Bakersfield's most distinctive contribution to American dining is its Basque boarding house tradition. Sheepherders from the Basque Country of Spain and France settled the region in the late 19th century, and the old boarding houses evolved into restaurants serving enormous family-style meals at long communal tables. Three of the originals survive and are still worth seeking out: the Noriega Hotel, Wool Growers, and Pyrenees Café. The format is the same at all three — a set price buys soup, salad, bread, beans, a main course, and wine, served by the pitcher. You eat next to strangers and pass dishes down the table.
Beyond Basque food, Bakersfield has the Mexican and Central American restaurants you'd expect from a major agricultural city. The dining on White Lane and South Union Avenue reflects the population that actually works the surrounding farmland.