Move over Dagny’s, Smitten is in town. Bakersfield has been buzzing since fall of last year with the anticipation of Café Smitten’s grand opening. On Feb. 20 the new café finally opened its doors for business.

Two days later on Feb. 22 is when I decided to check out Café Smitten. The second I walked up to the building, I was already in love. The bright blue brick building and intimate side patio immediately caught my eye and stood out amongst the surrounding structures. I couldn’t help but jump on the bandwagon and take a few snaps of the building for my Instagram.

As I walked in, I was greeted within the first ten seconds with a warm hello. Even though they were blatantly busy, it was nice to still be acknowledged. As I scanned the menu, I noticed the variety of options to choose from. Besides coffee, Café Smitten serves a different array of foods and local desserts. They even sell a select variation of wine and beer from Chronic Cellars and Golden Road Brewing.

After contemplating the menu, I decided to get an avocado smash sandwich, pour over decaf coffee, and an iced latte. I paid for my order and was surprised with the total; $20 was the bill for those three items. The coffee itself isn’t a bad price though, the decaf coffee was $4 and the iced latte was $3.75. The sandwich was a little pricey at $10. Nonetheless, I was still excited to taste everything.

The décor had a farmhouse industrial vibe, which was absolutely charming and eyecatching. They had lots of different seating inside and outside with each table decorated with succulents. The outside seating had a cozy fire pit and heating lamps for those colder nights.

It took no longer than 10 minutes for my coffees and food to arrive. To my delight, the sandwich was even served with a salad, dressed with a very light vinaigrette. It also came with a small bowl of three olives and a mini sweet pickle to add more flavor to the salad. The sandwich had avocado, over easy eggs, pepper flakes and was topped with seeds.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sandwich, the pepper flakes added a kick to the taste and wasn’t too spicy. The olives and sweet pickle also gave the right hint of flavor to the salad. Both coffees weren’t too overpowering or bitter, even though the decaf coffee was served without milk or sugar.

Despite the fact that I don’t ordinarily drink straight black coffee, the taste was still pleasant. Customers can add creamer themselves from a bar caddy just south of the entrance.

After the meal, they promptly took the dishes and asked how I enjoyed everything. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere gave off a welcoming and comfortable sensation.

Café Smitten is definitely a place for all ages to enjoy, whether it be a family with kids, college students, or older generations.