Nice little family owned and operated Chinese restaurant. I really can't say TOO much, because we went on Thanksgiving day, and they were serving a smaller, more Americanized menu, but what we had was well done. We'll have to stop in again to see what the Chinese menu is like. But the service was great, very friendly people, the place is clean, and easy to get to. We'll be back. read more

I really wanted to like this place since we drive by it frequently so when we finally had the chance to stop in I was a little excited. We arrived and we weren't sure if they were opened for business then this nice older couple came out from the back and gave us one of the warmest greetings ever. The place was large and once the decor was properly placed, you could tell the dining area was going to look pretty. We were seated and catered with so much care. Their menu was simple a reasonably priced, I picked the BBQ pork lunch special with chow mein and fried rice and my husband went with the Kung pow Chicken chow mein and fried rice and the hot tea didn't come with the meal. We were serve a cabbage soup, which is different from egg flower soup from all the other Chinese food restaurants. The soup was hot and flavorful. We could smell our meal being prepared and I was skeptical because it smelled like it was being cooked on very high heat and the smell of char was filling the air. Our meal came out and I was right, the chow mein was kinda burnt, the fried rice didn't look like fried rice at all and the BBQ didn't resemble BBQ pork. I was hoping the food tasted better than it looked, but it didn't. My husband was determined to like his because the couple were so sweet and nice but i honestly couldn't eat much of my plate due to the burnt chow mein, the rice was okay, and the BBQ pork was very salty so I just boxed mine up to go. The lady gave us some citrus on the way out as a kind gesture. Hopefully, this was just an off day but I doubt I'll be going back. read more

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Such a sweet family. Delightfully chatty owner. She makes you feel like you are being welcomed into her home. Colorful bright decor. Nice clean seating area. Food is always very tasty. Today is the mushroom chicken lunch special. Great price point and delicious food. read more

We were heading out to a concert at World Records on a Friday night. We knew all the "regular" hot spots would be full. We remembered a little Chinese place on "L" Street and thought we would give it a try. We were in luck. The parking lot was empty, and the sign said "Open". But, when we got to the front door, it was locked. Just as we were walking away, the owner, Mr. Pang, pushed the door open and invited us in. He told us it was a slow night, but he would serve us. The place was a bit chilly. There were red roses everywhere. It looked like they were getting ready for a banquet. While his English was a little hard to understand, Mr. Pang made us feel right at home. We ordered the General Tso Chicken with an extra soup and some vegetarian egg rolls. He brought out our soup immediately, and later when we finished, he brought us seconds. The General Tso's chicken was tender, served with noodles and fried rice. It was all very tasty. I can't figure out why this place isn't busier, especially on a Friday night. We hope to check it out again for lunch. Mr. Pang said to be sure to come during the week of Chinese New Year (February 9). read more

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Food was bland, restaurant was outdated. Felt like something out of an 80's movie. Place felt dirty

Not too good doesn't have much flavor Pork is lean but just needs more flavor Would not recommend to anyone read more

This place is a hidden Jem!!!! If you've driven by never stop. Do so! The prices are extremely affordable and the portions are huge not to mention delicious. Also, the Staff is adorable and very welcoming. I highly recommend dining here with your coworkers or family. read more

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The food was delicious. The service was very friendly attentive. Highly recommend this establishment. read more

Ming's Cafe - Sweet & Sour Pork and King Pao Shrimp - Chinese Near Me - Bakersfield, California

I really hate writing this review, because I was really hoping to like this place. First off I want to say the couple and their son were great people. Really friendly and kind. You couldn't ask for better service! They are really hurting for business and I believe this has contributed to the quality of their food. My family and I decided to have family dinner on a Saturday instead of Sunday. Like always I'm the one picking the restaurant. So as all 9 of us walked up to the door (around 5pm), the lights were off and the doors were locked. No other vehicles in the lot except ours. That's a sign, turn around and go somewhere else. As we were starting to walk away the owner, older gentleman, ran out and told us to come back. We all decided to go in. But when I saw the guy come out in a disgusting apron, (and I mean disgusting, gross, black apron that should have been white), we should have ran the other way. I'm pretty sure they called their son to come help, because as the owner was being our drinks the son walked in. Like I said the service was great. The son took our orders and helped bring out the food. They serve can sodas, and the tea wasn't all that good. The inside is really nice. But they really should remove all the plastic. Now on to the food. When I say everything I mean everything did not have flavor and was not that good. We had 2 vegetable chow mein, 1 orange chicken, 1 kung pao shrimp, 1 walnut shrimp, 1 sweet and sour chicken, 2 magnolia beef, 1 sweet and sour pork, and we all had a side of fried rice. It also came with soup. My 3 grandkids had cheeseburgers that didn't come with fries. We all agreed that the soup, rice, and chow mein were decent. We had a little bit of everything, but the sweet and sour pork, my husband and I took a bite and didn't touch. While we were finishing up, the owner, older lad, brought out rice crispies for everyone. She offered ice cream for dessert but we wanted to get out of there. She brought out to go boxes as we told her no we didn't need any. My husband didn't want to hurt her feelings so he boxed up everything. We ended up paying and when they weren't looking we left. We left the boxes up food behind. Now like I said I hate writing this review because they are a really great family, (in a bad area), but I think it's time to get someone in there that can cook and switch things up. I want to mention this is a local family owned restaurant, since 1981. I have read a lot of their reviews, and someone needs to tell them the truth. When the women had came out and asked how everything was, we all said fine, that's when I knew I needed to write this review. Im not the type of person to tell someone to their face how bad their food is, but if the owners are reading this, I'm sorry, your service was great but your food was not. read more

Great food! Sorry I did not include pictures but my phone was in the car and I ate it so there is nothing to take a picture of. As for the review: While traveling between Las Vegas, Vegas, and San Francisco, we found wanted lunch and happened upon this place. Big sign out front says we're open so we took a shot. Some red flags went up immediately when the place was empty and we had an overzealous waitress, but I think she owns the place. (it was 2 o'clock in the afternoon so that may have played into it and another couple arrived while we were there). But once we ordered our food, it was good. They serve Chinese and American dishes. My wife ordered potstickers and an eggroll and they were scrumptious. I ordered a BLT but was told I had no bacon that day so instead I ordered a ham and egg breakfast sandwich which was as big as the plate. It was a full slab of ham with two eggs, tomatoes lettuce mayonnaise on toast. It came with some kind of a deep-fried coconut peanut cookie that was scrumptious. I read the reviews and they are mixed. Our time there was very good. We got out of there for $25 and more than filled our tummies. BTW, the other couple that was there ordered ham fried rice and said it was fabulous. They kept oohing and ahhhhing as they ate. If you're in the area I would strongly suggest you take a shot and give them a try. read more

Went in for a quick lunch and was impressed! We were greeted at the door and were thanked by who I'm assuming is the owner for coming in. He was so sweet and had a big smile on his face. Food was very good and plate had good portions for the price! Food wasn't greasy and had amazing flavor. Lunch special was under $11 which you can't get that even at fast food places nowadays. The lunch special came with a soup which was my favorite, it wasn't just water but had vegetables in it. Everything was very delicious! The restaurant was very clean and nicely decorated. The Owner kept thanking us for coming in even on our way out. Definitely will be coming here again. read more

Ming's Cafe - the lunch special bbq pork - Chinese Near Me - Bakersfield, California

I don't give out one star reviews but after my debacle I must. We were greeted by the owner which was nice, she had a lot of energy. That was just the beginning, I appreciate food inflation is causing problems for everyone including the owner and she let us know ten times during the visit. Why did I not leave? I got the vibe to Coyote Ugly my entire body but my friend did not have the heart after seeing how dead it was inside. Don't feel bad or think you must stay. There's a reason that people go once and never return. My experience was like walking through Downtown Los Angeles where vendors harass and wont stop trying to up-sale you even after buying three or four items. It was terrible, I would have rather not endured her relentless and repeated requests to keep buying more after ordering. The food was poor, my friend said the sauce tasted like store brand buffalo wing(He was right.) and not sweet and sour. The potstickers and egg rolls were cold inside and mushy. My noodles were soaked and rice too. The food was the worst Chinese food i have ever eaten. I need a anti anxiety med after leaving it was so stressful. If you are shy or introvert, I don't recommend because I am outgoing and wanted to jump out of my skin. Adding more misery I was triple charged on my credit card, Chase sent me alerts warning but the lady had us pay cash because she said our card declined. Extra fee for credit cards too. If you go after reading this, you're pretty adventurous! read more

Stopped here after a long day at work on a Thursday. My fiancé and I ordered the specials advertised on the Bakersfield Local Restaurant Group. For 10.95 I ordered the Beef & Broccoli, that was served with soup, egg-fried rice and Veg. Chow Mein. My fiancé ordered the Kung Pao Chicken special for 9.95 that is served with the same sides. The food was fresh and delicious. The broccoli was cooked to perfection & the cashews in the Kung-Pao chicken were a tasty addition. For the large portions, the value was great! The ambiance of the restaurant was delightful. Most of all, the service was incredible. The owner checked in with us frequently and was extremely friendly. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great food and a welcoming environment. read more

Ming's Cafe - Bowl Of Soup - Chinese Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Very clean friendly service. The owners are amazing! It's a fantastic experience. The vegetable fried rice is legit. Fresh vegetables, big chunks of broccoli. The lemon chicken is very good, with chucks of white meat chicken and real lemon. read more

An awesome and typical story. After looking at the menu, I just asked for what I wanted to see if they can do it. I do this in Chinese restaurants all the time. Mopo Tufu without the spiciness. After a little back & forth, I'm getting a version of what I wanted. But during the conversation, I asked where they are from. By the end, I got the life story. The couple arrived in Bakersfield in 1981. At some point, they opened this restaurant, made it bigger by buying more land around it and put their son through college. He's going to Yale law next year. But back in 1979, the father, Ming, leaves China for Hong Kong. At the border, he's questioned for 2 hours. British Hong Kong is trying to keep out Chinese communists. "Are you a Red Guard?" They let him go but he has to report to the police every month and pay a HK$30 residence fee. He gets a job in the kitchen of a restaurant. He has to clean lobster. He has never seen a lobster let alone clean one. After a few months, he gets promoted & make HK$900 (~US$150) a month - up from HK$700. He was in money heaven. The fact that uneducated immigrants from that generation works their buts off so their kids goes to Yale.... An awesome and typical story. BYW, the tofu was 3 1/2 star. read more

the lunch special is a very great deal! it's low-priced with great quality food and it has the home-cooked taste. The server we had was very kind and showed great hospitality. The inside of the restaurant is decorated nicely and gives off a nice aesthetic. I went early in the day and it wasn't very busy, but I will definitely be coming back for dinner one of these days! read more

The owners are so so kind, welcoming and warm. I enjoyed them the most! the food was delicious! We are visiting from LA for the first time and found them randomly while wandering the city. The restaurant was quiet and the ambiance was cozy. We will definitely be back Jen, Mike & Dax read more

Picked up my first to-go order from Ming's. Delicious veggie and vegan options (I got the Kung Pow Tofu). Lots of veggies - yum!

Like several others have posted the food is very good. The server (possibly the owner) was very pushy and talkative which was rather annoying to us, we did not have a good experience. She also stood at our table and watched while I was entering the tip. I may go back but only order take out. read more

This is a hidden gem in Bakersfield. Mike and Wendy the owners are the most hospitable people you will ever meet. I have been a long time customer ( 20 years) and the food has always been outstanding. They have struggled through this bad economy and still keep going. Mike is a fantastic chef. But don't come here expecting fancy frills! This is comfort food in a welcoming environment. It really is like entering their home and being served like guest not a customer. I highly recommend Mings cafe. read more

I ordered the Kong pau shrimp and it was amazing. The people were very nice. Great service!

I had to add another star. Today I got the lunch special of Kung Pao Chicken. What I expected was battered and fried chicken in a sauce with 3 peanuts and tiny pieces of veggies from a freezer. What I got was nice thick slices of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, nicely cooked. There were large chunks of carrot, zucchini, summer squash and broccoli. The sauce was light with a hint of Black Soy Sauce and gently spiced so you got a subtle little burn in the back of your throat There was also extra chili sauce in a container on the side. The special also included some egg fried rice that was slightly charred to impart a delicate smokey flavor to the rice and chow mein. Major bang and taste for your buck at less than 7.00 and it gets another star! Not for the price, but for the taste, quality of the food, hospitality, and the cleanliness of the restaurant. read more

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If you are one of the 350k people in Bakersfield you know all the highlights but let us not forget our local family restaurants around our fine city Ming's Cafe on L st has been around forever and has to be experienced just once to fall in love Great fresh food prepared skillfully worth a extra second of your time but once you taste it you'll agree this just might be the best in Bakersfield You'll not only like the food but the atmosphere is quiant and comfortable and you'll find the little boy all grown up still sitting with his parents who run the show Stop by for a well deserved experience read more

Bless their hearts...thats all I can say abt this place. The owners are wonderful nice people, super sweet. The place was very clean, dining area and restrooms. The food although not bad was far from satisfying the Chinese crave I had. The soup was my favorite, some sort of egg flower/bok.choy. Flavorful, hot and yummy. My beef w/broccoli was more like sliced roast beef in gravy with a little broccoli mixed in. Chow mein was a very plain pasta. Don't remember what type of fried rice I was suppose to get, but doesn't matter there was no protein in the rice. My mom had the kung pao shrimp and it was just ok, not a lot of flavor. Like I said earlier, not bad food, just not what I was anticipating from some of the other reviews. read more

Ming's Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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I continually look for good Asian food. California has this fusion thing happening and it isn't for me. I'm a traditionalist. I picked this restaurant because it wasn't trendy. Being downtown, the feeling would be different also. Going into the parking lot, it looked quite amazing and neat. Inside, it was a bit different, with a lot of what people expect when they hear "Chinese". This is a mom and pop type of restaurant, Cantonese style. The owners are friendly and they've been there since the 1980s. The menu was a bit short on items and there was no Chinese menu. I ordered Ming's Special Pan-Fried HK-style noodles and Hot & Sour soup, with iced tea. She was careful to ask how I wanted the food. The dear lady was distracted and got into a light conversation somewhat briefly. She returned from the kitchen to ask if I wanted MSG or not. I told her to make it the way she and her husband would want it. After a few minutes, he brought the soup. It wasn't as expected. It looked very different and didn't have mushrooms or tofu but it was good. A while longer and he brought a heaping plate of goodness with all sorts of meat and prawns/shrimp. The whole experience was a lot like being at grandparents' house. Friendly, but somewhat slow and distracted service, plus really good, home-made food. read more

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The owners are so sweet and the food was delicious! The shrimp and snap peas and chow mein were our favorite.

We have been here multiple times. The owners are the sweetest people ever. He service is very slow as on every occasion the serve one person at a time. We ordered the pot stickers for an appetizer. In the past they were awesome and you could tell they were homemade. Pretty sure these were from Costco. The spicy shrimp was a little bland and not much spice. My wife ordered the orange chicken is it was pretty solid. She ordered it spicy but fell a little short of that. Our friend had the BBQ pork and he loved the dish. The serve a pretty solid breakfast as well. I would suggest the sausage patty or the ham steak. I love supporting the locally owned restaurants and this is one that even though the service is a little slow we will continue to return. read more

Ming's Cafe - Ahhhhh nice beer before dinner - Chinese Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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The husband is such an underrated Chef. We go there for the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and rice with gravy all over. They have not been having the chicken fried steak since they have been slow but he made us one with chicken breast and it was soooo good. He always does his best to make us a chicken fried steak when we go. We have been going here for years one of my dad's favorite places to eat. The soup they have is always good. If you are looking for a place try go they are not doing as well and would really help their business. Wendy the wife was so sweet to us we just lost our father the reason we would go there and she really loved him. read more

I love Chinese food but this place was different! Their Chow Mein was different style of noodles soft, like spaghetti aldonte, very savory and spicy I had mushroom chicken (the best I've ever had) and my hubby had the short ribs, he loved them! The fried rice was the best also! Mrs Ming was so friendly and funny very attentive and wore a mask. We dined in their outdoor patio! It was nice! She offered large banquet for up to seven ppl. And gave us free cookies and macaroni salad for $1! It was perfect! We will be back! Mr Ming poked his head out of the door to say Hi to us! That was cute! read more

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I wanted to give them a better rating but I couldn't because my husband and I didnt feel like it was any bit authentic I'm sorry. The prices are reasonable and the specials are nice but what I thought I was ordering was nothing like what I tasted before. We love finding places near us that we can have our go to items off the menu but this one didnt make the cut. The item I ordered was from the lunch special which was kung pao chicken with chow mein and rice. For one I found it kind of odd as to why I HAD to eat my soup in the restaurant I couldn't take it home. I mean maybe they didnt have take out for the broth? Not sure. The chow mein was spaghetti noodles :/ felt kind of let down to be honest. And the sauce for the meat and veggies was so like gravy like but with like a after taste idk. The rice kind of tasted burned or reheated. The customer service was phenomenal which sucks because the food wasn't to par. Place has alot of potential but food needs upgrade. read more

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Ming's Cafe was the only Chinese restaurant open on the evening of Christmas Day. Doors were locked. Had to wait for the woman (owner?) to unlock it after she watched pull up and park. We just wanted a Chinese meal. It must have been the son of the owner who served us. Everything on their shortened menu was sold out except for the Orange Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken w/rice. We got a plate of each with rice and 2 house salads. (Served on styrofoam plates & only iceberg lettuce w/dressing) My daughter passed on the salad. There were 3 of us so with our experience usually there is easily enough food for 3 with two plates of food. For $17.99 and $18.99 both plates were rather small portions. The rice came in two small cups. We asked for some more rice and he brought out a bowl of white rice which was fine. We each had tea. 3 teas, 2 plates of chicken, 2 house salads was $59.89. Kind pricey from my experience...especially for very mediocre food. Both the sweet & sour and orange chicken were okay but one piece would be break tooth hard and the next soft. We just shut up and ate. The woman who seated us could tell we were not thrilled. She was telling us things about the restaurant that we could tell she was trying to get us to come back another time. The family next to us left and we could tell they felt the same way. It is what it is. I left a moderate tip and as we were walking out, my wife heard the woman complaining about the tip. Seriously? (According to dining etiquette you are not supposed to tip the owner.) Needless to say we'll never go there again. Too many really good Chinese restaurants to choose from in town. read more

Friendly service and good prices. The owner was very amusing and went the extra mile to get us what we wanted. Good portions and food was excellent. Chow mein and BBQ tasty. Will go back next trip through Bakersfield. read more

It smelled like rotting meat and it was dark and weird. Dirty glasses brought out for water. Kinda creepy.

Just like the reviews, absolutely great service and great food. My friend and I were the only ones there (obviously a Monday evening), but the guy was very attentive, he even turned the fan towards us :). Beautiful atmosphere. We got a dinner special which was super delicious and inexpensive. Would definitely come back with my husband since we were originally supposed to go check it out read more

Ming's Cafe - Kungpow chicken - Chinese Near Me - Bakersfield, California

I've past by this place a million times, I do recall going there with my friend about 15 years ago. There was a huge counter and appeared to have a more older age consumers. Today I was craving eggs rolls and decided to give this place a try. The size of the rolls were gigantic and the gravy threw me off a bit , but they were quite tasty. Combination rice looked and tasted like it was made in someone's kitchen. I think this is what real old fashioned taste like and unfortunately we've gotten used to the commercial factory food. I'm coming back and see what else this gem has to offer. Btw the owner was ecstatic of my business and extremely friendly. The place was exquisitely clean, it's hot in there, but he placed the fan in front of me, lol. read more

Ming's Cafe - These were amazing and the price, my new egg roll quick fix - Chinese Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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My family are 3 hearty meals for under thirty dollars. The staff were very attentive and the meal was outstanding. The atmosphere is beautiful. They are open until 8:30 pm or later if your there and need more time. My food was greasy and delicious. There is room for large or small groups. The food was prepared quickly and the presentation was great. I recommend them highly for lunch and dinner. They serve Chinese and American food. I am looking forward to trying the American food soon. read more

I have been going here for years. Michael is a great cook. Wendy his wife is always attentive and great hostess. Patrick their son is a great inspiration of his Parents. Michael serves excellent seasoned and tasty and never disappointing meals each time I go there. I also purchase their Thanksgiving Turkey dinner package and Christmas dinner package for 10 years now. I love it!! I order the main course and all the trimmings for a very reasonable price. I pick it up the day of and take it home and we are ready to eat! I simply have a Stress-Free holiday season. As I work and take care of my household and family. So Great the holiday meals are taken care of by Ming Cafe every year and are Delicious each time! Thank You Michael, Wendy, & Patrick for all what you do for our community serving meals to people in need free or at a drastic discount. and the Always The Friendly Family Atmosphere read more

Ming's Cafe - Ming's Cafe interior 2017 - Chinese Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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What a hidden treasure, this place was absolutely fabulous !!! Very very clean, the food was cooked fresh to order, and the owners are on site they are wonderful people, I've lived in Bakersfield all my life and I can't believe I just found this WONDERFUL PLACE I will definitely be back... read more

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Great food. Best food always comes from the little whole in the wall restaurant. This really is a nice family orientated environment.

Went for dinner and had a great experience. Friendly and tasty. The place is never busy. Maybe they don't advertise enough. They're are 1 of 2 chinese food place in downtown. The other is Chop Stix, but their service was not friendly. Today i had lunch there. Their salad and soup with the dinners and lunches are very basic. French dressing with salad. My soup was chicken and rice. Nothing special. The chow mein and fried rice were awesome. I had the orange chicken. They used the best parts of the chicken, none of that dark meat. The food is good, not bad, but not awesome, other than the chow mein and fried rice. Will come again. When I paid she gave me a 10% discount without me asking. I enjoyed the ambiance and how she treats the customers. Great service by her and her son. Very home made tasting food. It's a 3 star restaurant so far, but with the service it easily pushes it to a 4 star. read more