

“Awesome service. Always a pleasure to have as a waitress Michelle“

“down the street from my apartment awesome food thanks habit“

“the pazokkies were really good and taylor c was very kind and helpful“

“Adelaida was our server & she was friendly & accomodating to our needs... We love Denny's... l wish they offered a Senior Discount on all items... Other than that l have no complaints...“

“Friendly staff, and tasty food with lots of variety. This is the place to go for down-home eats and plenty of them.“

“Friendly staff, and tasty food with lots of variety. This is the place to go for down-home eats and plenty of them.“

“Very disappointed in my kids turkey sandwich that I always order at the Mount Vernon location but decided to go here because I was in the area. The bread was so salty on top that I could not eat my sandwich and it had no mayonnaise on it and it was sloppily made. So needless to say I am very disgusted and disappointed with this location and will not be returning. These employees need to pay attention to what the hell they're doing“

“Carla’s Café feels like stepping back into a simpler time—when fresh ingredients, homemade recipes, and genuine hospitality were the heart of every meal. In a world that moves fast, it’s comforting to know there are still hidden gems like this that remind us how food is meant to taste: fresh, flavorful, and made with care.

From the moment you walk in, you feel welcomed like family. Every bite reflects the kind of quality and attention that’s becoming harder to find these days. Places like Carla’s Café don’t just serve food—they help brighten your day and give you a small moment to slow down and enjoy something real.

Grateful to still have spots like this in our community. Easy 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“Do you want to feel special? Do you want to experience getting served at 3 course meal? Try their meals here they literally will melt in your mouth and dessert is the best part! I highly do not recommend bringing young kids this is an adult function. It's worth every penny. All proceeds go to charity“

“We loved the vibe of the place, starting with the back patio that was tree covered, did not sit out there because there was nobody else sitting out there early in the morning, and the chairs were a little hard. Our server was friendly kept your coffee for an answered any questions that you had about the menu. Our food came up very promptly after ordering, and everything was prepared very nicely I decided to try the biscuits and gravy because I like to do that at a place I’ve never been to when they offer it, the gravy was thick, and had nice chunks of meat in it for flavor. And the biscuit was light and fluffy the eggs Benedict were very good, and I tried the corn beef hash because it was homemade not from a can! I had a good flavor. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the hashbrowns were browned perfectly as well. I would definitely revisit if we’re down in Bakersfield again. 😎“

“Sharan is super attentive and always so pleasant!“

“The environment is clean . The servers are friendly and the menu has a variety . The food is good .“

“Good food great beer good bartenders“

“Decided to give this place a try, I'm glad I did! Prices weren't expensive at all. I ordered the chicken sandwich and it was huge! The burger was good and tasty. Fries were 10/10. Definetely hitting this spot over any chain fast food restaurant from now on!“

“The best waitress (service) staff in town - excellent food - wonderful atmosphere!!!“

“I'm there every chance I get so good I be eating like a dog(Don't judge me)lol“

“The aesthetic of the place and the food is nice.“

“Fire a** Lemon pepper wings, better than spirment rhinos wings over in LA county....dude u bite into it and u think its the bowling alley cat fish till u realize its a wing. Fucken god sent dude,drunk or sober this is the real wing stop ++++ fire a** shakes and burgers add pops and son are cool as f*** and freindly.... If they had naked chicks it would be 10 stars ALL DAY....“

“Just wrapped up my wedding using NV, and it was the most wonderful experience! My initial meeting with Chef Nate and Dora was simply amazing - we felt his passion for what he and the team does in every bite. Their tasting experience was by far the best and with their amazing customer service, they whole process went smoothly! The best part was the surprise of being served our meal with a special presentation at our table......it was incredible!! Highly recommend NV!!!!“

“Great atmosphere and peaceful. Let’s have a cup and visit. Great views“

“Renegade Room is a true hidden gem that delivers a fantastic dining experience in a cozy, welcoming setting. The rustic charm and relaxed atmosphere make it the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy a great meal.
The menu offers a wonderful variety of dishes, all made with fresh ingredients and packed with flavor. From hearty comfort food to expertly prepared specialties, everything is cooked to perfection and served with care.
The service is friendly, attentive, and makes you feel right at home from start to finish. Whether you're a local or just passing through, Renegade Room is definitely worth a visit—an easy 5-star experience!“

“The taste of the breakfast potato’s (my fave) & everything I tasted made sharing a meal with family the best of times!“

“Great food. I love to go here with friends and family for a quick little dinner. The people are very nice. But if you go be careful in the bathroom there's two toilets but no stalls one toilet has two walls on each side but no door and the other toilet has absolutely nothing.“

“We celebrated my birthday on taco Tuesday & we also participated in the line dancing after dinner in their brand new venue. It was rustic with a timeless, vintage flair. The line dancing was family friendly and so much fun. I had the steak salad. It was solid! Good size steak medallions in a super fresh bed of lettuce and assorted veggies including tomatoes and beets with home made blue cheese dressing. Our daughter who almost never finishes any of her meals consumed most of her taco salad which was a generous serving. She couldn’t stop telling us how good it was! Papa had the very flavorful ground beef tacos with a side of perfectly seasoned potato salad. We ordered a side of carne asada tacos which were a little on the dry and salty side. Although the place was very busy our server was very attentive and recommended their Ribeye special on Thursdays…so, we made it out again tonight to celebrate our anniversary. We both had the amazing ribeye special and boy was it special! Salad was once again so fresh and tasty. The baked potato and sweet potato fries were melt in your mouth yum. The rolls were toasted yet so tender. The steaks were seasoned and cooked to absolute perfection. No need for any condiments on these steaks. We thought it would be good but not that good! Salute to the outstanding chefs! Our server Jasmine was also very attentive and made us feel at home. We ate in the newly extended covered patio which was very inviting but could use better lighting on the outskirts of the patio. We are looking forward to trying the fish Friday specials including shrimp tacos next! Thank you Ethel’s for the outstanding service and for serving up heartwarming meals!“

“Maybe it’s because I’m from the East Coast, but I honestly think these are the best burgers in the world. In-N-Out never disappoints — everything tastes fresh and just hits different.

Definitely try the “four by four animal style” — it’s insane. And if you didn’t know, they also have a secret menu, which makes it even better.“

“The ambience is so inviting I love the old look of the countertops, but most importantly, the food is absolutely fantastic. We can’t choose just one meal everything we’ve had has been excellent.“

“Everything was excellent. I’ve had ups and downs at various yard house’s, this was def one of the better ones. Service was very fast, friendly and efficient, the food was pretty good and they actually know how to cook a rare burger right, something which has become less and less common these days. Only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the cheesesteak, it wasn’t good at all as bland and flavorless as it gets. To be fair I think the server tried to (politically) steer me away from it but I didn’t get the hint. Otherwise everything else I ate here (and ordered quite a lot of food) was spot on.“

“Phenomenal burgers. I will have to stop by when I am not in the middle of a 350 mile drive from LA to SF. The bar looks well stocked. We had lunch in the bar, but they also have indoor and outdoor dining areas. Really cool. Definitely worth going again.“

“Urbane café is the best lunch spot in this town“

“Wasn’t expecting the burrito to be so big. I’m a vegetarian and they were so accommodating- they allowed me to modify a menu item to my dietary preferences. I also don’t drink alcohol and they were very accommodating making a mai tai mocktail! Very friendly staff.“

“Excellent chef! I enjoyed every single bite of the meal here at The Nines. Considering the quality, the price is reasonable. Excited to come back here again!“

“They honestly surprised me with how good the food and service was. Everything inside is bank themed. They didn't skip over anything, the silverware holder was the band that goes around a stack of cash. The drinks where phenomenal and we will definitely be coming back to try some more entree's.“

“What a special treat to discover this restaurant my first morning in Bakersfield. Delicious Chilaquiles, and a coffee made with that very special natural sugar found everywhere in Colombia, South America, Panela! Topped off with salsa music. I’ll be back.“

“Yummy food. Great service. Highly recommended.“

“We always have excellent service. We especially like the bar because the atmosphere is very welcoming. Reagan provides exceptional hospitality consistently.“

“I love this inn and out so much the people are so friendly and welcoming every time I go there I have amazing friends such as miss manny then Silvia. Then there is ulyesus Everyone is just the best plus the food was just amazing 🤩 I love them so much“

“I had a Western Burger from there yesterday. Great burger!!!“

“I wasn't actually AT Woolworth's today but was announcing to my Friends and the Facebook Community that our beloved Woolworth's was given Historical Landmark status and was to be preserved and Reopened!!“

“DO NOT STAY HERE!! IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO SLEEP!!! I am so mad right now. We picked this hotel to stop and get rest on a long road trip, what a mistake!!! Its basically like im sitting in a f$%^% rave! Blaring loud music, bass is rattling the walls, and we were told "I can give you ear plugs..." wtf is that going to do??? Do not stay here!! Edit to add: I spoke to the front desk this morning and right away they blew it off saying "ma'am, its down town Bakersfield, its going to be loud"... be f&%$^ serious!! Im 40yrs old, I've stayed at 1000's of hotels in my life. Many on the heart of Vegas strip, big party areas, and NEVER in my life have I dealt with something like that! She said its not the hotels responsibility... um yeah it is! They are 10000% aware of this MAJOR issue and it IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to warn there customers. We didn't even want this type of room, we asked for two king rooms, and the host at checkin said this option would be better. I hope this place continues to lose business, until they start taking some responsibility.“

“Hungry Hunter Steakhouse in Bakersfield, the last remaining in the chain, offers spectacular steak dinners with friendly service.
Caleb, our waiter, was very hospitable and excelled at making our experience truly great. The Mud Pie dessert was also delicious!

I am glad to see they are keeping the Hungry Hunter chain around!“

“Had a wonderful time 💯 the food was really good I highly recommend it“

“Great food, friendly staff. I come here once a week .“

“There are some really good things to share with you and unfortunately, quite a bit of bad. Starting with an awkward arrival process, service went downhill fast and stayed there - earning a 10% tip. Upon arrival, the hostess seemed flustered and instead of leading us to our table, she pointed where to go and said she would be there to bring "um, uh, umm" and I completed the sentence with - MENUS. "Yes, menus". They were brought promptly. Putting a drink order in......well, that wasn't so prompt. We both ordered iced tea, one regular and one raspberry. They were served to us reversed. Both of us got a surprise drink before swapping glasses. From time of order to food delivery was good and eggs were nice, hot and freshly cooked. Once the food was dropped off, we would never see our server again. There would be no checking to see if we needed anything or ask how the food tasted so far. We had to flag down another server for refills and to ask for butter. A third person handled the transaction with her iPad. She was walking by and noticed us sitting there with empty plates and glasses. Very disappointing service - start to finish. The Food: The chili verde omelette was fantastic and better than some of our other breakfast faves. The fruit was also very fresh. The chicken fried steak premade and fried - not dredged and breaded on premise. The hash browns are not made with fresh potatoes grated on premise like most top breakfast spots. These potatoes are rehydrated and fried. In an oddity, I chose a biscuit as my bread choice and that usually includes gravy. This was served as - just a biscuit. No jelly, no butter, no gravy. The food was good enough that we'll return and try again.“