Division 33 Kiwanis hosted Teen Government Day in Hodel's Liberty Hall Banquet room this past…read moreNovember. Not only was the food outstandingly fresh and warm for our ~150 guests, but the service was spectacular. When we saw that we had more guests than expected, the Hodel's team was quick to set up more tables. Some of the Hodel's team members that helped make the afternoon a success were Liliana, Anthony, Stanley, Marc, & Leonard. These individuals alone, set a very high standard for customer service in Bakersfield. Definitely consider hosting your next event at Hodels! From everyone here at Kiwanis, thank you Hodel's for helping us make this event one of the most successful Teen Government Days yet! You continue to raise the bar each year.

I really wanted to give this place more than three stars, but I can't.. Let's start with the good…read more Food was pretty decent. BBQ selection of meats was okay. The brisket was dry. The rib was probably the best of the meats. The trip was okay. The food is buffet food so I don't have really high expectations. For a traditional family style buffet I would give the a 3.5 on the food. They had a great selection on salads made in house. The meat guy recommended the broccoli salad and I tried it. It was pretty good. It's been at least 15 years since I've had broccoli salad. That did not disappoint. My wife liked the good variety and selection, and the fried chicken was pretty good. My son liked the apple cobbler and their homemade peanut butter cookies. The service was exceptional. Everyone working there was pleasant and friendly. 5 of 5 for service. The atmosphere, the design and theme was very appropriate, although dated it is still very welcoming and appropriate for the venue. With that being said, the carpet was filthy and the upholstery was warn and old. It looks dated and tired. They can keep the overall theme and look, but give the restaurant an updated facelift of sorts. The seasonal decorations were nice. The store gift shop sold miscellaneous items including some of their baked goods, so that was cool. The lighting needs to be updated. That would really enhance their atmosphere. The bathrooms. You can learn a lot about a place from the bathroom. These weren't filthy per se but the floors were pretty nasty. It always grosses me out when my shoes stick to the tiles. The fixtures were on par with a lot of the restaurant, old, dated, and tired. Formica countertops? A lot of these design elements just need to be polished up. I think this is a great part of the Bakersfield community, but I think it's been a bit neglected. It's probably family owned for a while and the kids or whatever have gotten complacent with the business. I'm not saying it is poorly ran and the positive experience with their staff can attest to that. But they can use some freshening up. Tip to owner, I didn't see any take out happening during my visit but in today's food retail market, take out is HUGE! Especially with the Holiday season and football games etc. I have a feeling you are missing out on some of your local market. Reach out if you want a more detailed discussion. Bakersfield is poised to grow and i hope that you are poised to grow as a local business as well. I'm glad we stopped by on our way back to Sacramento.

Host man was great in front in grey ish shirt. Our table girl Maria not too good. She even…read morequestioned the host and said he didn't make sense sitting us. The next tables girl Lizbeth went out of her way when Maria couldn't even get us a replacement fork or offer any refills. Guy making steaks was perfect. Food was well kept up with our 1:00 pm lunch of 9 guests. Mood was good for us with great spirits of families enjoying the Sunday.

It's has been a while since we've dined at Golden Carrol and today was a very good day. Friendly…read moreservice all the time 5 stars for customer service. We arrived at the 4pm dinner menu and we were pleasantly surprised hot food was coming out and the food was delicious. I'm on a strict diet but today was my cheat day. My husband and I both enjoyed the steak, fried and baked chicken, fried fish, pork, greens, black eyed peas and many more delicious foods. Everything was seasoned and hot. The manager is always very friendly. The restaurant was clean and a huge plus for having gloves and hand sanitizer stations. A very nice place to over indulge in many selections of food. We recommend this place for family friendly gatherings, couples and single people.

Whitney at Bravo Farms is seriously impressive--she had my drinks ready in under 30 seconds! Fast,…read moreefficient, and still made them perfectly. Great service!

We found this rest stop by accident and thought it was the Bravo Farms that was further down. Such…read morea cute restaurant and store to shop local goods and it's located in the Tulare outlet area right off the 99. There's a coffee and ice cream shop. Bathroom: clean and modern We'd love to have lunch here next time.

We were visiting from out of state to this area of California. We had spent the day at an outdoor…read moreconvention, and were looking forward to this particular restaurant. With the reviews on Yelp and the recommendation of our Air bnb host, this was a "must" during our visit. Nice decor and ambiance upon entering. Had a musician playing clarinet, which was beautiful. Unfortunately, we did not even eat here. As I stated, we had been at an outdoor convention- we were in nice jeans and ballcaps. This restaurant was not "suit" fancy, but we may have appeared underdressed with our ballcaps. Honestly we don't make a habit of dressing down and are usually overdressed lol. We felt judged the moment we walked in. They asked if we had a reservation. We did not but we were still sat. There was a wine tasting going on and we were asked if we would like to participate. We politely declined. The vineyard owner came over and talked to us. I politely declined again. The waitress never returned for over 10min. We hadn't even been asked about any other drinks, appetizers, specials of the house, nothing. The menu had some amazing dishes and appetizers that I am sad I wasn't able to try, but if you're going to make me feel less because I didn't have an opportunity to brush out my ponytail and change my shoes, then you're not deserving of the money we were planning on spending in your establishment. These Texas ranchers were very unimpressed

"Cute little place" is the exact way I'd describe this place walking in. They maximized what…read moreminimal real estate they have with wonderful date night ambiance, live music, and French/European vibe without feeling cramped. Very pleasant experience for a date night, with even more delicious food. I was here over a year ago and sadly forgot to post this review, so I don't remember what we had but I remember I thoroughly enjoyed it. The owner had a moment to chat it up with us and she gave us the story of their business and it was all just a pleasant time. This is definitely a gem of spot in this town.

Great food. My chilaquiles were nice and spicy. The chile verde was on point. Service was great. We…read morewill definitely be back.

We got here at 7:30 and the place was full by 7:50…read more We had chilequiles and cafe de olla. Good price for the amount of food you get. We were able to split the plate between two people. The cafe de olla was fantastic and we would order it again. It seems they will refill you on pot coffee for free. Very friendly waitstaff. Overall, great place to wake up and start your day.

Got there on Friday night @5:30 and we were seated right away, no wait. Beautiful place tucked away…read morebehind a garden with outdoor seating. We sat inside by a window and were instantly greeted by our cheerful waiter. He asked if we wanted some bread and anything to drink. We ordered a couple specialty cocktails and he brought them with some nice toasted sourdough bread. We kept it simple tonight with a warm Brie and fig jam appetizer, followed by a wedge salad and French onion soup. Everything was delicious and well timed on delivery. The chef came by to make sure we were satisfied, very nice touch! We will be back to try some of the amazing maid dishes we saw being delivered at the tables nearby.

Terrific food, terrific service. Love the neighborhood. Would definitely come back here again…read more Looks like a nice place for a party. Would not recommend bringing kids here but it looks like the restaurant will accommodate.

On a road trip, my friend Denise and I were looking for a convenience store in roads that were not…read morepaved with cement nor were they in the center of a chic boutique and a hits-the-spot every time boba shop. Yes, we were basically on dirt roads that saw a few scattered homes here and there, and visible old school phone towers (the brown kind) connected with wires (where crows sit on a row) existed, and not much else. We drove around in some circles, looking for this fabled store and found nothing, not even a Bigfoot. We noted how the moment felt like we were on an Iowa highway because we saw expansive fields and experienced a Middle-America atmosphere. I wanted a small stalk of wheat in between my teeth. As we drove, we saw this place and decided that this joint would replace the store we were looking for. At this point I started to listen to Carry on My Wayward Son by Kansas. If you know, you know. As soon as I entered I felt like I had stepped into a diner in the middle of nowhere, the type of spot where brothers talked about saving people, hunting things, you know the family business. My friend Denise did not know what I was talking about and when I tried to introduce the world to her with corny prompts she decided not to play along. Still for a fan the experience was nothing but a win!(chester). I cannot remember the person who helped us but she was a server who reported that she had lived in the surrounding area for most of her life. She was deepening the believe that we were on a route diner neglected by city reality. During this visit, I had fried okra for the first time in my life. It was weird to taste but not in a bad way. More like I had never tasted this texture before in my life. The texture that I had not tried before in my life was a gooey vegetable. Like the texture of the outside was exactly as advertised--- fried goodness. The actual okra was the gooey part. I do not want to sound crass, truly, I do not, but it did feel like enjoying something slimy, and I will leave it at that. Again, not wrong, just weird But I will not get it again. The server- the homegrown one- gave us fried pickles and these were much more to taste. Like, I i have had fried pickles before and I loved them but I had some that were not for me. But these, these, were pickle spears fried to brown goodness, and the mixture hit green- which does not mean go, more like Hulk enjoys, instead of smashes. It was a simple dish yes- green spear pickle fried but sometimes the goodness of a county fair is exactly what a roadtrip snack should be. The fair came to my table and I am not mad at that. On this trip I did have the Willow Dip which I feel is a close cousin to a french dip. What this place did well, at least I think, is putting it on an onion baguette. I am not sure if onion baguette is a middle-of-nowhere bread, but, I allowed it because the taste of the bread was, like tailored made for me, I am a sucker for onion, and not just because it gives me sexy breath. The food was standard, solid fare. Everything was just good nothing wrong with it, all good with it. The sauces were tasty, and added smoky sweet flavor that was welcomed. So this elevated the dish by addding a hickory taste. It did not save the dishes, but did make them better. The decorations were texas heavy. I should have taken more pictures. But sometimes the imagination allows for a space to feel more than at it is.

Mar 15 2026 - 3.5 stars 4 stars - restaurant cleanliness,…read moredecor, nice wooden vibe 4.5 stars - service - friendly, smiling staff, ready to answer any and all questions 3.5 stars - food, chicken sandwich, onion rings and fries were very good The ribs were dry, over cooked ? Not sure but saving grace was the BBQ sauce - if only the ribs were a little moist and juicy ! This is a good spot to stop when driving to or from LA along the I-5 Kid friendly ! We will be back !

My co-workers and I ordered lunch to celebrate a birthday…read more I ordered the cilantro ranch chicken salad. It was really good. Very fresh. Mixed lettuce. Cucumbers. Tomatoes. Really nice flavorful chicken. The cilantro ranch is extremely strong and very tasty. Lots of food ordered. Lots of happy people eating. I will definitely order the salad again...maybe with double chicken!

They make killer burritos here and their sauces are very good. The owner is very friendly and…read moreaccommodating. I've had the chilaquiles and chorizo. Be sure to ask for extra onions and cilantro If you are in a rush, there's a drive through option but I think eating inside is the way to go. Unfortunately drinks here are Pepsi

Great food Good service…read more I recommend Donna Kaye's when visiting Bakersfield! Price is good for the quantity of food. Ample parking too!

We felt like diner food for lunch and headed over to Oak St…read more It was a cool, blustery day and fish and chips sounded good. My wife ordered hot tea. There is plenty of food here. You won't go away hungry. The fish was hot and tasty. Not over-battered. The hot water was lukewarm. We got a refill of hot water and everything was good. Still a good place for a hometown meal.

It's a pretty good old-school buffet, similar to the Hometown Buffet that closed in SLO…read more I had Saturday lunch at 11:00. My server Martha was very polite and super on top of it. The place was pretty clean. The food: it's good, budget buffet quality. They had all the classic items: chicken, pizza, meatloaf. I was able to find tasty items till I was full. The hot grill items (burgers, pork steak) came out slowly but I wasn't super interested in them. My favorite item is probably the fresh fried chicken. The dessert selection was decent. The soft serve quality is a 6-- 0 being cheap watery junk and 10 being Strauss farms. For the price, it's not bad. I hadn't gone to a buffet in 5-6 years, and this experience didn't turn me off of them. I'd go there once every few months.

This location is very well run, thanks to the GM Daniel, who is the most pleasant hardworking…read moreperson in town. We've visited golden corrals all over the country (senior deals are great) and this buffet in Santa Maria feels like home to us!