Love Bakersfield! Their pitchers of margs can be expensive but boy are they strong and good. I love the fresh strawberry which I think is seasonal. Their fish tacos are to die for. This place is trendy and downtown in the short north which is an awesome area. It's a little expensive though so I recommend happy hour when the tacos are $2! The margs are what make the bill rack up but it's worth it for a nice outing. I highly recommend. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Strawberry seasonal margarita - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I really enjoyed Bakersfield! A friend and I stopped in one afternoon for some drinks and tacos. We split the guac and chips and boy is their guacamole good! I could eat it for days. Their margartias...wow. Honestly phenomenal. I could drink them until the cows come home. I got three tacos. The short rib taco was so great! I would get it over and over. The pollo rojo was great as well. I wasn't a fan of the fish taco. The fish was cooked nicely, but the slaw on top of it was overpowering, messy, and abundant (probably to cover up the lack of fish). I will be coming back though, I'm excited to try more. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Chips, Guac, and Margarita - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Get the tacos and a house margarita! Chips and salsa + queso. Skip other food. Everything else is bland. I had willie salad and it was tasteless. My sister had tostada. Not great. Margaritas are awesome. read more

I've only been to Bakersfield twice. Whenever we set out to come here the wait is extremely long and by that time we've found another place in the short north. My first experience was quite poor. We all shared a few tacos (pork belly pastor, mole, polo rojo, short rib are the ones I remember) and since my wife doesn't do raw onions, we ordered them all onion free. I'm not sure if that was the case, but the tacos tasted rather flat. Also the service wasn't particularly good the first time. Anyway, we decided to try the place again yesterday (a slow Sunday evening) and it was quite a bit better. My son got the short rib Tortas which were delicious. I got the tostada, which was not bad, and the cochnita pibil tacos, which was braise pork with harbenara salsa, which was quite good. However, the appetizer queso with beans was just okay. So all in all a better experience. Bakersfield is a happening and generally very crowded and loud place, which is fun if you're in that sort of mood. However, if you're looking for an authentic Mexican place this is probably not it. I'd suggest Haas or some of the local food trucks for that experience. read more

During a business trip while I was in Columbus, my colleagues and I walked by a few times and it always looked packed. We finally decided to try it one of the nights and I'm glad we did. We shared 2 of the premium margarita pitchers and they were really good (almost too good!). The music was loud so our conversations were even louder especially after those yummy margaritas. I ordered three different tacos to try: Short rib, Bistec, and Pollo Rojo. I liked all of them but the spices from the Apollo Rojo stood out the most to me. If I lived here, I would probably be a regular! read more

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We came in a very large group of 14 people. They were able to have a set of tables (we had a reservation) for us. We ordered the food for groups that had a good mix. We had chops, salsa and guacamole. We had salads and tacos. They were able to create a few things in the mix that were vegan. Even tacos. It made me so happy. The Bakersfield margarita was excellent. The cork tortillas were perfect-not chewy. Servers were prompt and helpful. I liked the explained who was helping us and they were so personable. My non vegan friends said the texture was a bit off with the mushroom but they are used to meat. Mine were great. The music seemed a bit loud for dinner conversation but my friends said it was fine. Overall we would be back and enjoyed it greatly. read more

First, let me talk about the staff. Very awesome group of people. We happened to have an exchange with about five people and each one of them were really nice. Our waitress, Rachael, was wonderful. Very cool and fun to talk to. Now the food... eh. Tacos were crazy small. I really couldn't believe it. I was initially impressed that the tortillas were made in house, but now I know why--- you can't find tortillas that small any where else. And they ripped apart when I attempted to bite my tacos. This, boys and girls, is why many establishments will give you two tortillas when serving corn-tortilla-tacos. Because they fall apart. I mostly liked my vegetarian tacos... I think they were missing something... maybe some fresh pico de gallo or something. Other than that, they were okay. I had the guacamole. It was tasty. A little overly chunky (and I usually love chunky guac) but good. I also tried the queso... it was interesting. Not bad. Just different. My honey got the short rib sammy and raved about it. I can't lie- I tasted it, it was deeeelicious (sorry to my beloved cows). My margarita was delightful. It reminded me of lemonade... very very good. Overall, with a little expansion in the taco-size and taco-options arena (maybe some more veggie options-- the current options are a little boring), I think this place could be awesome. Just needs a little work. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Menu - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I've come to this restaurant almost each time I visit my daughter at Ohio State. This visit was no exception and we were all looking forward to it. Needless to say we were all disappointed. While the food was delicious the restaurant was freezing cold inside so not only did I need to keep my coat on, the food quickly got cold! I noticed most ppl around me wearing their coats as well. When I told the waiter it was cold his answer to me was that the cold air came through their windows. I mean, come on, just turn up the heat if you know it's cold. Poor form!!! read more

My friends and I came here for our last meal when we were in Columbus, after walking around Short North. It was a pretty clean place and we were seated by one of the high tables against the wall. Service was fine, nothing to complain about. Waiter was good and made sure our glasses were full. He also refilled our chips basket since we kept asking for it and even bagged up the chips for us to take home with some sauce on the side. Especially since we had a 9.5 hour drive back to NY. His gesture was greatly appreciated. For their tacos, my friends and I had ordered a bunch of different ones. All our tacos came out on one huge platter and the waiter told us which taco was for which person. I personally ordered their Short rib taco and the pollo rojo taco. Can't go wrong there. Additionally I ordered the Short Rib Tortas which was short rib, caramelized onions, chihuahua cheese, arugula black beans which roasted tomatillo salsa and it was very delicious and filling. Overall my friends and I had a great experience here and would definitely like to come back whenever I plan another trip to Ohio. read more

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I was really excited to try Bakersfield after all of the hype and hearing good things from my friends, so I thought I'd meet a few people there for Happy Hour on a Monday since according to the Columbus Underground article, it's always packed. Also, the article mentioned a lack of a Happy Hour due to the already low prices which I found pretty close to the truth. Everyone was already there, enjoying margs in mason jars and bourbon in glass cowboy boots (I bought one from Flower Child awhile ago and love it). Then their queso with black beans flew past our heads onto the table and my boyfriend and I couldn't help but follow suit. It smelled SO GOOD. They also had two sauces in bottles on the table and I tried the green once which was mild and a little tangy. The red looked dangerously spicy so I didn't even go there. The last two tacos on the menu are vegetarian and I tried both. I probably wouldn't go with the Rayas again but it was flavorful and good - I'm just not a fan of the sour banana-peppery taste of some of the peppers in there. The Huitlacoche (sp?) was excellent. I loved the earthy flavors and grainy texture of the corn and what felt/tasted like barley. The margs were potent little suckers but I got salt when I asked for none. A tiny hiccup during an otherwise great time. The waitress was cute and friendly, very attentive and helpful and later I ordered a beer from who I found out later,was a manager, who was very accommodating, nice, and quick to cash me out. I told her to keep the change, which she told me she doesn't get as a manager, but thanked me on behalf of the waitstaff. What a lady! My favorite part: the saddle bar stools. We kept wandering away from our table and taking those babies for a spin since the place wasn't very crowded. Some friends weren't fans of our hard wooden stools at the high table we were and wished we had some cushy ones like at the bar, but I didn't mind. Whiners, I say! Great food, great margs, and my wallet was happy, especially for a night out in the Short North. We tried going to the new board game lounge, King Makers, afterwards because it is right across the street but it's closed on Mondays! read more

Bakersfield Short North - Huitlacoche - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

For all things Columbus Food, check out @CbusFoodAuthority on Instagram. I have avoided eating at Bakersfield because I previously had a meal that disappointed me. Two years later, I gave it another chance and am pleased to say that my rating and impression of this restaurant has improved! I went for dinner on Taco Tuesday, which is my favorite weekly eating event (I heart tacos). I ordered the Spicy Margarita and my dining companion had the Paloma, which were both refreshing. The Spicy Margarita definitely had the necessary kick that I enjoy, so don't order it if you can't handle the heat! We also started with the chips and guacamole, which was enjoyably fresh. Note that the guacamole is chunkier than most places, but they give you a serving spoon so you don't continuously break your chips, well played. They have salsa roja (smokey, chipotle) and salsa verde (bright, refreshing) that we enjoyed both alone plain chips and combined with guac. For the main course, we decided to have a bit of a sampler. The chorizo chili was probably my favorite food of the evening. It comes in a ceramic bowl topped with cheese and pickled hot peppers, and I really enjoyed dipping some chips in it. For the tacos, we tried the Fish, Mole, Pork Belly Pastor, Cochinita Pibil, and the Short Rib. The Fish was nicely fried and topped with a generous helping of slaw, while the Pork Belly Pastor and the Cochinita Pibil had the best combination of flavors. All and all, I am happy that I gave this spot another chance and would like to go back to try some of the non-taco options on their menu! read more

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Overrated, overpriced, and underportioned. When it takes $17 worth of tacos to even begin to feel full ($21 dollars if you are really hungry), then you've got big problems. Bakersfield represents nearly everything that is wrong with non casual Mexican restaurants. I will say that the tacos are good, but none are worth the high price when they are each gone in 3 bites. If you want to actually get full on 2-3 tacos, the idea is that you pay for your sides in the form of appetizers including the $8 chips and guacamole. Bakersfield is robbing the general public of their hard earned money with passable Mexican food that is double the price (or half the portions) it should be while wrapping it up in a sit down restaurant package to subtly justify their ridiculous menu. read more

Great place, just use parking garage off of a close st. I loved the food and margarita was amazing. The customer service was wonderful. Loved the interior. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

$12.50 for 3 taquitos??????? I ordered on DoorDash and order size was not included in the description. I figured for $13 this would be enough to make it a meal with some chips and queso. Not the case! The queso is burned and looks LITERALLY like cat food. The chips pictured were blue corn and what showed up was just run of the mill yellow corn tortilla chips that most Mexican joints toss in for free. $9.00 for the queso pictured... really? I can't even eat this food for fear that I'll get sick, because I can't imagine the condition of the kitchen this type of food would come from. Very disappointed and having to order dinner from a different restaurant now. What a waste of my time and money. I'd give negative stars if I could. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Gross! - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

These tacos are THE BEST. The shrimp taco and the corn truffle are especially dank. Their drinks aren't the best... either too sweet or too acidic (like I'm drinking pure lemon juice concentrate). Also wish their taco Tuesday was all day instead of just late night. read more

Hands down, great margaritas!! Fresh mix and the jalepeno margarita is spicy and amazing!!! read more

Bakersfield Short North - Jalepeno Margarita - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The queso is amazing! It's probably what brings most people to Bakersfield from what I've experienced, although the food has never disappointed. It has a modern theme inside Bakersfield but gives a great range of options. I've always enjoyed my time read more

So my first time having Bakersfield was in Cincinnati. I thought it was the greatest thing ever as I don't exactly like Conados or Barrio, so I thought I would give the one in Columbus location a shot. The food was just as good as it was at the other location. The drinks were just as good too. This location wasn't a bad experience but could've been better as it wasn't busy and service still took forever it felt like. I try to not hold that against people as more may be going on that I am not aware of. But this just took ridiculously long to get drinks, food, the bill, and even after they took the bill they were gone for 20 minutes as I kept track of it. To me that is a bit much especially when you aren't even that busy. So that is why I will give this location 4/5 stars on this review. read more

I love how freshly their tacos tasted. If you come to this place, I would recommend their shrimp tacos. It is hand down the best tacos in bakersfield. I didn't find the fish tacos tasty. In fact, I found it a bit bland and lack of originality read more

Great guac & chips, tacos, and drinks! The staff is great and our waitress Alyssa was the best!

This review is solely just for the drinks but I have had their tacos and chips/queso/salsa before and I definitely recommend those also. I came in during a weekday around 2:30pm to celebrate a friend's birthday and we saw the special of the day and got that, which is tequila in a boot. I also got the pineapple margarita and it tastes quite sweet but very drinkable. Our bartender was really friendly and attentive, making sure we were doing all right. The atmosphere here is really casual and great for dates, get-togethers, and going out. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I went here one day for lunch with a group of work friends. I ordered the torta and was kind of sad when they brought my plate out. The sandwich was smaller than I had expected. However, it was filling. I was unable to finish the whole thing and I'm normally like an empty pit. The one I got was very spicy and since I love spicy foods, it was perfect for me! The flavor was great! The staff was very friendly and I really liked the location too. read more

Bakersfield Short North - A torta - spicy - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Mexican food in Columbus? No way it could be any good right?? *bites into a taco* woah......... My Californian self concedes. Bakersfield is one poppin' venue for drinks and casual Mexican dining! While the name itself strikes middle-of-nowhere in my home state (lol sorry friends), it has become one of THE spots to check out in Short North. The lounge atmosphere is open and friendly to everyone. The waiters here were so sweet and made sure we were checked up on throughout the evening. The margaritas here were stiff and delicious; a definite YES in my books! Finally came the food. We ordered a couple of tacos to try and some guac. The avocado dip here surely did not disappoint. I was in love after the first bite. When the tacos came out, I was hoping for the worst, considering it was also $4 for each one. However, once I sank my mouth into one, I couldn't complain. These tacos were awesome and far exceeded my expectations of Midwestern Mexican food. Tortilla was just right in my books, and the flavors were all there. The hardest part really was fighting for a seat. Fortunately, we were able to snag a bench for us and the food and drinks just kept on coming. If you come with a small sized group, you'll be sure to have a great time and enjoy some tasty Mexican. Parking is hard so you better find a Lyft/Uber driver or a friend to take you here. read more

I know many people who are gaga over Bakersfield. The decor and the ambiance are great. We went for lunch. The food was good but not fantastic. The prices were very reasonable. The margaritas are a bit too sour. I also don't like how they serve communal plates. read more

Great food! Great ambiance and great margaritas! Didn't love the queso but I'm sure others would disagree!

Their chips and guac are definitely worth going back to!! The guac is deliciousssss The tacos were amazing!! The pastor taco and fish taco were delicious!! We got the Rose Sangria as a pitcher but they put too much ice so didnt feel like it was quite worth the money. The whole vibe was a great place to talk to friends and enjoy the food read more

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Absolutely delicious!! The best queso and tacos I've ever had. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful! A cozy, comfortable setting right in the heart of the Short North. Will definitely visit again! read more

Amazing tacos, service and drinks. The guacamole was chunky and delicious and chips were salted similar to chipotle. Tacos had great flavor. Only complaint is they are SUPER small for $4. Condados are much larger for $3.50. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Place was pretty cool and food was very good. I wish they said how big/small the tacos were cause they ended up smaller than expected. Place is a small chain w other locations but would highly recommend. read more

I am a fan of Bakersfield! We arrived around 1 on a Saturday & had about a 5 minute wait. Not bad, but odd for the places I frequent for lunch. We were seated and our server came up immediately. I knew I wanted a margarita, my fella wasn't so sure (he is an IPA man through and through). However, our server was very helpful and found him a good beer. We ordered the chips with queso and black beans. It is not your run of the mill creamy queso, but it is SO good. We also got 4 tacos to share, Mole, Pastor, Fish & Short Rib. Our favorites were the Fish & Mole. The bar is very cool looking, wood everywhere, which I love! The lighting is nice and they have windows that open 100%, however it was a hot day so they were closed. I will go back to Bakersfield, but perhaps always for lunch. I am not a fan of large crowds and long waits. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Bakersfield Margarita. Super delish. With Patron of course. - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Way too LOUD! The service was prompt the beer was great and the food delicious. But while we sampled the fresh queso we were discussing where else we could go for dinner. It is so loud it would be a good place to go if you were hearing impaired or wanted to go out to eat with someone you didn't want to talk to. Such a shame as I love their tacos and live nearby so maybe a good takeout place and avoid the deafening din. It hit a max of 105 decibels and is the equivalent of a power tool running next to your head while you try to eat. The noise was so irritating because it was self inflicted with a concert recording being played. It was like when the CIA tried to torture Manuel Noriega in Panama but louder. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This was a really strong visit with my daughter. The food was just the perfect size for a lite dinner. We have the cheese dip and it rocked as well as the tacos we had. No complaints, the wait staff was strong and informative. Another great spot in downtown Columbus. read more

Such a convenient location for a fast bite to eat and margs! Everyone can find a taco to their liking. The tacos are tiny but bursting with flavor. read more

Mason was the greatest server and the food was delicious! Get there before 6 to enjoy happy hour!

The queso was IMPRESSIVE to say the least. It was a different texture, it came different than I expected, and tasted different than I had ever tried... But it was SOO good. Their guacamole was also delicious. You definitely want to try the appetizers here. The whisey list is extensive, and I was in heaven as someone who often does whiskey and coke. I had so many options! The service was good. I stayed for a while, and I could tell when I started overstaying my stay. Overall, I'd definitely be back. read more

We love Bakersfield. We typically sit at the bar. Good service. Great drinks. Love their guacamole. Try the hoochie Coochie veggie taco. #mrdrinkofficial likes it here too. He's a kettle and grapefruit Jarritos soda. read more

Bakersfield Short North - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Came to Columbus for the weekend from Cleveland and stopped into Bakersfield on a Friday night. After a short wait, we were seated at the bar with Jerry as our bartender. He was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and even made me a special drink that was not listed. He was able to recommend many items (get the queso!) and checked in with us through out the night. All in all, a positive experience with delicious food, refreshing drinks and great conversation. Thanks, Jerry! read more

I've been here three times already and would definitely keep coming back. The tacos are decently priced and service is always fantastic. I've had all the tacos before, but my favorite one is the short ribs taco. The flavor is good and it's perfectly juicy. Each taco is $4, a good sized portion would be 2-3 tacos per person. The pastor was good but nothing special. The fish is good as well, but not the best I've had either. The guac and chips are phenomenal. They're guac is one of the best I've had. I've also had their queso before, it's good, but the guac is definitely better. The queso texture gets a little odd after it cools down a little bit. Their margaritas are fantastic as well and come in little mason jars read more

Bakersfield Short North - Short ribs taco, pollo rojo and pastor - Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Food was superb.we ordered salad, spaghetti, parmasan wings, and some drinks. Cam'ron and the server were very personable.

As a native Californian, Bakersfield was an establishment that reminded me of home through the room decor, but the food lacked that Mexican flare. They charge for chips and salsa, 10$, their tacos are average at best and overpriced, and you have to pay extra for rice and beans. Also, the street corn was cold and nasty. If this restaurant was in California, it would be out of business. The only thing that is worth paying for at this restaurant, is the fresh squeezed lemonade. Other than that, Bakersfield was a big let down. If you're looking for a night out on Taco Tuesday, this place isn't it. read more