Bill Lee's has been a long going staple in Bakersfield since 1938.I remember coming to Bakersfield in the 1970s to visit family for the summer, and this would be one of our go-to spots. Honestly, not much has changed as far as decor goes, I think the only thing that's really changed are the tables and chairs since the booths still look the same. Over the past few years, the menu has downsized considerably, and they no longer offer a lunch special menu. One thing Bill Lee's is Bakersfield famous for is their Mai Tai's, if you know, you know. What keeps me coming back to Bill Lee's is their Chow Mein. I'm a sucker for the way they make it. Their plating has not changed in all the years I've been coming here, and if you paid attention to the beginning of my review, you can guess I passed my younger years a few years back. Getting back to Bill Lee's review. Another thing that has changed is the service. It's not what it used to be. They are not so as attentive as they used to be, and the male host looked like he was getting ready to go ride a fancy skateboard up and down the sidewalk.I understand that over the past recent years the restaurant business and service industry has changed and for an old schooler like me, it's tough to get a grip on. We did get here just after 3pm so it's possible that they were between shifts. I ordered the Mandarin combination plate. It came with the customary bowl of egg flower soup and oyster crackers. My plate consists of Almond chicken chow mein soft noodles, fried rice, three fried shrimp, and three bbq pork spare ribs. My husband ordered the combination plate that gave you a few different options, he chose the pork chow mein soft noodles, fried rice and the sweet and sour chicken. I was satisfied with my dish. My husband said that the sweet and sour chicken was dry due to they use white meat vs dark meat. All in all, Bill Lee's is very consistent with their food. It's nice place to treat your friends and family out to a semi fancy place for lunch or dinner. You don't have to get overly dressed up to enjoy a nice meal at a mid-scale restaurant. They do offer a few American food items to choose from as well, prices start at around $15.00
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"I got a CRISPY CHICKEN SANDWICH and my sister got a COBB SALAD. I personally loved my sandwich it was really good. The fries were just okay, nothing special. The service was great, our server was super kind and calm. This restaurant was super cute and well decorated, I liked the way it was small yet they made it look spacious."
"This is our third time here and we cannot have enough of their delicious food! I ordered their Birria tacos w/cheese and they were absolutely mouth watering! The amount of meat and cheese on these tacos just hit every taste bud in your mouth! Seems like this is a new item on their menu. Must try!!!"
