This Friday Claudio and I pushed further toward our goal of trying each restaurant in the Over-the-Rhine Gateway Quarter area of Cincinnati. I had heard a little about Bakersfield and thought it would be a good night to give it a try. Bakersfield is a authentic "street-style" Mexican restaurant on the growing Vine street of OTR. I noticed the brick building a few weeks ago when we visited 1215 just next door. I love this area of Cincinnati and so far, all of the restaurants we have tried have been delicious.
As we arrived in the area, the street was bustling as usual on a Friday night, a great improvement probably from what it was years ago in this area of town. We walked across the street to Bakersfield to put our name on the waiting list for a table. The facade matches those of a few other restaurants nearby with its moving glass windows floor-to-ceiling. This creates a great atmosphere of being inside with the ability to feel the outside cool breeze. We only waited about 15 minutes for our small table near the door.
I enjoy a restaurant with a small menu like Bakersfield where I am not overwhelmed with the array of possible choices. They keep it simple with a la carte tacos, chips and salsa and/or queso, and a couple house margaritas as well as different drafts. I selected the Bakersfield margarita served in a Mason jar with a salted rim. Claudio chose a "boot" of PBR.
The tomatillo salsa and chips was a delicious start to our meal. We chose four different tacos to share, each with its unique take on street food. My favorite was the Pastor, ground seasoned pork with the sweetness of pineapple. Melt-in-your-mouth good! Each taco is about three to four dollars and they serve everything family-style just as you will find in Mexico.
Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was great too. It's not a place I am dying to go back to, but it was well worth the visit!
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