Bakersfield OTR

Absolutely fantastic! The Cochinita Pabil and Short Rib tacos were outstanding. It was my first visit and I’m definitely adding this to places where I eat frequently. The margaritas were fantastic alls.

I truly enjoyed this place. Another great edition to downtown/​OTR. My hubby and I enjoyed lunch here for the first time. The queso and a side of guacamole was perfect, along with a pitcher of margaritas, and several different tacos. I will be back with the my girlfriends next time.

Eh, I have mixed feelings about this place. In town for only three days, we wanted to eat at places that were authentic and popular by locals.
When we arrived (at 1 on a Saturday), we were giving a wait time of 30 – 40 minutes; however, they had «cancellations» and were able to get us in in about 15. Score! We were sat at a table with a bunch of loud women, it was okay because the whole place was loud so I knew it would be hard to hear anywhere. However, sitting at the Same table as strangers is not something I enjoy at all.
The place was definitely popping but the Service was very swift, efficient, and friendly.
Some of the food was extremely underwhelming. We started with the queso dip which was very good and unlike any I’ve had. I ordered the short rib torta and a pork belly taco. I’m used to food truck torta’s (which are the most amazing things) so I was very let down when this torta wasn’t anything like ones I’ve had before. It had arugula on it which I thought over powered the other tastes. It was HUGE though and at only $ 9 wasn’t too pricey either. I would not order it again, though. The pork belly taco was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever put in my mouth. I would just like a bowl full of the fried pork belly. It was pricey at $ 4 a small taco.
We ended up spending $ 74 with tip, which was way more than I expected to spend; however, that did include a $ 12 mimosa with some pretty great tasting champagne.
Overall, it wouldn’t be a place Id be itching To go back to and If I did it would be solely for the pork belly tacos.

I was in town visiting my boyfriend’s parents with him. I am originally from Chicago and had looked up a few spots for my boyfriend and I to go out one of the nights. This place had great reviews and I love love love Mexican food, so I wanted to go here! Unfortunately they don’t take reservations — we knew that going into it and expected to wait a little. When we called there was no wait, but when we showed up about 20 minutes later, we were given a 2 HOUR wait! For that wait time, I was expecting something absolutely amazing!
We got the chips and guac, the queso, and the hongos and Huitlacoche tacos. The gauc was good, however it was a bit salty and very rich. It tasted like they mixed the guac with mayo. It was alright, but I usually like my guac a bit more chunky. The queso was delicious — we got it with pickled jalapenos! We also got a pitcher of bakerfield margarita; it was good however a bit too sweet for my taste. I think it was the addition of the agave nectar. We still finished it though! Can’t be wasting such a large pitcher of alcohol!
The tacos were delicious though — I enjoyed the hongos more than the Huitlacoche tacos. The truffle corn was good, however gets a bit overpowering after more than one taco. Overall I would go back to this place, but I do not think its worth that long of a wait.
The ambiance of this place definitely screams a place for a fun, young crowd. I can see myself coming back later into the night for a drink and to hang out with friends. Going for dinner at that time, however, not as a enjoyable with the noise and crowds surrounding the tables.

Wow — just had a quick bite and it was super yummy. Teeny tiny place but amazing food. I read about short rib taco versus pork belly taco — so got one each. The pork belly was totally transformed from the usual chewy fat norm you find to this fried goodness. Chips and guacamole also very nice.

Umm, when I think of good mexican food I don’t think of Bakersfield, California. But okay. I put all my southwestern native snobbery aside. I have to shake their hands for this one. It’s GOOD!
Whatever you do, get the SUPER DELISH GUACAMOLE! The smooth flavor is creamy and not spicey much but it’s really really rich. Dip that chip in this stuff and go to town.
The tacos are good. The pollo was my favorite and the tortillas are well done. Definitely squeeze some lime before you dig in.
By all means get here early to avoid crowds. Or hang outside to avoid the wait.

I don’t see the hype about this place. The only good thing is the guacamole. The meat on the tacos is very dry. The margaritas are expensive but good. A pitcher of margaritas is $ 28, which is ridiculous. Better and quicker service at your local Mexican restaurant.

4 different tacos and all where great. Another check for OTR!!! We also had the Queso and chips, cheese was addicting and chips where light and fluffy. Definitely need a week in OTR to enjoy all the restaurants.

In a word, wow. Never expected to find amazing Mexican food a short walk from downtown Cincy. This place lives up to the hype and then some.
Some of the best guacamole I’ve had anywhere and you get lots of lime flavor and huge pieces of avocado. The margs are perfect too, not too sweet or sugary like at some places. Can’t go wrong with the tacos, I had the mole (chicken), short rib, and cochinita pibil (spicy pork) and all three are outstanding. The cochinita has a kick but isn’t too hot to handle. Three tacos are more filling than you’d think so order those and see if you can eat anything else. Prices aren’t bad either so you get a ton for your money here.
They play old country music here like Johnny Cash etc as apparently Bakersfield was a mini
country mecca back in the day. If l lived here I’d be a regular but maybe I can convince them to open a DC location?

Bakersfield is one of the best places in the area to eat. When I come back to Cincinnati, I always want to come back here to eat.
The chips and queso are great. Make sure you get that. My favorite tacos from here are the pork belly pastor and short rib. These tacos might be small, but they pack tons of flavor.
The service has always been good when I come. The vibe here is also cool. I’ve never been disappointed coming here to eat.

Good tacos, cool environment — in the middle of OTR. Definitely recommend the guacamole. They also have great tortas (sandwiches).

In my opinion, Bakersfield is now the place we all compare mexican food to in Cincinnati.
«Oh how were the tacos there? The guac?»
«Good, but not as good as Bakersfield.»
I’ve been here many times and my recomendation is to put your name in much earlier than you want to eat dinner on a Friday or Saturday. However, unless you have a group larger than 4 I’ve been able to walk in at most other times and have minimal to no wait time.
You can also order food at the bar to go.
My personal favorites include:
–Jalapeño Margaritas (not on the menu)
–Guac
–Queso with Pickled Jalapenos
–Short Rib Tacos
You’re not going to go wrong with anything on the menu.
If you happen to be in another city, the locations are much bigger elsewhere. I don’t think they’ll ever expand this location, everyone knows restricting supply increases demand and this spot is the OG.

My only complaint is I wish it were bigger! We love Bakersfield! Every time I have been I have had phenomenal service and food. I love their chicken tacos, queso dip with chorizo and guacamole! Delicious spot but be prepared to put your name in and go check out some of the shops or a grab a margarita at the bar. Wait times can be pretty long here.

It was okay. I mean just okay. The tacos are good, but not great and the atmostphere is spot on but for the price I would go elsewhere.

I’ve been wanting to try Bakersfield since my friends raved about their guacamole and after finally trying it for myself, I can attest that it really is special!
We stopped here for dinner on the way back from the Cincinnati airport on a Sunday evening hoping that the wait wouldn’t be too long. We’d tried a few times before but were put off by the 2 – 3 hour wait times. This time we were told 45 minutes so we put our names in and headed to a nearby bar. 10 minutes later the hostess called so we downed our drinks to run back for our table.
We started with the chips and guac which were delivered really quickly and were an awesome start to our meal. The guac was super chunky and had a great lemony flavor. Our drinks (margarita for me and spicy marg for the hubs) came shortly after and were the lowlight of the meal. They tasted like cheap sugary mix which I wouldn’t have expected from a place like this, especially for the prices.
Luckily the tacos were amazing. We ordered 6 to share between the two of us which ended up being plenty of food. My favorites were the short rib and the pork belly pastor, although everything was great.
Service was decent. Our server was a little «too cool» and knew it, but somehow she pulled it off without seeming too indifferent. And the hostesses and manager were really on their game.
I’ll definitely come back again, but won’t order a margarita next time. Hopefully their other drinks are better because those tacos were superb!

Bakersfield on a Friday night: filled with young people, delicious tacos and just the right mixture for a margarita.
Although I have been told Bakersfield is pretty much always happening, I decided to meet up with my friend over tacos and margaritas. (because what else is there to meet over?)
She told me the queso was good, seeing that I am a huge queso fanatic it only made sense. We devoured the skillet of queso. Definitely recommend.
We split a pitcher of margaritas, and I hate salt so I forgot to tell them to not salt the rim but it really wasn’t too bad. They were very well balanced, didn’t seem like just a sour drink you’d get from an Applebee’s.
After about a half hour we ordered two tacos, I got the mole (my favorite) and one pollo rojo which I wasn’t a fan of but my friend had ordered two of them and loves them. they were just a bit spicy for me.
Overall the service and food were great. I didn’t like having to sit right behind the host stand but working in the food industry I know that the food tastes the same no matter where you sit. I will definitely be back.

Love it here! Tacos galore! My personal fave use to be the fish, but it only comes battered and fried (not gluten friendly). But, next best options are the pork belly and the short ribs! Pork belly has this nice fatty balance taste with the sweetness of pineapple. Short ribs weren’t dry, instead cooked jus right and were savory. Recently got to try a short rib torta, which was good, but sort of small. Pricey for the size and amount we get. Guacamole is just meh here every time I get it, maybe I just prefer it with more sour, cilantro, and balance of salt with it. Queso is always a good choice.
Its always packed! But the wait is worth it, put your name down!
Overall, TACOS for the winnnNNN!

Update on my old review, changed to 5 stars, because I noticed last night how polite and not annoyed the waiters are while trying to navigate through the packed bar area with dozens of people drinking, talking, not paying attention to the fact they’re standing right in the way of the waiters. I would be rolling my eyes and pushing through people all night if I worked there, but the waiters here are downright nice, helpful and friendly!
Thank god for the 2 $ PRB, you can stand around and wait for hours and have a few of those and then eat dinner here for a really reasonable price.
Excellent selection of bourbon! Get yourself a shot of Four Roses for $ 3 on Fridays!

Ate here as a party of 4 on a busy Saturday afternoon. Initially, we were told it would be a two hour wait for a table, so we left to go and do some shopping, but they called us after about 30 minutes to let us know a spot had opened up, It was jam-​crammed with people, but the server took the time to talk us through the options on the menu and make recommendations.
The margaritas were good — strong, but good! I also really enjoyed the tacos, the short rib in particular. The wee pink pickled onions were a great addition. After the second pitcher of margaritas, I kinda forgot about the food, and had to go home for a nap.
Definitely looking forwards to returning next time I’m in town.

Over the Rhine has come a very long way in twenty years. Bakersfield is one of the popular hipster hotspots in this revitalized neighborhood. Housed in a narrow, brick building, Bakersfield is a carefully constructed taqueria. The limited menu focuses on Cali-​Mexican food consumed in close quarters with a side of fairly loud music.
Arriving at 2 pm on a Friday (of Labor Day weekend). We thought we would have missed the lunch rush. Not so. We gave our name and pursued the shop next door until we were called, on our mobile, by the hostess. We sat at a community table with five, young professionals. There were a few high top tables in the front, another community table behind us, a long bar, and some booths against a back wall. This place is not that big and stays hopping!
We started with the chips and guacamole which were amazing. Large chunks of avocado with a bit of spice complimented by crisp chips –loved every bite. Only downside was the freaking tiny, demitasse spoon that was supposed to be our serving utensil. I gave up on it and started using my fork.
My friend went for the Hongos (mushroom) taco and I tried the papas tostada. Her soft taco was filled with portobello mushrooms, slaw and queso fresco. She thought it was flavorful and filling. My double-​decker tostada was overflowing with fried potatoes, avocado, queso fresco, and green onions on the top layer and a spicy, black bean purée on the second. Plating of the tostada was beautiful — a small skillet with a bed of greens tossed in buttermilk ranch cooled down the caliente tostada fillings. House-​made salsas on the table were both delicious.
I asked our neighbor her opinion of the fried mahi tacos which looked fantastic. She reported that they were excellent. I’ll have to try that and the queso & chips (which looked more like fundido) on my next visit!