The Hidden Cafe Bar and Restaurant

First off kudos to an actual diner style menu where it seems you can get anything on the menu from open to close. I am still one to order my food in the proper order for the time of the day. Also two thumbs up to a place that will serve you fries with breakfast.

We arrived at the restaurant around 8:15am and were promply seated since there was only a four top (table of four) and a guy at their bar seating. We got their coffee, which was hot enough for me but I know my wife's stabdards it wasn't hot enough, but this is my review so the coffee was on point. I always order water with my coffee and was happy it came in a big kids cup rather than the usual thimble of water.

The wait staff seamed short handed when the customers started coming in. The owner/manager had to step in to make sure everyone was getting taken care of. I ordered the pork chop with eggs, fries and sourdough. The pork chop was cooked to perfection which is hard to find a well seasoned chop, especially for breakfast. Most restaurants have a thin over done chop. The eggs were cooked perfectly and my fries turned out to be hashbrowns but that was quickly resolved because they cooked up some fresh fries right after they realized the mistake. The soughdough was Pyranese bread which is way better than the typical breakfast place in town which usually uses the dollar store bread. The wife ordered a couple of sides, which included biscuits and gravy, which was well seasoned, with homemade gravy and a side of bacon. They were out of fruit, which wasn't that big of a deal.

I can't give it a 5 star rating because of the service. Besides the owner/manager going from table to table, the waitress was just up front. When she went to one table she never checked on the other tables she was in charge of.

Overall great theme, good menu and thank you for not opening up a corporately owned restaurant. I will love coming back for breakfast, when some of the kinks are worked out, but even more so to try lunch or the night time atmosphere. I will definately be updating my review when I get a chance for lunch and dinner.

Been seeing this on my Yelp feeds for a while and was finally able to go here for lunch with a friend. Cute place. Cute decor. Clean and cozy ambiance. Service was great. Our server came and checked on us and was very friendly and helpful.

Bean dip they served with chips was awesome. I ordered the Linguini with chicken in white wine sauce. I was a little disappointed it didn't taste like I expected it to be. It was a little on the bland side for my taste. My friend ordered the Chicken Sandwich and was happy with it. She said it was quite tasty.

I like what I saw on the menu so even if I can't say I truly enjoyed my food on my first try to eat at this place, I will give it another try.

I thoroughly enjoyed this place. The waitresses are so attentive. There is plenty of seating and it has a good amount of parking in the back of the building.

We received a complimentary starter of chips & bean dip. Loved it, ate it all. Our food was brought out quickly, which was great because it was during my work lunch hour.

I had the burger & onion rings. I'm pretty picky about my onion rings and the waitress assured me that they are made in-house. SO glad I got the onion rings! They were crisp & delicious. My burger was cooked perfectly well done, just the way I like it. I had lunch with a friend so we split our onion rings & fries so we could try them both. Their fries are also made fresh. They were great. Their portions are abundant and worth it.

Located on the corner of 21st. and "O" Streets in Downtown area (Part of what used to be Chinatown) The Hidden Cafe sits, unassuming, ready, lonely. The old building has been beautifully restored and the owners kept the feel of Bakersfield Downtown Antiquity. The interior decoration seems ongoing and is very tasteful. When you sit down, they are quick to bring you chips and a really good bean and cheese dip. When I say quick, I mean it. The service was very fast and friendly. The restaurant is very clean and well appointed. They serve old school American/Central Californian food favorites with a modern flare. It works. I had an amazing club sandwich and my hot date (wife) had a burger. We split them and couldn't eat it all. The portions were Bakersfield sized, for sure.

Loved it. Will do it again without hesitation. Try it for yourself!

Brand new restaurant in town? I'm game!

I saw The Hidden Cafe pop up on my Yelp news feed one day and made a Bookmark (and mental note) to try them for lunch. That day came, and I must say I was impressed!

The core of The Hidden Cafe is traditional diner food. You have your burgers, sandwiches, salads, and an array of standard (and not so standard) fare.

Upon our first visit we stepped in to this long narrow diner to find several smiling waitresses greet us. We seated ourselves and took in all the vintage movie posters and decor. The overall restaurant theme is reminiscent of a the film noir, Key Largo.

While perusing the menu we were brought some kind of bean dip and chips. It was thoroughly delicious, although a bit confusing. I'm not sure how this fits in with the overall theme.

I ordered their BLAT, which had a notation that it was a house specialty. It was a good sandwich, with thick bacon and fresh lettuce. The french fries were especially yummy. They didn't have that straight from the freezer bag taste. Sweet potato fries were also available and looked equally delicious.

Service was efficient, friendly, and overall seemed to be well run. Our second visit was a bit slower than the first, but hiccups are bound to happen in new restaurants. Plus, I blame Kevin P.'s lasagna for the wait.

Overall, The Hidden Cafe will be a permanent fixture in my downtown lunch options!

I had the Philly Cheesesteak..... Always trying to find one that could hold up to "Cosme's" or even "Tony Luke's"...... The JC Steak sandwich at Woolgrowers is at the top of my local list!

Short answer..... Not happening at the THC....flavor profile... Dry and lacking anything memorable... Skip it!

The Place itself is stellar... Cozy room with a great urban feel.... I'll give it another chance but it's got a
Ways to go.

I want this place to make it so bad! The owners are any patrons dream! So friendly and down to earth you can't help pulling for them!
Been back twice since my original review and the food has been an improvement but it's not moving me yet...... Maybe a tad too safe but the chips and bean dip they served at lunch last week were Devine and even better complimentary. My overall impression is it is very tough to get good help and it shows here ..... A little inattentive and most likely not real experienced.
I'm hoping for a weird cross between Milt's and Moo Creamery......
Some twists on the old classics..,,,, but that plate of nachos looked amazing ... I'm all over them next visit!

Came here for lunch with my friend who is also a Yelper. We were intrigued because the place is new and has been getting good Yelp ratings.

When you walked-in, first thing you'll notice is 2 semi-private tables (separated by walls). Then you'll see a low bar table with chairs, then booths and tables. This place also has a bar in the back part of the restaurant and an outside patio (they were installing cameras when we were there).

I ordered the chicken sandwich with fries.The chicken was seasoned and cooked perfectly. Very good. However, my fries were over cooked (check picture I uploaded) and seems like it's been sitting in the warmer for a while. It's not crispy like how I expect fries to be. I really tried to eat and get a different perspective but the dark parts were bitter, In the end, I only ate 2 pieces:(.

Aside from the fries, this place deserves 4 stars. The servers are nice and on top of everything you need. This place deserves a second chance, in my book. Next time, I would like to go in the evening and try to eat on their patio.

Based on the good service and the food I ordered I was quite happy. Fries and Sweet potato fries are hand cut
Burgers are all at least a half pound patty
Club sani was a great classic

I will come again


Update 3/29/2016
Well sadly it looks as if this place have closed its doors shortly after I posed my initial review.

Too bad it was a good spot and I was just introducing folks to it.

What happened? I heard there was some liquor license debate ???? good was good

Cool new spot downtown east of Chester. We came for taco Tuesday and enjoyed the special and home made fries. The complimentary appetizer is chips and bean dip. Very unique and good.

The interior is a cool slice between retro and new. An old phone booth is in the corner and a full bar is in the back. There is an outside patio. The staff are friendly and attentive.

The menu looks good but not cheap. Can't wait to try more items.

This is our first visit to the Hidden Café. Not very impressed.
When we walked in the door a lady seated at the bar looked at us and told us to take any seat we wanted never getting up.
The interior of the restaurant was quaint but lacking design.
The wife had a pastrami sandwich which was very good but my BLT, which was listed on the menu as a house specialty, was by far nothing special. Loaded with lettuce. Both plates came with home cut fries that were limp and soggy.