SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES! My husband and I were in Big Bear for our anniversary and decided to have…read moredinner our first night at Jakobe's, a lovely little mom and pop Italian restaurant also serving more regular diner options. Patty greeted us when we came in the door and said we could sit wherever we wanted. She was lovely, very attentive and helpful. Her sister owns the place. She even gave us scads of recommendations for other local places to try and things to do. My husband ordered the chicken parmesan with a side house salad while I got the scallop fettuccine dish and splurged the $3 extra to get their Caesar salad (totally worth it, made in house). Everything is made to order and each dinner came with a board of homemade bread and house made butter for the table. Folks. That bread. Was So Good. Soft and tasty and the parmesan, garlic, parsley butter melted right on it. There was something that didn't hit my palate right on my dish, so Patty offered to get me something else. I decided against that (because the scallops themselves were stellar) but I agreed to some extra Alfredo sauce to mellow out the flavors in the pasta, which worked great! When she learned it was our anniversary, Patty gave us a slice of cheesecake on the house the likes of which I have never tasted before. I don't order cheesecake often, but this was beautifully creamy and sweet. If you want to support local businesses, I highly recommend Jakobe's. They're good people who cook great food and care about their community. SUPPORT LOCAL! DON'T LET THE CHAINS WIN!

So it's owned by the same owners as Santana Mavericks by the lake and they are changing the menu to…read moremore Chinese food with some Italian dishes. I tried the Beef Broccoli with fried rice and unfortunately the beef was tough chewy, salty side and not the teriyaki flavor I was expecting. Couldn't even finish it, but I did finish the fried rice which had crispy vegetables with scrambled eggs. Service is friendly, I was the only one there on a Saturday at 5:30pm. Place is clean, lots of inside seating with a deck outside in the back. 1 single multi gender restroom. I'll give it some time and wait for other reviews before I'll go back. Hope they improve.

Had dinner here last night with my fiancé and both of us were so thoroughly impressed by every…read moreaspect of our experience - that I just had to log-in to write this review. There were a a handful of people waiting to be seated when we arrived and the couple before us were seated at the last outdoor patio table available. The hostess told us that we could go upstairs to the bar area and sit anywhere we wanted and a server would be with us directly. So that's what we did. As a side note, the whole vibe of the restaurant was very comfortable and the building itself is pretty remarkable. Water and menus were delivered within minutes of us selecting our table, and our waitress Victoria maintained that same level of attentiveness the whole time we were there. The biggest shortcoming of so many restaurants in and around Big Bear is the bar and their specialty drinks. But this place just slam dunked on every other restaurant we've ever tried over the years - and not just for the drinks. I love a good old fashioned but until last night, every place I'd been to served their old fashioned in a glass full of ice like I was getting a soda at a fast food drive through. Not here. A proper big block ice cube made the "Maple old fashioned" (hands down) the best drink I've ever had. (I think they've got like 7 or 8 different varieties of the old fashioned and I will definitely be back to try them.) Our potato skins appetizer was on another level and that was before our entrees even arrived. My beef dip sandwich was perfect as was wifey's chicken Scaloppini. The timing of food arriving and the periodic check-ins from our waitress was flawless. We spoke briefly with the bartender, Doug (who may or may not have been one of the owners) to express how much we enjoyed our drinks and dinner. The hallmark of a well-run restaurant is that everyone who works there conducts themselves like it's their name on the sign out front. That's exactly what we got from everyone involved. Whoever is in charge of the kitchen staff deserves a Michelin star rating. The rest of the staff is equally impressive. I can't say enough about this place. Excellent drinks, excellent food and dynamite service. If you want a top-notch dining experience in Big Bear, this should be your first and only choice. From now on, it'll be mine.

We were quoted a 15-25 minute wait, which somehow turned into nearly an hour. Apparently, Oakside…read moremeasures time the same way airlines measure "a slight delay." We're a family of four with a well-behaved standard poodle, so we completely understood that our seating options were limited. What we didn't understand was watching two other families with dogs arrive after us and get seated well before us, along with what felt like half of Big Bear. Our "table is ready" text finally arrived 53 minutes after we joined the waitlist. If the real wait is an hour, just say an hour. At least then we could have taken our dog for a hike, grabbed lunch somewhere else, and possibly returned in time for our table.

TLDR: Cash only;…read more Portion sizes are still on the bigger side; Our favorites: buckwheat pancakes, corn beef/pastrami hash. ----- Been here many times over the last decade whenever we are in Big Bear. Our latest visit yesterday was still overall a very positive experience. Much to our delight, their buckwheat pancakes are still the best pancakes EVER (imho). These pancakes are the reason why we come to Teddy Bear every time. Something about the flavor and texture just makes them stand out. In fact, we no longer order pancakes anywhere else. Corn beef hash and pastrami hash are still so very flavorful and satisfying. The cinnamon cornbread is still good. Coffee might seem a little weak for some (like my husband) but good enough for me. Our server was super busy so service was understandably a tad slow but decidedly adequate.

Pros: We liked the feel of a "small town diner" and staff were very friendly. They have tons of…read morefood options and service was quick. Came here on a Saturday for lunch and we were seated right away! Cons: We were not expecting this place to be cash only! The chairs were uncomfortable and the bathrooms are not nice. Their soda machine wasn't working and they didn't offer iced coffee (although they did give us hot coffee and a cup of ice). Their Ceaser salad had way too much dressing to the point where it was soggy! Overall it was an alright place for our weekend getaway lunch. But we would not eat here again.

Gaby's was beyond delicious. The flavor is unmatched and the ambience has that cozy home cooked…read moremeal feel. Also, Gaby is an absolute doll. Make sure you try the avocado salad with house made chips!!

The avocado chips are GREAT!…read more The plates of Bolivian food have a home-cooked quality and appearance. They taste mighty good too.

Birria is fire up here Didn't expect to find birria this…read moregood in Big Bear but El Rincon came through. The consommé is rich, the meat is super tender, and the plate was loaded. Staff was cool and made us feel welcome the whole time. Definitely coming back next time I'm up here

What a great place for authentic Mexican dishes. We had a great lunch here while visiting Big Bear…read more The service was phenomenal, there was plenty of parking, practically no line, and plenty of seating inside. Didn't see any outside seating so I don't think it's dog friendly. The dishes we had were super flavorful with perfect portions. The tortillas were delicious! Will definitely return the next time I visit the area.

Perfect lunch spot in Big Bear! Casual grab and go but they also have lots of dine-in tables if you…read morewant to stay and eat. I split the Hungry Bear sandwich and we got it on squaw bread. We also asked for them to add mustard to the sandwich. One sandwich is perfect for two people, I can't even imagine having a full one to myself! One half was perfect. I loved the sandwich and it totally hit the spot. It was packed with lots of meat and it was filling.

Man, I almost never leave reviews, but this place earned one…read more I stopped by after a long hike and the food was ridiculously good. I got a sourdough sandwich with bacon (can't remember the name, unfortunately) and an order of chili cheese fries. The sandwich was awesome, but those chili cheese fries were the real star of the show. The flavor was insane. Chef's kiss. If you've been hiking all day and need a place to refuel, this is it. Great food, great portions, and exactly what I needed after being on the mountain. Would absolutely recommend to anyone visiting Big Bear. Ambiance was nice too, you can see the lake from the parking lot.

They were so nice and we got immediate seating when we arrived. The food was really good I would…read moredefinitely come back. Also the inside had good vibes the misic was awesome.

Decent burgers and fries in Big Bear Village. For the location and price range, this is a good…read moreoption for groups of all ages. All visitors will feel welcome. Stopped by on 8/9 with four adults and two kids after a trip to the Zoo. We were seated quickly and service was friendly. Good variety of beers. To start, we had a surprisingly tasty birria quesadilla and creamy avocado egg rolls (fried well, not at all greasy). The poké nachos were light and flavorful, but could use a bit more ahi for the price. For the burgers, we did a couple of the Declaration Day and the Bat Country (favorite). One person chose Born on the Bayou chicken sandwich, and regretted it. The flattened chicken was overcooked and lacked seasoning. Fries are great along with the exceptional housemade ranch. We were told the brussels sprouts were one of the most popular items but they were not at all a standout.

Murray's Saloon & Eatery is one of our favorite spots in Big Bear, and since we're up here often,…read moreit's a must-visit every trip. We always order the ribeye steak and split it because the portion is huge and always cooked just right. It's one of those meals we look forward to every time we come up. The karaoke is another reason we keep coming back. It's always a fun atmosphere, whether you're singing or just watching everyone else perform. The staff has always been friendly, and the whole place has that laid-back local vibe that makes you want to stay awhile. If you're visiting Big Bear, definitely add Murray's to your list!

Went to big bear for the weekend! Have always heard great reviews about this local bar!…read more Went in Saturday and Ashley behind the bar was amazing. Made us feel like we're were back home at our little watering hole ! She deserves a well needed raise! The bacon cheese burger was amazing. I would give her and the burger 10 stars Now's here is where the 3star comes in. Went in on sunday and Tony was the bar tender! He is the rudest, negative and most unfriendly person I think I have ever met! I got up went to the restroom and he trashed my water and napkins. When I asked if I could have more water with lime I was given water with lemon (not a big deal) then I jokingly made a comment about the napkins! Tony proceeded to tell me to go to another bar and closed us out! He said a few more choice words I won't repeat! He is bad for your establishment! There was another patron that was having the same issues! Needless to say the two brand new beers we were just served were left untouched I would come back as long and Tony isn't working!!!!! Best thing you could do is fire him

I almost didn't write a review because I assumed a place with a 4.5-star rating didn't need another…read moreglowing recommendation. Then, while waiting for the check, I made the mistake of reading the one-star reviews. Now I *had* to leave one. Yes, the food isn't served at lightning speed. Ours wasn't either. And you know what? It was worth every minute. This is a small, family-run restaurant--not a corporate chain with an army of cooks hidden behind swinging kitchen doors. The breakfast was absolutely delicious, tasted homemade, and arrived hot and fresh. The staff was warm, welcoming, and working incredibly hard. As a bonus, they're genuinely dog-friendly. We were able to enjoy breakfast with our pup on the patio, and they even have a dog menu. That's not just "dogs allowed"--that's a business that goes the extra mile. Somewhere along the way we've confused "not instant" with "bad service." We expect fresh, made-to-order food from small businesses to appear with fast-food timing, then punish them when it doesn't. Patience has become a lost art. If you're in a hurry, there are plenty of drive-thrus. If you want an outstanding breakfast, friendly people, a place that welcomes your dog as warmly as it welcomes you, and food that's worth waiting for, Broadway Cafe is absolutely deserving of its reputation. We'll happily be back.

In response to the owner's reply…read more.. Service isn't just serving food and tasting your food. It's a combination of your logistics and workflow of your organization. Perhaps unorganized in the kitchen or slow in production. This isn't merely just waiting but the fact that your own staff told us different wait times. We did wait. We waited according to your instructions and schedule. We were told many different wait times every time we followed up and asked. The time kept getting longer and longer when there were no other parties waiting but us. First we were told 30mins, then literally minutes later it changed. Then an additional 20mins added. Then, 30. Then we waited, and it changed again. They kept telling us it would be longer and longer. Why would the time go backwards? A small gilled cheese sandwich for an hour? One order. You can ask any business owner or any place outside of your small town that it is a ridiculous wait time for a customer to wait for that long for one small sandwich. Instead of arguing back with your customers, a decent thing to do would have been to apologize and just have accommodated the sandwich just for having us almost an hour of waiting without even getting in. A true business owner wouldn't have responded in how you did. Not only horrible service, but bad ownership practices so I see where it reflects poorly.

Came here with my buddy visiting big bear. Baylee and leah were very great behind the bar. Super…read morewelcoming and beers were cold and cheap. New favorite spot!

Leah was an amazing bartender and server! Everything came out exactly as ordered and she made great…read morerecommendations! Our kids loved the game room, and my husband loved the TVs with all the different things to watch. Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu, we had the nachos they were great!