From best to worst EVER. My first time coming here I ordered the aguachiles verdes and they were delicious! Seriously one of the best sauces I’ve ever tried. I had to order them again a week later but they tasted very different and not good at all. The presentation was also completely different. I decided to order them again to go a few weeks later and had hopes that they went back to their original recipe but NO! They were terrible again. I think they are making big batches and saving them instead of making the them fresh to order. I will be going back again in a few weeks and hopefully by then they have fixed it. I’ve had friends also tell me they have had inconsistencies with their food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Melody R.
I've been here multiple times and even hosted my man's b day diner there. Their staff is always very nice and welcoming. Drinks and food are BOMB. Pancho our usual waiter provides excellent service, he's awesome!
Letticia Torres
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was good. The drinks were good too..the bartenders and servers had excellent customer
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ceviche Bowl, Tacos De Papa, Margarita Flight
Jeanette Wilson
I had a really good experience at Buena Vida. The food was so delicious and it came out in good time. The staff were all friendly and helpful and its a nice roomy area with plenty of seating. We got the chicken taquitos and the Aguachile de Ribeye. Great flavors. On the pricier side, but worth it.
Amazing food, i got the Steak and Shrimp Skewers with sauteed veggies. It was cooked perfectly and came with an excellent chipotle sauce. The server was quick, friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. He gave me a tea to go and extra chipotle sauce for my meal. The best service ive had anywhere in this town, and ive been here all my life. They earned a regular customer with how good the food and service is. And the food is reasonably priced as well. I dont normally take the time to write reviews but i was blown away by everything here, i will definitely be coming back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Asada O Pollo, Shrimp and Grits
Lila C.
This place has been opened for a while now, and we decided to give it a try today. The decor is cute, kind of a romantic bar feel vibe. As we were leaving, it looked like a band was sitting up. Our waiter was great, on top of everything. appetizers: chicken nachos, asada nachos, bean dip, and the cheese dip. The cheese dip has a kick but needs to be a little thicker. Main dish: 3 rib eyes 2 kid's quesadilla 1 Brochettas de Ribeye y Camaron 1 spaghetti verde and shrimp All though the food was good, all 3 rib eyes were ordered med, and they were cooked done. The shrimp that was on the skewer had no flavor and really small compared to the shrimp in the spaghetti verde. Now the main dishes don't come with sides so you have to order those. We didn't realize that so my daughter ordered the Latin rice, it had a pretty good flavor. And serves 3-4. In my opinion, I think they would be busier if they served a side with their main dish, especially for the location they are in.
Trish S.
We visited on a Wednesday evening and the place was pretty busy. The music was loud and the atmosphere was festive. Our server was on top of things and never let us sit too long without attention despite the crowd. We started with a salsa flight. Not my choice, but I wasn't quick enough to decide. The pineapple salsa would have been great with chicken or pork, but was a little too sweet for chips. The habanero salsa was tasty, but spicy. The green salsa was mild but bland. I didn't bother trying the hottest of the four . I'd have rather had one complimentary salsa than this starter. For entrees we both chose ribeye based dishes. My husband's aguachile de Ribeye had a nice flavor, the spice you'd expect from aguachile, but was a bit overcooked. The ribeye on my steak and shrimp skewers was cooked perfectly and had a touch of char. I enjoyed my dish and would order it again. I know I'm going to sound old, but I wish the music volume was way lower. It would have been much more pleasant not to have to lean across the table to try to talk.
Aaron Beadle
Steak had some chewy parts to it and wasn't very warm but the meat was tender and very full of flavor. Very good service to top it all off.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Destiny Flores
Met up with family for happy hour on a Saturday afternoon. We ordered pretty much all the happy food, was amazing ? ? a couple margaritas. My cousin had plenty of h.h. shooters hahaha. The service was fabulous. I looked over at another table and the server was giving out massages to the whole table (4 of them) amazing service. Lol.This was my first time there since it was chewys. The entire place is very well re done. Definitely our new favorite spot. Well my cousin was already a regular there lol. But its a stop i will make everytime i come to town.Kid-friendliness: Good kid menu..
The small details of this place make it so unique and fun to go. The food and drinks were very delicious. For my friends birthday they brought out a dessert, big candle, and some workers to sing. The two waiters I have gotten on two different occasions have been extremely kind and social. Other than the host who couldn't care less me and my friends were there, the staff is welcoming. Will go again for sure. Hopefully the one rude guy isn't there to ruin it for everyone.
Jorg L.
Food at this place is to die for!!! We dined at Buena Vista on a Sunday and were greeted by very friendly staff and a life band! We have now come here about three times over the course of a year and every time, no matter what day or time of day, it has been a great experience! I definitely recommend this place. This restaurant and chef should get a Michelin Star! This is the place you are looking for for your next date!
Yannette S.
We really enjoyed the food and drinks. Came on a Sunday afternoon and they had really good music. Starts at 5 PM.
Darla A.
What a breath of fresh air for Bakersfield. A great find when you want to enjoy Tapas and shared plates. Foliage dotted interior with creative mixed lighting. Staff was friendly and welcoming. House margarita was fresh light and delicious no cloying sweet sugary mix. Margarita flight lets you sample 4 margarita flavors. All were excellent. We loved the shrimp pasta in green sauce, the Rice side and Salsa flight. We will return to try more selections
Erlinda G.
Started off with a fabulous flight of margaritas and delicious Brussel sprouts then moved onto the main course. All the dishes were flavorful and seasoned well (if you like spice with some heat). The chorro cheesecake was so good not to sweet or too heavy just right for sharing.
From best to worst EVER. My first time coming here I ordered the aguachiles verdes and they were delicious! Seriously one of the best sauces I’ve ever tried. I had to order them again a week later but they tasted very different and not good at all. The presentation was also completely different. I decided to order them again to go a few weeks later and had hopes that they went back to their original recipe but NO! They were terrible again. I think they are making big batches and saving them instead of making the them fresh to order. I will be going back again in a few weeks and hopefully by then they have fixed it. I’ve had friends also tell me they have had inconsistencies with their food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
I've been here multiple times and even hosted my man's b day diner there. Their staff is always very nice and welcoming. Drinks and food are BOMB. Pancho our usual waiter provides excellent service, he's awesome!
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was good. The drinks were good too..the bartenders and servers had excellent customer
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ceviche Bowl, Tacos De Papa, Margarita Flight
I had a really good experience at Buena Vida. The food was so delicious and it came out in good time. The staff were all friendly and helpful and its a nice roomy area with plenty of seating. We got the chicken taquitos and the Aguachile de Ribeye. Great flavors. On the pricier side, but worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Freaking amazing! Brought our dogs here! Beautiful decor! Great staff! Huge outdoor area! Food totally worth it!
Amazing food, i got the Steak and Shrimp Skewers with sauteed veggies. It was cooked perfectly and came with an excellent chipotle sauce. The server was quick, friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. He gave me a tea to go and extra chipotle sauce for my meal. The best service ive had anywhere in this town, and ive been here all my life. They earned a regular customer with how good the food and service is. And the food is reasonably priced as well. I dont normally take the time to write reviews but i was blown away by everything here, i will definitely be coming back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Asada O Pollo, Shrimp and Grits
This place has been opened for a while now, and we decided to give it a try today. The decor is cute, kind of a romantic bar feel vibe. As we were leaving, it looked like a band was sitting up. Our waiter was great, on top of everything. appetizers: chicken nachos, asada nachos, bean dip, and the cheese dip. The cheese dip has a kick but needs to be a little thicker. Main dish: 3 rib eyes 2 kid's quesadilla 1 Brochettas de Ribeye y Camaron 1 spaghetti verde and shrimp All though the food was good, all 3 rib eyes were ordered med, and they were cooked done. The shrimp that was on the skewer had no flavor and really small compared to the shrimp in the spaghetti verde. Now the main dishes don't come with sides so you have to order those. We didn't realize that so my daughter ordered the Latin rice, it had a pretty good flavor. And serves 3-4. In my opinion, I think they would be busier if they served a side with their main dish, especially for the location they are in.
We visited on a Wednesday evening and the place was pretty busy. The music was loud and the atmosphere was festive. Our server was on top of things and never let us sit too long without attention despite the crowd. We started with a salsa flight. Not my choice, but I wasn't quick enough to decide. The pineapple salsa would have been great with chicken or pork, but was a little too sweet for chips. The habanero salsa was tasty, but spicy. The green salsa was mild but bland. I didn't bother trying the hottest of the four . I'd have rather had one complimentary salsa than this starter. For entrees we both chose ribeye based dishes. My husband's aguachile de Ribeye had a nice flavor, the spice you'd expect from aguachile, but was a bit overcooked. The ribeye on my steak and shrimp skewers was cooked perfectly and had a touch of char. I enjoyed my dish and would order it again. I know I'm going to sound old, but I wish the music volume was way lower. It would have been much more pleasant not to have to lean across the table to try to talk.
Steak had some chewy parts to it and wasn't very warm but the meat was tender and very full of flavor. Very good service to top it all off.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Met up with family for happy hour on a Saturday afternoon. We ordered pretty much all the happy food, was amazing ? ? a couple margaritas. My cousin had plenty of h.h. shooters hahaha. The service was fabulous. I looked over at another table and the server was giving out massages to the whole table (4 of them) amazing service. Lol.This was my first time there since it was chewys. The entire place is very well re done. Definitely our new favorite spot. Well my cousin was already a regular there lol. But its a stop i will make everytime i come to town.Kid-friendliness: Good kid menu..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Taquitos Dorados, Ceviche Bowl, Tacos De Papa, Margarita Flight
Restaurantji Recommends
The small details of this place make it so unique and fun to go. The food and drinks were very delicious. For my friends birthday they brought out a dessert, big candle, and some workers to sing. The two waiters I have gotten on two different occasions have been extremely kind and social. Other than the host who couldn't care less me and my friends were there, the staff is welcoming. Will go again for sure. Hopefully the one rude guy isn't there to ruin it for everyone.
Food at this place is to die for!!! We dined at Buena Vista on a Sunday and were greeted by very friendly staff and a life band! We have now come here about three times over the course of a year and every time, no matter what day or time of day, it has been a great experience! I definitely recommend this place. This restaurant and chef should get a Michelin Star! This is the place you are looking for for your next date!
We really enjoyed the food and drinks. Came on a Sunday afternoon and they had really good music. Starts at 5 PM.
What a breath of fresh air for Bakersfield. A great find when you want to enjoy Tapas and shared plates. Foliage dotted interior with creative mixed lighting. Staff was friendly and welcoming. House margarita was fresh light and delicious no cloying sweet sugary mix. Margarita flight lets you sample 4 margarita flavors. All were excellent. We loved the shrimp pasta in green sauce, the Rice side and Salsa flight. We will return to try more selections
Started off with a fabulous flight of margaritas and delicious Brussel sprouts then moved onto the main course. All the dishes were flavorful and seasoned well (if you like spice with some heat). The chorro cheesecake was so good not to sweet or too heavy just right for sharing.