Highland Cafe

I was looking for a place I hadn’t been too so I pic this place. I had steak & eggs and it was amazing. The country potatoes where very good fresh onion and peppers. I will come back and bring friends.

Good atmosphere, friendly, attentive waitresses, awesome food… and a bar too. Who could ask for more?

Not the same owners as 2012. Way different menu. This Unilocal account should be deleted. Misleading.

This place has the best breakfast! We have tried almost everything on the breakfast menu. They deliver on the weekends so that is fantastic! I really wish they would have fresh Strawberry’s instead of the sweet syrup style of strawberry they currently serve. If I was to recommend a menu item for breakfast it would be the build your own omelette yummy!!!

Best food in Oildale, friendly staff and reasonable prices. Cold beer and good regular crowd, good spot.

Terrible service from the waitress. I ordered a meal that comes with a salad and asked to substitute okra for one of the vegetables. The waitress said «ok» for the substitution. After waiting 30 minutes during lunch she finally brought our food and never brought the salad. When I got the bill, it included a charge for a side of okra. I reminded her that she approved the substitution and her response was «too bad, that is the way it is and you have to pay for a side order of okra.» Needless to say, I won’t ever go back.

Good little spot for lunch. Pretty good specials. Portions are good size, and they have fried okra.

This place was nothing like I expected after reading the reviews from here. Food is not very original except for the potato skewers. They are good but I got them on two separate occasions and they were inconsistent.

This place is a hole in the wall but it proves the old adage true!!! Food was awesome, our ribeye steak was so tender. Our server michelle J. Was awesome! I will be back there soon! This place is great!

No it’s not closed, I’m there with many other neighborhood regulars throughout the week whose sense of smell is working just fine therefore would back me up by sayin all u smell when u walk in at The Highland is either the days’ dinner special, pool chalk, sometimes wet wood smell from the old flooring etc, and of course the smell of some young hot rig-​hands oil soaked work clothes that he didn’t have time to change out of before meetin up with his boys… that’s what u smell at The Highland. Come on down & try it again!

Typical greasy spoon; what I expect of Bako. Food was pretty good, things were not-​so-​clean. Left the joint hating myself for what I ate. Prices are alright, about where they should be.
Would I (go back? Sure. Would I double-​check to make sure my silverware, glasses and plates are clean? You betcha.
This place is what I think of when I think of Bakersfield. Reminds me of living in the rural Southeast.

I was intending to update my review for the Highland Café, but apparently I never sent in my first review from last year!
Highland Café is one of those rare gems that is 75% bar and 25% restaurant. But oh that 25%! A year ago, my fiancé and I were regularly dining at the Highland, feasting on clam chowder and Blue Moon. But now, I’m afraid, that place just isn’t the same. When we left the place we noticed a sign that said «Under new ownership/​management» or something to that extent. I’m not sure if that’s the case, but it certainly would explain the downhill quality of the food.
In previous times, our experience was excellent. The servers were attentive, and the food outstanding. We’ve even taken a few out of town guests here who enjoyed themselves as well. But I believe they’ve taken a turn for the worse (I truly hope it was just an off night). As we made our way into the bar we found a booth towards the back. We sat down and watched as several severs and bartenders walked around schmoozing with the regulars. We waited a full 15 minutes (which really does feel like forever when you’re hungry) before we were offered any drinks. They were brought back with a hurried feel and we didn’t see our waitress for another 10 – 15 minutes. When she did return she asked for our orders. I was kind of surprised since their specials are what they are known for, but in this instance there was no mention of the specials. I chose fish and chips, a bar staple that can’t be screwed up, and my fiancé chose a beefy sandwich (it was either pastrami or a french dip, I don’t recall now). The food arrived quickly and was presented nicely, but my fish was downright disgusting. Not only did it smell extremely fishy, but the fried portion was dark brown and burned. The inside was a soggy, greasy mess. I tried to stomach it down, but found myself feasting on my fiancé’s dinner instead. The french fries which are normally great, were also a soggy mess. Simply put, I was really disappointed.
We will return, because I don’t give up on good places so easily. But I truly hope that things pick back up.

The place feels of a bit of history — and long hours of rough necks pounding down brews & boilermakers. But don’t be fooled. The ambiance is not cozy but somehow very comfortable. Great music, perfect volume. Very good bar food — very fresh, well prepared and presented. Ice cold beer; service is spot on. Great watering hole

Went last night after over a year. The food was amazing. My friend and I had french dips. I had a side salad with mine. The salad was delicious, with fresh greens and home made croutons. We were also served bread, butter and salsa while we waited. The salsa was sort of a chipotle style and very good. My friends cocktail was strong and not wattered down like most places. The service was also outstanding, not sure what our servers name was but she was a cute blonde girl. My only complaint was the food took forever and it was not that busy. The meat was a little overcooked in my opinion and the fries were burned. I love my fries that way but many people do not. We will be going back here for sure. Great place. But then again, I have always loved The Highland. One word of warning though, it was extremely loud. Men drunk and trying to talk over one another and show off.

The dive bar look on the outside continues inside. There are three widescreen TVs playing hockey, baseball, and some type of car racing appropriately titled «Dumbest stuff on wheels.» There was also a jukebox to provide music, though there wasn’t a dance floor. One long wall is a large bar, and the other is a serious of large leather booths. My mom said she felt like she was eating dinner in a bar. Booths were nice and the waitress fresh faced and friendly,
The pulled pork sandwich was stuffed so full of pork I had to compress it quite a bit to fit it into my mouth, slopping pork all over the plate. The appetizer plate was quite tasty. I don’t know what spices they put in the breading, but all three of us remarked on how good it was. My mom even liked the fried green beans, and she HATES beans of any kind with a passion.
HOWEVER, we did not see many of the dishes talked about in other reviews before the recent change in ownership. In particular, we were hoping to try the cheesecake flavors mentioned in other reviews. Alas, there were no desserts on the current menu.
We decided to be generous and give them 3 ½ stars because we really liked our waitress.

Great service, friendly atmosphere, and amazing food! This place is like a hole in the wall bbq joint that you wouldn’t really point out while driving on the street. Our car broke down and while waiting to get it fixed, we decided to try this place that was recommended.
Pretty sure anything you get will be amazing. I tried the brisket meal and the brisket was so tender, you didn’t even need a knife to cut it. Each meal comes with two sides, and either soup or salad. The mac n’ cheese and corn were my choices with the bacon clam chowder soup which were phenomenal. My girlfriend had the club sandwich and said it was amazing! My cousin ordered the tri-​tip dinner and his girlfriend had the brisket sandwich with potato salad and both of them were pleased with their choices. These are good sized portions for a good price, and service was speedy! This definitely beats most of the bbq places back home, if I’m ever in the area again, I will be stopping by!

We tried this place for the first time and were so happy to discover it! Yes, it is a bar also, but the ambiance of a restaurant still shined through. (once we had the food of course)! The soda for starters, I love diet coke, it was crisp and in huge cups, unlimited refills and the server was on top of that during the whole meal. We were served fresh bread with butter and a tasty, garlicky salsa on the side (nice touch). We had the deep fried green beans for starters and they were cooked to perfection. You could tell the oil wasn’t old like a lot of places. They were served with fresh ranch and were crispy and tasty. I ordered the burger which came with a choice of add-​ons such as bacon, chili and other things, I went with the bacon. It was quality, and not very fatty… and the burger, it was Harris Ranch meat, very flavorful and seasoned to perfection. I had a salad on the side. I was trying to go the healthy route and if I had known everything was going to be great, I would’ve just went for it and had one of the many sides they had to choose from. The salad had homemade croutons, fresh greens, romaine and not iceberg, thankfully. It was topped with fresh Parmesan cheese, my only suggestion would be to add some tomatoes or cucumber. or something? Back to the burger, the roll was grilled and crisp, warm and fresh. And the condiments were all fresh as well. I wish I could’ve eaten it all but the portions were huge. We also brought my husband’s 91 year-​old grandma who couldn’t stop raving about the sweet potato fries, they seemed freshly cut and fried or cooked (they didn’t seem heavy or fried at all). My husband loved his pulled-​pork sandwich and mac and cheese on the side. We had the tangerine cheesecake for dessert and it wasn’t too rich, we shared it and ate every single bite, I think the citrus flavor made it not so sweet and made it perfect, not to mention the whipped cream on the side! We will definitely be coming back to try this place for dinner. Upon glance, the dinner menu seemed tempting and creative. Can’t wait to go back!

I want here for lunch today and was totally blown away. Don’t be fooled by the sketchy exterior, this place served up some of the best food I’ve had in Bakersfield.
I had a nearly perfect pulled pork sandwich. I love it when the pork tips get sort of burnt and crispy. Great bread and toppings as well.
Each sandwich came with a side and they had a bunch (some were specials): fries, sweet potato fries, home made chips, grilled veggies, cole slaw, mashed potatoes, and more. Based on the server’s suggestion I had the macaroni and cheese and it was ridiculously good. I’ve never had mac and cheese like it– it was served in a ramekin with crumbled, browned breading on the top and was like a rich, delicious, cheesy soup. It was so unique and I really savored every bite.
They had some interesting sounding specials too: filet mignon, bone in rib eye, and a Kobe burger, as well as 4 different soups.
Everything my party ordered was excellent and we were oohing and ahing the whole time from the free bread and salsa to the tangerine cheesecake at the end. The chef here clearly knows what he is doing and is excited about food. This is a delicious and unpretentious meat lover’s paradise and we can’t wait to go back.

The Highland Café has a new owner and Chef as of 12/​01/​2011. Still family owned and operated, just a new family. Changes have been made and they are all positive. The restaurant has been cleaned and painted. It looks more like a restaurant now than just a bar. The neon lights are down and new lighting is in. Pictures will be going up soon.
The food is being made with fresh ingredients and is served in enough time for you to get back to work on your lunch hour, which I’ve been told used to be a major problem. There is a good variety on the menu, something for everyone. There are also daily specials such as Shrimp Tortellini, Bone-​in Rib eye, and Shrimp Po’ Boy just to name a few. There are also home made desserts including Reese’s Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cheesecake, and Blood Orange Cheesecake.
The next time you’re in the north Chester area, stop by The Highland Café!

What a hidden gem in the ‘dell!
I came here for a work lunch with my coworkers and managers. I’ll admit, this place scared me a bit. The outside looks like a dive pub, the parking lot is small, there’s a sign that says BBQ in front, it says «café» on the door, and we’re in the ‘dell. Confused? Me too.
When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised. There was a huge bar area with grand shelving, flat screen TV, and a digital jukebox. There was plenty of bar seating as well as booth seating. Lastly, it didn’t smell like a smoky BBQ place or mildewy bar. It was very clean! We were greeted by a smiling server and seated promptly.
My manager and I played the ID the beer by the tap game, as this was a company lunch and alcohol was off limits. We were impressed by their beer and spirits menu. We were equally impressed by the menu. It’s mostly BBQ diner fare — steak sandwiches, grilled steak, and steak salads.
I ordered the half size tri-​tip salad, which ate like a full salad to me. The tri tip was a little rare for my taste and I removed the Gorgonzola cheese since I’m not a cheese fan. My co-​worker ordered a Brooklyn style sandwich with three types of meat so I got to sample it — very flavorful and smokey but, also very salty. The diner fries were the chunky style.
Beware the seating — some of the booths have large indented spots and some of the bar chairs were losing their stuffing. Overall, great find for the ‘dell.