El Puesto Cocina & Lounge

This restaurant was great over all !! The food was beyond good and the service was good . All of the servers were extremely nice and the over all vibe of the restaurant was calm and enjoyable.

The food and drinks were good. Taco Tuesday has some pretty good prices if I remember correctly. The ambiance was nice. It would be a fun place for a birthday because they sing and bring the birthday persona big sombrero and make it really special.

First time here and it did not disappoint. The food was absolutely amazing, service was quick and staff was very friendly. Only minor complaint is that the music is so loud you can't have a conversation while eating. Turned into a club-type environment as we were wrapping up dinner, but definitely a fun environment and a we will be back... just a little earlier in the night.

Recently came here for a friend's birthday and let me tell you. It brought me back to my party days. This is totally a vibe. There were groups if parties everywhere on a Saturday. First This place is decoration is amazing. It is beautiful! You have to come here on your birthday. It's like being at the club with the music, the lights, the sparklers, the bar cart. If you want that party vibe, come here. As far as food. It was decent. I got the trio fajitas. It was packed onto the skillet. I couldn't really see my food because it was dark but it was OK. It is a shareable dish. Just got another side of rice and beans. My husband on the other hand didn't like the food. He had tacos and didn't care for him. He told them he didn't want spicy and they were still too spicy for him.

This place is deceiving by the front of restaurant. It doesn't look anything like what you would expect once you've entered. The service was great from the moment we walked in. Party of 7 and a child. The food and ambiance did not disappoint at all. I would definitely come back when I'm in the Bakersfield area. When I saw the lady cooking at the buffet, I knew I was in the right place. There is nightly live music from 7pm to 10.

I've been here a few times for their lunch special and weekend brunch. Food is always good and they have a great selection. The waiters are very courteous. They had a group of girls singing today and they are really good. The place looks great and it very clean.

I didn't have a lot of high hopes for Bakersfield...we were there on a day trip and were looking for a place to eat. I have a rule, that the farther you get away from Mexico, the food doesn't taste as good. Go to San Diego, it's great. Go to San Jose, not so much...but what about somewhere in between?El Puesto Cocina & Lounge is located in a somewhat run down strip mall. The windows were blacked out when we parked. It looked abandoned. Then you go inside. Like entering the TARDIS, it's bigger on the inside...full of beautiful decor, wonderfully crafted tables and benches, a giant wall of liquors and spirits, and in the back, a stage/lounge area for some nightlife.Luckily we had come for lunch and were given two options: a la carte menu or the brunch buffet for 15 bucks (not including drinks). An all you can eat Mexican buffet? We said yes to that immediately.The buffet wasn't that big, but it had everything you could want...rice and beans, chorizo scrambled eggs, cheese enchiladas, and then the rest of warming trays were filled with all sorts of stewed meats and veggies. On my first round, I tried a bit of everything and while some were better than others, it was all good. The stand out for me was the shredded beef. Perfectly slow cooked, tender, but falls apart when you touch it with a fork. Along with the gravy/sauce it sits in, it was a great bite.At the end of the buffet line was an older woman making fresh tortillas on a flat top. Sometimes she'd give you one right off the grill, but even the ones that were sitting in the warmer for a few minutes were worthy of high praise. My idea about proximity to Mexico was falling apart, but having an abuela make fresh tortillas remained true.On my first visit to the buffet, I did not notice that the other side of the counter was a taco bar where you could make your own street tacos. They only served carne asada and al pastor, but that was all you needed. Even sitting in a warming tray, the meat was tender and still had that crunchy char from the flat top. The red and green salsas, spicier than expected, offered the right amount of heat and acidity to the savory, good kind of greasiness tacos offer. After a second plate, we were so full, but definitely wanted to come back for more.I had both no expectations and all the expectations about this place and Bakersfield coming into the restaurant and all of those thoughts were completely blown away and unproven. Sometimes, take the leap, try something new, and you'll be rewarded.

Everything went well, the band was quite loud, but we were sitting in the front, or maybe im just getting old lol

In town for a 15nera birthday party last night. Came here for brunch and no issues with the staff accommodating our 15 plus party. Nice decor and family oriented. Staff looked and seemed happy. Great food and highly recommended

The food at El Puesto is quite good, and the decor is absolutely gorgeous, creating a promising first impression. Unfortunately, the service was a major letdown. Our waitress was inattentive and didn't offer any refills on drinks, had spicy food and literally was sucking on the ice left in my glass as no server was anywhere to be seen, the restaurant wasn't even busy at all. It felt like we were being ignored, and it really took away from the overall experience. If they could work on their service, this place would be great, but as it stands, I can't see myself coming back.