29 Best American Restaurants near Big Bear

“Came to thelma's for the first time ever on a Saturday night before closing. We had a lovely server named Brett, he is a king. He made our night. The restaurant was so cozy and welcoming. Both my friend and I were in bad mood that night, but boy did our frowns turn into smiles real quick! I had the tuna melt, my friend had a burger. We both agreed it was the best food we had the entire trip and Brett's service was phenomenal (give him a raise Thelma) The food was so good we had to return the next morning for breakfast. Let me tell you... the breakfast was life changing. Their home fries are stupendous! I highly recommend everyone check this place out. They deserve 3/3 Michelin stars!!“

“Best food ever great atmosphere friendly staff Mary, Amber, Jennifer, Fabian, Camille, Kai, and Ty one of the chef's let me try a piece of steak he made it was so good I wish they were open for dinner and hope they open up for dinner sometime soon if I could give 10 Stars I would thank you Mary and to all of your staff you guys are amazing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Best karaoke bar in So Cal! Come for a beer and you'll be here until 2am... can't explain how it happens, but inevitably that's what happens. No regrets, just good times all around. It's a local dive with surprisingly good food and cheap drinks.. 13/10 would recommend“

“Great Reuben sandwich. And there fried zucchini is so good! Staff works hard and gets the orders out correctly. Can get busy; so grab a table and enjoy the lovely mountain decor and paintings.Kid-friendliness: Kids menu and crayons so your little ones are set.“

“Very nice restaurant, and super kind employees! My boyfriend and I went here when leaving town in a big rush on a holiday weekend, and the customer service was great; We got our food quickly to go, and it was delicious. I even accidentally left my wallet at the restaurant and one of the employees was kind enough to mail it back to my house. Overall, this restaurant had a nice warming atmosphere, and many diverse food options for everyone. I highly recommend it for a casual restaurant, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.“

“Had an excellent meal here for breakfast. We got the French toast special and a sausage and egg special. The lady that works the front is very nice and the service was speedy. Nice atmosphere as well. Would've been good to come here before going snow boarding.“

“A great neighborhood establishment, with 5/5 food options and fantastic selection of drinks! We were so impressed by the variety on the menu and kids meals for the littles was much appreciated. The service was great, and food came out quick and hot. Burgers are amazing! They have two pool tables and an arcade too. My kids had the best time. We will be back soon!“

“Pretty good food, good people, great place away from the village. I'd call this Mexican/American diner fusion. Chicken Fried Steak was perfectly cooked. The gravy has a sweet flavor to it, kinda unique. The French Toast was just as good. Definitely recommended.“

“The food is superb! I had the salmon dish there and I kept saying "wow" after every bite. My wife had fajitas and the chicken tasted excellent! First night in Big Bear and Gaby's cuisine did not disappoint!!! Just get there already and try her food.“

“The place was very busy when we arrived around 11am, most tables have only just gotten seated. It was a long wait for a party of 8; however, the service made up for it. Our waitress was very efficient and polite. We liked her so much that we gave her additional tips on top of their standard charge on the bill for large parties. The food was surprisingly delicious with fresh ingredients and good portions. Most of us had leftovers to take back with us.“

“Our experience was elevated just by the hospitality and great service attitude from JANET! Leaving more than a 20% gratuity for her , as customers who work in hospitality , she definitely took care of us and made sure our experience was memorable .“

“I love this place. Early morning breakfast in the village is peaceful and charming. We walked in, and there was only one other person. We grabbed a window seat and git to unwind. I had the coffee, which was great, and my daughter had the salmon and eggs. Which was also great.I highly recommend this place. But be warned. It's in downtown Big Bear. During the weekend, it's a high traffic/high tourist area. You may have to wait.“

“What a great night! My family and I have eaten here a few times over the last 30 years. This was our best visit yet! Food was great! Service was great! The vibe was great! It ain’t cheap but it absolutely did not disappoint and was worth every penny. A special thank you to Harmony who was our waiter. She was off the hook! It started right as we walked in the door. The hostess was funny and engaging. The manager took our jackets and was funny and happy. Then 90 mins of great food and attentive service from Harmony and her crew of support staff. Everyone was super engaging, nice, friendly and a joy to be with. You made our visit to Big Bear memorable!“

“Dropped by around 7:30 on a Saturday night and was able to snag a couple of stools at the bar. Ordered a few delicious beers, as well as a couple cubano sandwiches and hot wings. The hot wings were pretty spicy (6/10) with quality (10/10). They were meaty and delicious! The fries were delish and the cubanos were decent and very meat-filled! My husband wished that they had a bigger variety of beers on tap, but several were sold out by the time we got here. (But that's our fault because we got here after the ski/snowboard crowd.)The live music was a huge plus. The Boswell Project rocked our requests! This place seems VERY family friendly, which was greatly appreciated by the patrons! We will be returning.“

“Very nice restaurant, and super kind employees! My boyfriend and I went here when leaving town in a big rush on a holiday weekend, and the customer service was great; We got our food quickly to go, and it was delicious. I even accidentally left my wallet at the restaurant and one of the employees was kind enough to mail it back to my house. Overall, this restaurant had a nice warming atmosphere, and many diverse food options for everyone. I highly recommend it for a casual restaurant, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.“

“Drive by this place all the time assuming it was a tourist trap. We ended up leaving big bear later than expected and passed this right at lunch time so decided to stop.Food was good, our waitress hustled and prices were good. No complaints from me or my 3 kids. Will be back!“

“Wow! Such a wonderful addition to Big Bear! The food is absolutely delicious! We had the Sea Bass and the Chicken Jakobes, prime rib vegetable soup, crème brûlée and lemon cake. Such a nice experience. This old building has been very nicely remodeled. I loved the cozy atmosphere. I never leave Yelp Reviews but just had to for this outstanding restaurant. Very kind waitress, also. Thank you, Yesenia! Highly recommend.“

“Great food and great service I love the place and friendly staff. Food is good and not processed food this is made with love and real food will come back and great price too ? oh and best blueberry pancakes ? ever!! yummy ??.Parking: N/AKid-friendliness: N/AWheelchair accessibility: N/A“

“The customer service here is next level. Tanya is one of the nicest people I have ever talked to in a restaurant. She was extremely welcoming, gave us some of her favorites for food, and continued to check on us throughout our meal to make sure we were satisfied. The other girls working (Alicia, Susie, and Kat) were great as well. The guys behind the bar were friendly and had some great recommendations as well. There wasn't a live band but they played great music. I would love to check it out again when there is a band and dancing. We had the smokehouse pizza, cheeseburgers, the tri tip, fried pickles, and stuffed jalapeños. The food was good!“

“Amazing, attentive service and ambiance; loved being next to the airport! The chilaquiles were amazing and we will be back next time for them. The portion was great. The banana pecan pancakes were good too, but the chilaquiles were our main highlight. Will be back!“

“Don't let the unassuming look fool you. This place is fantastic! Jasmin and Minerva provided great service. View of lake is nice. I think I found my new spot in Big Bear for Mexican food. Sorry Jacalito....we're on to better things!!“

“Amazing customer service. Great drink selections. And they're accommodating to Gluten Free customers. My wife and 2 boys are GF and they happily made substitutions for us. It doesn't always work out for my family with that, so that was extremely appreciated. P.s. we got the seared ahi sandwich and it was amazing wish I could've taken a picture before but it was so bomb“

“During the Great storm of 2024 atop big bear mtn. We fought hard and long for a place to rest our weary cold and hungry bodies. After minutes of fighting through snow, people and cars to find a parking spot, we look up. There it was... THE BONE YARD BAR AND GRILL. In all of its glory. Our lives were saved. The corn bread goes hard. Ngl.“

“Went there last night for my husbands birthday dinner. We weren't very hungry because we had a pretty big lunch at Saucy Mama's. Service was excellent, atmosphere was so nice, no loud music and low lighting made it feel fancy. We got the Onion Straws, Steak Tacos, House Salad and Mango Margarita, all of it was really good. We will be back on our next Big Bear visit. Thanks Oakside for a great dinner experience.“

“The manager here, Kailiann, was great. Although our food was extremely late, she was kind and understanding and provided excellent customer service. I'd say the beers are mostly average. The porter is one of their best, really good actually. The atmosphere is ok. But thank you Kailiann for making our experience here better.“

“Amazing place for breakfast! They have the best country fried steak and the gravy is out of this world! Great service and ambiance! Don’t waste your time with the overrated Teddy Bear. Old Country Inn is thousand times better! This is our go to restaurant for breakfast from now on.“

“Absolutely lovely staff. Seeing some of these comments and reviews it makes me question. Some of the patrons that are going there and leaving the reviews. The staff here is nothing but friendly and super accommodating. There's always one host in the front. That's also waiting as well. They are kind and also very reassuring to making sure that your meal is correct. Anything wrong with my mail, they never have a hesitation to send it back and fix it. We got the beef Wellington, which is absolutely superb, and the bacon wrapped scallops. It has been had the ribeye and my daughter had the kids chicken tenders. All amazing, and you can never go wrong with the view“

“For a middle of nowhere bar, this place has killer food. Really good food and good choices. If they had draft beer it would be better. But the drink specials are good except the beer prices and the services. Okay. All in all though it definitely deserves a four.“

“We had a great time at Nottinghams restaurant in Big Bear. The food was great and our server was wonderful ?❤ she even brought or son dessert for his birthday ? we really appreciated her kindness ?We will definitely be coming back again!!!“