Hummus Express — Restaurant in Bakersfield

We had to go to the hardware store and this restaurant was so close to the hardware store we might as well just stop by and eat. Happy to find a Mediterranean restaurant here in the neighborhood. Upon entering this quaint location, noticed that the owner was friendly and talkable as he was fulfilling curbside pickup orders. There was only one other table full in the entire restaurant. We were eager to get our food and happy to wait the 10 minutes that it took from the time we ordered. You know when you're in the theater and you're hungry and you smell all of the popcorn all around you and you really want the popcorn but it's not yours you can't eat it. This is kind of what it felt like driving home. Couldn't eat the food because we were driving, but it smelled so good it was making our mouths water the whole way home.

After finally settling into the house (20 minutes after receiving the food) we were disappointed when we opened the containers at the portion sizes. On the California fries, the chicken was incredibly dry and almost flavorless. The rice was ok, and the lamb / beef meat was dry as well. We're hoping this was due to the time it took for us to get home and the rest of the food is typically not like this. The saving grace of our meal was the garlic sauce, that...

I pulled up to Hummus Express Monday evening at 8:10pm. My first visit there. Lit sign said open and the hours posted on the door said they close at 8:30pm. I went in and the two employees were cleaning. I ask if they were still open and they said yes, but only for a limited menu because most things were already cleaned and put away.

I asked if I could order a Chicken Sharwama sandwich to go. They said yes, no problem.

They made the Shawarma, bagged it, and I left. I drove over to another area of the parking lot to eat.

When I opened the container the Shawarma wrap was so dry it was cracked and breaking apart. The chicken was overcooked and dry, and the veggies were mushy. The garlic sauce smelled old and sour.

I drove back around to the restaurant to find all the shades pulled down, the lights off and the door locked.

I'm not a local so I cannot just go back. I drive thru Bakersfield maybe twice monthly.

If they would have just been honest and told me they were closed I would have had no issues with that. My issue is that they serve something like that in the first place. To me that's not acceptable.

I see that they have very high ratings but I can't judge that because of the food that they made for me when they should not have. Based on that I will not...

Quick Summary A hole in the wall place that offers excellent food. Although I've yet to taste mediocre Mediterranean food (really, how do you mess up kabobs, rice, and hummus?...), Hummus Express really delivers in offering great food, large portions, and good value. Call ahead of time to minimize your wait!

Food- 5 stars The lamb and beef kabobs are very good. They cook your meats on the spot so everything is fresh. Hummus, salad, pita bread, rice, meats, everything was solid.

Service- 5 stars Staff members are very friendly and attentive. Very accommodating on food recommendations

Atmosphere- 4 stars When you see "Express" in its name, it's probably best to treat this place like a fast food place. But it's excellent service and if you call ahead, you get your fresh food right when you get there

Value- 5 stars $10 for almost any entree and you get enough food to feed you the entire day. Can't beat that value

Bottom Line Excellent food, service and value. Food coma to...