Noriega's

I used to come here 40+ years ago with a sheepman that I worked for back then. I always remembered the food and the wine as being outstanding. My daughter and granddaughter and I stopped in Bakersfield on our way to Disneyland. I thought it would be great to go to Noriega's and see how it compared with my memories. I'm happy to say it is just as good as it was 40 years ago! We went on Saturday night. The entrees, served family style at long tables, were Oxtail Stew and Garlic Fried Chicken. The meal began with pickled tongue sliced very thin, beans, salad, sourdough French bread and butter, cabbage soup, potato salad, broccoli spears with a bit of mayo and a very nice red house wine. Next came the entrees followed by pistachio ice cream and coffee. It's all you can eat so don't get carried away early or you may miss something you might regret. I especially enjoyed the Oxtail Stew. It is served on a plate and comes with very tender and meaty oxtail pieces with carrots and potatoes. It was delicious, a lot like pot roast. The patrons and staff were all very friendly and everyone sang Happy Birthday at least 5 or 6 times. My granddaughter was thrilled to have a couple of hundred people sing to her! I wish we lived closer, we would be regulars! Great food and great atmosphere, definitely worth a try!