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This was THE happening town in place. After we paid a cover we walked in and people were dancing and there was a band... we just felt out of place. I mean people on the dance floor were just going through the motions. They weren't blacked out wasted. Sad, but that is the only way you will see me getting down on the dance floor. Everyone was so composed a bit surreal for me.
This would be a solid place to go with a group of people WASTED. I guess my point is you'd have a blast anywhere if you were wasted. Not sure where else to go if you are in Big Bear.
We went bar hopping (driving, I was the DD what?!? nwhat?!? not really if you get my gist) and then we headed back to our cabin because we'd knew we'd have a better time.
Do not come here if you aren't a local.
The bar is cash only. The bartenders ignore you and act like they have better things to do. The drinks are weak and the prices are outrageous. Apparently they think that they are in holllywood. (3 doubles and a coots light for $39.25)
The 'regulars' at the bar however seemed to be getting great drinks/service. Avoid if you can.
This place has been around forever, and hasn't changed much over the years. No more shuffleboard tables anymore, which is regrettable. Chad's is not the place for the quiet or timid; the patrons can be rowdy and a bit rough around the edges. However, if you're not intimidated by a roadhouse environment, and you want to see some of the local color in action, then this is the place. It's also one of the better places in the area to watch sporting events. Food offerings are basic and so-so. It's mainly a watering hole, but you can definitely come as you are and fit right in.
Lots of space, expensive pitchers, considering, and a diverse and drunk crowd. Good people watching, highlights being a chemist/hiker performing some cool magic tricks, and some guy complaining outside about some stranger punching him in the face and running off.
Hadn't even ordered my drink before I got my ass grabbed. I've never been around more sexually-aggressive girls in my life, which certainly made for an entertaining evening. Highly recommend it if you're looking for reasonably priced beer and some local color. Make sure to bring the pepper spray, though.
I guess it all depends on whether you think its OK for people to wear a swastika on their biker vest or not?!
I think it's not OK.
Chad's happens to represent about 70% of the reason I left Big Bear (the other 30% being Murray's).... It only accepts cash, the place ain't no friend of queers (umm, yeah, some gay dude got beaten the shit outta behind the back), and the crowd is... Well, it's Big Bear All-Stars -- you know, the kids that "graduated" (did they?) and never managed to take a step off the mountain.
Okay, so Negative Nelly has gotta go -- let's get to some good points. If you're wasted already, Chad's rocks 'cause you won't remember it. They have plenty of pool, sometimes a decent band. DO NOT GET A GLASS CUP... I can assure you that shit hasn't been properly cleaned in ages. Stick with the plastic -- it adds to the white-trashey ambiance of it all.
So I was in town for the weekend and asked a local from Snow Summit what bar to check out... he told me "Chad's, man". So we loaded up the Subaru and were off to Chad's, man.
First off, the $5 cover was pretty ridiculous... oh well, we paid and went in. Then, we find out it is cash only (great... I never have enough cash). The live band was pretty funny and entertaining to watch, then some dance/rap tunes started to play during their breaks. This is when we just decided to act like fools and dance the night away .... pretty fun! We also played some pool, foosball and had some interesting people watching here (haha).
It was fun, nothing GREAT.. but it was nice for a night.
Ah, Chad's.....seems the place to be in Big Bear at night....
This is your typical, get drunk, meat market type of bar. They charge a $5 cover, which wouldn't go over anywhere else, except that there is hardly anywhere else to go in the village. I'm a bit shocked that we girls had to pay, as the place was 80-90% men.
The drinks were decent and reasonabley priced. The music alternates between cheesey Top 40 and cheesey cover bands. For some reason, the night we were there, there were two bachelorette parties (representing about all of the female population of the bar). The crowd is friendly...lots of ski bums to chat up. The other side of the bar is filled with pool tables.
All in all, I would never go if we had a choice, but we always have a good time.
THE PLACE:
Dive bar
YIIIPPPPEEEE:
I love dive bar's
pool tables, darts, and booze what more do ya need
BOOO:
Cash only. What the hell. No credit cards. What year is it. We are still in the United States right.
Bands are LOUD - i like me some music but i like to be able to talk to the
people i came with too
There's never a dull moment at Chad's.
There are plenty of things I dislike about this place. Cover, expensive drinks, bad sound system, etc...however whenever I'm in Big Bear, I make damn sure to stop in for a few brews.
Last time I went, some band full of fat dudes named "Slingshot" were seriously melting faces with their fiery guitar solos. They were playing nothing but Van Halen songs...and I swear, they were better than the real thing. The fattest of the fat dudes even put his beat-up axe behind his head and played "Eruption" seamlessly! R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
I was back at Chad's last night before some Sunday snowboarding...and it must have been skank-a-palooza in that joint. You'd never believe it was 32 degrees outside, because these pumas were wearing close to nothing. In fact, one woman was freaking out on the dance floor, dry humping anything within a 4 foot radius of her...and her top fell off, exposing her left breast. Instead of fixing the wardrobe malfunction, she let some dude place his mouth on her naughty bits for well over 1 minute. I couldn't believe my eyes! Neither could the group of cowboys next to me who screamed "what do you think this is, Orange County?!?!?!? Classic.
On my way out, 5 biker guys were playing pool and some punky snowboard kid spilled a shot of Jaeger on the table...they took care of him promptly.
This kind of behavior seems to go down every time I'm there...how awesome is that? Talk about people watching! Where else can you see skanks, pumas, bikers, cowboys, locals, fat dudes and trust-fund kids all partying in the same space? That answer is clear. Chad's place.
Because it's the most well known hang out, and it's located right in the middle of "The Village", Chad's gets all of the hype. They always have a live band. So, if you want to catch a band and have a brew with it, this is the place. If you arrive after the band plays, you don't have to pay the cover. They usually have dancing after the band plays. All in all, it's a good place to grab a brew, listen to a band, and gawk at higlanders and lowlanders.
Drunk Man: "Hey, guys, do you know about any other bars around here?"
Us: "Well, we just came from Murray's, and we're heading to the Pub...
But Chad's is right there--"
Drunk Man: "Fuck Chad's, man!"
Us: "...Yeah! Fuck Chad's!"
Beware: there's a cover charge.
Well, I can go either way on Chads. Cool roadhouse bar. Different crowds depending on the timer of year. In the summer, there are often Harleys out front, including mine. Winter, mostly locals in for a cold one. They let you bring food in, since they only have chips. Cash only! At night, things are different. Sometimes a band, sometimes DJ. And if I could not get in free, I would not go. It is not worth paying the cover.
In conclusion, drop by in the afternoon. Avoid it in the nights.
Drinks are stiff and the price is good. the place is kinda medium sized and the dance floor is a decent size. They have at least 6 pool tables. They only take cash, but with an ATM machine inside, we drank all night.
park in the back
Chads is great, totally. fun. Day or night. Yes the night cover is kinda lame, but if you get there early enough...no cover. And day time is chill, hang play some darts or pool and have fun with friends. DO be prepared it is Cash only :(. Good bands on weekends...Hey thats my bIke...a GREAT BAND!!! Check them out
It's terrible that this place can call itself a sports bar. All I can say is that I made a concerted effort not to touch anything there with my bare skin.
Live band and deejay took turns on a Friday night. $5 cover, which I found absolutely ridiculous considering the place was nowhere near being a "find" or crowded. We danced by the bar for a little before a bouncer told us we had to dance on the dance floor. We took $2 jello shots from the bar in the back (by the bathrooms), and took over the lounge area right there, where we met everyone and their dog on his or her way to the bathroom. It was a good night, but it was our second (and last) stop after Murray's, so I was a bit disappointed in the change of energy, vibe, and music selection. The music was more dance-able (since it was a deejay), but not sing-able... therefore less fun. But I guess the jello shots made up for it.
So few bars in Big Bear, this is probably one of the livelier ones...We popped in, the guys got a pitcher of beer, and I a hot cocoa with Rumpleminze, all served lovingly by our gray bearded super talkative and helpful barkeep. All sorts of peeps, young and old, in boarding gear and what not...There were a few pool tables and couches, your run of the mill, middle of the road bar in the middle of nowhereland.What made the place special was the service. Everyone in Big Bear is so so so nice. Apparently they serve food only on the weekends. We liked this spot so much we returned to have more cocktails later on in the night. Only con, they close at 10p.m.! WTF??
cool to place to go. we got lucky and the band rocked, and the dj was good. chads has every type of game you could want to play at a bar. the people were friendly and we had a great time. the cover charge sucked but oh well
Ended up here after boarding on NYE. Def a wild mix of eclectic individuals, but had a great time. Drinks are stiff for a moderate cost, the band was good and plenty of activities(pool, darts, fuseball, people watching). Since your options are limited on the hill, you will end up here. Handle it.
This place is pretty much a roadhouse type bar. I have been there a couple of times and the crowd can vary, lots of locals or lots of visitors if it is a holiday weekend. When we went everyone was dressed down; someone smelled like BO; and someone kept passing gas, other than that the band was ok.
Happy Hour Monday-Friday 4pm…
Big Bear Lake, CA
$0.50 Hot Wing Special!
Big Bear Lake, CA
Big Bear Lake, CA
Category: Pubs
Big Bear Lake, CA
Category: Restaurants
Big Bear Lake, CA
Category: Nightlife
Big Bear Lake, CA
Category: Pubs
Big Bear Lake, CA
Category: Restaurants
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