Bakersfield is a small chain of restaurants focused on artisanal tacos and other Tex Mex inspired dishes, along with tequila, whiskey, and other alcoholic beverages. We visited the location in Nashville, which is in the heart of the city only a few blocks from the downtown bar strip. The restaurant has a lot of rustic woods, earthly tones, exposed brick, and other industrial aspects. Along with these elements, the restaurant is filled with lots of warm light, which adds a coziness to the space.

The menu has quite a few options, with a few variations of queso and guacamole, salads, tortas, tostadas, and taquitos. The restaurant’s specialty, though, is tacos. Bakersfield offers about ten different options featuring a number of different meats, seafood, or veggie options. These main ingredients are paired with a few other ingredients for tacos that emphasize a burst of flavor, usually spicy, tangy, sweet, savory, or some combination thereof. We decided to begin with an order of guacamole, which was quite tasty. Then, we moved to several tacos, each of which was good, although we particularly enjoyed the Al Pastor taco. In addition to their food items, Bakersfield features several beers on tap, along with a number of alcohols and mixed drinks. We decided to try a local beer and a house-made margarita, which added to our experience. Bakersfield was an enjoyable place to go for flavorful food and fun drinks.