Happy Jacks Hamburger & Pie Shop

Happy Jacks has been here forever. They are known for burgers and pies. Can’t go wrong with either one.
Great burgers. No fries instead they serve chips.
Work downtown so I have been going here for years.

The food is just okay, the pie is really tasty, but not worth it. The staff is rude, we were not greeted when we walked in, at all, on the four or five occasions we have been there. (I guess you can’t really display a sign saying «we prefer elderly white patrons» but it’s pretty clear.) A customer asked about an ATM and they were rude about it. If you’re a small place that only accepts cash in 2016, get used to people asking about an ATM and don’t get your feelings hurt about it. Also, don’t be cheap and just splurge on the credit card machine, you will get a lot more business. Being cute and quaint is great, but not an excuse to be rude. The place is also uncomfortably small.

I ate at Happy Jack’s yesterday, 01÷18÷16, on the recommendation of a cousin who used to work in Bakersfield 25 or 30 years ago, and now lives in Florida. She was shocked to learn a couple of weeks back that it was still open, and when we were chatting in FB Messenger and she learned that I went back and forth between Sacramento and L.A. a few times a year, she recommended that I give it a try. I did, and I was really pleased. I got the Holly’s Special, which turned out to be a cheeseburger with jalapeño peppers. It was really good — nice juicy patty, good thick slice of red onion, the jalapeño peppers, and some tomato and lettuce. There was one ingredient that I would have omitted if I had known it would be part of the sandwich, and that’s some sweet pickle chips, but they didn’t really detract from the hamburger (some dill pickle chips would have been nicer.) I was the only person in the place — it was about 2:00pm, after the normal lunch time, plus it was a holiday — and the waitress sat down and we had a nice chat. I didn’t get any pie, but the ones they had in the display case looked good. As another reviewer noted, it’s very small, maybe 15 or so stools at the counter, so not a good idea to go there with a large group.
It is definitely worth driving off highway 99 a few blocks if you are passing through Bakersfield and would like a good hamburger. I had to check the $ 11-​$ 30 range, because with a fountain drink or other beverage besides water, and perhaps with a piece of pie, it’s going to get up over $ 10, but as I had just the burger and chips, it came to an even $ 10 with tax plus tip, so it’s definitely not pricey.

Have passed by this location on numerous occasion, finally decided to give it a try.
Nice little diner, waitress was nice and took our order quickly.
Had a cheeseburger and can’t complain. You really can’t do a cheeseburger wrong and this was nothing special. Cool little spot if your in the area.

My family and I went to this place after the Christmas parade, so they didn’t have a full menu just burgers and their potatoes. I love a good burger with good homemade french fries. The burger was really really good, but I did take off the sweet pickles, would’ve preferred dill. Burger was really good. I got their potatoes that are fried with garlic and covered with cheese, those were great, but I didn’t like have to eat them with a fork. Would’ve like to see to French fries. Their potatoes were great though, and big portion.

Always been one of our family favorites. Great burgers and great Rudy pie!

What a disappointment. The same lady that was so nice to us the first time was really rude to us yesterday morning. She rushed us on ordering and eating, which was ridiculous because there weren’t but a few customers in there. She was curt with us. My friend and I walked out of there, both feeling like we don’t ever want to go back. And we won’t.

3.5 stars.
Great service!
Parking on the street.
Located in downtown.
Old looking lunch counter place, Looks like it’s from the ‘40s. Looks pretty cool. I wish they have one in O.C.
Ortega burger: decent
Tamales: tasted alright
Coconut pie: good
Choc pie: little too sweet but good, wish they added dark choc
Peanut butter pie: tasted interesting, decent.

Words can’t describe how good the burgers are here. It’s just like getting them off the BBQ in the backyard only better. The best part of the meal is the pie. My family Ioves the peanut better. My mom use to take me as a kid and now I bring my kids. Same quality of food thur the years not to many restaurants can say that! Remember to bring CASH the is the only thing they take. Yes Cash Only!

I was looking for a new place to take my kids and was thrilled to find Happy Jack’s. I don’t usually go downtown for much, especially on the weekends, but I thought I’d give this place a shot.
Upon arriving, on a Sunday around 2 p.m., I found the place to be super cute! I was excited to get inside and eat! Upon entering, I saw that there were no tables. Just stools at an extremely long counter! My kids love sitting on stools at the counter, so I was fine with it. We were quickly greeted and our drink orders were taken. Since I chose to sit in the corner, I was right in front of the soda machine and a pitcher of iced tea. Meh. Wasn’t too bad.
We decided on a hamburger, cheeseburger, grilled cheese and the Ortega bacon. The kids wanted fries but they, apparently, don’t serve fries there. Just potatoes, like breakfast potatoes. Since they didn’t have fries, we got the kids a bag of chips each; plain Lays or BBQ Lays were my choices.
The food came fairly quickly, served on a tiny little cake plate. Annnnd that was it. Just a burger, slapped onto a tiny plate. Lol. I enjoyed my burger though. The patty was good, lettuce was crisp, tomatoes and onions were fresh. My husband swears that the patties were not handmade there, and that it came from Costco. *Shrugs* I enjoyed it either way. The potatoes were good. Fries would’ve been better though.
The grilled cheese was just a grilled cheese. Like the one I make my kids at home, except I don’t use American cheese at home. I use real cheese. I felt that it would’ve been more appropriately priced at $ 1.50−2.00 rather than the $ 4.50 I paid.
All in all, my experience was whatever. Not good, not bad. $ 36 for 3 burgers and a grilled cheese was steep. Will probably just stick with Woolworths.
Oh and it’s cash only.

All I can say it YUMMMMM! Their burgers are to die for and the Rudy pie (chocolate peanut butter) is spectacular!

Oh wow! I know Unilocal depends on words but I didn’t want to speak I just wanted to eat! Mouth watering juicy burger and the potatoes to die for! Love this hidden gem! The Ortega burger! Cheesy garlic potatoes and pie! Oh my gawwwww!
Best Pie & Burger in town
CASH ONLY!
Best to take out if you have a family b/​c limited seating with about 15 – 20 stools! Beyond happy with service! Sweet server

We love this little mom and pop hamburger & pie diner! Staff are efficient and friendly. They now serve breakfast too! I loved coming here every Friday for burger and pie when I was pregnant with our daughter. We still love coming in occasionally with the fambam for lunch or dinner. We have yet to try their breakfast menu.
My personal favorite here is the Bacon Ortega Cheeseburger. Burger is good size and juicy! They are big enough to share if you have a smaller appetite like me! My husband loves the Salad with Peppy Dressing and goodies. He also likes their tuna sandwich. Our kids’ order are simple & easier… grilled cheese or grilled ham and cheese sandwich for them of course!
As for the pies… they are divine! My favorite are the Pineapple and Coconut Pineapple Pie!!! The rest of the family gets the Rudy Pie, Apple, Chocolate or Pumpkin Pie (seasonal pie). I take the pies to potlucks and they are always a hit! If you order them ahead of time, you get a better price and you are more likely to get a whole pie to purchase. They make the pies fresh everyday and they go quick!

Just got Rudy’s pie and an ortega cheese burger. Heavenly. Best burger I’ve had in my life. Juicy, thick patty, deliciously toasted ortega chile, and slightly spicy seasonings. Unbeatable food. Really. Unbeatable. Crust on the pie was different, crunchier than other crusts, but it was also thin and flaky and help up the pie very well. Filling was delicious.

Fantastically delish! Driving our Classic Dodge from Phoenix for the last 15 hours, my hubby & I were in need of something really great to to eat to get us through our last 6 hours if getting home. We hopped on Unilocal and were lucky enough to find this absolute gem! Adorable & quant, we were greeted by the owner Frances with a giant smile, hot coffee & cold water… Since it was our first time Frances recommended the Chile Verde omelette which we both ordered… and Wow, Wow & Wow again, it did NOT disappoint! It was so darn delicious we ordered a third one to go!
Happy Jacks is what great small family eating is all about!!! So do yourself a favor and make the stop, you will fall in Love as much as we did!

I returned to Happy Jack’s on my birthday for a delicious treat. I left after having the worst experience. Ever. I’m not kidding. Here’s the run-​down: upon arriving and selecting my seat, I was told (not asked) to move to the corner seat to make more room. The seat I was forced to sit at was BEHIND the soda and iced tea machines and cups. There’s a reason I didn’t sit there to begin with. I placed my order and within two mintes, a burger was in front of me. This raised suspicion, and upon inspection, I noticed the tomato and onion I did not order. I informed the server, she took the plate and told the cook, «She decided she doesn’t want tomato and onion now.» Huh? She plopped the plate back down in front of me and in the middle of the now desheveled burger, after peeling back the bun, I saw a green chile. This confirmed my belief that it was not mine to begin with. I flagged down the server and told her my concern. She consulted her order tickets, picked up my burger, and SAT IT DOWN IN FRONT OF ANOTHER CUSTOMER. When the customer protested, the server said the burger was hers and hadn’t been touched. The customer obviously watched the whole exchange.
I couldn’t take any more! I stood, asked to pay for my soda (which is $ 5, by the way) and left. Never to return. Heed my warning, if you are not a regular, you will be mistreated, berated, and shoved aside.
You want a good burger in Bakersfield, and great service? Head to Woolworth Diner, Moo Creamery, Eureka!, The Crest Bar & Grill, the list goes on and on. Happy Jack’s isn’t on it.

If you want the best breakfast in town with a home feel when you walk in the door then Happy Jacks is the place to go. Frances the owner should give lessons to every Restaruant in town on customer service. She will treat you as if she’s known you forever. The breakfast is always good with about 7 specials. The chili-​verde omelette is one of my favorites. The chili-​verde has just the right about of heat to keep you wanting that next bite. The papa’s or potatoes loaded with cheese and garlic and cook on the flat top. Nothing better than fresh potatoes with a little crusty crunch to them. We always get a glass of milk with breakfast. The glass is ice cold when served. You almost get ice crystals in the milk. I’ve pretty much had everything there and you will not be disappointed in any of the choices.

Very great service friendly smiles from the waitress as soon as we walked in. Small but full of family value. First time here and will definetly return!

Come for the pie… and have a burger while you are there! My husband and I had a great early lunch at Happy Jacks. I had the hamburger and it was really good. Ths patty was fresh and good quality. The veggies were fresh too. They usually put 1000 island dressing on it, but they also have mayo for people like me who hate 1000 dressing on burgers. We also had the potatoes. They were also freshly made and had cheese and garlic on them. They were simple yet fantastic! But the icing on the cake… rather the whipped cream on the pie was the Rudy’s pie. Wow… half fudge, half peanut butter and 100% scrumptious! So do yourself a favor and make sure you save room for dessert when you come to Happy Jacks!

Come here for pie! The crust is flaky, the filling sweet but not too sweet, and the whipped cream is real.
I was underwhelmed by the rest of the food I ate here. I had a burger and a side salad. I always ask for my dressing on the side because I hate over dressed salad. When I did this the waitress told me they only served one house dressing. She then brought out a small plate of iceberg lettuce. Ha! I paid $ 4 for a fifth of a head of iceberg lettuce… Anyway, I ate that like a good little rabbit and then the burger came out. It was nothing spectacular and was a little under seasoned. The patty was one of those frozen patties you buy in bulk.
The seating arrangements are cozy. Cozy as in one long bar bench. This actually makes it easy to get the server’s attention when you need it but I imagine coming here during a busy time will result in a long wait time.