The Bistro

[+]

Phone: (661) 323-3905
Cover: None
Review: High-end, chain hotels and their attending bars are not in the business of acting independent, or aiming for a new look to surprise its guests. The Four Points by Sheraton is one of Bako’s best hotels, and the Bistro offers a high standard of quality. That means a high-standard menu and high-standard liquor sitting on the bar shelf. The Bistro isn’t the bar you try for a new experience, and some nights familiarity is just fine.

From the polished mirror bar backing the bar to the linen tablecloths to a highly air-conditioned cool cleanliness, you know where you are — a hotel bar.

The bar splits a smallish lounge area and the hotel’s four-star restaurant, which offers pricey (and very tasty sounding) entrees such as sea scallops ($30) and local lamb ($30). A wine list offered $7 glasses of the day’s special wine, and the top-shelf mixed drinks taste, undoubtedly, like top shelf drinks should.

Multiple “best of” plaques awarded by this newspaper line the entryway, reminding guests of the Bistro’s consistently high standards.

—Jeff Nachtigal

Write your own review
Address: 5105 California Ave.
Get Directions

Mama Roomba
[+]

Phone: (661) 322-6262
Hours: Mon-Fri:11am - 10pm
Saturday: 5pm - 10pm
Closed Sundays
Cover: None
Review: Tapas, sidewalk seating in the heart of downtown, and a good selection of imported beer. You’ll wait in line for this cozy bar and restaurant serving authentic Caribbean food on most summer nights.

Mexican oilcloth tablecloths and soccer on the bar TV lend a breezy, Latin feel to the place. Nevertheless, the space retains some of the original shoe repair shop’s charms with its dark wood ceilings and trap-door, below-ground storage.

Food: The entrees don’t come Kern County oversize—you’re ordering tapas, after all. Chilean-style empanadas ($7.25) and the salmon entree with mango salsa ($13.95) are dependable menu items; the cumin citrus vinaigrette is great on salads, and the refreshing ceviche is a good pick for a hot night. If red meat is your thing, the grilled tri-tip served on a sizzling hot skillet is excellent ($13.95). Don't miss the sweet potato fries.

Drinks: Great import beer selection (try the Peruvian Cusquena Dark or the Brazilian Xingu Black, $4). Cold pitchers of sangria go down smoothly, or try the mint-infused mojito for $5 (sorry, no rum; drinks are made with soju) are popular picks.

—Jeff Nachtigal

Write your own review
Address: 1814 Eye St.
Get Directions

Azul

[+]

Phone: (661) 634-9400
Cover: None
Review: The beautiful presentation of the soft-shell crab sushi roll matches the cool blue look of this new sushi place on Wall Street alley. The international cuisine is a welcome addition to Mama Roomba’s tapas half a block to the west.

Azul’s owners went for a cool blue feel for their recently remodeled sushi bar and lounge. Once you get past the black curtain across the medieval gate of a front door, the aisle between the sushi bar and the low-slung, black lounge squares is narrow and snug. That contributes to the cozy feel for patrons entering the bar as the evening wears on and seating fills up.

Past the lounge an outdoor, covered outdoor patio shows off the interior brick walls of the former horse-drawn wage fire station. There’s a small stage for live acts.

An eclectic iPod music selection, favoring 80s and 90s popular music, keeps the beat inside.

Food: Edamame appetizer ($3)? Soft. Skip it. Instead concentrate on the extensive beer selection that offers brew from 18 countries, including Belgium, Austria and Scotland.

Azul’s sushi presentation is beautiful, and it tastes good, too. The Spider roll ($11) was excellent, as was the raw nigiri salmon ($4.50). But don't plan on a quick bite. The cool extends to the sushi bar (only one chef, for now), and you'll wait a while for your rolls.

—Jeff Nachtigal

Write your own review
Address: 1514 Wall Street
Get Directions

Grenadier Cocktail Lounge

[+]

Phone: (661) 871-1004
Cover: None
Review: A dive bar in a new strip mall — is that an oxymoron?

Fill up your cart at the shiny new Lowe’s, then stagger across the parking lot to the Grenadier Lounge.

But don’t breathe in too deeply. These days it seems California is nearly smoke free but, late on a weekend night, the second-hand — wafting from the alley out back — hits you at the door jamb. It’s dim, there’s beer on tap, what else do you expect?

Mood: It’s a dive bar, but you gotta give the little guy a nod when a mega-box moves in next door and acts like it’s going to shoulder you out. The Grenadier’s been around 40 years, with a daylight group of regulars prove it. At night the crowd’s younger, and there’s league pool play on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Décor: Sandwiched between a Thrifty Wash and New Beginnings Church, the bar’s front door is as nondescript as a suburban 3-bedroom. Inside it’s like any other local dive: low hanging lamps light the two pool tables, a requisite stereo pumps out old hits, and the Mega touch machine on the corner of the bar offers 100 different games for $1.

Food and beer: Widmer microbrew pitchers go for $9; domestic pitchers are $8. They’ll pour you a half pitcher if you wish. Beef jerkey and pickled eggs, and take-out pizza around the corner round out the food options.

—Jeff Nachtigal

Write your own review
Address: 1721 Columbus St.
Get Directions
[+]

Wool Growers

Phone: (661) 327-9584
Hours: Mon-Sat:11:30am - 9:00pm
Closed Sundays
Cover: None
Review: Wool Growers is a Bakersfield institution. People come from far and wide to dine on its legendary Basque food. But the next time you make a reservation for dinner at Wool Growers, do yourself a favor and go a little early to enjoy a drink at the bar. No, the wine selection isn’t anything to write home about and the bar isn’t going to win any design awards. But like the restaurant, it offers a glimpse into old-time Bakersfield.

Décor: Pictures of sheep and ranching; ceramic sheep; plastic greenery; cottage cheese ceiling; a cash register that looks like it dates to the 1940s.

Clientele: Mostly middle-aged.

Attire: Like the restaurant, casual.

Vibe: This isn’t a pick-up joint. Couples and small groups sat at the bar or the few tables, apparently waiting for their dinner reservations to be called or (like us) enjoying a drink after dinner.

Music: No.

Drinks: I had a nice glass of Pinot Grigio wine ($4) and my friend ordered a strawberry daiquiri ($5). Most of the house wine is $3.50 a glass, domestic beer is $3.50 and cocktails are $4 to $5.

Smoking: No.

— Erin Waldner

Write your own review
Address: 620 E 19th St
Get Directions

RJs

[+]

Phone: (661) 587-4723
Hours: Daily: 11am - 2am
Cover: None
Review: RJ’s, like Chuy’s, draws a young crowd weekend nights. But with its wood furnishings and table service, it’s more upscale than Chuy’s. Customers tend to dress up a bit more. RJ’s is like Café Med for the younger generation.

Food: RJ’s serves steak, sandwiches, salads, wraps and similar American bistro fare. Having already eaten dinner, my friend and I split a slice of Oreo cheesecake (about $5.60). Artfully presented, it was very good.

Drinks: Most cocktails are in the $5 to $7 range, wine by the glass starts at about $5 and beer is $3.50 to about $5.

Entertainment: There’s a giant TV screen that was tuned to a Dodgers game the night we visited. No one in the restaurant seemed to be watching the game. Around 10 p.m., as RJ’s morphed from a restaurant to lounge, the background music (pop songs) grew louder.

Attire: Most of the young men sported T-shirts and jeans with baseball caps, while the young ladies tended to be more glammed up, wearing revealing shirts and high heels and carrying stylish purses. It was like a scene from “Sex and the City,” set in Bakersfield.

Clientele: The crowd veers toward the young side but some older couples did come in for late-night drinks.

Smoking: Permitted on the patio, which closes at 10 p.m.

— Erin Waldner

Write your own review
Address: 9440 Hageman Road, Suite C
Get Directions

Chuys


Phone: (661) 587-5750
Cover: None
Review: Hoping to meet that special someone? Want to blow off some steam after work? Then you might want to head over to Chuy’s on Rosedale Highway — provided it’s your kind of scene.

Food: This is a casual Mexican restaurant, where costumers order at the counter and food is served in baskets. It’s not the best Mexican food I’ve had in Bakersfield, but the tri-tip nachos that I ordered were good. A half-order cost $5.99 and was plenty for a meal. My friend spent $12 on a tri-tip and chicken dinner and soda.

Drinks: I ordered a regular margarita on the rocks, with salt. It was very good and at $4, a good deal.

Clientele: We visited on a Friday night and the restaurant was full of young families and groups of adults. Young men and women congregated on the oversized patio, where they smoked and drank beer at picnic tables and checked each other out.

Décor: Beach-like, with plastic fishes hanging from brightly colored walls and surfboards perched on wooden beams.

Vibe: The patio felt a bit like a meat market, which at 34 is no longer my scene and maybe more appealing to a younger generation. Inside, the restaurant was very loud, like at a night club.

Attire: Casual, with guys wearing shorts and T-shirts and girls wearing mini-skirts and short shorts with halter-tops.

Smoking: Permitted on the patio.

— Erin Waldner

Write your own review
Address: 8660 Rosedale Hwy
Get Directions
[+]

VIP Lounge

Phone: (661) 322-8431
Hours: Daily: 11am - 2am
Cover: None
Review: The VIP is a bar to go to for an after-work beer. It’s not a destination bar but offers a down-home feel and conversation with good people.

Tucked in a strip of shops on California Avenue, the bar was full with every table taken on a recent Friday night. But it didn’t feel crowded.

A basketball game played silently on the television screens; “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” played on the jukebox. A few bar-goers went at the dartboard in the back of the bar.

The VIP is tailored to a very young cowboy crowd. Most people dress casually, but club hoppers on their way to other hot spots fit in, too.

From the Budweiser accouterments on the wall, it’s easy to see this is more of a beer-drinking bar (Bud Light for $3.25), but other drinks are still cheap. A rum and Coke goes for $5.

Whether you’re a cowgirl or big-city girl, you can definitely find a place here. — Emily Hagedorn

Write your own review
Address: 5460 California Ave.
Get Directions

Elephant Bar

[+]

Phone: (661) 663-3020
Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Cover: None

Review: The chain restaurant’s bar is one of the few in town to feature a circular bar, so some come-hither glances can be made without straining the neck.

The drinks here are heavy on the fruit and surprisingly light on the chocolate. My two companions wanted something chocolaty, but the only thing on the drink menu like that looked like it was a virgin iced raspberry mochachino for $4.50. When asked if a shot of rum could be added, the barista said it’d be cost-prohibitive. At least she was honest.

On weekends, the bar is open until midnight, and food was being served until 11 p.m. Happy hour is 4 to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, with half-price appetizers and $3.75 margaritas.

The bar got more and more crowded the closer it got to midnight, since there was nowhere close that was open.

This place is the place to go if you want a pineapple mojito, a cherry jungle colada, and a questioning of your masculinity. — David Burger

Write your own review
Address: 10100 Stockdale Highway
Get Directions

Prime Cut

Photo by Brian Drake. Merv Crist, owner of Prime Cut Meats & Eats, sits at the bar of his restaurant in the Brimhall Square.[+]

Phone: (661) 831-1413
Hours: Sunday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. - Midnight
Cover: None

Review: Blame Pete Tittl.

After Tittl, The Californian’s food critic, proclaimed Prime Cut’s Mervburger the best burger in Bakersfield, it’s been hard to get a seat among the young professionals at this attractive restaurant in a surprisingly attractive strip mall in the northwest.

There is a bar inside with about 10 stools and no more than five tiny tables to sit at, but there’s more seating outside in the hot summer air. It’s reminiscent of sultry Louisiana evenings, without the smell of Deep Woods-strength Off! and the alligators who inspired the catch-phrase, “See you sooner, rather than later, alligator, and please do not eat my leg.”

There’s a wide wine selection, including a $110-bottle of cabernet sauvignon to go with the Mervburger or a number of Cajun dishes.
The bar closes at 10 p.m., with happy hour between 3 and 6 p.m. on weekdays with $2.50 domestic draft pints.

As for music, there’s light zydeco playing in the background. And that’s the way zydeco should be played: at the lowest volume possible. — David Burger

Write your own review
Address: 9500 Brimhall Road
Get Directions

B.J.s Restaurant & Brewery

[+]

Phone: (661) 241-5115
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m. - Midnight
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Cover: None
Review: One of the newest chain restaurants in town, B.J.’s offers something more for late-night dwellers who want more than just peanuts to go with their beer.

Just remember: they’re not open that late, compared to the downtown bars. When I was there, they turned on the bright lights at 12:30 a.m. — the universal signal for “We’re closing soon because the waiters want to go home” — and then the super-duper bright lights went on at 1 a.m.

It was a young crowd there, probably because the kitchen was still offering deep-dish pizza, appetizers and desserts — including the huge ice-cream-and-cookie concoction called the Pizookie. Pronouncing it as the Wookie will likely elicit a pained smile from the waiter.

For the adventurous, B.J.’s has about seven of its own micro-brewed beer, including the Tatonka Stout. There are also lots of fruity mixtures, like Berry Burst Cider and their “all-time-favorite” cocktail, the Strawberry Splash.

Try the Strawberry Splash with the Sweet Pig pizza, and have not-too-sweet dreams after.
— David Burger

Write your own review
Address: 10750 Stockdale Highway
Get Directions

Lengthwise Brewing Company

[+]

Phone: (661) 836-ALES
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
Friday: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Saturday: 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Sunday: 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Cover charge: None

“One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong.
Can you tell which thing is not like the others by the time I finish my song?”

The chances are, the words to this song sound familiar. But, no, this story isn’t about the show “Sesame Street.”

But, when I think about Lengthwise Brewing Company, that song spins through my mind. After a few pints of Centennial, which the brewery’s Web site describes as an Indian Pale Ale that is, “the ALE that cures all that ALES you!!!” I feel like I should be walking out into a dreary day in a city somewhere in the Northwest.

This heavenly haven doesn’t seem to fit in Bakersfield, but we’re certainly lucky it’s here. The food is excellent. The beer is cold and, if you have a sweet tooth, the deep-fried Twinkie is terrific.

I tried to find something to gripe about, but there’s not much. The only thing I could come up with is that it closes too early: 11 p.m. on Friday, 10 p.m. on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday.

It might not quite fit in with the bar scene in Bakersfield, but boy are we lucky Lengthwise is here. — Mason Kelley

Write your own review
Address: 6720 Schirra Court
Get Directions

Silver Fox

Phone: (661) 324-6972
Hours: Open until 2 a.m. daily
Cover: Free

This isn’t the type of bar people accidentally stumble upon.

It’s the type of bar specific types of people set out for. It’s easy to miss from the outside, but the inside is hip, laid back, trendy and cool. It’s a small space filled with scenesters who looked to be in their early 20s.

Mostly, patrons sport the “I-don’t-care-how-I-look-but-I-still-look-cool” look. Skinny young guys in straight leg jeans and tight black T-shirts with Emo haircuts dotted the place. The girl in the leopard-skin skirt and the girl in the 1950s-style polka dot dress fit in equally well.

The music mostly had a low-key beat to it that was fun but still allowed for normal-volume conversations. The bar also features karaoke and live music each week. A couple of bar-goers kicked a soccer ball around the small space. The room felt alive, but it wasn’t uncomfortably crowded. — Lisa Schencker

Write your own review
Address: 702 18th St.
Get Directions

Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge
Photo by John Harte. Located on Brundage Lane near Wible, the Bellvedere is one of those places that locals love, with live music, pool tables and a friendly atmosphere.[+]

Phone:(661) 325-2139
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily
Cover: Free

This place has pool tables, darts, dancing, cheap drinks ($5 for a rum and Coke, and another soft drink) and quality live music.

It also, (unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your tastes) attracts a middle-aged, beer belly wielding, wife-beater-wearing crowd. It’s VERY casual.

The night I went, the large-screen TV featured NASCAR races. Older couples took turns dancing suggestively on the dance floor.

Upon leaving, my companion observed, “I felt like I was in Pennsylvania in there.”

If you’ve ever lived in a fading Pennsylvania coal mining town, you know what that means.
— Lisa Schencker

Write your own review
Address: 3090 Brundage Lane
Get Directions

Photo by John Harte[+]

El Torito

[+]

Phone: (661) 395-3035
Hours: Cantina closes at about midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cover: Free

Has it been a long, gray day at the office?

Go to El Torito. The “cantina” section of the restaurant explodes with bright colors, Corona table tops and televisions — enough to distract you for a few hours from that ugly bout with the boss.

Happy hour lasts from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday with half-price appetizers and drink specials that include $3 well drinks and $4.25 margaritas. Some of the margaritas didn’t really taste like the flavors they were supposed to be (i.e. melon, pineapple), but they were very refreshing, and the servers made sure our table was never without chips and salsa.
— Lisa Schencker

Write your own review
Address: 4646 California Ave.
Get Directions

Cafe Med

Phone: (661) 834-4433
Hours: Bar usually is open until about 1 a.m. or 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cover: Free

If you’re in your late 20s or 30s, this is a place to see and be seen.

Women wore dresses, halter tops and heels. Men ... well, OK, I’ll admit I was too busy mentally trying on the women’s shoes and outfits to notice what the men wore. The crowd seemed mostly professional though I definitely heard a woman at the table next to me begin her conversation with the phrase: “You know why I got kicked out of the military ... ”

Live music played inside the bar, and refreshing breezes rewarded those sitting at white-cloth-covered tables on the outdoor patio. A fountain and structure covered in leaves happily obscured the patio’s view of the parking lot.

The orange, raspberry, vodka, pineapple and cranberry flavored martini Shai’s Pink Panties was the perfect cap to the breezy, relaxing evening. Live jazz musicians performed inside the bar, which features a new baby grand piano. It’s a bar that lives up to the restaurant’s reputation. — Lisa Schencker

Write your own review
Address: 4809 Stockdale Highway
Get Directions

KC Steakhouse

[+]

Phone: (661) 322-9910
Hours: Bar usually stays open until around midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
Cover: Free

Review:This restaurant-by-day and bar-by-night features a somewhat unlikely combination: an older, casual, professional crowd surrounded by 1970s-era, casino-like accouterments.

Picture wood paneling, red seats, lighted mirrors and giant stuffed fish on the walls — in short, a really hip 1970s-era finished basement. Middle-aged waitresses in white shirts and short black skirts cheerfully serve up steaks and drinks.

The crowd, which seemed to be around age 40 and over the night I went, seemed like a professional crowd. The dress was casual but classy (the shortest skirts you’ll see will be on the waitresses), and the crowd danced to live music, mostly hits from the 1960s and 1970s.

I highly recommend the bar’s fruity, refreshing specialty: the Hawaiian Martini, a colorful drink at the extremely reasonable price of $5.75.
— Lisa Schencker

Write your own review
Address:2515 F St.
Get Directions

[+]

The Nile Bar & Grill

[+]

Phone: (661) 323-8575
Hours: Tues-Sat: 3pm - 2am
Closed Sun-Mon
Cover: $10
Review: The space is great. A large disco ball hangs from the high ceiling, along with some firework-like large-scale light installations. You can see the DJ spinning tunes on the huge screen behind the stage. The whole place is very rave chic.

But a $10 cover? By Bakersfield standards, that is a little exorbitant, don’t you think?

If not for the cover, I would be a regular.

The crowd, late 20s/early 30s, is more refined than the groups you might find at other big-booty- bumping clubs. Many of the women wore sundresses, though jeans are allowed, and really danced their best to songs by Gnarls Barkley and Gwen Stefani. The men wore khakis or jeans with button-down shirts.

On the Saturday I went, there were definitely more women than men at The Nile, but that didn’t seem to bother most of the ladies, who danced among their girlfriends. Meat market, the club is not.

The cadre of muscled security officers is a little off-putting. Every once in awhile, you would see a burly guard or two sticking out from the dancing mass. But when one lady dropped her glass on the floor, they were on top of it quicker than Akon can “Smack That.” Crisis averted.

— Emily Hagedorn

Write your own review
Address: 1721 19th St.
Get Directions

Syndicate Cigars & Lounge

[+]


Phone: (661) 327-0070
Hours: Daily: 4pm - 2am
Cover: None
Review: This is a bar where a popped-collar kind of guy can chat with a cowboy-hat wearing good ol’ boy, click drinks with a bleach-blonde trendsetter and then share stories with barflies out of “Miami Vice” and “Miami Ink.”

Eclectic? You betcha.

The hodgepodge nature doesn’t end with the clientèle either. It extends to the music (Paula Abdul to Snoop Dogg) and decor (beautiful blue fish tank above the bar, Corona baseball banners on the wall).

The Syndicate is more of a beer- drinking joint with many people just passing through on their way to other bars in the downtown area. On the Friday night I went, a Bud went for $3, a Corona for $4. And if you’re hungry, you can grab a $1.50 taco from the more secluded, quiet lounge in the back.

The music was loud and pumping but not so raucous that it stifled conversation. I could plainly hear the plaid-wearing man at the next table sharing stories of his high school football glory days.

And watch out for the hypertexters. These guys frequent the corner tables, alone, furiously texting (or pretending to) someone on their cell phones. They can’t be bothered with socializing. They’re too busy looking important. — Emily Hagedorn
Write your own review
Address: 1818 Eye St.
Get Directions
[+]

Sandrini's

[+]


Phone: (661) 322-8900
Cover: No cover on most nights
Review: Walking down the steps into Sandrini’s is like descending into Cheers.

If you’re a regular, everybody knows your name.
However, if you don’t happen to be a regular then, well, the bartenders don’t always seem to be so glad you came.

There are times when it feels like I could grow the hops and brew my own beer faster than I can get a refill. But, that’s a small knock on an otherwise great bar. It’s a quaint place with good food and, sometimes, good music.

There is almost always a spot at the bar to grab a Fat Tire and, when the live music isn’t too loud, it’s a good place for conversation.

Oh, and the late-night snack options are terrific.
The best part about Sandrini’s is you can get cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, and the only thing better than PBR in a can is PBR on tap. — Mason Kelley

Write your own review

Address: 1918 Eye St.
Hours:
Monday - Thursday
11:30 am - 9:00 pm
Friday
11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Saturday
11:30am - 9:00 pm

Get Directions
[+]

Guthrie's Alley Cat



Phone: (661) 324-6328
Hours:
Monday - Wednesday
4:00 pm - 2:00 am
Thursday - Sunday
4:00 pm - 1:00 am

Review: Now this is a cozy place. The classic, neon-lit sign welcomes you in, and the interior decoration makes you feel at home. The music may be a little too loud for normal conversation, but that can’t outweigh the benefits.

Two dollar mugs of beer? All day, every day? Terrific. But bring your cash. The bartenders will scoff if you try to pay with plastic.

In a downtown area overrun with rogues most of the time, the Alley Cat may be the classiest place in Wall Street Alley on Eye Street. The ambience is nice, not too dark, but just dark enough. You can usually find a table (the half chair/half booth hybird style) or a barstool to plop down at, and if you like pool they’ve got that too. Only one table, though, so if you’re planning on hustling, better get there early and stake your claim.

Televisions always have the ballgame on, but that doesn’t take away from the mood on a weekend night. Come as you are; this isn’t the type of place where you’ll be turned away
for dressing too casually or looked at strangely for getting too gussied up.

It doesn’t get much better than the Alley Cat if you’re looking for a hangout downtown.
— Brad Riddell

Write your own review
Address: 1525 Wall St.
Get Directions
Guthrie[+]

Club 902

[+]


Phone: (661) 327-5247
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Cover: None
Special stuff: Karaoke 8 p.m. Tuesdays; DJ Saturdays and Sundays

Review: Sleek, low-lit, nearly empty as the evening wears on. But a lonely floor leaves room for serious dancers to twirl with delight to Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” (Or cumbia to the Latin beats the DJ slips in.) A low-key back patio with a little Continental charm — i.e. string lights and a fountain — is well-used.

Do take a spin on the stripper pole and admire yourself in the mirror because yes, sweet thing, you are divine.

Oh, yes, I fondly recall singing karaoke here with an overzealous friend who made the lyrics to Mary Poppins’ “A Spoonful of Sugar” seem really, really filthy. — Shellie Branco


Get Directions
[+]

Buck Owens' Crystal Palace


Phone: (661) 328-7560
Hours: Tuesday: 5 - 10pm
Wed. and Thurs: 5 - 11pm
Weekends: 5pm - midnight
Cover: Varies
Review: I’m a cowboy, and on a steel horse I ride, and there’s a Pontiac mounted on the wall above the bar.

It’s a dicey proposition trying to go here, because you never know if a show is playing and they’ll make you pay $30 to get in.

But karaoke on Tuesdays has become quite the event, although you have to be pretty good to want to try it out on this stage.
And everyone I saw was good.
But where’s the fun in that? — David Burger

Write your own review
Address:2800 Buck Owens Blvd.
Get Directions
[+]

Amestoy's on the Hill

[+]

Phone: (661) 871-2303
Cover charge: None
Hours: Daily: 4:00 pm - 2:00 am

When I hear people talking about Amestoy’s, the feedback is positive. However, I came back with a mixed review.

Things started poorly when I walked through the door and someone said, “Hat around.”
I couldn’t understand what he was saying at first, but he was twice my size and he could have strangled me with his beard. So, I stepped back and listened.

“Turn your hat around,” he said.

Once I knew what he wanted, I flipped my hat around, but his surly tone certainly wasn’t warranted. I wanted to leave, but I needed to fulfill my duty to objectively take in the scene for my beer-drinking brethren.

Less than 30 minutes later, I left. I didn’t enjoy it. The whole place gave off the surly attitude of the guy who met me at the door. I drank a couple beers — the bar has Coors and Coors Light on tap — and left. I doubt I’ll return. — Mason Kelley

Write your own review
Address: 2303 River Blvd.
Get Directions

Club Hpnotiq


Review: Funny story. Once when Club Hpnotiq first opened, where PJ's Jazz and Blues Club used to be, I went to the budding hot spot with a friend. We both liked to dance and both promised each other that, no matter what, we would not allow the other to take off her shoes and dance barefoot. Several drinks and several songs later, we forgot this fact and wound up with feet so black, it looked like we danced in charcoal. With another dance-loving friend at the most recent trip to Club Hpnotiq, everything was almost the same. The barkeep was friendly. The patrons were younger, in their 20s. The women outnumbered the men. There was a dress code and a cover charge. The bathroom has just the one stall. But that first time, the DJ was horrid, playing none of the '90s-era hip-hop I considered classic and playing virtually no R&B. The new DJ backed up the dance tracks, with old-school West Coast rap jams, the latest Ice Cube, Pussycat Dolls and the new Justin Timberlake -- a song that was made for dancing. The cover charge and the dress code are worth it if you like to work the dance floor. And Hpnotiq isn't nearly as packed as clubs like Club Odyssey in the DoubleTree. If you commandeer the stage first, you can dance all night long without being touched. But please, please fight the urge to dance shoeless. No matter how good the playlist. Say no to club foot! Wait. That didn't sound right. -- Danielle Belton
Write your own review

Phone: (661) 322-6988
Address: 1919 K St.
Hours:Weekdays: Varies by event
Friday & Saturday
9:00 pm - 2:00 am
Get Directions

Fishlips

[+]

Phone: (661) 324-2557
Hours:Saturday 4:00pm - 2:00am
Sunday 11:30am - 2:00am
Closed Mondays
Cover: Occasional, for special acts
Review: If your music tastes run somewhere between country and punk, Fishlips is most likely your destination for a happy medium. It also has a pretty dependable dinner menu.

Music: On a recent Saturday, the jazz was good, and the crowd was pleasantly friendly, in comparison to some of Bako’s rougher watering holes up the block. It was just what the bar aims to be: slightly refined, pressure-free comfort.

Food: The kitchen emphasizes seafood (hence the name), starting with signature fishlips (cod) or halibutlips and fries. But the menu runs the gamut: blue cheese fries lead the appetizer list, there’s red meat from burgers to steaks, tacos, pasta and a surprisingly deep selection of entree salads.

A full bar has Boddingtons and Newcastle Brown Ale on tap, and offers 32 martini flavors (including something called an Island Girl made with macadamia nuts and white chocolate.)

But when it took nearly 2 hours to get a few orders of fish and chips to make it out of the kitchen the party was feeling less than charitable when it came time to tip.

Mood: Softening the growling stomachs (but cut ‘em some slack, it’s a bar, and a music venue first and foremost, right?) was the friendly feel of the place, one you get when when neighbors meet at the local joint because they want to be there, not because there’s a line running out the door.

Live music plays Wednesday to Saturday, and unless you’re in the back corner, there’s not a bad seat in the house, from the wide, back-wall booths to the scattered four-top tables.

—Jeff Nachtigal

Write your own review
Address: 1517 18th St.
Get Directions

Manny's Tam O' Shanter

[+]

Phone: (661) 324-6774
Hours: Bar open from 7:30 p.m. 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; Call for dinner hours
Cover: $5 if no dinner purchased

Review: There’s no cover if you eat dinner beforehand, but judging from the pricey dinner offerings, just stick to paying the cover.

A sign on the wall encouraged patrons to have a “Tam Good Time,” but a companion and I were the only guests as the band started playing at 9 p.m. on a Friday.

It was a shame, since the band was good, playing funk and R&B rather than overplayed ’70s rock covers like “Sweet Home Alabama.”

The drinks were pricey: $15 for a margarita and a rum and diet. But at least the ambiance in this old restaurant was nice. The bar was wood and the tables were, too. I don’t know anything about wood, but wood in this world is good.
— David Burger

Write your own review
Address: 2345 Alta Vista Dr.
Get Directions

McGee's at the Ice House

[+]
Review: There's a meeting in the small ladies room at McGee's. Four women have packed the place, not waiting in line, but hogging up precious real estate at the bathroom mirror. One girl has been dancing, sweating and her hair has gone from straight to frizzy. As they work to fix their friend up, it's hard not to notice how trendy they are, how dressed up they are and how McGee's is not a frizzy, bad-hair kind of nightclub. It's swanky. Golden, sparkly shoe swanky. Everyone looks good and knows it. They match the surroundings of the gorgeous exposed-brick walls, plush booths and couches, making it worth the cover charge. These are folks who enjoy a little class with their alcohol, but aren't too snobby to wiggle to the Pussycat Dolls. But the DJ's choices can be a bit erratic, jumping from a rump-shaking crowd pleaser like Usher's Yeah to a spin of Duran Duran's Hungry Like the Wolf. -- Danielle Belton
Write your own review

Phone: (661) 323-8730
Address: 3401 Chester Ave.
Hours:
Monday - Friday
11:00 am - 1:30 am
Saturday
4:00 pm - 1:30 am
Sunday
11:00 am - 1:30 am
Get Directions

McMurphy's Irish Pub

[+]

Phone: (661) 869-1451
Hours: Daily: 8:30 am - 2:00 am

Review: Big painted shamrocks on the tables are some of the few clues you’re in an Irish-themed pub. Not a green bowler hat in sight, but plenty of young lookers. It’s a trendy 20s and early 30s crowd that wants to dance dirty to hip-hop and palatable old school. Stark, concrete patio in the back offers as much fresh air as you can get next to a highway. Inside, it’s packed like a barrel of sweaty Irish potatoes. — Shellie Branco
Read more about McMurphy's

Write your own review
Address: 14 Monterey St.
Get Directions
[+]
[+]
[+]

Muggs Pub & Eatery
[+]
Review: Karaoke is king at this Oildale tavern Thursday through Sunday. Shoot some pool, buy lottery tickets and keep up with your favorite NASCAR driver on Speed TV. Spot someone you want to get to know a little better? Not to worry -- someone will be coming around shortly with fresh roses and perfume. -- Erik Loyd
Write your own review

Phone: (661) 393-2035
Address: 1306 Airport Dr.
Get Directions
[+]
[+]

Amigos

Phone: (661) 398-1300
Hours: Daily: 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Cover: None
Special stuff: Happy hour to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; DJ and karaoke Wednesday and Thursday nights; live band Friday and Saturday nights

A 30s and 40s crowd that likes to drink, smoke and fight. A biker crowd in a wanna-be Orange County cantina. Live classic rock raises the loud, rowdy factor to magnificent heights. The chunky, tomato-stuffed guacamole and powerful house margaritas make a tasty combo for you hungry live wires. — Shellie Branco

Write your own review
Address: 8020 District Blvd.
Get Directions

Le Corusse Rouge

Phone: (661) 834-1611
Hours: Monday - Friday: 3:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Weekends: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Cover: None
Special stuff: Jazz music with Richie Perez 7:30 p.m. Mondays; karaoke 8 p.m. Tuesdays; Bike Night Thursdays; live music 9 p.m. Fridays; cover bands 9 p.m. Saturdays

Review: The Cajun influence isn’t too perceptible in the restaurant’s bar, except in the corrugated tin on the walls and the use of red. When the live bands aren’t hitting the stage, it’s a place to unwind after hitting the headier bars on the weekend, more of a late 20s and 30s crowd. Uninspired but relaxed outdoor patio (except when bikers start their engines and assault your ears). — Shellie Branco

Write your own review
Address: 4647 White Lane
Get Directions

Tailgater's Sports Bar & Grill

[+]

Phone: (661) 322-9800
Hours: Monday – Friday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 4 p.m. to last call
Sunday: Closed, except during football season
Cover: None
Special stuff: Occasional live bands when local sports teams are playing.

Review: The place looks so welcoming and family-friendly, it should be in a mall. Thank goodness it isn’t. Preserves a shred of character. This is a standard-fare sports bar (decent, saucy barbecued pork sandwich) with a car-themed personality all its own. Plenty o’ TVs — pick your sport. There’s a back room for parties, and on one recent night, it welcomed ladies who celebrated with “Dreamgirls” karaoke. You’ll stare right into the kitchen from the bar, comforting in a world of food recalls. – Shellie Branco

Write your own review
Address: 900 Truxtun Ave.
Get Directions

Riley's Tavern

Phone: (661) 324-3268
Hours: Daily: 4:00 pm - 2:00 am

Review: This is a bar/club trying to capture spring break in Cancun. The music’s loud, everyone’s dancing, there’s more than one bar willing to serve up shots, and your shoes stick to the floor as you walk.

Riley’s is the epicenter of downtown Bakersfield nightlife, but one has to wonder if that’s necessarily a good thing. Remember in “Back to the Future” when Marty and Doc Brown return to 1985 only to find that Biff has taken over Hill Valley. Bottles are breaking, cars are turned over, the city is dark and overrun with prostitution and crime. In the middle of it all is Biff’s casino.

That’s kind of what downtown Bakersfield on Eye Street between 18th and 19th streets feels like on Friday and Saturday night. Let’s call it “Alternate-1985-Hill-Valley.” Riley’s, in this illustration, would be Biff’s Casino.

But let’s say safety isn’t a concern for a moment. If you don’t get drawn into any of the fights that regularly break out in this area, Riley’s can be a fun place to hang out. If you don’t want to dance, you can slip into the next room and play some pool. The bars are long and plentiful. Drink up, but watch your back.

Not to mention it’s always packed. While some bars might close early due to a lack of clientele, Riley’s is the one turning customers out at 2 a.m. You’ll never be lonely at Riley’s. — Brad Riddell

Write your own review
Address: 1523 19th St.
Get Directions

Januarys Skylark Lounge

[+]

Phone: (661) 399-4631
Hours: Daily: 10 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Review: Best views of Norris Road in Oildale ... if that’s what you’re looking for.

Seriously, this is an interesting place with a unique crowd. Surprisingly friendly, but this is an establishment where you have to watch what you say. There’s been more than a tussle or two at the Skylark in recent years.

For fun, you can write a message on a dollar and pin it to the ceiling in between games of pool or karaoke songs on a Thursday night. And you already know the bartender’s name. January can be found pouring drinks nearly every night.

As for the view, a large window stretches behind one end of the bar to the other, letting you watch the traffic pass east to west in Oildale as you down beers. The bar is just as long as the window, too, which means it’s easy to pony up and not too challenging to get a drink.

Attire is casual and laid back. Walk in the door too dressed up, and you’re likely to get some strange looks from the regulars. — Brad Riddell

Write your own review
Address: 1312 Airport Drive
Get Directions

[+]

[+]

Stella's Sandtrap

Phone: (661) 363-7263
Hours: Daily: 7 a.m.-2 a.m.

Review: Where else would you rather go after playing 18? Stella’s is close to a number of courses — Bakersfield Country Club, Kern River, Sycamore Canyon — and if you spent too much time in the sandtrap during your round, what better place to have a beer afterward?

This is another bar that takes cash only. Lucky for the check-card-bearin, there’s an ATM in the corner.

Friendly establishment with ESPN playing on the three TVs behind the bar. Plenty of pool tables as well.

Another bonus to stopping by the Sandtrap is a nod to Bakersfield’s sporting history. Just across from the bar hangs local baseball enthusiast George Culver’s Philadelphia Phillies jersey from the mid-1970s.

Customers and bartenders are friendly, and it’s no problem getting a drink. — Brad Riddell

Write your own review
Address: 3133 Niles St.
Get Directions

Schweitzer's Pit Stop

Photo by Amy Rymer. Jennifer Foster finishes singing during Karaoke at Schweitzer[+]

Phone: (661) 587-8888
Hours: Monday-Friday 3 p.m. to whenever people leave Saturday: 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday: Noon-8 p.m.

Review: After a long day at the office, you walk out into the blistering Bakersfield sun, the seatbelt in your car is too hot to touch and you’re thirsty.

Schweitzer’s just might be the remedy for what ails you. If you’re traveling down Rosedale, Schweitzer’s indeed makes the perfect pit stop, especially in summertime.

While the thermometer inches into triple digits in June, July and August, it’s cold in Schweitzer’s and the Pit Stop’s beer is even colder. Try a Pabst Blue Ribbon from a can during happy hour, only two bucks as are all beers on a weekday afternoon until 6 p.m.

For some reason, Schweitzer’s makes you feel like you’re drinking at the best bar in a small town. It’s a hideaway on the outskirts of town, old Bakersfield if you will. There’s a patio outside, a jukebox filled with Tom Petty and Creedence Clearwater Revival and Pearl Jam inside and plenty of friendly compatriots circling the bar.

Schweitzer’s caters a bit to the motorsports crowd. No surprise considering the number of Schweitzers who race at Bakersfield Speedway. Dress is casual as can be expected.

And, if you ever got lost, there’s a mural map of Southern California stretching an entire wall. — Brad Riddell

Write your own review
Address: 10807 Rosedale Highway
Get Directions

Narducci's Cafe

Photo by Casey Christie[+]

Phone: (661) 324-2961
Hours: Mon. - Sat. lunch: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Mon. - Wed. dinner: 5:30 to 9 p.m
Thurs. - Sat. 5:30 to 10 p.m.
The bar stays open as long as there are people in the restaurant.
Special stuff: They have live music four or six times a month; cover charges range from $5 to $10.

Review: Bakersfield, we found your summer cocktail. Mojito? Margarita? Nah.
Go to Narducci’s Cafe and order a Moscow mule: Smirnoff vodka, ginger beer and a couple squirts of lime served in a copper cup. They’re refreshing and reasonably priced at $4.50.

The cups are so cute, you might want to take them home. But don’t.

Drink too many mules — wickedly easy to do — and you can sober up on while you feast on Basque and Italian fare.

You’ll get plenty of food. They have $10 dinners Monday-Thursday. Thursday is New York steak night; staffers encourage reservations. Colorful signs, old photos and the phone booth in the corner give Narducci’s charm. Sapphire and emerald hues on the walls make you feel at home.

No pagers are required here; friendly staff will yell your name when your table’s ready.
You can dress it up or down: Bare some skin, tote the big purse and wear your sexy shoes. Or put on your favorite T-shirt and jeans. Just go. You’ll be glad you did.
— Jenny Shearer

Write your own review
Address: 622 E. 21st St.
Get Directions

Kosmos Restaurant & Sports Bar

Photo by Sara Gettys. Friends Mark Haddock (left), Holly Cottengim (center) and Paul Littlejohn (right) jam during a karaoke performance at Kosmos.[+]

Phone: (661) 324-4286
Hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Cover: None

Kosmos fits in well downtown with the other youngster-inhabited bars there, and offers the stage to perhaps the most shameless karaoke singers in Bakersfield on Thursday nights.

A drunk girl was singing a really bad version of “Gansta’s Paradise” when I visited. It almost prompted me to mourn the disappearance of Coolio, hoping that he could swoop in and take her away on a fantastic voyage far, far away.

It’s a surprisingly roomy bar, which was good because it was filled with slightly bleary-eyed but cheerful young people.

The drinks were cheap: $8 for two Bud Lights and a Newcastle draft. Unfortunately, there was no blender, so there were to be no strawberry daiquiris that evening.

At 12:30 a.m., the kitchen was still making appetizers. However, they weren’t making any of the Greek appetizers, which are Kosmos’ specialty.

Thus, no opportunity to impress fellow bar patrons with the knowledge that “Gyro” is not pronounced like how a sailor would pronounce a “gyrocompass.”

And let me tell you, that is one impressive pickup line. — David Burger

Write your own review
Address: 1623 19th St.
Get Directions

Trouts Cocktail Lounge

[+]

Phone: (661) 399-6700
Hours: 6 a.m.-2 a.m. daily
Cover: Varies: Usually $5 per person when a band is playing

Review: It was $10 cover for the two of us to get in on Friday night. It sucked to be me as I only had $8 in my pocket. At least it wasn’t a first date. The barista didn’t look too pleased to have to put the cover charge on my drink bill, but other than that, my first trip to the legendary Trout’s was comfortable and fun.

The Bakersfield country sound was being played by a band from Los Angeles, and the dance floor was crowded but not mobbed. And because everyone was doing the two-step — a dance I don’t know — I didn’t have to get up and dance. (Like I said, it wasn’t a first date, so I didn’t have to act like I wanted to dance.)

I could just people-watch and wonder how often these cowboys wear those hats at home. It was $8 for two rum and diets.
— David Burger
Write your own review
Address: 805 N. Chester Ave.
Get Directions

P.F. Changs China Bistro

Phone: (661) 664-8100
Hours: Sun - Thurs. 11am - 10pm
Weekends: 11am - 11pm
Cover: None
Review: With the place closing at 11 p.m. on weekends, no one is going to have to get thrown out of this chain restaurant for imbibing too much sake.

But there were four different sakes being offered on the drink menu in the small room adjacent to the restaurant.
No one thinks of P.F. Chang’s as a place to get drinks — and it showed because it was empty on a Saturday night — but the bar was surprisingly classy and the help was particularly attentive.

The drink offerings were inventive. There was Saketini, Chang’s Key Lime Pie Martini (with a graham cracker rim), and of course, the Great Wall of Chocolate was still being served.

The drinks were pricey, with most between $8 and $9. But with the full menu served until closing, some things can be forgiven.

But still, $9 for a drink in a chain restaurant? It’s not like it’s imported from China. — David Burger

Write your own review
Address: 10700 Stockdale Highway
Get Directions

Club Odyssey

Phone: (661) 323-7111
Hours: Daily: 4:30pm - 2am
Cover: Usually $5 on weekends
Review: Club Odyssey in the DoubleTree Hotel has all the makings of a great hot spot. It’s clean, has plenty of seating, an expansive bar, a dress code, a great sound system, music videos on a massive screen and a large dance floor.

But it falls short.

As groups would get up the nerve to be the first to grace the empty floor on a recent Saturday night, the music would switch from something danceable, like Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back,” to something you wouldn’t even listen to on the radio, like the ’80s catchy-but-annoying tune “Mickey.”

The floor was so empty, in fact, that one khaki-clad guy was able to do his best break-dancing impression — spinning on his head with his arms and legs flailing — before walking out.

I’ve been to the club on other nights when a spot on the dance floor was hard to come by. Maybe my most recent visit happened to be on a slow night.

The club tries to be something for 20-somethings, but many people of the 40-year-old persuasion can be found.

And beware, girls. Club Odyssey is a prime hook-up spot. So while you may find someone worth bringing home, there’s plenty of questionable-looking men prowling about.
— Emily Hagedorn
Write your own review
Address: 3100 Camino Del Rio Court
Get Directions

Jerry's Pizza & Pub

Phone: (661) 633-1000
Hours: Generally 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Closed Sundays, unless there is a show
Cover: Varies, up to $15 for some shows
Review: If you’re a 16-year-old, black-eyeliner-wearing, death-metal-loving, mosh-pit-diving, goth kid, the basement of Jerry’s Pizza is for you.

Otherwise, be warned. You’re about to walk into the large-scale equivalent of a teenager’s arm pit.

From the beginning, I, along with the two colleagues who accompanied me, were not going to fit into this scene. We traipsed into the restaurant in our cute, club-hopping clothes. Humidity from the bevy of sweating bodies slammed against us as we stepped over black-clad teenagers sitting on the basement steps.

After we made it into the cellar, we were almost knocked over by a bunch of teens flinging their sweaty bodies against each other in a miniature mosh pit. A band screamed into microphones and pounded on instruments in a dank, dark corner, tucked behind a couple of poles.

At one point, one of the moshers took a rest, standing in front of me. Large, droplets of sweat ran down his neck. And when he bobbed his drenched head to the beat, a few drops got on me. That was the last straw.

The three of us made our way back up the steps.

Moral of the story: “Vampire: The Requiem” fan? Go to Jerry’s. Want a beer and company from people who were alive when “The Crow” came out? Go somewhere else. — Emily Hagedorn

Write your own review
Address: 1817 Chester Ave
Get Directions

Ethel's Old Corral Cafe


Phone: (661) 873-7613
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am - 9pm
Weekends: 11am - 11pm
Cover: None
Review: Ethel’s is the kind of bar you’d expect to find on a country road. It looks like a mountain cabin, complete with a covered patio — on top of which a wagon is perched. There’s even a giant American Indian statue out front and customers can actually hitch their horses outside the bar. Combined with a down-home clientele, it’s the perfect place to experience rural Bakersfield.

Décor: Rustic, a mixture of beer signs, autographed pictures of bands, a wagon yoke, barrel stays and a life-size cut-out of John Wayne.

Clientele: When we visited — Memorial Day afternoon — it was a mix of motorcycle and horseback riders, both young and not-so-young.

Attire: Blue jeans, boots and cowboy hats. Some bike riders wore black leather.

Drinks: Two draft Bud Lights cost us $2 each.

Food: There is a kitchen and customers can order country fare like fried okra ($4.75) and buffalo burgers ($7.50), as well as a steak dinner ($14.50).

Entertainment: There’s live music Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, as well as a juke box and a few TV’s — tuned to monster truck racing when we were there.

Smoking: Permitted outside. — Erin Waldner

Write your own review
Address: 4310 Alfred Harrell Highway
Get Directions

The Junction

[+]

Phone: (661) 327-9651
Hours: Tues-Sat: 5pm - midnight, or later
Closed Sun-Mon
Cover: None
Review: The Junction is a karaoke bar. If you want to unleash your inner Mariah Carey — or simply cheer on others when they hop on the stage — this is the place to go.

Entertainment: There is a pool table and a card game machine, but karaoke takes center stage at Junction. According to the bartender, country is a popular selection of songs.

Visiting on a Saturday night, we did hear a lot of country music, from The Judds to Josh Turner, but people also belted out Avril Lavigne and Arrested Development. Some of the karaoke singers were good. Others, not so good. But it was all good fun.

Clientele: Primarily middle age but younger patrons arrived as the night wore on.

Décor: Vinyl records and album covers, beer signs and NASCAR memorabilia. The pièce de résistance: a gold-colored curtain that serves as a backdrop on stage.

Drinks: We ordered, among other things, a domestic beer ($2.75), Sam Adams ($3.75) and a martini ($5).

Smoking: Permitted on the patio.
— Erin Waldner

Write your own review
Address: 2620 Buck Owens Blvd (at the Best Western Crystal Palace Inn & Suites)
Get Directions
[+]

Lone Oak Lounge

[+]

Phone: (661) 589-0412
Cover: None
Review: Live classic rock, dancing, middle-aged mullets and pony tails, maximum capacity of 60 people, smokers go outside, Jumpin' Jack Flay-ash! - what¹s
not to like?

Lone Oak Inn Lounge has quite acceptable drink prices ‹ even for the good stuff - dudes in leather jackets and a cheap Romanesque statue of a nude woman. GAC plays country videos on the TV screens, Christmas lights make it feel like you¹re home for the holidays and the guy with Borat T-shirt looks like he wants you to buy him a beer. So yeah, it's casual.

It's hard to tell if there is a cover charge. It looked like a guy was checking I.D.'s and had what looked like a little cash box, but no money changed hands, and lots of guests just walked on in.

This isn't a kids' joint. If you're under 35, you might feel a bit out of place. Lone Oak Inn Lounge is a hangout for salt-and-pepper guys with tattoos and their women who've spent a little money keeping the silicone industry going strong.

Again, what's not to like?
–Erik Loyd

Write your own review
Address: 10612 Rosedale Hwy.
Get Directions
[+]

B. Ryders

[+]

Phone: (661) 397-7304
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am - 1am
Fri-Sun: 11am - 2am
Cover: None
Review: This place is the former home of Shear Sports, a sports pub/hair salon in which stylists unashamedly discussed details of their sex lives on their cell phones. Now B. Ryder's, the establishment is a delightful place to eat, drink, play, watch a game and make friends in this 30-ish crowd. OK, the Ron Jeremy dude with the cheesy gold chains outside his shirt isn't exactly 30-ish, but just about everyone else is.

In addition to a nice selection of draft beers – foot-tall beers – B. Ryder¹s has liquor and wine. The margaritas on the rocks are stiff, and the prices are downright reasonable. There's also a full menu, including kids' favorites, appetizers and entrees: wings, rings, shrimp and chips, burgers, sandwiches, salads and a lot more.

Sports memorabilia adorns the walls from one end to the other. Along the way, you'll discover pool tables, video games, miniature shuffleboard, numerous TV screens, dartboards and a stage where live bands perform from
time to time.

B. Ryder's is a clean, warm, inviting place to hang.

–Erik Loyd

Write your own review
Address: 7701 White Lane, #A1
Get Directions
[+]

Cheers

Bartender Betty Jo Jacks helps keep things lively at Cheers on Ming Avenue. Photo by John Harte/The Caifornian[+]

Phone: (661) 836-3960
Cover: None
Review:It's dim and cramped, but boy, are these folks nice. Patrons will actually offer a seat if the place is full, and the bartenders don't ignore you just because they don't recognize your face.

Cheap beer, sports and country videos on the TVs and lottery tickets keep this middle-aged crowd happy. They go outside to smoke.

The jukebox has an impressive range of music, from Sinatra to Buck.

If you'd rather imbibe with adults, check it out.

–Erik Loyd

Write your own review
Address: 3809 Ming Ave.
Get Directions
[+]


[+]