Camino Real Kitchen & Tequila

Great drinks, good bartenders, bad food, terrible floor service.

Time for an update and up a star!
It was a friend’s pick for her b-​day dinner so even though I said I would not order a meal here again, I went back for more.
The problem is that I have been twice — one more time after my original review and for the second time, I got raw chicken… so I just decided to avoid ordering chicken and head over for a fun night!
It was a Fri evening and the place was rocking. NO parking, lot was full. Had to park our new SUV behind a shady building and this meant hauling all our day trip valuables with us but that is ok.
We sat at a table on the small patio until we got called in for a table (no reservations taken here) and Victor sat us at a great 4 top.
Jose was our waiter and he was spot on, always there when we needed him and never hovering. Friendly!
We all ordered different things and all enjoyed their meal. My friend is Vegan and she found lots of choice and went for some tacos.
I got 2 tacos, one recommended beer batter fish (I tried to go for grilled fish but Jose said these were better) and one shrimp taco with grilled veg and Spanish rice. Others got chile verde and enchiladas.
The meals were huge. We had ordered guac as an appy (very good and well seasoned) and we had salsa and chips too so honestly, when the food came, I was happy with some of the side salad and could only take one bite of one of my tacos. Full of stuff, lots of cabbage! Jose found out I loved SPICY things so he brought me a side of habanero sauce they make. Hot. Worth the 50 cents. The taco literally was too pretty to eat and one would have to contort their mouth like a rattlesnake to eat a bite! Huge!
Practically all of my food was packed up and hubby ate it the next day.
Our drinks were good. Not strong, but good. I had the mango habanero margaritas, of course for the heat. I would order those again.
The atmosphere was good. Busy but with a good vibe. I am glad I got to come try again. Prices reasonable. Maybe next time will be 4 stars!
Great place for birthdays — they will bring your birthday person a cookie with a candle and will sing! The power went out this night too for at least 5 min and the staff just kept right on singing!!!

I enjoyed this place! Went to try this place out just yesterday (06.30.16) with my family! Once we walked in were kindaaa greeted in a nice way by another person, but all I can see is a lady with blonde hair staring at me with no smile. Like ok? Bye. Well we got seated right away. Our server Jose was OUTSTANDING! He was very attentive when it came to refills, asking if we need anything, also seeing if we’re doing great etc.
For appetizers we got Asada Fries ($ 10). Can I say sooooooooo gooood! Oh! Wait I just did! Haha they did also give us two circle trays of chips and salsa! (Party of 6) I like their salsa and chips a lot! It’s not so boring haha
Since it was a Thursday the deal of the day was BOGO (buy one get one) burger or tortas half off. So that was cool!
I got (please excuse me if I don’t get this wrong) El/​Al Pastor? Which was three tacos and a side of rice with beans or fries. I obviously got beans and rice since I ordered Asada fries haha. Lemme me tell you I died. It was sooooo yummy! It reminded me of my fav taco truck, but more upscale? I guess you can say haha. But that dish was $ 12. Worth it.
My family got burrito ($ 12), tortas ($ 11?), and more tacos ($ 12) haha. All with a side of fries or rice and beans
For dessert we just ended up in getting two orders of churros that goes with French vanilla and cool whip on top? Dish was $ 7. I love churros and I’ve been craving it for the longest! So I very much enjoyed it!
Another guy went to our table to ask how we’re doing. I believe his name tag said Victor. So nice of him to stop by. Thank you Victor!
Over all, experience here was great! I will definitely come back! I was looking through the drinks and mmmmmm it just looks like some fun, yummy, get drunk temptation! Def get me sum sum of that when I come back!
Well we paid and walked out without the host to saying, «Thank you have a nice evening.» Am I asking to much? I mean we only see hosts twice lmao.
So yea that’s my only thing I didn’t like. When a costumer/​guest comes in (how I feel/​my opinion) they want to feel welcomed. Being a host is the face of the building when coming in and leaving the place. Btw it was the same lady in the beginning, but it’s cool. Maybe she was having a bad day i don’t know? But leave your problems in your car or in the parking lot, i don’t know. We don’t need that.
Ok bye

From what I remember best Cadillac margaritas ever and I could eat there sample platter all day. Nice environment to hang out with good friends.

Love this place! Awesome drinks and flavorful food. Shrimp fajitas and the fries topped with the pepperjack sauce, chicken, spinach, guac etc. are bomb! Pretty much anything with pepperjack sauce is yum.

You blow money on expensive drinks for little junk babyback food. Just bcuz your drunk doesnt mean everything taste good plus skimpy!!! Plus alot of unnecessary workers starring at your wife!!!

Came in for lunch with a big party so service wasn’t great, but our party was large and we all paid separate so I can’t complain to much. I gave them 4 stars for the soyrizo options on the menu. I ordered the tour of Jalisco and they accommodated me in the swap to soyrizo. The soyrizo was spicy with good flavor but greasy. Plate came with a sope, taco and a flat/​fried enchilada. For me the chips and salsa are always the deal breaker. Chips were great but the salsa completely lacked flavor. They served a green salsa which was too tangy and the red completely lacked flavor. The tour plate was a total of 14 which I felt was a little over priced for the amount of food on the plate and considering it wasn’t real avocado on the food but an unflavorful sauce.

I am a pretty frequent visitor to Camino. I am a vegetarian and he has lots of great options, but what recently happened makes Camino the most amazing restaurant ever. I recently started eating cleaner and was a little discouraged that the tacos all had fried shells. The owner came over, and we discussed options for dinner that night. I went back a couple weeks later, and he had changed his menu to reflect our frustration! He added an unfried taco option and a lettuce and bean wrap taco shell option !! Thank you to the owner and staff !!

Great food and great prices. Lunch buffet is very good and prices are not bad either. Try the burgers also for a change!

Best Mexican cantina/​restaurant in town! The manager knows how to take care of his guest treating them like family! The micheladas are like nothing I’ve ever had before! If you like a chill vibe with bomb food and drinks don’t skip this place!!!

I’m pretty sure Camino Real is my new favorite Mexican spot. I don’t know any other restaurant that does fusion this well.
Camino Real is like those edgy, modern, one-​of-​a-​kind restaurants in Los Angeles that us Bakersfield people daydream about being a 15 minute drive from our home. Sadly, the restaurant scene in Bakersfield doesn’t offer many of those kinds of places but fortunately, that’s where Camino Real comes in. It feels like it doesn’t belong in Bakersfield and that’s what’s so great about it.
The food… yes, the food… it’s authentic Mexican food and you’ve got the option to stay traditional with your typical enchiladas or fajitas, etc orrrrr you can try something cool and crazy like a burrito with orange chicken or a Fatboy burger which consists of a burger patty, chicken tenders, hotlinks and onion rings. On our latest visit, hubby and I opted for something in the middle: California burrito for him and El Mexicano burrito for me. Both OUTSTANDING. And the pepper jack sauce is soooooo good! We got the Nachos Borrachos (with fries instead of chips) as an appetizer and omg… so good. We could have just had that and been fine.
Highly reccommend Camino Real. There’s something for everyone here.
PS: Great selection of cocktails and micheladas. Tons of fun drinks. I kept it simple with a sangira and it was delicious.

Service or the lack of in bar area ruined the entire visit. After requesting chips, salsa and menus 3 times my friend spoke to server in the restaurant area and made the requests & she was able to get service. Then she went to the bar to order drinks and food because bar server was too busy sitting at customer tables chatting. Tried chilé margarita & mango. .both good, not too sweet either. Happy hour Chili Verde nachos were perfect ind size & price.
Would consider trying again but maybe restaurant side.

Ok, I went back a 2^nd time: STILL AMAZING.
Like some kind of n00b who’d never been before, I ordered the chorizo dip and an actual meal. Obvs I only ate the dip, and took my secondary meal of baja tacos home. Though tacos are not really made for leftover consumption, they were still fantastic when microwaved the next day.

This review is only of Walter
He is the man!
One of the best servers I have ever had!
I went to Camino Real a few weeks ago and he wasn’t my server for the first time. My experience kinda sucked. My server seemed like she didn’t wanna be there and like my table was a bother for her.
I went again last night and had Walter: it was perfect!
He is a major asset to the staff!

Heard very good things about Camino Real Kitchen & Tequila! Finally had the opportunity to see if they would live up to the hype! Answer would be a resounding YES!!! Not only did they meet my expectations… they surpassed them! From the time we walked into the door to the time we exited, our experience was totally 5 stars worthy! The only negative was the lack of parking spaces. Cars were circling the lot like vultures waiting for a spot to vacate. Almost did not dine here because we could not find parking. Would have missed out on some of the yummiest food in town!
All their food is «Mexican Inspired With California Love.» This is what my wife and I shared that night at Camino Real:
Pepper Jack Fries was our appetizer of choice. Oh my goodness! Just may be the best fries that I have ever had! That pepperjack sauce makes everything better. (5 stars)
Seafood Relleno was my wife’s entrée. I had the fortune of trying my wife’s dish. Best Chile Relleno that I have ever had! The mixture of the fish, shrimp, and lobster with the Chile Relleno plus the incredible pepperjack sauce was fantastic! A truly mouthwatering experience! (5 stars)
Nachos Borrachos was my selection. This is not their regular nachos. I believe it may have been from their happy hour menu. Anyways, these nachos borrachos were also amazing! All the flavors combined to be a party in my mouth and my tummy! (5 stars)
Cheesecake Chimi was our pick for dessert. YUMMY!!! It was the perfect ending to our fabulous meal! (5 stars)
Overall, the whole experience at Camino Real was worthy of 5 stars. Love the décor and vibe of the restaurant. Service was excellent! I cannot comment on the rest of their menu because I have yet to try anything else. Have a feeling it may be awhile before I order other items cause what I had that night will be tough to beat!

I have no idea how I missed writing a review for the awesome and unique restaurant. I was formally introduced to this place during a Unilocal event and boy am I glad I was able to attend. Their take on Mexican food with California flare is amazing. I have been here several times since then and have also gone for their delicious Sunday Brunch. The pepper jack flatbread is mild and perfect for a spice whimp like me and hits the spot for a appetizer. I was able to go on a Wednesday when they have a non-​menu item that I was able to try at the Unilocal event and it was as good as I remembered. The bacon wrapped chicken with pepper jack Alfredo was awesome and if you ever see it as a special don’t miss your chance to try it. The chorizo bean dip is great along with the enchiladas (I was able to order them with flour tortillas since I cannot have corn which is an unique option I adore). My family enjoyed the Sunday brunch and it offered all the staples you are used to seeing including both traditional and unique takes for brunch. I also got to talk to the owner during the Unilocal event and really loved his passion for food and making the dishes his own. All around wonderful restaurant!!!

Just passing thru Bakersfield and found this place on Unilocal.The chili verde Mac n cheese (weird, right?) well let me tell you. If you eat here and don’t order it, you’re missing out ! Best chili verde I’ve ever had.
The ambiance is very kitschy, «Camino real «theme is upbeat and interesting not at all your typical Mexican décor And the service was awesome. Even thou they were busy our server was prompt and took the time to review all the menu and happy hour options. Can’t wait till I pass thru Bakersfield again.

I tried this place for the first time and immediately was taken in not by the food, but by the décor. They have done a great job of placing decorations and art that is interesting and eye catching. As usual, I was with a big group that was 90% Unilocalers and they all loved the food.
Camino Real Kitchen & Tequila has a niche, which is their pepper jack sauce. I orderes the pepper jack chicken enchilladas and it was OK. I didn’t like the taste of the chicken inside. It reminded me of canned food, but the pepper jack sauce was surprisingly good. Their chips and Salsa was great and I had a salad and sweet jalapeño cornbread sides. They do a cilantro ranch dressing that is wonderful and the cornbread was really sweet and tasty. No need for desert.
I’ll defeintely be back and get something else, but with the pepper jack sauce. This place is definitely worth a drive if you live far, come with an appetite. Enjoy a new twist on Mexican food.

So I planned my 3 year anniversary with my lady here. Let me start off by saying thank you Alejandro, Pablo, Victor and Jose our server! I couldn’t have asked for anything more special than tonight you guys made it happen my lady was blown away we left with out appetite filled wanting more but couldn’t take down anymore food and drinks! This is why Camino is our favorite spot our service is amazing and food is always excellent. They made a special day for me and my lady special for them they catered to our every need and went that extra mile!
Thank you Alejandro, Victor, Jose, Pablo for making this happen! Will see you guys soon!
P.S The new Manzana Loca is FUEGO!

Every year on the first day of school, my husband and I come here for a lunch date. We won’t come here otherwise as the prices are outrageous, but their lunch specials are amazing! For $ 6 you can choose from a few items and it comes with a drink. I love their salad. I don’t remember the name of it, but it has tortilla chips and refried beans on the bottom with lettuce and beef on top (there may be a few other things, but I can’t remember) and this amazing avocado ranch dressing.
I’ve recreated this salad at home because I crave it so much! In fact, I have beef in the crock pot right now and might make this for my dinner tonight! Yum!
The service isn’t too spectacular, but the employees are friendly. I look forward to the first day of school not just because I get to eat my favorite salad at this restaurant, but also because I get to spend valuable one on one time with my love!