bakersfield short north

some of the most interesting and highest quality tacos i have had recently, combined with an awesome environment makes bakersfield a strong recommendation. you cannot go wrong on their menu, so be sure to try many different tacos.

great tacos, great guacamole, great marks!

these tacos are up there with the best. they have a nice tequila selection but unfortunately we had to go back to work. queso and salsa are fresh and tasty. tostado topped with egg was very good. definitely worth a visit if you’re in the mood for tacos (and who isn’t)!

bakersfield is one of the better mexican restaurants in the area. the guacamole is some of the best i’ve had, especially with their salsa. the tacos are pricey and small but the flavor is powerful! we loved our experience!

good atmosphere. flavorful and creative. reasonably priced. only negative comment was the fish tacos were only okay. jalapeño margarita had a nice kick.

the place is always busy! the atmosphere is unique, the service on point and the short rib tacos are delicious! parking can be terrible but that's everywhere in the short north. my wife loves the premium margarita!

i recently re-visited bakersfield after almost a year long hiatus. a year ago i would have said the tacos are meh and the hot sauce is for kittens. i was pleasantly surprised how flavorful the tacos were this time around.. especially impressed with the bistec. the habanero hot sauce was just the right amount of heat! initiate slow clap...

it's a high energy bar experience- keep food expectations lower. fish tacos are forgettable but rojo tacos were nicely spicy. guac hit the spot! very loud and ages are all over the place. fun place but don't plan to have conversation.

first time to bakersfield? - read this. bakersfield is what i would call a taco pub. this is not your traditional mexican restaurant, its more of a bar that serves a range of good street tacos. if you are expecting a free chips/salsa type of place, this isn't it. urbanspoon lists bakersfield as "kid friendly", but i will not bring my kids here again. there is no "kids menu" however they offered chicken or cheese quesadillas which are off menu for the kids, but a quesadilla on a corn tortilla wasn't very good. in addition the queso and chips app included a shallow iron skillet of cheese that was good and somewhat unique, but not well received by my teens. we had a range of tacos including the short rib and the rojo pollo that were very good. the fish taco wasn't spectacular. their quacamole was very good, if you don't mind chunks of avacado - and it had no tomato, for those of you that don't appreciate a bowl of guac that is half tomatoes. bakersfield is a good spot to have a few drinks with friends and enjoy a couple tacos, it isn't a dinner destination or family spot.

bakersfield short north-skip it!. where do i begin, the "bakersfield" margaritas taste like sour mix! the con queso dip was cold and hard on top you had to eat it with a fork! it's suppose to be an appetizer right? no it came the same time as our two pathetic little two bite tacos! ahh the tacos where do i begin, cold and small and 4$ a piece! we had the fish which only tasted of citrus salsa and the bbq short rib that tasted like gold star chili sauce had been poured in them. one of the worst meals ever my husband and i were 40$ short and wish we had went to taco bell! i love guy fieri but what a horrible choice for diners drive-ins and dives! it's a typical chain restaurant! but we made dinner up at the happy greek-authentic-friendly-amazing!

the service and the food were great. although, the portionsl were small and overpriced. we would come back, but not if we were really hungry.

fish taco is amazing. margaritas are great. service staff is very good.

bakersfield short north  is the first local location of the cincinnati hipster taqueria with a handful of locations. much in the style of chicago's  big star , bakersfield dishes up modern takes on classic mexican tacos accompanied by a loud hillbilly/hard rock soundtrack and carefully crafted cocktails. although the meatless tacos on the menu list cheese as an ingredient, vegan items may be ordered on request. taco fillings include rajas (poblano peppers cooked in cream) and huiltacoche (corn fungus - essentially the mexican answer to truffles). the guacamole is fresh and bright with hints of garlic, citrus and cilantro as well as a nice crunch from the radish garnish. the tortilla chips are dusted with red and black pepper, which gives them a nice punch. the rajas tacos have a hint of roasted pepper that is fattened up by cheese. the huitlacoche is subtly rich. umami explodes from the taco shell. the margaritas are excellent. they are a great value with the right balance of tartness

candice: i like this restaurant. i like the concept.
paul: it's got some appeal.
candice: it was certainly worth the price. around $25 for that much food for 2 people.
paul: the fish taco and queso were dubious.
candice: yet the other three tacos were delicious, as was your corn chowder.
paul: the house table salsas were also very good.

small menu with great food. i have been wanting to go here for awhile now based on outward appearance alone, and we finally made it last weekend. it was not at all what i expected. it is much more of a bar than restaurant. it is very loud with not much in the way of table seating. we scored 2 bar seats after about 30 minutes, and gave up on waiting for a table (and no, they don't take reservations). you will fit right in here if you have a beard, tattoos and glasses. its a hipsters paradise, but there were a variety of other folks here as well. again, most come here to drink, which is fine. but don't sleep on their small menu.

the chips and guac appetizer ($6) seemed pricey, but it was the best guacamole either of us have ever had. no joke. and they give you a healthy portion too. then we tried several of their tacos, which comprises the majority of the menu. they are $3-4 each. they are not very large but all were tasty, some more than others. my favorite was the fish taco. the flavors were incredible. my wife's favorite (and a close second for me) was the short rib taco. following behind those were a pork taco and a corn truffle taco. i would be happy to eat any one of them again. there are another 4-5 tacos to choose from as well.

you should give this place a try, but maybe on a weeknight when its not so busy and loud. all 3 or 4 bartenders who waited on us were exceptional. they knew the food and drinks, and were funny and personable.