We enjoyed our stay at the Kern River Inn. It was quaint and right in the heart of tiny Kernville. Most of the food places around there were typical American fare: steakhouses, diners, one Mexican, and one Italian (which were just okay). The micro-brewery is a nice place to go eat casual food and their homemade root beer is great, too.
For the inn, if you are not keen on animals or are allergic to cats or dogs, do not stay here. The owner, Virginia, lets her cat Max and her dog Papi roam freely. We love animals, so it added to our experience (and we bonded with three-legged Max), but Max had left an old "surprise" on the carpet in our bedroom which Virginia apologetically had failed to catch. I don't think it is a normal occurrence, but we can see many people put off by such an incidence, so I felt obligated to mention it. There is a nice little living room to hang out in and a great front porch from which to sit and stare at the river (which is just across the street). The breakfast food is good, organic and homemade.
In short, if you are okay with animals, or are in fact an animal lover, this place is a great place to stay. If you are not, you would probably be happier somewhere else.