Wool Growers Restaurant

This was my first and last visit at Woolgrowers. First of all, we waited over fifteen minutes to be seated because the lady who appeared to possibly be a manager was preparing tickets for tables as it was after 7pm and they close at 8pm. However, tables were available and she could’ve seated us and finished preparing tickets later since there wasn’t any customers waiting at the counter. Secondly, the hostess was very dry, unprofessional, and rude. We had to catch other workers walking by to refill our bowls because they were taking them off our table quickly and not returning them with refills. Thirdly, when asked for more bread, which was stale and hard a hostess came to our table with a basket and dumped two pieces of bread that looked as if it was leftovers from another table. Finally, we realized that other customers who appeared to be “white” were receiving better customer service than we were. When we went to pay our tab, the lady who finally seated us at the front counter had the audacity to ask us if everything was good. My daughter informed her of the terrible customer service and she just smiled and said she could write a note on the back of our ticket. I don’t recommend this establishment to anyone. Spend your money at a restaurant that provides good quality food and great customer service. This establishment needs training on equality, communication skills and customer service skills with minorities. It’s very overpriced and overrated for small servings of food.

Came in for lunch came out with course meal instead Free soup, salsa, bean. Just mix them up and bread Thought we were done.... Lettuce salad and very crunchy delectable tomato salad, Free...... Fried chicken skin with garlic was the absolutely delicious and fresh fried French fries just make it the perfect combo Dunno about Bakersfield but the only reason I am in town is this restaurant

This was our first experience with Basque food, and we found the food, service, and hospitality wonderful. The staff members were friendly and patient. We each ordered an entree with the full setup, which was way too much food, and was all enjoyable. We had a lamb shank special and the oxtail, and were just about full before the entrees arrived, so we took home enough leftovers for two more meals. Highly recommended.

A Truly Unforgettable Experience Having traveled from coast to coast over the past 30 years, we have had the pleasure of visiting countless establishments—but none have left an impression quite like Wool Growers. From the moment we stepped through the door, the warmth and kindness of the staff made us feel like part of the family. We always seek out family-owned businesses during our travels, and this gem stood out in our search. We are so grateful we found it. The food was exceptional—flavorful, authentic, and clearly prepared with great care. The portion sizes could not fit on the table. Just as impressive was the impeccable service. Every staff member was attentive, friendly, and genuinely welcoming. We had the honor of meeting the owner and learning about the family’s rich heritage, which added a meaningful personal touch to our visit. It’s rare to encounter such heartfelt hospitality, and we truly cannot express how thankful we are for the experience. In three decades of travel, we have never encountered hospitality of this caliber. This establishment is a shining example of what makes family-owned businesses so special.

I have never had Basque food and wasn’t disappointed. Got the setup and added pickled tongue and entree of roast lamb. A bit pricey for one person, but after seeing how much good I got, I can see why. I couldn’t eat it all as a solo diner. Clean, quaint restaurant with fast and friendly service. Since I have never had or heard of basque, I can’t say authentic, but it was good food. Pickled tongue was different (it’s an acquired taste), but I ate it all. Salsa was on point and roast lamb was good.

Basque done right! Bring an appetite and enjoy the flavors. Hits: basque sausage, pickled tounge, oxtail stew..

Suggested to hit the spot by a local no regrets ✨👌✨ we were not familiar with Basque but now we want more! We had the pork chops and the chicken absolutely delicious 😋 entrees come with courses of food .. served family style! So much fun 🥳 bring the entire family and serve and share all the dishes ✨👌✨ everything tastes like it comes out of a homemade kitchen 💗 The best of Bakersfield 🥳

Service was spot on and the employees were very polite and helpful. It was my first time eating Basque food, and with a little guidance, it was a wonderful experience. The soup, beans, salsa, salad, Filet of Sole, fries, spaghetti, carrots, and bread were all awesome. They just KEPT bringing food. Alot of new and exciting flavors, very savory. 10/10 reccomend, can’t go wrong here. This local business deserves your money.

Always great food and incredible service. Been eating here well over 35 years. Wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for everything. Merry Christmas everyone!

Awesome place to eat in Bakersfield. Staff was friendly, accommodating and attentive. Wife had filet with Scampi and I had Scampi. Steak cooked perfectly, tasted great. Started meal off with Picons and Oxtail, excellent. Old school atmosphere and friendly patrons. Bought homemade Chorizo from JC, can't wait to try it. Highly recommend.

Came to Bakersfield today with my better half to see a comic we've been wanting to see live for a long time. We go to comic concerts like two the three comics a yr not counting the cruise ship vacation that we see. When we arrived to pickup our order truly I didn't know what to expect an basque restaurant I'm thinking a whole bunch of white ppl which is ok so we walk in a it's just like I thought a bunch of white people and Mexican people having a good time and sitting at communal tables which I'm used too I go to bbq restaurant all over so no biggie. I go to the register and two lovely women help me with my order it was a Togo we had a concert to get to. They were so nice the place was full and it was hopping. Now why we came we ordered the fried chicken dinner with a setup. Now the chicken looked pretty good except I needed salt, pepper hot sauce ketchup, but mostly just needed seasoning. As for the sides or the set up as they call it, they give you pasta which needed seasoning rice which did not need seasoning, but I don't eat rice. They gave us a salad. The dressing was good bread which was good. The burnt cheesecake they could do better mine was better and they give you some soup which I didn't eat and something else but I can't remember. Oh yeah the beans they are. Excellent. They're the best beans I've ever tasted like top five outside of my house other than thatI don't think I would go back. I think I will try another restaurant in the area another Basque restaurant. The corn needed seasoning also.

Bakersfield is known for their Basque cuisine and I hear Wool Growers is THEE place to experience Basque food. It is an elaborate family style meal, so bring your appetite so you can properly enjoy this feast. Basque food has its' origin in Basque Country which is a region in northern Spain which also extends into France, so you will see both of those countries' touches in the menu. They are known or their quality ingredients prepared simply but delicious. Since it was my first time trying Basque, my broworkers insisted that I try the the full meal set-up experience with my lunch. I had their Shrimp Scampi ($24) and added on the full Set-Up ($4). Just as they warned, I'd be full before my entree came out. Bread and butter were complimentary for the table. The set-up is so intense. It had a vegetable soup, beans, tomatoes, salad, fries and green beans as the vegetable during our visit. I had to really pace myself and barely sample the other items to get to my shrimp scampi. It was really delicious. So excited I finally got to try Basque cuisine. I really wanted to try the escargot too, but there was already so much food from the set-up.

Still Amazing after all these years! Fantastic menu selection Great friendly service Nice and big restaurant with tons of seating for family style or just your party! Prices are Great considering what you get! Wine is awesome Lots of parking! Highly recommend!!!!

I have never been to a basque restaurant before but this place was very good. Very yummy. The server gave me plenty of recommendations and i went with the recommended JC sandwich! My friend ordered the Fried Chicken & the server recommended adding garlic butter on top. So he got it on the side and tried that out and he was surprised at how good it tasted and kept adding more to his chicken haha. Everything that came along with our food tasted soo good as well such as the salad, the fries, and the bread. Would love to come back again and try new dishes :)

Everything is about the right time to start your journey to become a successful entrepreneur with a passion. There food is incredibly delicious and fresh. You will be amazed how well your food can be served with just a single ingredient.

The food never disappoints. Always same day or night. Service is always fast and friendly. They even know you by name. The crowd is always just happy to be there and even smile at you when you're sitting next to them. You'll leave happy and full for 2-3 days.

I've been interested in Bakersfield lately. When relevant to the conversation, I have extolled the virtues of Bakersfield to my interlocutors. "The Bakersfield sound, man! Buck and Merle, how cool were they? And that's where they're from. Nashville gets all this hype, but the cooler stuff came from California." To that, I might get a nod of the head. "And they have a bunch of Basque restaurants! Apparently, Basque shepherds immigrated at some point, stuck around, but held on to their identity." Still, no one's interested in going with me to Bakersfield. People from LA and San Fran see Bakersfield as a place filled with backward hicks. For all the snobs with a low opinion of the jewel of Kern County, you need to step into the dining room at Wool Growers. People from L.A. and the Bay Area comport themselves like an upturned garbage can compared to the tidy manner of the Wool Growers' staff and clientele. I went on a Thursday for lunch and everyone looked like they might just as well be at an Easter celebration. Having already been to my local Basque restaurant, I was familiar with the heartwarming effect the food can have. It's not fancy. In fact, you can probably make it at home, but that's kind of the point. In this charming dining room, attached to a charming banquet room and bar, with a charming sign out front, you feel like you are being treated to a feast by your aunt or grandmother. Or, perhaps, the aunt or grandmother of your Basque friend. The tomato/ piperade type salad was tremendous with local tomatoes and bell peppers in season. I assume they're local since I kept passing trucks on both the 5 and 99 freeways hauling massive loads of tomatoes. The soups were honest and delicious. The clam chowder is not the typical heavily creamed affair. Most of the thickening is done with the starch from potato, and is enriched with milk. Much lighter and perfect for the July heat of the valley. The beans are tasty and become even better with the spicey tomatoey salsa. You also receive bread, a lettuce based salad, and a vegetable soup. All this is complimentary with your meal. My meal was the pickled tongue sandwich (tongue of beef). I realized later that it would have been more appropriate had I ordered a lamb dish, seeing as how I was in a place for shepherds. But the pickled tongue sandwich proved to be a phenom nonetheless. The tongue meat isn't pickled in the way of a jarred preserve. At least that was not my impression. It seemed to me that it was prepared in a sort of escabeche: cooked in a boiling mixture of water and vinegar. It was certainly acidic. Yet the offaly tongue savor was still noticeable. And the sandwich's condiment was a very decadent compound butter with garlic and parsley. The staff was exceptionally attentive and polite. I had a couple of restless toddlers with me. The staff may have been annoyed with the children's behavior, but if that was the case, they masked it entirely. Very warm welcoming people.

Went to Bakersfield for a meeting and was excited to go to Wool Growers. I've dined here every time I've traveled to the city for meetings. To be perfectly honest the place seemed changed, mainly the attitude of everyone from the cashier to the waiters. The food was still genuine and abundant basque. But everyone who I saw working there looked angry at the world. No smiles, projecting attitude, put down the servings and immediately walk away not missing a step. I started thinking I'd rather be at a buffet and serve myself. To be fair, I have friends who live in Bakersfield and who dine there and at nearby Benji's. They tell me I must have gone on a "bad" day. To be frank, I'd still gonna back next time I'm there. But first impressions can make a difference between coming back and never returning. My experience was not a first impression and I'm glad it wasn't.

Great food, fast service. The ox tail stew is amazing. Lamp chops, Cordon Bleu, all great.

This is the first place I've ever tried fast food. It was delicious and engaging. Well it's not my food that I'd probably eat every day. It was definitely experience, especially with the set up and how the different meals are prepared in what people eat for this time. The servers are always nice. It's always family style so we had enough food to go around even for a large party Atmosphere is very quaint and it's definitely looks like it's been its old time, but it was really engaging to see so many people from the community were able to enjoy this wonderful family restaurant.

When we arrived at 5pm, when they opened there was plenty of parking. The neon sign was a nice touch to the exterior of the restaurant. When we walked in you can't see the front desk. We only knew to look as another women walked across us and said she's going to check in. The front desk is tucked into the dining room, across from the bar. We walked up to the front desk and asked for a table for 2. She first said is a table ok, then she looked at her seating chart and said there is a booth if you want in. It looked like everything was reserved and we were lucky to get seated. As it turns out while seated, all of the booths were accounted for, but there were a couple of tables available for those of us who didn't make reservations. The place was much lighter and brighter than I expected. The wall paper has a light background and the walls are painted a light color. For some reason knowing it's an older establishment I thought it would be dimly lit and over crowded with tables. As it turns out there is a chandelier every few feet and it really lights up the place. Since we've been in Bakersfield we've heard about this place and it's gotten lots of hype so we had big expectations for our dinner. Unfortunately with it built up so big, it was a little of a disappointment. The spread was as expected. And we paced ourselves so not to fill up on one item. I wish I had kept the soup bowl and not let them take it as I really wanted more soup. They clear the dishes as you go through the meal to make room for more dishes. The dinner included: The Set up- (You can order just this and skip the main entree.) Bread- Cold French bread- good with butter Cabbage soup- I liked this best out of all the dishes that was served Beans- Tasted like Baked Beans, They were really good Salsa- Spicy. It really perks up the dishes Tomato salad- pickled tomatoes (Tomatoes in vinegar dressing) Really good, but vinegary Green salad- A bit too much dressing Vegetable of the day- Carrots- Very good Spaghetti with meat sauce and parmesan cheese on top. Very good French Fries- Needed more salt or ketchup, which is on the table. I got the fried chicken with garlic- It was very dry. I was really disappointed. It came out with a wing, leg, part of a breast and thigh. Perfect for one person. I ate it all. The portion was small enough that you can eat nice servings of the set up and have room for your chicken dinner. He got the pork chops. He got two small pork chops. It was good, but a small portion. If you eat a hearty set up you will be full at the end of your meal. I've tried it once and don't think I'd come back again. I am glad I went to give it a try and see what all the hype was about. If you haven't experienced Basque food I recommend you give it a try. Know there is a lot of food so pace your self. You can take home what you don't finish.

Amazing place, I've never had a bad meal here. Wonderful Basque food and excellent service.

Wool Growers is a fun Basque dining experience. We ordered the lamb chops and they were delicious! They had a great outer char and were tender on the inside. That being said the rest of the meal is so so. Everything was nothing to write home about and just average. Overall, the service was good and the other than the lamb chops the food is ok.

Great value and choices. It is always a pleasure to dine here. We will definitely be back here again.

There's nothing quite like a Basque dinner. Truly. While Bakersfield might not be at the top of your list for travel destinations, the Basque meals are something unique to the area that are absolutely worth the visit. Wool Growers in particularly is exceptional! Here's how it works: the set up consists of a multi course dining experience. Bread, salad, soup, salsa, beans, fries, spaghetti, tomatos, cottage cheese. The plates just keep coming and if you want more, all you have to do is ask. You can choose to just get the set up or add an entree. I got the sole which was buttery and delicious! The tongue is definitely worth adding if you like something pickled and tender. They have drinks including a solid house wine to share by the bottle. If I had one gripe, it's that they move really fast and sometimes you just want a little more time to savor it up. Be sure to make a reservation! They have multiple rooms including private dining rooms for large parties.

The Food and Staff are friendly in a familiar kind of way. Down to earth with delicious food and company

Best restaurant ever. Lamb chops are my favorite but it's all good. I remember being maybe 8 years old and my parents speaking to a lady who worked there. I'm sure us being French Basque had to have come up in conversation. She then insisted we went back to the kitchen (which was immaculate). She gave my mother tips about French fries and pickled tongue which have become the only way I know. Please keep thriving and serving the best comfort food I have ever experienced. Better than the old country because it's unchanged for 70+ years

During my recent trip to Bakersfield, I asked my work colleague to pick a "must-do" spot in town for dinner - she immediately suggested Basque food, which is a local favorite. I'd never tried Basque before. In fact, I had never heard of it as a cuisine! A quick check of Wikipedia refers to Basque food as "the cuisine of the Basque Country and includes meats and fish grilled over hot coals, marmitako and lamb stews, cod, Tolosa bean dishes, paprikas from Lekeitio, pintxos, Idiazabal sheep's cheese, txakoli, and Basque cider." Further research revealed that Basque Country is an area "straddling the border between France and Spain on the coast of the Bay of Biscay." But I digress. Comforting, warming, and soothing are three words that immediately come to mind now that I've enjoyed a Basque dinner. And Wool Growers did not disappoint. My co-worker had recommended not eating before going here for dinner, and she wasn't lying. The food starts pretty much when you arrive, with several side dishes (such as soup, salad, and spaghetti) served family-style before the main courses even arrived. To say I was stuffed before my entree was sitting in front of me is an understatement (and I was being careful so as not to get too full). The food was all quite delicious, and the service fast and friendly. We were sitting in a back area of the restaurant, which was kind of loud and had more of a family atmosphere - nothing wrong with that, but for the relatively lofty prices I would expect something slightly more intimate. Still, this was a must-do Bakersfield experience I won't soon forget, and hope to do again someday. Oh, and don't forget to order a bottle of their house red wine - it went perfectly with the tasty food!

Bland food and incredibly rude staff. I have no idea why people continue to eat here.

Had dinner here last night. I ordered escargot, lamb chops, and crème caramel. The escargot had a weird vinegary taste. I wouldn't recommend. The lamb chops were amazing! They were perfectly cooked and well-seasoned. I would go back for that dish. The crème caramel was good, but they must have added alcohol to it which altered the taste. There were plenty of side dishes served with our dinner. The bread was dry and not warm. The soup was what I expected cabbage soup to taste like. The fries were quite a disappointment. Not only were they lukewarm at best, but also soggy and dry. They seemed to have been sitting out for hours prior to being served. I was grateful that we weren't seated at a table that was covered with plastic. I was told that this restaurant was one of the best in Bakersfield. Would it kill them to use tablecloths? I was also grateful to have had attentive servers. Good service goes a long way.

Had a great meal with my cousin today in Bakersfield at Wool Growers Restaurant. It's been at least 20 years since I've eaten here because I moved out of state to Tennessee for 14 years. But the food is still delicious. Today I had the Garlic Fried Chicken and it was yummy. This place certainly brings back memories. I love the family style lunches and dinners! I've got to come back soon!

This basque restaurant is hands down my favorite. The food is always deliciously made , the restaurant itself is very cozy and inviting. The service is very quick and friendly . Can't really find food like this anywhere outside of California. The setup comes with a lot of food on its own ; the friend chicken ( with garlic ) is one of my favorite entrees to add .

My family and I came here for dinner, and unfortunately, I would not recommend this place. If you're not part of their "preferred" crowd, they make it very obvious. Terry, in particular, was extremely rude and unprofessional. In today's world, there's no room for that kind of behavior -- this establishment truly needs to be held accountable. Or let the new generation be the face or the representation of this company, too bad she had to ruin it for us. #canceled

Basque is a Bakersfield tradition! Wool Growers has always been one of my favorite spots for a basque set up or garlic fried chicken. The setup here has gotten a little sparse - you have to pay for tongue - and the quality is a little less - spaghetti is a little on the soft side. The wait staff is excellent. Always super warm and family-like. We also did my birthday here this year and the price was on a sliding scale for our budget and menu we wanted. Overall the same as I remember as a kid and I love to take my kids now to carry the tradition.

You need reservations. But that also.means it is a busy place. Parking lot next to the restaurant which is nice (not the best part of town). The food is great and the bottle of house wine is a deal. This place is a great representation of basque food and the history. The set up is enough and there is so much food!!

Whoa my father's family (Alonso Nevada) from Santander so drove up to get a taste of my ancestors food n plenty of drink. Barman from the homeland served up lamb chops five course meal epic from start to finish ! Cheers to Don Julio's too. Wine Bottles to-go great idea. And just looked at the Wool Growers Restaurant business card and it say Camou family. My mother's family is Camou. There is a Street in Paris General de Camou my cousin just sent photos. Cosmic Cheers I need more vino !

This place is better than the sum of its parts. That is, each meal comes with bread (excellent), salad (fine), sliced tomatoes (great), soup (good), beans (fine), and pasta (very soft penne with a pretty standard marinara), plus your entree. I chose the shrimp scampi. This was the best version of that dish I have had, anywhere. I can't tell if it's the recipe or the seafood supplier, or a combination of both -- but the shrimp were fantastic. Flavorful in a way that shrimp seldom is. It had a richer, almost lobster-like flavor. Just outstanding. My companion had the tri-tip, which was also excellent. I finished with the burnt cheesecake, which I also liked and definitely did not need after a meal that big. All in all, a fun and different dining experience.

If you love basque or ever wanted to try it. Go here!!! It's a Bakersfield staple and it never disappoints. From the set up to the entrees! Our go to is the lamb chops. With extra garlic.

Please bring your appetite! Plenty of food that was fresh and delicious. The place was packed and it did not change the great service!

I don't want to this place a bad rap but I feel like the server need to pick up the pace. I know its crazy but if its not busy I shouldn't be waiting over five minutes to see my server. when she comes its not warm or welcoming. I think all the servers need a refresh in serving. been coming for years and I know they are older but I should still welcomed. I also think that if I am paying around 50 dollars I don't want to be served like I'm in a truck stop in Oklahoma with do you want some extra taters and just gives the food not really asking about the food. The best part is the food is amazing and good thing I've never had an issues with it before . If you have allergies let the server know. i love how they can accommodate someone with a gluten allergy they have different fryers for everything the chicken is one, fries is one, shrimp has one. if you need something honestly the server assistants can most likely get it faster even though they have more tables. they have the best freshest ice tea and really good diet coke.. but its a really nice place ran by an amazing family hopefully in 20 years it will still be in the family. Food and drinks are amazing maybe i need to switch to the night shift again for the service.

We're traveling to different national parks and we stopped in Bakersfield for the night. Reviews online suggested trying Basque food. We followed the suggestions here and called ahead for a reservation. There seemed to be a miscommunication between the front and the back but we were still able to be seated. We didn't know what to expect since we' e never had Basque food before. The soup was pretty good. The other items seemed decent. My friend loved the tomatoes. We tried the pickled tongue and it was very good. We ordered the lamb chop, chicken mayie, and breaded veal. The lamb was game-y. The chicken was good. The breaded veal was decent. Overall, decent place to eat at. It did seem like a very small town restaurant with plenty of regulars. Being Asians, we did feel a bit out of place but it was nice trying Basque food.

What can I say is the wonderful experience every time I've been there. I've been there for company parties family parties and it's always been a great experience. Great food. Great service great atmosphere 10 out of 10.

The main course was lukewarm, however the bar area is very cool and has good drinks. The waitress didn't seem interested and wasn't very friendly. I would try another one of the basque restaurants in Bakersfield before coming here.

My wife and I had lunch at Woolgrowers. I had eaten here about five years ago on a business trip. We were seated quickly, and our waitress reviewed the menu and offered recommendations. We had the Thursday special: garlic fried chicken with carrots. We enjoyed the family-style soup, salad, and bread. The food arrived in a reasonable time, well-seasoned and flavorful. I think Woolgrowers is the finest Basque restaurant I've tried. Besides the quality of the food, the photos and decor make for a very pleasant atmosphere.

Always a great place to eat family stile meals. Never a bad meal. Highly recommend. Service is always above the top on efficiency and professionalism.

You can tell the food is made with love. Huge portions, hearty and well seasoned, like eating in your Basque grandma's kitchen. Try the oxtail stew. Cocktails are strong.

Iv been coming to wool growers for a short period of time but each time it has been amazing . CJ always takes care of me and my friend & the food is *chef kiss* 10/10 recommend

The food had no flavor was Plain and effortless, The salad was soggy. Every plate they brought was plain. It taste like buffet food, low quality food. It was my first here and I had no desire to come back to eat here.

Such a unique experience - the kiddos and I had such an interesting time with the multiple courses and admiring the decor and getting a taste of Basque cuisine, appreciate the casual feels-like-family ambiance and friendly service. We arrived on a weekend for lunch and were immediately served fresh bread and cabbage soup along with beans and salsa that you're supposed to eat all together. We filled up on those items so didn't even need the salad with tomatoes, spaghetti, or fried shrimp and fries that we ordered. A little on the pricier side but for a sit-down experience, worth it

My absolute favorite Basque restaurant and a must visit for me on my way to LA. It's located in old East Bakersfield-so much history there! The food is always delicious and service is great! I always get the "set up" but this day I also had the special of the day which was a delicious chicken dish. My favorite part of the meal is the soup and the Pyrenees bread. I have to add the salsa and delicious basque beans to the soup and the salsa on top of my buttered bread-amazing combo!

This place is far from 4 stars. Food was mediocre and I'm being nice. Our main entree was cold , green beans tasted like canned food. Spaghetti is unnecessary, it's just crappy pasta with sauce on top . Veal was cold and drenched in sauce to hide how dry it was. Fried chicken was greasy. Salsa was the highlight of the meal . Their bread was cold and hard tasted like old bread. Our waitress was nice but didn't really check in on us. Ambiance is non existent. Do not recommend!!!

The old Noriagas is gone. Decided to retry the Woolgrowers. After a picon in the bar we found out they were booked for the night. Decided to eat at a table in the bar. Best experience ever. Everything was perfect. Service was spectacular. Oxtail stew snd fried chicken was wonderful. We were lucky that we ate in the bar. Enjoyed it more than the dining room.

They give you too much food, and it's great. My second time there I actually asked that they didn't bring out certain things because there was no way I could eat it all. The service and good and the staff to my experience has been pleasantly interactive.

My hide a way I love all the food the service and the bar is amazing everything a+ I have a personal love to the establishment.

The restaurant is located among warehouses. Driving through the neighborhood, we were a little uneasy. We were able to find a spot at the adjacent lot. Definitely the restaurant is located in an interesting neighborhood. We stopped in around 12:39 on a Saturday. The parking lot was full. Walked in from the banquet room side door. The room was full of people. Service was prompt and friendly. Drinks, bread, and salad were brought out quickly. Food was hugh portion. The salad and pickled tomatoes were delicious with its dressing. The sandwiches had a lot of meat. Our favorite was the oxtail stew. The oxtail was so tender that meat came right off the bone. Didn't give a five star because we were expecting a basque cheesecake but it was a cheesecake that one can buy from a supermarket.

A traditional family-style Basque restaurant, starting with soup and salad and thick slices of fresh bread with butter. Choose your entree and heap your plate with more family-style sides. I had the lamb chops and added garlic -- they were perfection. Service is fast and efficient and the decor is traditional Basque with lots of wood and red and white tablecloths draped over long communal tables. Bring your friends!

The food is always great. The service is iffy at best. They herd you around and rush you. The place is always busy. Way too noisy.