We were in town visiting from Orange County and definitely wanted to get some great barbecue and based on the reviews, we decided to visit the cook shack. Despite being a little tricky to find, it was well worth the effort. We had pulled pork burgers and brisket burgers, and they were fantastic. And the sides were amazing, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese. And the service was fantastic. One of the cofounders came out and made us feel extremely welcome and appreciative for our business. Would highly recommend people venture off the beaten path to dine at this fantastic restaurant!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sue Holt
This place is amazing! Thank you so much for putting the burger toppings on the side, we really appreciated that! My sandwich was so so good! The salted and peppered lettuce on top was the cherry on top, best sandwich I’ve ever had!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Williams
The brisket is AMAZING! Cheddar jalapeno sausage can't be beat! Get there early because they do run out. My wife had a brisket burger with added bacon and it was absolutely divine! The guy taking the orders was super friendly but in a very genuine way. He he felt like a neighbor who invited you over for a barbeque. One of the cooks came out while we were eating and he was super friendly as well. If you are an Elks Lodge member you can eat inside the lodge, otherwise there is outdoor seating. Not sure if that means they are takeout only during the winter months. My family will be eating here EVERY TIME we visit Big Bear!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thomas B
This hidden gem of a BBQ restaurant can be found behind the Elks Lodge off Village Drive. Let’s get the bad out of the way, and that is the restaurant is only open Thursday through Sunday from 1200 – 1900 hours, which limits our enjoyment of this gastronomic delight. Now the good, everything here is over the top in quantity and flavor and will be a sure hit to all that love Southern BBQ food. When you arrive, you will walk up to a small window and place your order, then take a seat as your order is prepared. Our recommendation is the “3-meat combo,” which comes with two sides and trust us, you will not be disappointed with your meal. Some might consider some of the meal prices high, but we are always willing to pay a little extra for that perfect rack of ribs or brisket. The restaurant only offers take-out or outside picnic table dining under numerous fabric covers. I believe on the weekends they might have some type of live entertainment since there is a stage in the corner of the dining area. There is plenty of free parking on the north and east sides of the building but there are no restrooms available, at least we could not find any. Anyways, bring your appetite because you are going to need it and what you cannot finish there, you can bring the rest home in a doggie bag.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Firdavs Yuldashev
This place knows how to do briskets. Amazing flavor! Low key setting but top notch BBQ!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Helllo
We got dinner on Saturday. Ribs are delicious. Brisket was a bit salty. Corn bread was really dry. Bake beans and mac and chesse delicious. We order a peace of peach cobbler and it was not my favorite. But the ribs delicious.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jack Stangel
This is not a normal restaurant, it is catered towards takeout and has limited outdoor seating. When we went many items were out of stock, including ribs. That said, we got the brisket and it was very good and the portions were large. The sides and cornbread were great as well. I will also note they did not pick up the phone when I called. I would recommend stopping by for some great barbecue!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
too tired to function
Absolutely delicious and amazing bbq the sauces complimented the food beautifully and Absolutely worth the price it was our first time at big bear and we will definitely be coming back for more soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christian George
Restaurant is not open when they advertise, and you're not sure if you're going to the restaurant or the Elks Lodge. I wish I could have tried the food, but no luck luck.
Rytra316 Who?
Great spot and the service was great food was excellent
Amazing BBQ. The Cookshak celebrates the flavor of the meat with perfect seasoning and cooking. The sauces are served on the side and their rich spices really stand out from other restaurants. And the beans are garlicy and a bit spicy - the best I've ever had! Service was friendly and thoughtful. My only critique is that the fish batter was a bit too thick. If you are in Big Bear and eat meat, do not miss this!
Laochailan Partlow
Very yummy wholesome food!
Mamabear Smith
We just arrived to Big Bear tonight the 23rd of May 2025and we didn't want to cook. So we all decided on The Cookshak. We did a pretty substantial order and went to pick it up. Only to find out that they were doing a huge banquet and none of the food we ordered could be made. To make it up to use they gave us the best smoked ribs I've ever had and the most amazing baked beans and rolls and butter. They refunded our order and still gave us enough food to feed a small army.
Highly recommend this place a 1000 fold. I would love the bean recipe..lmaooo
Austin Hunt
Brisket Po’ boy was so good we bought two pounds of brisket after we finished the sandwich.
We were in town visiting from Orange County and definitely wanted to get some great barbecue and based on the reviews, we decided to visit the cook shack. Despite being a little tricky to find, it was well worth the effort. We had pulled pork burgers and brisket burgers, and they were fantastic. And the sides were amazing, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese. And the service was fantastic. One of the cofounders came out and made us feel extremely welcome and appreciative for our business. Would highly recommend people venture off the beaten path to dine at this fantastic restaurant!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is amazing!
Thank you so much for putting the burger toppings on the side, we really appreciated that!
My sandwich was so so good! The salted and peppered lettuce on top was the cherry on top, best sandwich I’ve ever had!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The brisket is AMAZING! Cheddar jalapeno sausage can't be beat! Get there early because they do run out. My wife had a brisket burger with added bacon and it was absolutely divine! The guy taking the orders was super friendly but in a very genuine way. He he felt like a neighbor who invited you over for a barbeque. One of the cooks came out while we were eating and he was super friendly as well. If you are an Elks Lodge member you can eat inside the lodge, otherwise there is outdoor seating. Not sure if that means they are takeout only during the winter months. My family will be eating here EVERY TIME we visit Big Bear!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This hidden gem of a BBQ restaurant can be found behind the Elks Lodge off Village Drive. Let’s get the bad out of the way, and that is the restaurant is only open Thursday through Sunday from 1200 – 1900 hours, which limits our enjoyment of this gastronomic delight. Now the good, everything here is over the top in quantity and flavor and will be a sure hit to all that love Southern BBQ food. When you arrive, you will walk up to a small window and place your order, then take a seat as your order is prepared. Our recommendation is the “3-meat combo,” which comes with two sides and trust us, you will not be disappointed with your meal. Some might consider some of the meal prices high, but we are always willing to pay a little extra for that perfect rack of ribs or brisket. The restaurant only offers take-out or outside picnic table dining under numerous fabric covers. I believe on the weekends they might have some type of live entertainment since there is a stage in the corner of the dining area. There is plenty of free parking on the north and east sides of the building but there are no restrooms available, at least we could not find any. Anyways, bring your appetite because you are going to need it and what you cannot finish there, you can bring the rest home in a doggie bag.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
This place knows how to do briskets. Amazing flavor! Low key setting but top notch BBQ!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We got dinner on Saturday. Ribs are delicious. Brisket was a bit salty. Corn bread was really dry. Bake beans and mac and chesse delicious. We order a peace of peach cobbler and it was not my favorite. But the ribs delicious.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This is not a normal restaurant, it is catered towards takeout and has limited outdoor seating. When we went many items were out of stock, including ribs. That said, we got the brisket and it was very good and the portions were large. The sides and cornbread were great as well. I will also note they did not pick up the phone when I called. I would recommend stopping by for some great barbecue!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Absolutely delicious and amazing bbq the sauces complimented the food beautifully and Absolutely worth the price it was our first time at big bear and we will definitely be coming back for more soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurant is not open when they advertise, and you're not sure if you're going to the restaurant or the Elks Lodge. I wish I could have tried the food, but no luck luck.
Great spot and the service was great food was excellent
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food with excellent service.
Amazing BBQ. The Cookshak celebrates the flavor of the meat with perfect seasoning and cooking. The sauces are served on the side and their rich spices really stand out from other restaurants. And the beans are garlicy and a bit spicy - the best I've ever had! Service was friendly and thoughtful. My only critique is that the fish batter was a bit too thick. If you are in Big Bear and eat meat, do not miss this!
Very yummy wholesome food!
We just arrived to Big Bear tonight the 23rd of May 2025and we didn't want to cook. So we all decided on The Cookshak. We did a pretty substantial order and went to pick it up. Only to find out that they were doing a huge banquet and none of the food we ordered could be made. To make it up to use they gave us the best smoked ribs I've ever had and the most amazing baked beans and rolls and butter. They refunded our order and still gave us enough food to feed a small army.
Highly recommend this place a 1000 fold. I would love the bean recipe..lmaooo
Brisket Po’ boy was so good we bought two pounds of brisket after we finished the sandwich.
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