This is our new favorite place! Nice staff, great food and super cute ambiance!!! Our server was very attentive and kind. This place is so cute we can't get over it. The cheese quesadilla and the cheese enchilada were so good and tasty. It's our first time here but we will be back with our son! read more

Papagayos - Our delicious food, plain cheese quesadilla, house salad, cheese enchilada, whole black bean soft taco - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

Bad customer service by Lauren and Amanda - the food was not good Customer service was horrible read more

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

The ambiance itself is very tropical and visually appealing; I can't say the same for the food. Everything tasted canned and bland. The service was good and the waiters were kind. It would still be hard for me to recommend this place for food though. read more

Food service and ambiance all in the gutter here. Staff is fine food is 3/10 drinks are 1/10. Service was incrediblyyyy slow even with staff standing, leaning, gossiping. My partner and i felt singled out based on our simple order and disappointing wait time compared to other tables Nothing is redeeming about this place literally go anywhere else in the village read more

Early Monday evening was not crowded. Wife and I each had chicken enchiladas with ranchera sauce, rice and beans. Great food, only ate half, so another dinner of leftovers. Complimentary fresh chips and salsa. Great margaritas (wife had standard, I had Killer). We had a nice window seat to view the lake. Not noisy, good service. Met Marta the owner who was very friendly. We will definitely be back when we are in Arrowhead again! read more

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

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

Food service and ambience is great. Prices are unusually good. Selection is outstanding and food is really terrific. Try the cheese enchilada it's fantastic if you love cheese enchiladas. read more

Papagayos - Took my cheese enchilada home and it comes in a microwave safe container. - Mexican Near Me - Lake Arrowhead, California

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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Hadn't been in a while. Very disappointed. The food lacked flavor, the service was average, and for the quality, the prices are too high. Used to be a decent spot but quality has gone downhill. read more

Super expensive for what it is -- I got 4 steak tacos for $26 -- but delicious nonetheless. Probably wouldn't return because of price alone, but it's good Mexican food if you're willing to pay. read more

Definitely not authentic Mexican food. Carnitas were disgusting and had a horrible sweetness to them. Almost like pulled pork. Service was meh. Slow even though they were empty. read more

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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I knew this place had poor ratings but decided to give a try. Staff are nice. But food though, tiny portions and overpriced. As for the quality, I don't consider this place an authentic Mexican restaurant. Im from LA and have been to plenty of Mexican restaurants where food is authentic, big portions, and lesser price. Wouldn't come back again read more

I was disappointed with the quality of the food, which I found to be lacking in flavor. Additionally, the ingredients did not meet my expectations for an authentic Mexican restaurant, specifically the use of parboiled rice and ground beef read more

Food was just okay, the rice in a combination plate was not cooked all the way, and the ground beef taco was very greasy - I couldn't eat it. Staff were friendly and attentive but I wouldn't come back. read more

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

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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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

Food was ok, we ordered two tacos a la carte and we got two very large tacos, I could only eat one. Service was slow and ambiance was serene as we went during the week and was very low attendance at that time. read more

Went to Popagayos this past Friday for dinner. The service was excellent and the restaurant was clean. However, I ordered the Chili-Colorado plate that was way to spicy hot, which I believe to have jalapeno sauce over. It ruined the meal. Nowhere on the menu did I read they put jalapeno green sauce over the meal or was I told by our server. I can typically handle spicy food, but this was beyond spicy. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a good 8 maybe a 9 on a spicy hot scale. Be careful if you can't handle real hot spicy sauce you better ask before ordering ! 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

Food is NOT good, service is okay. Margaritas are tasty but I would not go back just for the margaritas. SO many other options in Arrowhead that have great food and service. Cask & Cure, Spade & Spatula and Jetties. Don't waste you $$$ or time going to this place. read more

Bartender was extremely rude after letting us sit at the table for over ten minutes. Will never go back which is sad being a local. Staff should know the locals is how your survive. Good luck of this is how you treat locals. 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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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

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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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

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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Wow! The best breakfast burrito I ever had. The setting by Lake Arrowhead is wonderful, the service is great and the people are friendly.

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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Great view of the Lake. Service was slow, but the food was ok. They need to decorate for the 250th Anniversary and play Patriotic music.

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

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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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

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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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

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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