Our Matters of Taste foodie group came to Bakersfield on Mass Ave. on a Wednesday night for dinner, and it was very busy! The hostess had a hard time finding the reservation for our group when I gave her the name several times, and then eventually after five minutes, she found the reservation and told me the group was on the back patio. The restaurant was packed, and I could tell they were short staffed because it took our server Kimberly about 20-25 minutes before she took our drink order and food order. It did take about the same amount of time to get a glass of water. The service was slow the entire night due to the short staff, so we had a wait awhile for our drinks and our food. The food did end up arriving before our drinks. Kimberly said the bar was way behind in making drinks, but I did not believe that, because the bar should still be able to keep up with drinks, unless only one bartender is working behind the bar. The food and drinks were good. I ordered a skinny margarita which was good, but did taste a little watered down. I did sample my friend's pineapple margarita and it was very good. The tacos were fantastic and high quality!! The cochina puril taco, which is pork, was very spicy but flavorful and delicious. The fish and shrimp tacos were fantastic as well. I also ordered the rice and beans which was very fresh and tasted wonderful. I sampled the chips and guacamole which were wonderful. The guacamole was extremely fresh and nice chunks of avocado. The corn salad and potatoes were delicious with perfect texture and flavor. The ambiance on the back patio was nice and perfect weather outside as well with a nice breeze. The inside of the restaurant was packed and crazy with all tables filled and servers running around with their head cut off like chickens because it was so busy. I did see an upset customer at the hostess stand asking for the manager when I walked in to ask for a reservation. It did set the tone for how the evening went for our group. The ambiance is very nice inside with a nice old style Mexican feel to it, since it is a Mexican restaurant. One person from our group had to go inside and grab sliverware, napkins, and plates for our table because we did not get anything from Kimberly. This was a hectic night for the staff of the restaurant apparently, because Kimberly was running ragged and did not spend a lot of time at our table, so we did not have refills on our waters or anything else we needed. Kimberly did bring us our drinks and our food, but that was it for the rest of the evening until we were ready to check out and pay the bill. Kimberly did get a little sassy and rude towards us at the end when we asked for to go boxes for our food and it took a long time for her to bring the boxes to us. I would say overall this was not my best dining experience at Bakersfield Mass Ave. The restaurant itself is excellent and wonderful because of the high quality food and drinks, but this particular night was an "off night" for the wait staff because they were just running around like crazy and had a hard time keeping up with the tables. I'm sure if I came on another night, my dining experience would be much better. I still recommend Bakersfield to anyone who loves Mexican food and tacos, because they are #1. Hopefully the next time I come to Bakersfield for lunch or dinner, I will have a better dining experience. read more

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Stopped by during happy hour (4-6pm) on a Friday. We were out on the patio, and the place was busy and buzzing. During happy hour, they had $2 off margs and half-off for queso and chips/guac. The queso had a layer of baked cheese on top and was gooey inside, and the guac was a bit chunky, but they were both delicious. I also got a pineapple margarita, which was my favorite menu item of the night. There was a bit of chaos because we were a larger group, but our food came out fast once the order was put in. The staff were all very kind and friendly, and it was a good experience overall :) read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Pineapple margarita - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Sunshine was our waitress and was amazing the food was amazing and the margaritas were great!

We had lunch at Bakersfield Mass Ave location with some family. We started with queso, chips and guacamole. The Guacamole was delicious! I love how it was more of a chunky guac and not blended too soft. Love the lime flavor and the chips are perfectly seasoned with salt. For lunch, I had a carnitas, fish and short rib taco. I forgot to take photos of the carnitas and short rib tacos but both were delicious. Service was excellent and I love the Nashville, TN feel with the music and decor. We will be back for more very soon. Next time, I will be sure to try one of the freshly made margaritas that I watched them make. read more

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Let me preface that if you want to go to Bakersfield on a Friday just after happy hour, make sure you have a reservation or are comfortable sitting at the bar. Even with just me waiting, it was nearly a 45min wait before a space at the bar cleared. The bartenders were quite nice and looked well after everyone at the bar. Drinks were quickly made and I got the guava & passion fruit marg which was nice and refreshing. I would recommend a sugar rim over a salt rim though. I decided to get the guac, salsas, and three tacos to see how the food was. The guacamole and salsa nearly came out immediately. I was surprised that of the salsa trio, I enjoyed the salsa verde the most. The guac was on the chunky side, but nothing I would turn my nose up to. The tacos were smaller street style. I chose to try the carnitas, Baja shrimp, and short ribs. The shrimp was my favorite out of the three, the short ribs were disappointingly dry. I also ordered a pineapple auga Fresca and was pleasantly surprised to see it was from fresh pineapple juice hit with some fresh soda. Overall a good experience, but come with a reservation or earlier. read more

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Let's just say Mexican - authentic or commercial has my heart! Always always! Although Bakersfield Mass Ave is a bar with small Mexican eats my Papas Rajas was THE BEST! Smallest portion but what flavors! Chefs kiss! Haeli our server was so busy on a Friday night but she took good care of us and made sure everything we order was accurate. This is such a fun place with a good vibe! There's a proper bar with screens and then there's a nice dine in option down stairs where we could sit and catch up with colleagues! It was just set right. Situated in the middle of Mass Ave you cannot miss the location. Extremely trendy and buzzing with a good crowd. I don't drink but I had a fantastic time with my team! read more

Bakersfield has a great vibe, with their restaurant design being cute and vibrant. I highly recommend the salsa trio, they're all so good! They change up their margarita flavor from time to time so you can look forward to new kinds! Every time I go, it's very busy so it definitely holds some hype. With that being said, it can be a little difficult to get very attentive servers but they're still great servers. When your order gets in, it does come out quickly! Many fun tacos to try! read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Chips and Salsa, Queso - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Service was excellent. casso was wonderful too. I had a taco and salad. Nice comfortable place to celebrate Mother's Day with my daughter.

Had the most wonderful experience at Bakersfield due to Richie being the upmost help and the continuous checkins. Ordered the chips and queso to start with 2 sodas. The queso was amazing! Probably the best I've tried in a long time. For the entree we ordered 2 Pollo verde, 1 fish and 1 Al Pastor. The Pollo verde wasn't bad but the Al Pastor was exceptional. I would definitely come back just for that! We also ordered 2 plain grilled chickens and a family taco kit to go. read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Queso - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Really enjoy this Mexican style spot, neat atmosphere and the patio is nice when the weather is warm. I came in to grab a drink and because I was craving the yummy skillet queso! My Bartender Erica made my experience next level by not only making sure my glass was always full but also because she genuinely cared about me having a great experience. You don't find that service as often these days especially in busier places downtown. Yes my margarita and queso were great but my overall awesome experience thanks to her is what'll make me more likely return next time! Thanks for an amazing night! read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - My yummy marg made amazing by Erica who took the time to half n half my rim and make it special! - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

AMAZINGLY tasty and fresh tacos! I honestly haven't had ingredients this fresh anywhere else -- I could taste the quality in every bite. I got three different tacos and each was unique and equally delicious. The tacos were incredibly flavorful yet surprisingly light. I felt satisfied with three tacos without feeling weighed down or needing more. Truly a standout spot for unbelievably fresh, delicious food. Sad I didn't know about this place before. read more

Went there after church on Fathers Day. Tacos are tiny but tasty. Lunch sized portions. Excellent guacamole!

Overall, it's not a bad deal for tacos; they're $4.50, and you can try each on the menu without breaking the bank. My preference was the shrimp over the fish. They had better flavor. My only complaint is the stench of the bar. While I didn't drink, you could tell by the smell of the bar that it could use a deep cleaning. In their favor, I went around 7ish, so the end of the day was approaching. read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Shrimp & Fish Tacos - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

To begin with the tacos are not worth it here. They are so small (tortilla) and not enough portion of meat. The price for the tacos is a little bit much. Moreover the place is pretty big a lot of sitting which is nice. I've been here twice and the place has been neat and clean. In addition the drinks here are pretty good. Price is fair and is a fair portion as well. Furthermore I wouldn't recommend coming for the tacos but for the drinks and service I do. read more

Loved the food & ambiance! So many different dishes to choose from & it's delicious! MATT is an Excellent bartender!!

On a random Tuesday around 4pm we stopped by for drinks. The hostess was awkward, and finally sat us down outside, in the front with menus. We decided on what drinks we wanted, but no one ever came to take our order. After 8 minutes, we left. read more

Walked in and got seated quickly, staff were friendly and attentive since I was dining alone they were making sure I was taken care of. The music was going as a normal bar and grill. The food was pretty rock solid, I had the taco, chille relleno and empanada. Pretty rock solid for a place far away from the west or Mexico. Loved the fact that it's fried empanadas. The chile relleno had marinaded ground beef. I'd love the food and friendliness of my waitress. I'd come back for a drink next time I'm in town. read more

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been here twice and had very different experiences both times. first time was very very quick and staff was great, food was hot and it was a very lovely time. second time they kept checking on us but then never brought us our food until over an hour later and it was cold. the server did take our food off the bill and was very apologetic. the staff has been great both times i have been there! very cute place. right on mass ave so tons of parking and close to everything for walking. tacos are very tiny though so plan according with that! read more

Hadn't been here in quite a while so stopped in while I was back in town. Have to say, the queso portion was about half the size of what I remember when this spot was a regular stop a few years ago. Ever since they stopped giving the 3 different salsa squeeze bottles, it hasn't been the same. read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Queso - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Food and service and vibes were so good! Shoutout to Sunshine, she was an amazing server and made our night!

The guava margarita was my favorite. They had a great selection of unique and delicious tacos. The taquitos and queso were definite highlights. Great service and great ambiance. Would recommend! read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Guava and Pineapple Margaritas - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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My first meal in Indianapolis could not have been better! I went out with my friends and had an incredible time! The food was absolutely delicious, and they even had options to make the food vegetarian. I particularly loved their sauces, which they served with the empanadas. Yum! The waitress was a real pro! She gave me some great suggestions for cocktails, and I loved the flavor she picked for me. read more

This is one of my favorite places in all of Indianapolis. The food is spectacular, a little bit expensive for portions, but so good. The vibe here is so fun, especially on a warm day when all of the windows are open. They have really fun drinks that are delicious, slightly pricey. The service has been great on several occasions that I have been here. They are always prompt and going above and beyond to make your experience fabulous. My only qualm is that they have very unique seating and I do not care to sit in the basement. It's really dark and the vibe upstairs is so much more fun. I love all of their tacos and esquite dip. Definitely recommend going here. read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - tacos! - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I came here with friends for cinco de mayo and it was great. You can make a reservation which makes it super easy to come with a larger group. The queso has several options - we got the short rib and the classic. Both were absolutely delicious but the real star was the guacamole!! It was limey and salty - yum!! You can get the margaritas by the glass or in a picture. I recommend the picture, it is a great deal. All the tacos looked incredible but the shrimp was a favorite with our crowd. The service was lovely too! All our questions were answered and the service was quick even though it was pretty busy. The only point about the ambiance is that it is pretty loud inside with music and other people so if you have someone who is sensitive to that maybe pick somewhere else. read more

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Super fun place for taco Tuesday. Order a ton of food and share. We loved it. Server was excellent and very friendly and helpful. Authentic food and fresh. read more

I hosted my husband's 30th birthday in the private event space at Bakersfield and it was perfect. Due to a large blizzard, many things were up in the air on if we were going to make it work. Ruth was beyond accommodating and put my worries at ease! The event itself was amazing and our guests had a BLAST. Kalie and Collette took great care of us and made the night so much fun! Thank you Bakersfield!! We will be back to host another event in the future! read more

Wow - used to love Bakersfield - could always get a great margarita and some good tacos. Margaritas remain solid and I'll go there for those only but the food yikes very disappointed. The fish taco was decent but the other two tacos were strangely sweet and very small ended up with a bill for 60 bucks and basically the only thing we had was Queso and margaritas and some teeny tiny tacos read more

Bakersfield is a "mexican" restaurant located downtown on Mass Ave. They use traditional ingredients, but put a more modern twist on them. I love traditional Mexican food, and still really enjoy what they offer here. This is a good place for a date or an outing with friends and family. They have seating options for both small and large groups. I've had good and bad experiences with service here. So starting off with their drinks, they have good margaritas here. I usually get the pineapple margarita, but it's not always consistently made. It tastes slightly different every time I order it, but still is good. My favorite drinks used to be the sangria or the paloma, but they no longer have them on the menu. For an appetizer, the chips & salsa is my go-to. They used to just have a red and green salsa, but recently have added a yellow salsa (it's sweet and spicy, maybe mango habanero?) and that one is my favorite! For entrees, you can't really go wrong getting any of their tacos. I've tried all of them and they're all delicious! My favorites are the fish, al pastor, and short rib. The tacos are small, but filling. I usually order 3. They also have salads if you're looking for something lighter. My favorite salad was the Loretta, but again, they no longer have it on the menu:'( They don't have a strict dress code, but I would say casual or dressy casual are usually what I see people dressed as here. For parking, there is pay to park spots all along Mass Ave and the surrounding blocks. read more

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Bakersfield is a great place to hang out with friends and grab drinks. The short ribs and queso were delicious! Margaritas are super poplular, but dont fret because the drink menu still has great selections. Its in a prime location on Mass Ave, so on the weekends, it can get pretty crowded, so sometimes it can get a little busy for the servers to get to you. read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Strawberry rose margarita - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The service was great! Our waiter continually came and checked on us the first time I went even when it was jam packed. The food was delicious! We got the queso as an appetizer and the first visit I forgot to take photos of my tacos because we ate them so fast. I love that you can get individual street tacos so you can sample them all. Their classic margarita was so yummy but the first time I went I got a pineapple margarita and it didn't taste like pineapple at all but apple juice and tequila. It wasn't bad but not what I expect when having a pineapple margarita. It's a small space and at night the lights are more of a romantic feel but I love the intimacy feel at night. I have now gone two times and am glad I went back. These are some of the yummiest street tacos you'll find in Indianapolis area! read more

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Sunshine was awesome! Helpful with menu items and very nice! Glad we came here!!!!!!!!!!

This was a great place for lunch. Very rustic ambiance. Food was superb. We had the chips and guacamole. Thar guacamole was great. Had the shrimp and fish tacos which looked almost to good to eat. Glad I did as they were so tasty. Our server was awesome. She had great suggestions and was very efficient. Great spot. I'll plan to return so I can try a margarita. read more

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Overall delicious tacos!! The corn tortillas were so fresh and the fillings had very flavorful fillings! The guac is also great here!! The service was a bit slower than we expected though. The vibe is very casual and they have great out door seating! read more

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chelsie was the best! great recommendations and atmosphere! the drink was great, as a ginger lover. get the tacitos

Absolutely cannot express my thanks to Bakersfield and, specifically, their GM Ruth! I had a catering order placed at The Eagle which couldn't be completed due to The Eagle shutting down due to a water heater issue. I went over to Bakersfield in the hopes of getting some form of resolution and I can't say enough. Ruth went above and beyond to put together a replacement order and was beyond kind about the entire interruption I caused (during the dinner rush in the middle of a snow storm, to boot!). Words can't describe how thankful I am for Ruth and their entire team! read more

Bakersfield is always a solid spot to choose on Mass Ave. It's always consistently delicious, has great service, and the vibes are on point. Their guac here is always amazing. It has the right amount of jalapeño, but not too much! Although they do have awesome tacos, I'm a sucker for the Johnny salad as it's consistently one of the best salads I've ever had. I always get the half, and it is more than enough!! You can add chicken on it if you want, but it comes with bacon so it's usually enough for me. This visit, my friend and I sat up at the bar, and Johnny was our bartender. He was super friendly, personable, and made an amazing seasonal margarita. Thanks for being great!! I highly recommend this place, as it is hands down the best place to get Mexican food on Mass Ave. Enjoy!! read more

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I've been to Bakersfield many times over the years and it continues to have friendly service and great food and drinks. Highly recommend! read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Baja Shrimp Taco - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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The Hostess, Arryona was awesome! She was professional and so polite. I will be coming back.

Back to Bakersfield Our best friend was in town for her Dad's surgery so of course we had to go to Bakersfield, her all time favorite. I love that we could make a reservation ahead of time, cause it's usually a super long wait. The queso with chorizo (not fully loaded) was delicious as always; we were so hungry I forgot to take a picture. Tacos were amazing as well. Special shout-out to Rachel who was super sweet and took great care of us. read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Spicy Pineapple Margarita - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Everything was good. The atmosphere is nice. Also had 3 tacos pretty small for how much but other than that, it's really good. Small menu, but all tasty. read more

Bakersfield Mass Ave - Short Rib Queso Dip - Bars Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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