There’s something magical about sliding onto a vinyl-covered stool at a classic American luncheonette counter, where the coffee is always hot, the burgers are always sizzling, and time seems to stand still.
In downtown Bakersfield, the Woolworth Diner offers exactly this kind of time-traveling culinary experience.
When Interstate 5 was built, it allowed drivers to bypass Bakersfield entirely, which might explain why this gem remains somewhat under the radar for many Californians.
But those in the know make the pilgrimage regularly, sometimes driving hours just to experience this perfectly preserved slice of mid-century Americana…