bakersfield mass ave.

tacos could be really good, but they are just mediocre, which is too bad, i wonder if the owners taste the food?
it's still a nice place to have some chips and salsa and throw back some beers.

another great bakersfield. coming from cincy i had to visit the one in indy when in town, and it didnt disappoint, its larger than the one in cincinnati but the food and atmosphere are just as good, best guac ever, great margaritas too. we stood outside on the patio which was great as it was packed inside and the evening was nice and warm and there was a great atmosphere out there. will be back to both locations

bakersfield was a cool, hip little joint specializing in drinks and tacos.  i of course like things like tacos, guacamole, and queso so in we went for some pre football food.

bakersfield, a.k.a. rent a bowl for three dollars... please explain to me how i was just charged for 2 orders of chips and salsa. the salsa is on the table, the chip refills are free, and the waitress explained that the double charge was legit because they brought out a bowl of salsa with the chips...the same salsa that's in a squirt bottle on the table. that's right, folks, i was charged an additional $3 to rent a second bowl. had i kept the same bowl from the first time she brought out the chips and just refilled it from the bottle on the table, the second charge wouldn't have happened. ugh. the tacos are great, though. the service? well...

beautiful decor, excellent service, inexpensive & creative food. plus good craft beer and a mile long list of tequilas to choose from. the short rib tacos were really, really good. 2 filled me up and at $4/ea, they are very reasonable. killer guacamole also.

not sure what all the negative reviews of the food are about. the short rib tacos/torta, guacamole and queso are all great. their margaritas are really good too. it's usually packed but it's a fun place to hang out in a great location on mass ave. one of my favorite bars/restaurants in the city.

we were seated at one of three or four long wooden tables with matching benches…picnic-style tables. although i would not take kids to bakersfield any later in the day than early afternoon, it is indeed “family-friendly” during the day.

rude hostess. ugh! love the food here and was willing to make the 1:45 min wait until our rude treatment by the hostess. made a special trip out just for the cheese dip but went across the street to eat due to feeling like an inconvenience to the "welcoming" committee...what a disappointment!!

trending now.. bakersfield certainly is the "it" place right now. the hipsters of indianapolis crawled out of their skinny jean stores and skipped their liberal arts study sessions to come here every night. but with good reason! they have a small, yet refined menu. their tacos are fresh and flavorful with every component made in house. granted, i think they're a bit on the small side, and they don't double wrap each soft taco like zest! (smartly) does, but they're good nonetheless. want an even cooler ambiance? go downstairs. it has kind of a underground wine cellar/prohibition underground pub feel to it. that's where we sat. we also got a pitcher of their famous margheritta which was more than enough to water the three of us. their special of the day, shots of luna tequila for $3 each, was super smooth and delicious. i loved it. the server was super cool and down to earth and spent a lot of time with us, even sitting with us for a minute or two.

overall, i'd come back here again in a heartbeat. just go on a sunday night like we did because it wasn't hard to get a table and it wasn't suffocatingly cramped inside (as hipsters seem to grow roots into the floor the moment they stop moving).

all show, no substance. this place is the equivalent of a mediocre food truck stuffed into a permanent building with the ability to serve alcohol.

they don't even have coffee. what restaurant or full service bar doesn't even have coffee?

it's almost as if the food is there just so they could get a liquor license to sell alcohol as a restaurant, but the drink's aren't any better than the bad food.

there are plenty of places in the mass ave area to get great food and drinks, this place doesn't need to exist. the only reason to go is if every other place is full to capacity and it's your last resort.

this is the place i loath going to most, but usually end up there after i've really just had my fill of everything else and need something different.

every time i go, i wish i hadn't.

i would never, ever leave a poor review for a small business that was trying, especially one on mass ave, but my time there last night was terrible.

i ordered 3 of their menu items ( i think they only have 7 or 8 total), and it took over 30 min to get the food. the person i was with asked twice if i thought we should just go.

when the food showed up, it was cold and the plate looked like the food got there by being dropped onto it. it was splattered all over and most of the stuff that should have been in the tacos was scattered on the plate.

the taco's are nothing special, there isn't much to chose from, the service sucks, and every time i leave there i say that i'm never going back again.

it's the least satisfying food/dining/drinking experience on mass ave.

this place is just bad and is making the mass ave area look bad. people are disappointed with it, as am i. something much better could be occupying that space.

meh. i do like the food at bakersfield, but i'm not blown away just yet.

the only positive i can draw from this experience is that we didn’t end up with food poisoning.

females beware!! so.... beyond the fact that you get tiny lil tacos for $4 ($1.33/bite).... this is one of the most unprofessional places in indianapolis!! if you are a female please know that this is a very chauvinist establishment! whether you are there as a customer or as an employee beware! customers... don't get sloppy 2nds (it's actually way more than that but you get my point)!!!! yuck! and employees.... don't put in a two week notice and definitely don't get sloppy 2nds!! if you are a hard working female... this is not the place for you! actually, if you are just a hard worker don't even bother. they will lead you on like they will hire you and want you but then leave you dead in water and never return your calls. it's not worth the time or hassle. this place will crumble because of their lack of proper management. (sorry kim, you rock) i did not work there but i have heard plenty of stories and seen 1st hand many of the stories. i have been in this industry for 15 years!! i myself have worked for chauvinists but i cannot say it was ever this bad! sorry to all the females that work there currently. stay strong and one day they will get hat they deserve!

best tacos in indy!!!. to start off the decor and staff is very inviting. any place that pulls off the edison light bulbs with out looking like it was an after thought is ok in my book. when it comes to the food it is great, the best tacos down town. if you are looking for more detail go to the white river post!!!

meh on mass. i had heard rave reviews about bakersfield since its opening. every time i would pass it on the street it would be packed to the gills. my thought process was good reviews + consistent crowds = a good dining experience.

i was happy to see that my group and i did not have to wait for a table even though it was almost noon on a friday. while the inside of the restaurant was very cool, the barrel tables were baffling. the round stone top barely overlapped the barrel, making for a very awkward leg situation. do you straddle the barrel so you're close to your food? do you smush your knees into the barrel and lean forward at a 45 degree angle to reach the tacos? do you gather your legs to one side and hope to god you're friendly with your eating partners and they won't mind the unavoidable knee grazing? i never quite figured out the right answer.

i ordered a margarita immediately as is my custom, salt on the rim. while perusing the scant menu i started to worry if they would even have anything i could eat (gluten intolerant). our very nice waitress brought me a list of the tacos that were safe - just two options. i was disappointed. i took a consolatory sip of my margarita, which much to my dismay tasted like sweet and sour mix right out of the bottle instead of a refreshing tequila drink. i decided on the corn truffle tacos as quickly as possible to i could wash out my mouth with the chips and salsa, which, thankfully, was very good.

the tacos came, along with a plethora of extra plates, drinks, queso, chips, and salsas. our platter-sized table was overflowing with stuff, no real estate available even for a stray elbow or fork. with much difficulty i was able to eat my tacos which were, i will admit very good. however, the enjoyment of the interesting combination of flavors was somewhat (ie completely) ruined by the fact that the restaurant was 100 degrees inside.

sweating with my legs cramping from the uncomfortable pretzel shape i had to have them in, i grabbed my check as soon as possible and left. and i will not be returning.

its a great concept for a mass ave haunt but not well executed. i'll stick to qdoba. at least they have air conditioning.