The Food Critic

Petra is one of the most unique eateries in the Tehachapi area. The menu boasts of tastes from across the oceans. A wide selection can get you a sandwich, fresh salad, specialty plates, pastas, wraps and more. The servings are more than generous and the hummus is absolutely pleasing.

The eat-in area is somewhat small, take-out seems to be the thing for a larger group. The value for the money is excellent. If you like flavors of the Mediterranean than you’ll love eating at Petra.

Don Perico’s Mexican Restaurant is your typical mexican fare. The service is sub standard and the food is not the best mexican food you can get in Tehachapi. Order a tostada and it will come to you with an inch of liquid in the bottom of the shell. Order food to go and you may get it melted to the styrofoam container. Tell the hostess what you think about this and she’ll refer you to Que Pasa.

In my foodie taste opinion, stick with Domingo’s or your other favorite local latin cuisine.

Many might mistake Don Juan’s for another mexican restaurant but it’s not quite that. Don Juan’s hosts cuban-style food and a wonderful selection of wine and other drinks from the bar.

The service at Don Juan’s is excellent. Servers are friendly, efficient and don’t seem to forget about you. The combinations of food can sometimes be unusual as they serve plantains with a few of their dinner entrees. I personally love the plantains. We have eaten there twice and I think the food is a good value for the money and the atmosphere is friendly. The appetizers are a bit pricey but no need to really get one since they serve bread with chimichurri sauce. This sauce has a base of cilantro, scallions, oil, and vinegar. Mmmm! It’s delicious…

Some of the entrees we have tried and our opinion of them:

Panama Pork: Shredded pork served on a bed of cuban rice with plantains and corn salsa. The plantains are absolutely delicious, browned and sweet they have a somewhat firm texture and are wonderful to pair with a bite of pork and rice. The cuban rice is mild and a great change from spanish rice. The pork was dry but I think that may be the nature of the dish. There was some type of salsa served over the pork and I thought they could have been a bit more generous with it. Next time I would ask for more.

Buenos Aires Chicken….: Chicken breast with aji chile sauce served on a bed of cuban-style rice with black beans and plantains. The plantains are delicious with the black beans. The chicken wasn’t really anything special. I could hardly tell it had been cooked with anything. It appeared to be grilled with a tiny bit of cheese melted on top. Once again, they could have been a bit more generous with the sauce.

Azatekas (sp?) Chile Verde: Not quite as hot as the two chiles that stand next to the entrees name would like you to think they are. Served with tortillas, spanish-style rice and black beans. The meat was tender and delicious. No complaints.

Steak Empanada: Thin steak stuffed with chiles and jack cheese. Breaded and deep fried. Served with cuban-style rice and vegetables. The menu stated this entree was pan fried but it was actually deep fried. The menu still reads that it is pan fried. There is a big difference between pan fried and deep fried food and it was a bit greasy tasty. The oil seemed to be somewhat old also. Not highly recommended unless you are looking for something greasy with a fried food taste.

The newest restaurant addition to the Tehachapi area needs help! I ate some chicken tacos and ordered a chicken strip kids meal for my daughter. The chicken from both meals was very dry and the tortillas were stale.

If you look up from your plate there are cobwebs in the ceiling and loose insulation! Isn’t this a brand new building? I’ve eaten at the Que Pasa in Bakersfield also and it was awful. By far the worst mexican food ever. How do they mess it up?

In short, don’t go!

Red House BBQ serves Native American inspired cuisine and offers catering services. They are often seen at community events like the Farmer’s Market also. The choice was hard but I ordered an Indian Taco from this mobile food joint. The customer service was exceptionally friendly and you can tell the people who cook this food really like doing it because they are so friendly. All the toppings are totally fresh, the meat was seasoned perfectly, the bread - oh, how I love good bread - and the owner himself serves up the delightful dishes. This is the kind of food everyone loves and the prices are reasonable. I’d definitely like to try more of their menu options, except for frog legs, I think I’ll pass on those.

I love the idea of having diverse ethnic food selections in Tehachapi….hopefully these guys will put up a brick & mortar Red House.

The only Italian restaurant in Tehachapi, Guido & The Blondes has a fun atmosphere and live music on some nights. Read more…

Jake’s Steakhouse is in a quaint location on Curry Blvd…the chef standing outside the front door makes the restaurant hard to miss. The atmosphere is sweet yet casual and the food is priced slightly above average ($16-$35)…. but definitely worth what you pay. The food at Jake’s is consistent and they know how to cook a steak. Many different choice cuts are available and they also have wild Alaskan salmon on the menu.

Click for more info on Jake’s Steak House.

Old Towne Pizza has the best games to play than any other pizza place in town; there is even a couple little toddler games to play. The food is reasonably priced and very good if you like a thin crust pizza. Lots of different toppings to choose from guarantees you’ll please everyone in the family. The only downside to having pizza here is that it takes a long time to get the pizza, even longer if people are ahead of you so order a salad to eat ahead of time. Old Towne Pizza also serves pasta dinners and salads. Beers on tap.