- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
BJ's Brewhouse
Rating Details »
Categories: American (New), Pubs, Breweries [Edit]
10750 Stockdale HighwayBakersfield, CA 93311
(661) 241-5115
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
18 reviews for BJ's Brewhouse
This place is SO good that I wouldn't care even if I had bad service (as many of you have had). I mean, come on, you're saying a deep dish, Chicago style pizza and pizookie can't soothe your wounds? Maybe I'm much too easily won over.
But, in any event, I grew up with parents who once lived in Chicago and they could never stop telling my bro and I how amazing pizza there was. So when I finally got the chance to take them to BJs, I was quite pleased with myself. They actually really liked it, but WORD OF ADVICE, if you have impatient friends/family members, dont go on Fri or Sat night. Try an early dinner or lunch instead. Also, DONT DO TAKEOUT. The pizza just doesn't taste as good cold or reheated. It gets soggy and loses the yumminess that comes with the crisp, deep crust. Also, be prepared to only eat 2 slices, max--remember, deep-dish=filling!
My favorites/recommendations
1. BJs Favorite
2. Vegetarian
3. Great White
Also, I'm not a beer fan so I always get a crisp, refreshing Pear Cider. YUM.
Lastly, don't even think about ending your meal without a pizookie! I like the basic chocolate chip best.
Don't you hate when you're totally craving Basque food while in the LOVELY city of Bakersfield, and then your brother decides he needs to stop at the bank and then again to get a "five hour energy" and makes you miss dinner hours at Woolgrower's by 6 GOD DAMN minutes?! Cause I sure as hell do. What I hate even more is that the hostess at Woolgrower's said "Darn, you almost made it!" while snapping her fingers. Bitch, why don't you snap those fingers at your cooks instead of me and make them feed me some basque food! 6 MINUTES!
But instead, we were left to try and find a restaurant of any worth in Bakersfield that serves food past 9:36. So basically, we were left with a pool of shithole chain restaurants. Wanting a beer to drown my sorrows at this point, we decided to go to BJ's... after driving a good 15 miles, we just wanted somewhere close to get some grub and some draanks. BJ's it is... usually of all the chains, this is on the more tolerable end of the spectrum.
I remember when this place was built, I had just moved away from Fakersfield, and everyone was soooo hyped on it. Call me crazy, but I just don't get that excited over restaurants that I can eat at 74 different locations. But, in the spirit of being out of town and hanging out with my brother and his girl, I decided to be a good sport. Right when we were seated, I ordered a Berry Burst Cider... SO GOOD! Its like Wyder's cider, but more bubbly and tart. My brother and Manfriend ordered a pitcher of the BJ's hef, and that was pretty good as well. This is where (most of) the goodness ends.
Our server... sigh. She was terrible. Besides being awful, she had a shitty attitude. Honestly, if you're not the most skilled server and you forget things and spill stuff, I'm really not going to care if you have a smile on your face. But once you start throwin your crappy attitude at me, my compassion halts.
Their menu is pretty big, and I start getting overwhelmed when I have too many choices, food-wise. So when this happens, I usually just order whatever was the first thing to catch my eye. Can't go wrong with gut instinct, right? Wrong. I ordered the "New" Italian Market salad, which was described as "A new twist to the original italian chopped salad. Fresh Mozzarella, chunks of Fontina cheese and salami, artichokes, Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, peperoncinis, garbanzo beans, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, romaine and iceberg lettuce all topped with fresh parmesan and basil then tossed with Italian herb vinaigrette." Sounds delish, right? It was a total disappointment. I ordered sans cucumbers, but I'm thinking she may think I said, "with no cucumbers, olives, basil, red peppers, or parmesan." And another thing, my salad was about 1/2 the size of Manfriend's chopped BBQ chicken salad. WTF.
His salad was pretty good, standard BBQ chicken salad. Manfriend ordered the onion straw thingys on the side for me... and we also ordered a bowl of broccoli cheese soup... which she forgot to even put in, so we ended up unknowingly eating my brother's girlfriend's cup of soup she ordered with her sandwich. The soup was good, but barely even warm. Brother ordered the roast beef dip, which he wasn't super pleased with. We didn't send anything back, because judging by how slow our server was, it would have turned into a 3 hour excursion.
So heres the lesson- Stick with pizza at BJ's, and don't set the bar too high for service. You'll be disappointed. Next time, I will get my Basque food, damn it.
My boyfriend and I came form lunch the other week. We were both excited to try new cocktails on that HOT day. The waitress asked for our ID's and both of us had re-taken our photos (because nobody believes we look like our pics and quite frankly, we had gotten sick of it) and were waiting for them in the mail. The waitress decided to card of (of course, we always get carded! I may look young but I do look over 21 and as for my BF he definitely looks lover 21, he is going to have his MD in 2 years...come on people!!!) Anyways, he only had the one that the DMV punched because his temp was in his car and we took mine that day. Unfortunately, the waitress decided to run it by the manager, although he suggested he has a wallet full of credit cards with his name on them. And of course we were denied. I then chose to cancel my drink order (I had my temp on me). It was an awkward with the waitress after that. I think she realized that he does look older than 21. UGH.
Anyways, the BBQ cobb salad is good and so was the turkey club sandwich. yum.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/10/2009
My boyfriend and I have been to this location on 3 separate occasions. The first two times we didnt… Read more »
Never been disappointed to have lunch or dinner at BJ's. I had a great salad with fiends at this place. Good food, right prices - no wonder place is always packed with people.
Try their tomato soup, it is awesome!
I always feel SOOOO fat after eating here, but then I look around the room and its diners and I feel slightly comforted. The food is pretty greasy, but it doesn't impede me from enjoying a meal with overly huge portions smothered in buttery, cheesiness with a caloric intake that I don't want to or care to know.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Appetizer: Bruschetta
Pizza: BBQ and Southwestern
Pasta: Chardonnay Shrimp Pasta
Other: Jambalaya
Dessert: Half-oreo, half-peanut butter. Mmm...
Sadly...
THE SERVICE HERE IS TERRIBLE!!!! Consistently among the worst. Staff is inattentive (be prepared to ask for refills) and rude. I went in the other day to watch the game. While we were waiting for our drinks, decided to get a pizookie. So, we asked the girl who brought us the drinks for a pizookie. In the most condescending tone, she muttered "Go ask your server." You know, because it wasn't obvious that our sever wasn't present (who in turn hadn't stopped by our table once in the last 10 minutes)? And because it's not apparent that you're totally incapable of putting in the order or telling the server for us that we wanted a damn cookie? Fishing for your server isn't something a customer should resort to when they want to enjoy a meal out (or cookie in this case).
On another visit, when I ordered the bruschetta, I said it with the harsh K sound, which is actually the correct way of saying it. The server had the nerve to correct me, "You mean the broo SHEH da?" Last time I heard, you were smart....
4 stars for food. 0 for service. Averages to 2.
The food is good...I just wish their drink selection was better. They have great beer, sure. But for their "cocktail" menu, it sure is weak.
Good Grilled Chicken Pasta! I substitue it with blackened chicken for that extra burst of flavor. To make it have a spicy feel, just add a little of the pizza peppers. Delicious!
A friend of mine is a Sheriff in Bakersfield who was injured in the line of duty in December 2009, so I do what I can to come up and visit him while he's on his time off.
For some reason whenever I travel to Bakersfield, I feel the need to drink. It might be something in the air, or I might be an alcoholic. I haven't quite decided yet...
So we decided to go to BJ's, as it was very close to his house, and we needed some beers and a solid meal. I had eaten at this BJ's the week before, and have eaten at the BJ's near my house, so I knew it was a safe bet.
There were 3 of us that strolled in, and immediately sat ourselves down at a table near the bar. We were quickly greeted by our server and ordered our drinks. I prefer the "Blonde" beer, which was so delicious I eventually ordered 2 more. As for the server, he was excellent with his timing, and as my beer got critically low, he brought me a replacement. Impeccable timing.
As for the food, I was borderline starving, so I ordered a small Blackened Chicken Pizza (an off-menu item FYI), which arrived shortly after my first beer was replaced. The temperature was perfect, and it was quite tasty. I inhaled the entire pizza, and almost started licking the pan it came in, but realized I was in public and that would look a little weird. But the pizza was definitely worth mentioning.
Bottom Line: This trip to BJ's was one of the best I've had at any BJ's, the food was pan-licking-good, the beers were tasty, and the service was excellent.
So why 4 stars Jacob? I'm glad you asked... I had come to this BJ's a week ago and ordered the Calzone... I am used to calzones filling my plate. The calzone I received was the size of a hot pocket. No joke. I am the kind of guy, where if I'm hungry, I'll scarf down an entire pizza and lick the pan when I'm done. However, when I spend $9 on a calzone, I expect more than a hot pocket.
I come here for two reason: 1. It is one minute from my house. 2. Pizookies! They are so yummy. I like to get 1/2 chocolate chunk & 1/2 white chocolate macadamia nut. Who doesn't like a fresh baked cookie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top?
Some other items on the menu that I have tried are:
- Avocado Egg Rolls (good)
- Santa Fe Spring Rolls (really good)
- BBQ Chicken Pizza (yummy & full of toppings)
- BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad (California Pizza Kitchen has a better version)
- Turkey Breast Sandwich (pretty dry and bland, don't order)
- Classic Burger (good burger, good fries)
- Fish Tacos (pretty good, nice & crispy)
Cocktail of choice: Ultimate Raspberry Lemon Drop
What a glorious town Bakersfield is. Just when I think there is nowhere to go for good entertainment, I stumble upon this little jewel. Apparently the Bakersfield club scene has taken to beginning their long night of partying at BJ's. Now this may seem a little troubling. You may ask yourself, "Hey, but isn't BJ's a pretty well known chain that serves moderately priced American food to huge families?" Indeed, BJ's reserves this demographic but in Bakersfield, BJ's also lends itself to haggard 30-somethings looking for happiness in the next meaningless hook-up.
In fact, the restaurant is perfectly split in half: Half for the families, half for the bar-flies. This is especially convenient for me as I have found it to be much like dinner theatre. My booth on the family side is set up perfectly for people-watching.
In the last episode of Days of Our BJ's, a new character was introduced. A quite desperate-looking female waltzed in with that air of "look at me please before my tits sag and I lose this waist" which, to be honest, wouldn't have been that different but she was. She had a little extra flair in the form of a pageant sash and a tiara. I wish I could tell you what the sash said but all I could catch was "Miss Outta..." I guess I will have to fill in the blank with the art of using context clues. Perhaps it was "Miss Outta of Her Twenties" or "Miss Outta Wedlock".
But enough with my catty-ness. She isn't what struck me as especially entertaining that night. In fact, it was the second woman in pageant regalia that struck me as weird, as it seemed that they did not come together. Does this mean that two separate women came up with the idea to wear sashes to dinner that night? I hope so. I also spent most of the night hoping some sort of fight would start between them. Dueling tiaras, if you will. I was severely let down.
Oh and the pizookie is amazing.
I always have to work nights when I travel to B-Field, which messes everything up because almost all eating establishments in this truck-stop town close at 8pm, even IHOP. Fortunately, BJ's comes to the rescue, with their monumental close time of midnight during the week.
I am conflicted about this, though. Here:
PIMPS UP: I don't have to eat granola bars for dinner anymore! Yay carboload vegetable-stuffed baked potato and berry cider!
HOES DOWN: Dealing with the late-night schmoes who have nothing better to do except go to BJ's and get shitfaced on a Tuesday. I called in to get my meal as a takeout because I knew it was a bar scene and didn't want to deal, but as I was exiting the place, some guy having a smoke outside rubbernecked me for too long and his lady friend screamed, "DON'T YOU FUCKING LOOK AT HER!" and SMACKED HIM IN THE MOUTH. I was wearing sweatpants. I didn't turn around and look back; I just hustled.
Ah, Bakersfield. For a town without much to do, I sure have some great stories about you.
I think I feel the same way a lot of people do. From what I've read here and heard around town, the reviews seem to be the same. I've been here twice. I absolutely LOVE the food and they have a nice variety for people. The prices aren't too shabby (i recommend happy hour), but the service is the only drawback for me. It isn't too well. The last time I went, it improved but the first time it was as if we were invisible. However, the food is so good I will go back
Bland, boring American food in big portions- and not particularly cheap- it's just not my thing.
I can forgive bad service at a cheap hole-in-the-wall joint, but there's no excuse at a resto like this with real prices. There were problems with all the special requests, but the worst is that they almost overcharged us by $60! A couple left early and paid their portion of the bill. When I asked why their items were still listed on the bill the rest of us got, the waitstaff said although the items still appeared on the bill, they weren't calculated into the total. We asked her to recalculate the bill just in case, and of course she was incorrect. She mumbled an apology, but didn't offer anything else. Lame.
Ellie G hits the nail on the head: "half barflies and half family."
BJ's is loud and crowded with the groups of sports fans, young couples sporting formal attire, and large families eating without regard to price (which is up there). The beer choices, cider, and wine list is amazing- I've never seen anything like it, even at Gordon Biersch in San Jose.
When my husband and I went, the place was PACKED. The front hostesses, although they happened to be long-lost friends, were relatively ditzy and took awhile to give us our "little vibrating thingie" (you know what I'm talking about, don't you?). Once again, an old high school buddy took us to our table, which was a private, nice booth. I admired the nine huge televisions blaring different channels in front of us, as well as two more to the side. Behind us was a bigger room with families at tables, and in front of us, men and women milling about a bar.
Our waitress was quick and exact. She didn't have a very friendly demeanour, but I suppose that's because it was so jam-packed of customers that she couldn't spend time being personable. I had a veggie burger with a wedge salad (no bacon, thanks). It was definitely good, but I wished desparately for some good sourdough bread to sop the bleu cheese dressing up (yeah, I'm a bit European "trash" like that). My husband had the grilled chicken tortellini (and damn it was good) with garlic bread (which was worse than Denny's garlic toast), with a glass of DELICIOUS limited-time pumpkin ale. Oh my god, kids, this was the best beer I've ever tasted. Clean, with an aftertaste of pumpkin spice...yum. It wasn't sweet like I was expected, so that was a good thing, as well.
The waitress was only excited and perky when she gave us the check, which was surprisingly only about five bucks more than what we pay when we go out to Denny's on weekdays. So yeah, BJ's is a pretty good price for a couple going out on a weekend. Especially for that awesome beer, and exciting atmosphere.
Overall: I would say BJ's is the place to go for all-kinds, and it's a deliciously great way to spend a weekend night.
I give BJ's one more star than it probably deserves as I do enjoy myself some Pizookie and the Jambalaya while not being the best is decent enough for me to give repeat ordering. I do also like the convenience of their 12AM closing time. Otherwise, BJ's is pretty horrible. Yeah, on the surface everything is all hunky-dorey but I've had awful service there too many times for it to be flukes. When I go I'm helped by sometimes three different people so that I'm unsure of who my official server is. And with such a rotating line of service things are missed that don't need to be such as getting silverware before my food arrives or refills on beverages. They need to either train their staff better or hire more if they are being overwhelmed so consistently. I thought that at the least a corporate restaurant such as BJ's would have the capital to ensure good service.
we went to this place all the time before they built one here in Bakersfield. for some reason it just isn't as good. maybe the sub par service, it is getting a little better. the grilled chicken baked potato is great. it isn't as healthy as you might think, it's a spud on steroids with chicken, broccoli, 3 types of cheese, and some addictive sauce. the pizza is awesome, with the best crust i have ever had. My 3 favorite pizzas include buffalo chicken, spinach and artichoke, and sweet pig. the pizookie is always a worthy effort, but try one with several types of dough.
It was my first time going to a BJ's and oh my goodness BJ's Famous Pizookie is one crazy dessert!!!! We got half chocolate chip cookie and half white chocolate chip cookie. I really liked this place. A bunch of coworkers and I sat at the bar and got some good bar food and beer.
Great Beer, nice and cold, the Hefeweizen was very refreshing and a bit sweet! Pizza was good, but it seemed to be just a few toppings thrown on a large soft bread. It was little spare on the toppings, but it came out fast. There were a lot of people at 2:30pm on a Sunday afternoon, which was surprising. They must be doing something right.. The pizookie was surprisingly good, I would highly recommend it.
Bang for the Buck: 3
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2 (I think our waiter was on drugs)
The food is ok, so far I have had their fish and chips, clam chowder in a bread bowl, and roast beef sandwich. the clam chowder was substandard, although, this is the only place I can think of that serves it in breadbowls around bakersfield. the roast beef sandwich was about as basic as a sandwich gets, it did come with a rather large slice of baked potato though. I am told their meatball sandwich is excellent. The beer is why I came here in the first place and it was hit or miss for me. Their Hefe-Weizen beer tastes just like a traditional German Hefe-Weizen (meaning very tasty). Their IPA is very good and their red ale is also worth mentioning. I was unimpressed with their porter (hardly any flavor) and Imperial stout (strong but bland) . They have a pretty good selection of Belgium imports such as Chimay, Delirium, Duvel, etc. In conclusion, a good place to drink, they have a wide variety of beer styles which is always good. The food from what I got was decent.