Bakersfield DET

Quick Take: Bakersfield DET, Detroit

If you've been to Bakersfield DET once and are wondering whether a second visit earns its place in your rotation, the answer comes down to what you're looking for in a Midtown Detroit bar. At 3100 Woodward Ave, this is a direct stop on a strip that has seen real change over the past few years as Midtown's bar scene has thickened up considerably. Whether Bakersfield has kept pace with that evolution is the honest question worth asking before you book again.

For returning visitors, the practical calculus is this: Bakersfield DET is easy to get into. There's no meaningful booking difficulty here, which puts it in a different tier from spots where you need to plan ahead. If you're building an evening around Midtown and want somewhere to anchor the start without stress, that accessibility is genuinely useful. It's the kind of place you can suggest to a group without the usual hedging about waitlists or door policies.

On the by-the-glass front, the wine bar angle is worth weighing against the broader Detroit options. If you came once for drinks and found the wine program serviceable but not the main event, that's probably the right read. Bakersfield sits closer to a casual bar with wine available than a dedicated wine bar with a considered glass program. For a more focused by-the-glass experience in Detroit, Chenin is the direct comparison and sets a higher bar for natural wine selection and intentionality. If you're returning to Bakersfield specifically for the wine list, recalibrate expectations accordingly.

The Woodward Ave address puts it within reach of Detroit's broader Midtown circuit. If you're mapping out a full evening, it pairs logistically with spots like Andrews on the Corner or 3Fifty Terrace depending on where the night takes you. For a broader sense of what Detroit's bar scene offers right now, the full Detroit bars guide is worth a look before you commit to an itinerary. You can also cross-reference against the full Detroit restaurants guide and the Detroit experiences guide if you're planning a fuller visit.

Compared to wine-forward bars in other cities, like Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu or Jewel of the South in New Orleans, Bakersfield DET is operating in a more casual register. That's not a criticism if casual is what you want on a given night. But if the reason you're returning is the drinks program specifically, there are sharper options in Detroit right now. For a second visit to land well, treat it as a convenient, low-friction stop rather than a destination in itself.

Other Detroit options worth knowing: 1459 Bagley St, Atwater Brewery & Tap House, and for a wider view, the Detroit hotels guide and Detroit wineries guide round out the city picture. Further afield, Julep in Houston shows what a truly program-led bar can do if you want a reference point for the category ceiling.