Ever hear of Buck Owens?

Anyone who has listened to old country music or has seen “Hee Haw” certainly knows who Buck Owens was. What you may have not known is that he lived the majority of his life in Bakersfield, CA. For what reason I have no idea. Anyway, he has a restaurant in Bakersfield called the Crystal Palace. From talking with the locals, this place was his pride and joy. Yes, I am talking in past tense, he died a year or so ago.

Well, I got to tell you that tonight Buck is rolling over in his grave. Everyone that I’ve talked to about this place has nothing but good things to say about it. “It’s expensive buts it’s the best steak I’ve ever had”. There is no doubt it’s an expensive place to dine at an average of $27 per plate for a typical steak dinner but one of the things that surprised me the most was the lack of choices on the menu. Would you like steak or a hamburger? But getting back to the point I’m trying to make. The only thing that would get me back into this place is a free dinner on concert night. The one thing I will not tolerate at a restaurant is poor service. Especially when it takes place right after you’re seated. I couldn’t believe that the two of us sat there as long as we did. From the time the hostess sat us to the time we left was 15 minutes and in this time we were never once approached by the wait staff. Sorry Buck. Your “Palace” needs some help.