US Highway 99: Bakersfield

This weekend I found myself driving through California's Central Valley along hwy 99, and I was getting hungry for lunch.  Closest town? Bakersfield.  Driving past the town's varied restaurant offerings like Taco Bell, Subway, In n' Out (difficult to pass up), and McDonalds, I spotted El Adobe, a large red-clay building with an attractive sign out front.  Lots of cars in the parking lot..a good sign.  The one non chain restaurant on the block..another good sign.  The promise of "homemade mexican" displayed in one of the windows..I'm sold.

Can a picture get more "California"?

I ordered Enchiladas Plancha, recommended by our server.  Corn tortillas filled with carne asada and cheese, grilled until the cheese crisped and burnt slightly, clinging to the outside of the tortillas.  Served with rice, gooey beans, guacamole, and pico de gallo.  Make sure you have a long car ride ahead of you after eating at El Adobe, because this cheesy, meat-filled goodness will put you in a coma.

My road trip companion ordered a Veggie Burrito, filled with yellow squash, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, tomato, pinto beans, and rice served mojado with ranchero sauce and melted jack and cheddar cheese. Yum.

2620 Ming Ave. Bakersfield, CA