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B's Backyard Barbecue
Category: Restaurants Barbeque Barbeque [Edit]
350 Alden RdBldg A
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
(909) 866-5400
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- Yes
106 reviews for B's Backyard Barbecue
Review Highlights
-
"Pulled pork moist & smokey - my favorite." In 30 reviews -
"First: homemade potato chips with ranch dipping sauce." In 9 reviews -
"Bloody Mary bar open all day with all the ingredients." In 9 reviews
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106 reviews in English
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Review from David A.
Redlands, CA
4/25/2012
This place is fun. I took my parents up here for a lazy Monday lunch at the bar overlooking the lake. The poor bartender was unexpectedly slammed by a late lunch rush and we had to remind her that we wanted to order food. She was so nice that I have a hard time deducting stars just for this.
I had a burger and sweet potato fries. Nothing extraordinary, but very satisfying. My dad enjoyed his pulled pork sandwich and my mom had a Beijing chicken salad that hit the spot.
This place is worth it for the views alone. Watch out for wandering dogs though - a large friendly husky decided that I looked like a great towel and shook himself off all over me after a dip in the lake. I deserved it though - I should have given him food the first time he came by begging.
We'll definitely be back here soon for some drinks and fun this summer. -
Review from Priscilla C.
La Habra, CA
4/25/2012
Came here for our last meal during our group snowboarding trip. Honestly I don't understand why we chose to come and eat here out of all the places to eat up in Big Bear. I mean, all of my friends have smart phones and use Yelp to find places to chow down at, why...oh why of all places did they choose this place over the other eateries that had higher star ratings? No comprende! No me gusta! (Is that even correct?)
I can't speak for the other diners except for my two bffs BJ, Johnny and myself.
BJ ordered the beef ribs entree in which he described as tough and overcooked. I had a bite, but I can't say much just because everyone that has eaten with me knows I hate, HATE barbecue. So when I ate it, all I tasted was sweetness.
Johnny shared the eggs florentine benedict with our gf Sherry. I know Johnny well enough just by the way he eats when he doesn't like his food. Poor guy, couldn't hide the dissatisfaction from his face to save his life.
I ordered a bowl of their clam chowder and shared a side of biscuits with gravy. BJ made the joke saying that my biscuits and gravy were just a plate of biscuits with the clam chowder slapped on top because they looked like the same thing. Well, I have to say... they both tasted like crap and were equally crappilicious. All I could taste was raw flour, very unpleasant and no amount of hot sauce could salvage this meal. Only good thing that I actually enjoyed of this meal was the hot tea I ordered, but how can you mess up a box of store bought tea bags, honey and lemon slices?
Besides the view, I really don't know why my friends chose to dine here... and I give them the blame because I don't have a smart phone, just my trusty dino phone... If I DID have a smart phone I would have yelped this place and steered us away from this bad epicurean mistake. No bueno. Let's just not.Listed in: Let's Not
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Review from Jay A.
Huntington Beach, CA
4/15/2012
Went here spur of the moment with some friends.....totally had a great time...the owner (think her name was Michelle) was very gracious and made us feel right at home....
We ended up ordering some mimosas and bloody marys.....quite great!!! The breakfast food were quite tasty as well....I got the beef brisket omelette....would totally come here again....had such a great time and everyone there was quite friendly...
Thanks for makin us out of towners feel right at home =) -
Review from Morgan A.
Los Angeles, CA
4/3/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I always order WAY too much when I go to B's. The pulled pork sandwich is yummy. The real star of the show however is the $3 build your own Bloody Mary bar. Oh good god - what a fantastic deal. They have all the ingredients you could ever want and they give you quite a large pour of vodka with each $3 glass.
The dining room is nothing to write home about (although there is a lovely view of the lake) and it is cash only. Luckily there is an atm in the lobby, so it can be a pain in the butt sometimes but at least you aren't out of luck.
I'll see you next cabin trip B's Bloody Mary bar! -
Review from tracey c.
Alhambra, CA
3/16/2012
didnt realize i finished my review from 2011:
Good Maitai but the food was ok. Baby back pork ribs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mac and cheese was sold out and they ran out of lemonade! Baked beans were delicious. Chicken wings were spicy. Have fun!
but i did go back this past weekend..
ordered the beef brisket with pulled pork, some slaw, and mashed potatoes. have to say the pulled pork was pretty good with the extra bbq sauce from the squirt tube with the garlic mashed potatoes combined. nom nom nom..
and the staff is oh so nice! :) -
Review from Lori R.
Fountain Valley, CA
Oh boy where do I start: First thing we saw was a cash only sign atm is behind you. Walked in and only 1 family was having dinner. Place needs a huge face lift. Should have left but heard good things......Burnt homemade chips came first. Order bbq for 2 $28 bucks, we choose ribs, pulled pork and brisket. Mac n cheese and cole slaw. Brisket was rubber and dry, pork no flavor bbq sauce was served cold straight from the frig! Was asked if we wanted the leftovers said no thanks and she laughed and said "yeah my dogs dont even eat them". Enough said
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Review from Dawn W.
Thousand Oaks, CA
3/12/2012
Very disappointing food! There's so many more options up here, don't waste your time or CASH...literally...
As stated in other reviews, CASH ONLY, with an ATM in the waiting area. And how this place is rated an "A" is beyond me. The inside is outdated and a tad sad, restaurants are suppose to smell good in my opinion, this place was just the opposite, it had an old food smell that was quite unappealing and the tables were just kind of randomly placed, and the service is very very slow and not impressive or attentive.
Into the food, we went with a party of 10 and nobody enjoyed their food. The pulled pork sandwiches were dry and had no taste, even when served with the watery coleslaw. But, put enough ketchup on anything and you can get it down.
The fried catfish sandwich was a little bit of catfish and a lot of batter. Nothing special so don't get excited.
How can you mess up hamburgers and cheeseburgers?...again nothing special, slap some BBQ sauce or ketchup on them and they're good to go...well, not really...the slight upside is the sweet potato fries, the only thing decently edible...
Someone in our group ordered the ribs, and said they were fine, don't have much to write about, but apparently they weren't worth taking the extra to-go.
The sides, were disgusting, especially steer clear of the mac n' cheese, it has the consistency of previously chewed food with no flavor that has been spit into a cup and trying to be passed as mac n' cheese, even my dog would reject this.
If you're reading this review, don't go here, the water even tastes like it was scooped out of the toilet, go to a drive-thru, you will be much happier. -
Review from Carrie K.
La Mesa, San Diego, CA
1/7/2012
Restaurant itself could be a little cleaner, but the food is amazing! I have been here twice, once last year to dine in with just my boyfriend and yesterday for take out to for 9 people. Service dining in was a little slow, but the waitress was very nice.
When we ordered takeout the hostess was very personable and super helpful. She pointed out some good deals to feed a lot of people and the cook thought the racks of ribs were too small so he threw in another rack for free.
The food is to die for! They have two BBQ sauces, regular and spicy, both are delicious! I can't recommend one thing over another, it all tastes so good! Try the spicy hotlink! -
Review from Dennis S.
8/8/2011
What's your choice - mediocre food, bad service, or stray dogs walking from table to table?
This was ridiculous. We should not have to be concerned with our grandsons' safety while having dinner in a restaurant, even the outdoor portion of the restaurant. The dogs on leashes, tied to something, were ok. Dogs on leashes wandering around with no one securing the leash was not good. But watching the waitress run at stray dogs to shoo them away - large husky type dogs - sorry, that doesn't work.
Every part of the service was poor. Friendly but poor. Maybe someone should have though to bring us napkins before the food arrived. Or maybe utensils. Or maybe ice for the drinks - "Our ice hasn't arrived yet. When it does we'll bring some right to you" Never happened.
The BBQ pork was ok, but not good. The baked beans, homemade, were absolutely awesome. Nothing else stood out, although the distraction of being in the middle of the dog pound may have influenced our taste buds. -
Review from Kari B.
Running Springs, CA
11/30/2011
This review is for the bar only, as even though I was LURED to Big Bear with the promise of barbecue, my date who turned out to be a Big Bearian minimum wage loser made me a pizza in the bar. He used to cook in the kitchen, that is not normally used. Gee, I hope this doesn't get him trouble. LOL
Anyway, for those of you old time mountain residents, this is the old Tail of the Whale. The Whale's Tail is the actual B's eatery, that I didn't get to experience. BUT, the bar was a real fun time, if I had come there by myself it would have been a blast. The bartender was fun as hell, I think he sympathized with my situation and kept making me OUTSTANDING drinks. Between his 'flare' and the redneck hillbillies singing karaoke, it made for a very entertaining evening. Apparently, they never know when live music will show up, as the bartender was surprised by their sudden appearance on a Sunday evening. Where else will a bar & restaurant owner get up and belt out a number along with his hillbilly customers? Only in Big Bear. -
Review from Charles H.
Torrance, CA
8/9/2011
3 stars for the view; 1 star for food and service. Came with the family a couple weeks ago. I really wanted to have lunch outside by the lake and this is supposedly the "only" place to do that in BB.
Warning: CASH ONLY, although they do have an ATM in the lobby. Minus 1 star. This really rubs me the wrong way. The only conclusion I can offer is that they don't give a crap about repeat business. They know that no local regulars would stand for a policy like this, but they can count on a steady stream of tourists (like me) who will put up with it, once, to enjoy the view. All to save 3% in credit card fees.
Only one (average) beer on tap: Alaskan Amber. Pulled pork sandwich appeared to be authentically smoked, but was more greasy than the other 100 or so that I've had before. This was exacerbated by the yellow fake butter the buns were dipped in. Beans tasted a bit canned, mac and cheese definitely was: while chasing my kids around the back, I jogged by the dumpster and noticed giant empty boxes of Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese. Wow, no concerns about culinary pride and integrity there, but maybe in a mountain town in the off season you cut some corners?
Inside was gross in the daylight. Carpets had massive dark stains. Doesn't engender much confidence in the cleanliness of the kitchen. The place is your basic tourist trap, what can I say? -
Review from Dallas G.
Ladera Ranch, CA
8/6/2011
Considering we are in the tourist trap that is Big Bear I didn't expect a fine culinary experience from any restaurant but its very sad when the only positive thing you can recall about a dinning experience is "I liked the foam soap in the bathroom."
We didn't get napkins or silverware until after our food arrived and even then we had to ask for it. I think that was fate telling us not to consume the food as it was absolutely awful. Imagine ribs that have been left under a heat lamp for about 12 hours. How hard is it to make ribs that are edible people!? The server couldn't be bothered to take our plates before he came back with the check.
Please do yourself a favor and avoid! -
Review from Kristin C.
Birds Landing, CA
6/29/2011
DIRTY DIRTY DIRTY!! This place has the BEST view on the mountain. What a waste!! The food sucks & this place is FILTHY. GROSS! It's too bad because this place has so much potential. The health department should shut them down. In addition the place is totally mismanaged. I suspect that this is in part due to the fact that the owner spends his life drinking in their bar, The Boathouse. If you'd like some cheap entertainment make your way over to the bar & see the owners. If you're lucky you may end up in their personal hot tub. LOL! They are swingers & make that very well known.
GROSS!! -
Review from Steve A.
Orange, CA
8/13/2011
Funky small-town place, looks exactly like a zillion great local diners all over the country.
Pay no attention to the dirty carpet, all that matters is friendly wait staff, quick attentive service, and pretty good food.
First: homemade potato chips with ranch dipping sauce. Also 2 kinds of Barbecue sauce on the table, one mild, one with a nice kick. Perfect addition to the chips.
I had grilled chicken sandwich, 2 large perfectly grilled breasts on a bun with all the usual fixings on the side, so you build it the way you want. Spicy barbecue sauce made it great.
My wife had the steak sandwich, with the same fixings on the side, she said it was good, not great.
Mashed potato and cole slaw sides were very good too.
Would I go back again? Of course.
To the person who griped about "Cash Only", do you know what credit card processing costs a small business? You might want to find out, it isn't free. Eat your food, and try to cope with your disappointment. -
Review from Jim T.
Duarte, CA
2/11/2012
We have enjoyed B's since the time they opened a few years ago in the old Blue Whale place. While I am not a Big Bear local, we have a place in Big Bear and spend a considerable amount of time in the area. The service is always friendly but some times it is not up to standards. The freshly made potato chips are always good. Don't fill up on them! My favorirte dishes include the pulled pork sandwich and the chili. The beef brisket is usually well prepared. At times you can wait for what seems like an eternity for your server to get around to ask for more water, or whatever.
Our favorite time to eat is in the summer and get a patio seat. Yes, they allow dogs in the area. The view from the patio is worth the price of admission to a decent dinner. Add a bottle of wine and we enjoy.
A few years ago they dropped credit cards and it is cash only! There is an ATM in the foyer if you need it. -
Review from Nicki B.
Whittier, CA
1/9/2012
Very under-whelming. Ribs are dry and not very flavorful, the mac 'n' cheese was bland and the pulled pork was like leather. Location is all this place has going for it. One other down-side is they only take cash.
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Review from Jordan S.
Riverside, CA
7/30/2011
I hadn't been to Big Bear Lake in years, but decided to take my clan for some much needed R&R. We went to B's BBQ Restaurant for dinner in July 2011. Unlike some of the other reviews, we got great service. Our waitress did mention that she was "new," so perhaps she was more eager to please.
The menu was typical of an American BBQ restaurant, with pulled pork, steaks, brisket, etc. You can get variations of the above as sandwiches. They also have "comfort" food like Jambalaya, fried chicken, and meatloaf. A kids menu was also available. My wife ordered the pulled pork sandwich and I got the brisket sandwich. We both got cole slaw and sweet potato fries as our sides. My kids got the buckaroo burger and chicken fingers. We were all happy with our food. Our glasses were always full. The restaurant serves complimentary hot chips (freshly made potato chips) and dip as an appetizer. I spent about $46.
I would deduct a star only because the restaurant was a bit on the messy side. I guess the booth we were seated in, which coincidentally has a great view of the lake, had previously seated some really young children, and it was quite messy and hadn't yet been cleaned. The waitress ordered the booth cleaned and it was before we were seated. Not a big deal to me, but just goes to the overall dining experience. I think they were staffed with three waiters/waitresses, a bus boy, and an older gent I believed was the general manager (he spent most of his time behind the bar).
Again, while I am an avid outdoorsman, I wouldn't say that I look like a local. Despite that, we still got pretty good service and I would go back to this place again. As mentioned by another recent reviewer, this place takes ca$h only; not a big deal for me, but just an FYI for my fellow Yelpers.
Just to clarify, there appear to be two locations: one right by the water and the "restaurant," which is about 100 yards south of that. This review pertains to the restaurant; I can't vouch for the other location. Ciao! -
Review from Sam W.
Gardena, CA
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
First off, this place is cash only (or at least it was on July 4th weekend). This is one of those places that knows that they are one of the two BBQ places in Big Bear Lake. Because of this, they have a "take it or leave it" type of attitude. So we went to the other place (Jasper's Smokehouse) and had a much better time there.
in short Jasper's service-oriented establishment is tons better than B's Backyard. I would suggest considering dining there first.
We made reservations for 12 a week before we were to arrive for July 4th weekend. We also told them that we were to have two dogs with us. They said that that was fine since they were a dog friendly establishment.
The problem came when it was sprinkling on July 4th weekend. We confirmed our reservation and reminded them that we had two dogs. They said that it would be no problem. We arrived at the place on time. Since the weather was sprinkling, we asked if we could put up the umbrellas in the patio. We were going to sit outside because of the dogs. They could not accommodate that request.
This got us upset because we confirmed with them if it was going to be a problem dining there since it was going to be sprinkling AND that we had two dogs. However, I guess they were under the assumption that we (as in our whole family) would be eating in the rain outside.
This place surely takes advantage that there are only two places to eat for barbecue. A simple warning when we confirmed our reservation would've been a nice gesture. Instead, we were led to believe that my family would be able to have a decent dining experience with our dogs outside. Our trip to B's Backyard BBQ was a waste of time. At least B's lost out on a $500.00 bill and their workers lost out on a $100.00 tip. It went to Jasper's. -
Review from Russell H.
San Diego, CA
9/19/2011
I am from Texas. How they can call this barbecue is beyond my capability to comprehend. The "brisket" was served soaking in some unidentifiable sauce and appeared more like a pot roast without the vegetables. Awful cut of meat & tough & stringy. And the service was truly horrible! Why would I want to add more of their other sauces on the table to something that was already soaked? I had one bite, was disgusted, and simply paid the excessively high bill and left burning with anger. How they stay in business is another miracle. If you are from Texas or anywhere in the south, please do yourself a favor and stay away. Good brisket can be found in California but not in Big Bear and especially not this place!
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Review from Nancy W.
Palm Desert, CA
10/17/2011
The first thing you should know is that they accept cash only. There is an ATM in the lobby but it charges a fee. I was there in the afternoon and there was only one other table, so the service was good. The food was mediocre, at best. Mostly, all the food was bland--nothing seemed to have any kind of seasoning whatsoever. Most meals come with your choice of two sides. I had the mac 'n' cheese and the cole slaw. The mac was mushy and bland. The cole slaw was dry and bland--no flavor at all. The view of the lake is spectacular--bring a picnic and hang out in the parking lot.
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Review from Christy C.
Pasadena, CA
7/8/2011
I love the locale and dog beach and live band, and we go despite the terrible service and so-so food. We have a vacation house up there, so we go fairly regularly.
Being a local gets you no love either. The bartenders always act like they're doing you a favor by getting your drink -- you usually have to actually interrupt their personal conversations and insist that they fill your order. Last weekend I stood there with a $20 in my hand for 15 minutes while he asked me to wait....while he did basically nothing and was chit-chatting.
Same day, we sat at an outdoor table in the restaurant area for 45 minutes and never were approached by wait staff to see if we wanted to order something (we did). We got our own drinks from the bar, grabbed menus on our own, but ultimately didn't order food because the service had been so bad. We saw no reason to give them 50 more of our bucks for crappy service.
This place could easily make 3 times the revenue it does by encouraging the staff to hustle. We usually go for a couple of drinks but leave because the service is so frustrating and drinks are weaker then other places.
Will we go again? Yeah. We love having drinks on the lake and watching the dogs in the water. -
Review from Debbie S.
Stevenson Ranch, CA
9/1/2011
Just finished a great late lunch at B's. Any dish with the "better than fried" chicken strips is delish. The complimentary homemade potato chips are light and airy and worth coming for them alone. Great place to pass an afternoon or evening on the patio enjoying the marina view with a beer or iced tea. Very pet friendly, they love dogs! I brought my golden and was given a bowl of water for him when my water was brought out. Our waitress, Susie, earned a large tip when she asked if she could give our pup a beef bone! I make it a point to eat here as much as I can when I'm in Big Bear!
They are cash only but only because the credit card charges were causing extra expense; rather than raise prices, they went cash only. Great idea and I appreciate that. -
Review from Brian P.
Brea, CA
7/29/2010
My girlfriend and I came up here this weekend and hung out at the bar which is a completely differant building as the restaurant. So this review is based on drinks, crowd and view.
The drinks were pretty week to be honest. Perhaps they are doing crowd control and being conservative because of all of the bikers that are there. Who knows, maybe just a weak pouring bar to be cheap. Bartenders are okay. They are not going out of their way to chat you up but they are cool and definitly not rude unless you are an idiot and even then, I saw them being nice to drunkereds.
The view is pretty great. Cant find a better place to have a view but its not going to be a Merlot and jazz experiance. Its more like a margarita and 70's cover band kinda place. I loved the people watching because their are plenty of kooks.
The food in the bar is very limited. Sliders, pizza, veggi tray, mini hot dogs and simple stuff like that. We didnt eat but they looked fine enough.
I just think this place has so much potential but the truth is that the effort may go to waste because of the local patrons that pop in. Not sure but I do know that I have had better. -
Review from Chad Z.
West Hills, CA
9/6/2011
Food was ok but service was worse. Yeah, it sucks they don't accept credit cards but I get that. I own a business and think credit cards fees are ridiculous. That being said, your bus boy shouldn't be listening to an iPod while serving you, the silverware should probably be at the table before the food is there getting cold, and ice waters should be refilled. Wouldn't go back except for the view.
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Review from Ben S.
San Diego, CA
12/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
Best restaurant experience in years. I ordered the all-you-eat beef ribs and they were great. They even brought more ribs before I could ask and gave extra to take home.
This place is going to be a mandatory stop for me every time I'm in Big Bear in the future. -
Review from Danielle B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went with my family at 5:30pm for dinner. After reading reviews I ordered the chicken fried sandwhich. It was the right choice. My husband got the pulled pork and rib combo and he gave it a 3 1/2. My kids got the hot dog, not stellar and the spagetti which was good enough for my daughter to inhale. Even though there was only one waitress and she was slammed things went smoothly.
It did smell funny when we walked in but they said a pipe broke. Oh, and the seats at the booth were heated which was a plus.
I would eat here again if only for the fried chicken sandwhich. -
Review from Blakely S.
Encinitas, CA
The food was good and plentiful, but there are no meals for $5. Items started at $10 - $15.
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Review from Nick G.
Ventura, CA
7/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Having only had the chance to experience the drinks here my review is slightly skewed. That being said I waited 30 mins for a beer which was watered down. Perhaps the caliber of my service and quality of my beer was an oddity. Based on the previous reviews it might be worth giving B's another chance
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Review from Texie N.
San Diego, CA
1/17/2011
It was our first time in Big Bear. After pulling a muscle in my leg I couldn't snow ski for the rest of the day. So we took an early lunch in the bar. The restaurant was closed at the time, but the bar served a few foods. We were there for the bbq pulled pork sandwich. It was high for the price. However it was delicious! My husband and I split it along with some beer battered onion rings. The panoramac view of the frozen lake was great! They also had some kind of stuffed Beaver in there wearing a lei. So casual and good humored place.
The locals there we thought were very nice. We talked about fishing and the lake. One man even had a couple of his dogs outside. They were very friendly. One was an older dog who just liked napping on the wooden stairs near the entrance.
Positives: Dog friendly people
Nice view of the lake. Especially in the winter time.
Friendly locals
Good bbq pork and onion rings
Just a place to take it easy.
Negatives: $10.00 for the pulled pork sandwich -
Review from E'stormae S.
Hawthorne, CA
6/5/2011
I did not try food at this restaurant and this is why. Got a refer to come here by the nice young man at the visitors center. I was looking for a place to dine a la fresco with a view of lake. This place fit the bill. I had problems finding this place and had to drive down a dumpy looking road until it ended at the lake. I was met by a run down looking establishment which didnt deter me as I was dressed down. I've lived in DFW area past 5 years and have found that BBQ places are generally not upscale. I had to park the "gimp-mobile" funny as a white pick up was parked illegally adjacent to the handicap area. Heaven forbid the big bear hillbilly would park normal and have to walk an extra 10 feet. I noticed many dogs walking around and figured this was probably a dog beach. That didnt bother me, I like doggies. I noticed a sign warning "NO outside drinks or beverages". Too bad I thought, I'm not letting my bottle of water get hot in the car. Looking around I obsreved NO smoker on premises. Problem? true BBQ is smoked for say 8 hours or more. Where was the smoker? Where were the wood stacks?? Didnt see none. I did observe a large BBQ where one might grill burgers or steaks. Problem? This is 2pm on a saturday near a lake.. and there werent anything being grilled. I got up inside where i could check out the place and didnt like what I saw. There were about 8 people out on the porch with drinks with no food nor plates. Large empty area in the middle of the restaurant that made no sense being empty. There were about 15 people sitting at bar, I didnt see any food. About 10 people beyond that and could not observe what they had. Looked like two people working there, one behind the bar the other next to the bar. Ugly and dingy would describe the interior. Although I did not observe any health code violations, It felt very unclean. Basically, instead of being a restaurant that serves liquor, it is a bar that will feed its patron. Its a crying shame as this place has such a great location it should be doing a lot better.
I saw some himilayan place I wanted to try (and should have as they've got good reviews), but I was so upset by this place that I had lost all faith and hit carl's (which was even worse disaster). -
Review from Bill P.
Amazing water front lake view !
We went here for Breakfast and they have a good kids menu for only $3.95. so both my kiddos got what they wanted. The Adult menu is on par with what you get at most Breakfast establishments. The food was Good, not great but Darn good. I went with the 2 eggs, Sausage, hash browns and toast. I was full, as were the kids.
OH yeah they had a build your own Bloody Mary special for $3.00 bucks!
Since I was with the kiddos I could only look at how pretty they were and stayed away from them.
This Place is more known for the Barbecue so next time I am in Town I will have to check that out. I will be back for the ribs for sure.Listed in: When in Big Bear
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Review from Alisa M.
4/13/2010
My friends went ape shit over the bloody mary bar but since I do not partake I just have to go with my experience.
Beautiful view. Good service. Cheap morning booze. Not so cheap oatmeal. A bowl of oatmeal with bananas (as stated on the menu) was $6.95. When I received the bowl there was no bananas. I asked for them they said it was extra????
The rest of my party seemed to really enjoy their food and the prices seemed to be on par with other establishments I've been to. If they were to write a review I'm sure it would be at least 4 stars. But this is my review and the oatmeal thing really distracted from my experience. Or maybe I'm just a cranky bitch. -
Review from Brian N.
Downey, CA
12/27/2009
Best restaurant in BIg Bear. I always take a thing of their BBQ sauce to go.
Great homemade chips and great pulled pork sandwiches. The service is always amazing too.
Owners are real nice people. -
Review from Penny M.
Pasadena, CA
8/16/2010
Again...keep those expectations low!
We wanted a place for lunch that would allow the dog and I remembered seeing a sign for this place and that it was on the lake so we headed out.
The actual restaurant is not on the lake. There are some pretty good lake views from the outside patio, but the BAR is on the lake - not the restaurant. Let's clear that up right away.
We did not get the aforementioned home made potato chips!! I'm so bummed about that. I should have checked YELP before I went so I would have known to ask for them.
I had the pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and sweet potato fries. The pulled pork was probably the most tender pork I've ever had. There just wasn't that much of it on the sammie! The cole slaw was tasty and not too sweet and the fries were good, but not very hot. They had a nice flavor though.
Daddy had the fried chicken sandwich. What a HUGE effing sandwich that was!! It tasted just like fried chicken on a bun! He kind of ruined it by putting cole slaw all over it instead of mayo (IMO), but according to him, it was "just wonderful." It must have been because he pounded that mammoth thing in record time.
The Baby had the grilled cheese and sweet potato fries. She asked (yes. SHE asked) if she could have a green salad with ranch instead of the fries and the server said that she could do that for us. Then some other dude brought the food and her plate had fries on it. I explained that she wanted a small green salad with hers and about 10 minutes later, it came. To their credit, the original server came back and assured us that we would not be charged extra for the salad. I'm just so thrilled that MY KID asked for a salad instead of fries! Yes!
Anyway - the best part of eating here was eavesdropping (well I guess it's not really eavesdropping when folks are so loaded that they're practically yelling at each other) on the tables around us. A fascinating clientele I must say!!
So...to conclude. The food is good, the prices are a little high, the patio is nice and they allow dogs, and you get to listen in on some really interesting (think Jerry Springer) conversations!
I'll go back. -
Review from Jeffrey N.
San Diego, CA
7/8/2010
As a visitor from out of town, I was meeting some friends who walked down the road from the beach. Obviously one of the busiest days of the year. As soon as I parked and got out of my car. I had a backpack with towels, sunscreen and a bottle of water. I was harassed by one of the parking lot attendants who asked what was in the bag. I told him and he asked if I was sure there wasn't any beer or alcohol in the bag. I told him no (there wasn't) some of my friends I was meeting had some in coolers had some but really they just needed put them in the car since they had walked from of the near by beaches.
Obviously it was really crowed there and it seemed like a great place to go for a picnic, but the rudeness of the parking lot staff, ended up deciding to make our whole group leave with out buying any food or drinks, so our group of 12 decide to take our business elsewhere..
If they had just been polite about their rules we would have gone to the patio to have a few drinks... -
Review from taryn y.
Valencia, CA
3/27/2011
3 stars, but only for the location. If this was in a different location it would be 2 stars.
The potato chips and dipping sauce they give you are realllly good but ambiance is sooo terrible and run down. It looks like they have never vacuumed. Ever. And everything else is falling apart and hideous.
My boyfriend ordered the double cheeseburger and said the patties were like pucks, like the kind u buy pre made at the grocery store. I got the pulled pork because I knew, if anything, that would be good because it's a BBQ place. I liked mine but the Mac n cheese I got with it was mushy and overcooked. I like my noodles al dente!
Our waitress was really nice and the service is good but this place needs a MAJOR upgrade. Plus they only take cash which kinda blows. I have a feeling they are still in business because of the location alone. -
Review from Steven L.
Eagle Rock, CA
3/2/2008
So you've had a kick ass day at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. It's dinner time, and your tummy is rumbling. So here we go again, that famous "what do you wanna eat?" "What do you feel like eating" and you know this can go on for awhile...hah hah.
If you're in the need for meat, why not give B's a try.
We found this place from one of the Big Bear travel guide.
We loved, loved, loved this joint. The BBQ is totally off da hook on the yummy factor. B's specializes in smoked BBQ ribs and chicken and boy o' boy it is tasty. I mean, finger licking goodness. The ribs and chicken is so tasty that the meat is packed full of flavors without the house BBQ sauce. So just imagine when you use a bit of that sauce with your meat, it's like wham!! it's a party in your mouth. Oh and the hot links, gotta try it out, it's as tasty.
If you have an appetite, try the combo so you can try the rib, chicken and hot links. Your mouth and tummy will be in food heaven.
Please note that the restaurant is located on a tiny side street by the lake off Big Bear Blvd. So you will not see the building but look for a sign announcing the restaurant turn direction. The sign will be on a sidewalk area and it is visible if you keep your eyes out for it (no worries at night time, cause the sign is lit for ya). It looks like you will be turning into some random parking lot, but you will actually be turning into a small street that will take you down to the restaurant by Big Bear Lake.
Happy eating. -
Review from terrie h.
West Hollywood, CA
9/13/2010
I've eaten here twice and each time was different. I had a burger last time and the bbq sauce was great. I had a veggie wrap the second time and the bbq sauce was still great, the veggie wrap - not so much.
I was with people who really enjoyed the pulled pork so I bet that's awesome. I'd stick to BBQ if you're eating here (don't go off the beaten path with oh, let's say a veggie dish). However I did enjoy their mac and cheese and the garlic mashed potatoes weren't bad, just served a 'lil cold.
The total 'pro' is that it's dog friendly and there is a plenty of space to park your dog :) -
Review from Allen D.
Rancho San Diego, CA
12/12/2009
My girlfriend and I had the pleasure of dining here a few weeks ago while vacationing in Big Bear. After reading numerous great reviews on Yelp and other sites we added this place to our list of places to try.
We visited sort of "off season" so the place was not crowded at all. We sat in a romantic booth facing the water and were waited on like VIPs...maybe because there were only two other tables filled.
The food was awesome. The complimentary homemade potato chips and dip they served we really good. Our food was great too. We each selected different two item combos with different side items and then took turns sampling each others plates. The pulled pork and chicken were by far the best and the sweet potato fries were divine. The portions were huge so we took about half of the meat portions back to our cabin and made sandwiches the next day for lunch
The dinner was completed when we tried their warm peach cobbler for desert. Normally I am not a fan of baked fruits but my girlfriend is, so I was a little reluctant to try it but did so any way. All i can say is that cobbler was amazing!!! It was warm, had this crunchy topping and a generous scoop vanilla ice cream on top. We devoured that desert despite the fact we we already stuffed from dinner. It was sooooo good!!! So good in fact, dare I say, that if sex could be a food, it would be this amazing peach cobbler.
Thank you B's for making our trip memorable. We will be sure to stop by the next time we are in town. -
Review from Maureen W.
South Pasadena, CA
4/12/2010
I like to call myself a Big Bear foodie...but only because I've made it my solemn goal to eat at all restaurants in Big Bear. I've been back to B's numerous times because the food is so good.
They start you off with their home made potato chips which are delicious, of course, as all fried potatoes are. I typically stick with the pulled pork which is smoked to perfection. But I"ve also tried the BBQ chicken which is nice. Love their sauce...it is lovely. Sweet and tangy, the best of both worlds. Good sweet potato fries.
Nice bar--lots of good beer. Everything a vacationer could want!
