Back to tradition
Back to tradition
By: Dining Divas
Rich history
Aimee: I have eaten at Sinaloa many times over the past few years, but have never taken the time to read about the rich history behind this family-owned restaurant. It has stayed in the family for all of these years and the Divas were honored to meet Tom and Lydia Munoz, the brother and sister team who made our experience great!
Lori: Tom and Lydia seem to make a great team and they take great pride in keeping the tradition of Sinaloa alive. So if you have never eaten at Sinaloa you are missing out on some Bakersfield tradition.
Whitney: Sinaloa is old Bakersfield dining. A restaurant that has stood the test of time and has that nostalgic feel like Luigi’s, Wool Growers and Narducci’s. The Munoz family started Sinaloa in 1948 where Wool Growers is now. They eventually moved to their downtown location where children Tom and Lydia Munoz continue the family tradition. I have been going to Sinaloa for years and it’s like returning to your roots when you walk in the door. Memories of my family and I dining with friends in the dining room come flooding back to me.
Wendy: I’m no stranger to Sinaloa. Having been a dispatcher for Hall Ambulance (located across the street) for years, Sinaloa was a regular lunch spot for us. Sinaloa has been a Bakersfield landmark for over 50 years. Located at 20th and P streets, it’s what I would call the “diamond in the rough.” The weathered neon sign takes you back in time to “ol’ time Bakersfield.”
Drinks
Whitney: Mexican food and margaritas go hand in hand and it just seems wrong to not follow tradition. I ordered two and Wendy ordered a vodka margarita. I just stared at her in disbelief. Then I stared at Lori. Aimee ordered an iced tea and I wanted to sit somewhere else. Sinaloa plays big band music instead of Mexican music and we loved it. I can’t think of one restaurant that offers big band background music and it was great fun listening to it while sipping the cocktails.
Aimee: Wendy had to have hers made with vodka! Is it a real margarita when it is made that way?
Wendy: I switched it up and had a vodka margarita (Jose and I don’t get along). The other mean Diva — I won’t mention any names, but she’s a principal — made fun of my drink order. Tom looked a little perplexed with my drink order, too. If I’m the only one who likes vodka margaritas then I think it should be called a “Wendy margarita.”
Lori: If anyone is particular about their ice, the ice served with their beverages is the best, the little pellet flaky ice, my favorite.
Appetizers
Lori: Fresh tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole, which was served in a tortilla-type basket, were waiting for us as we arrived. What Sinaloa is known for is that they serve fresh sourdough bread with their salsa. We all looked forward to that since we all love bread.
Whitney: The fresh bread with the homemade salsa is outstanding. It’s generally a Basque tradition to serve bread, butter and salsa but Sinaloa has always served it and I’m pretty sure there would be a riot if they decided to stop. Tom suggested we try the platter of chiquito tacos as our first appetizer. We were served six chicken and beef mini tacos. The taco shells were light and flaky and my favorite was the beef taco. We also had the chile verde quesadilla. The shredded beef was very tender with no fatty meat and had a wonderful flavor. I have always liked Sinaloa chile verde and I believe it’s one of their signature dishes.
Aimee: The chiquito taco platter came with six small tacos made with beef and chicken, served with guacamole and sour cream. OK, I know what you’re thinking, a taco is a taco, but the shells on these were fantastic. They are perfectly fried, light and not at all greasy. It is a must order.
Wendy: Tom wanted us to try the chiquito taco appetizer; I think those are a secret because I’d never had them. Smaller than the standard taco they were hot, crunchy and beefy! Just like I like them.
Lunch
Aimee: Sinaloa’s offers a variety of traditional Mexican food items. I had the Sinaloa combination No. 2, which consisted of a taco, enchilada, rice and beans. I also decided I wanted to try everyone else’s meals too. Whitney and Lori were sitting close, so I just forked some of their tasty items! I love the chicken at Sinaloa. No matter which way I had it, in a taco (mine), fajitas (Whiney), or an enchilada (Lori) it was light and super flavorful! Too bad Wendy was sitting too far away from me to snatch some food off her plate!
Lori: I chose as my main course was a chile relleno and a chicken enchilada served with rice and beans. Both were, as I would have expected, delicious. My absolute favorite of the whole meal was the chicken chiquito tacos and the chicken enchilada. I must have been on a chicken kick that day, all of their chicken tasted amazing. Great job Sinaloa!
Whitney: I ordered the small chicken fajitas and am glad I did. The small is big so the large must be huge. There are some Mexican restaurants in town that are a little stingy on their meat in fajitas and try to hide that fact with three whole onions and 14 bell peppers. Not at Sinaloa; I had more chicken that I knew what to do with. The chicken was so juicy and tender that Aimee and Wendy kept forking my food until I had to tell them to knock it off.
Wendy: Tacos, rice and beans is what I always used to order, however, I decided to step outside of the box this time and order the taco, enchilada and tamale with rice and beans combo. My taco was just as I remembered it to be. Sinaloa has all the right ingredients to create a fabulous taco. Made with seasoned ground beef stuffed into a piping hot shell with the usual toppings. It really is a perfect beef taco. My beef enchilada was meaty and cheesy; you just can’t mess this up. I really enjoyed my tamale. It had sweetness about it.
Keeping up the tradition
Whitney: I bet you didn’t know that you can order a quart of salsa from Sinaloa for $10. Neither did I. It comes in a Mason jar, so we got two. Two seemed to be my magic number. The Mason jar reminded me of my grandmother and the way things used to be. Simple, traditional and homemade. The Munoz family keeps it simple and you know what to expect walking in the door. Tradition is what Bakersfield is all about. No wonder Sinaloa has been in business since 1948.
Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant
910 20th St., 327-5231
11:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Sunday; open until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Monday.