BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2013 A little piece of history has come alive in downtown Bakersfield.<\/p>\n
A 98-year-old architectural artifact from a bygone era has a new but familiar tenant. It\u2019s Moo Creamery, one of Bakersfield\u2019s favorite restaurants in a new, but historic location.<\/p>\n
A hundred years ago it was the New China Cafe, right in the middle of Bakersfield\u2019s old Chinatown. Now, after months of renovation, it\u2019s the new Moo.<\/p>\n
Moo Creamery has moved from its original location to the corner of 18th and Q streets, about three miles east, where it\u2019s the new kid on the block, surrounded by Eastchester\u2019s unique blend of old-old and restored old.<\/p>\n
Early reviews aren\u2019t just good, they\u2019re off the charts great.<\/p>\n
Lisa Carvajal loved her cobb salad.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was absolutely wonderful,\u201d she said. \u201cWe would always go down to Truxtun Avenue but here with the new location, food is great, they added a couple of new items on their menu we saw but stuck with the cobb salad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brandon Antongiovanni loved his P-B and B Burger.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeanut butter and bacon jam burger, my favorite go-to, with sweet potato fries, with marshmallow and spicy ketchup,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Even if his lunch companion, and grandmother, Leigh Ann Atchison-Norman, was slightly disgusted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something wrong with that boy,\u201d she said, laughing. \u201cIt may be good, but peanut butter on a hamburger?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the way to go,\u201d her grandson said.<\/p>\n
New China Cafe originally opened in 1928, part of the second of two waves of Chinese immigrants to make their mark \u2013 culturally and economically \u2013 on Bakersfield during the first quarter of the previous century. Since the original restaurant closed after World War II, the flemish-brick-fronted building, adorned with Chinese flourishes, has been through several incarnations, most recently Inclusion Films.<\/p>\n
Developer Tomas del Toro-Diaz partnered with Moo Creamery owner Jessica Pounds to buy the building a couple of years ago, and renovations are 99% complete. Close enough to welcome the breakfast and lunch crowd.<\/p>\n
95% of Moo\u2019s menu is made in house, including the signature ice cream and some amazing baked goods. Except for three higher-priced items, most everything is in the $15 to $17 range.<\/p>\n
The new Moo has a full bar and an outdoor patio for al fresco dining. Elevation Architecture completed the building\u2019s considerable transformation.<\/p>\n
A couple of years ago, a city-sponsored Retailers and Restaurants Survey asked Bakersfield residents about their favorite local businesses and their degree of satisfaction with local options.<\/p>\n
Moo Creamery was among the top vote getters. One of the few complaints was that it was tough to find, tucked away on a commercial side street off Truxtun Avenue.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter location here,\u201d Antongiovanni said. \u201cIt\u2019s easier to get to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consider that problem fixed.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n