The Captain’s Anchorage is one of Big Bear’s finer dining establishments. This local landmark, built in 1946, looks like a setting out of an old movie. Rustic with an old log cabin feel, I especially loved the river-rock fireplace and paintings painted directly onto the support beams. More importantly, the food is outstanding, though a little on the pricey side.
But the most unusual thing about Captain’s Anchorage is its history and its resident ghost, George.
Actor Andy Divine, famous for his role as "Jingles" in the television series, "Wild Bill Hickcock," built the restaurant, calling it the Sportsman’s Tavern. The walls are still adorned with photos of Hollywood’s rich and famous who have eaten there. Through the years, the establishment changed hands, experienced a fire, and developed a checked reputation as a gambling house that offered a little something extra in the bedrooms upstairs. But it was during Andy Divine’s ownership that a man named George worked as the restaurant’s accountant. Legend has it that George was caught embezzling and subsequently committed suicide. Of course, there’s always the added remark, "though he died under mysterious circumstances."
I spoke with several employees who have personally experienced George’s eerie presence. Chairs, which have been neatly arranged around the upstairs tables, are suddenly in disarray. Things are moved around on the bar. There are often cold spots in the upstairs hall where George’s office was located, and the women who work there are afraid to go upstairs at night, for fear that they’ll feel his hand on their shoulder. Has anyone actually seen the mischievous ghost? Apparently so...though the employees on duty the night of my visit hadn’t seen the apparition themselves.
Whether you’re hunting for ghosts or simply want a terrific meal, I would recommend having dinner in the restaurant (the shrimp is especially yummy). After dessert (try the "ship wreck"-- a gooey brownie, topped with ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, whipped cream and pine nuts), ask the bartender to take you on the "ghost tour."
The Captain's Anchorage is located at the intersection of Highway 18 and Moonridge Road near the ski slopes. Phone number: 909-866-3997. Reservations are recommended. Dinners come with salad bar and soup, potatoes or rice, and bread. Chicken dishes, like the delicious lemon chicken picatta, run from $15.95 to $18.95. The most expensive item on the menu is filet mignon stuffed with Dungeness Crab, topped with artichoke hearts and tomato, smothered in bearnaise sauce...at a hefty price of $29.95.