Dexter D.
Yelp
We usually spend one night in Bakersfield while on our way to Las Vegas, Barstow or even Los Angeles. It's a little out of the way sometimes but we've enjoyed eating at Noriega's, The Woolgrowers and Hungry Hunter. For years, we'd been wanting to try Pyrenees Cafe but we would always heed the call for Noriega's or The Woolgrowers. Alas, the original Noriega's is no more and the new owners of the new Noriega's are facing a steep learning curve as they try to get the restaurant going again. Back in April, on our way to Death Valley, we finally hit Hungry Hunter. OMG, it reminded me so much of the meals that I had eaten in Pleasanton for nearly 30 years.
So finally, we made it into Pyrenees. The layout is bar in front, dining room in back and banquet hall on the side. Although the address is on Sumner Street, the entrance is actually around the corner on Kern Street. We were greeted once when we walked in, asking for a table for two. The bartender said she'd be right back and went to clear a table for us. While she was gone, a server came by and greeted us again. Way to go on teamwork!
Once we were seated, menus were presented as were drinks. We were hungry and ready to dive right in. If you have never eaten in a Basque restaurant "Basque" style, it's like eating at luau in Hawaii. You don't dine until you're full. You eat until you're tired. And then take the leftovers home.
The way the menu works is that you choose an entree. Then you get to choose American or Basque style set-up. Go Basque! You can look at the menu and see the difference between the styles. It's about quantity and variety.
What'd we get?
I ordered Garlic Fried Chicken, which I was told they were out of. So then I chose Shrimp Scampi which came with some pasta hidden under the sauce. The shrimp were perfectly cleaned and cooked. Yes, I ate the pasta. No, I didn't drink the sauce! Food Score - 5.
She ordered the Rack of Lamb and it was indeed a full rack. She ate some, I ate one and we had leftovers. They too, were delicious! Food Score - 5.
We both ordered Basque Style so we got lots of goodies presented Family Style to share.
Vegetable Soup - 5 - A simple, flavorful, vegetable soup.
Beans - 5 - Cooked to tenderness with a lovely flavor.
Salsa - 5 - Our server said that this salsa was milder than their usual but they hadn't been able to get a delivery. I found it plenty spicy enough without being overwhelming.
Experienced diners will mix these three dishes together in their bowl to get a heartier soup with some zip.
Salad - 5- An excellent Salad that is already dressed and comes with a cornucopia of deliciousness. Lettuce, Red Onions, Pepperoncini, Corn, Grape Tomatos, Croutons, Cheese, Cucumber and Olives.
Bread and Butter - 2 - Bread was hard; Butter was harder. Not that it wasn't fresh, just very dense.
French Fries - 4 - Great flavor but they got soggy over time. Too may to finish and too messy to take home.
Marinated Beef Tongue - 5 - Tender. Juicy. Delicious. If they didn't tell you that it was tongue, you'd think that it was just sliced beef.
Pasta - 5 - I rarely meet a pasta in red sauce that I dont' like.
Green Beans -5 - Very flavorful, with some bell peppers and spices.
Cottage Cheese - 5 - I hate Cottage Cheese. I NEVER eat it. It looks like it's already been eaten and then...well, you know what I mean. This Cottage Cheese was delicious! I'm not sure what all they did to it but eat it, I did!
Creme Brulee - 5 - We were there for dinner the night before my companions b'day. The Creme Brulee was large enough for the both of us.
Our server was Arielle. She was great. She answered all of our questions. The ones that she didn't know the answers to, she went to the kitchen and asked. The level of customer service she gave is the kind that every manager would love all of their employees to exhibit.
There was enough food left over that we had to take it with us. Next time, we'll probably negotiate on which Entree we want to share and then just order a second Basque Style set-up for about $17.