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    El Mexicano I

    4.3 (162 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

    El Mexicano I Photos

    Business Info

    EL MEXICANO I ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Mexicano I

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    Carnitas plate- the best I've ever had!!!
    erica l.

    The folks here are so kind & hook it up with tons of great chips and salsa!! Honestly I'd come back on repeat for the carnitas -- totally different style (not the usually shredded pork you get at most places) but truly AMAZING. Fall apart tender, seasoned so well and all the fixings are just perfect Also had the pozole which was great and other friend got and loved the burrito but carnitas is the #1 for me personally!!! Live music Saturday night

    El Mex ambiance
    Vern M.

    El Mex is the stuff of legends. This is the only restaurant in Forest Falls. And it's fantastic. Its walls are adorned with local history and oddities. It's where Tarantino would film his next movie. The food always delivers. The salsa is ever changing in degrees of spice. There is cold Pacifico on tap. The mole is fantastic. If you are lucky enough to be here on a winter night, the wood burning stove is, quite simply, as good as it gets. El Mex is a gem.

    Chad F.

    I really wanted to love this little place. Unfortunately like the last review the service was near invisible. The old timer chip guy was quiet and friendly but not super communicable. The lady was not warm or welcoming or even at the very least talkative. Please watch your checks because they definitely didn't bill me correctly. I looked and I thought it wasn't right but because she either didn't speak good English or she lacked any communication skills I didn't bring it up. The drinks portion was correct. We ordered all Ala cart- bean & cheese burrito, 1 cheese enchilada and side of rice. That's what we also received. My line items don't even resemble the menu prices and the $1.50 extra charges are bogus too. If this place had great food I would be more understanding. The cheese in the burrito wasn't even remotely melted. So service blew, food blew and billing blew. Overall it cost me about $6.25 in bogus charges and a more than deserved $7 tip for the guarantee I never have to eat here again.

    Taquitos Dish
    Jessica G.

    Taquitos were so good that i ate them quick and forgot to take a photo. 100/100, one of the best taquitos I've had and im 100% Mexican

    Andrea B.

    I've been eating here since I was all of 10 years old (?) and I live about an hour away. It's worth the drive!! I came here a few weeks ago on my way up to Big Bear, and there was live music and the fireplace was going. So cozy!! Their salsa is amazing...the kind that is so spicy and burns just enough that you can't stop going back for more.

    Store front
    Julie L.

    Located next door to the general store, I imagine they get a lot of hungry hikers. The owner and his wife are are nice as could be, the restaurant has a warm & cozy feel, and the food is good. Like...unexpectedly really good for a small town. My husband said the rice and beans were good, so I ordered the taco and enchilada combo even though I wasn't super hungry. The hard shell taco was nicely fried and filled with shredded beef. (Seasoned well and perfectly cooked, I regret not getting the machaca.) The rice & beans were delicious and I ended up taking half home. The combos are huge!! My son's burrito was so big it unfolded; definitely could have split it with him. My other son had the chicken quesadilla which was brimming with filling but not very crunchy. To each their own...I like mine with a crackle to the bite. My husband got the Chile Coronado which was described as "tender chunks of beef in mole sauce" but was not the chocolate-spicy version I was expecting. The color was the same but it wasn't as sweet as I'm more familiar with; still delicious! Highly recommend if you're in the area. Come hungry or split. Or maybe don't eat 2 baskets of their delicious crunchy chips. It's any body's guess.

    Harold S.

    I thought this was a delightful place to enjoy lunch while visiting the quaint mountain town of Forest Falls. The food is pretty much your standard Mexican fare, but it was tasty, the prices were reasonable and I found the service to be attentive. The place is also very charming inside with lots of nick nacks and the like to set the mood. Be forewarned, this is virtually the only restaurant in Forest Falls, so you are not going to have much else to choose from. If you do enjoy Mexican food, however, you will not go wrong here.

    Chicken Taco Salad
    Tom C.

    Best service ... best taco salad in Cali. Small town gem. Best Taco Salad in SoCal for sure. Service always friendly

    In 40 degrees 01/09/2023

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    3 months ago

    Family style and comfort. GOOD FOOD!! Friendly and familiar . Easy to get to from town

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    11 months ago

    They didn't have menudo on a weekend . Their menu said served only on weekends . Prices are higher.

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    1 year ago

    Excellent service and great food. Family owned business that knows how to treat customers

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    1 year ago

    Delicious. Had the enchiladas. Rice and beans are as good as any. Service was solid. Great family business.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Love the food here just hate they don't open when they say they do! It is worth the wait, good service, beautiful places to sit.

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    3 years ago

    Food was great. The service was great and the ambulance was beautiful. I would definitely come back.

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    2 years ago

    So good! We all have our favorites. Glens nachos for my husband, cheese enchiladas for me and tacos for the kids.

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    El Mexicano II - 3 item specialty plate.  Shredded beef burrito, chile Reyano, a taco under the mound of lettuce, sour cream and guacamole  . Delicious

    El Mexicano II

    3.4(132 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    It's Sunday out for the annual trip to Oak Glenn for apples and cider. Just had breakfast and was…read morethirsty so I just sat down and asked for an ice tea. A very friendly young man said coming right up and would i like some chips and salsa. Then a fatherly figure stopped by asked if i needed anything told him im being taken care of. Friendly service for just an ice tea on a hot day. Salsa was good little slow afterburn. Decided to try an appetizer cheese enchilada. Boy am i glad i did This was the cheesiest best cheese enchilada i ever had. The cheese ozzed out and strung out longer than any cheese pizza i ever had. My friends were at the outdoor mart stopped by tried a piece OMG they never saw cheese just pull and stretch like that and taste good. I needed to use the facilities they were in back of the restaurant. OMG what a great beautiful patio outdoor settimg. Next time i will ask to dine in that spot. Private sireen trees for a natural enclosure and shade. I only got a taste of food a taste of service but an eyefull of a peaceful beautiful garden spot. Will definitely hit this place for a full meal in the future. All this for an ice tea.

    Waited about 25 minutes for food…read more The sever was nice and friendly. The chips were warm and the salsa had a nice hit of spicyness. However it was pretty hot inside and the carnitas we all ordered came out looking more like pork chops instead of shredded carnitas. Wasn't much flavor and I wouldn't come back: although it has a lot of good seating and a nice area. I do believe it has a lot of potential.

    Photos
    El Mexicano II - Live music

    Live music

    El Mexicano II - Mexicano chicken salad. Ask for basalmic dressing  ! I got ranch too. Grilled shredded chicken

    Mexicano chicken salad. Ask for basalmic dressing ! I got ranch too. Grilled shredded chicken

    El Mexicano II - Cheer's

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    Cheer's

    El Rincon Restaurant - Enchiladas de Mole. Delicious!

    El Rincon Restaurant

    4.3(221 reviews)
    11.0 mi
    $$

    Went to Rincon and it did not disappoint. My wife and I shared the chilaquiles and they were…read moreexcellent with great flavor and a slight kick that made them stand out. Our 3 year old and 1 year old shared the papas con huevo and I will admit I stole a few bites of the potatoes. Hands down some of the best breakfast potatoes I have ever had perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The staff was super friendly and welcoming which made the experience even better. We have tried several other Mexican food spots in Big Bear and honestly left disappointed but this place delivered on every level. Can't wait to come back and try more items on the menu next time. Highly recommend.

    We both love Mexican food so we thought this place would be a no-brainer and fun to try something…read morenew. We came on a very snowy day and there weren't a lot of people in the restaurant so we had our choice of seats. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful in choosing our dishes. We've been to many Mexican restaurants so we are pretty sure what we wanted, but had a few questions as some of the items seemed a little different than expected. She got the enchiladas with bean sauce on top which we're pretty darn good. I got a chicken mole dish that was good, but not quite what I was hoping for. We both came to the conclusion that this restaurant represents a regional area of Mexico that is not necessarily the same as your standard Mexican food lineup. While the food was tasty, we didn't absolutely love it and probably won't choose this place for our next Mexican meal.

    Photos
    El Rincon Restaurant
    El Rincon Restaurant - Bistec Ranchero

    Bistec Ranchero

    El Rincon Restaurant - A gringo and his chilaquiles

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    A gringo and his chilaquiles

    Hortencias At The Cliffhanger - Combo plate with the Chile relleno.

    Hortencias At The Cliffhanger

    3.7(1k reviews)
    21.9 mi
    $$

    Heard of Hortencia's a few times so finally was able to stop in for a Sunday brunch/lunch! It did…read morenot disappoint! The restaurant was still quite empty which was nice. The views all around were absolutely gorgeous!! We ordered an enchilada with chile relleno and a side of carne asada taco and also the steak fajita! The food came out super quick and piping hot! Everything tasted so fresh and amazing! The pricing was a deal considering it comes with a view! Definitely will make our way back again! How can you not!

    We came here looking for a great experience due to the view they had, but unfortunately left with…read moresome of the worst experience I ever had in a restaurant, service was OK. It was kind of fast and came to see how we were doing every few minutes. The bad experience starts with the food, first of all the price is very expensive compared to the quality of the food, about $30 for two tacos not mention that one taco had only four little shrimps, my wife got the flautas and as soon as she got them, we noticed there were mosquitoes on the food so we returned the plate We ended up eating at a different time because of this problem we still got charged for it, nothing special on the Michelada, which is 18 bucks for only one beer and clamato At the end, we order a dessert of fried ice cream and unfortunately, another bad thing with this food a pubic hair at the bottom of the fried ice cream. It was very nasty. I decided not to complain anymore, but instead to leave a review, this is the first and last time that I'm coming to this place Another thing to point out is the bathroom is in a horrible condition, they don't take the trash out once the bin is full so there's many things that they really have to work on

    Photos
    Hortencias At The Cliffhanger - Inside

    Inside

    Hortencias At The Cliffhanger - Churro dessert $9.99

    Churro dessert $9.99

    Hortencias At The Cliffhanger - Cheers !

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    Cheers !

    El Mexicano I - mexican - Updated May 2026

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