Bakersfield OTR

Bakersfield is always a very good option to get good food and good drinks. I already know 5 locations, INDIANAPOLIS, COLUMBUS, NASVILLE, PITTSBURGH AND OF COURSE CINCINNATI. The food i the same quality in all the locations, I recommend the milanesa torta, the baja tacos, short rib tacos and the short rib queso 🫕, to drink the Bakersfield Margarita is the best in the menu, you can get spicy but traditional is always a good way to be happy, I love the vibes and the service is always friendly.

Cool Vibes, Mid Tacos, and a Hard Pass on the Pastor Let’s get something straight—Bakersfield OTR isn’t a bad spot. The vibe? Solid. It’s got that lively, packed energy that makes you want to post up at the bar, sip a margarita, and people-watch for hours. Dim lights, loud music, and a bit of grit—right in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. That’s why I go. Now, let’s talk tacos. As a Mexican, I’ll say this: they’re fine. Not mind-blowing, but fine. The Short Rib taco? Tender, flavorful, and hits the mark. The Baja Shrimp? Crispy, tangy, with just the right amount of crema. They know how to balance flavors, and the execution is consistent. But then there’s the Al Pastor—and I’ve got to call it out. That is not pastor. No trompo, no real depth, just chile-marinated pork that’s trying too hard. It’s a swing and a miss for anyone who knows the real thing. Drinks? Margaritas are on point—especially the spicy version. Tequila selection is deep if you want to explore, and they don’t skimp on pour size. At the end of the day, Bakersfield isn’t about authentic Mexican—it’s about the scene. Go for the vibe, stay for a couple tacos and a drink, but if you’re chasing the real deal flavors of Mexico, this place won’t scratch that itch.

Pretty good margarita and $5 shots. Tacos had great presentation. We ordered Al pastor, shrimp, fish, chicken, beef.

Went on a Thursday around 4pm before a candlelight experience. It wasn’t as busy as usual when I’ve been (weekend evening). I had the honeydew seasonal drink! It was sweet but refreshing! The traditional queso was great! Aleaha our server was quick and super nice, and great with recommendations!

Good thing I don't live within walking distance! They'd have to kick me out a few times a week. OTR has some great spots but Bakersfield is at the top of the list. The queso and papas rancheras were top notch with a nice crisp on the potatoes and great flavor. Reminded me of patatas bravas with a Mexican twist. Short rib and carnitas tacos were meaty and perfectly accompanied with with sauces and toppings. Service was friendly, prompt, and on the their game. Great beer and drink selection too! Hard to beat an ice cold bottle of Pacifico, a shot of tequila, and great tacos! CORNER!

If I could give 10 stars, I would! I have never been more impressed. WOW. Ordered delivery and not only did the food arrive hot, it was the most beautiful, concise, well-cared for presentation I have ever seen. I’m eating for one so I only got one side and still, the top of the container was labeled?! How sweet! How thoughtful! I can only imagine how helpful this is for a group of 3 or more. Opened the containers and the food looks exactly like the pictures! Show stopping. Ordered the chicken milanesa torta and a side of rice of beans. The chicken on the torta was crispy, flavorful, and bustin’ out the sides of the bread. That salsa verde they give you with it - yeah you’re gonna wanna douse it in that. Holy moly. SO good. The rice and beans - delicious, balanced, show stopping, FILLING! I have leftovers for tomorrow.

Great experience. Lovely patio, delicious tacos and margaritas, and very reasonably priced.

My husband and I visited here on a date day. We made candles at the candle lab a block away and while our candles were drying decided to get a snack from here. We ordered the chips with queso and added chorizo for $3. Neither of us cared for this appetiter. Not the traditional queso taste in any way. However, their street tacos are amazing! Al pastor was our favorite taco with a pineapple freshness. The short rib taco was good too. Cute place to break up the time waiting on our candles.

This place has the best margs and queso in the city. Perfect girl dinner and the outdoor area is so cute when it's warm out.

The atmosphere is great. The tacos are very small, so get 3-4. (Not complaining, just saying) All of the ingredients were fresh. I'm glad we stopped here on our trip. No regrets.

Ate here twice within a week. The tacos were fantastic, the setting is nice and bartender very with it. The second visit was slightly confounding. The patio is nice but as we sat, a manager seemed very annoyed and more so when we asked for plates in addition to our taco racks. "I guess, it's special to eat off plates," I remarked to the table beside us. They too said they had to ask for this most fundamental of table items. When the plates were brought to the table, they were set down stacked, not placed with each guest. The manager projected a huffiness.

Great cocktails and service. The food was pretty good - not the standout I was expecting from the reviews but it was ok. We had a reservation since we were seeing a play nearby - so we were seated immediately. Service - other than the bar - was prompt. We ordered cocktails. Then read over the menu. Ordered an appetizer. Then had it delivered, ate half of it and then ordered our tacos before we ever got our drinks from the bar. But the cocktails were fabulous! Espresso Horchata for my daughter and the Caballero Old Fashioned for me. My daughter was told by a friend that that tacos were tiny. The waitress told us the tacos were tiny before we ordered. Still, we were surprised by how small they really are. We looked at the photos shared in reviews and they're $4.5 each - so, we thought they would be a smaller street taco size. The tacos are brought out on a pizza pan and sat on a raised stand. So, all the photos - including mine - are shot from above. They look almost double in size in the photos than they actually are. I ordered two tacos, my daughter ordered three. We also ordered the Esquites appetizer. We left still hungry. If it wasn't for the nacho chips , that were suggested by the server to go with the Esquites, we would've been starving. We both ordered the Pollo Verde taco and the Short Rib taco. My daughter also had the Fish taco, which she didn't finish due to not caring for it much. As far as the flavor of tacos - they're ok. The short rib and the chicken were both dry and lacking in flavor. The tiny shells fell apart - so eating with the hands became very messy. We did like the Esquites appetizer, which paired well with the crispy nachos. Overall - the place is lively and has great cocktails. The service was great and the food was ok.

I heard so many great things about this restaurant and finally decided to check it out. Despite it being a busy Thursday night, we didn't have reservations but were seated at the bar. The service there was excellent, and we enjoyed the chips and guacamole to start. I ordered two tacos, though I'd recommend three since they're on the smaller side. The tacos were decent, but a bit pricey for the portion size.

It's margarita degrees outside! Being able to go to new restaurants as they open are cool. But being able to visit the OG, and they still deliver is top tier. This is the start of OTR for me. One the first restaurants I visited , no other taco spots were downtown. I wanted that old thing back for taco Tuesday this week. Nothing fancy just good food and good service like it should be. Also don't skip out on the rooftop area. It's usually quiet cause nobody knows about it. This place has 3 bars , plenty of seating for pre- gaming, or girls Night . Are you really even a foodie if you never been here?

Bakersfield always hits! Beautiful Friday night, sat on the patio/sidewalk area outside. Waitress was super friendly and attentive. I've had the Milanesa torta a couple times and this was easily the best one, soft bread, crispy chicken, and fresh salsa verde on the side. Friends had tacos which are always on point, short rib was the crowd favorite. This place never disappoints and is now easier to get a table because they expanded and took over the building next door (formerly Kruegers)!

It's a decent place to pick up Americanized tacos in the city. There were plenty of tables available on a nice Sunday afternoon for lunch. Our server was very friendly and quick to get our order. I'd recommend 3 tacos per person. We got the al pastor, crispy shrimp and fish tacos. The al pastor was a little too sweet and missed a smoky chipotle flavor. The fish taco was pretty dry but the slaw did bring the tacos some flavor. The crispy taco was my favorite- the chipotle lime crema brought the taco together. But for $4.50 per taco, there wasn't anything that stood out for me to come back.

I've never been much of a tacos fan, but Bakersfield really changed my mind on it. The tacos (2 shrimp, 2 fish, 2 short rib) tasted so delicious and flavorful from the meat, while the cabbage, radishes, onions, etc. gave it such a fresh flavor on top of it. The queso was addicting. I can't imagine what the loaded one must taste like. Our waitress was very nice and happily gave advice on which tacos to try. I definitely enjoyed how chill and relaxing it was in the restaurant, especially after a full day of walking. If you're not really into tacos like me, give Bakersfield a shot. They may just spark your love for tacos.

Bakersfield is always consistent in their food and it continues to be great every time! They definitely have enough menu items to try something new for each visit and I'm never let down. The short rib taco is definitely my favorite-- the fish taco is a close second (if you're looking for spice!) If you come here, it is a MUST to get The Trio & their Queso! Bakersfield is great for lunch or dinner!

One more time. We came here again after a late night FCC game. What an easy place to have a light but satisfying meal. We got two Tomas each and guacamole. We got great service and attentive but patient staff. I loved the open garage doors to people watch the night life of OTR. This is just the best tacos in OTR. Don't forget a margarita!

Wow! We got delivery through Uber and we were so pleasantly surprised with how fresh our food was!! The torta is SO delicious!! Short rib taco was so flavorful. Guac?? Soo fresh!! We will for sure be adding this to our roster of places we frequent!

After a busy day of exploring Cincinnati, it was time for a drink and some food. I let Guy Fieri lead the way and ended up at the OTR location of Bakersfield. Super busy with a queue for tables but I was able to get a seat at the bar immediately. Great service there and a full menu, so I'd recommend that for you. Starting off with a plate of chips and salsa, the chips are delicious. Light with salt, served warm and with both red and green salsa. I think there's a hole in the bottom of the bowl because I looked down and they were gone. I'm not sure how that happened! For second course, I got the roasted cauliflower which was awesome. Bathed in queso and some heat from the poblano peppers, it was delicious and quite filling. If there was "healthy" in here, it got swamped by the amazing cheese sauce. Yum! And then third course, a short rib taco. It was insane. Loaded with braised short rib ad absolutely delicious. I nearly forgot the classic margarita served in a Mason jar with a salted rim. It's good that I have a nice walk back to the van to sober up a bit before driving! [Review 20499 overall - 226 in Ohio - 1480 of 2023.]

Keira and Erin were so great! Excellent service! Very attentive servers. Will def come back for them. The Johnny salad was stellar .

The vibes seemed nice and relaxed. We ordered takeout ahead. We arrived home with no napkins or utensils in sight. We liked the beans and the taquitos. The Al pastor and shrimp tacos were average. The short rib, carnitas and two different chicken tacos were all dry and had no juiciness to the meat texture. I personally didn't care for the queso, it was a bit stiff and under seasoned.

Stopped in on a nice Saturday for a quick lunch. We started with the Trio - two salsas (red and green) and guacamole, with a side of chips for dipping. Their guacamole is A+. For my meal, I ordered three tacos - the Baja shrimp, the pollo rojo, and the braised short rib. All three were excellent. Hard to choose a favorite. My wife tried the pollo verde and the braised short rib. For her, the short rib was the overwhelming favorite. Service was excellent, and food was brought out in short order. Really enjoyed our experience here! Would definitely come back!

One of my favorite taco places! Always delicious and a good time. Their service is friendly and the atmosphere is lively. They have a mix of bar seating, high tops, and picnic table style seating inside and a cute rooftop and patio outside as well. If you're a queso fan, you have to try theirs! They also have delicious salsas. On Tuesday we love their $3 tacos, but other days I tend to get their carnitas taquitos. Everything tastes great. Their margaritas and Palomas are delicious as well, and I love that they also have cava. This will continue to be a go-to!

Love coming here! I only come when I have a reservation because the wait is usually long. My staples here are the Bakersfield margarita w salt and the chips and guac. Tonight I got the fish, shrimp, and short rib tacos. All were hit! They're pretty small so get 2-3 per person. My plain husband just got the meat and tortilla with no toppings. We had guac leftover and asked to take it home and our server also brought us fresh chips to take home. Service was great! Only downfall is that we were upstairs and it was super loud.

Food and service were on point. It was a little tight at the high tops where we were seated, and we had an obnoxious four year old next to us who misbehaved the entire time. Yes, parents should have done better. But the restaurant shouldn't seat families with toddlers at high tops that are literally two feet apart. Food was delicious.

$3 Tacos on Taco Tuesday. What more can you ask for? There's also a couple featured spirits that are discounted on Tuesdays. The Caesar salad was surprisingly delicious as well.

Excellent dinning experience! Came across this restaurant while walking around Cincinnati downtown. With an calm and rustic atmosphere this restaurant has some phenomenal tacos and margheritas. Services was outstanding. If you are in the area give this place a try. You will enjoy every bite of it. Cheers!

The atmosphere here is great, and the margarita pitcher is awesome. We went for dinner around 8/8:30. The meat on our tacos were very dry, as if they made it in the beginning of the day and we came too late. The service was great! I think you get exactly what you imagine coming to this restaurant!

Best taco and margaritas in Cincy! We came here some food per our friend recommendation. It was described as ,"You can choose anything on the menu, and it will be good!" Little did I know that this place will blow my mind. Their margaritas are housemade on the rocks. It is very tasty and very strong. Be careful. It's so tasty you won't even know you're drinking alcohol-but in a good way. I had the pineapple margarita that had a pineapple wedge. It immediately brought me back to the beach! The tacos, I recommend their short ribs and al pastor. Both were meaty, juicy, and delightful. Also, we had the short rib queso. As a cheese lover, it has been broiled with crumbled queso fresco on top and radish slices. I asked for an extra side of pickled peppers and radishes - that my friends were game changers! The flavor and textures were a perfect dance in my mouth. Moreover, the service was superb! Our waitress was attentive and introduced us to the menu. She even split the margarita into two smaller glasses for my date and I to share. The manager was super sweet, too. She told me Guy Fieri visited their restaurant a couple of weeks ago and offered to show us his picture and signature. I was grateful for how warm they treat their customers here. The music was the vibe, there was outdoor seating, and their napkins were 5 a star. Yes, I said napkins. I knew as soon as I picked one napkin that this place was going above and beyond.

Great, popular place in downtown Cincy! You can order tacos, share plates and and mingle with others as well. I ordered a few tacos and thought the food was decent. But coming from a place where there are so many options for tacos, the tacos were ok. I really thought the service should have been better though. The place was crowded, so the staff couldn't pay much attention to our group as much. A group of us ordered tacos, and they all appeared at once....making it a bit difficult to know which tacos were which and whose they were. Otherwise, a decent, and clearly popular choice for those in town for sure.

Buzzing Tacos + Cocktail destination which is a must visit while you're in the Queen city. Everything is fresh& tasty. Servers are genuinely nice & provide good recommendations. My favorite were the spicy chicken tacos! Drinks are good, tad sweeter but strong. It's a loud place inside if you don't mind it. The ambiance inside could be better, brighter.

Bakersfield is a safe and solid option for tacos and margs in the OTR area. As usual, the tacos were solid and I personally love the Willie salad. We wanted to try some of the new appetizers, so we ordered the papas rancheras and empanadas. The empanadas were decent, the potatoes could have been much crisper. I'm glad we tried them, but would stick with queso/guac as an appetizer next time. Still a good meal overall!

My husband and our friend go every Tuesday for our weekly Sip N B*tch session. The consistency of the food is fantastic. The ingredients are always high quality. Personal favorites: chips and guac, short rib queso, Al Pastor tacos, fish tacos, and the short rib tacos (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives), and the pineapple margaritas (shout out to Erin for being a killer bartender). The atmosphere is also fantastic. Good music, awesome staff, and the manager is great. There's also outdoor seating upstairs. He always stops by to chat, as do several of the other servers (WITHOUT neglecting other tables). Only "downside": I really miss the cranberry ginger margarita.

Great service with free shots for our birthday celebrants. Chips were fresh and tasty. Salsas and guacamole also good, green salsa was a standout. We tried several tacos. All were good and we raved over the carnitas. The anejo and special cranberry ginger margs were just the added touch. Definitely would come back-often!!

What a fun place! It was so busy when we arrived, glad we made a reservation in advance. we were late by 20 minutes but the host stand still had a table for us! And in the quieter upstairs bar area. Server was delightful, friendly, and gracious, especially as our food order was incorrect and to our birthday guest. Food was fresh, served quickly and quite delicious. 2-3 little tacos definitely enough of a portion, especially after enjoying the triple dip appetizer. Oh, and don't forget to get yourself a margarita! So tasty and refreshing, not too sweet for the pineapple margarita, and just the right amount of smoky to the mezcal margarita

Had lunch with my son at Bakersfield in Cincinnati. We had fish and shrimp tacos with pineapple margaritas which were delicious!!

We stopped here for something quick as we travel home and was greeted immediately and sat with the nicest waitress. She was on top of drinks and our order. We got a small variety of tacos and they were super delicious. The short rib and pork on the Al Pastor- we seasoned well and great with the paired pineapple and cabbage/ radish. Must try this location it seems to be great for any time!

Every time I think about Bakersfield I immediately crave queso and their short rib tacos. I've been going for years and have tried most of the tacos but always end up back with my tried and true.

Bakersfield is a bar with seating around it. It has a spacious area away from the bar but near the bar, the seating was tight. As for the service, it was pretty good. Our waitress was amazing. A lot of the things on the menu had authentic Mexican names, making it hard to understand what exactly you were getting. This made it extremely difficult for me to understand what i was ordering. The waitress did help though. She also matched the tables energy nicely. She also kept refills coming often. As for the appetizers. They were off putting for me. The guacamole was pretty good. It was very fresh and you could tell it hadn't been sitting for a while. The chips though were a little too thin for me. I often found them breaking when trying to dip it into the thick and chunky guacamole. It made for an unenjoyable experience. As for the queso, I thought they were trying to do too much here. The queso was chunky and stringy instead of thick and creamy. It's not that it was bad, because it tasted just fine, but again it made for a weird eating experience. Normal queso is fine. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. The empanadas were the best thing in my opinion. I loved them. Super airy and flaky. And packed with flavor. The dipping sauces were elite too. The sandwich was also super good. I thought the chicken was breaded nicely and the lemon flavor added a nice citrus jump to the dish. As for the taquitos, they didn't do much for me. The chicken was not seasoned well and I felt like the only good part of it was the sauce. As for the tacos, everyone at my table seemed to like them. I refused to try any considering I cannot stand corn tortillas. That's all they have by the way. Overall I thought price was decent, and portions could've been bigger. Service was pretty good but nothing stood out to me. 3.4/5 stars for me.

I was attracted to this place because I am in fact from BAKERSFIELD, CA. What this place supposedly mimics. And let me tell you the drinks weren't bad at all. But let me tell you what's really up with the food. The guac is terrible, didn't even taste like salt was in it. No tomatoes no cilantro. Absolute trash. I came with a friend and after chips and guac and a few drinks we decided to eat elsewhere. Let that sink it that real Bakersfieldians didn't want to have anything to do with this place. I find it embarrassing and misleading that they used my hometown for this place. Don't think this is like our food THERE IS NO COMPARISON! This is not Bakersfield. It's like if we had a place called Cincinnati and served dog food. That might help you understand. They need to change their name to Cincinnati. Now that being said we sat outside and I loved the atmosphere, service wasn't great and the drinks like I stated were pretty good. I would go back strictly for the drinks and to start drinking there, not for the food. Very embarrassing, if you think the tacos are good here then you've never really had tacos.

(4) ~ very solid lunch option in the OTR MENU: ** Water = (4) very good, must be filtered;) ** Guacamole = (4) very good & chunky;) ** Pollo Rojo (chicken) Taco = (4) very tasty ** Baja Shrimp Taco = (4) very good * Salsas (Re & Green) = (3.75) Good, the Red is smokey & the Green is clean * Esquites = (3.75) Good. Note: This is a cold temperature appetizer, not like the Elote appetizer which is served warm. *** Still wish the offered dessert;)lol

Bakersfield is always my go-to spot in OTR when I'm craving a great marg and a flavorful taco. My friend and I arrived at prime dinner time hours on a Thursday, but were still seated right away with excellent service. I ordered a pineapple margarita to start which was phenomenal, and my friend and I decided to split the chips and guac. As an avid guacamole fan, Bakersfield's is amazing. I went with a baja shrimp taco, a pollo verde one, and a carnitas taco. All came out in record time, and were delicious! I especially liked the carnitas taco with the toppings it came with. For the price, I would advocate that these are worth it. Overall, the atmosphere was very enjoyable. As it was a Thursday, it wasn't too crowded, but there were definitely plenty of customers around enjoying their food and drinks as well. I would highly recommend!

Went here with my boyfriend about a month ago on a Tuesday night. We had the best experience! Place was very relaxing for a nice dinner and the food was light. Got seated right away. Our server was so friendly, I wish I could remember his name to give him a shoutout. We really appreciated how he was so thorough in explaining the gluten free menu, he even handed me a seperate menu so it was easy to distinguish what I could have! I absolutely loved the pollo verde and pollo rojo tacos. My boyfriend really enjoyed the fish and baja shrimp tacos. I also ordered a mexican soda which was delicious. The manager was very friendly and visible, he came to our table to check in on everything which was really nice. Overall we had a wonderful experience and would return again!

Cute place. And great food!! The guacamole was so good and every type taco I had was fresh and delicious (shrimp, short rib, and al pastor). Also the margaritas were very good. Staff was friendly and gave good service.

Great taco experience on Vine Street! I recommend getting one of each: - Margarita - Queso - Tacos We started with the pineapple margarita, which helped ease us into the rest of the meal. These are house-made, and the fresh pineapple wedge and salt rim were a great combo! Lovely margarita, and I've also heard good things about their house version. Special note: we mentioned sharing the marg, and they served it in two glasses for us. Great unexpected service! The braised short rib queso rocked... but I have a recommendation. Enhance it by ordering extra pickled peppers and radishes. Adding these took the queso up a level! The cheese is really good, full flavored, and baked wonderfully. We ordered 4 tacos, and I'll rank them from best-to-least (all were good): 1) Braised short rib 2) Carnitas 3) Pollo Diablo (warning: very spicy) 4) Fish They are small in size, but it's a good portion and fairly priced. As a couple, we each got a few bites to sample each. Great service, cool atmosphere, rocking music... we'll be back!

If you follow Chow down Cincinnati you have Bakersfield on your list. We all do. It seems like the thing to do. I mean, if you don't have Bakersfield on your list are you on really Chow Down? It's trendy.

The manager was truly significant and making our experience so amazing. Without even asking, he saw my wife struggling to find somewhere to put her purse when we were sitting outside on the patio and came over with a rack we could use as a shelf. This awareness of their customers and attention to detail is why we love this restaurant group so much. And will continue coming back with our friends and family.

My wife and Grandson and I were visiting Cincinnati for work. We opted for a Airbnb in downtown. We tried several restaurants in the area. The best experience was at Bakersfield. The staff were incredible, very friendly and helpful with the menu. Food was great avocado and chips . tacos fantastic. The beer on draft-ice cold. The most important- the restaurant had a friendly vibe too lots of people enjoying being there. Huge recommendation.

The fantastic fish and short rib tacos made up for the unbearable first date happening next to us. And our service from Lily was excellent.

Tacos and guacamole were delicious! Their street tacos are a tad smaller than others I've had, but 2-3 tacos are quite filling. Favorites were the fish taco, shrimp taco. The service was fast, polite, and informative. Vibes for a dinner date 10/10.

I haven't been to Bakersfield in a couple of years as it is always packed whenever I have tried to walk in when in OTR. Wow! I forgot how great their tacos are and how good their margaritas are! We sat at the bar and food came out quick. The esquite was a little cold, but the flavor was good. I definitely won't wait years to go again! Love the busy atmosphere all around!

I eat a ton of Mexican food, am pretty picky, and this place was a slam dunk. Crispy/crunchy/gnarly chips, the flight of salsas was delicious, guac was outstanding (perfect amount of lime & spice), pork taquitos were amazing, fish taco was super yum, and all the other tacos were fantastic, too. Plus I asked for a smoky, sweet, spicy and sour margarita with mezcal, and it was absolutely perfect. Will def return next time we are in OTR!

Long time patron of Bakersfield... Covid messed with OTR. Well, happy to say, it's back! Cody was our bartender. Very attentive, super friendly and hyper efficient. Makes a great "skinny marg". The short rib queso is amazing... literally could eat a bucket of it. The fish taco "hot" out of the kitchen is so silly good.

I enjoy coming to Bakersfield - their drinks & food are almost always spot on! Service feels rushed though. I understand the team is busy (especially on the weekends!), but there are moments where you can feel like you're inconveniencing them for just being there. Seating is comfortable and given how tight the space is, it is utilized very well and doesn't feel too overwhelmingly crowded most of the time!

The experience I have had each time I have visited Bakersfield OTR has been great evert single time! They are best known for their margaritas and their food menu also is great with a lot of items to choose from overall. The price point is fair for what you receive in service and I definitely recommend coming here for date night! Cheers