Woolgrower's Basque Restaurant

Woolgrower's

Bakersfield, CA

This is a family owned Basque restaurant in my home town of Bakersfield, CA. There are a lot of reasons I love this place - the atmosphere, the nostalgia, the friends and family I see when I'm there, and especially, the FOOD! You just can't get this type of food anywhere.

Most of the food is served family style, although there is always the option to order something extra for yourself. The regular offerings with every meal (called the "Set Up") is French bread slices, butter, salsa, brown beans, cabbage soup, salad, and marinated tomatoes with peppers. At dinner, french fries, spaghetti, vegetable, and pickled tongue are also included in the "Set Up." My lunchtime favorite is the "Set Up" with the tuna sandwich, Clorousso Style. It comes with three thinner slices of sourdough bread, tuna, lettuce, tomatoes and mayonaise for you to assemble yourself. There is something in the tuna that I cannot replicate after several attempts to do so.

I plan on trying to replicate the basic "Set Up" for our dinner next Saturday night.

Some of the other menu options include oxtail stew and filet minon, along with many others I can't remember. At dinner time, I am usually so full from the "Set Up" I never order a main course.

Woolgrower's comes equipped for large parties with two completely separate, full-service bars and dining rooms set up in the front (for smaller groups) and in the back (for the office party or family reunion size). No need to worry about your dress at Woolgrower's. You'll see people in everything from suits and dresses to dusty boots with jeans, or flip flops and shorts. Most people dress moderately nice. Just don't go with a time crunch. You'll want to spend a lot of time there and enjoy yourself.

Reservations for dinner are recommended. They are closed on Sundays and Mondays.