As of mid-January this year, Coco’s diner, located at 2687 Mt Vernon Ave,  has been replaced by Lumberjacks restaurant. Lumberjacks is a log cabinthemed establishment with generous portions made from scratch, ready to conquer anyone with a lumberjack-sized appetite. This is the first of its brand in the Bakersfield area creating more than 65 jobs for the community. I was lucky enough to attend this past week to check out the food and the overall scheme of this family oriented diner. Having no idea what I was in store for, I greeted the opportunity with optimism and excitement for a new business.

Everything seemed to be twice my size, I felt like Goldilocks when the chair was too big. The servers were dressed in flannel and suspenders, making the atmosphere fun and casual. The walls and panels were adorned with large polished logs and wooden planks, giving the restaurant a real log cabin theme. Even the chairs complimented the slabs of wood furnished into tables.

The most notable of the sights was, of course, the exceedingly large lumberjack statue towering in front of the restaurant. Being well over 20 feet in stature, it is definitely not hard to miss, and it brings a neat look to the new establishment.

The restaurant seemed to be buzzing with eager customers coming from all around Bakersfield to check out the new place to be since Coco’s was booted out. Although they were insanely busy due to the recent opening, I was seated within just a few minutes. The menu was beyond vast, with everything from eggs, to steaks, to racks of ribs. These options were tailored to the appetite of a lumberjack, hence the name. I was torn between whether I was in the mood for breakfast or lunch. Luckily, I was greeted with both.

The first item that caught my eye was the steak on their breakfast menu. Not just any little portion of meat, it was a nine-ounce steak with potatoes and eggs, all the fixings. I was eager to see what this meal had in store.

When my plate arrived, not only was it huge beyond all reason, but it was piled almost to eye level, or maybe it was just my size in comparison to the towering table and giant chair.  My first thought was “Don’t worry, I can handle this.” I made sure to bring an appetite, but it seemed to me that I may have underestimated the portions.

By looking around, I noticed everyone else was facing the same challenge of finishing their plates. Aside from being pleasing to the eye, the food was beyond amazing.

The steak was done to my request and the fixings complimented it surprisingly well for it just being a family establishment. I find it pleasing when a restaurant exceeds expectations tenfold, especially since I was almost expecting something blatantly similar to other restaurants like Carrow’s and Black Bear. It was nice to have a little more originality and flare in town. Especially since originality is rare these days.

Overall, I found the food and atmosphere to be most pleasing. The service was great and the prices were fairly reasonable considering the portions. I look forward to my next meal here and will be spreading word of the arrival of this fine establishment.

(5 out of 5)