Azteca Grill Mexican Food Restaurant
40199 Big Bear Blvd, Big Bear Lake, CA, 92315
Azteca Grill Mexican Food Restaurant Menu
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Address :
40199 Big Bear Blvd
Big Bear Lake, CA, 92315 - Phone (909) 866-2350
- Website https://www.aztecabigbear.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Dany W.
While on a short vacation I have had the pleasure of eating here twice and have not been disappointed. The menu: Always complementary chips and salsa bar Two combos, both for 11.99! Combo 1: Cheese Enchilada, hard Taco with shredded beef, with rice and beans Combo 2: Cheese Enchilada, Chicken Tamale, with rice and beans We asked for green sauce on everything :) The flavors are very savory and not too spicy. The taco was crispy, meat flavored well, fresh crema and lettuce, and the salsa verde was perfectly tangy! Great service and food that hits the spot :)
(4)Paul F.
Somewhat expensive ($10-$15 entrees) for a regular lunch, but I wouldn't hesitate bringing guests to town there. I had the Wednesday $1 fish tacos special. I thought they were great. Real fish, not just chopped up fish-sticks as I've had elsewhere. At another Mexican place in town, the $1 taco special turned out to be tiny appetizer-sized tacos. The Azteca tacos were normal-sized.
(5)Donnita C.
Not a fan.. Charging for chips after the first baskets and kids drinks are charged like an adult drink. Drinks are $2.50 with only one refile.. Salsa bar: you get your salad yourself, not much flavor.. And as you all know Mexican restaurants are known for their salsas.. The food was decent chili rellenos very greasy. Shredded Taco meat was good.
(2)Krista E.
Not my style of Mexican. Nice owners and staff. Fundito was a hard cheese, not dippable. Chicken in tacos tasted like canned.
(2)Jack H.
Excellent service. Excellent food. Large portions allowed two of us to share 1 appetizer (avocado fries) and 1 entree (vegetable fajitas). Going back tomorrow!
(5)Jen H.
The food didn't taste like real Mexican. ...the enchilada sauce and beans tasted like they came out of a can from the grocery store. The margaritas were awful, too. The service was good, however. There was also tons of flies inside the restaurant.
(1)Ronak P.
Sub par service. Food also sub par. I ordered a burrito and expected something amazing because of all these reviews... I was disappointed. I suspect it is rated app highly because locals only have 2-3 Mexican cuisine food spots up here so they see it as amazing. I wouldn't recommend.
(3)Anthony A.
The food was great and the service was friendly and fast. My wife and I came for brunch,I got the huevos rancheros and she got the potato, egg and cheese burrito. Both were delicious. The Bloody Mary was the best I've had and the patio seating was shady and clean. We will definitely be back again! Tip Use the check in and you will get 15% off!
(5)Debbie S.
I guess we got lucky considering some of the other reviews. Their parking lot was almost empty and the service was warm and very friendly. I had the best vegetarian burrito I could imagine. It was full of cabbage, red peppers, green peppers and pinto beans and holy cow the veggies were grilled to perfection. It was so filling I had to take half of it with me. The cheese enchiladas are great and the spinach enchilada combo is very good too. Their quacamole is good and the salsa bar is kinda fun. We went here twice while we were on vacation.
(5)Vanessa C.
My (Mexican) husband and I truly enjoyed our experience at Azteca. The mango margarita was big and delicious! My husband had the 7 de mares soup and I ordered the shrimp avocado salad. Neither one of us was disappointed! We will go there again when we visit Big Bear.
(5)Amy B.
Was blown away by the friendly attentive service My family received here. We were craving some Mexican breakfast which is hard to find in Big Bear....pretty much all the Mexican restaurants don't open till 11am. So we pulled up around 10:30 figured we would wait till 11am A friendly waitress happened to be outside and invited us to come in and have some chips and drinks while we waited!! Wow!! And the exceptional service didn't stop there a very cordial and attentive young man took our order "before" their official opening time.. The chips were fresh and delicious the salsa was fantastic, our food came out before we knew it and was hot and delicious!! Good portions generous amount of cheese in my bean burrito (just the way I like it) the restaurant itself was bright and clean!! We will definitely be back next time we are in this area!!
(5)Luke L.
Literally the very worst chicken tacos and nachos I have had the displeasure of putting in my mouth. If you traveled to my mouth there is very good chance you would have mistaken it for the Sahara desert for how dry those god forsaken tacos were. The service was quality, but as I believe the say in Mexico the food was "no bueno".
(1)Shi P.
The food was very good, and had reasonable prices. Recommend coming here for a relaxing atmosphere. Very friendly staff. :) will come back again.
(5)Dawn H.
I have been a long time customer of this restaurant and have even left a positive review in the past. They recently posted lunch specials on Facebook, but on two occasions have refused to honor the price. Today I was going to place a to-go order and asked if they would honor what was listed, and was told no/ that it was a dollar more. When I questioned why they advertised specials then refused to honor them- I was talked to in an extremely rude manner and hung up on. Sad to treat a loyal, local customer this way. I don't care how good the food is- I will not give my business to a place that thinks it is ok to be so rude.
(1)Joseph R.
Waited about 30 minutes just for the appetizer. Food was not bad but my family and I waited forever.
(2)Shannon M.
The owners are always so friendly. Luis was a great server. Food is always yummy! My family comes here often.
(5)Desire D.
Early dinner and the place was pretty packed. It is a small hole in the wall place. Upon entering the restaurant we were greater immediately. As we waited so they can clean off a table the gentlemen who asked the number of guest, noticed we were looking at the rugby game on t.v and began talking to us about it and even giving us history about it. That small talk made the time fly by until the table was cleaned. Menu - variety of Mexican food. Kids menu was Mexican food along with chicken nuggets and grill cheese. Kids items can come with fries or beans and rice. Waitress gave us our menu and attended to our order drink immediately. Maria was very friendly, served us with a smile and was very quick with our drinks and took our order. Maria was very tentative. She also directed us to the salsa bar where we can choose our own salsa for the warm chips. Our food came very quickly. The food looked average but the taste was great. The chicken nuggets were very tender. The rice reminded me of my Abuelita's rice. The food was very authentic. We had the chicken tostada, carne asada, enchilada, bean and cheese burrito, and chicken nuggets. The kids plates were big especially the bean and cheese burrito. That feeds 2-3 kids. The margarita was good. Both the strawberry and jalapeño. Patio outside had lots of heaters to try to keep patrons warm. Bathroom was out side around the restaurant which was hard to go to when it was cold. The restroom was neat. Service was wonderful. But I think it is time for this little hole in the wall restaurant to expand a little. Parking is tight. Not the best for many big cats.
(5)Danny R.
Literally the worst mexican food I have ever had. Lol.. I did not throw a fit.. I told the waiter he just looked at me and said you can't get a discount.. lol.. I didn't want one, I just wanted to make sure he knew it was this bad..
(1)John D.
OMG, awesome food. Coming back for sure...
(5)Ky S.
Mediocre food. Service was decent. Drinks were weak; beer was cold, however. In recognition of the weak pour on a mixed drink, the waitress replaced with a beer - always consistent. Despite the standstill traffic, I'd hold out for one of the establishments further up 18.
(2)Sarah M.
This place was excellent. It's hard for us us to give 5 star and this place took the cake. Our server was named Aldolfo and he was very hospitable. We got to the restaurant right when it open so we were lucky. I had the homemade menudo and tried their margarita which is also homemade. Their tortillas were fresh and hot. My hubby had the carnitas plate and they were excellent. We were always checked on and the service was on point!! We will always come here when we visit Big Bear!!!
(5)Chris E.
Food was good....reasonable prices..... Large portions.... The avocado fries were a hit... And the salsa bar was great too!
(4)Megan F.
Food is OK. Was not really impressed. My party was 8 people. Told us that it would be 15 minutes to seat us, but it took them 45. After that we had to re-due the setup of the table because they only had seven chairs available. The service was horrible. We didn't get our meal until an hour later. Our waiter kept ignoring us and he messed up on two of the orders. How hard is it to understand carne asada fries and garlic shrimp. Instead we got a side of fries and spicy shrimp. I do have to say that there was one employee who was the busier who was working really hard. I wish I would of gotten his name. He not only cleaned the table he was the only one attentive to getting us water/soda and actually serving our meals. Our waiter only came out when we had to pay. Honestly I would never go back.
(1)Greg A.
I give the Azteca Grill four stars, however, if we were in a major metropolitan region...probably three stars. The food was good, but the portions were a bit small. Since you're paying resort prices for most purchases up here anyway, it just magnifies the frustration when your tacos are about the same size as something you'd find at Taco Bell. Otherwise, the service was very good and they have a nice dog friendly outdoor patio.
(4)Tricia S.
Absolutely delicious food. I ordered the cheese enchilada with chicken taco combo and my husband ordered the Carne Asada plate. We both loved our meal. I also ordered the fresh watermelon margarita, which I highly recommend!! Another huge plus is the patio allows dogs! Definitely eat here! :)
(5)Empty N.
The service was excellent, salsa and guacamole was wonderful. The fondue chorizo was tasty - the shrimp burrito had a lot of shrimp great portions but was not flavorful, I found this to be true for chili verde too. Great portions and tender pork but I am used to chili verde to be spicy and full of flavor this tasted like the plain green sauce you get in store for enchiladas, it was a bit on the lemon side too. No spice or great flavor I took one bite and didn't touch it after too blah. The place served fast and large portions so I wanted nothing better than to rate it a five but it was just to plain for me. Some of you prefer non spicy food this is a great place to try. Watch out for the salsa it was hot and to me yummy.
(3)Diana K.
Coming to this area for the first time it was difficult for my family to pick a decent place to have lunch at. Happy-go-lucky our toddler chose this one and we were not disappointed at all. Starting with a surprisingly good service, ending with generous servings of delicious food - we loved it all! Definitely will come here again.
(5)Chris E.
MMMMM AZTECA!!!! You never disappoint! BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN BB!! The margaritas are good. So are the micheladas and the salsas. Their food is fresh and it's not overly done like many Mexican Americanized places are. Let's face it, when it comes to coctel, EVERY PERSON enjoys them differently. Every seafood place I've been to for a cocktail everyone dresses it up to their liking whether if it's putting more ketchup, lime, salt etc- so don't be fooled by what other reviews say! Azteca is the Mexican way to go!
(4)Liz S.
Too expensive for 2 small beef tacos, beans and rice. Left hungry after spending $$ and won't go back. Cannot recommend. Staff was nice.
(1)Robert Z.
This place is Not bad in a pinch. Great selection of food items. The Mango Margaritas are great and a must to try. The Mexican Shrimp Cocktail is tasty but needed some help with seasoning. A little salt and a few spoons of hot salsa mix did the trick. They have three different salsas to choose from. All are tasty. The Shrimp Fajitas Were cooked well but lacked any seasoning. The shrimp were big and tender and juicy. This could be a great dinner with some fresh garlic, salt, and pepper added when cooking. The Chili Rellino was also bland and needed a better egg coating. The beans and rice were good but were served Only slightly warm. Not hot at all. The service was Friendly and the food came quickly. The price is average. There is a 15% discount off your bill with a Yelp Check In. This place could be a easy 4 to 4 1/2 star place if they learn to season there food. All and all it's worth a try. Enjoy.
(3)Aaron L.
Surprisingly good and authentic Mexican food in Big Bear! I feel like I don't see albondigas (meatball soup) on a lot of Mexican food restaurant's menus (anywhere); but lo and behold, Azteca Grill serves it! Really hits the spot on a cold day too. Just a heads up: the bowl is massive, so it's really more like a main dish than a side. The downside was that there was only 2 (large) meatballs included. =\ The other highlight for me was their home made flan.. Perhaps the best I've ever had! Definitely save room for it.
(4)Calendula M.
Oh! The food is authentic, fresh, and tasty....if previous reviewers gave them less than four or five stars, it's only because the poor staff has to cover hoards of demanding patrons. Chips are fresh and they don't try to re-use the frying oil. The salsas are fresh and home made. The marinated zanahorrias (carrots) were my fav! Hubby enjoyed his tamal and hard taco. Beans were standard, but the rice was fluffy and fresh and not overly tomato-y. I got fish tacos. There was enough fish to fill five tacos. Don't know what kind of fish it was ( some kind of mild whitefish ) cut into chunks and sauteed with a little herbs and oil...so tender and fresh, all I added was a little lime and salt...yum! So stuffed! We'll be back!
(5)Steve Y.
One if the best restaurants in Big Bear. Better than most Mexican restaurants down the mountain. Vegi burrito is awesome.
(5)LeeAnn B.
I can't believe I have never tried this restaurant as my family has had a cabin in Big Bear for almost 25 years! We were up there celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday and my boyfriend and I were pretty hungry after our day of ziplining so decided to stop by for a quick meal to share. We were really in the mood for Mexican food and figured that since the patio is usually pretty packed, it couldn't be half bad. We ordered the fajita plate with chicken, steak and shrimp to share. Boy was it delicious! There was so much food that even with the two of us eating off of the plate, there was plenty for us both to have a small leftover snack the following day. The steak and chicken were both seasoned and cooked perfectly. I don't like shrimp, but my boyfriend claimed that the shrimp was pretty good and they were huge. I am especially fond of their salsas. They have a salsa bar so you can go up and grab your own as needed. My boyfriend and I both deemed the medium chunky salsa as the best one. I checked in on yelp and noticed they offered a 10% discount. The waiter was happy to take it off of our bill despite the lack of two full ordered meals or any alcohol. Even with the discount the bill was still about $20 which is sort of high for one meal and few sodas, but the food was good so we'll definitely be coming back!
(4)Victor G.
I find it very odd that this restaurant has good reviews this past Saturday I went to this restaurant. And there service was the worst I had in years are waiting time was 15 minutes and it turn to almost 35 minutes we didn't get are food til a hour later they failed to bring me water after I told them twice the food was some what mediocre I'm mexican and I could do better mexican food than them this restaurant would be a embarrassment in disgrace if it was in los angeles or san diego getting good reviews from the locals means they don't know anything about mexican food.
(1)Jason K.
First time eating here even though I'd driven by it many times. Food was pretty good. Service was good but kinda slow. They took a while to do refills of both chips and sodas. We had the taco salad and cheese enchiladas specials. We would order them again and the special price was very reasonable. Sat outside. I'd go back again
(3)Anthony L.
The BEST Mexican food I have ever had in my life! Bang! Period! Didn't even had the chance to speak to my friends while stuffing the heaven in my mouth. Fresh homemade guacamole... to die for! Best fresh salsa ever! Homemade tortillas tasted perfectly with my tacos.
(5)Bostic J.
This place was alright. If you live in California, Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas, you'll be a little disappointed. If you live anywhere else, you might think this place is great. If so, visit a truly great Mexican dive to learn that this is trky middle of the toad. They won't have mango margaritas everywhere, but if you're looking for one, it's doubtful you have something meaningful to say about Mexicab Cuisine b
(3)Gern B.
On a recommendation, we had dinner at Azteca and were extremely pleased with the food and the service. Arturo and Scott were excellente' !!! Mole Verde was tasty, portions were plentiful, and the salsa bar is right on the money (especially the tomatillos sauce!). All in all - a great dinner! Thanks Azteca, Arturo and Scott!
(5)Elizabeth R.
Dude. Azteca, get your ish together. The good reviews for this place really made me want to love you. Isn't going to happen. After walking around the car show going on at The Village, we decided to grab some lunch. Usually Yelp is my best friend for food in areas I'm not super familiar with. Not this time. First, the service. Baaaaaaaad. We were told the wait was 15 minutes. 35 minutes later, we finally have a table. Granted, there was 7 of us, so the setup was a little tricky, but we also weren't the only large family there. Since the car show was going on, pretty much everything in the area was packed to the gills, so we gave them the benefit of the doubt. We're all pretty laid back and knowing how busy everywhere was, we didn't expect super quick service, but c'mon now! After we were finally seated, we sat there a good 20-30 minutes before anyone showed up to take our order, despite there being numerous servers and employees all over the place, who kept looking over at us, but not saying a single word, then it took over an HOUR for the first meal to arrive at the table. A couple of us received our orders mixed up, missing items or had to wait even longer for it to even come out of the kitchen, one of us never even receiving a dish that was ordered. We had to ask several times just to get napkins, silverware, drinks, etc. The food. Don't get me wrong, it's beautifully presented, totally looks like you just want to shove it in your facehole as quick as possible. It's hot, it's pretty, it mouthwatering. Until you take your first bite and disappointment sets in. After waiting so long for it to arrive, we were all pretty hungry and waiting for what was supposed to be "some of the best Mexican food around" Well, I'm sorry friends this isn't it. The everything was just, ehhhhh. It all lacked flavor and punch. The foods good in a pinch, or if you like lackluster, but I don't recommend it. The salsa bar is cool, it's stocked with 3 different salsas, hot carrots, radishes, jalapeños, etc. but the salsa itself is not good. The mild tastes like marinara sauce, the "hot" salsa tastes like some sort of funky pizza sauce and the green salsa just tasted like onions. Finding parking at this place is a complete joke, the parking area is shared with two or three other businesses as well, so be prepared to wait or hoof it from down the street.
(2)Cristal P.
Great casual Mexican food spot in Big Bear. Customer service was excellent. Try their salsa at the self serve salsa bar, so delicious! Cozy atmosphere inside, larger patio outside for when the weather warms up. 3 tv's on tuned in to different sports channels, but the volume was off so you could still chat and hear the Mexican music playing in the background. Saw some people come in for takeout, one of the staff actually delivered outside to the person's car! On a Sunday night you could tell it was mostly locals. :)
(4)Kelly C.
The food was not bad. But what really made this a 2 is the service. I felt as if I was an inconvenience on their time. I had originally ordered flour, but got corn tortillas. No biggy. When brought to their attention, she said nothing and had a look of annoyance. When she brought the flour tortas back, she sat them on the table, no acknowledgement and walk away as we said thank you. We are your customers and keep your business going. If you don't like a service oriented profession, get out of the business of service.
(2)K V.
The place isn't very big so coming at peak times will mean a wait. And yes, yelp says there is a 15 off coupon that does not exist but, these are small problems. On to my actual review. The food is very good and the fresh salsa is worth the drive. Don't worry about getting a margarita they are weak(I mean low alcohol not surfer talk) but the beers are cold and drafts are varied. Stick w beer. A varied menu that is worth trying over and over. Friendly staff and big screens for sport. Easy parking, pet love, and outdoor seating when it's warm. A very good choice
(4)David P.
Great authentic Mexican restaurant. They use quality fresh ingredients and they only use vegetable oil. They have many choices of food managed by a hospitable staff. Very warm Mexican atmosphere with TVs broadcasting the sports.
(4)Ly T.
We came in for lunch (I think we were the first customers). The service was outstanding, and the food was delicious. My husband and I had albondigas soup, and our friends had chicken fajita. Both were very well made, you can tell it's fresh. The free chips and salsa is also a big plus: the chips are freshly made, and there's a salsa bar so you can get as much salsa as you want. We will be coming back.
(5)Steven C.
As far as authentic Mexican food goes the food was good however not great. I had a cheese enchilada and a tamale with rice and beans. The enchilada was good along with the rice and beans but the tamale was flavorless. The service should have been better considering very few customers when we were there, I had to ask for a tea refill. Used the yelp 15% coupon which the waiter gladly accepted.
(3)Alessandra F.
I don't know how there's decent reviews on here. YUCK! The salsas from the chip bar tasted like shit. I got the Don Juan Burrito... no flavor. Everything was so bland and unseasoned. The beans were like a soup... also no flavor. It was a waste of a meal for myself and my group of 6. :(
(2)January H.
While on vacation in Big Bear, I came in close to closing time and ordered take-out. Wow, at that hour I wasn't expecting my food to be fresh. My combo plate was filled with flavor. The salsa bar was well stocked. Some friends in the area told me to check out Azteca, and I'm very glad I did.
(5)Tim R.
Solid Mexican Food Option in Big Bear Many choices including the typical tacos, burritos, and enchiladas. All of the stuff is authentic and has that made at home taste. I had the two soft tacos with fish and shrimp for $12. This comes with rice, beans, and guacamole. Great tasting plate, would order it again any day. Decent salsa bar and very good and attentive customer service. I wanted to get a margarita or two but this was the last meal before the drive back down the hill. I guess something to look forward to for a future Big Bear trip. A picture of this meal has been attached for your visual pleasures.
(4)Yessi L.
Horrible service!!!! Don't waste your time here. They take forever to serve you. My family of 16 walked out after waiting for over an hour.
(1)Luke P.
They have a great taco tuesday! and plenty of other specials during the week. The owner is extremely friendly, and the food is fantastic. It isn't the same old boring Mexican/American food you would get at some of the more "basic" places here in Big Bear Lake.
(5)Midge C.
Went to dinner last night at this gem of a place. The hot salsa is delicious. Hubby had the chile verde and I had the cheese enchilada and chile rellenos. The watermelon margarita was quite refreshing. Will definitely come back. Service was the tops as well.
(4)Ken M.
Right next to the Sugar Pine bakery this is a favorite dog-friendly lunch stop for the whole brood. My faves include the Chile Relleno and the Chilaquiles. Dogs are served waters with a smile. Meats include Carnitas, Chile Verde, Carne Asada, shredded beef, and also the Gringo fave, ground beef. Great patio seating with wide-rear-friendly chairs plus umbrellas for sunny days. There's a salsa bar two red salsas, a green tomatillo, as well as pickled chiles/carrots radishes, cilantro & onions. Good portions. Clean restrooms.
(4)Julie V.
Food was ok, as you expect it from mexican. Service sucks a bit as you will have to go and ask/get the sauces from inside of the restaurant as I was sitting in patio.
(3)JeSuisRaif W.
Service was a little chaotic and wait time to be seated, given water, and food served was kind of ridiculous. We waited much longer to be seated and served our food than the time it took us to eat. But I will give them a pass because it was a major holiday weekend and there were more people than could be accomodated for. So the reason for the two stars was the taste and quality of the food. I had the shrimp/fish taco plate and my meal unfortunately did not have any flavor to it. All I could taste was the flour tortilla. I didn't taste anything else and could hardly make out the taste of the fish. I even dosed my tacos in salsa to give them some kind of flavor, but the salsa wasn't also very good, so the overalll taco just tasted poor. I hate to say it, but it was quite bad. Maybe I got unlucky with my order. Or maybe they did not have time to make it properly because of all the orders they had to take, but this was probably the worst fish and shrimp tacos I have ever had. The shrimp had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. I really couldn't tell if this was intentional and how they prepare it or if they had simply forgotten to season it. It was not marinated; there was nothing done to it. I really only got to experience the texture of the shrimp, though without any actual taste to it and that left me with a very strange sensation. The fish, which came in blocks, had a little more flavor than the shrimp, but even it could not be saved. I really wish they would take the time to season the shrimp and grill the fish more to give the meal some flavor. The salsa was also less than average, and the chips had a bitter aftertaste to them. Everything from the chips and salsa to my actual meal was just really unpleasant. I had high hopes for this place and really wish I could have given it a better review because the staff seemed like really lovely people. They did acknowledge that they were over crowded and apologized for that, so I really appreciated their attention and honesty. Because they seemed like a very sweet bunch, I want to end on some kind of a good note: although the service and the food ranged from mediocre to terrible, the staff was very nice! And maybe their other dishes are done well just not the shrimp/fish tacos.
(2)Tanya C.
We're Hispanic so we love our Mexican food to be made by Mexicans. We came here visiting from LA and I have to say, this was delicious, better than what we expected. From the beans to our michelada everything was very tasty and the servers were very polite. Next time we're in BigBear we visit this place for sure. Adding photos
(5)Paula M.
It was bland, meaning tasteless, no spice at all. Even if you are hungry and the restaurant you wanted is crowded and traffic is terrible--don't waste your carbs or money here. Service was mediocre. Would not come back.
(2)Shana And Bobby A.
I went here because they had good reviews but it turned out to be the worse Mexican food we ever ate. When the waiter brought out my chimichanga, on the side was suppose to be a good amount of lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. My mouth fell open because there was 3 pieces of shred lettuce, 1diced tomato and less then a drop of sour cream. It looked like they gave me someone's leftovers!! I asked the waiter for more and she said "it'll be an extra charge." Are you kidding me?? Bad service, fake Mexican food.
(1)Jack L.
Ate here for a late lunch during the Mexico World Cup. A few reasons may make my review a bit biased so feel free to take this with a grain of salt. 1) I was visiting Big Bear and have never tried any of the other Mexican Food in the area. 2) I am from San Diego where Mexican food restaurants are in every shopping center. The things I noticed about the place, friendly staff and a stellar 15% discount for checking in on Yelp however, the food was mediocre and on the high side for the quality. A cheese enchilada with a ground beef taco should not be $12.99. 3 people for lunch with 2 sodas would have been north of $40.00 without the discount which is too expensive in my book. I drove by the restaurant later in the evening and it looked to be a happening place to be so maybe locals get a better discount or don't know what great mexican food tastes like.
(3)Cindy W.
My husband was having a sympathy pregnancy craving for Mexican food so we found this place not too far from our cabin. The place is kind of small, but that's Big Bear. There were more outdoor seating but it was cold out. They gave us tortilla chips to start with nothing to dip it with, I thought that was weird. My husband had the margarita to start and told me it was very strong, just how he likes it. I had the chicken tortilla salad, it wasn't much of a salad, not really a dressing, warm chicken and sauteed onions, with a bunch of lettuce. It was good, I can't complain but I wouldn't call it a salad. My husband got this gigantic burrito and didn't finish it, he had to take it back to our cabin to reheat it for the next day. My daughter had the kids meal of quesadillas and fries with chocolate milk. She seemed to be enjoying her meal. Not a bad place, service was good.
(3)Miriam G.
Decided on this place because of the reviews... Big MISTAKE!! The spicy shrimp my husband ordered was not spicy at all, his beans tasted like they were frm a can, and his rice was dry. My posole was bland and barely had hominy in it. The only good thing tht tasted good was the Pepsi. Our server Adolfo should find another profession, hopefully not in customer service as his was awful. Would not come back here again and would never recommend to anyone.
(1)Cheryl S.
We went here due to a recommendation from a friend. One thing that appealed to us was the salsa bar. I ordered a combination plate with two soft tacos, one chicken breast and one carnitas. What came out was a chicken and a carne asada. They quickly fixed their error, but this was not the only one. My husband ordered the carne milanese, with the guacamole on the side. They put my guacamole on the side but his on his plate, and he hates the stuff. The food itself was very good and the portions were generous. I loaded up with salsa, and my meal ended up lasting not just for lunch there, but for dinner that night and breakfast the next day. We enjoyed our meal a lot but the two errors cost them a star!
(4)Noemy M.
I am Hispanic and know the taste if food and this food taste nasty. Sorry I hate saying that but I came here because of the reviews and well yeah. I am not happy.
(2)Melissa A.
Dog friendly. Yes! Great shady patio. But.. Noisy street. Friendly waitress. Manager honored yelp coupon even though it's expired. We each ordered burritos and they were bigger than my head, only 6-10 bucks a piece. They were fresh but nothing to write home about. There were a couple of places that were dog friendly in the village that I would rather try next time.
(4)Evelin H.
Was pretty excited about this place, walked in waiter told us it would be a 15-20 minute wait. He didn't take our name and as no one was waiting we didn't think much of it. After a 10 minute wait,two people walk in and get sat right away...completely ignoring us. When we tell the waiter why we got totally skipped he acts like a total idiot and asks us if we were on the list. We get upset because we stood there for 10 minutes and no one ever asked our name, long story short...we got completely ignored and even after we pointed out their mistake they became defensive and proceeded to say we weren't on a list! The worst service! And the fact that they had the nerve to argue with us after we got totally dissed made it even worse. I couldn't even stay after that uncomfortable situation. So sadly we left and they made us have a bad experience. I wish I could rate a no star. RUDE staff'
(1)Heather I.
Service was quick for our larger party and we loved the food. From the salsas to the burritos and shrimp tacos everything we liked! Great places for families and reasonable prices
(5)michael d.
Really good food owners are Mexican .. killer chili Vertie is unbelievable.very good fresh food!!
(5)David P.
Went here two nights in a row for dinner ... and this was our first trip to big bear from the desert. We ate outside with fire portable heaters . The salsa bar is great with 3 different salsa choices plus carrots, radishes and hot peppers ... the staff is friendly and the food is fresh and Delish
(5)Tammie E.
We have been living here in Big Bear for a year now and I have to say the best place for Mexican food is Azteca.. Athentic food , Fresh salsa bar with excellent salsa, and absolute friendly waitress and waiters. The combination makes it a wonderful eating out experience, to the point that you want to go back at least once a week!!!
(5)Cindy J.
We just had a wonderful lunch! we didn't know any info about this restaurant, but just stopped in by chance. the chile relleno was the best I've had in ages! It was freshly made, great cheese, perfectly breaded, and to top it off was an amazing sauce!!!!! The service was great as was the guacamole! I wasn't as thrilled with the shredded beef in the crispy taco. It definitely needed more flavor or at least salt.
(5)Jen C.
The milanesa was outstanding, as was the veggie burrito and chimichanga. Quaint, cute, good service, great prices. We'll definitely come back. Only complaint: can be a little noisy. But everything else about it makes up for it! Worth a visit.
(4)Scott B.
Wow. Wow. . WOW! . Wonderful Mexican Food. . The Fajitas Combo (steak, chicken and shrimp) is amazing. The portion size is gigantic. I couldn't even eat 1/2 of it and I am an eater! . Delicious, flavorful and perfectly prepared
(5)Kelli F.
Plesent little place here in BigBear. Food was ok. I had the Pasole and my mom had Meneudo. Both tasted like they had a similar soup base. Burritos were huge.
(3)Grace C.
Food was ahhhhh okay. The portion was w-o-w. Like the salad bar where I can grab my own jalapenos and carrots. Satisfied my hunger, but this place was just okay when it comes to taste. Can't complain though, where else would you find a good Mexican restaurant in middle of the woods? Not many~
(3)Andrea T.
After looking on Yelp for the best Mexican food we could find in Big Bear, we tried Azteca, and it did not disappoint. Adolfo, our server, was more than willing to accommodate us. He was efficient and always smiling. He even talked to the kitchen to make my husband a dish that wasn't exactly on the menu. And it was excellent! The ceviche is top notch, too. I plan to have a jalapeño margarita next time, since we are definitely going back again soon! The only reason for a 4 star rating is the ambiance... Fairly simple and casual.
(4)Jennifer A.
This was my first Mexican dining experience in big bear and it was pretty good. I had mixed feelings about some of the food I tried. The carne asana fries were so insanely delicious, but I'm not gonna lie I had some tummy issues afterwards! I won't blame it on the food just quite yet, I feel I may have had some altitude sickness that was contributing. The tostada on the other had was a waste, and don't bother ordering the "healthier" option. Go for the fries!
(4)Anastasia K.
The manfriend and I wanted to get some good food while vacationing in Big Bear with some friends, and we happened upon this place while on the road. We LOVE Mexican food, so we thought we should give it a fair shot. Well, I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. Living in LA, we're used to a wonderful sampling of Mexican restaurants that boast perfectly seasoned, beautifully cooked meats topped with flavorful sauces. Considering we're used to probably the best Mexican food in California (Southern California easily), we were slightly disappointed with the quality of food served at this restaurant. I liked the carne asada fries. Delish! The fries weren't soggy, and the toppings were decent. The fajitas weren't just okay, as the vegetables were bland at best. The rice was a tad on the undercooked side. :/ Granted, what can you honestly expect in this area? I don't think anyone should expect authentic Mexican food in these parts. However, to their credit, this is as authentic as you can get in this area. If you have so many complaints about it, it's just better for you to go to the local market and cook yourself awesome carnitas and carne asada fajitas goodness! The size of their parking lot is decent, considering what time you decide to pay a visit. We went on a weekend evening around 7 p.m., and there were plenty of parking spaces available. However, once we got inside, it was slightly different. Although it is fairly spacious inside, the placement of the tables and chairs make for inconvenient seating. It was hard for us to find seating for two. I think if you're going as a group, this place would be better suited for you. The service leaves something to be desired. We weren't exactly ignored, but we had to call them a few times to get what we wanted. And the sauce station really lacked choices as we were left with watered-down mush that didn't really add much flavor to the food. I did like the radishes though. ;) The food came out warm, and the portions are generous. It wasn't completely bland, and I didn't have any stomach issues so that's a plus. Haha. But I think I am making it seem worse than it really is because I did go back to the cabin feeling satisfied. I just think if you're near the area, you should try another restaurant or just cook your own food because for the price, this place isn't somewhere to write home about.
(3)Cynthia D.
The food was pretty bland. I ordered tacos and the shell was performed. Really? I was unimpressed.
(3)Alex O.
Took the family and enjoyed a great authentic meal. Get the carnitas with chile toreados. Yumm!
(5)Gary S.
Had dinner there last night and it was Terrible. We waited over an hour for our food after ordering and when it finally arrived it was cold and bland. Yuk!
(1)Allison O.
Really really good food and the Margaritas were amazing as well. Service was good, nothing extra special though.
(4)Susanna M.
I picked this place based on the 4 stars yelp reviewers gave. We were pleasantly surprised. The food was great, great flavor and fresh tasting. My husband got the Don Juan Burrito which was HUGE! he only finished half. I got the carne asada plate which was very tasty as well. I would come back here again. The only down side is that it is very small. But worth it for good food.
(4)Chris G.
Nothing in Big Bear gets more than 4-stars, so that's where we started our search when trying to find a birthday dinner place. Our first choice was Sweet Basil, but unfortunately we couldn't get in without reservation. This was our second choice and we came away feeling like they didn't deserve their 4-star rating. This is a Mexican dinner. You'll order at your table, but get your salsa at the self-serve bar. Service was good, we were served promptly. Ambiance was ok, there were two TVs with sports on. Food was good, but certainly was NOT 4-star good. All in all, it was a great value for what it was, but certainly not worthy of 4-stars in my opinion.
(3)Vanessa H.
We will not be coming back... Chips were not salted and had no flavor, salsa was very watered down and without flavor. Ordered a 7 mares that was delivered half empty, it was mostly a vegetable soup with 4 shrimp and 3 muscles .. I was give a crab cracker but they failed to put any crab. Place was very small and crowded.. It seemed like I was almost sitting on the other patrons ( we shared a dinner bench).
(1)Gary J.
You would think for the 4th of July weekend that a restaurant would have more employees to accommodate the increased volume of guests. It was actually not that busy and the service was PRETTY BAD!! The women that was serving our table seemed upset when we would request items such as extra place setting, sour cream, tortillas (we never got the place setting or the tortillas). The food portions were large, but the taste was very disappointing... I was also surprised when I received the check and found that 15% Gratuity was automatically included, when the final bill was brought to me for signature there was a blank space for "additional gratuity". The only GOOD thing about this place are the chips & salsa - which were never refilled...
(2)Kevin W.
Excellent food. Pleasant customer service. HUGE portions for the price, so a very good value for families. Not to mention, the salsa bar is pretty darn good.
(5)Jamie M.
Warm atmosphere! The service was nice and the food was excellent. We sat outside which was nice for the summer time! The weather couldn't be better.
(5)Ryan M.
Probably the best Mexican food I've had in Big Bear. There's another place on Big Bear Blvd (can't remember the name) but it was blaaaaaand!! This place is very tasty, and big portions!! The fajitas are delicious, perfect for a freezing cold night. The pozole was also very tasty and filling. I subtract one star because this place is TINY and crowded. The night we went, it was about 10 degrees out and they needed to sit some groups outside (under a tent with heat lamps) because there was no room inside. A large group came in while we were eating, and they had to shuffle tables and chairs around, which blocked our path to the exit and salsa bar. Not really their fault, but hey it's a fire hazard!
(4)Monica S.
THIS is the best mexican food in big bear!? SICK JOKE... I can to this small establishment on a Saturday night, with a group of 25 of us. Yes, that is a big number, but we were accommodated inside before hand. Our server was very prompt and attentive, which I did like, but the food was WAY below average. Firstly, for drinks, I got the mango margarita blended, which was way too pungent & just did not taste good, but drank it nonetheless. For dinner, i got the combination plate of a taco and tamale, with rice and beans. The taco was a sad hard shell, but nasty flavorless beef in it. Also, the tamale was mainly just the breading, I swear there was no meat in there! Lastly, the beans were so bland, horrible, and watery. The rice was okay, but that is probably cause it is packaged! Overall, the food and drinks is what killed this place for me! Although our server was pretty good, but friends got another server that did not serve them food until we were done and paid for! -- i'm guessing this is the 'best' Big Bear has to offer, but if it is, that is just sad! I would much rather cook my own flavorful meal at home, then waste my money here! (Oh yes, it is on the expensive side for sure!)
(2)Alannah C.
So after settling in, decided to look on yelp* for some good Mexican. This place seemed to fit the bill and decided to take a chance. Dropped in for lunch and got a table. This place does fill up so it seemed to be a popular place. Ordered the chile verde, other got taquitos, enchiladas, and tacos. Overall, the verde was very average. Nothing seemed that spectacular. I noticed a few people ordering the fajitas, and maybe I'll give that a try next time we are in the area. They have beers on tap (+), and serve margaritas (+++).
(3)Jolly M.
Absolutely NOT authentic. Absolutely NOT Mexican...but what is it???? Extremely disappointing. Service was very slow, unfriendly, and unwelcoming. I walked in and said hello, Happy New Year to a few of the staff. Believe it or not NO response with direct eye contact. What???? WEIRD. Food is extremely bland, flavorless and watery. Ordered bloody mary, garlic shrimp, rice and beans. Friend ordered bloody mary and carne asada burrito. Bloody mary was like a weeks worth of dingy swampy sink water with a bunch of floaters and light pinkish color. Discussed with my friend is that white stuff garlic? Is it cheese? Why is it curdled? The place was busy, but very well staffed, very slow to ask if we were ready to order and much slower receiving our order...that took over 30 minutes. Tried this place from the highly recommended Yelp reviews. I cannot recommend any item including their salsa, it is super watery. Jarred Pace Picante hands down beats their salsa and that's not a compliment since that stuff is horrible. Yelp "check-in" of 15% for this place was listed, when I presented it to one of the servers, they declined it. Decision for declining was not given when I asked. I have no idea why this establishment has an overall 4 star rating. I would highly steer clear of this place.
(1)Stacy C.
Combo plates are pretty big & the way to go. Outdoor seating. Plenty of parking. Nice service.
(3)Michelle N.
Must get the chile rellanos!! They are the best I've ever had. The burrito's kind of suck. My husband got a carne asada burrito and the meat was flavorless & tough. I got the chile verde burrito and it was dry inside. Definitely going back for their chile rellanos and tacos.
(3)Pilatestiff B.
Good mexican food. Great place to take the fam. Loved the shrimp fajitas and shrimp ceviche.
(5)Lisa R.
The patio was nice and the food was great! Bacon wrapped shrimp and seafood enchiladas!! Thanks for the great service Aldolpho and hooking us up with those Yummy margaritas! :)
(5)Becky G.
This is our second time eating here. We are locals and decided recently to try this place. The food is good....service is attentive and friendly and this place is on our list of good options to enjoy...even on a Saturday evening.
(4)Gary G.
A little off the "Big Bear Village" trendy scene this place rocks ! I had Mole Verde, very good, mole could have been a bit thicker, but lots of chicken, and very tasty ! The wife had the carnitas burrito, which was huge ! And was the best tasting carnitas she's had in a long time ! Juicy, yet firm. Seemed like a locals place, we love Azteca !
(5)Tom S.
Chicken burrito was okay but was really short on the chicken, it was mainly filled with rice. The chips and salsa are excellent here.
(3)M M.
Great chicken tortilla soup and great salsa bar. Always a good sign with fresh marinated carrots! Good margaritas as well.
(4)Gabriel O.
Must agree, salsa bar is very good! The rest of the food? Pretty good... Of course I haven't tried all of the plates, but I don't expect much for Mexican food up here. The staff are pretty nice though
(5)Deborah X.
Great restaurant, great customer service except that the waitress forgot that we didn't want ice in our water. Chips are always fresh and hot, salsa and guacamole are great and authentic. Only reason that I gave it a 4 star instead of 5 is that I ordered a shrimp and fish fajita, which is worth 16.99, and it came with 3 thin fish strip, and 4 shrimps -- W.T.H! I hope it's just that it's the only thing that's not worthy since my friend's dish was enough for dinner and for breakfast, but that shimp and fish fajita IS at specialty, maybe that's why?!? But anyways, I'd love to go back again, so I gave it 4 stars.
(4)Vicky Q.
Patiently waited this morning for restaurant to open and as a first time Big Bear vacationer we were really looking fwd to having some Mexican breakfast at this place. I am a parent of a child and "us parents" know how it is with children, all of a sudden my child gets the urge to use the restroom so who I believe was thee owner of restaurant was unloading groceries to restaurant and I kindly asked him if my 5 yr old daughter may use their restroom since we were having breakfast there and have been patiently waiting for business to open. He said no, that due to their "Business Insurance Policy" she couldn't! I've NEVER heard of such thing. NOT a very friendly response so we took our family to another restaurant in Big Bear Village that was much customer service friendly. Sometimes the smallest details, make the biggest customer service impressions.
(1)Erin F.
Would have given 5 stars, but charging for additional (first one's free) baskets of chips doesn't warrant 5 stars. Great ceviche, tortilla soup, and shredded chicken tacos!!!
(4)Matt B.
Great Mexican food with easy parking. I had the Milanesa and a jalapeño margarita and recommend both!
(5)BRiTNEE H.
Great Micheladas, food was mediocre, over priced food that is hardly authentic. Chips are good, first basket free, $1 for every basket thereafter. Salsa bar with a variety of salsas.
(3)Jake F.
Came here after a day on the lake and the food was good. Loved the salsa bar and our server Arturo was friendly. They brought us chips which we thought were complimentary like every Mexican restaurant but they ended up charging us $1- which was weird but not worth complaining about. Margarita on the rocks was good. Not super strong nor expensive. Azteca quesadilla was delicious but sides of guac and sour cream were tiny for sure. Overall satisfied with the food and service which are most important to me.
(4)Krista B.
Great restaurant in the area. Very nice, clean patio area, dog friendly, good salsa, and nice quality food. Good place for a low-key dinner.
(4)Clint W.
I have tried most the mexican restaurants in Big Bear and while i have had worse this is only slightly better. It has a lot of reviews because its the first restaurant that you see as you come into Big Bear. Well im glad they got that going for them... if i had to choose one word to describe Aztecas food and service it would be YUCK!! Do yourself a favor and go past this catastophre to find good mexican food. 1 star because they have a lot of HD tvs to make up for their crappy overpriced food and waitresses with attitude. Had a chile relleno enchilada combo and how anyone can mess up a cheese enchilada is beyond me.
(1)Bob L.
Great food at a fair price. The service we had from the son of the owners was really good. I would highly recommend this place.
(4)Mary N.
seriously this food is amazing. my uncle is very picky with his menudo and this was the beat. the service was great and prices were good too
(5)Silvia M.
Food was a sad imitation of authentic Mexican cuisine. Service was ordinary but the only good thing was the green salsa offered at the salsa bar. Glad to say it was authentic and yummy. We ordered a molcahete which was cold and had shrimp that felt like rubber, and cheese that was just from fridge. The chori-queso was dry and a little flavor less. Will NOT EVER be back.
(2)Ijnek A.
I live here and there are very few spots in big bear where you can get good Mexican food. The people here are very friendly and the food is good. Give it a try.
(5)Taylor H.
Ok, it was a cold evening, and me and my family chose to come eat here. It was crowded to the max. There was no room inside, so we have to eat outside in the cold. Overall, the food was good,the waitresses were helpful, but there's just one thing..... WE WAITED 3 HOURS FOR OUR FOOD!!! We were cold, hungry, my ice cold drink spilled all over my jacket, it was just.... disaster....... Don't know if I'll go back...
(2)Megin O.
We were here mid-May near closing time and felt a little odd being the last people in the joint. The server was brand new and couldn't recommend any menu items when asked. We shared a bowl of albondigas soup which was very yummy. I would go there again to get the soup, especially when it's cold out. I also got the chile verde burrito with half red and half green sauce. We'd been to New Mexico in March so we were more accustomed to flavorful green sauce. What they had looked like it was out of a can... not impressed. My boyfriend got shrimp enchiladas which were good. When our server couldn't help us with a recommendation, the manager came over to help out. She didn't seem too thrilled for us to be there but whatever... Their salsa bar is ok. We had to scramble to get several servings of salsa before they closed the salsa bar for the night.
(3)Brian O.
Very good food. Clean Restaraunt. Friendly staff. Worth stopping. Will eat here again.
(4)Paul L.
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.
(2)Alejandra C.
Excellent customer service, the owner was extremely nice and accommodating. Will recommend visiting the place :)
(5)Daniel F.
This is a place for one of the best bowls of menudo on the mountain. That being said, however, I have tried to sample their other food items as well. I enjoy their tortas as well as burritos, and they do have a lovely al pastor taco too. I normally try to make it for breakfast and am rather fond of their machaca plate too. The quality of service is nice as well, but they do have a condiment bar with some nice options.
(4)Tim B.
I was here over the weekend and needed some Mexican food. Thanks to yelp we found this place. After having a bad experience the night before from a local recommendation we stuck with yelp for the Dinner suggestions. Food seems to be Baja Mexican style. Atmosphere - The establishment is on the West end of the town, it was a bit of a walk so we drive. They have dining inside and outside on the patio. We chose inside as it was a little cool outside. Tables clean, and the chairs and seats seemed to be in good condition. They do have heat lamps if you did need that outside. Meet & Greet - We were greeted right away (the place was a little busy that evening). We were offered to sit at an open table. Drink Service - The waitress took our drink order immediately, and brought out the drinks within a couple minutes. They offer refills, and do seem to monitor their guests. We were offered refills, for water and soda. Food Service - Menu was about 4 pages or so, not huge, and plenty of options. Warm chips were delivered to the table with our drinks, and you are free to get salsa on your own. There is a salsa bar by the front door which has 3-4 types of salsa, and stacks of cups to put the salsa into to bring back to your table. We had the mild stuff, and it had great flavor. Food Experience - We choose a Chili Relleno/beef taco combo, and wet beef burrito. Both were very flavorful, and a good quantity. The wet burrito was good size, and good flavor. The taco was a bit small (as far as taco's go) but tasted good. The rice which came with the food had good flavor as well. After the order was placed I asked to ensure no beans on the plate, and they quickly made the modification so that when the place was delivered it was as requested with the last minute modification. Closure - Bill was brought pretty quickly after we were done eating. By the time we left most of the tables were full (seems a lot of locals eat here). I would come back here or recommend this place to others if you are looking for good food. It wasn't the least expensive option, but good overall.
(4)Larissa R.
Food might have been good if it wasn't like warm. I had such high hopes too because the salsa was delicious.
(3)Nick L.
Don't let the fact that this place is always busy fool you. It's nothing special. The food isn't bad, but neither is it good enough to make me want to go back. The Chile Relleno was one of the blandest I have ever had. The pork in the tamales was tough and flavorless, and the fish tacos were anything but fresh. If the food gets a three star rating, the service gets a two star rating. The waitresses seemed confused and overwhelmed. It took far too long to have our order taken, and the food took even longer. I had to waive a server to the table to ask for a refill on my drink, she took my glass and never returned! Eat here with caution.
(3)Patrick F.
I had the pleasure of eating here last Thursday, 10/23 and I was impressed. The food was fresh and good and there was plenty of it. The staff was friendly AND it was fajita Thursday which gave us a big discount! Can't beat it with a stick as far as I'm concerned.
(4)Brian W.
This place was excellent! Enjoyed everything we ordered and the service was exceptional! Jalapeño margarita was interesting in a good way.
(4)Kayla R.
My boyfriend and I stopped in after a day on the lake for a late night meal. I wanted something light and fresh so I got the fish and shrimp ceviche (an appetizer) and a small guacamole. My boyfriend ordered a shrimp salad in a tostada bowl. The ceviche, which was the cheapest ceviche I have ever ordered, was a GIANT portion. The shrimp and fish were VERY fresh and tasty. It was a little over marinated in lime, so much so that the tortilla chip underneath lost its crunch due to being soggy from the sauce. Next time, I would request less lime on the ceviche because with less sauce, it would have been perfection. I asked what the difference was between a small and large order of guac, and was quite shocked at the small difference. 1.50 was a small, and a large was 3.99. I ordered the small because they appeared to be VERY similar in size. The guac was okay. It wasn't spectacular, and definitely a letdown considering it was an authentic Mexican restaurant (I had better guacamole at a small food shack on the beach...) My boyfriend's salad was awesome. Everything was really crisp and fresh, and the tortilla bowl was delish. Overall, it was a nice meal. If you want cheap, crisp, fresh Mexican food, stop on in!
(3)Nichole S.
I love this place great food prices are good great rice and beans and I dont,usually like mexican rice have some time though takes a little bit to get your food also reservation needed on weekend always busy
(5)Ryan S.
One of the best Mexican restaurants in Big Bear for sure. The michiladas were amazing here. One of the best I've had anywhere to be honest. It's a very small place inside and due to the cold weather the patio isn't the best option for night time unless it's summer time. The service was kinda shaky but it was extremely busy so I'm sure that played a big part in things being forgotten on our order. The food was really good as well. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and they were pretty tasty. I will Forsure come back here again when I'm in big bear although I won't be coming with a large group as we did because it seems to make things a bit confusing for the staff. If your in the area come in for the michiladas though, you will not find a better one in town I'm sure of that.
(4)Craig W.
Celebrated my last two wedding anniversaries here love the service the food and the owner just wonderful
(5)Marco G.
The place is pretty small. There was 1 waitress and a single bus boy and the place was pretty much full. The service was good. Very fast to refill chips however soda was a different story. They have a salsa bar. We tried the ceviche for an appetizer. It wasn't exactly ceviche as the shrimp looked boiled but it tasted good. You get one tostada and I believe it was $9. A little pricey really. As main dish I ordered the Auguachili. Again a raw shrimp dish. It was actually done fairly well and true. It was lacking a few spices but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I gave this place 5 stars because it's the best mountain/boonies restaurant I've ever eaten at. I would definitely return and recommend this spot. In the city it would be 4 stars.
(5)Timothy L.
Guacamole is the bomb and love the salsa bar :-)
(4)Luann D.
Great food. Entrees are good size and very flavorful. I ordered a garlic shrimp dish and the shrimp were large with a good amount of shrimp. The salsa is one of the best tasting I ever had. I was able to use the 15% off without any difficulty. Not sure if the gratuity was added because we used the discount but be aware of this. Not a problem for us because the service was outstanding and we tipped more.
(5)Brandi O.
food was very good. nice robust flavors. guacamole had great flavor, queso fundido was soft and not too oily, garlic shrimp were very big and flavor was good. very impressed, was skeptical at first.
(4)Lisa W.
Not coming back here- our waiter was good but it took a long time for our food to come out - some of the food was cold - chips were stale - good green salsa - average margaritas - hostess was not accommodating at all , could care less if we stayed - the only reason we did stay was because our kids were hungry and tired after a long day of skiing - very disappointed
(1)Sarah C.
Amazing drinks strong margaritas. Grear service. The fish tacos are a must. The side bar is great when u love toppings on your chips and salsa.
(5)Aracely O.
Went off other Yelp reviews. Place is nice and quaint, though the patio area is big. The food is authentic! The prices are very reasonable. I had the albondiga soup and molcajete both big servings and superb taste :)
(5)Lori H.
The only reason we ate here was because they have a dog-friendly patio. We were there in the evening, and drove right past it a couple of times because the lights are out on their sign. The patio is cute, but there are two giant flood lights that make you feel like you're eating in a prison courtyard. Our server was very sweet. The food was...not great. Meat was tough and flavorless. Beans were not good either. But the thing that really made the meal go downhill was when I tried to use the 15% Yelp Check-In Discount. Our server had to take my phone inside, and when she came back, she said her manager told her the discount wasn't valid on holidays (we were there the Saturday before Labor Day, which didn't make sense to us) so we asked her to check again, and this time, the owner/manager came out with the same excuse. We told her, the holiday is on Monday, not today. She then said the discount is not valid on weekends, which is NOT stated on the coupon. When we pointed this out to her, she blamed her webmaster. Really? You're going to argue with us over $5.00? Then she said she can offer us 10% off. At this point, it was awkward and uncomfortable, so we paid and left. Was it really worth it for her to leave customers with a negative taste over a couple bucks?
(1)Michelle B.
Don't be fooled by the awful fake flower decor out front...the food really lived up to the hype! The shredded beef chimichanga was super good! Loved the salsa bar too. I was pleasantly surprised. I would have given 5 stars, but when I went to redeem my Yelp check in offer I was told that she "didn't know the password"! Kinda cheesy...
(4)Scott M.
Good Mexican food, great service and excellent prices. The plates are large, especially the fajitas. I used a Yelp 15% off coupon for checking in which is always a bonus. I would come back.
(4)Nate G.
Easily the best Mexican food in Big Bear. Azteca has the best flavor, biggest portions, best salsa bar, and best service. I recommend the Carne Asada Burrito.
(5)tandy w.
Warning: Yelp Check in offer in NO longer valid. Found this out after check in and that it had expired. (This should have been removed already). Website does not reflect prices in the menu. We stopped by for their 'lunch specials,' only to find that there was none AND prices were higher than what was stated. Service was slow, food was slightly below average.
(2)Kim B.
Still looking for a decent Mexican food on the mountain we gave Azteca a try. On the weekends I always see a crowd on the patio so I hoped for the best. We arrived around 6:45 and it was a cold evening even with the patio being heated so we opted to eat inside. Like so many other restaurants in Big Bear this is an old building. Nice updated patio but a bit run down inside. The restroom is located at the side of the building and can only be reached by going outside and waking around the outside of the building and entering through a Side door at the back of the kitchen. This part of the building is very old and run down. Our waitress was very preoccupied and after asking twice she finally brought chips to our table. I ordered the beef chimichanga. I thought it was very good and the beef tender. My husband ordered shredded beef tacos. He was very unhappy with his choice. The beef in his tacos tasted as if it had been microwaved to the state of jerky, very tough, chewy, and old tasting. I don't know how well financially the owner is doing but he really needs to work on updating the interior. The patio update is a good start. Although my food was good we won't be back. The bathroom situation, old interior, and my husbands bad tacos have everything to do with it
(3)Aj S.
I was there today. Food was great - well prepared, perfect portions. Service was awesome! Thank you!
(5)Roger T.
Great food. We had the carne asada, grande burrito and flan. Awesome. Very good food at a very reasonable price. Will be back next time in big bear.
(5)Dude Food G.
Stopped by for a simple rice and bean burrito with onion & salsa and 1 horchata 'to go'. It took 5 minutes of standing at the counter to get the 'to go' request in. The lady said it would be $11. and some change. I balked at the price and just took the horchata. I still can't imagine any rice and bean burrito being worth $8. no matter how much salsa is in it.
(2)Lindsey M.
Huge margs with inexpensive and yummy food. Definitely coming back to this place.
(4)Jasmine R.
Yummy, fresh Mexican food. I love the ceviche. The homemade salsas are so good. Casual environment. I try to go every time I 'm on the mountain. My husband had the chicken fajita salad and it was very flavorful. You might not find it because it is not in the village, but it is worth venturing beyond.
(5)Jesse K.
Pros: Great service, fresh chips and delicious salsa. Cons: Main dishes are gargantuan and completely covered in cheese and pretty bland. My girlfriend and I felt slightly sick to our stomach for the rest of the day. I'd actually recommend much smaller portions, much less cheese, and bolder flavors.
(2)Jim L.
Satisfied our craving for Mexican food, but we weren't bowled over. It's probably not fair, but it's really hard for ANY Mexican establishment to stack up to Guacamole's in Palm Springs. I did enjoy the salsa from their salsa bar. Adding a star because they comped 15 percent of our bill for the long wait.
(4)Gini B.
The shredded beef taco was the worst I have ever had. The meat was absolutely flavorless, there was no cheese, and the taco shell tasted like it had been sitting around for a few days . The enchilada had plenty of cheese but a sauce that was bland and flavorless. On a positive note , the rice and beans were okay- guess it's hard to mess those up. There has to be a spot in Big Bear with better Mexican food than this.
(2)Don H.
Me and the wife stopped in food was okay service sucked if your thirsty don't worry your glass will stay empty and not very friendly had to just get up and get my check and my to go boxes will not be back
(1)Shishir S.
great food...great service... loved the salsas...
(5)Vanessa H.
Great Mexican food compare to El Jacalito in Big Bear Village, there Menudo was sooo good as well their beef fajitas dish. The young waiter was so nice and offer us chips like 3 times (which were good) they had great tasting salsa! and their Enchiladas was not can base sauce(La Palma sauce) like other places do! It was made from scratch ;-) Im such a big fan of authentic Mexican food! Next time we come up here definitely coming here again
(5)Tim H.
Nice to find another good Mexican restaurant in the Big Bear area. The chips and taco shells seem lightly fried or different from the other restaurants in town. I would say they have a lighter taste and freshly made. Pretty good. The combo plate I got was the chicken taco and upgraded to the chicken enchilada. The salsa bar is pretty good and they have a salty red salsa that is very addicting. Loved it. The restaurant is small and it was mostly locals when I was there during the week. Nice to dine at a busy restaurant. The service was very good, too. I look forward to coming back. Good food!
(4)Aaron R.
Service was fast and friendly and food was good. Better than expected Mexican food especially for Big Bear!
(4)Avner M.
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.
(5)Elisa S.
I was torn between giving this place a 3 or 4, but there were too many little things that ultimately made me give a 3. So I came here for the first time on Friday around 9 pm pm for dinner. Late, I know, but by the time I got off of work and made it up the mountain, it was about 9. I usually eat at The Hacienda Grill, but decided to try something new. So the Azteca is a really casual place with a so-so atmosphere. Looking at the menu, I saw in bold on the first page that the first bowl of chips is free, but then it's $1 per bowl after that. That sent up a quick red flag. I have NEVER been to a Mexican food place where they charge for more chips. Although it's only $1, it still bothered me. The chips were pretty tasty, so I ended up begrudgingly getting that second bowl to have along with my actual meal. Then, I heard them playing La Cucaracha and the Mexican Hat Dance song. Both of those songs make me cringe whenever I hear them and feel like I'm at a fake-mexican establishment. After that, it switched to more authentic sounding mariachi music, so that was much better. Got a margarita and it was fine. My food was surprisingly awesome. I got the chicken enchilada plate with rice and beans. It was really tasty and I had the choice between having shredded chicken or grilled chicken. Only complaint was that I wished they had given a bit more rice and beans. Overall taste-wise I would have given my meal a 4. My boyfriend got the carne asada burrito and he said it was just okay. The meat could have used more seasoning. A big inconvenience here is that the bathrooms are located in the back. So in order to get to them, you have to walk out of the restaurant and around to the back. As a female, I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable making that trip, especially at night. Finally, we were the last ones there (although there weren't too many people there when we showed up), and I understand that it was a Friday night and the staff probably wanted to get out early and enjoy their night, but they began cleaning everything and putting things away while we were still there eating. It made me feel rushed and uncomfortable. We didn't stay for a second drink or dessert since they apparently wanted us out. Their sign and online said they closed at 10, but they flipped their sign to closed and started their clean up closer to 9:30. Might go back, but probably not.
(3)Dave H.
We went here after seeing the average 4 star reviews. The place was nice enough inside albeit small and the patio was nice. The problems really started with our waiter, who spoke little English and really had a hard time understanding and communicating with us. He was nice, but that's not quite enough. I like competent waiters personally and this he wasn't. I ordered the 3 cheese enchilada special while my wife got the chili verde special. She seemed happy with it but my enchiladas were pretty mediocre, at best. They tasted as if they used tomato soup as the enchilada sauce. The beans were totally runny and gross too....more like bean soup. My kids seemed ok with their quesadillas though they barely touched their fries--rare for them. When I got the check, the waiter overcharged us for both the chili verde special and my beer. Again I tried to rectify it, he gave me $2 cash back saying he couldn't fix it on the cc machine. Whatever. At this point I just wanted to leave and chalk it up to another poor restaurant experience in Big Bear--a haven for bad service and mediocre food. 2 stars. 2/5 for food and 2/5 for service....and I'm being generous. We won't be back.
(2)richard m.
Excellent food, exceptional staff, and very reasonable prices. Jalapeño margarita worth the trip up the mountain alone!! Owner Rosa was great!! Carnitas plate was awesome. Chimichanga was also fresh and crispy. Overall great food and service. If you are craving Mexican in Big Bear this is your place!!
(5)Duane P.
Great food all the time and everything is fresh. Compared to the other Mexican places in town there is no better place.
(5)Ken F.
We ate there 2 times just to give it a fair chance. $1 shredded beef tacos were flavorless mush / fish tacos were rotten / spoiled. We were charged $1.50 for a TINY guacamole and $1 for a TINY side of ranch. They kept taking our 1/2 full chips to refill and then later charged us $1 for each refill - sneaky. Bus boy was xlnt but waitress was TERRIBLE and rude. NEVER AGAIN!!!
(1)Andrew F.
Food was better than fair. As for getting food in Big Bear Lake area, I would said its better than average. Food wasn't served correctly and they advertise expires coupons to lure customers in, IMHO. 3.5 stars.
(3)Bryan S.
Delicious! And they put up with me! Make sure you get a michelada.
(5)Diana G.
There are other better Mexican food establishments in the area but a lot of people seem to like Azteca. I was disappointed in the food and there are better priced choices elsewhere.
(3)Lex L.
Came here twice over a gorgeous summer weekend in Big Bear; ceviche tostada and pork and chicken tamales were solid and flavorful, and my companions vegetable fajitas were well-seasoned and smoky. Excellent food, decent selection of import and local beers, a sunny patio, and efficient service. Not bad at all.
(4)Donald S.
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.
(4)David M.
Great carnitas. Tasty, cooked to fall apart. Chicken fajitas were excellent, nice thin strips w/ very flavorful veggies. Visiting the area, but will return again.
(4)Virginia S.
After reading all the reviews on where to eat in Big bear...we decided to stop at the Azteca Grill....i'm so glad we did! We had the Fajitas trio and it was fresh (which included very fresh large sized shrimp) it came with beans and rice! Best salsa anywhere hands down....needless to say we returned again in the morning for breakfast (chilaques and chorizo and egg) Best ever! it is very hard to find this quality of Mexican food anywhere!!!
(5)Chancethepug X.
Came here for the check-in discount from Yelp. Found out that it expired May 31, 2012. OK, no problem. I'll just enjoy the deals on happy hour. Oh, happy hour drinks are served in Dixie Cup size? Eff that! Starving, I ordered flautas and chile relleno. Both were delicious. So.... Food - good. Drinks - no good. Service - so so. There are plenty of choices for good Mexican food and happy hour in Big Bear.
(3)Vanessa N.
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.
(4)Evan M.
We liked it so much we went here twice over a four day weekend. Gigantic, strong margaritas. The fish ceviche was above-average and the traditional combos were great.
(4)Kristin A.
I visit Big Bear several times a year and have never been impressed by the lunch and dinner restaurants -- usually we go the grocery store and just eat at the cabin. But this place had good food and great service, and I think it will become one of our go-tos. Yummy salsa bar! I had the carne asada burrito and husband had enchiladas- both were good, not great, but that's because we thought they needed more heat. We added a little tapatio salsa and problem solved. Margaritas were cheap - $3 during happy hour. The place was filled with locals who knew the staff, which is always a good sign in my book. Great service and a casual environment.
(4)Tasha R.
Was expecting a lot based on reviews but was highly disappointed. We sat outside and the seats were very uncomfortable. They need patio cushions. The chips came out really quick but the waitress took awhile to take our order and never mentioned that there was a salsa bar inside where we could have some salsa. We got the fajitas. The food was okay, nothing spectacular. You get 3 tortillas and they charged me for asking for 1 more!! The house margaritas are $8 and soo not worth the $. We asked for napkins and it took forever to get them and our check. Wish we would have saved our $ and gone elsewhere.
(2)Jacob J.
Excellent Mexican food! Good chips and salsa too. Had the two soft taco plate- $10.99 (carne asada and chicken breast) with beans and rice. All were very tasty and good quality. Wife loved her enchilada plate. Service was very good and prompt. Only negative thing is the flan. I love flan and eat it all the time. The consistency of their flan was way off. Was more of a loose cheese cake and had no caramel sauce. Server said the sauce gets soaked into the flan. Over all great place for some good Mexican food. Restaurant was also very clean. Will diffidently be returning!
(5)Bonny D.
Enjoyed the food and family owned atmosphere. Small and quaint with very helpful and friendly staff. Will return :)
(5)Jenny F.
Authentic mexican food. Comes in large portions! Chips are ok, not salty enough. The salsa is also ok, but not the best I had. I gave this restaurant four stars, because I really enjoyed the food and the service was good. The tamales are so delicious! It was my favorite part of the meal. They offer seasonal orders of the tamales too...so call ahead for them. Try the dessert shop next door...Sugar Pine.
(4)Bill B.
Great Mexican food. Good, friendly service. I had the carne asada plate which was good. Others in our party had grande burritos. They were HUGE. You've been warned!
(5)O R.
Not bad at all. Best Mexican food in the area.
(3)Kyle M.
Excellent Mexican food! My parents recently bought a place in Big Bear and we are always looking for new places. I had the Molcajete. The dish was delicious. They have a salsa bar with a few varieties of salsa. Definitely will be returning here in the near future
(5)Leo J.
Pretty good considering it's on the mountains. We go this for dinner after snowboarding and almost went through 4 serving of their chips haha. I don't remember what I ordered because I passed out after at my hotel because I was so tired but I do remember it was really good and I enjoyed it a lot! If you're craving some mexican food after a long day of boarding, this is the place to go!
(4)Karrie G.
Great Food!!! I have lived in Big Bear for 10 years now and have always enjoyed this restaurant. The food is great and the service is outstanding! They are always quick to refill my drink and chips. I will be a customer for years to come. If you haven't been to Azteca you are definitely missing out!!!!!
(5)Jacob P.
Great food and friendly staff! A real treat in paradise.
(4)Simon M.
Was in Big Bear for some spring time snow boarding. Saw this place on yelp and wanted to try it out. When I checked in it said I got an automatic 15% off my bill which was awesome. They give you free tortilla chips and they have a salsa station with three different salsas with varying spiciness. I got the chicken breast burrito. Let me tell you: it was HUGE. not only that, it was delicious too. Definitely got my moneys worth. Will definitely come back when Im up here again.
(5)Mary K.
This place wasn't bad... I went on a vacation up there in Big Bear Lake and we decided to stop here for some dinner, the place itself was nice, the people there were friendly, their salsa bar was full which is great but I don't know what went wrong but after I ate here my stomach went into total KNOTS! After I kept throwing up and it wouldn't stop, it might just be me over doing it (from the morning, not here, I only got 1 enchilada and a cheese/bean burrito) but damn, it sucked lol. I have had much better but its ok. :)
(2)Jen P.
Came here while visiting the area. Very impressed with the food, portions, and service. Small seating area but that made it cozy. Would definitely come back.
(4)Audrey C.
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!
(4)Skm S.
very good food and service. Very accomadating we had a large group of 7. Drinks and food all came out perfectly and we enjoyed ourselves.
(5)Chad S.
Legit and authentic Mexican food. I wasn't expecting this legit given the location of Big bear. But this was on par with Mexcali cafe in Indio. Rosa greeted us and the food was the real deal.
(4)Ingå B.
Did I say Delicious enough? This place is awesome. It's a small restaurant looks like family owned. I got their soft and hard tacos and enchiladas and they were amazing! French fries barely had any salt and if you order tea you don't get just 1 tea bag but an assortment of teas. Their strawberry margarita was delicious as well. The waiters don't seem to be patient enough when taking orders and you are asking them questions about the food. I checked in and unlocked 15% off offer from Yelp and they calculated it wrong after giving me attitude when I presented them my phone with the coupon. It was suppose to be $9 off but they only have me $6 off. And it took them forever to calculate haha. Does anyone use calculator anymore?
(3)Star S.
They water down their liquor and their food is so-so. I won't be coming back
(2)Mike P.
We bring the hungry snowboarders to Azteca Grill and they chow down on huge delicious burritos. Everything is good, hot and reasonably priced. This place would be a success right here in the OC, where we have Mexican food everywhere.
(5)Meghan R.
To say this place was a disappointment would be a major understatement. I live in Las Vegas and the selection of good Mexican restaurants is very slim and I always look forward to my trips back home to California for my Mexican fix. So... I had high expectations after reading the reviews. We were seated fairly quickly, but then had to ask for a high chair ... 3 times. The server was unfriendly and busy. The chips were served a few minutes later, but then you have to get up and get your own salsa - except they didn't tell us that - I had to ask. Then I get to the salsa bar and there's no dishes to put the salsa in.. but it looks like my kind of salsa so I start to relax. And that's probably the beginning and end of the food at Azteca that I liked. The salsa was flavorful, little pieces of onion and cilantro, and tasty. But then it starts to go downhill with the chips... They were either stale or the maza in the tortilla didn't cook because they were really ... gritty? They tasted like the tortilla was dusted with raw cornmeal and fried. The second batch were fried longer, so my husband thought they were slightly better. I make better chips at home with Mission tortillas. I think you can tell how good the food will be by the chips and salsa, so this should have been our sign to run, not walk, out the door. The food took what seemed like forever. We ordered a seafood cocktail, which basically came out at the time as our meal ... and after adding plenty of lime and salt - it was probably the best thing we had. I don't think they seasoned it at all, which was a continuing theme for the rest of our meal. I had camarones rancheros - which I didn't like at all. I dont know if it was just a dish I would never like, or their version - but it was bland, under seasoned and the sauce was honestly, kind of gross. My husband had a couple of fried beef tacos that were decent, but the meat (like everything else we ordered) desperately needed salt. I don't know if we caught them on an off day, they were certainly very busy, but it was probably the worst meal we had during our trip to Big Bear. I spent the rest of our trip wishing we had tried any one of the other Mexican restaurants in town.
(1)Omar Z.
Super friendly and awesome staff. Excellent prices and great food. The burritos are a superb deal and not over stuffed with rice. It's a mile or two down the mountain from the village, but worth it.
(4)Shari S.
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.
(2)Hong L.
Went down to Azteca last weekend while camping in Big Bear lake area. It was a 4 stars Yelp rated restaurant so decided to take a chance. Frankly Big Bear is a small place and there are just not too many choices up there. Typical Mexican restaurant menu with the usual offerings. Ordered the fish taco and it wasn't great but acceptable. Wife ordered the Carnitas, it was very lean and very dry and lacking favor. Chips were not very crunchy, salsa was ok. Overall, an average dinner far from the big city, probably won't be coming back.
(3)Annalyse B.
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.
(5)Mark F.
We came with a group based on previous Yelp reviews. I have no clue how this place could be rated so high. The margaritas are offensive, the service is slow, the food is flavorless. If it was possible to leave zero stars I would. By the way.... I am being very nice about the review I am leaving. If you want to know my additional feelings please feel free to contact me
(1)Adam S.
Good mexican food and great service
(4)Olga C.
Stay away from fish dishes The green salsa in the salsa bar the best part
(1)Chenin N.
Great Food! Hard working staff had us in and out in 40 minutes on a very busy Saturday night.
(5)Mark H.
The food is better then your average mexican chain resturant food. We had a party of 10 and everyone enjoyed their selection. The meat was cooked perfectly and was not dry. They have a salsa bar so you can pick how hot you want your salsa to be unlike those with one type fits all. Our only complaint was this location is small and we ended up having to sit outside because the only large table inside was being used. The service was good and a request for all rice that was not origninally fulfilled was quickly taken care of.
(4)Patrick S.
Our party of four found this restaurant to be the real deal. The service was great, the food was above average and the prices were excellant. It was so good that we returned again before departing Big Bear. I would recommend Azteca Grill to all my friends going up to the lake.
(5)Muchacha L.
We went to this restaurant to celebrate a birthday. There wasn't room inside the restaurant so we asked if we could be seated in their patio area. Right away, a waiter and the owner fixed our tables next to big heaters. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The quality and taste of the food was great! The portions of the plates were pretty big. Their salsas were fresh and had a great taste to them. It was everyone's first time there and we will definitely return!
(5)Jay C.
After calling in my order from the hotel directly across the street, I ventured over to this restaurant with a good margarita on the rocks. What I got instead was a glass of sweet n sour and a bill for my drink after I returned it having taken only 1 sip. I paid the $32, grabbed the food and split without even looking in the bag. I get to my cabin and lo and behold, the order was wrong! I didn't bother taking another leisurely stroll. Instead...I Yelped about it.
(1)Jewell P.
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.
(4)Wheels G.
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.
(4)Dorothy G.
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 ( aztecabigbear.com/dinner… ). 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.
(2)Faith B.
So yummy! Love this place! Best Mexican food I have had in a long time! It's a cute and small place.
(5)Roxana Z.
Staff was very friendly. I liked the patio option. Having little kids, the outside patio seemed a better option since the inside seemed a little stuffy. The salsa bar was good. Being a true Mexican myself and having food WITH my CHILI, it wasn't hot enough, but the taste was good. On that same note, they grilled some jalapeños and those puppies were da'best!!! Had my nose running and hubbies eyes watering...ohhhh yea! They were good! The only thing I didn't like was the waitress (although very nice) ended up making us spend much more than we intended. Long story short, she "didn't know" the menu. We order fajitas and she said it didn't come with rice and beans, we ended up ordering another plate for NOTHING because both fajitas came with rice and beans! Needless to say we had burritos of rice and beans for lunch the next day. Food was good. Having real mexican food at home cooked by my mom, it's hard to compare anything to it. This food was good enough if you like real mexican food. Authentic enough. Margarita was O-K. I wouldn't go there for drinks. We went on a Thursday and they didn't have many drink options. Weird. We will go back. Food good. Staff friendly. Prices fair. Yup. It's a definite "we'll be back!"
(4)Helena C.
Great food, but location is hard for us. When we go it is on way into or out of Big Bear. Great for take out for new years, all our guests loved it (even the left overs the next day for football were great) and we do it every year now.
(4)Justin W.
We had lunch here this past weekend and it was great! We had the taco salad and a California burrito. Both were delicious and the salsa on the help yourself salsa bar were great. For the price we felt we got a good deal on the portion size (neither of us left hungry).
(5)Erin R.
Fish tacos (not fried) and refried beans are great!! Salsa bar is good and service good, too. A little pricey for lunch.
(4)Yvonne L.
The staff was pleasant but the food was average. The beans were runny and flat, the chips were not fresh and the salsa was heavy on tomato sauce. The beef in my taco salad was tasty but that was its only saving grace. It is off my list.
(3)Matthew D.
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!
(2)Marcus D.
My favorite Mexican joint in big bear. Has a nice local feel and a great vegetarian burrito.
(5)Sidney C.
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.
(1)Wil P.
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
(4)Carl L.
All ya'll Yelpers do it again! Searched for a good affordable lunch in town and - pow - you point the way. After hiking the Castle Rock trail we were tired, hot and thirsty. Great menu choices and good food. Staff made sure we were comfy in the shade on a hot day, and were very attentive. I'll definately go back.
(4)Alexandra F.
My husband and I are vegetarian so we were happy to learn this place had a few items on the menu that we could eat. The salsa was excellent as well as the margaritas! The veggie fajita's were out of this world!! My dad ordered the chicken fajita and raved about it. The service was prompt and friendly. I would definitely come back.
(5)Jason F.
Great food! Excellent service! Really friendly atmosphere. Good place for dinner.
(4)Sid C.
We ate here today and were disappointed. We have visited Big Bear for the past 3 years and have eaten here many times. The service and food was good. Today, not so much. We sat down and a nice waitress asked for our drink order. She brought the drinks and then totally ignored us for the next 15 minutes and the restaurant was only about half full. They have a salsa bar, but all three salsas are bland and totally lack spice or flavor. The portions are adequate and tasted okay but again, by Mexican standards, they were bland and lacked the "Wow Factor". We will return to Big Bear but not to the Azteca.
(3)L M.
Yummy - Delicioso! My husband and I visited Big Bear for the first time this weekend. We asked for restaurant recommendations from one of the locals. She said that Azteca is one of her favorites. After our first meal it is one of our favorites, too! The food was authentic and excellent. The staff was warm and friendly. We definitely plan to return. Thank you Azteca.
(5)Nelly B.
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.
(5)Candice P.
We love Azteca. It's the best place in big bear for shrimp fajitas and chimichangas :) there is a salsa bar here too. their salsa is very tasty, especially the pickled carrots. Everything comes with beans rice guacamole and endless chips. Try to get here as soon as they open for machaca and eggs for breakfast
(5)Russ B.
We have coming here for 5 years. Rosa and her team are great. We have never had a bad experience. On Memorial Day weekend, I referred a party of 10 which I suggested from another recomendation from the marina we saw the happy party when we came in. Come here if you want excellant food, and honest service. This is a true family atmoshere. FYI, they sponsor a local race care team at the Orange Show Speedway. Enjoy
(5)Carlos M.
We came to Azteca's a few times over our week stay in Big Bear. We read the reviews and were not disappointed. We have enjoyed the carnitas tamales on two separate visits and found them to be moist and yummy! Really like the self-serve salsa bar! Great sides with the tamales. Grande Margarita hit the spot after a long hike with our dog, Mocha. Each time we visited we found the service to be friendly and attentive. Super dog friendly patio dining! One of the waiters brought out a large bowl of water with ice for our four-legged hiking buddy. Trying the fish tacos next visit......
(5)Martin A.
I thought this place was awesome. I liked the self serve salsa bar. The food and service were both great.
(5)D L.
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.
(5)Mary W.
After reading the reviews we wanted to give this place a try. We were not disappointed. Staff was super friendly and food VERY authentic. Thumbs up on the Fish Tacos!
(4)Dan S.
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.
(4)Sarabou R.
Not sure how there's a high rating. Food is "meh" at best.
(2)Kathleen S.
Good Mexican food, good prices and very good service. Got the California Burrito, it was HUGE but I wish it had some avocado in it.
(3)Ellen R.
I really like this place. Great food at a very reasonable price. I get the nachos with chicken. So good!
(5)Natalie H.
Outdoor seating was nice. Salsa was delicious. Ordered the carne asada burrito with cheese and red sauce on top. Was very good, but next time I eat there I will order without onions and less cilantro. The steak inside the burrito was awesome. Beer is served in 16oz or 32oz mugs. Ordered the 32oz, highly recommend. Will definitely return.
(4)Erin M.
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!
(5)David M.
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!
(5)Ben L.
Great food, nice atmosphere, good service. Sierra one of the waitresses was really friendly and had nice eyes ;p
(5)Naz S.
food was good. staff was nice. chips were a bit stale but the food was good
(4)Hayley S.
Awesome food! Excellent service! Great veggie fajitas! Whole family LOVED it!
(5)Cindy L.
Bomb fish tacos for 99 cents plus draft beers for $2.50! Post shred meal, highly recommend!
(5)Bob P.
My family loves to eat here. Run by the owners, not employees.
(4)Carla W.
I was here at 815 and apparently they close at 8. On here listed as 10pm
(1)Monica C.
It's really hard to find a good restaurant on the mountain!! I really didn't think we would find a good Mexican restaurant!!We were pleasantly surprised. We thought we wanted to sit outside and ordered our drinks. There was a band playing out there. But the sun was going down and the band was leaving. Our waitress Sierra had no problem moving us inside. I ordered a margarita which wasn't very good but I drank it! They have a great salsa bar with some really tasty salsas! We ordered a ceviche plate to share and some guacamole. Both were very good!!For dinner I ordered their specialty, bacon wrapped shrimp which came with tortillas rice and beans, Th BF ordered the carnitas dinner with rice and beans and flour tortillas!! He liked his plate although very jealous of mine!! He's lucky I share!! The shrimp was crunchy and full of flavor!! It came with a dipping sauce although I don't remember what it is. !! Our waitress Sierra was a very nice young gal who was so helpful!!! We really enjoyed her!!We were looking for the theater and she found us the phone number so we could call and see what was showing! She really seemed to enjoy her job and it showed!!It's rare to find such young people who are so helpful!!We will visit Azteca again the next time we are in Big Bear!! We will also recommend Azteca to all our family and friends!!
(4)Warren P.
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.
(4)Al S.
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.
(4)Mrs. B.
Great food, friendly staff, and good location (less crowded than The Village). We will be eating here in the future.
(5)Jeff S.
Went to Azteca with my wife and two boys on Sun Feb 20. Very solid Mexican meal. I had trio of fajitas. It was excellent and the cast iron pan was sizzling for several minutes after it was brought to the table. My wife had the camaron coctel (shimp cocktail) which is served in a large goblet with fresh cilantro, onion, limes, etc. It was a lot of shrimp. My boys had burritos - one carne asada and one bean&cheese. The carne asada was excellent and the BNC was good. My wife and I also had the grande margarita on the rocks. I supplemented with an extra shot of tequila.Not fancy - but I'd recommend it.
(4)Jay C.
Great dining expierience! I went for the fajita thursedays and they were greattt, not the most authentic(but the word authentic is so jummbled) but they were the best fijitas ive ever had. I had the chicken, my dad had the beef. The chicken was very lean meat and the onions and peppers were litterally grilled perfectly, with a little crunch left but a beautiful carmelizing. There were free chips accompianied by a salsa bar with three types of salsa and pickeled radish, carrots, and jalepenos ( i LOVED the green salsa although im usually not one for mild salsa) i recieved a plate with beans, rice, gwak, letuce, and some chunks of tomato with my fajitas. The service was very friendly, filled our drinks without asking, and even offered extra tortillas which usually costs more at most resturants. and excuse me but f**k the racist review claiming that this resturant was run only by immigrants who didn't speak english. Both the waitors we had spoke perfect english also, bring your jacket with you to the bathroom! its not heated haha we will deffinately be coming back, and i would deffinately suggest it
(4)James Z.
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.
(4)arthur p.
I was really hoping that the small family vibe would be accompanied by some great Mexican food but I was very disappointed. The fish tacos were covered with mayo, the chicken enchilada was covered by what looked and tasted like canned soup; it was inedible. Our waitress was lovely and attentive and I feel bad writing this but this was just not good food.
(1)Travis S.
This is a great little Mexican place close to the village in Big Bear. It's got all your 'standard' Mexican dishes at good prices and the service was really good too. They have a full bar and drinks were not expensive. We went on a Monday and didn't realize until later that it was $1 taco night, after our meal we ordered some to go for some late night munchies - an excellent idea! I would recommend this place!
(4)Kristen W.
The food here is pretty good. I really liked the chicken tacos and the cheese enchilada. My son devoured the bacon-wrapped shrimp. The margaritas were also tasty with an interesting blend of flavors. Very family-friendly and fun.
(4)Lisa C.
Great food! Best service too! I highly recommend the carne asada and taco salad !
(5)Andy B.
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!!
(5)jim s.
Anyone who spends time in Big Bear knows there are very few decent restaurants. I finally ate at Azteca Grill and have to say it was really good. The help yourself salsa bar is good and has salsas from mild to wild. The food is fresh and has an authentic taste. Service was a little slow but that is the way of life in Big Bear. The chili rellenos are great.
(4)Rob L.
As a local that eats out for lunch a lot, this is my favorite Mexican food place. The beef taquitos are really good, made fresh, not the frozen ones just pulled out of the freezer like a lot of places. Friendly staff, always good service.
(5)Bijan R.
great fish and carne asada tacos!! we got food for 4 with the check in coupon and it was only $15!
(4)Mitra K.
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.
(1)Twila B.
We ate here a couple of weeks ago. If you're in Big Bear, you're pretty much a captive audience. The food was A-OK, but the service really shone. They were obviously very busy, but they kept an eye on our drinks and chips while we waited. When asked by an impatient 7-year-old why the food took so long to arrive, the waitress again apologized and asked her what kind of free dessert she would like. Then she even remembered to bring a second free dessert for the 2 year old too. Have I had better Mexican food elsewhere? sure. But if I find myself in Big Bear again, I would certainly come back here.
(4)L S.
The food is very good here but the margaritas were awful. We are usually beer or wine drinkers so the taste of tequila should taste strong to us, right? The margarita tasted like lemon lime, literally could not taste one hint of liquor in it. Back to the food. I had the chili Colorado and my husband the chili verde. Both dishes were very flavorful and the meat very lean. The salsa bar has great selection from mild to very spicy and the chips are hot and fresh. The service is friendly but forgetful since we had to ask 2 and 3 times for a couple of items that we ordered. They'd say OK, then get side-tracked and we'd have to ask again. The atmosphere is very diner-like but clean. Overall, it's not fine dining and you may have to remind the service for some things but if you can deal with that and are not in the mood for a margarita, the food is very tasty and we would return.
(3)S. S.
We had a perfectly good meal at Azteca. Veggie Fajitas were good - huge sizzling plate of tasty vegetables with a big serving of beans, rice, guacamole, and more. Lots of tortillas too. We also had a shredded chicken tostada. Plenty of food and reasonably priced. It wasn't exactly Olvera Street or East LA, but just fine for Big Bear.
(4)Alice B.
Yummy food and excellent service.
(5)Kelly L.
Nice patio dining. Large portions. Really nice staff. The downside ..the salsa has no flavor. The shrimp quesadilla was HUGE but the shrimp had no flavor.
(3)Tiffany N.
Easily the best mexican restaurant in big bear. I have pretty much tried them all and this one did not disappoint! I ate here on two different occasions and tried the chicken fajaitas(a must try!) and the tamales. Both were amazing! Great service but they should offer more dessert options.
(5)Brittany M.
Amazing fish tacos and cheese enchiladas. Fresh salsa is so good. Everything was really inexpensive. Fantastic Mexican food, I would recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Kendall J.
We went here for dinner based on Yelp reviews, but it was horrible. The beans had No flavor and the cheese quesadilla was even horrible. How can you mess up a cheese quesadilla?? We would not go back here for Mexican food. The beans at Del Taco have more flavor.
(1)Jane M.
We stopped here for a late lunch. The service was great. They have a nice little salsa bar. I had a grilled chicken burrito with green sauce. The sauce was delicious! My husband had a chimichanga. It was not very crisp because he had them put sauce and cheese on top. I would definitely return if we were in town again.
(4)Kim K.
Good service, great salsa bar. Good value for the money. Small but comfortable. Would have liked to enjoy the patio but it was too darn cold outside the night I went. For Big Bear, this is the best Mexican food I have had - and I think I have eaten at all of the available places in BB Lake and BB City.
(4)Evan S.
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.
(5)Leilani S.
Great Mexican breakfast!
(5)Gary M.
We stopped here by chance last weekend and it was so good that I'm riding back again this weekend. The fish tacos I had were flat outstanding. The fish was very fresh, grilled and not battered/fried, and cooked perfectly. How rare is that? My buddy ordered the chile rellenos, and other than Fidel's in Solana Beach and Carlsbad (and my mother's), these were some of the best I've ever had. Service was more than courteous, the place was clean and the prices were very reasonable especially considering the quality. Outside seating, too. Five stars.
(5)Mari R.
BEST CHILE RELLENO EVER. Don't go expecting atmosphere or fancy anything. It's a little shack of a place with the best Mexican food I've had in a long time, beat our usual places where live in Orange County for sure. And we didn't feel like we ate bricks for dinner afterward. Simply great prices & great food, which I'll take over a fancy atmosphere any day.
(5)Paul M.
Pleasant wait staff and good food. Pretty plain in the decor department and atmosphere was lacking but I'd go again.
(3)Carlos Z.
small little place large plates and friendly staff ive would have preferred the food to be tastier
(3)Keith C.
We have tried all of the local restaurants and this is awesome...The proprietor Rosa makes authentic, fresh salsas and a shrimp scampi or bacon wrapped shrimp that rivals any place off the hill. The food is always fresh, hot and yummy! Her restaurant is our 2nd kitchen and it makes our trips to Big Bear really special every time we dine there!
(5)Jason H.
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 !!
(5)Hilda B.
Tasty, food and great service. The margaritas were great. We were very pleased with our food :)
(4)A K.
Good quality food indeed, I'll go back there again. I would've given one more star if the waitress smiled a bit more :-)
(4)Steve B.
By far the best mexican food in Big Bear. Try the HOT salsa from the salsa bar. Carne asada burrito, chili relleno, & enchiladas are all terrific & authentic. The family that owns it are wonderful, hard working people who care that you have a good experience. You'll love it!
(5)Brian S.
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!
(4)Audrey M.
Wonderful food and fantastic service. Everyone loved what they ordered, from carnitas, chile relleno, tamales and especially the cactus. Great Salsa verde. Highly recommend it especially after a long day of skiing.
(5)Sara F.
Azteca was awesome. I can't believe it took me so long to try it out. Their horchata was yummy, the green tomatilla salsa was amazing (I nearly filled up on tortilla chips). Two of us shared the Mocaljete special which is a combo of carne asada, chicken, and shrimp stewed in a delicious sauce and served with tortillas, rice & beans, grilled onions and grilled cactus. It was sooo delicious and plenty of food for two, so a fantastic value at $14. I will definitely be back for some more authentic Mexican goodness!
(5)Daniel G.
We stopped here with our three young daughters as we had driven by the outdoor seating area a few times. The wife and I shared the Molcajete special - a bowl of shrimp, beef, chicken, mexican cheese, cactus, onion and salsa served with rice bean soup and tortillas. Freaking awesome and so full after that there was some left over. The kids had the flautas which they devoured. Inside is a salsa bar with a great selection. Service was great, staff friendly. We would come again in a heartbeat.
(4)coola j.
Not all that! You should start off by having fresh made chips not store bought. Service was good, place was clean...food however was not so hot. Mushy rice, unflavored beans and nasty enchi's..to bad
(2)Liana S.
Oh yeah. The place to go in Big Bear for Mexican food.
(5)Chance P.
Good, cheap mexican food for Big Bear, fast service, free chips before meal, and a big glass of water. I had the burrito, it was made "wet" so it gives it a little bit more bang for the buck. Under $10 for burrito and tip
(4)Uncle B.
i've already had a few tasty meals in this new addition to the list of Mexican restaurants in Big Bear. The albondigas soup is a meal in itself, and the chile verde plate is a delight. There is a great selection of beers available, as well as some tasty salsas available at the salsa bar.
(5)