Start your day with a home-style breakfast from one of the area’s favorite mom-and-pop eateries. At diner-style Teddy Bear Restaurant, you can fill up on three-egg omelets, hearty hash, and specialty pancakes with fruit, cheese, or bacon. Save room for a waffle sundae with all the toppings! 

You can also tuck in to American and Mexican breakfast specialties at Blanca and Pierre’s Restaurant, just off the lake’s Boulder Bay. Warm up with steak and eggs with a side of crispy hash browns in this sunny cafe. Pick a slice of pie or a pastry from the display before you go—if you don’t want it now, you will later.

For an easy (and tasty) aprés ski lunch, head to Slopeside Speakeasy at Snow Summit. Warm up with a spicy bloody mary and some crowd-pleasing pub food like pepperoni pizza, chicken tenders, or a burger. The sprawling patio is a favorite on sunny days! 

Craft beer devotees won’t want to miss Big Bear Lake Brewing Company. Their Bearly Legal Honey Blonde is the perfect pick-me-up after a morning in the mountains! Try the Original Avocado bomb: a beer-battered avocado stuffed with spicy ahi and crab shrimp cake with chipotle aioli. 

After your eventful day, ease into the evening with scratch-made Mexican fare at El Jacalito Grill. Share a plate of sizzling shrimp, chicken, and steak fajitas or a trio of enchiladas stuffed with meat and cheese. The covered patio (with heaters!) is great for people-watching while you eat. 

Treat the family to a laid-back dinner at Saucy Mama’s Pizzeria. Feast on specialties pizzas like cheeseburger, mac & cheese, and Texas BBQ, and peruse the vinyl album covers covering the walls. Settle in with a pitcher of beer to chat over your day’s experiences. 

Another local favorite is the all-day breakfast at friendly diner Mountain Munchies. The oversized breakfast burrito is big enough for three, packed with eggs, hash browns, veggies, and cheese. Share a plate of light, fluffy pancakes for a little sweetness to balance your savory. 

Oakside Restaurant & Bar has something for everyone. Dig in to loaded baked potato tater tots or a buffalo chicken flatbread while you sip one of their 150+ whiskies and spirits in this rustic-modern space.

After your morning on the slopes, treat yourself to a lunch with some international flavor. At Mexican cantina Hacienda Grill, you can savor a grilled carnitas torta or a plate of crispy fish tacos. Check out the one-of-a-kind art by Mexican painter David Silvah while you nurse a spicy jalapeño margarita. 

Winter sport enthusiasts can head for Snow Summit Ski Resort for some fun on the powder. With 33 trails for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, this is an ideal family destination. Take in the spectacular views from atop the mountain at 8,200’ before you drop into the well-groomed slopes.