Oakside

There are plenty of restaurants in Big Bear built to look like log cabins, and Oakside is the fanciest of them all. This string-lit two-story restaurant on the edge of the Village wouldn't be out of place in Aspen, and it's your best bet in town for a slightly upscale meal. The menu features crowd-pleasing stuff like burgers, truffle fries, salads, and pasta, but we like coming here for a steak and a cocktail. The wait for a table can be very long at dinnertime, but here's the secret: just head upstairs, where there's lots of open seating and they serve the full menu until close.