Bakersfield Restaurants and Dining

(Bakersfield, California - CA, USA)

The city center is home to a plentiful supply of restaurants, a number of which are within walking distance of attractions such as the Bakersfield Museum of Art, the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History, the Fox Theater, and the Rabobank Arena Theater and Convention Center. Good choices are to be found along 17th, 18th and 19th streets, as well as intersecting Chester Avenue.

Over the years, the dining scene in Bakersfield has been strongly influenced by its sizeable Basque population, with many of the city's oldest restaurants serving up a variety of tasty offerings. Popular Basque dishes are often based around grilled fish or meat, stews, beans and all kinds of fresh seafood, with the Wool Growers Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge on East 19th Street offering flavors from Northern Spain and the South of France. Benji's and Noriega's are two additional Basque eateries of note in Bakersfield.

Other eateries in the city are more geared towards Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican and Thai cuisine, along with classic American fast-food dining. While for hearty Mediterranean-style dining, the Cafe Med on the Stockdale Highway is the place to enjoy a meal and a glass of wine.

What to Eat

Bakersfield is the home of the famous Dewar's Taffy Chew, a toffee-like chewy sweet that has its origins here in 1909. There are now more than 15 different flavors of Dewar's Chew, including one extremely popular chewy sweet with a peanut-butter filling.

Therefore, those with a sweet tooth are strongly advised to pay a visit to the place where it all began, the Dewar's Candy Shop on Eye Street, which is also well-known for its superb selection of ice cream. Guided 'behind the scenes' tours are available each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the mornings, by appointment.

Where to Eat

There are a number of restaurants and bars within Bakersfield where a meal is accompanied by live musicians. If you enjoy dining whilst watching live entertainment, then the Nile NightClub on 19th Street is the place to come.

For a spot of family style dining at a Basque restaurant, consider a meal at Noriega's on Sumner Street, which enjoys excellent reviews and serves up dishes such as freshly made soups, beef brisket, clam chowder, lamb stew, pork loin, red snapper and veal cutlets.

Also highly regarded in Bakersfield is the family owned Luigi's Restaurant and Delicatessen on East 19th Street, which specialises in Italian dining with plenty of pasta, spaghetti and ravioli dishes. On the Rosedale Highway, the Hungry Hunter Steakhouse suits a broad range of diners, with its prime ribs and rib-eye steaks being cooked to perfection. Also situated on the Rosedale Highway is the Sequoia Sandwich Company, which is the ideal spot for a quick lunch.