A super cute little restaurant that I'm pretty sure was originally a home on a street off the highway in Balmorhea. The name means "The Bear Den" and the inside is decorated with all kinds of bears and other beautiful decor from Mexico. Since it's a small place, you're definitely not getting "fast food," so expect to spend about an hour to have lunch, but it's worth the wait! We tried the green chile queso (awesome), fried pickles (good, the ranch they came with were awesome though), the chile relleno (solid), the chicken flautas (pretty good), and my daughter had their fried fish basket, which we definitely didn't expect to see on the menu but she liked! We were on a road trip and didn't have as much time to spend here as I'd hoped, but they helped us get in and out as fast as possible with our bellies full, which we really appreciated! read more

La Cueva de Oso - Article about the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Balmorhea, Texas

See all

I was very disappointed with my meal. I ordered a taco salad when tasted like mush. When I completed to the staff I was not given other options to replace my salad but instead was told I ordered it so I had to play for it . I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

A Tex-Mex food oasis in the desert. Excellent warm chips and spicy salsa offer the perfect start to our meal. Enchiladas and tacos served on piping hot plates. Prompt, courteous service. read more

See all

If you're heading to Balmorhea, definitely worth the stop! Our family enjoyed their meal quite a bit before hitting the San Solomon Spring for the afternoon. Nice courtyard! Good service! Tasty food! Hit the spot after a long drive. read more

I had the Taco's a La Parilla and they were delicious. So many flavors. They were awesome and I'd suggest. Great service and friendly people. I'll definitely be back. read more

We went here after spending the day at the pool. The chips and salsa were delicious, and so were our meals. We got the enchiladas supreme and the chile con queso steak. It was pricier than expected, but we would definitely go back. No fountain drinks. read more

We've been traveling all over the Big Bend region this past week, eating at several restaurants. This restaurant is by far the best around and has better Tex-Mex than the chains we eat at in the Houston area where we're from. read more

Very good food in an eclectic setting. I recommend the steak fajitas and my wife recommends the Florinda's family favorite.

I would definitely recommend this business, even though there's not really a lot of options as the town is so small. This restuarant is in a converted house and outdoor seating is available. The food was good. I got the chile rellenos. I ate here with my family as we were traveling. High chairs were available for my one year old, which I appreciated. The waitress seemed friendly and food came out in a timely manner. It was decorated for Christmas and it seemed clear that the owner definitely put time amd thought into both the food offerings and the ambiance. ​ read more

So....you're out in the middle of nowhere and got a hankering for Tex-Mex?? BOOM! You found it. Plus try a Michelada...Great Stuff! Come check out this classy lil Mexican restaurant, they have indoor and outdoor dining. I had the Carne Guisada which would serve more like carne asada smothered with jalapeños & onions, but no complaints. It was a Solid Plate. It just wasn't the gravy version that I'm accustomed to. My friend got the Joel plate which is kind of like a sampler plate of everything the restaurant serves. For a moment I saw a full plate and then the next he was wiping it clean. So I guess that meant it was pretty damn good! Great service. Very friendly and helpful. Definitely looking forward to coming back! read more

See all

Amazing food! I had the stack chicken enchiladas. Bursting with flavors! My husband had Tacos a La Padilla. He was so delicious! For dessert we had sopaipillias with vanilla ice cream. read more

My step father told me to go check this place out. He told me they had the best chicken fried steak he's ever had and you didn't even need a knife. Just a little house turned into a restaurant. Cute patio. Service was ok, my son ordered a chicken quesadilla and he enjoyed it. I ordered the chicken fried steak and it was a massive piece, you definitely couldn't cut it with just a fork now so maybe they changed things up a bit? Chips and salsa were brought out to the table and they were just meh. The salsa was just like a picante sauce, not my favorite kind of salsa. read more

See all

Did a pit stop before we head to big bend. Everything was delicious. You just have to be patient on the service since it seems like it is one person. We would come back for the food for sure. read more

See all

If you like canned beans and velveeta cheese....this place is for you. Total tourist trap. The salsa and chips were decent.... I asked about what the beans recipe was ( due to food allergies in my kids) and the waitress couldn't tell me. I thought, maybe family recipe..,but then when they came...I realized they were canned beans and she probably didn't know the ingredients! Nothing is homemade. We won't be stopping here again. read more

Place closes at 8pm not 9pm. The staff said the owner is "technically challenged" and does not know how to update the closing times.

This is a cute little established restaurant in the town of Balmorhea. We have eaten here several times over the past 10-15 years. However, this past Monday when I went with my hubby the food was great! The chips were fresh and hot and the homemade salsa was VERY HOT, just the way we like it! My nachos were loaded abs very tasty and my husband enjoyed his plate as well. No fountain drinks though, just canned soft drinks. We hope to return next year with the rest of the family read more

La Cueva de Oso - Nachos, chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Balmorhea, Texas

Service is always great, good ambiance, and the food is always amazing!! Today, I had the Tacos a la Parilla, and they NEVER disappoint! We always make it a point to stop by on the way to and from Fort Davis. My wife likes to try different items on the menu, but I always stick to the usual Tacos a la Parrila! read more

La Cueva de Oso - Tacos a la Parilla!! - Mexican Near Me - Balmorhea, Texas

Great food fast service. Hidden gem. Would highly recommend this place. Hope to pass by again read more

La Cueva de Oso - Mexican Near Me - Balmorhea, Texas

A small restaurant in a small town - my friends and I decided to stop by during our road trip given we couldn't really find anywhere else. We were a bit hesitant because of the mixed reviews but ultimately decided to give it a try. Our service experience was very positive. It was a bit confusing in getting seated at first, but after sitting down, our drinks came out quickly as did the chips & salsa. Our food took roughly 15 minutes to come out after we placed orders, so service was quite timely. Our server was also very nice and checked on us a just right amount of times - we got refills on water and chips in a timely manner. The food was excellent! Tasted very authentic and delicious. I ordered the beef on stacked enchiladas and the cheese was very smooth. The portion size was great, and the beans & rice were traditional and mixed well with the enchiladas. The chips here also stood out to me - they were very crisp and crunchy. Overall, we were very pleasantly surprised by our lunch experience; the people here are very polite and friendly, and we'd gladly come back if we're ever in the area again! PROS: - tasty Mexican cuisine, sizable menu with many selections - homey and comfortable interior - quick and timely service, good amount of check-ins throughout meal - polite and friendly staff - free chips & salsa (crisp chips) CONS: - getting seated was a bit confusing at first - nothing else! read more

See all

If I could leave zero stars I would. We waited over 45 minutes for bland, burnt food after a long day of swimming at Balmorhea. When the food finally came out it was wrong. After the waitress acknowledged it was wrong, and my party being very hungry, we asked to order a cheese quesadilla. We were charged for everything without any apology. We were even over charged for an item, charged for a beef quesadilla instead of plain cheese because the waitress said there was no cheese quesadilla on the menu. Abused. Please avoid this stop and drive down to the any other place but here. read more

We were unfamiliar with the area and saw this sign that read, cutest little restaurant in town. So we decided to try it and we're immediately enchanted by the cute courtyard dining. My daughter got the taco salad and it was small but enough for her and she said it was delicious, the taco meat was flavored. read more

La Cueva de Oso - Courtyard dining - Mexican Near Me - Balmorhea, Texas

Driving to Texas from Cali and we found this hidden gem. Amazing customer service, food, and such a cute in & outdoor. Blessings to your business. read more

A decent tex-mex place. Salsa tastes great! I had the Bean Chalupa Plate. The presentation of the 3 chalupas wasn't the prettiest, but it was yummy! Beans on bottom, iceberg lettuce, and chopped tomatoes and cheese on top. My parents got the fajita combo (chicken & beef). It came out beautifully sizzling, with tomatoes, cartelized onions and green peppers. Side dish had rice, guacamole, and charro beans. It was very tasty. Service was okay. I think they were understaffed when we arrived because it took awhile to have our order taken. Our server mixed up all of our drinks. read more

La Cueva de Oso - Bean Chalupa Plate - Mexican Near Me - Balmorhea, Texas

Very possibly the worst restaurant experience I have ever had. No chips and salsa served although it seemed that every other take had them. The food took an hour but we hadn't gotten anything challenging to make. There was almost no one in the restaurant when we sat down so it could not have been due to other orders in front of ours. The waitress ignored us until we got up to all about our food. She joked that the cook was slow. Ten minutes later she stopped by to ask if we needed anything and we reminded her that we still needed our food. Finality it came and it was awful. The nachos were cold and soggy like they had been made and sitting with wet lettuce on them for half an hour. The cheese enchiladas were 3 flat, stacked tortillas with melted cheese and canned enchilada sauce on top. No cheese inside, no rolled tortilla. The bean burrito was edible but I needed a knife to cut through the tortilla. We decided to cut our losses and head out for pizza. Stopping by the bathroom on the way out, we found zero paper products, no toilet paper or paper towels. When I went to find them to tell them they were out I found two staff members whispering in back who didn't seem overly interested in helping. They did manage to put a single roll in the women's bathroom. I rarely leave negative reviews. I know running a restaurant is difficult and being a waitress or cook is hard work. But these guys either didn't care or they didn't like us (lesbians with kids). Either way, I do not recommend this place. read more

My family and I had a wonderful meal here! We had grilled and baked catfish, bean and cheese burritos and salads and more. Truly a hidden gem by the springs and the lake! Worth the stop and the wait! Be patient especially on Sunday's and you won't be sorry because the food is great! Lovely decor :-) read more

Stopped here after visiting the state park. We asked to sit on the cute patio, but was told it was closed. The prices were high and the food was slow to come out. The portions were small and just okay (although the beans were great!). We paid $18 for fajita nachos that "bear-ly" had fajita meat. When we got our check, we leaned they charge a fee to pay with a credit card. Not wanting to pay extra, I gave the waitress cash. When she brought my change, she didn't bring it all. She rounded up our ticket! We won't be back and don't recommend. read more

Very popular with the locals. When we first arrived, there were only two other people in the restaurant' and by the time we left there was only one empty table! Despite this, the service was fine. The fine was great. We had the chicken fajitas and split them as we were there for lunch. Definitely recommend the fajitas. The restaurant's ambiance lives up to their sign, "The Cutest Restaurant in Town!" read more

Loved the environment! So nice and relaxing! The food was very good. The waitress was very pleasant!

Cute restaurant... took the waitress 15 min to get our drinks.. didn't bring chips and salsa til later. Food took literally an hour to get to our table. They brought our food, forgot rice and beans. Another waitress had to come and give it to us. Food is NOT authentic Mexican food. Food is not that great. I asked 2 waitresses for a side of rice and beans and they never brought it out.Way overpriced for what we got. Waitress never came to refill drinks. When asked questions about the menu she didn't know, didn't ask anyone. Never checked on us. I would never come back to this place again. I had to walk around and find someone just to get my bill. Awful customer service read more

See all

This Mexican food was fine if that. The restaurant was big and the staff was nice. The wait time was very short close to ten minutes which was surprising considering the other reviews. Overall the restaurant was fine but probably the best chance you got in the small town. It is good food to eat but could be a lot better. read more

See all

La Cueva de Oso is in Balmorhea, Texas, just a few miles South of Interstate 10 and half way between Van Horn and Fort Stockton. This friendly, West Texas town is filled with great people and beautiful landscapes. There are several attractions close by including Balmorhea State Park, Carlsbad Caverns and Big Bend National Park. La Cueva de Oso is the perfect place to stop and grab a bite to eat when visiting these attractions. La Cueva de Oso provides the locals of Balmorhea with authentic Mexican food served up daily from a menu that includes everything you might ask for. The restaurant has several rooms which are great for large groups. We sat out in the Beer Garden, of course, and enjoyed our meal and a couple of cervezas in the cool West Texas breeze watching the sun set... Life is good. We asked the locals what they liked best here at La Cueva de Oso. Well, the overwhelming favorite menu items were the Cheese Enchiladas and the Beef Fajitas. So, that was what we ordered. Locals know best! The Cheese Enchiladas at La Cueva de Oso are served with Mexican Rice, Refried Beans, onion, lettuce and tomato. I absolutely love Cheese Enchiladas - I must try them at every Mexican restaurant I experience. The Cheese Enchiladas here are great. Built with real cheese and lots of it! And, the white onions sprinkled on top gave it that crunch I was looking for! Next, out came the sizzling Beef Fajitas. This marinated skirt steak was partnered up with onion, bell pepper and tomato. On a whole other plate were tortillas, Charro Beans, rice, lettuce, sour cream and guacamole. As you can see in my photography, the piping hot Fajitas were just what I was looking for after a long day on the road. The Fajitas were perfectly cooked and full of flavor. I do recommend. La Cueva de Oso or "The Bear Den" is a really cool spot in a really cool little town in West Texas. The locals here in Balmorhea are fine people and I look forward to breaking bread with them soon. Texas LOVE. read more

See all

Service was unfortunately the worst I've ever had. The waitress Catrina was almost hostile, Unbelievably rude to us and treated us like we were absolute annoyances for stopping into this restaurant in the middle of nowhere where I thought we were supporting a small business that would be happy to have us. We had been driving all day making our way back to AZ and called ahead of time to see if it was possible to get a veggie burrito because my bf can't have meat or dairy. We stopped in at least an hour before closing, not like it was 5 mins. We walked in and instead of greeting us she kept sweeping, waited a few mins and finally said "sit anywhere." When we did she immediately told us everything we couldn't order. My bf tried to order a veggie burrito that he had called earlier to confirm they could do and she literally cut him off when he was asking which veggies he could get and said "you can get French fries." somehow even though she was extremely annoyed to admit they had veggies after all he was able to order, but she didn't tell him any of the veggies would be extra and ended up charging $4 to add mushrooms.... To a burrito that literally had like 3 veggies and sauce. I ordered a taco salad and wanted to sub the meat out for veggies as well but she said "it'll just be lettuce and tomato then." So I just got it how it comes pretty much out of fear of angering her. It wasn't great and it was pretty dry so I had my bf ask for a side of hot sauce and this time she did tell us it would be extra, but we were thinking maybe $1 for a little side of sauce... she walked away before I could ask how much and then when she came back with it I asked and it was $4!!! For hot sauce at a Mexican restaurant. But she already set it on the table and I didn't feel like I could cancel it without angering her so I honestly almost cried. Then since we had this side of sauce and didn't want to waste it we asked for more chips and she told us they ran out? Not sure if that was true but even so that's kind of a bummer for a Mexican restaurant. It was such an upsetting unpleasant experience. I was so polite to her I don't know what I did to deserve being treated like shit. Huge waste of $30 and ruined my day. If you can help it I wouldn't stop here. They really need to improve- the bare minimum for being a waitress should be to be somewhat polite to your customers if you can't actually be kind and friendly. Food was mediocre and overpriced but I wouldn't have been as bothered by that If we had a better experience. read more

I remember when this was just 'The Bear Den'. On the drive back from Marfa, there aren't many spots to stop. We tried here because of all the white trucks parked out front (oilfield workers know where to eat) and were pleasantly surprised! Great service, awesome patio and good food. Believe the waitress when she says the red enchiladas are a little spicy. read more

Slow and inattentive service. Lousy, overpriced food made with cheap ingredients but the saving grace is that the portions are so small (ie: taco salad the size of a teacup) that there is less to get sick from an hour later. There's a reason that they bill themselves as the "cutest" restaurant in town (though it's tacky) and not the "tastiest". read more

I've come here many times over the years and often drive out of my way to dine here since I've had such great experiences. That being said, the experience I had this evening really put a sour taste in my mouth and I'm not sure I can justify coming back. We showed up for dinner around 7pm. There was nobody at the front when we walked in, so we sat ourselves, which I have done here before a few times. Then we waited almost 20 minutes for anyone to come up to our table -no chips and salsa, no drinks, no "hey, be with you shortly," etc. waitress finally comes by and we order drinks and guacamole for an appetizer. The drinks and (cold) chips & salsa came out quick enough and the waitress took the rest of our order. Another 20-30 mins go by and the waitress comes by to tell us they do not have any more guacamole for the evening, which was no big deal - we just ordered queso instead. Another 20 mins or so go by and all of our food is brought out together, including the appetizer. The food was ok, but I've been here when it is MUCH better. The beans on my plate looked like they grabbed them off another person's plate that didn't eat them at lunch time. Still, I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. The part that really sealed the deal for me was when a local sat at the table next to us, received drinks, chips & salsa in a matter of 5 mins, AND ordered guacamole. For some reason they were not out of guacamole for this person since they're a local. TL;DR - the quality has dropped a lot over the course of just a couple years - both food and service quality. Locals receive preferential treatment, so don't expect good service if you're not a local. read more

Great spot for good quality tex mex in the middle of nowhere. Service was great, you can tell the staff here has put their heart and soul into this place; it is their livelihood. Im not really understanding the bad reviews of this place, but when you are going to order chili cheese fries but complain about the lack of authenticity, maybe keep your inconsequential opinions to yourself. This place is exactly what it is, and there isnt a thing wrong with it. My credentials: I am an executive chef of a high end restaurant group, with experience as a chef de partie at a michelin bib gourmand restaurant. read more

This really is the cutest restaurant I've ever been to! We were seated immediately in the courtyard. And let me tell you. It was beautiful. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and so many beautiful green plants and pretty flowers. I did not want to leave! The server was so nice and the food came out so fast! I ordered the taco salad and it was freakin delicious! I really recommend you eat here! I am already planning to come back! read more

Love the enchiladas montadas with red sauce, had them twice while I stayed here for my open water scuba nearby. The red sauce is just spicy enough to enjoy. Must recommend the lemonade as a refreshing beverage. I had the sopa pillas which taste more like buñelos but are still tasty. The place can quickly get busy at certain times of the day, just hope you don't have to go anywhere in a hurry. If so just ask for the check as soon as you order your food. Don't come here if you expect the best service, everyone here is pretty chill. Other than that, it's legit if you're staying here and you're hangry. read more

See all

I liked everything about it The best is the interior, lot of detail Food was good Service above average read more

We stopped here heading home after a week long rv trip. It was easy to park with the rv, adorable house turned restaurant with rustic decor. Tables grouped in little nooks, friendly and warm server and THE FOOD WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! Full of locals and families taking their time to eat. Everyone said hello when they walked in the door - even the sheriff. We had our kids - son demolished his club sandwich that had thick cuts of gorgeous ham, daughter ate beans, rice and cheese quesadilla. For my husband and I we often gauge a Mexican restaurant by the salsa and it was fabulous. I ordered the taco salad with chicken instead of meat and my husband three chicken soft tacos- the chicken was real hand shredded chicken with mild flavor (not canned or overly seasoned like many) and we couldn't believe how fabulous our meals were. The server got very busy with the weekday lunch crowd so we waited a bit for the check and to pay but we didn't mind at all. Restrooms were cute and spotless! Restaurant very clean. We loved the hometown feel and lean, quality food- much missed when on the road!! We'll be back if we ever travel thru again and I hope others stop to enjoy also. Absolutely no complaints- 5 stars! read more