Review: Nuevo Vallarta Grill, Big Bear Lake

Nuevo Vallarta Grill
40949 Big Bear Blvd.
Big Bear Lake, Ca 92315
Cuisine: Mexican
Beer and wine are served
Food: A
Service: A
Price/Value : A
Atmosphere: B+
(have to walk through kitchen for bathroom access)
Overall: A-

Nuevo Vallarta Grill struck us as the perfect Big Bear Lake, California restaurant to begin Big Bear Bite's reviews. The restaurant is tucked in the corner of shops at Big Bear Blvd. and Alden Road. Or as most phone book ads say, one block east of Big Bear Lake Village next to Sandy's. It seems many Big Bear City and Big Bear Lake residents haven't had a chance to try this charming restaurant.

We wanted to have a great dining experience for our money and our third visit to Nuevo Vallarta Grill did not disappoint. This restaurant gives every consideration to it's diners starting with the salsa bar.

Fresh Salsa Bar

Mild marinated vegetables, tomatillo/avocado salsa, medium salsa

All the offerings of Nuevo Vallarta Grill's ample salsa bar are lively with fresh flavors to please hot and mild salsa lovers alike. The salsa bar is always clean and full. The tortilla chips are ordinary but the highlights of the salsa bar shine through. The mild and tangy Tomatillo Salsa with huge chunks of fresh avocado is a treasure for green salsa fans and we give it an A. The Grilled Tomato Salsa is bursting with freshly grilled tomato flavor and a warming heat. The Tomato and Oregano Salsa is perfectly mild with sweet oregano flavor. Standards like pico de gallo, mild, medium, and hot salsas are all present and easy to reach. There are also marinated carrots and onions with or without jalapenos. Most salsa bars run out of carrots long before jalapenos and onions but this salsa bar avoids that with generous containers of hot or mild veggies. No fishing around a container of vinegar, onions and jalapenos for carrots. Brilliant! The refreshing looking bottles of Mexican sodas such as assorted Jarritos flavors and Senorial Sangria are cleverly placed alongside the salsas. The bottles are kept ice cold and we enjoyed sipping on sangria while waiting for the food to come.

Appetizers

Queso Fundido

Since the salsa bar has such tremendous appeal we thought we'd order the Queso Fundido appetizer for $5.99. The food service seems to always be in synch with the kitchen so the plate of bubbling Monterey jack cheese was lightly browned and piping hot when brought to the table. The mild cheese is a wonderful accompaniment to the bright flavors of the Grilled Tomato and the Tomato Oregano Salsas. Now that we're certain of the quality of the seafood from our combined experiences here at Nuevo Vallarta Grill we are looking forward to trying the Campechana (shrimp and octopus cocktail with cilantro, onion, tomato and avocado $9.99) on our next visit. As the weather turns colder here in Big Bear Lake the Chicken Tortilla Soup ($6.99) and 7 Mares Soup ($12.99) both sound inviting.

Tortas and Specialty Lunches and Dinners

(sorry the pictures were lost, perhaps Nuevo Vallarta Grill will allow us to stop in sometime to photograph some of their lovely entrees)

For our main courses we ordered the Carne Asada Torta for $6.99 and Camarones Tequila priced at $11.99. The carne asada steak served on this medium sized torta was just the same as the carne asada you'll get on the steak tacos (1.99) and no doubt the steak fajitas ($12.90). It was cooked tender and juicy, with lots of chargrilled flavor. This torta had a light lime twist to the meat. The lettuce, tomato, and onion were crisp. The avocado was bright green and spread on the soft roll. There was no mayonnaise on this torta and it wasn't missed one bit with the citrus and fresh vegetable flavors. We've seen much bigger tortas before but the excellence of the steak was still enjoyable. Not a bad dish at all, but many other selections on Nuevo Vallarta Grill's menu are hard to beat. My suggestion is to save the tortas for when you need to order something quick, to-go and you're tired of burritos.

There's something very special about chef Jesus Diaz's Camarones Tequila. It is apparent from the first bite of this shrimp dish that great care is taken to make sure the shrimp are cooked to perfection. The shrimp were firm and tender when bitten into, they were the definition of al dente. There was no hint of overcooked shrimp flavor at all. The flavor of the red sauce was mild yet rich. The complexity of the sauce hits the palete slowly while allowing the shrimp take center stage. This is not a cream sauce. You'll want to incorporate the remaining sauce into the rice, because the flavor is not one you'll want to leave on the plate.

The rice and beans are among the best you can get at any Mexican restaurant. The rice is beautifully cooked, fluffy and nicely seasoned. The beans are creamy and the cheese that tops them is of a good quality and completely melted. Sour cream and guacamole on the side and tortillas come with each entree.

On a prior visit we tried Mojarra Frita (deep fried tilapia for $10.99) and it was plump, flaky and moist. This seafood dish is one of Nuevo Vallarta's great values. The whole fish is presented on the plate from head to tail. The skin is crisp and delicate. It's a dish you have to work at to get the hidden chunks of meat, but the flavor is a great reward. We could tell that the fish was very fresh because it was firm and the taste was mild. It's priced a couple of dollars lower than a few other Big Bear City and Big Bear Lake restaurants that offer tilapia.

We've seen fajitas served three times to other tables and the presentation is exceptional. Again, the timing the food servers have with the kitchen makes this fajitas dish a sizzling announcement of excitement and all the diners have seemed thrilled with their fajitas entree. Expect to hear a lot of oohing and ahhing from the people that order any of Nuevo Vallarta's Trio of Fajitas dishes (steak $12.90, shrimp $12.99, chicken $12.99, or all three combined $14.99). The Fish Tacos ($2.00) are overflowing, tender and juicy. All the tacos have plenty of filling and range between $1.99 and $2.50.

We enjoyed a Coca-Cola from the fountain and a mug of coffee with our meal. The Coke had plenty of carbonation and the syrup was right on. The coffee was your average restaurant coffee but you could tell it was just brewed even though we forgot to ask our server to make sure it was fresh.


Dessert

The Diaz Family's Homemade Flan

Oh we didn't want to do it! We were much too full from the generous portions at Nuevo Vallarta for dessert, but you can't review a Big Bear Valley restaurant and not talk about the sweet endings that are offered.

We asked our gracious server if there was a dessert she recommended. She smiled proudly then quickly and confidently stated with a nod, "The Flan! It is homemade." Homemade flan? After one too many disappointing packaged style flans at restaurants we'd almost given up on finding that perfect, ultra-rich flan. As soon as our server mentioned the word homemade our curiosity was sparked. That charge of flan excitement was in the air. Once again Nuevo Vallarta didn't let us down. This is the kind of dense flan that your spoon sinks into as if it were diving into thick cheesecake. This flan was not like a wobbly cross between pudding and Jello hybrid. Presented in a large boat, rich vanilla custard with the aroma and taste of caramelized cane sugar is crowned with rosettes of freshly whipped cream. This is it, the real deal in flan. We have not had flan this good on the mountain before. If nothing else, go for the flan!

Dining Experience Summary

Nuevo Vallarta Grill is bigger inside than it looks outside. The interior is a little dim, but still lively with underwater murals and big comfortable chairs to sit down in. Each time we've visited there have been 4-5 tables full. There is a jukebox with a big selection of Spanish music. The entrance and dining areas are very clean. You have to walk through a passage that runs along the kitchen to reach the bathrooms but they are well stocked and clean. The air freshener isn't overpowering but does it's job. On your way to and from the kitchen you'll notice it appears to be a very traditional Mexican cocina. It is clean and easy to walk past.

The service here gets a big A for several reasons. Always friendly, the servers will ask you often if you need anything. They know the menu very well and offer helpful suggestions. As mentioned before they have their timing with the kitchen down pat. Both the front and back of house are paying attention to details here at Nuevo Vallarta Grill. The servers pre-bus the tables between courses at this restaurant. It was so pleasant to have the table cleared off before our dessert was served. Drinks are refilled quickly. Jesus and Elena Diaz, the owners of Nuevo Vallarta Grill frequently check on the diners. Each time we've been in Jesus has taken a break from cooking to walk through the dining room, graciously taking compliments and making sure everyone's happy with their food.

Elena Diaz mentioned that they will be removing some of the Americana menu selections such as the NY Steak with white rice and veggies in order to offer more of their traditional Mexican dishes. This is a decision we at Big Bear Bites applaud because Big Bear, California needs more offerings like the Diaz's traditional recipes. With Chef Diaz's flair for sauces we would love to see his interpretation of Pollo de Mole. He's established himself as an expert in selecting and preparing seafood, so any traditional Mexican dishes from the sea would be exciting new additions to Nuevo Vallarta Grill's already outstanding menu.




If you would like to share your experiences at Nuevo Vallarta Grill or you would like us to review other Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City, Fawnskin, Moonridge, or Boulder Bay restaurants please post your comments.