Been here many times and I feel like I can write a pretty accurate review. First of all, if you are on a time crunch, go to McDonald's or some other drive thru. This place is located in a tiny, slow town. So plan on waiting for service, and food. I usually spend a minimum of 45 minutes here from entering and exiting the door. This place is a country cafe and feels like a very small diner from the past. Since it is so small, you will hear everyone else's conversation and vice versa. Last time I was here, I learned all about classic cars from the table next to me, then I met an Army Blackhawk pilot passing thru. People will engage in conversation with you, that's the atmosphere. If you like to be left alone, order the food to go and eat out back where they have picnic tables or head over to the Chavez center where they have a nice picnic area and a much better view of the beautiful area. Now the food. Breakfast is Outstanding! Served until 11 m-f and all day sat/sun. For lunch the burgers are a B+. The tri tip is usually dry so I give it a C. I just stick to the burgers. I'm on my way there now with the kids, maybe we will see you there! read more

We stopped for lunch. A small place with good looking menu offerings. Had a great sandwich that came out quickly and still hot. Friendly waitress. read more

Keene Cafe - Great house sandwich! Food came out quickly and hot. - Diners Near Me - Keene, California

I mean most of the reviews are accurate. It's a little diner in the middle of nowhere. Super old and run down, but it gives you that classic "western feel" ... service is friendly and the food is alright. Nothing that'll blow your mind, but definitely a step above a fast food joint. It's the only real place to get a bite between Tehachapi and Bakersfield on the 58, so if you're hungry, don't think twice. Stop by and grab a bite! read more

Hole in the walls are usually a great place for yummy food! This eatery lives up to that description! I live in Tehachapi and make the trip to Bakes every once in a while. Don't always have time to stop but when I do!!!! Great bfast food, I've only read about the great lunches there. Someday I'll have to stop by in the afternoon! read more

My first visit to this place and I was NOT disappointed. First off the front door is not used, it has 2 side entrances. Once inside you seat yourself where ever you like. My wife and I were attended by a young lady (sorry I didn't get her name) she was a excellent server, very polite. The menu had many good choices I decided to try their chilaquiles, my wife had the California omelet. They were both very delicious. The coffee was fresh and hot, all the tables were clean, silver ware was clean. The only dirt I saw was on the floor but it came off the boots of some hard working local ranchers that were there to catch a quick breakfast. I definitely plan to stop by again soon. I am one happy customer. read more

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Fantastic place for breakfast. Old funky cafe off the highway. Must try the huevos Rancheros. Visit the Cesar Chavez Memorial right next door. read more

Keene Cafe - Diners Near Me - Keene, California

I really wanted to like this place more then I did. We always pass it on 58 heading to and from Tehachapi on the trips we take almost every month. We decided to have breakfast here. The cafe is small but that didn't bother me. I loved reading about the history on the menu. There were four of us eating this trip, 2 adults, 1 teen and 1 kid. Upon recommendation by the one adult, myself and the child ordered the half order of Biscuits and Gravy. The child ordered a side of bacon. The teen ordered the French Toast and the other adult ordered the breakfast sandwich which came with a side of potato and toast. Biscuits and Gravy - Good consistency, lacked any major flavor. Didn't make either one us say "Wow!" but we didn't entirely hate it. Side order of Bacon - Decent amount about 6 pieces. Breakfast Sandwich - I was told it was pretty good. It looks super greasy. I was given no comment on the potatoes but you do get a good amount. French Toast - This is where it was bad. It was undercooked and most of it was pretty raw. The teen who ate it was pretty disappointed about it since they had eaten here before and was telling us how good the French Toast was. It was a perfectly sized order though, I guess it had that going for it. The service was very good and the waitress was very friendly. I would definitely like to try this place again because I haven't entirely made up my mind about it. read more

What a neat little place!!! A small shack with good food and great staff. We had chicken caesar salad and club house sandwich with fries. Salad had good flavor but dressing was very watery. Sandwich was good sized. Fries came out hot. Food was made quickly. They serve breakfast all day on weekends but stop at 11am on weekdays. Kinda bummed cause their omelets sounded good. They have a menu selection dedicated to their local fire dept. Good to see they support their local crew. I would go back. read more

My favorite place to eat breakfast! The cooking is good 'ol fashioned home-style cooking, burgers, steak an eggs and REAL Mexican food on the menu. A great stop! read more

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You have got to try both the Chorizo and eggs and the Breakfast sandwich! Worth the drive up/down Hwy 58 and they have plenty of parking space for large trucks too! (For Christine) Great food, and prices. Add the waitress Sara's smile and you've got a winning combination read more

We came a couple months ago and the waitress was very rude. We let that slide and came back today. After waiting 20 minutes we watched them seat 2 separate families that came after us before us. The same waitress that helped us last time was rude yet again and seemed irritated that she had to clean the table for us to sit. I will NEVER return to this establishment. read more

That's No SHACK is right! Great little place, everyone is very friendly and the food was good. Even better, there is more than enough parking for our 42' RV. read more

Keene Cafe - Diners Near Me - Keene, California

Stopped in hoping for a quick breakfast on a long drive from Las Vegas to Napa. A table of 6 was seated just before me and I was concerned about getting back on the road. No worries as the service was very quick and the food was great! I ha the Cowboy Benedict which was very good. Not too much food and not too little. Prices were reasonable. Thank you for the quick and courteous service! read more

Stopped in today Feb. 22, 2016, and had their grilled cheese sandwich with regular ol french fries...Gotta say that was the best grilled ham and cheese I have had in a long time...Keep it simple. The ham was sliced real thin and melts your mouth. Just the right size sandwich too. Hi 5 to the waitress and the cook they were jammin as the place was pretty busy around lunch time..I guess some people still know how to work. Good job and I'll be back... read more

Great little spot for breakfast and lunch. Fantastic salsa, and the biscuits and gravy were so good!

Awesome location, great diner food, can get crowed though , but just kick back and relax !

Love the location and feel of the building, beautiful small town vibe. I ordered the taquito plate with a drink. I was satisfied with the service and food. Overall, i found a good spot, friendly waitress and cooks. Enjoy. read more

Pretty good food. Simple cafe food. Friendly environment. Clean restaurant, clean restrooms. I had the cowboy Benedict. Gravy was good. Biscuits were a little doughy but tasted fresh. Hubby had corn beef hash and eggs. It looked like canned hash but had a good taste. Added jalapeños made it tastier. Cottage fries were good. read more

What a little treasure! We stopped by the Cesar Chavez National Monument and found this little gem of a cafe. The service was great and the food was awesome. Stop by when you're out in the middle of nowhere and you're hungry! read more

Very old western type place. So very good for breakfast very good food and service. We will stop here again.

Excellent place to stop, enjoy the food and great vibe. Reasonably priced also. Service could be a bit quicker but extremely friendly. read more

Keene Cafe - Fresh salad ! - Diners Near Me - Keene, California

Stopped my on my way to tehachapi for some lunch and I gotta say I'm glad I Did! The mushroom burger was delicious..

Wow.....what a disappointment! Went to Keene Cafe for the first time today around 11:30. Food was cold, toast tasted like they toasted it yesterday and slapped on some butter this morning, over medium eggs were more like fried eggs, no hash browns so i ordered the home fries, cold potatoes. Cowboy Benedict only had one edible biscuit. All for $30 dollars. We will not be returning. read more

Great place directly off of the 58. They had outdoor seating complying with COVID 19 regulations. Nicely shaded benches. Our server was friendly, they bring food out to you in a to go box. Our food was yummy we had a bacon cheeseburger, breakfast burrito, and 2 breakfast plates. All of it tasty. read more

This is one of those roadside restaurants that you seek out when you're on a road trip. It has been here for decades, and I hope it remains here for decades to come. It's not fancy, it's just real! The food is good, with a mix of hearty traditional American dishes and authentic-Mexican-not trying-to-be-Mexican. read more

Pulled in starving.... wow , nice pick. Burger and onion rings were great. Burger was on a fresh toasted bakery bun. Food came fast!! We'll be back for sure... read more

This is a nice and quaint restaurant...great small town feel. It's literally the only restaurant in Keene so everyone knows everyone here, quite unique. The food is pretty yummy, I had the soup of the day which was was a roasted red pepper soup, which was delicious! I was quite surprised but there was a nice kick to it. The chips and salsa were good too. I love the menu since it has some history about the town on it as well. Great place, too bad there isn't very much vegetarian options but they do accommodate you if you don't want meat. read more

Historic cafe is cute on the outside but blah on the inside. The food was decent but nothing special. Service was friendly but a bit slow. Worth checking out only if you are into historical places like this. Just remember there is nothing charming about the inside of this place. read more

Stopped here for the first time on a trip back from Las Vegas. The food was good and service was friendly. We will certainly stop back by here again. read more

For two years I've stopped here for breakfast every week or two on my commute to Bakersfield. This is a perfect half way point. Decent enough place, good enough food to keep coming back without complaints. read more

Great little hidden gem of a cafe. Staff was super friendly, breakfast was great & their bread pudding (which is not on the menu) was well worth the trip. The morning we were there about 2 weeks ago, the parking lot was full of fire fighters. Keep up the great work KCFD!! read more

This place is really disappointing in terms of food. I know it is a fun stop for bikers and travelers but the food is not great quality, the chef is subpar and the cleanliness is disturbing. read more

Had I rated this cafe a couple of years ago, the review would have been much different. I would have given it 5 stars, without hesitation. Now, however, my opinion has changed. I think I read somewhere that Keene Cafe has changed ownership recently. If that's true, then that may explain what seems to be a dramatic shift in their food quality. What used to be a family tradition has now likely become a thing of the past. Allow me to explain... My in-laws live in Tehachapi and they introduced us to this place many several years ago. The very first time I ate here, I sampled everyone's food and loved it all. The dish that really drew me in was the biscuits and gravy. It was the best I'd ever had. Seriously, I've eaten biscuits and gravy at many places and none ever came close to those at Keene. My husband and I loved it so much that my in-laws ended up taking us there at least once during every one of our Tehachapi visits. Our very first visit to the cafe it was just my husband and I with his family. As the years rolled by, the cafe saw our family of two grow to a family of five. Sadly, our youngest's first visit was likely our last. We were there about a month ago. I ordered my usual biscuits and gravy, my husband got his sausage omelet, and my kids ordered the bacon and eggs kid's plate. I didn't taste the hubby's omelet, but he said it was not good. My biscuits and gravy were awful. The biscuits were about half the size of what they used to be. The gravy, which used to be so rich and flavorful, was suddenly bland. They also seemed to have downgraded their sausage. I had so many gristly bites that I had to stop eating about half-way through my already meager portion. The worst, though, was the kids' meals. They literally got one egg and one piece of bacon. That's it. On a normal adult sized plate. I wish I had thought to take a picture, because we were all in amazement at how ridiculous it looked. When we asked if they got toast with the meal, the answer was no. So we paid 5 or 6 bucks for one egg and one piece of bacon. Really?!? We ended up paying for a side of toast because the kids were so hungry still! My mother-in-law got her usual chilaquiles and she said they were still as good as usual. My nephew got a kids' pancake meal. He actually got two good sized pancakes, but that still doesn't justify the price that his parents paid. Sadly, after that last experience, our party of 11 decided that we were likely done with the Keene Cafe for quite a while. We all loved it so much before, that we may try it again in a year or two in the hopes that they've improved. We'll see... read more

Nice place to stop. There aren't too many resteraunt options, or any other options...I had the cowboy burger, it was good and stacked tall. The French fries were steak cut and fried well. It was busy when I went so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt on the service. I will probably try this place again next time I am near by. read more

Right off the Keene exit prior to arriving at the National Chavez Center. Staff was nice and friendly. Prices were reasonable and the food was okay. Nothing spectacular but suited our tummies purpose for the morning. For being owned and run by the National Chavez Center, I expected something representative of the museum. A face lift is needed inside and out. Didn't see any logos or the mention of Cesar Chavez anywhere. Somebody needs to call HGTV or Obama :) read more

Fluffy pancakes and excellent homemade chicken fried steak. The gravy is creamy and perfectly salted. Lots of Mexican offerings for those inclined. I ordered the chilaquiles (eggs scrambled with tortilla chips and pico). I've never had a chilaquiles before that didn't come smothered in a sauce (either red or green), so Keene's seemed a little dry. I asked for extra pico and that fixed I right up. Homefries were good-- crispy on the outside and tender inside flecked with green peppers and onions. All-in-all, we were impressed and left satisfied. Service was top-notch. read more

Worth the stop. Very good food served by real people who aren't afraid to be themselves. What's not to like?

My daughters and I stop in to eat here probably once a year while traveling from Fresno back home to Yuma Az. It's a little out of our way but so worth it. This year I told my oldest (14) that we will be stopping in on January 2nd on our way back from Christmas with the grandparents and now that's all she can talk about. Great people, great food and a great atmosphere. I have to admit, I am just as exited to go. Best country fried steak I have ever had. This will be my wife's first time going but I know she will love it too. read more

I LOVE this place. I am IN love with the chiliquilas that they make. I think it's the best breakfast east of Bakersfield and west of state line. The service is friendly and prompt, and the chef will make it how you want it. It's small, but that's the charm of it. A small café in an even smaller town that mine. Its been here forever and I hope it stays forever too! read more

Been there once and the food was pretty good and well priced, the restaurant is old and a bit run down looking but i think it adds to the experience....the only thing i didn't like was the bathroom was outside of the dining area read more