🎸 Bakersfield Meal Deals

Best Cheap Eats in Bakersfield
Two People, Under $20

🎸 Bakersfield  ·  12 verified deals  ·  Updated June 2026

Bakersfield runs on two things you won't find together anywhere else: a massive taquería scene (birria, asada, fish tacos, salsa bars on every corner) and the country's great family-style Basque restaurants — a local institution where the meal starts with a free “set-up” of soup, beans, salad and bread before you even order. Add Buck Owens-era diners, a drive-thru burger legend, pho and Jamaican jerk, and two eat well under $20 — though the Basque spots are best done at lunch or shared, since full dinners run higher. A few places close Sundays or a day midweek, so check hours.

🎸 Local Bakersfield Deals
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Sancho's Tacos

Juicy Pork Tacos · Oldies & 5150 Salsa

A fun 18th Street taqueria with great character — oldies on the speakers, insanely juicy pork tacos, crisp nachos, and a 5150 salsa that brings heat with a beautiful sweetness (ask the counter for a rec). One picky 11-year-old wished they had one back home; two eat for around $16. Open daily, friendly and quick. Open daily.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (18th St)  ·  ⏳ Daily 7a–8/9p
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Super Taco

30-Year Institution · Carne Asada

A Bakersfield institution since the early 2000s (and pura comida auténtica for 30-plus years) on E Truxtun — carne asada tacos and burritos, refried beans, and a salsa bar where the green salsa loaded on the beans is the move. Great prices and the first thing a lot of locals eat when they come home. Two eat for around $14. Open daily.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (E Truxtun Ave)  ·  ⏳ Daily 7a–9p
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El Taco Rojo

Birria Tacos in a Toyota Service Center

An unexpected gem tucked inside the local Toyota service department — the birria street-taco plate is so good it'll bring a tear to your eye, plus a killer birria breakfast burrito and house chili-oil hot sauce. Fresh, fast, reasonably priced, and oddly relaxing. Two eat for around $16. You might start scheduling extra oil changes. Closed Sun.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (Gasoline Alley Dr)  ·  ⏳ Mon–Sat 7a–4p (Sat till 3)
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Taco Joes

Best Tacos in Town · Food Truck + Patio

A Fruitvale food truck many call the best tacos in Bakersfield, with a cute covered patio to dine in — soft, lightly-crisp tortillas, a great ceviche tostada, a packed chorizo breakfast burrito, and agua de pepino to wash it down. Reasonable prices for how much food you get; two eat for around $16. Worth a second round of tacos. Closed Sun.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (Fruitvale Ave)  ·  ⏳ Mon–Sat 6a–8p (Sat till 7)
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Los Tacos De Huicho

Fish & Shrimp Tacos · Fire Salsa Bar

An always-busy 18th Street spot with a warm backyard patio and a salsa bar that's still going strong — the fish and shrimp tacos are the draw, with juicy al pastor and carne asada close behind, all on soft corn tortillas. No-frills, fast, affordable and open late, so two eat for around $16. A local favorite worth the wait. Closed Mon.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (E 18th St)  ·  ⏳ Tue–Sun 9a–10p
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Pyrenees Cafe

Family-Style Basque · The Famous "Set-Up"

A vintage Basque cafe (Bakersfield's signature cuisine) where the meal begins with the legendary free "set-up" — a full bowl of cabbage soup, beans, salad, cottage cheese, salsa and bread before you order. Go at breakfast or lunch and share a Basque-style special, and that spread feeds two for around $20. Happy hour is a steal too; full family-style dinners run higher. Open daily.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (Sumner St)  ·  ⏳ Daily 7/8a–8/9p
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Root Beer King

$3 Seasoned-Bun Burgers · Two Meals for $20

A drive-thru-only burger stand on Niles where one reviewer marveled at buying two full meals for $20 — In-N-Out-style patties with actual seasoning on the bun, a huge chicken sandwich, an avocado burger that doesn't skimp, and crispy seasoned fries with homemade ranch. Genuinely cheap and genuinely good, so two eat for around $14. Open daily.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (Niles St)  ·  ⏳ Daily 10a–9/9:30p
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Zingo's Cafe

Bakersfield Tradition on Buck Owens Blvd

A Bakersfield breakfast tradition right on Buck Owens Boulevard — enormous farm-to-plate omelets, a pancake combo, fried okra, the Zingo's sandwich, and oddities you won't find elsewhere like biscuits and chocolate gravy. Great prices, bottomless coffee, and a staff that treats the room like family. Two eat for around $18. Open daily till 2. Open daily.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (Buck Owens Blvd)  ·  ⏳ Daily 6:30a–2p
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Tina Marie's

Giant Chicken-Fried Steak for Two

A darling 19th Street breakfast-and-lunch spot whose giant chicken-fried steak "for two" can genuinely feed three or four — soft, huge and delicious, with sides like biscuits and gravy, eggs and potatoes. Split it and two eat a massive meal for around $16, with leftovers to take home. Cozy, friendly, breakfast-and-lunch only. Open daily till 2.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (19th St)  ·  ⏳ Daily 7a–2p
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Pho Vy Restaurant

Best Pho in Bakersfield · Brisket & Meatball

A cozy Union Avenue spot regulars have called the best pho in Bakersfield for years — flavorful, comforting broth, #10 brisket-and-meatball pho with a good amount of meat, plus smoothies and Thai tea, served by an owner who'll know your order by heart. A big bowl splits well, so two eat for around $20. Don't judge it by the block. Closed Wed.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (Union Ave)  ·  ⏳ Thu–Tue 11a–8p (wknd from 10)
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Barrington's Jamaican Kitchen

$10 Jerk Chicken Plate · Oxtail

Authentic Jamaican home cooking inside the Brundage swap meet — a $10 jerk-chicken plate with rice and peas, cabbage and fried plantains, plus fall-off-the-bone oxtail in a deeply savory sauce, all off a giant outdoor grill run by chef-owner Barry himself. One of the only spots for real Caribbean food in town; two eat for around $20. Closed Mon.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (Brundage Ln · swap meet)  ·  ⏳ Tue–Sun 11a–6:30p
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Kento's Mandarin BBQ

Build-a-Plate Chinese · 12-Year Favorite

A White Lane fast-casual Chinese spot that's kept locals coming for over 12 years — crispy orange chicken, flavorful lemon chicken, hot-garlic combos, and a big build-your-plate spread of veggies, noodles, rice and meats at great prices. Friendly owners, consistent quality, so two eat for around $18. Best fast-casual Chinese in town. Closed Sun.

📍 Bakersfield, CA (White Ln)  ·  ⏳ Mon–Sat 10:30a–8:30p
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💡 Pro tip: All deals are community-verified but prices and availability change. Always check the restaurant's website or app before making a special trip — and if something's expired, flag it on our main directory so we can update it.

🇺🇸 Also Valid Nationwide

These chain deals work anywhere in the country, including Bakersfield.

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Buffalo Wild Wings

Pick 6 — Meal for Two from $19.99

The Pick 6 lets two people build a shared meal — choose six items across wings, tenders, and sides — starting around $19.99. A reliable two-for-$20 play at any BWW. Dine-in or takeout; pricing varies slightly by market.

📍 Nationwide  ·  ⏳ Ongoing
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Chili's

3 for Me — about $10.99/person

Each person picks a starter, full entrée, and non-alcoholic drink. Roughly $10.99/person — one of the best per-head values in casual dining.

📍 Nationwide  ·  ⏳ Ongoing
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