Ethel's Old Corral

Ethel's Old Corral is one of the most genuinely singular bar and restaurant experiences in California, a roadside landmark on Alfred Harrell Highway in Bakersfield's Oildale district that has been serving the community since the 1940s. Standing guard out front is a 35-foot fiberglass Native American statue, originally an advertising totem for Mohawk Tires that became the venue's iconic greeter. Horses are tied to the hitching rail out back. Bikers fill the lot. Oilfield hands and white-collar workers sit side by side at the bar. The whole scene feels like a time capsule with a full bar and a kitchen. Live music runs on Saturdays and Sundays, typically from early afternoon through the evening on Sundays, and the dance floor fills up with a crowd that has been coming here for decades. The music leans country, classic rock, and roots styles that suit the outdoor patio and the saloon interior, and the Sunday jam sessions have been a Bakersfield tradition since long before anyone started calling it a scene. The food is honest American and Western fare, with items like the buffalo burger and the deep-pit dinner earning the loyalty of regulars. Current owners Natalie Mears and family have preserved what made Ethel's worth preserving while adding improvements that have not disrupted the atmosphere. No cover charge, kids welcome during the day, and one of the most diverse and unpretentious crowds in the Central Valley. For anyone passing through Bakersfield or looking for an experience that does not exist anywhere else in California, Ethel's Old Corral is worth the drive up Alfred Harrell Highway.