Another awesome visit to a delightful icon of cultural history. Ms. Bernadette is keeping the legacy going, and shout out to her son Markus for making sure it stays alive! Shout out to Mr. Joe! Rest in power Ms. Monique! read more

Centro Basco - Ms. Bernadette - Basque Near Me - Chino, California

Centro Basco is a remnant of when Basque people established sheep herding in the 19th to mid 20th century, and then transitioned into dairy farming which have been converted to mega warehouses and residential subdivisions. However, Centro Basco still has its Jai Alai ball court & housing which may still be occupied by Basque workers. Centro Basco is big so beyond the main dining room & bar, there are the banquet room and the traditional long table communal hall typically found in Bakersfield, a major Basque center along with Boise, Idaho. We ordered a main and the Aitaxi or set up for $7 since it included Beef Tongue Escabeche which is a Basque signature dish. 1) Lukainka with Sauce Basquaise is a must get. Rough ground pork butt sausage seasoned with salt, black pepper, and garlic. Snappy skin and meaty texture are a pleasure to bite into. Sauce Basquaise on the side is tomato, garlic, olive oil, pimento, onion, white wine. 2) Oxtail Stew is slow braised for hours in red wine and tail bone supplying a fond de cuisine/broth, perfumed with touch of onions & carrots. Bone in the center, with soft, fibrous meat on the outer perimeter. A) Soup: Finely chopped carrots, trace of earthy, lentil flavoured chicken soup accompanied by sour dough bread. B) Beans in a mildly acidic red tomato sauce. C) Beef Tongue is boiled and soft marinated in oil & vinegar. Meaty yet bit fatty, the Escabeche style adds a flavour enhancing gastrique. Garnished with red tomato slices. D) Iceberg Lettuce Salad in oil & vinegar dressing is wilted with unremarkable processed, gummy white cheese slices. E) Spaghetti dressed with seems like a pedestrian, Salsa Bolognese/tomato meat sauce. F) Scalloped Potato: Slices of boiled, starchy potato colored with some yellow orange cheddar and baked in the oven that was like cafeteria food. 1-2a) Standard red wine varietal like a Syrah. 3) Monique's Gateau Basque: Suggested by our newbie server was a great choice. Two layers of a drier sponge cake sandwiching a thick layer of almond flavoured, gooey Crème Pâtisserie/pastry cream. Not cloyingly sweet like many typical American desserts. Down home food for the most part. Standouts were the Lukainka, Beef Tongue Escabeche, Monique's Gateau Basque, and Oxtail Stew for those really into beef where the meat nearest the bone is sweetest. With Basque restaurants in Socal disappearing such as "Jean's French Restaurant, a landmark in Colton, California, that closed after its French Basque owner, Jean Irola, passed away in April 2012." as well as Glendora Continental which is up for sale, it's important to patronize Centro Basco to recognize and preserve Basque culinary heritage. 3+/4- stars read more

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Basque cuisine, known for hearty dishes and even heartier portions, has outlasted nouvelle cuisine, veganism, and the raw food movement. Why? It's delicous and offers great bang for the buck. Centro Basco exemplifies these traits and offers a fantastic dining experience. My friend and I each ordered an entree, with the Basque setup (here called the Aitaxi meal) and including salad, soup, beans, pickled tongue and spaghetti with tomato sauce. My Poulet Basquaise (chicken roasted with Basque sauce) was tasty and filling. My friend's oxtail stew was the hit, though, rich and savory and a must-get. My friend was also kind enough to share some of his Lukinka Bites, tasty sausage bites that are also another must-order. Service was friendly and there's ample space for the whole family. Free parking in the lot. Highly recommended! read more

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This was our first time at Centro Basco. The bread was warm and seemed fresh baked. The appetizer was great. It was fresh and not overdone. We were given fideo and beans with our meal - yummm-mmm The oxtail was hearty and the potatoes were delicious. The salad was so good i had a second serving. I tasted the fish - it was delicious but I was too full to eat more than a nibble. The veggies were good but some of the green beans were over cooked others were al dente - I prefer the latter. We brought home a slice of the homemade Basco cheesecake. It was ... you guessed it...DELICIOUS! it was not too sweet. It tasted sooo light. Actually it was a 10/10. This is a well established local restaurant. The service was great. The restaurant has charm. Loved it!! We will be back ! read more

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This delicious family Basque restaurant has so many tasty items on the menu. Think French and Spanish and you've got a great combo for your taste buds. If you've never had oxtails, then you're in for a treat and the best stew you will ever eat. The service is always excellent, the prices are very reasonable, especially the cocktails beer and wine. My family has been dining at this restaurant for more than 40 years. Not many places left that include bread, soup, and salad with every entrée. The ambience is family friendly, well lit and never noisy. We've celebrated birthdays and anniversaries here. Cheers. read more

Food and environment is always top notch. One of a kind family owned basque restaurant that takes pride in taking care of their customers. Would highly recommend trying them out if you live in the area and haven't already. read more

Centro Basco has become one of our family's favorite places to eat. The service is always fantastic, and the restaurant has such a welcoming atmosphere, it truly feels like a home away from home. We especially love coming here for birthdays and for the annual Basque breakfast held every Labor Day weekend. The breakfast is served in a traditional "boarder style," which means you'll be seated with others unless you come with a large group. The food is served family-style, making the experience both fun and communal. Breakfast usually includes eggs, sausage, bacon, fresh bread, a tomato sofrito, French fries, and blue cheese. It's always hearty and delicious! For dinner, I can't recommend the lamb or the oxtail stew enough, though honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. If you're ever in the Chino area and want to try some Basque food, please check Centro Basco out! read more

Centro Basco - Breakfast of champions! - Basque Near Me - Chino, California

Attended a family gathering and dined in their larger banquet space. The set up was simple, but service was great and we had an open bar with drinks flowin'. Our lunch was served family style. Dinner rolls, salad, roasted vegetables, french fries, and sliced steak with vegetable du jour were all placed at the center of each table and we helped ourselves to how ever much we wanted. The onion soup arrived in individual bowls to each person. The overall meal was good; not overly complicated. The main restaurant had an old school vintage charm to it. A large mural of... what I'm guessing is Basque Country, is prominently displayed on the wall. A small bar area sits off to the side of the dining space with TVs to watch the game. THE PARKING. Free parking in their lot. THE RETURN. Yep, I'm interested in trying out different basque dishes! read more

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Absolutely amazing food, staff and service I've been coming since I was a child and it never will disappoint because how much care goes into this restaurant! read more

The food was delicious! The servers were professional and kind. Overall, excellent experience.

Excellent food!!! The service is great and the prices are fair. It is one of our favorite restaurants that's serves a 3 course meal.

The oxtail stew was excellent. It was tender and the sauce was delicious. The escargot was also delicious. It was not chewy but instead tender. The French onion soup is not as thick & rich as I would like and not as seasoned as I've had in other restaurant. Ample servings of salad & soup. I was surprised by the neat ambiance of the dining area. If you go in through the bar area, one wouldn't be impressed. The hostess & server were very friendly & attentive. Service was excellent. I'd come back to try the other dishes. read more

Centro Basco - Oxtail stew - Basque Near Me - Chino, California

We went to Centro Basco to celebrate my grandfathers 90th birthday. This restaurant has been in Chino for a long time since he had been there over 40 years prior and it still got his approval! I ordered the codon blue (my first time trying this dish). It was very flavorful and I enjoyed it! The actual portion of meat was a bit on the smaller side but this is made up for by the delish sides and soup (French onion or tomato basil ) and salad appetizer that come with the meal! I thought the roasted veggies were quite flavorful and the mashed potatoes were incredible. It also came with a bit of cranberry sauce which paired very nicely with the cordon blue since I felt the meat was a bit dry. Others in my party got the oxtail soup and the pork chops and that was quite enjoyed as well. The next time I am here I will definitely be trying the pork chops since they looked incredible! Slightly breaded and quite large for the price ! The ambiance has a "old timey" feel to it. It was a very peaceful dinner experience. They also had a bar area off to one side of the restaurant with some TVs playing whatever sports game was on that night. I also saw a more private room for big parties. The service was very fast, and the waiters were always nearby incase we needed anything. They let us bring in our own cake for our celebration, but they did have a 15$ corking fee when we wanted to bring in our own wine. Overall it was a very nice birthday dinner experience! Boppie (my Grandpa) approved! Date of visit : January 23, 2025 read more

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They are vegetable soup literally taste like my grandmother's. That alone earned them five stars.

I'm not Basque. But clearly, many of the other customers WERE...this seems to be a social focal point for the local Basque community. I was charmed by our server, who told us that her parents had gone on their first date together at this very restaurant, twenty-some years prior. I had oxtail stew. Simple. Generous portion, in a rich gravy. My son had something akin to poutine. read more

Great service, generous portions, and delicious food. Come hungry as each course adds up to a full belly! read more

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Excellent food and excellent service! We've gone on holidays and they have great family meals too!

This place is a hidden gem! You can't go wrong with any of the dishes here, the specials are amazing. I have not yet ordered anything from the menu that I did not like. The service here is top notch. The owner and her family chats with us and makes us feel like we're part of their family. The restaurant itself looks outdated but it's clean and cozy. Highly recommend for everyone to check this place out. read more

Had dinner at Centro Basco for Valentine Day. Very welcoming atmosphere, sat in a comfortable booth in the bar area...low lights as I prefer...excellent service and good food. We had prime rib, medium rare and lobster...both very good. The French onion soup was tasty. We also shared Carrot Cake and Burnt Basque Cheese cake...delightful. Will definitely do it again. Thanks staff. read more

The food has been top shelf for many,many years as well as the service. For a real treat for something different but oh so good you can't beat this place! read more

What a great place. Employees are very nice. Good people. Food is delicious. It's fresh and filling. Love their soup and salad. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and ambiance. Restaurant offers a relaxing vibe. I would come here again. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in California! Family style is so much fun you have to try and you get to enjoy meeting people. Plus food is always great. read more

Such a hidden gem in downtown Chino! Everyone should try this place at least once in life! It's THAT good. The place and especially the food will make you feel like you just stumbled upon an authentic eatery in a European village where locals come to eat with family and friends. Everything we had is just amazing! Oxtail stew Poulet Basque Fideo soup Jalapeño poppers Sourdough bread, beans & salted butter Gateau Basque Sterling's Cab Sauv Definitely worth the drive just to have the oxtail stew alone, which apparently wasn't on the menu in the beginning but it's so popular when served during the once-a-month communal type dining they decided to add it to the regular menu. Portion size is really generous, yet full of flavors leaving us wanting more. Service is friendly and on-point. Brandon & Jacob attentively checked on us without being intrusive at all. They promptly change the plates and offer to box up leftovers including the soup. Look forward to coming back to try other items on the menu such as the rack of lamb. Also there's a really nice full bar upfront and a second bar in the middle of the restaurant. Great job Centro Basco! read more

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Food and service are always good! They need to advertise more so they can get the word out about their great restaurant.

How did I miss coming here?! The food and service were BEYOND everything! I came in alone. MJ was my server. I was there to celebrate my Mom's heavenly birthday. MJ was so kind and gracious, my drink never ran dry. I knew I couldn't eat all the food and it was no problem to pack it up for me. MJ even gave me strawberry ice cream to celebrate my Mom I will definitely be back read more

Came here for my grandma's 91st birthday and it was amazing! I've been going here for years but just reviewing now. The food and service has always been unique and great! You don't normally find Basque food so it's awesome we get to have one locally. My family and I got the veal, chicken cordon blue, and meatloaf. Also got escargot as an appetizer, along with fideo soup, salad, bread, beans, au gratin, and vegetables. It's a meal! The salad is the best in my opinion. It's so simple but the dressing makes it so flavorful! What's also neat is that the whole dinner is served in separate courses. It is an amazing place for special occasions! The service was also exceptional, as they frequently checked in on us and were very friendly. They also sang my grandma a Basque birthday song with Basque style cheesecake, definitely recommend for dessert. The inside was also neat as they had older European style decor with cool paintings. Overall, recommend this place to people in the area and those who are visiting for a special experience! read more

Solid food, good service, old school restaurant with a nice bar inside. Most of the gripes here are likely due to unrealistic expectations about the food, ambiance and service. It's not going to be the fanciest restaurant you've ever been to, you're not going to get staff hovering on your every want or desire and if you go and order non-traditional items they'll be okay but probably not as good as if you had gone with the lamb, pork chops or veal. I think it's a good choice/option for a sit down dinner with friends and/or family that live in the Chino Valley. read more

Tongue and tomato... TRUST ME it's so good! My husband and I go here often just for it. Their main dishes are all classic and absolutely delicious. The dinner portions are very large so try not to over fill yourself on the soups and salads. My only complaints are the smell and the stained carpet in the dining room. I'm not sure if it's the carpet that isn't cleaned or if it's the lingering smell of an unkept bar, but it's pretty overpowering when you're trying to enjoy their beautiful menu items. read more

Food was delicious. My four coworkers and I came for lunch and started with the poutine as an appetizer. It kind of reminded me of french fries with sauce. They also had calamari which looked good, but I did not try it. French bread was also served. For my main entree, I had the chicken cordon bleu with mashed potatoes and green beans. We opted for single plates rather than family style for the sides. The interior is dark inside with no windows, which actually was pleasant on a hot summer day. It appears they also had a bar section with a large TV for sporting events. The serving staff were friendly and helpful on meal suggestions. read more

Been coming here since the late 70's...same family and same delicious food and great service .i recommend trying the family style meals on the last Saturday of the month..menu is always changing read more

My family and I opted for the Sunday pre-fixe menu that is an amazing value of $30 a person. For that price you receive either an individual 3 course meal, or family style if others in your party join you. Almost forgot, you even get a glass of wine! The restaurant is family run and a staple if you're ever driving on Central in chino. As soon as you step inside you can feel and see that it's a gathering place for families, new and old. To start, you'll receive a basket of sliced fresh bread and a generous portion of cheese (ours was bleu) on arrival. Your next course is soup de jour and side of beans, which our waitress suggested we add to the soup. We did so and she was correct. The soup was hearty and the beans only elevated it. Next up was a very simple salad dressed in only a light oil and vinegar, which is a welcome break between what's to come. The "starter" for our prefixe was Chicken Chasseur, similar to a coq au vin, but with a basque twist. This was 4 quarter chicken pieces in an amazing sauce with cut up veggies. The chicken was tender and fell off the bone. Our main entree was ribeye and fries, which was hard to believe after receiving the amazing chicken dish. The ribeyes were thin cut (which we appreciated at this point in the meal) and topped with fresh garlic and butter. The ONLY low mark of the entire meal was the fries on the side. Nothing to write home about. At the end of the meal, we had enough leftovers for another meal for 4. The meal was great and amazing value you cannot find anymore. Highly recommend stopping in for a Sunday prefixe, and note, the menu always changes! read more

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When there was a group and we arrived early. No one was there to greet us, and we eventually found our tables on our own. There was no one in the back for us so we ended up to the bar to get drinks. I must've waited at least 10 minutes for the server at the bar to get to me. One person asked for the tab after I ordered my drinks but she spent the entire time figuring out the tab without pouring my drink. She did then come and pour for me after I gently reminded her of my order. Back to our tables where we continue to wait. Again, we were early with a large party so I guess they had called in a server for us but no one came to see us or give us a menu or even bring us bread. We had about eight kids with us, and it would've been really nice to give them something. Eventually, we track someone down to give us menus, but our server was still not there. She did come at the time we had made the reservation for and by that time we were all hungry, Thursday and grumpy. She got to taking her orders relatively fast, thankfully, although when we told her we were starving, she told us "you were early and I'm on time". Fair enough. Once we got our orders in which we were already to do, we had to wait. We waited so long without bread that we went up to the kitchen to go find it. She finally brought us bread and our rounds of apps. We got two different kinds of poutine as well as S cargo and a wedge of blue cheese. All were good. Happy to eat them and the portions were good. Could use a little bit salt by overall not bad. The S cargo were excellent and the legend blue cheese was perfectly stinky. We also got a couple bowls of French onion soup. The soup was extremely salty, which is great for me, but some people might not appreciate that. I could've used more cheese on mine. It was like one by and gone. But the cops were good sized, and there was a ton of onions in there which I liked. I also ordered a salad as did my husband, but he got his main course before his salad came out. Mine came out at the same time as his but I had only ordered apps and soup and salad so it was fine for me. My kids got a plate of fettuccine, which was more than ample sized and a kids chicken tender. The kids chicken tender was like from a frozen package for sure. They were pretty much shaped like rectangles, and had very little flavor and no texture. The fettuccine had a generous portion and a ton of sauce but once again, the sauce had no flavor. Other people at our table, got the veal Taylor, which was allegedly very good (I don't eat veal), the ox tail stew, which looked sensational and smells fantastic but I did not try and the steak sandwich which was thin, chewy and underwhelming. My sister-in-law's pasta was fettuccine with chicken. Again ample portions, but the exterior of the pasta was raw and the inside was average. She sent it back, and as you can see from the photos, the sides of veggies look worse than cafeteria food. Over cooked and no seasoning. Salad was ok. One weird piece of cheese- tasted good but why? - and the ranch was good. Really could've used something else in it like croutons or cucumber... Just something more than lettuce. Overall, I probably wouldn't come back. The bar area seemed lively, and the drinks were fine priced with the good pours. But the food was so so and while I appreciate that we had a large group with an assigned server I think it was super poor that not a single person checked on us or brought us anything until she got there. read more

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Great family restaurant We have been coming here for sixty years. The owners love what they do and make you feel like family read more

Our roasted chicken was delicious the soup and salad were delicious our waitress was so friendly thank you so much.

Great service, food, and ambiance reminds us of a moment back in time. Recommend everyone in the Chino Valley & friends to try it at least once. Let's support our local family owned establishments. Btw: we took a favorite bottle of wine; Corkage fee was very reasonable. But next time we'll try their delicious Cocktails, for sure! read more

Great service...enjoy these restaurants while we still have them. Food quality excellent!

Came for Fathers Day and we had a great experience... the food was great! Everything was delicious. Spaghetti stood out the most the sauce was amazing and cooked perfectly. And the service was excellent.. my dad had been here before and loved the place. I loved the pictures along the walls that show all the history. Will definitely come back again soon! read more

I feel like this restaurant is so underrated. I really did enjoy my meal but feel people just don't know about this place. It really has a home cooked food taste. If you venture here, try the ox tail stew. read more

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Why but why did I wait 8 years of living in Chino to come here What made it amazing is the hometown, family owned feel. We dropped in as soon as they were about to close after lunch but they were so welcoming to us anyway and we were a party with a ton of kids. The service was so sweet, kind and informative. The owner even came out to check on us a couple of times to ask is how everything was going. The ambiance almost feels like a restaurant you would find in the mountains somewhere. It's welcoming and cozy with the woods vibes and even a neat bar! After the service the food is the star! Everything tastes homemade like a grandmother made it! I had the Poulet Basque and it was a nice portion with a delicious tomato sauce that was made from scratch. The vegetables were tasty and the mashed potatoes perfect. My sister asked for a cocktail and they told her they would make her anything she would like. She ordered a lemon drop and it was the best one any of us had ever tasted...so fresh and perfectly balanced. To send everything over the top we had the basque cheesecake which a handmade by the owner herself and it definitely didn't disappoint. It had the most delectable texture and wasn't too sweet. I can't wait to come back here for date night or after church on Sundays, special occasions etc. Such a gem in our community. read more

Yelp never fails me when I'm on the search for unique yet delicious places, this being one of them. I would never imagine a spot like this out here, with a lovely antique feeling that's great for a date night. The staff was really friendly and we went with the combo that came with a plate of tomato and tongue plus a side of bread and butter. The tomato and tongue was definitely special. Basically a drizzle of olive oil and garlic bits for seasoning but that was all that it needed. The tongue is probably the most tender I've ever had, with its melt-in-your-mouth thin cut. Definitely check this spot out if you're ever in Chino! read more

Centro Basco - Interior - Basque Near Me - Chino, California

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