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Cafe Med
Rating Details »
Categories: Delis, Wine Bars, Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
4809 Stockdale HwyBakersfield, CA 93309
(661) 834-4433
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Thu, Fri, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
10 reviews for Cafe Med
So every visit to my in-laws place in Bakersfield usually leaves me baffled at the quality of cuisine (or lack thereof) in this town. Coming from San Francisco where the slow food movement and culinary creativity is at its pinnacle, I am a bit spoiled.
I am not a frequent reviewer as most restaurants I go to have over 100+ reviews, but I had to do my part (being the big wino that I am) in giving a favorable review of Cafe Med.
First off, the service was absolutely phenomenalm, contrary to what a previous poster had said. Drew was our server and can I tell you that he was not just punctual, polite, and attentive in his service, but extremely knowledgable in the extensive wine selection offered at Cafe Med. Without a moment of hesitation, Drew can tell you just what blend a wine is comprised of, taste charecteristics and pairing recommendations. VERY WELL DONE!
Second, the wine list was far superior to most places I have been to, let alone most places in Bakersfield. There is an obvious pride they take in hand selecting the wines here. The range of wines can go from affordable yet tasty by-the-glass offerings to big Super Tuscans that can put a dent in the pocket book. I am more of a $40-$60 bottle guy myself, and there are many great options to choose from here.
The ambience was charming and they have set a classy, yet relaxed mood in the restaurant's interior. The jewel was the nice outdoor seating which allowed us to enjoy the great 70 degree Bakersfield evening...something that we don't have the luxury of doing back home in San Francisco. It was very refreshing and relaxing.
Lastly, the Greek cuisine offering. I cannot fully elaborate on the menu's entrees and main courses, but I had a sampler, the calamari and the very impressive garlic baked brie and was satisfied. These paired well with our wine and so I can't complain.
Overall, I would give it a 5 if I looked at Bakersfield cuisine in a vaccuum, but I had to give it a 4 overall...much of which was based solely on the wine and the service we recieved from Drew.
I went here on a recommendation of "one of the three best places to eat in Bakersfield." I think that I would have leaned toward 4 stars if my expectations hadn't been so high going in.
The inside looks promising when you sit down, walls are all painted, comfy seating. They started off great with the fresh pita bread and sauce they give you at the table. It was delicious, the bread was really warm and soft.
I got the chicken gyro and it was meh at best. I have had much better and this one had weird spices that over powered the whole taste of it. Also, it was way too stuffed, there was no way to pick it up so I ended up having to eat it with a fork. There is just something wrong with eating a gyro with utensils.
Aunt had the blackened salmon salad. She said the salmon was good but that the dressing on the salad was kind of off.
Would I go back? Maybe, but my Aunt probably won't and she is the only reason I ever go to Bakersfield so probably not.
Well, the food made up for the service. This is not to say the service itself was BAD... but upon ordering their only Lebanese beer, we were informed it was out if stock. No problem. Ordered a certain British beer..... Out of that also. The waitress was overly apologetic and slightly embarassed. We ended up ordering a bottle of merlot which was adequate.
But the food was delish! I had the Chicken with a tomato mushroom cream sauce. My date had the grilled chicken pesto over linguini. Both entrees were of the size for take-home boxes and my entree came with choice of cous cous, brown rice, mashers, or veggies. No complaints on the food. If you're in a hurry, skip this place. If you are socializing with friends and don't want to be rushed, then this is the spot.
After our meal, our waitress was kind enough to throw in a complimentary dessert and extra bread to take home.
This was my first visit, and chances are I will dine here again. I only hope the waitress has a smile on her face next time.
Cheers!
I don't care what others say about the atmosphere. I love eating here. The ambiance is just a little taste of what is to come with the food! Their hummus is so good and their strawberry salad is so yummy! I'm not too excited about the service, but it's very hard to please me with service.
The stroganoff and basil cream pasta is a must.
Although Cafe Med was entirely adequate on my visit, the restaurant did not seem to live up to its reputation as one of Bakersfield's best.
To start I had the baba ganoush, which was good but not the best I've ever had.
I followed this with the shrimp and avocado salad. The shrimp in the salad was excellent, large, and flavorful and the avocado was at its peak of ripeness. But the salad was drowned in a very heavy dressing. It was a shame that such great ingredients wound up swimming in the creamy sauce. A lot of the greens on the bottom were so waterlogged and limp that I didn't even finish the dish. Disappointing.
This place is simply amazing. One of the best places I've eaten in Bakersfield. This place is very romantic, I've been here a few times with my girlfriend. It is pricey, so be prepared. I love greek food, so I get gyros usually. Simple but good! This place has an extensive wine menu, so enjoy. The service is amazing, you would never feel rushed out of this place. They are extremely professional in their job. I usually frequent this place at night after work and it is a good setting at night. The patio is awesome, it has a fountain and christmas lights so it can be romantic if you are on a date or a good place to chill when you are with your friends. Also, always ask for the pita bread and the stuff you can dip it in. I don't know what it is called but it is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
Our appetizers were delicious- spicy, bold flavors. Yummy strawberry salad.
Main entrees didn't seem to continue this theme- we were attending a dinner so our choices were limited, and all prepared non-Mediterranean style. The filet mignon was nice- cooked perfectly med-rare. The pilaf and vegetable medley were both bland, I kind of felt like I was at a hotel-hosted wedding. However, I'm reserving judgment because it's not what I would have ordered given the choice. Based on the appetizers alone, we'll be back and stick to the Mediterranean options to see how that goes.
Our waiter was very well-meaning (and very young), but could not help me at all with a wine selection. He didn't offer a wine list, so when I asked if they carried any sangiovese or nebbolio, he looked confused and said he'd have to see if they carried those white wine varieties- at which point I said that was alright, I'd take a cab. He looked relieved and whatever he brought was actually quite tasty.
UPDATE: Went back to Cafe Med, and the service was so, so bad! We had a reservation but still waited over 30 minutes for a table, which was right behind a huge group. Our poor waiter tried his best, but he clearly had too many tables to handle. No water refills, cold coffee, barely drinkable cocktails, boring entrees. Again, the appetizers were great- why don't they have more dishes to match?
This is one of the nicer restaurants in Bakersfield. The pita bread is delicious. The pastas I have tried are just mediocre, but the filet mignon with red wine mushroom sauce is pretty damn good. Good lemon drops too!
With few unique options outside of the chains in Bakersfield, Cafe Med does have a great menu and inviting atmosphere. WIth four trips to the restaurant....where they lack is the service - which is consistently among the worst you will experience. The waitstaff is not attentive - often leaving drinks empty and diners flagging down other restaurant staff for assistance. While they have a cool little wine shop/deli as you walk in, the restuarant staff have little/to no knowledge of the menu/wine list. Dont expect much on the service side, but the restaurant atmosphere and food will make for a good date or anniversary spot.
One of my favorite restaurants in Bakersfield - and quite possibly a contender for top fine dining place in town as well. Their pasta specialties are stellar (try the bleu cheese linguine), service is always very professional and the white-cloth romantic ambiance is about the best in town. Noticed that over the past few years the crowd has gotten quite sceney on Friday and Saturday nights. (?) In any event, the wine list is terrific, and so are the nights they have jazz performances.
