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Azteca Grill Mexican Food Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
40199 Big Bear BlvdBig Bear Lake, CA 92315
(909) 866-2350
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
75 reviews for Azteca Grill Mexican Food Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The help yourself salsa bar is good and has salsas from..." In 12 reviews -
"My son devoured the bacon-wrapped shrimp." In 3 reviews -
"Amazing fish tacos and cheese enchiladas." In 6 reviews
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75 reviews in English
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Review from Vanessa N.
Garden Grove, CA
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
FOOD - We got the individual soft tacos here with different types of meat: carnitas, carne asada, and chicken. Each type laid on 2 corn tortillas and topped with a bit of cilantro, onions, and green salsa (mild to nonexistent in spice). I go crazy with the lime on my tacos and they were delish that way. They also have a mini salsa bar where you can help yourself.
PORTION - Big. Two tacos were good to satisfy me. We didn't even eat all extra corn tortillas.
PRICE - Affordable for the portion size. Each taco is 2.5. We got 5 tacos total with a drink and paid 13.
SERVICE - Nice waitors/waitresses and speedy service. Upon choosing your own table to sit at, they bring you tortilla chips.
PLACE DESCRIPTION - It's next to the hard-to-miss pink bakery. Parking is small but there's never a crowd. Extensive menu with lots to choose from. -
Review from Audrey C.
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
After experiencing a not so good brunch place my friends and I decided to look up good, cheap food in the Big Bear area. Azteca is the place to go for good Mexican food and good service!
Food is good, plentiful amounts of chips and salsa (fresh salsa is delicious!) and the servings are enough for 2 (for girls at least).
Convenient place for groups w/o having to wait too much. We were even being obnoxious and watched the Laker game after our meal and the waitresses had no problem.
Tip: If you check in on Yelp you get a % off your meal! -
Review from Kirstin M.
Berkeley, CA
1/9/2012
I am disappointed to be writing a poor review, but we would not go back to Azteca.
My husband and I did our research. We saw the 4 star rating on yelp for this restaurant, read reviews, and we followed the link to Azteca's website, and checked out their dinner specials. We saw the happy hour specials and thought it would be a great way to try out this restaurant.
We saw no signs for happy hour specials and there was no menu for the specials, but we ordered the margaritas thinking we would of course get the happy hour special that was on the website (happy hour was until 6pm, it was 5:15pm). We were served large margaritas (that had very little alcohol in them) but were surprised when our waitress came to take our order and we asked about the happy hour dinner specials she informed us these margaritas were not the happy hour margaritas. Were we given an option in ordering? Nope. We were given the full price margaritas, and at $8 each for a very weak margarita, we were irritated to say the least.
We ordered the Monday night special tacos, which were pretty good but dry (I added the salsa from the salsa bar which was alright but not fabulous), and at $1 each, a good deal. We got 4.
My husband wanted to get a beer and wanted to go try another pub or something, but I'd seen the beer specials for happy hour and thought we might as well get a beer while we were there. They had a small selection but one beer that he liked. My husband was careful to ask about the happy hour beer special, and the waitress was clearly reluctant to answer him.
By then we were pretty unhappy. He did order a beer, but I asked if we could speak to the owner who was sitting at the next table. The waitress said sure, but came back later saying she was pretty busy (she was talking to another woman). We waited awhile, because I thought it would be fair to tell her directly even if it was more stressful for me (rather than write a review) about what had made us so unhappy at her restaurant, and how confused we were as new customers. The longer we waited, the more uncomfortable we were there. My husband didnt even want to bother to finish his beer. We left.
Fine, so we wrote a Yelp review. And I'd love to tell all waitstaff: Please stop calling us GUYS. I am not a guy and that is obvious, and I'm getting tired of being called guys by every waitstaff person, including at Azteca.
We wanted to like this place, but it was entirely disappointing. Not the fun we were expecting on our second honeymoon at all. -
Review from David M.
Fawnskin, CA
Updated - 5/14/2012
Remodeled! Updated patio and interior. Looks like they will be better able to handle large groups. Nice looking, roomier. Still very casual, check it out!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/13/2010
Great Mexican food! At least in Big Bear. Clean, quiet, great friendly service, indoor-outdoor… Read more »
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Review from Marcus D.
Los Angeles, CA
4/14/2012
My favorite Mexican joint in big bear. Has a nice local feel and a great vegetarian burrito.
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Review from Avner M.
Henderson, NV
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN BIG BEAR. I cannot believe I did not write a review for this place.
They have daily specials the like I have never seen. $7.99 for a fajita plate for two! Margharitas which are out of this world. For a small town which has more then one Mexican place, Azteca is the best and always has a good crowd.
During the week we were there we tried a few different places and kept finding ourselves looking for a way to come back to Azteca. There was no way to stay away from this place and each memory of what you had to eat stayed with you it was that GOOD.
Authentic and made fresh to order this is a place I would drive the 3 1/2 hours to just to eat and then go back home. It is worth the time, the gas and Big Bear is just such a beautiful place. I would not recommend sitting outside in the winter. They are dog friendly in the outdoor seating area and they take the time to ensure you have water for your pooch. -
Review from Mitra K.
Los Angeles, CA
3/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU VALUE CUSTOMER SERVICE! We were snowboarding in Big Bear on a holiday weekend and wanted to relax with some nice food and good company. Well, the company was great and we were so excited to find this little cozy-looking spot in Big Bear. When we walked in - being a party of 4 - we were given a bit of grief about getting a table because they were trying to "hold" it for a larger party - so we agreed to wait. We were seated and literally had to have about 5 rounds of chips and salsa before our order was taken and then about another 10 before we got our food. We were basically full by the time we got our food - and come to find out - the server was LYING to us about having put in our order. It turned out (and we never got the full story) but we think they forgot our food or served it to someone else - and rather than be honest about the situation and give us a chance to change our order or cancel it - they unilaterally decided to keep up the charade! I was so enraged! I will add, though, that the manager (who I had not even seen on the floor until the problem arose) offered to buy my husband's beer and gave us a dessert - but we got NO apology from the RUDE and INCONSIDERATE host or server. I know it's the manager's job - but the mistake was not his. I was repulsed by the way the staff handled this occurrence and even more disgusted by their attitude (actling like it was no big deal and that they were shocked at why we were even upset). I get it - captive audience with little to no options for food - honestly - it was such a waste of money and time I think ANYWHERE else would have been better and at least we would not have been so disrespected.
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Review from Hayley S.
Long Beach, CA
2/11/2012
Awesome food! Excellent service! Great veggie fajitas! Whole family LOVED it!
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Review from Nelly B.
La Mesa, CA
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
We were in Big Bear and wanted to find a great hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint as those are always the best and so we searched Yelp. This was the top pick and bit out of town, but not far. Wow! Azteca Grill served us one of the best meals we've had in years. I had the shrimp al diablo and it was so delicious. I had them turn down the spiciness and it was perfect. So If you're in Big Bear you should definitely check this place out and get yourself a cold beer too.
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Review from Shari S.
6/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
There we were at beautiful Big Bear Lake, using the Yelp app to find some of the highest-rated restaurants so we could have a great lunch.
My two-star rating will hopefully prevent someone else from making the same mistake.
"Look at this Azteca Grill," I said to my husband. "Yeah, but it only has one dollar sign," he countered. "It could be like a Roberto's or something. People always rate those highly."
"But look at the photos," I replied. The photos showed a lovely little outfit with a pleasant-enough interior, an attractive front patio, and dishes that looked dependably tasty. Not sophisticated, but so what? We both appreciate many different kinds of Mexican food, be they American-style (Cal-Mex, Tex-Mex, border fare, trendy/conceptual) or any of the different kinds we've tried while traveling throughout Mexico. As long as it's not Velveeta cranked over a pile of stale Tostitos from the K-Mart cafeteria, we'll probably find a way to enjoy it.
Well, what we found to enjoy about Azteca was the price, a price that gets even better if you use the Yelp app to get a 15% discount. The price justifies their stated only-one-refill policy (which they broke for us without comment, very nice), but I'm not sure it justifies their incredibly bland food.
My husband had the carnitas nachos. (I just asked him to confirm this and he had two words. One isn't repeatable, but suffice to say it modified the following word,"terrible," to new lows.) Just absolutely no taste. Mush over chips.
I ordered the cheese enchilada platter. I wish I'd gone a la carte or ordered the smaller lunch special because most of it stayed on the plate. Same thing: tasteless. I was really hungry, so it took me a few bites to realize that once I got past the idea of warm food going into my tum-tum, I wasn't very thrilled with what I'd just shoveled into my mouth. The rice did have a taste, actually - kind of acrid and unpleasant.
We both returned to the chips and salsa, neither of which were offensive, but then neither are the big plastic pitchers of Pace at Sam's Club, if you're not at all picky.
Look, I grew up in the midwest in the 1970s and 1980s but spent my summers in Texas. I thought I knew how to adjust my expectations for Mexican food depending on location, and I understand that Big Bear is isolated and gets tourists from places where Mexican dishes are seldom seen, but this was still a dang disappointing meal. That it's at the top of the Yelp list makes me think we'll stick to north-of-the-border cuisine next time we climb the mountain. -
Review from Sidney C.
Buena Park, CA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
If I could give 0 stars I would due to the service or lack thereof. We walked in, stood at the door for probably 5 minutes with employees walking by and were completely ignored. Simply walked out and went somewhere else. Food may be decent (though I wouldn't know), but service like that is simply unacceptable.
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Review from Annalyse B.
Chula Vista, CA
6/29/2011
My boyfriend and I were in Big Bear for the weekend, and as huge Mexican food lovers, we decided to give this place a try. I'm from San Diego, so I've had some amazing Mexican food in my life. I decided to get a combo platter with rice, beans, a pork tamale and a cheese enchilada. The cheese enchilada was the best part of the meal, it was absolutely amazing. It was so cheesy and full of flavor, and the sauce on top was great, too. I really liked the tamale, too, but I will definitely opt for more enchiladas next time instead. The plate came with guac, too, which is nice since a lot of Mexican food places try to charge extra for that.
They had a lot of good deals for their specials of the day, and even though we didn't try any of them, they looked like a great deal. My boyfriend got the chile rellano and was completely satisfied. I had never tried it before, but I thought it was great. He also said that normally the peppers are way smaller than the one that he got at Azteca.
Their salsa bar was also really good, with a few different flavors in salsa ranging from mild to hot, they also had some of my favorites, the radishes, carrots and jalapenos. We were both so satisfied and couldn't stop talking about how great the meal was. We will definitely be going back there again!
The waitresses were all so incredibly friendly as well. We had a great experience, and as an additional bonus, they take 15% off your bill if you "check in" on Yelp. -
Review from Dan S.
San Diego, CA
2/21/2012
Cozy little place with a full bar. Food was good. Had the Carne Asada plate and it was flavorful and prepared well. Also tried a chicken tamale and taco which were both good. Living in San Diego, I've had my share of good mexican food and this ranks right up there with some of the best.
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Review from D L.
Los Angeles, CA
12/29/2011
After a long day of skiing, this hits the spot when you are craving some Tex-Mex. Small cozy, warm restaurant. Sizzling hot Fajitas, a margarita and Monday night football. It doesn't really get better than this.
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Review from Erin M.
Santa Maria, CA
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had concerns after reading some reviews and all I can say is "Yummo!" I had the carne assada enchiladas and they were so good!
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Review from Paul L.
6/5/2011 2 photos
The size of my fish burrito was not small. It was like a small football. I would've gladly traded half the portion size for some flavor, though.
I won't hold it against Azteca. When I'm in Big Bear again, I'll give the place another try. -
Review from John N.
Big Bear City, CA
4/5/2012
great food! nice owner! love it!
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Review from Jason H.
San Diego, CA
3/5/2012
Went to Azteca on Sunday to get some food after a day of riding and man o man was our group impressed !! The Salsa Bar was amazing and the food was someof the best mexican food I have ever had period and I am from San Diego... My Buddy was saying it was the best mexican food in San Bernadino county !! Has the #59 which was a beef taco and tamale and cheese enchilada... man the chips and salsa i am still thinking about it !! This will definitely be a ritual spot for me and my buddies !! Thanks so much to the owner being so nice to us and helping us out with all those bowls of chips and soda !!
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Review from Warren P.
Canyon Lake, CA
1/6/2012
Azteca Mexican Grill in Gig Bear,CA is easy to find right on Big Bear Blvd.. The parking lot is small but there is ample room around the building.The atmosphere is quaint and the dining room is small and cozy.We were greeted by the owners and a very friendly helpful staff.The service was outstanding and the entire staff was very nice.We all had the fajita special and it was delicious, hot and is served on plates that keep the food waqrm through the entire meal.The menu is athentic mexican and taststed better than home made.The layout is good for the amount of space to work with.The value was good and moderately priced and well worth it. The management was cordial and are actually the owners. Overall a solid 4.5 stars from me and our party of four.
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Review from Donald S.
Glendora, CA
I read the reviews and my first visit proved this to be a true 4 star place.
I ordered Carnitas Nachos. I was impressed by the the appearance (see photo) when it arrived and even more impressed as I began to consume it.
I am a BIG eater and I could barely finish this monster. There were huge chunks of pork in every bite, so big I had to cut the meat pieces in two to fit them on the fork. I've never seen so much meat on nachos before. It was awesome and very tasty.
Overall, I gave these Nachos a 9.5 on a 10 scale....excellent.
The salsa bar, unlimited chips and large soda glasses were a plus. The inside it clean and has a couple flat screen TVs. If they had WiFi that would be a bonus. The patio makes for a great dining area on a good weather day.
I left stuffed and very satisfied. I will definitely be back, probably on Monday or Wednesday to try our there Taco Specials.
El Jacalito now has some competition for our business when it comes to Mexican food. -
Review from Wheels G.
Canyon Country, CA
8/4/2011
Solid food, good prices, great service.
Got an Al Pastor burrito, no beans please. The burrito was huge, and although it was juicy and flavorful, the Al Pastor was not traditional. It was delicious and i would order it again because it was so good...just a different kind of good. My kids both got bean and cheese burritos and loved them. The salsa bar was nice because it allowed us each to get the kids of salsa we wanted for our chips.
We'd definately come back again. -
Review from Rebecca B.
Tustin, CA
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food, friendly staff, and good location (less crowded than The Village). We will be eating here in the future.
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Review from Olga C.
Las Vegas, NV
6/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stay away from fish dishes
The green salsa in the salsa bar the best part -
Review from Jewell P.
Los Angeles, CA
12/24/2010
This place was pretty good. I got a chorizo, egg and cheese burrito and home fries and it was really good. Cheap prices and a great place to eat at before hitting the road to go home. The self serve salsa bar was pretty cool too.
I'd go back. -
Review from Elizabeth W.
San Diego, CA
11/30/2010
My boyfriend and I went to this restaurant after hearing about their $1 taco night on Mondays. After looking online, we noticed that their website also said that happy hour was M-F 3 to 6 pm (http://aztecabigbear.c...). So, I decided to try one of their margaritas (listed on the website as $2.50) but when the check came, they charged me $7.99!!! That's a HUGE price difference.
With all due respect, the tacos were reasonably good, albeit small. The soft tacos leaked so much juice that they completely fell apart upon my first bite, so I suggest the crunchy if you don't want soup. The "waitress" spent most of the time on the phone, and was quite rude when delivering our order.
When we asked about the price difference on the drink, she just said "Oh no, we only do that on Tuesdays," although the website CLEARLY states it is available every week day. Also, I advise against going during the colder days, since it appeared that the heating was not working well. It was warmer than outside, but I couldn't take off my coat.
Finally, the usual prices for menu items are reminiscent of usual sit-down Mexican food restaurants, but it is designed and feels like every taco shop that I go to at 2 am for after-party food. In other words, not AT ALL classy or even quaint. You just get pummeled by a large flat-screen TV playing a Mexican channel and old booths failing to look like they are worth the high price you are paying. I would NOT suggest this location to anyone, really. We had planned on trying the breakfast there another day, but we changed our plans while still eating. -
Review from Andy B.
Newport Beach, CA
11/18/2011
Fantastic authentic Mexican food!! Floutas and huevos rancheros were great. Perfect hidden gem in big bear. Service was excellent too. You will be sorry if you eat any where else!!
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Review from Bob P.
Big Bear Lake, CA
11/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
My family loves to eat here. Run by the owners, not employees.
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Review from Evan S.
Big Bear Lake, CA
8/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Upon our arrival we were greeted by our waitress Sarah. She was very polite and had vast knowledge of the food being served. The place was cozy and had a family feel to it. We ordered the trio fajita and 2, 99 cent fish tacos.The food was delicious and the service was excellent. I would definitely come back.
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Review from James Z.
San Diego, CA
10/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
We are out-of-town visitors. Been there once on a Labor Day weekend. The food was good. The waiter was friendly. We enjoyed their dining tables outside since the weather was gorgeous and our dogs could stay with us while we were eating. It was nice that they honored the 15%-off coupon from Yelp.
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Review from Wil P.
El Monte, CA
1/27/2011
The food was pretty solid here -- as an LA native I've had better, but it's definitely above average. What earns Azteca its 4th star is definitely its service. Arturo and Arturo Jr went above and beyond to serve us, and even gave us a couple beanies!
P.S. They serve huge goblets of margaritas for 4 bucks -
Review from Ben L.
Riverside, CA
7/11/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Great food, nice atmosphere, good service. Sierra one of the waitresses was really friendly and had nice eyes ;p
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Review from Lisa C.
Sierra Madre, CA
8/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food! Best service too! I highly recommend the carne asada and taco salad !
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Review from Carlos Z.
San Gabriel, CA
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
small little place large plates and friendly staff ive would have preferred the food to be tastier
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Review from Gerry I.
Los Angeles, CA
10/19/2011
My favorite place for Mexican food in Big Bear Lake. I have the fish tacos and my wife the chicken enchiladas. Nice patio setting. Azteca is a place with lots of heart and flavored food !!!!
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Review from Martin A.
Orange, CA
8/16/2010
I thought this place was awesome.
I liked the self serve salsa bar.
The food and service were both great. -
Review from Matthew D.
Los Angeles, CA
7/13/2010
Not the best Big Bear has to offer!
A neat little place that you would think would be out of this world because it's small and the cook would make up special dishes to satisfy unique Mexican palate. The menu basically is no different then any other menu in Big Bear but Hacienda by far is the best Big Bear has to offer.
It would be nice to see one or two americans working there to instead of all immigrants that don't speak english! It's in your face obvious!
I would recommend Taco Bell over this fare! -
Review from Cindy L.
Phoenix, AZ
3/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Bomb fish tacos for 99 cents plus draft beers for $2.50! Post shred meal, highly recommend!
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Review from Brian S.
Granada Hills, CA
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice little place with friendly staff and good food (and great prices). My wife & I had fajitas which hit the spot. $7.99 a plate on Thursdays I think. The chicken fajitas in particular were really tasty. Nice salsas too!. Overall very satisfied!
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Review from sara r.
Claremont, CA
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not sure how there's a high rating. Food is "meh" at best.
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Review from Al S.
Redondo Beach, CA
8/21/2011
The chx faijitas were very good along with the carne aside salad the wife ate. The kids were happy as well . The portions are very good.
