New Vintage Grill Hageman — Restaurant in Bakersfield

My boyfriend and I decided to try New Vintage Grill for date night Saturday 3/20/21. We were excited as this place had great reviews and was close to where we live. Unfortunately we will not be going back. We arrived approximately 7:30PM Saturday night and were told to sit wherever we like, the place had about 20ish people inside and out and plenty of staff to cover service. We had been seated for at least 10 minutes with no one coming over to greet us or offer us something to drink. I finally made eye contact with one of the staff who was scoping out the outside patio area and he sent our less than stellar server. Service from the get go was mediocre at best. We ordered the stuffed avocados to start. These were just sliced, pitted, halved, raw avocados covered in pesto. They came with raw diced tomatoes and the blandest "taste like nothing" mozzarella. The seasoning was lacking and this is not the dish we anticipated as it was more of an avocado salad, nothing was really stuffed just piled on top. We had heard the pizzas were great so we ordered 2 medium pizzas to share. The Bianca (creamy white sauce, chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, fresh diced tomatoes, garlic) and the BBQ Chicken (grilled chicken breast, red onions, mozzarella, fresh cilantro). Both pizzas were served at room temperature and were not hot at all. Most of the toppings not cooked on the pizza but thrown on after the pizza was pulled from the oven. We barley touched The Bianca, each only having one piece, the sauce tasted like nothing, the bacon was dry because it had been cooked earlier in the day and thrown haphazardly on the pizza, the artichokes were from a can and had NO SEASONING or marinade, the chicken was the same chicken across all pizzas and again cooked beforehand and put on the pizza with sparse salt and pepper (very bland), and if the pizza had any garlic on it it was not recognizable. We ate the majority of the BBQ Chicken pizza mostly because we were hungry and it was at least edible, but it too just wasn't very good, just bland chicken and not a lot of flavor, but dipping anything in ranch dressing helps any lost cause. The waitress asked if we would like a box, we took the remaining BBQ Chicken pizza home for the dog. She asked about the entire medium pizza The Bianca and I told her "No, we didn't like it". Of course she didn't seem concerned and just went on with her business (which not sure what she was doing with her time). I would have spoken to a manager and not paid for the pizza we did not eat, that is how upset and disappointed I was. Which I have NEVER done before. However, my boyfriend didn't want me to make a big deal about it.

I love going out to eat and especially supporting small local businesses. Yet, I expect the wait staff to be attentive and friendly and the food to be good, The New Vintage Grill had none of that. Very disappointing.

Pet Peeves: The waitress had leggings on. I know the uniform for the restaurant is VERY casual, but that is just unprofessional...

The atmosphere is very trendy and looked like a great hangout spot. Went in for brunch and once we were seated, one of the drinks requested was Raspberry Ice Tea (they don't carry it) so we ask for sweet tea. Waitress brings the tea, and its unsweetened tea. We tell her that it's not sweet tea, and she says, (as she points to the sweeteners on the table)"the sugar is there" ummmmm yeah

Our order: Biscuits and Gravy (had enough flavor, yet the taste of flour was predominant)

French Toast (was a let down because the Hawaiin bread taste was non-existent)

Beef chili (WAS DELICIOUS! Full of flavor and texture was very satisfying)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts (AMAZING! The sauce complementing the Brussel Sprouts. perfectly!)

Side Salad (very simple, but fresh)

Fish Tacos (the first bite I took, unfortunately the fish was not cooked all the way through. When I told the waitress, she took the dish then came back and said, "The cook checked the fish and he said it was thoroughly cooked". I told her the piece that I had was not thoroughly cooked, that's why it was spit out in a napkin on the side of the plate.

I have mix feelings about this place because two dishes were superb! The other food was average and under par. The waitress didn't seem interested in our business since she took our drinks order, then didn't bring silverware (until I asked) and only showed up once towards the end of our meal to see if we wanted boxes. That's when I told her about the raw fish.

I'd go back for that chili and brussel sprouts though...

I've been here several times and it just gets better every time I come. This time I had the Crab Cake Benedict and it was amazing! First of all, the hollandaise sauce was rich and creamy like a dream. The egg was poached perfectly so once it was cut open it's yolk permeated everything in its nice, thick, rich lather which was fabulous! Next, the Crab Cake was wonderfully full of flavor, especially when mixed with the hollandaise sauce and egg yolk. I think it could have been a little crispier but that is a minor detail and had more to do with the sauce. All the flavors were on point and just exploded in my mouth. It's easy to see why this restaurant is consistently busy and obviously well worth any wait. The service is extremely good as well. I've had a server named Carrie at least twice and she's been phenomenal. She's friendly, outgoing, attentive, and detailed. You will truly be taken care of when you are here. I will definitely be back to try other items on their menu because thus far, I've never been disappointed. The owners and staff of this establishment should all be proud of what they are doing for the community and for...