J’s Place

Just got done eating here with my family and every single one of us loved it. Definitely has to be the best southern soul food restaurant in Bakersfield. The servers were great and kind with their southern hospitality haha. I will be coming back here again with my friends for sure.

The place smelt so badly, the menu sucks, the waitresses were talking like they wanted to leave so people would hurry, the food wasn’t that great, I can make better at home. Definitely will not be returning!!!

I came here about 6 months ago on a business trip and found out I was coming back to the area. I have been dreaming about this moment all week! I came on a Thursday night and it was busy, but I was seated quickly. Kabrina was my server and she was amazing. It’s rare to have amazing food and outstanding customer service, but that was my experience tonight! I got the fried catfish with red beans and rice and mac n’ cheese and I was not disappointed. Their catfish is legit the best I’ve had in AGES! I got the peach sweet tea and they even gave me a refill to go! I’m taking an order of banana pudding back to my hotel, because no southern meal would be complete without a little dessert. Man, I love this place! If I am ever back in the area this place will be at the top of my list! I highly recommend it!

I love this place. We have tried just about everything on the menu and have never been disappointed. I can’t wait to go back.

Good food at a good price. Great pancakes. Didn’t care for the potatoes though. They were greasy. Even though it was busy we were seated fast and the service was spot on. Nice spot for a non traditional breakfast.

We ate at J’s place and ordered huge plates. I had the fried catfish, waffles, corn bread, mashed potatoes, and fried shrimp. The shrimp was delicious and the seasoning balanced out the flavor. The fries it came with were good but weren’t unique. The waffles were really good and deserve a five stars. The biggest reason for a three stars and not a four stars was because of the fried catfish. It may be because I’ve never had store bought or restaurant catfish but I didnt like how the meat was a little flavorless while the seasoning tasted to salty. Im probably being to harsh because all I’ve ever eaten is wild caught catfish but this was the biggest disappointment of the night.

I’ve always seen this place driving by but never really stopped to try the food. So far, what I’ve tried I really like. I’ve never had soul food and I really happy i found this place. My favorite has to be the sausage with bbq sauce.

YOU SHOULD BE EATING HERE!
My good friend has talked this place up for over a year, so Friday I decide to see what all the craze was about! Let me tell you that I licked my fingers… yep like I was home alone. Thing is I didn’t feel bad about it. I had ox tails, rice and gravy, collard greens, cornbread and yams. Folks I’m from southern Mississippi originally and I felt at home eating at J’s.
The staff are super nice and prompt in serving patrons. The prices are a tad bit high but hey it is Cali and I’ve been called cheap before so take that with a grain of salt.
They are renovating the building externally (noted that J’s is in a small shopping area.) but you should not have any trouble getting in or finding parking.
If you want real southern food go here!

Went in for breakfast– service is friendly.
Food was fair– sorry to say, nothing spectacular.
The waffle was cool to cold and not at all crispy– could have used another 30 secs in waffle maker… Flavor was good though.
Chicken fried steak was average, so was gravy. Asked for extra toasty toast– got warm bread. The potatoes were quite flavorful if a bit mushy.
I would go back… But not in a big hurry.

I’m originally from LA and Roscoe’s is the place for chicken and waffles but if you are in bakersfield then Js place is the spot for chicken and waffles. Food is excellent atmosphere is great and the hostess and servers are awesome. Will definetly continue to eat here.

Always great food and great service. It’s particularly busy on weekends, but that only means it’s worth the visit. The portion sizes are ample for the price. The down home, home cooked feel is prominent. A must visit for this city.

Jay’s place has really good food specials there Kool-​Aid I love the catfish here it is really good there cornbread is sweet and tasty their desserts are great but always out of the banana putting every time I go there does that tell you something their tacos are great this place is busy I want to try their breakfast since they tried something new so get there early if you want to eat otherwise you have to wait and they have free Wi-​Fi

J´s place keeps putting out timeless, classic soul food. I did not know what to expect from their new location on Calloway, but the food did not disappoint.
I really enjoyed the chicken fried steak, the catfish and eggs and yes, the cornbread. Mm. Also, if you’ve yet to try chicken and waffles, save the drive to Los Angeles and check the dish out here in Rosedale.
Quintessentially American.
The food came out rather quickly and I found the food portions as large as ever.
The service could have been a bit friendlier but I really couldn’t complain. Perhaps they were just busy.
A great Bakersfield classic, local and unique. Recommended to all.

J’s has been our go to place every time we have families visiting from out of town. This place serves really good Southern food. I love everything that they serve on their menu, but most especially their fried chicken and corn bread. Very yummy!
Their staff are very friendly and nice. Food is also affordable. I suggest that you come here hungry because they serve big portions of food. Also, if you’re into sweet teas, try them, its good!

Best place I’ve been to in a while. Everything from the greeting to the check was just outstanding. There wonderful customer service only prepares you for there delicious food.
Yes there is a wait every time you go but some things if not all things that are worth anything should make you wait.
Do yourself a favor go here have some breakfast and definitely order the red kool-​aid. My favorite is there waffles. I never knew waffles could taste so good. I can’t eat waffles anywhere else anymore. I’m loyal to j’s waffles.

I went here purely on the reviews on Unilocal.I ordered over the phone and the girl on the other end was very nice and helpful. My food was ready and hot by the time I picked it up. They were very helpful at the font end. Ok so now onto the FOOD!
–BBQ Ribs– Tasty sauce and pretty good rub. I wasnt a huge fan of the amount of fat that on the ribs, but it still wasnt enough to not make me like them.
–Hot BBQ sausage– Fantastic heat with these bad boys. The BBQ sauce tasted great with them. The down side the meat was a little dry.
–Sides — LOVED THEM ALL– side salad was packed with veggies which were super fresh! Mashed potatoes were great, Mac and Cheese was great my son LOVED them.
Overall I enjoyed the food and the price is unbeatable with the amount of food you get. I would recommend this place if your looking for inexpensive dinner that still has great taste.

I recently came back to J’s Place to place a to-​go order for oxtail with a side of Mac n’ cheese & neck bone/​dressing.
I was hoping my experience would be better this time around especially since it was just a simple to-​go order. Turns out, they did a good job.
Food was good as usual. :)
I was offered a glass of water while I waited for my food.
I think ordering to-​go is always a better bet than dining in, since the food is what I come here for, not the service.
As such, I’m upgrading the star rating back to a 4-​star!
P. S. likely not going to get the neck bone dressing in the future/​soggy stuffing and too salty. should have stuck with mashed potatoes or yams (a safer bet)

There’s something undeniable about perfectly fried and unhealthy southern food. Would this be the best food to eat on a daily basis? My heart is going to say no. But on occasion, who cares!
This place was absolutely delicious and everything I didn’t know I needed to make this day wonderful. I had the chicken fried chicken with eggs and I subbed the smothered potatoes (sliced potatoes with green peppers and onions) for the mashed potatoes. It also came with a side of biscuits and gravy. First, let me say that the biscuits and gravy could have been their own meal. They were huge but the biscuit was cooked to perfect buttery perfection and the gravy was a great consistency. Not to salty. Just right. The same gravy covered the juicy chicken fried chicken. SO GOOD!
Everything about this place was yummy! Portions are huge so I’ve got enough take out for a whole nother meal (that I can’t wait to devour!)

Bf and I ordered the bbq ribs and chicken/​waffles. The entrees were very good, but the sides. Not so much. The mac and cheese and mashed potatoes tasted like something that KFC would serve, nothing special. But the greens were pretty good. Also, we ordered the peach iced tea and kool aid to drink, but they were both insanely overly sweet… Like grossly sweet.
All in all, we still enjoyed our ribs and chicken/​waffles, and our peach cobbler dessert was Pretty amazing. So if I’m ever in Bakersfield again, I’ll be back.

I don’t get to eat Soul Food that often, so I was happy to find J’s Place on a recommendation from a work colleague.
Since it was my first time I asked the waitress what she recommended. I had also checked Unilocal and lots of people suggested the fried chicken. I got that with the dirty rice and collared greens.
I made the right choice. The fried chicken may have been the best I’ve tasted in years. It actually reminded me of my favorite chicken place we had in Hawaii, Hana Chicken. Maybe it brought back some childhood memories, but it was definitely awesome.
The skin was so crispy that I could snap it like a cracker. The spices gave it a flavor you don’t find at all the other fried chicken spots. My sides were also delicious and I can’t wait to eat more of that dirty rice.
The service was also great and I’ll be back sooner rather than later.