GABY’S LATIN FLAVORS
ADDRESS: 41618 Big Bear Boulevard, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
WEBSITE: https://www.gabysbigbear.com/
During a previous trip up to Big Bear Lake, my wife Cami and I had been looking for a place around our Airbnb to check out for dinner. We were in the mood for some Mexican food and hopped on Yelp to see what was around, which led us to discover Gaby’s Latin Flavors just right down the street. That ended up being a great decision, since the restaurant became one of our food highlights for that trip.
We stopped by the restaurant on a Saturday night, and it was relatively quiet, with only a couple of other tables occupied when we got there. The menu featured a number of Bolivian dishes, along with other Mexican dishes with a slight Bolivian twist to them. We weren’t hungry enough for two full plates of food, so we decided to share one plate of the Lomo Montado, along with two carnitas tacos and a side of beans.
While we were waiting for our food, we were given some complimentary chips and salsa to start munching on. Even though it was already later in the evening when we stopped into the restaurant, there continued to be more people coming in after us. Our plates came out after about 20 minutes, and after catching a whiff of the food, we were excited to get started on eating.
We started off with the two carnitas tacos, essentially functioning as our appetizer. The taco was double-wrapped with corn tortillas, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and some salsa. Each bite was very flavorful, with a great melding of savory and umami flavors, coupled with the acid from the salsa. Our side of beans was seasoned really well, with a super smooth texture. I ended up adding it to both the taco and Lomo Montado for a few bites.
As for the Lomo Montado plate, it consisted of carne asada topped with two over-easy eggs, served with potatoes, rice, and Bolivian pico de gallo. It was my first time trying the dish, and after one bite, it definitely gave me the feeling of comfort food. The carne asada mixed equally as well with either the potatoes or the rice, and the runny egg yolk from the over-easy egg helped to bring everything together. The burst of acid and slight heat from the Bolivian pico de gallo also helped to counter the heaviness from the other ingredients as well. It was a dish that was comprised of simple ingredients, but just brought together flavorfully, and I think that’s partially why I appreciated it so much as well.
We were only in town for just the one night, but if we had stayed longer, we probably would have returned to Gaby’s at least another time. The food was absolutely delicious, probably the best that we had eaten in the area, and you could taste the care that went into its preparation. If you are staying up in Big Bear, be sure to have Gaby’s Latin Flavors on your list for places to visit. Gaby herself is very warm and welcoming, and eating her food will make you feel like you’ve stepped right into her home.
Let’s now take a look at the Gaby’s Latin Flavors Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Carnitas Tacos **
Double-wrapped in corn tortillas, with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and shredded cheese.
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** Lomo Montado **
Carne asada served with potatoes and rice, topped with two over-easy eggs and Bolivian pico de gallo.
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** Side of Beans **
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And finally, here are my rankings for Gaby’s Latin Flavors:
Food: 5 / 5
Everything that we tried was full of flavor, and you could definitely taste the care that went into its preparation. The plate portion was definitely sufficient enough to split between two people.
Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
Even though the inside dining area could hold maybe 40 – 50 people, the atmosphere definitely gave the feeling like you were a guest inside someone’s home.
Service: 4.5 / 5
There were several people from the restaurant staff that helped us throughout the meal, including Gaby herself, who took our order at the front. She was very hospitable and even helped to make some recommendations on the menu as well. We definitely felt very welcomed during our visit.
Price: 4.5 / 5
The pricing on the dishes is what I would expect for being in the Big Bear area. For the quality of the food and just the overall atmosphere from our visit, however, I think it is absolutely worth it.
Overall:
18.5 / 20
(93%)
Categories: California, Restaurants
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