Top Greek Restaurants to Try in Bakersfield, CA

Bakersfield's Greek and Mediterranean dining scene is built around a set of dedicated operations that take their food seriously in a city more often celebrated for country music than Hellenic cooking. The family behind Athena's Greek Cafe earned a spot on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for their authentic recipes, and Sultans Mediterranean Grill on Stockdale Highway has built the highest-reviewed Mediterranean following in the city on the strength of its garlic potatoes and chicken kabob plates alone. These are in no particular order.

Athena's Greek Cafe and Grill

The standard-bearer for authentic Greek dining in Bakersfield and the continuation of the family whose original Calloway location earned a feature on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for its beef-stuffed cabbage leaves in lemon sauce, homemade baklava, and genuine Greek hospitality, Athena's Greek Cafe and Grill on 20th Street brings the same from-scratch Greek cooking philosophy to its current downtown location. The Chicago-style gyro with savory meat and soft pita earns particular praise, the traditional chicken souvlaki is juicy and authentically prepared, the bifteki is excellent, the Athena salad with Chicago-style gyro meat is fresh and generously dressed, the traditional pork gyro with lemon potatoes is outstanding and the lemon potatoes alone inspire attempts at home replication, the dolmades make Greek food lovers happy, the baklava and carrot cake are both made from scratch, and everything on the menu is prepared with flavors that are described as on point by devoted regulars who call it the best Greek food in town. The owner is a sweetheart and the spirit of genuine Greek hospitality runs through every visit.

Sultans Mediterranean Grill

The highest-rated Mediterranean restaurant in Bakersfield with 571 Yelp reviews and a 4.5 Google rating, Sultans Mediterranean Grill on Stockdale Highway near CSUB earns the hands-down best Mediterranean food in Bakersfield designation from devoted regulars who would not consider going anywhere else first. The chicken kabob plate with a side of beets and cucumber salad with dressing and red onions is the signature order, the garlic potatoes are a must and earn their own passionate following, the chicken shawarma wrap with garlic and hummus inside the pita with rice, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, tahini, and hot sauce is a steal, the beef and chicken shawarma are delicious with inviting aromas from the moment you walk in, the souvlaki skewers and kabob skewers are excellent, and the food is prepared fresh with an assembly-line counter setup that moves quickly except when chicken skewers are cooked to order. A first-time visitor who came in just for hummus ended up with the best bargain and most food they had eaten in town.

Pita House

A well-loved Bakersfield Mediterranean and Greek pita spot on Ming Avenue that earns consistent enthusiastic praise for its excellent gyro with amazing flavored meat at a good soft consistency, its French fry option alongside the gyros, rustic hummus with plenty of olive oil, all the traditional dishes you would expect at a Mediterranean place, and the kind of dependable fresh quality that makes it a natural go-to for gyros and pita across the city, Pita House is a solid and satisfying option for Greek street food in Bakersfield. The Greek salad is the best and the staff is consistently lovely and courteous.

Flame and Skewers Mediterranean Restaurant

A California Avenue Bakersfield Mediterranean restaurant that earns about the best Mediterranean food in town from regulars who find decent Mediterranean food hard to come by in most cities, with a rack of lamb described as the best some diners have ever had and off the hook delicious healthy Mediterranean cuisine across the full menu, Flame and Skewers is a dependable and genuinely satisfying option for Greek and Mediterranean food across Bakersfield. The shawarma is good and the overall quality and freshness of the food reflect a genuine commitment to Mediterranean cooking done well.

Hummus Express

A well-regarded Bakersfield Mediterranean and Greek fast-casual spot that earns consistent strong marks for its fresh and flavorful Greek and Mediterranean food including excellent beef kabob, outstanding hummus, and the kind of authentic Greek and Mediterranean cooking that makes regulars describe it as the best Greek restaurant in Bakersfield with flavors that are on point, Hummus Express is a reliable and enjoyable casual option for Greek food in the city. The sweet potato fries are the best, the hummus and pita are awesome, and the Greek salad earns consistent praise.

Panini Kabob Grill

A well-regarded Bakersfield Mediterranean and Greek grill that earns consistent strong marks for its delicious beef kabob plates, lamb kabob plate for around fifteen dollars that is one of the better places for Greek food a visitor has had, and the kind of fresh and flavorful Mediterranean cooking that makes it a dependable and satisfying option for Greek cuisine across the city, Panini Kabob Grill is a reliable neighborhood choice for Mediterranean food in Bakersfield. Our friends loved the beef kabob plates and the baklava was the perfect finish to the meal.

Conclusion

Bakersfield's Greek food scene is anchored by a family that earned national television recognition for cooking authentic Greek food from scratch in the Central Valley and has kept that tradition alive at a downtown location, alongside a Stockdale Highway Mediterranean grill that has built the most reviewed following in the city on the simple promise of the best garlic potatoes and chicken kabob plates in town. From Ming Avenue to California Avenue, there is more outstanding Greek and Mediterranean dining worth discovering across Kern County than most travelers stopping between LA and the Sierras ever take the time to find.