Established in 1940 by Juan and Gracianna Elizalde as an expansion of an old hostelry, Noriega Hotel in its last incarnation was a family run, old School Basque restaurant in Bakersfield, California, notable for serving family style set meals. It closed in 2020 during to the COVID-19 pandemic. The building historically served as a boardinghouse, restaurant and cultural anchor for Basque shepherds who often arrived in California speaking only the Basque language. Just two blocks from the Southern Pacific Station, Noriega Hotel was a home for many Pyrenees immigrants arriving from Ellis Island with little more than a lapel tag reading Noriega Hotel, Bakersfield, California. - AsNotedIn