Gold Pan Nugget Room - Big Bear City

This spot feels like a homey bar, creating a cozy atmosphere. Keep in mind that it’s a small town, and things move at a leisurely pace. But that’s just how it should be in Fawnskin—everything at a relaxed tempo. Overall, I absolutely love this place!

As soon as we walked in and were seated, we noticed how dirty and unpleasant it felt inside. However, we thought it would be rude to leave after being seated, so we decided to stick it out. The decor was bizarre; it looked like the same items had been hanging on the walls since 1972, untouched by cleaning. It was also clear that smoking had taken place in there for decades prior. Our server was a rather ominous-looking man with dirty hands who seemed to be under the influence of something. We also saw the infamous cranky old lady working behind the bar, perpetually stepping outside for smoke breaks, which sent clouds of smoke billowing right in through the door and into our lungs—so unpleasant. We had only wanted some onion rings to have a quick bite and get out of there, but, of course, they were out. I did try the chili, which was surprisingly good, but I couldn't fully enjoy it because I couldn't stop staring at the dirty table next to us. It looked like it hadn't been cleared since the night before, with leftover food and dishes still piled on it. The place was completely empty otherwise, which made it feel like the staff was just being lazy or distracted by who knows what. To make the experience even more awkward, there was no background music or television—just an uncomfortable silence that made it feel like we were being judged for being there. Then, a waitress I hadn’t noticed approached us from behind and asked if we needed anything. To my shock, she was in a manual wheelchair, not due to a handicap, but apparently because she had hurt her foot and was still working while rolling around. It was just bizarre. Overall, I would strongly advise against visiting this establishment. It’s dirty, the food is lackluster, the staff is unfriendly, and the overall atmosphere is just unpleasant. Run the other way!

Last year, some friends and family came to visit me in Big Bear, and I wanted to show them the best activities and dining spots in the area. On the morning of their departure, my friend went to grab donuts for breakfast. I persuaded him to turn around because I had a fantastic breakfast spot in mind: North Shore Cafe. When we arrived, I noticed the cafe was unusually crowded, but I put my name down and was told the wait would be around 10 minutes. The waitresses recognized me, so I was hopeful the wait would be shorter. However, my friend who had gone to get donuts thought 10 minutes was too long and decided to try a place down the street called The Nugget Room, which has a sign that resembles an old-fashioned gambling parlor. Reluctantly, I agreed to go there instead. The Nugget Room turned out to be more of a dive bar than a restaurant. As soon as I walked in, the smell of stale beer hit me. The chairs were wobbly, and the table was sticky from what must have been a spilled drink from the night before. I felt a wave of discomfort wash over me and wished I could return to North Shore, but I decided to push through this culinary adventure, promising myself to share my experience with others. Our waiter finally showed up looking like he hadn’t slept in days, his eyes jittery and wild. He handed us menus and disappeared to get our waters. The menu was predictable, and I opted for the simplest meal: two fried eggs, well-done hash browns, and sourdough toast. The others ordered theirs, and I sat there, feeling increasingly uneasy as my cousin tried to lighten the mood with jokes. After what felt like an eternity, our waiter returned, serving us according to the mood of the day—last to be served. What I received was shocking. I had never encountered such small portions in all my dining experiences. The toast resembled tiny leftover heels from a sourdough loaf, my eggs were overcooked, and the hash browns looked like they came from a frozen bag. While I expected a generous helping of hash browns to make up for the tiny toast, I was instead given a measly round that was barely four inches across. I couldn't help but laugh when I looked at my cousin—it took just a few bites to finish my breakfast. It was, without a doubt, the worst breakfast I've ever had! If you're seeking a hearty breakfast with a variety of options, stay away from this place. However, if you're indifferent to questionable food quality and taste, you might want to give it a try—or better yet, just go to IHOP or Denny's. In conclusion, no matter how I choose to phrase it, there's simply no way to make a bad experience sound good.

Gee, I read the other reviews and I 'm being charitable here. Here goes it. Actually, the food was quite decent. We had a large party and service was a little slow, but got the job done. Pancakes took up the entire plate and were fluffy, good texture and taste. My Denver Omlette wasn 't exactly aesthetically good looking, to the taste though, it was evenly seasoned and pleasing. We all liked our toast. Sausage patty mustve been mutton or something; it had a gamey taste while spruced up with spices. Our server was not liking us all too much because we kept ordering food, and had certain requests. Kinda rude w/ a 'tude. I dont understand; its a large order, you can 't control the amount in a party, what they 're going to order- and you 'll likely score a good tip. Enjoy the windfall and save us the grief. BTW, we gave a good tip and she even took $5 off the bill for ringing it up wrong. That brings it to a 3!

I'm not sure why this place has bad reviews. Yeah it is not a very high class place but a very down-to-earth, non-pretentious place. It kinda has a really old restaurant feel but the food is great and the service was really nice. We were the only customers and the server was very attentive and chit chatted with us a bit. The breakfast was pretty cheap and just what we needed before going canoeing in the lake!!!