Best of Big Bear
Best restaurants in Big Bear
The restaurants of Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City, ranked by our score out of 10. Food and drink count for 40% of the score; value, service and wait, and setting for 20% each.
Facts come from each restaurant's own website, and public reviews were read for what repeats. Checked September 21, 2026.
- Checked September 21, 2026
- Scores out of 10
- No paid placements
The short answer
- Top of our list: Tropicali, a counter-service poke and Hawaiian spot.
- For a big breakfast: Grizzly Manor Cafe. Expect a line on busy mornings.
- With a lake view: The Pines Lakefront.
- For a special dinner: Captains Anchorage, open since 1947, or Peppercorn Grille in the Village.
- Closest to Snow Summit: Hacienda Grill, about half a mile from the resort's main address.
The list
-
Tropicali
A casual counter-service poke and Hawaiian spot that reviewers rate highly across platforms.
- Cuisine:
- Hawaiian and poke
- Best for:
- Quick lunch
8.3 /10
-
Peppercorn Grille
A fine-dining restaurant in the Village that reviewers place among the best in Big Bear Lake for food and service.
- Cuisine:
- Californian
- Best for:
- Polished dinner
8.1 /10
-
Sweet Basil Bistro
A small, long-running Italian restaurant with an intimate dining room; its pizzas show up on local pizza lists too.
- Cuisine:
- Italian
- Best for:
- Date night
7.9 /10
-
Captains Anchorage
A historic steak-and-seafood restaurant open since 1947, priced for a special dinner rather than a casual meal.
- Cuisine:
- Steak and seafood
- Best for:
- Special-occasion dinner
7.8 /10
-
The Pines Lakefront
A lakefront restaurant with steak, seafood and game dishes, valued mainly for its lake view, at a higher price point.
- Cuisine:
- Steak and seafood
- Best for:
- Lake view
7.6 /10
-
Oakside
An upscale Village restaurant and bar for steak and seafood.
- Cuisine:
- Steak and seafood
- Best for:
- Upscale dinner
7.6 /10
-
Grizzly Manor Cafe
A small, well-known breakfast diner with large portions and a line out the door on busy mornings.
- Cuisine:
- American breakfast
- Best for:
- Big breakfast
7.5 /10
-
Hacienda Grill
A family- and dog-friendly Mexican restaurant and sports bar known for its homemade sauces and chips.
- Cuisine:
- Mexican
- Best for:
- Family dinner
7.5 /10
-
572 Social Kitchen & Lounge
A New American restaurant and lounge with patio seating, live weekend music and generally friendly service.
- Cuisine:
- New American
- Best for:
- Live music
7.5 /10
-
Azteca Grill
A Baja-style Mexican restaurant with friendly, efficient service and mid-range menu prices.
- Cuisine:
- Baja-style Mexican
- Best for:
- Happy hour
7.4 /10
-
Gaby's Latin Flavors
A Bolivian-Mexican kitchen that reviewers rate highly for the food, with opinions split on prices.
- Cuisine:
- Bolivian and Mexican
- Best for:
- Something different
7.1 /10
-
Himalayan Restaurant
A Nepalese and Indian restaurant with good reviews overall but mixed reports on how consistent the food is.
- Cuisine:
- Nepalese and Indian
6.5 /10
-
Old Country Inn
A long-established breakfast house known for Eggs Benedict and Bloody Marys, with recurring reviewer complaints about slow service.
- Cuisine:
- German and American
- Best for:
- Big breakfast
5.7 /10
| Rank | Name | Cuisine | Best for | Score | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Hawaiian and poke | Quick lunch | 8.3 /10 | A casual counter-service poke and Hawaiian spot that reviewers rate highly across platforms. | |
| 02 | Californian | Polished dinner | 8.1 /10 | A fine-dining restaurant in the Village that reviewers place among the best in Big Bear Lake for food and service. | |
| 03 | Italian | Date night | 7.9 /10 | A small, long-running Italian restaurant with an intimate dining room; its pizzas show up on local pizza lists too. | |
| 04 | Steak and seafood | Special-occasion dinner | 7.8 /10 | A historic steak-and-seafood restaurant open since 1947, priced for a special dinner rather than a casual meal. | |
| 05 | Steak and seafood | Lake view | 7.6 /10 | A lakefront restaurant with steak, seafood and game dishes, valued mainly for its lake view, at a higher price point. | |
| 06 | Steak and seafood | Upscale dinner | 7.6 /10 | An upscale Village restaurant and bar for steak and seafood. | |
| 07 | American breakfast | Big breakfast | 7.5 /10 | A small, well-known breakfast diner with large portions and a line out the door on busy mornings. | |
| 08 | Mexican | Family dinner | 7.5 /10 | A family- and dog-friendly Mexican restaurant and sports bar known for its homemade sauces and chips. | |
| 09 | New American | Live music | 7.5 /10 | A New American restaurant and lounge with patio seating, live weekend music and generally friendly service. | |
| 10 | Baja-style Mexican | Happy hour | 7.4 /10 | A Baja-style Mexican restaurant with friendly, efficient service and mid-range menu prices. | |
| 11 | Bolivian and Mexican | Something different | 7.1 /10 | A Bolivian-Mexican kitchen that reviewers rate highly for the food, with opinions split on prices. | |
| 12 | Nepalese and Indian | 6.5 /10 | A Nepalese and Indian restaurant with good reviews overall but mixed reports on how consistent the food is. | ||
| 13 | German and American | Big breakfast | 5.7 /10 | A long-established breakfast house known for Eggs Benedict and Bloody Marys, with recurring reviewer complaints about slow service. |
Side by side
| Name | Cuisine | Town | Miles from Snow Summit | Best for | Price | Our score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropicali | Hawaiian and poke | Big Bear Lake | 1.5 | Quick lunch | 8.3 | |
| Peppercorn Grille | Californian | Big Bear Lake | 1.4 | Polished dinner | 8.1 | |
| Sweet Basil Bistro | Italian | Big Bear Lake | 1.6 | Date night | 7.9 | |
| Captains Anchorage | Steak and seafood | Big Bear Lake | 0.7 | Special-occasion dinner | $$$ | 7.8 |
| The Pines Lakefront | Steak and seafood | Big Bear Lake | 1.3 | Lake view | $$$ | 7.6 |
| Oakside | Steak and seafood | Big Bear Lake | 1.5 | Upscale dinner | 7.6 | |
| Grizzly Manor Cafe | American breakfast | Big Bear Lake | 0.9 | Big breakfast | 7.5 | |
| Hacienda Grill | Mexican | Big Bear Lake | 0.5 | Family dinner | 7.5 | |
| 572 Social Kitchen & Lounge | New American | Big Bear Lake | 1.4 | Live music | 7.5 | |
| Azteca Grill | Baja-style Mexican | Big Bear Lake | 2.1 | Happy hour | $$ | 7.4 |
| Gaby's Latin Flavors | Bolivian and Mexican | Big Bear Lake | 0.6 | Something different | 7.1 | |
| Himalayan Restaurant | Nepalese and Indian | Big Bear Lake | 1.4 | $$ | 6.5 | |
| Old Country Inn | German and American | Big Bear Lake | 1.1 | Big breakfast | 5.7 |
Each restaurant in a few lines
Tropicali
A casual counter-service spot for poke bowls and Hawaiian-style plates. Reviewers point to fresh fish and quick, friendly service, which puts it at the top of the list for food. A good quick lunch.
Peppercorn Grille
A polished restaurant in the Village with a wide menu that runs from steak and seafood to Italian dishes and pizza. Service is its other strength in public reviews; it is priced above a casual meal.
Sweet Basil Bistro
A small, long-running, family-owned Italian kitchen with an intimate, candlelit dining room. Reservations are recommended on weekends. A date-night pick, and its pizzas show up on local pizza lists.
Captains Anchorage
A steak-and-seafood house open since 1947, known for prime rib and attentive service. It is priced for a special dinner rather than an everyday meal.
Oakside
An upscale Village restaurant and bar with a log-cabin dining room, a steak-focused menu and flatbreads. Expect a wait at peak dinner times.
The Pines Lakefront
The lakefront choice: the dining room looks over Big Bear Lake, and the menu includes steak, seafood and game such as elk and venison. Reviewers are split on value for the price.
Grizzly Manor Cafe
A small, no-frills diner with a reputation as Big Bear's breakfast stop, known for very large portions. Lines are long at peak hours, so go early.
Hacienda Grill
A family- and dog-friendly Mexican restaurant and sports bar known for its homemade sauces and chips, and the closest restaurant on this list to Snow Summit.
572 Social Kitchen & Lounge
A New American restaurant and lounge with a dog-friendly patio and live music on weekends.
Azteca Grill
A Baja-style Mexican restaurant with a salsa bar, a happy hour and seasonal outdoor seating; reviewers note friendly, efficient staff.
Gaby's Latin Flavors
A Mexican and Bolivian kitchen where the Bolivian dishes are the standout. Opinions split on prices.
Himalayan Restaurant
Nepalese and North Indian dishes, with mixed reports on how consistent the food is.
Old Country Inn
A German-American breakfast house known for its Eggs Benedict. Reviews repeatedly mention slow service.
How we score restaurants
Every place on this list gets a score out of 10. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 10 and weighted as below.
- Food and drink — 40%
- Value — 20%
- Service and wait — 20%
- Setting — 20%
Facts come from each business's own website and OpenStreetMap. Public reviews on Google, Yelp and Tripadvisor are read for what repeats and never copied. No business pays for a place on this list.
Questions about this list
Which Big Bear restaurant scores highest on this list?
Tropicali, with 8.3 out of 10, followed by Peppercorn Grille and Sweet Basil Bistro. The score is ours, built from the four criteria printed on this page.
Which restaurants have the best views?
The Pines Lakefront sits on the lake and is the view pick on our list.
Where can I eat near Snow Summit?
Hacienda Grill, Gaby's Latin Flavors and Captains Anchorage are the closest restaurants on our list, all within about three quarters of a mile of the resort's main address.
Do I need a reservation?
For weekend dinners at the smaller dining rooms it helps; Sweet Basil Bistro recommends one. For bookings and hours, use each restaurant's own website.
Who compiled this
Jenna Whitcomb
Local guide editor
Jenna Whitcomb edits Near Big Bear. Every place on this page was checked against the business's own website and OpenStreetMap on the date below.
- Updated
- September 22, 2026