Reminiscent of old truck-stop eateries, Cope’s Knotty Pines Cafe packs the plate, fills the gut, but doesn’t break the bank.
The old-fashioned, family style restaurant offers a variety of breakfast and lunch menu options.
I had the opportunity to sample a bit of breakfast and lunch.
The three-egg California omelet I ordered was delightfully tasty and definitely more than I could chew.
My companion ordered the country-fried steak and eggs, served on two plates because one would not have been enough.
The sizeable steak sat on a bed of classic country gravy and literally drooped over the side of the plate.
We needed two boxes to take home the remainder of our meal, which was more than half of each dish.
The next day I went back for lunch and ordered Buford’s bacon, mushroom and Swiss chicken sandwich.
Though I thought that the chicken was a bit dry for my tastes, the size of the breast was almost twice as large as the bun and almost as big as the plate.
Instead of the traditional french fries, I ordered the soup-of-the-day, a traditional split-pea soup with tender chunks of ham.
The soup was warm and satisfying but I didn’t have time to finish it as my meal was delivered to the table promptly after I ordered it.
On both occasions, I was seated without delay. My order was taken and the food was served hot and in a timely manner.
The atmosphere was pleasant and the servers were friendly and attentive.
The restaurant was well lit and the antiquarian dÇcor is accented by the tongue in groove, pine wood paneling.
I noticed that the clientele was exceptionally friendly and good-humored.
Like old-time small-town restaurants, customers greeted each other warmly and fell comfortably into small talk with the other patrons.
Overall, I’d give Knotty Pines a four out of five for their exemplary service, plentiful portions and reasonable prices.
The dry chicken, well, nobody is perfect.
Breakfast is served from 6-11 a.m. every day of the week.
Knotty Pines is open from 6-2:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and as late as 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Knotty Pines is located in north Bakersfield, 1530 Norris Road.