Place was great! Love the food and ambience. Server was so nice! I definitely recommend

Had a chance to dine in here when we were at lake arrowhead. There's not much to choose from restaurant wise so we decided to go mexican that time. We were seated straight away as soon as we got there as they weren't busy that day. The place looks it could use an update. Replace the carpet perhaps. Anyways, we ordered the beef quesadilla, shrimp fajita and the carne asada plate. The quesadilla and fajita were very good and portions were big. But the carne asada looks dry and a little bland to our taste. Service was quick, the servers were nice too. read more

Papagayos - appetizer salsa and chips - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

Canned Mexican food! The food was beyond disappointing--bland, greasy, and somehow both overcooked and cold at the same time. The tacos were soggy, the rice tasted like it had been sitting out all day, and the beans had zero flavor. I've had better Mexican food from a gas station. Not one salsa was authentic or spicy. To top it off, the restaurant itself wasn't exactly clean. Sticky tables, dirty floors, and an overall vibe that made it hard to enjoy anything--even if the food had been decent. Save your money and go literally anywhere else in Big Bear. This was a complete waste of time, money, and appetite. read more

Papagayos in Lake Arrowhead Village is a solid stop when you want pretty tasty Mexican food with a side of fresh mountain air. The portions are generous, which I always appreciate, and the food is better than you might expect for a mountain village spot. I like that you can grab a meal and then wander around the village, browse the shops, and enjoy the scenery without feeling rushed. It's not trying to reinvent Mexican food, but it hits the spot and feels satisfying after a walk by the lake. Between the food, the setting, and the ability to stretch your legs afterward, it makes for a very enjoyable stop. read more

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Support local businesses. Papagayos is centrally located to Lake Arrowhead Village. It's right in the middle of construction but still open. Love the outdoor seating in the summer with acoustic guitar serenading the full patio. Fantastic views from the outside patio. Cocktails and beer served. Recommend a drop in and check out for yourself. read more

Papagayos - What a view - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

WOW!!!! Finally a restaurant that actually cooks your food and makes everything in house. Thank You PapaGayos for the flavor bomb food. Thank you for EXCELLENT SERVICE, food and experience. read more

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The host that greeted us was amazing. She was so friendly and good spirits. We came in Tuesday around 6pm and there was no wait. We ordered the carne asada plate and 2 carnitas tacos a la carte. Everything was yummy. I've been coming to the village for over a decade and never tried Papagayos. It was better than I thought it would be. Cleanliness and service can use a little work, otherwise it was pretty good. There was someone cleaning the floors while we were eating (almost right in front of us)... I think that maybe could have waited. Our waiter was nice, but not very attentive read more

Papagayos - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

This food here is pretty bland. Definitely the most white washed Mexican food. The rice was really dry and everything needed salt. The fajitas was full of peppers and onions and meat was dry and tasteless. The chicken Posada looked just like fajitas. The tilapia was flavorless. The pozole tasted like tomato soup. Great location in the Lake Arrowhead Village and inside is cute but food just didn't cut it for us. We did get good service with an attentive server so the 2 stars is for the food. read more

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Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Parking: 2/5 Family friendly: 3/5 Stroller friendly: 3/5 ADA accessible: 3/5 Definitely a gem here in Lake Arrowhead. Might sound ignorant, but I wasn't expecting this type of authenticity, loads of food and affordable all in the same place! We went with a big group of 12 around lunchtime -1 o'clock so the wait was about an hour or so. Nevertheless, food was great. We ended up ordering nachos supremas ($18.25), carne asada plate ($24.25), and carne asada burrito ($20.95). Each entree was def big enough to share and we also had food to take home. The wait staff was super quick and nice, especially considering how many people were there around 2-3 o'clock. It was packed! Some downsides though, this is just general to Lake Arrowhead Village itself on the weekend. There is lots of parking, but godspeed trying to find one. It was horrendous. Also, the wait time was 60-75 min around lunchtime. If you're in the area I would definitely drop by here. read more

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Our go to spot every time we come up! Great servers and the food is fantastic!! And we live in Los Angeles so we've tried plenty of Mexican food and this place is top rated in my books! read more

We spent this past weekend in Lake Arrowhead visiting Octoberfest, shoreline shops, and, of course, the lake. As our day came to an end, we stopped by Papagayos and was quickly seated while enjoying the ambiance. After a few minutes our food arrived. I enjoyed the Enchilada combo plate and my wife the Mexican Pizza. Papagayos was fun and affordable so if you're ever in the mountains of Lake Arrowhead stop by the Village and enjoy some good food, service, and ambiance. read more

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Kinda just crap food really. They are open late. That's a positive. But the food was not good. It tasted like drunk people food. And we were all sober, so there was no hiding the bad taste. I'll break down what we ordered and how everyone felt about what they ordered. The bill came to $100. And sadly, it was a total waste of money. I ordered the combo A; which was a 3 item with rice and beans. I picked the 2 cheese enchiladas, and bean & cheese burrito. The rice and beans were disgusting. Tasted like they were cooked with toilet water. Gross and not edible. I didn't like the enchilada sauce. I didn't like the bean and cheese burrito, because of the bland beans. My dad got the same combo as I did. He said the cheese enchiladas were decent and the taco was fine. But he said the rice and beans were gross as well. My mom ordered a Mexican pizza and said it was okay. She also shared she would never go back there again. That speaks volumes. My husband got the 3 item combo A. He did cheese enchilada, chile relleno and bean & cheese burrito. He said the rice was way too salty and the beans lacked salt. He liked the chile relleno but didn't care for the burrito. Overall, after spending $100 on food at this restaurant, we all agreed that we would never go back. It was not good. Sure, there was a couple of things that were edible. But the rest was disgusting and we ended up throwing away half of the food. read more

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DANNY! Best. Bartender. Ever. Very personable, knowledgable about the menu, had recs on deck. That shining personality made our whole experience read more

I had removed my review the last time because i love this place but once again this woman is here. She's horrible! She has the worst customer service, rude, has an attitude and honestly we believe she's racist. We are up here every weekend and always come here. We have always been treated very well. Everyone has been so nice and always had exceptional service. We will spread the word not to eat here or support this business if she is here. She should be fired! You have a wonderful place and this woman is pushing people away. read more

Papagayos - the girl behind the bar - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

We were at Lake Arrowhead 3 nights and ate at Papagayos on 2 days. Obviously we quite enjoy our first meal, chili verde plate and stuffed jalapeños (I think they were called little parrots?). The 2nd meal was crowned with drinks. Mine was a delicious mango margarita and my husband had a perfect Keoki coffee. The service was very friendly. Ambiance is comfortable. read more

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We love the staff We love the food We love the location And if Marcy is on making the drinks, the margaritas, they are absolutely fantastic, guaranteed to let you put your troubles aside for at least a couple of hours It's like an elevated experience of being at home. We feel so welcome and we are so happy to be here any season of the month of any year read more

Karen was the roodest person to check us in a d sit us down. She should not be the hostess. Our waitress was great!! And our food was great! read more

I wish I took photos, but I loved the very calm and tight-knit feeling of the restaurant. I'm from New Jersey and it reminded me of home. As soon as you enter there is a bar area with seating available all around. Someone will come and seat you. A lot of people will watch sports and take a sip at the bar. The shrimp tacos I ordered were *chefs kiss* Bellissimo! And shoutout to Jamie for her wonderful customer service and the staff cleaning and working hard! :) read more

Papagayos - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

Decent place. Lots of locals in the bar. Food is what you would expect for a local Mexican restaurant. Not fancy. Not great for sports on tv. Very small TVs and very hard to see. Friendly bar staff! read more

Wow, reading the reviews thinking the time we went, we must've been lucky, we didn't experience any bad service (it was ok), the food was reasonably priced for being in a tourist spot and it tasted fine. The atmosphere was typical corporate Mexican restaurant (meaning more El Torito than authentic Mexican restaurant) it was fine. Was a little crowded when we came but they managed to accommodate everyone at that time. The people that eat there are mostly tourists mixed with locals and you can't tell who's who because they seem to act the same - you'll know what I meant by saying that when you go out here and eat at all the restaurants too. Just remember when you encounter those people that you remind yourself it's Lake Arrowhead, not the French Alps and just laugh & laugh. read more

Papagayos - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

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Every time we come up the hill, it's such a pleasant visit. The food is awesome! If you want meat in your food, This is the place to come, because they're very generous. They're not giving you all the filler rice and beans.They're giving you a ton of meat and cheese.That's what we all want, right? Special shout out to Al, Austin our friendly waitress Jamie and of course Martha always big smiles and warm welcomes!!! read more

Papagayos - Al and Jamie our server!! - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

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It's a Friday I get that but the wait was really bad, lots of open tables no one getting sat it's been 30 minutes . Food was ok. Not really worth it read more

Worst "Mexican" food we have ever eaten. I wasn't expecting real authentic, but maybe something like Chili's, but we were all disappointed with our meals. We had the enchiladas, chicken tacos, taco salad, albondigas, and taquitos. The food was so bland and really had no taste resembling Mexican dishes, hardly any seasoning at all to be honest. Our server was attentive and friendly. The 2 stars are for her. read more

Love this place. The one step beyond Cadillac margarita is fantastic! Views of Lake Arrowhead are great too!

Had lunch here today. The chili verde was delicious. Service was awesome. The views of the lake were incredible!

The food was good. However, the complimentary chips smelled old and tasted old, but the salsa was good. I ordered the carnitas plate, which I really liked. Some of the carnitas was over cooked and burnt, but they were still delicious. My wife ordered their enchiladas camarones, which she liked as well. Excellent service. Our server was nice and always smiling with a positive attitude. The place looked depressing when you entered the restaurant. Unlike any other mexican food place where you can feel the festivity of it, wherein here, It's too quiet, even with the bar located toward the front of the restaurant. I get that it's next to the lake where it should have a serene kind of mood, but it should've been a different way of expressing it. Good thing, We were seated by the window with a lake view, so that kind of took out some of the depressing feeling. read more

Papagayos - Enchiladas Camarones - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

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I mean I have to admit, going to a Mexican restaurant in Lake Arrowhead was a stretch but I did not expect such poor quality of food. The rice and beans were alright but you have to try really hard to mess that up. I got the two combination plate with the chile relleno and enchilada. The chile relleno tasted and looked like it was cooked last week. I asked for the killer margarita and got a cup of lime juice that killed my appetite. The service was acceptable and have no complaint about that. Also the place was kept clean and the ambiance was pretty cool. read more

Papagayos - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

Whenever we're in the Village during lunch we like to stop here. The food is always quickly prepared, large portions, and really good. Most recently we got a tostada and flautas, and it was all delicious. Plus, the view of the lake is always nice if you find yourself at a window seat. And if you end up near the front by the bar you can watch a sports game on the TV. All in all a 5-star recommendation. read more

We went to Lake Arrowhead for the weekend. Got easy seating and we had kids with us. Waitress and servers were on point and kind and helpful. They had a great balloon artist walking around and the kids and us really enjoyed him and the conversation. The food was alright. Big portions. Would return if we were in the area again. read more

Our first time eating at Papagayos. Even though we've done take out from there before. Naturally we asked to sit outside - it was a beautiful day. Our hostess says they don't have an outside patio, even though I can see a sign that says Papagayos Lakeside Patio... Anyway she seated us at a booth with a window view and we realize that the little lakefront patio has a limited menu and a bar - and it seems like they're closing for the day. We order margaritas- which came in pint size beer glasses -- I so appreciate that-- since most places you get to take 5 sips and the drink is done! The chips and salsa for the table were delicious. We always say that the mark of a good Mexican restaurant is their chips and salsa and this didn't disappoint. My daughter loved the steak fajitas. The chunks of steak were well cooked and seasoned. The onion and pepper 'sauce' was delicious to dunk the steak in. The Ahi tuna tacos in wonton shells were substantial and delicious -- the wasabi guacamole drizzle was the perfect compliment to the generous chunks of ahi grade tuna and the wonton taco shell was well cooked and perfectly crisped. The Asada plate was substantial - the salsa that came with it was not nearly as good as the one that comes free to the table -- but no matter. The steak was a bit overcooked -- but well seasoned and tasty. The burrito -- well I mean look at the picture. It's giant!!! Either we didn't read carefully or they don't mention the cheese on top- but if it's supposed to be a dry burrito - why the cheese on top? Harder to pick up and eat. Regardless -- it was still delicious. read more

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The food was amazing! They're so delicious. Portion was huge! The service was excellent and attentive. We loved it so much, the next day we went back again before we leave Lake Arrowhead. Very recommended! We love Papagayos! read more

Papagayos - Enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

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Que rica comida... excelente servicio en un ambiente familiar. Cuando pasen por aqui, por Arrow Head... venganse a comer rico!!!

The good is the salsa and chip. The chicken is always very odd in dishes. I had taquitos and they were inedible. The service was bad as can be. Our server wanted us to order right away after we sat down. We had to catch her to order much later. I'm sorry to say she never came back. I ordered a taste of wine and wanted to order a glass. Well we never saw her again. read more

My family and I have been going here for 25+ years. This is a family favorite and always brings the best food. We love the Arrowhead Village location with the outside patio. We look forward to going here every year. They recently changed ownership and it was wonderful to see the menu and quality is just as good as good ever. The servers are always so nice and friendly. They are very personable and great with recommendations if you need help choosing. The flautas are my very favorite food item. I like the half chicken and half beef with a nasty ed margarita. Perfect meal! You won't be disappointed going here. read more

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Shout out to Jamie excellent service. Great attitude. Great food!! You Go Girl!!! Appreciate the great attitude. Thank you read more

Great service and food. Try to go on off hours because it's a popular place. We love it!

I've been coming here since the 80's when they were in Blue Jay. It's not traditional authentic Mexican food, but it's really good and the drinks are great. They have a solid team that always treats everyone with respect and are highly professional. You can't visit Lake Arrowhead without stopping by Papagayos. To my Mexican friends, please keep in mind it's in Lake Arrowhead. They are really trying and this is an old school staple of the mountain. It's definitely not what I'm used to from LA and SD. But worth a shot. Respectfully. read more

We went for lunch on a weekend, and we didn't have to wait. We were seated close to the window so we'd get a view of the lake. We got the carnitas plate, and the tilapia plate. We also got a side of Spanish (Mexican?) rice, and cheese dip! Everything was good, and the wait staff were very nice. I asked if they had anything for a birthday celebration, and yes, they came out with something for my mom who was celebrating her 80th birthday that day. It was a nice experience. read more

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The service was good. They were quick and loads of help. The aesthetics were ok, nothing bad though. Good view of the lake. The California Burrito was very dry, big pieces of steak and honestly not that good. But, the chicken Caesar wrap was amazing. Well cooked chicken, dressing was light, and the green tortilla was soft. It also came with sweet potato fries that were perfectly seasoned and delish. If I go back to lake arrowhead, I would go back here but for the Wrap and its fries. 3.5/5. read more

Papagayos - Chicken Caesar wrap California Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

We were around the area and decided to try this place. We beat the crowd. We were seated right away. Upon entering, you see the bar and the dining after. There was live music serenading the diners. Cool!! We ordered Loaded Nachos and Cheese Enchilada. You can't go wrong with them. The tortilla tasted fresh, crunchy and tasty. We left the place with our belly full and happy. We will definitely check this out again. read more

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