I arrived at 6:15pm and was told that there would be a 15-20 minute wait, so I stepped out onto the sidewalk to wait for my friends. They have the area in front of the restaurant sectioned off as if they might put tables out there, but there were none on the day we visited (granted, it was raining all day). The large windows were open (one of my favorite features of many Mass Ave restaurants are the huge, open front windows in nice weather--think MacNiven's or Ball & Biscuit) and Johnny Cash was blaring from inside. It was all very summery and promising.
After a short wait (less than expected), the hostess retrieved us and showed us to our seats. We were at a "communal" table, i.e. a picnic table meant for 7; there were two ladies at one end, so we took the other end. There was a one-person bench at the very end where one of us sat, so there was some space between us and our neighbors. We quickly decided to order a pitcher of the Bakersfield Margarita ($24) to split amongst the three of us, after the waitress assured us that it was the equivalent of 1.5 glasses each (individual glasses are $6). She ended up bringing us short glasses (regular margaritas come in Ball jars) and I think we each got around 3 fill-ups. The margarita itself was really good and pretty well-balanced--not too sweet, not too sour.
We also ordered chips and guacamole for the table. The chips were great--thin but they stood up to the dip, and with nice big pieces of salt on them. The guac was pretty good, too. Quite a few large chunks, good amount of lime (although I prefer more when I make it myself), a touch of heat in the background, and not too much cilantro. It was quite a hearty portion, but we managed to finish it off.
Bakersfield features a lot of tacos, but I'd heard good things about their tortas (Mexican sandwiches) and wanted to try one. The short rib torta had braised short rib, caramelized onions, chihuahua cheese, arugula, black beans, and a roasted tomatillo salsa. It was good, although it just felt like a little something was missing. Acid, maybe, or salt? Not sure. The arugula was lightly dressed and the bites with more dressing were pretty good; the salsa is in the cup on the side, there in the picture, and was hard to get onto the sandwich (do I pour it right on? Dip it? I opted to dip.). The salsa was good, but again, didn't pack a ton of flavor like you'd expect it to. I also kind of wish that the cheese had been melted. The bread was fairly good, and reminded me of what you might get on a pressed Cuban sandwich. Overall, tasty, just not what I'd call "crave-able." I'm not dying to get back there for another, if you know what I mean.
The girls got two tacos each--a fish (fried mahi with cabbage slaw), pastor (pork with pineapple), and I think two short rib tacos (short rib, queso fresco, crema, and radishes). One friend said the fish was by far her favorite; the other liked the short rib so much that she ordered another. So I think they were relatively happy with them.
One review that I read said that if someone asked for a good Mexican restaurant recommendation, that they would NOT recommend Bakersfield, but if they just want a snack and a great margarita after work, that this is the place. I'd have to agree wholeheartedly with that assessment. The food was not so outstanding that I'm counting the minutes till I return, but it was pretty good, and the atmosphere (aside from being incredibly loud--come on, turn the music down a notch or two so we can converse) is summery and fun. I'd love to sit outside sometime if they do put tables out there, with a margarita and more of that guacamole.
Website: Bakersfield on Mass
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