LongHorn Steakhouse — Restaurant in Bakersfield

Dear Mr. Manta (Managing Partner),

I wanted to take a moment to share some honest feedback about my recent experience at LongHorn Steakhouse. I’ll start by saying this: our server was excellent—attentive, polite, and exactly what you hope for in a dining experience. My rating reflects that. The issues I had were not about individual service, but rather the overall experience, which unfortunately missed the mark in a few important ways.

When I think of LongHorn, I naturally group it alongside other restaurants under the same corporate brand—places like Yard House, which has built a strong reputation for consistent food quality, clean environments, and outstanding service. I’ve never had a bad experience there, aside from the occasional forgotten item, which is understandable. That’s the standard I came in expecting.

LongHorn has now been open in this location for about four months—since early May, I believe. By now, I’d expect the restaurant to be hitting its stride. Instead, what I experienced felt unpolished and, frankly, a little disappointing.

Let me explain.

Atmosphere and Staff Conduct

While the atmosphere was decent and our server did their job well, the overall dining environment lacked professionalism. Throughout the meal, we repeatedly overheard other staff members speaking loudly—complaining about tips, large tables, and general job frustrations. This wasn’t quiet back-of-house chatter; it was loud enough to distract my family from our own conversation. I get that everyone has tough days, but part of the dining experience is being able to enjoy a meal without being pulled into someone else's workplace stress.

Food Quality and Execution

We were seated promptly and placed our drink and appetizer orders. The bread came out first—but it was cold and stale. Not a deal-breaker, but not the best first impression either.

Next came the appetizer—chicken strips and fries. The chicken was hot and well-cooked, but the fries were noticeably cold. The menu said it would come with honey mustard; we received ranch instead. It wasn’t worth sending back, but again, it was another sign of inattention to detail.

When our entrées arrived, the plating looked great. I chose not to raise concerns at the table because I didn’t want to take away from our evening. Still, the food itself raised more red flags. My baked potato was room temperature at best—the butter just sat there, unmelted. According to California health code, hot items like that should be served at 165°F. This wasn’t close.

Then there was the steak. I ordered it medium, but it came out well-done. I understand kitchens get busy, but most restaurants have systems—grill zones, timers, something—to avoid this kind of miss. To be fair, for a well-done steak, it wasn’t bad. But it’s not what I ordered, and when you’re paying premium prices, you expect your order to be right.

A Broader Pattern?

At first, I thought maybe I was just having an off night. But then I noticed a friend dining a few tables away and asked how his food was. He just rolled his eyes. That said enough.

Final Thoughts

By the end of the meal, I couldn’t shake the feeling that what I had just experienced was either the result of mismanagement or a lack of quality control—or both. It honestly felt like a Denny’s experience at a SteakHouse. And that’s frustrating, especially for a brand with LongHorn’s potential.

Right now, I’d be more likely to visit Texas Roadhouse next time. The food’s consistently better, served at the right temperature, and the energy in the room feels more aligned with what customers expect for the price point.

This isn’t meant to be a complaint for the sake of complaining. It’s honest feedback from someone who wanted to enjoy a night out with their family and walked away feeling let down. I hope it’s taken in that spirit, and I genuinely hope to see this location live up to the standards I believe it’s capable of...

We've been curious to try the Longhorn since we heard they'd be opening a location here. We went mid-afternoon to beat the crowds, and we learned they have a shift change at 4PM, so either come much earlier, or right at 4.

The atmosphere is pretty standard steakhouse with come rustic accoutrements. Exposed beams, reasonably clear lighting, country music at a low level so it never interrupts conversation.

We ordered the cheese stuffed mushrooms and the wild West shrimp for starters, and both were incredibly delicious. Very fresh and hot, the mushrooms were crazy cheesy and tender and savory. The shrimp had a great, thin, crispy breading, and a light showering of buttery garlic sauce, and it's served over a bed of sliced peppers that reminds me of jardiniere in Italian places. The shrimp with the peppers was to die for.

I myself got a combo plate, a 6 ounce sirloin with a 1/2 rack of ribs, with mashed potatoes (with garlic butter, as they don't have gravy), and a side Caesar salad. The salad was wonderful, ice cold and crunchy, with plenty of a very tasty dressing and shaved Parmesan. The potatoes were hot, mostly smooth with enjoyable larger bits to add texture.

The sirloin was well seasoned and flavorful, cooked to a perfect medium rare. My friend got a sirloin as well, and was specific about having it "as rare as you're legally allowed to serve me," and they delivered! Thin brown line with warm, red meat throughout. They'll definitely customize your steak for you.

The ribs were great, too, especially as the rack I got had a BIG chunk of meat overtop. Noticeably slow cooked, as I was able to use a fork to eat about 2/3 of it all. Not overly sauced, just enough for that lovely cooked on texture and some flavor, with a small cup included for dipping. Would definitely have again.

My mother ordered a ribeye with the steakhouse Mac and cheese. She said the Mac and cheese was ridiculously good, and fairly fancy, even had mushrooms in it! And she said her ribeye, even cooked Well as she enjoys, was tender and moist.

The three of us were definitely too full for desserts, but we'll see how things go when we head back in the future.

I wanted to highlight one last aspect: the incredible service from our server Brandon. Right at the shift change, he swooped in and took care of us to the nth degree. Our drinks were never empty, our food was fresh and steaming, he was personable and copped well to the kind of humor we broadcast. When we told him we were there to commemorate our late dog, whom we'd just had to say goodbye to over the weekend, he was so kind and sweet. So, Brandon, thanks for making a rough couple of days turn a bit more bright and sunny with your great sense of humor and reassuring words.

You'll spend more than you would at Chili's or something similar, but there's definitely a level of craft you're going to get that's not as common...

We were group of 9 ladies, arrived at 11:30, got out of the door around 2:00. Told the server at the door that we are celebrating our friend’s birthday. Service was very very slow. Ordered 2 appetizers, we finished eating our appetizer, the bread and ran out of water. All cups were empty, we kept asking for water refill and more bread. The water and bread came after more than half an Hour. Kept complying to servers in front. Waited and waited for food, took forever to come to table in different timing. One friend left without eating for being held in this restaurant too long, and told our waitress that she is leaving, still brought her order to the table. Took for ever to bring the bills, when we asked to bring a piece of cake or ice cream to the birthday lady, they said, they will and they did while we were paying our bills. I asked to add both appetizers to my bill, they added one to my bill and the other to my friend’s. I asked for the manager on my way out, took for ever to come. He Apologized and asked if they gave us the appetizers for free, I said no, he said that he told them to do so. He never came to our table when we complained and never offer anything while we were on the table for all the delay and hassle. He give me few coupons for free appetizer of desert which I will never go back to use. This chain of restaurants is excelent any were you go, but not in Bakersfield. NEEDS new management and hiring...