Went thereafter Saturday for my friend bday party. The var was classy nice benches and barstools…read more The KJ was great the crowd cheered every one on and danced. The prices are good as well.

The female bartender was not only rude, but just trash. She yelled at us in front of all of the bar…read morebecause we didn't pull out our ID's quick enough for her. This was a regular place I'd visit. No mas. Not ever again. I won't spend a penny here again .

If a dive bar and a queer bar were to combine, The Mint Bar is exactly what comes to mind. Located…read moresmack dab in downtown Bakersfield, this spot features cheap drinks and a relaxed vibe. What I appreciated was how laid back the patrons and staff were. They have an outdoor space with a few patio benches and a tv outside. Short & Sweet - it's a safe space for everyone and all in Bakersfield. Not too shabby of a spot.

Not knowing what this place was, heard music and out of curiosity I walked in .... oh boy lol…read more This is an eclectic group. No cover charge Pool table outdoor space with music Plenty of parking as it sits near the corner Came in and left

This was one of the many bars we stopped at while in Bakersfield. The bartender was really cool and…read morehad a lot of funny jokes--I don't know if he was working for tips, but he definitely earned it. Met a guy who said it was his birthday and showed me his ID to prove it, so I bought him a beer. The place has great energy. They have a pool table and, I believe, a dartboard (I'm not great at either). The drinks were strong and delicious, and the place was clean.

My best friend wanted to celebrate her birthday 80s style downtown. This was my first time here and…read moreit was really fun! We got there by 9 pm, and our group was able to sit at two tables. The atmosphere was laid back. It seemed to have a regular clientele. Bartenders were very friendly with everyone! The drinks I had were very good, more ice and juice than alcohol but still good. The prices we paid were about $5 to $10 per drink. There was an ATM on the side of the room, but I'm sure there's a fee to use it. So bring cash with you!!! There was a jukebox, but you have to download an app and add money through it to play a song of your choice. It was loud in there, but we were all still able to talk to one another. Although there was music, it didn't look as if there was a dance floor. It was a pleasant bar, sure I'd love to go again.

Nobody plans to spend an evening in Bakersfield. You pass through it on the way to somewhere else…read more-- Mammoth, the Sequoias, the long flat grind up the 99 to Sacramento -- and if you stop at all, it's for gas or a bathroom or because your BMW's brakes have decided, somewhere around the Grapevine, that they'd rather not. Thank you, Weatherford BMW of Berkeley, for the near-death experience and, inadvertently, for one of the best nights out I've had in years. Stranded and waiting on repairs, we checked into The Padre, the only hotel in Bakersfield that feels like someone with a subscription to Dwell had a hand in it, and set out walking through a downtown that time has treated with more kindness than reputation suggests. There's a Woolworth's luncheonette still hanging on. There are old brick facades and wide sidewalks and the particular quiet of a Central Valley evening when the heat finally breaks. And then, on 18th Street, there is Tiki-Ko, and suddenly you are no longer in Bakersfield at all. You are, instead, inside someone's magnificent obsession. Tiki-Ko is a proper tiki bar -- not a tiki-themed cocktail lounge, not a place that bought some bamboo at a craft store and called it atmosphere, but a genuine, committed, floor-to-ceiling shrine to mid-century Polynesian fantasy. The carvings are real. The lighting is correct -- which is to say, barely there. The mugs are serious. There are pufferfish lamps and carved totems and the whole glorious taxonomy of tiki ephemera, accented here and there with a skate-culture edge that keeps it from feeling like a museum. It's reverent without being precious. The drinks are the real thing. Mai Tais built with actual orgeat. Zombies that earn the name. The bartenders make them with the kind of care and enthusiasm that tells you this isn't a gig -- it's a calling. They want you to be here. They want to talk about rum. They want you to try the Painkiller. In a city that most Angelenos regard as a punch line, somebody built a world-class cocktail bar and filled it with joy, and the regulars clearly know it. You will not plan a trip to Bakersfield. But if you find yourself there -- by mechanical failure, by accident, by the peculiar mercy of a bad brake job -- walk downtown. Find the tiki bar. Order a second round. Stay longer than you intended. Bakersfield has been underestimated, and Tiki-Ko is the proof.

Haven't been in here for probably 15 years. It's changed- a bit. I love Tiki bars and I go to every…read moreTiki bar I can find. It's tiny- like a lot of tiki spots. Decor is nice. Little hidden gems. Lighting is dark with bits color and neon popping through. The Bar Top curves around the bar- there are two booths that seat 5-6 and two short tables next to them- one seats 4- the other will comfortably seat two. There are a few bench style seating areas at the front with some short coffee tables. Think- skater tiki bar. The drinks were good- small menu if you're not sure what you want or are new to tiki. Both sides of the menu are the same menu. There are some nice mocktail options as well- you don't see that often. The service for me is mixed- it wasn't busy- steady but not busy- 1/4 full. I ordered two drinks to start for our table- (no cocktail servers here/not unusual for a small Tiki bar) I asked for a soda water- the bartender looked at me without a word- popped open a can of soda water and walked away. When he walked back by, I asked for a glass of ice- he said nothing and I got an eye-roll huff. I almost left. I don't think providing a glass with ice to pour your canned room temp soda water in, is too wacky an idea to be perturbed by the request. The female who took the order was friendly, smiled and was professional. We got a third cocktail- the Mai Tai. The grumpy bartender was friendlier this time. So, that helped. Maybe he felt overwhelmed and I threw off his groove by asking for water- then a glass... either way- being annoyed wasn't cool. The music.... Wasn't Tiki- it threw off the "Tiki Vibe" and made it feel typical small local bar that serves only Tiki drinks with some Tiki decor. It didn't take you to the land of Tiki- disappointed. Drinks were good.

Lay back bar . Service was great ambiance was great the DJ play great music…read more We had are friend 50th birthday celebration in the patio and they did an amazing job hosting for as thank you . It was my first time there I will be going back for drinks the bartender did delicious drinks for us. They had no food but they did have a outside vendor and they had some delicious hamburger

Super slow service. Don't waste your time. Music was good just some bad transitions from the dj…read morehere and there. I think the bar tenders need better training. There's potential but it just seems like no one cares.

Great place !!!! Very nice people food, music and fun. Highly recommend for a fun day.read more

Great place to step down memory lane. Great food. We had…read morethe burgers and patty melt (which was late coming out, about 10 minutes after my burger) and I don't think we got the rye bread we were told it came on but rather sourdough? You judge in the picture. That says service was good and the food was good despite the questionable patty melt experience.

Underrated torta spot! Had the Cubano and I'm so glad I did. It's on the expensive side, but I'd…read moresay it's around how much I'd like to pay for one. Pretty hefty and definitely in my lunch rotation now. Eager to try other varieties.

For the price of a extra bag of onion for my menudo you guys have lost a customer. I been coming…read morehere for years and I always ask for it and got it but today the lady in the counter wanted to charge me the menudo is 20 dollars come on...

Riley's is my FAV! I like to go in early to hang before the nighttime weekend crowd because Jake…read morethe bartender is amazing, can always count on a good convo over good, affordable drink. Thursday night karaoke is a blast!!

This was my first time back to Riley's in over 12 years. It…read morehas the same vibe. Some things never change, except maybe the drinks pricing.