Such a gem on the Northside! We hosted a holiday party here during their brunch hours, and Bear & Bottle knocked it out of the park. Managing a large party can be tricky, but the staff handled everything wonderfully. Service was seamless, attentive, and organized from start to finish. Drinks were kept full, orders came out promptly, and we never felt rushed. We ordered off their weekend brunch menu, and while it is a somewhat limited list of their offerings, there was genuinely plenty of variety to satisfy everyone. Between hearty savory options and lighter fare, they effortlessly accommodated our group's mix of tastes and various dietary needs without any hassle. Pair that with their top-tier cocktail and beer selection, and it made for the perfect celebration. Highly recommend them for weekend brunch and group events! read more

Well I am upset with myself because I deleted all of the photos after posting them to Instagram and completely forgot to upload them here. They are a terrific spot just out of the downtown area. I swear I thought I left this review before. We had the nicest server, there were three little casino games in one corner. There's outside seating and indoor tables and a full bar area. Bathrooms are nice. Parking is easy and free. And then we stopped by the park on our way back to downtown area. We got their special which was the fish taco. A $5 for that and for cheese curds. There's a whole menu. Everything was super delicious. If I ever make it back to the area come I will definitely go here! read more

Bear & Bottle - Fish taco and cheese curds - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Personalities of the staff set you up for a great drinking and/or dining experience from the get go! So many have been there almost from the opening, and that's why they're still there. Friday fish, the All American, chicken (?) something orange salad,...you cannot go wrong! I don't work there; I live there!!! read more

What a solid place! One of the best chicken club sandwiches ever! Monster beer selection and friendly staff. Very unassuming but great spot. read more

Bear & Bottle - Chicken club with avocado and bacon. - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I've been here a few times and just love the atmosphere here! This specific time I'm reviewing we ordered two salads and had a couple cocktails. The salads came quickly and were AMAZING. The pesto salmon salad was out of this world. So fresh and the salmon was so juicy and cooked to perfection. I will order this salad again! It was a huge portion and I ate half of it the next day. So great portion for the price! Only small complaint I had was the speed of service after the food was served. There were probably 6 people at the bar and it was empty at the tables. It took a little bit of time to get another drink but the bartender was doing dishes etc and not intentionally ignoring us. Other than that I absolutely loved my visit and will be back to have this salad again. YUM!! read more

Bear & Bottle - Salad - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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You know? I am not a vegetarian, or a vegan, nor do i have a problem with glutenous foods, But the grilled asparagus at the bear and bottle are a delicious steak treat for anyone who has these said traits! Absolutely magnificent! read more

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A great stop for tacos and drinks. Great patio and spacious bar area. Kind servers. read more

Legitimately couldn't find this place even in the parking lot without checking my phone. It's tucked in the corner without much signage. The place itself is modern warehouse garage windows and very clean. The light fixture is impressive. There's not a ton of brunch items, and many over $15. The cheese curds are decent. Most of us got the hangover burger. The let us know they may be out of the sausage patty's but the burgers came without them, or bacon, or spicy mayo. The brioche blt and other item someone got was okay. The server was fine with us splitting the bill. read more

Bear & Bottle - Brioche blt - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I've been here a few times but I'm reviewing them for their fish fry. The fish fry is one of the best I've had in Madison. It has a unique breading with a hint of rosemary. The fragrant and delicate spice really takes the fried batter to the next level. The coleslaw and fries are the perfect counterpart. The portions were so large I had to take half home, which I thoroughly enjoyed the next day. The inside is very modern and clean. The location of this restaurant is a little out of my normal path, but once you get to the strip mall there's a ton of cool local places to check out. Service was good. Nothing to write home about, but that's ok too. So long as it isn't poor and a bad experience, I consider it a success. read more

Took my niece here for brunch. Cheese curds and the hangover burger were delicious! We will have to return to check out the lunch/dinner items. read more

I had brunch here in the fall and dinner tonight in January. It was so cold!!!! There seems to be no heat! I can't understand why no other reviews mention this. We had to eat dinner, like all the other guests, in our coats. I will not go again. I mentioned it last time to hostess who just shrugged. Food is good, service is good, just so uncomfortably cold!!! read more

Even though we live on the east side of town I had never heard of this place until my father-in-law and his brother told us how they stopped here and had a great meal (I don't want to give their ages because it might deter some from trying out this fun and vibrant place). They did say it was one of the biggest bars in town and I think they are right. We stopped on a Friday night soon after it was featured in the Madison Magazine - thankfully it wasn't jammed. The space is airy and nicely done. Given the cold weather in late April the garage doors were closed so we do want to return when the weather is nice because those doors being open would be great. The waitress was very friendly and warned us of a couple items not available including no dessert (odd). We ordered a couple of drinks but neither the Banana Mai Tai or Old Fashioned wowed us - they were OK. One reason we did come here was that the menu was not just your typical Madison cheese curd, burger & fish fry selection. Yes they have all three but they have a menu with a number of interesting items. I tried the Tenderoni- a pork tenderloin sandwich with avocado and tapenade - it was very good and tender(oni). Pork can be easily overcooked so I asked for it pink and it was! My wife order the Bahn Mi sliders and gave them a big thumbs up - we told this to the waitress and she said it was lucky she got this because they had run out - at 6pm? Boy I guess supply chain issues impact everything. Overall we had a very good meal and we will return to enjoy this space when the weather is better. read more

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I always have a great experience sitting at the bar here. Tap list is great. Service is attentive most of the time. If not they are happy to head down the lengthy bar with a friendly wave. Food has improved but my go to is the Asian chicken salad. If you like, I recommend adding avocado. the esquites is the one thing I recommend reviewing on flavors and even having on the menu if the corn isn't fresh and bland. That is the only thing I've truly not enjoyed at all. I love when the weather is nice enough to have the garage doors open. It's a great spot for meeting friends on the north side. Keep it up! read more

Food was underwhelming. Ordered the California club. Very under salted. Couldn't even taste the cilantro crema. Service was great. Ambiance seems a good fit for after work drinks or a sports day. read more

Caesar salad night, crispy chicken, no croutons, extra corn, extra avocado, extra dressing. And the brewers are on the television!

After trying to figure out a place to make reservations, we gave a call to Bear and Bottle. The three other places were "no reservations" or didn't answer their phone at all. So when he answered and was all warm and friendly it started the experience of right - we really appreciated being appreciated. We consider this a neighborhood place in that it is the exact middle distance to our friends. We hadn't been there in awhile and we found it delightful and the food even more interesting. We sat outside and forgave the road noise which wasn't too terrible. The service was wonderful. The food was delicious and plentiful. We had two meals from the leftovers. We didn't land on a "favorite cocktail" yet. Appreciated the NA beer selections. I haven't written a review in awhile but was motivated to give a shout out to this relaxed and friendly restaurant that we will visit more often. read more

Really cute place-natural brick and lots of interesting photos and some watercolors. Will be even better in summer- nice patio and glass walls that open up. Which might be why it was so cold inside! Put my coat back on and noticed I wasn't alone. Went for Restaurant Week. Made it for Happy Hour-had emailed-said till 5 and $2 off. When tap brought bartender said till 9 that night. Overheard next bartender said all night and 1/2 off. So they need to communicate better-affects my order! Food: Started with chorizo fritters. 2 big ones-1/2 through first one they brought out my asada burrito! Felt rushed-asked me if I wanted to pack up my fritter?! (Which was good-would have liked it spicier). Beef in burrito chewy and tough. Again- some hot sauce would have been appreciated. The chips and salsa verde was best part. Again generous portion. Molten lava cake-good but bottom hard and half was cold and not melted. Ice cream fine. Was at bar and place was full-with one bartender. Amazing-but took a while to get bill and leave. Overall will try again-but maybe for a Happy Hour in summer-if they figure it out! read more

Bear & Bottle - Chorizo Fritters - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I know this isn't a taco joint--but when there's a Taco section on the menu, you think, this might be good!!! Unfortunately this didn't hit the spot. We ordered after 9PM, on a Friday night--cheese curds, street chicken tacos and carne asada tacos--and was told it'd be ready in 10 minutes (WOW, that's fast!). Pick up was smooth and the bar had a good amount of patrons. People were spaced out and masks utilized appropriately. They were true to their word and my food came out timely. At first glance, the curds did not seem appealing. They weren't crispy but flavors were there. Definitely tasted better when dipped in sauce, tho. Street chicken tacos had roughly a table spoon of seasoned meat (which was cold), corn and cheese in double-flour tortilla. Two sauces came with it, 1) elote flavored mayo and 2) spicy mayo, which were pretty good. The carne asada meat was a bit warmer than the chicken but lacked flavor. The salsa verde did not help either. Not worth $40 (that's with tip!) in my book. :( I would have not minded if they took an extra 5 minutes to make sure the food was the right temp. This was my first time here, so am willing to give them another shot. Besides that, the space looks beautiful and seems like it would be a great event venue! read more

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Just amazing food! The meatball bahn mi was outstanding. Great casual atmosphere and outdoor space. Can't wait to come back!

Met a colleague for lunch today and I am impressed! The Kalua Pork Bowl was delicious and not to mention, huge. I will definitely be going back. read more

I stopped by while in town celebrating my birthday solo; I was feeling a bit lonely but thought it might be weird to ask for attention while out on my own, so I wasn't going to say anything. The extremely welcoming and kind server chatted with me and made recommendations; I had a huge, delicious sandwich and greens with the best strawberry vinaigrette I've ever had. I felt comfortable enough to mention why I was there, and he brought me a slice of heavenly lemon curd cheesecake as a birthday treat. I stopped feeling lame and just enjoyed being celebrated. I so appreciated the kind reception and will happily visit this spot again next time I'm in Madison! read more

Bear & Bottle - Ask for the lemon curd cheesecake. It's AMAZING! - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This place has a lot of potential. I like the ambiance and large bar for seating. We came here after work on a Tuesday for a drink and to try some food. The place was pretty empty. They had a fun list of seasonal cocktails out but no drink specials or deals/happy hour. The menu felt a bit scattered to me like they are trying to do too many different things. They have Ramen, tacos, salads, etc. I got the wonton nachos and my partner got the Ramen. As you can see in the photo the nachos were absolutely drenched in this sweet and sour type stuff, which was a bit off putting for me. It was disappointing because I think this could be a really fun dish if it was executed differently. The ramen was also surprisingly flavorless, almost like it was missing its entire flavor base. I would not recommend it. It's possible we just got two dud apps/entrees but overall my impression was that this place is underwhelming, especially for the prices. read more

Bear & Bottle - Wonton nachos - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Went to bear and bottle a few weeks ago for a business meeting. I grabbed the Crab Rangoons & Birria tacos. Crab Rangoon's were amazing and perfectly crisp. The Birria meat in the tacos tasted so processed and over cooked it was mush and the Birria sauce was flavorless. The walleye was flavorful and the bacon broccoli salad was fresh and full of flavor. Burger was great too. This was the second time I've been here and both times My expectations haven't been fully met. It's a great atmosphere and location but the flavors aren't there for me. read more

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Last week I went with some friends to Bear & Bottle. I ordered the Guava-Passionfruit Margarita which was perfect, sweet potato fries and A BIG Sandwich with Knoche's NY strip, roasted garlic aioli, tomato, pickled red onion, shredded lettuce, telera bread. My only complaint is that there was too much bread for the small amount of steak but everything else was delicious. The fries were thinly sliced which I loved and the steak was seasoned perfectly. I would give the food a 9/10 The restaurant was beautiful and I would go again especially in summer where there is outdoor seating read more

I come here often for the massive bar and tv's. Pretty good food, good staff. This strip mall in the Northside is stacked. read more

Bear & Bottle - Lime salt beer - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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How am I just now discovering this place?!? Bear and Bottle has such a great ambiance and vibe. The staff is friendly and efficient, the decor inside is beautiful, and the patio is perfect! We sat at a table on the patio and had a great time. The tables are covered by an umbrella to offer shade on a sunny day. The location of the patio is also great! It's in a quieter area and has a lovely view. The drinks are super fun! I had the Eiffel 65 which was served with blue rock candy. The drink was super nostalgic and gave me serious ''I'm blue dabadidabadi'' vibes. My husbands drink was really good too! Both were really fun and refreshing without being overly sweet. We did not order food but it all looked delicious! I'd love to try the tacos next time I visit! read more

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I've been wanting to try Bear & Bottle for years now. We arrived on Friday evening. We didn't have reservations as their web-site implied they don't have them on Friday but they were able to get us right in. I really liked the space. There is a dome-like section with very high ceiling, lots of beautiful wood planking, plenty of comfortable outdoor seating. They had a nice selection of cocktails and our group gave many of them a try. I would recommend any of the ones we had: Coco Limeade, Northside Punch, Kiwi Sour, B&B Old Fashioned. They were reasonably priced. The service was fine. We had one waitress take our orders, the appetizers and food were delivered by a variety of servers, a different waitress took our order when we wanted more beverages. Everyone was friendly. I thought the menu looked fairly interesting with several unusual items. Unfortunately I didn't find the actual dishes to live up to my expectations from the descriptions. I had the Bone Marrow Poppers. These are described as having roasted bone marrow cream cheese. I thought they were fine, but honestly I couldn't tell the difference from plain cream cheese. They cheese curds specified Ellsworth curds, but again they didn't seem particulary special. Appetizers just felt a bit pricey for what we got. I had the Jerk Rib Cubano. This is served on telera bread and it's my fault for not asking what that was. It is a huge bun and frankly reminded me of 3 brat buns that had not been separated. It was just too much bread. I would have preferred a pressed panini. The jerk meat was tasty, but I did miss the ham in a traditional Cubano. My second choice would have been the walleye and several in our group had that and enjoyed it. In general, this was a pleasant experience, I just expected a bit more based on the web-site and menu. read more

St patty's day and no specials, no corn beef embarrassing for neighbors bringing friends. Sorry you don't care more about your locals.

Very good! Enjoyed my meal. Went back a second time and enjoyed my meal again. Worth the drive from Verona for a change.

My wife and I were told we needed to go here and this was my third visit in the last two weeks. The first two visits were just for drinks but this time I finally got some food. Wow was I blown away. The tacos were extremely delicious. I inquired about the bone marrow and will definitely try that next time. As I was sitting at the bar, I got talking to Moe the bartender. To my surprise, the bar had been there for a few years. I was under the impression it was much newer. I was very surprised to find out they have a rotating menu which makes going back that much better. He even let me sample a cocktail he was toying with. The food is good, the atmosphere is amazing, and the staff are friendly. I can't wait to go back and try more food and drink. read more

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Great service, awesome beer selection, and a menu with something for everyone. Love watching the world go buy on the large patio.

- Sat at the bar. - Bartender never asked us if we needed anything and didn't ask how our food was when it came. - Same bartender reused my glass on a cocktail without asking if they could. - Bartender was nice and joking around with coworkers and was almost angry with customers. - A bar-back walked past our empty glasses several times - Every single table in the bar area needed to be bussed. - Bar was dirty with empty dishes, glasses, etc. - Same bar-back took my silverware away before we were finished with our app before our meal. - Boyfriend got the salmon omelet and it was tiny, like 4" x 2". - The Hangover burger was decent but it had a dime size amount of sauce on it. - Most likely they are understaffed, which is a lot of restaurants, but being rude and completely ignoring customers isn't cool. - We had great food and experiences sitting outside however in the past. read more

My parents came in from out of town and we wanted to find a new place to meet up and eat. We went on a rainy Saturday and found ourselves walking out 3.5 hours later, stuffed and merry. The waitress allowed us to take our time ordering in a coursed, non-rushed order (drinks, apps, meal). The food options were delicious! Highly recommend the Brussels, chicken nachos, and poke bowl! Made my day: they had anchor steam on tap!!! See y'all soon! read more

For the times we're in, this is the perfect setting to hang out with some friends for food/drinks. Last night we utilized their awesome patio, and there's a "garage type" door between the patio and the inside of the restaurant. This door was opened and made me feel more like a part of the atmosphere of the bar than if the patio was completely shut off from the inside. The only thing I would have liked to see is a few 6-top tables on the patio. During COVID there is a maximum of 6 patrons allowed per table (totally understandable,) but since there aren't any 6-tops, we had to squeeze in to all fit. The staff was incredible! So friendly, and they wasted no time getting food and drinks to us. My drink never sat empty! The drinks were a bit pricey, but it's definitely what I expected from a nicer bar like this. The Moscow mules I had were SO good, and the beer/wine list had a wide selection. The food menu was super intriguing, lots of creative dishes instead of your run of the mill bar food. I ordered fried cheese curds and crab Rangoon nachos. The cheese curds were some of the best I've had, honestly. The crab Rangoon nachos were pretty strange. I sort of expected more of a deconstructed crab Rangoon with bits of crab and a cream cheese sauce over wontons, but they were ACTUAL crab Rangoons with toppings (which was a carrot slaw). There was way too much of the slaw, and the dish didn't really work in my opinion. All in all, my friends and I had a GREAT experience at Bear and Bottle. I can't wait to go back and try out more of the menu. read more

As you can see by the photos a very nice atmosphere and neat place. They get a 3 star because of service. Very slow to be waited on and difficult to get a 3 drink and the bill. We ended leaving because of the service. Nice place I will give them another shot. read more

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Love the spring/summer menu. The tacos are great! There was definitely a little spice on the roasted mushroom-poblano taco, & the flavors were balanced perfectly. My friend also really liked the fish tacos even though she normally dislikes slaw. Very busy on the Friday nights and I'm sure it will be more busy when they open the patio. Only reason why it's not 5 stars is that the wait service was a little slow. But like I said it was a busy Friday night. read more

Bear & Bottle - Top: Friday fish tacos, bottom: roasted mushroom-poblano tacos. Both were great! - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Brunch, here is awesome! We don't get here as often as we want to, but the ambience, the food and the service are all top-notch! I have done reviews on Bear & Bottle for dinner, but brunch is also top in our book! read more

Went here for Valentine's day, great service, nice lighting and a few TV's to peek at during dinner.

Went there for one of my sisters birthday. I had the special of that night. Salmon with shrimp an crawdad with sauce all on a bed of wild rice. Had grilled zucchini too. It was cooked to perfection!! I also tried for the very first time an Old Fashion. Orange one. Very smooth. Waiter was super super friendly and attentive. read more

Bear & Bottle - Salmon special - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

On our way up to Wisconsin, we were hoping to find a place to eat lunch in the Madison area. Due to COVID, there weren't a lot of places that had dine-in available. It was super hot out, and we were grateful to find B&B open for dine-in. AMBIANCE: Great looking place - industrial/rustic, spacious with a few garage doors open for air flow. There's a nice-sized patio, but we chose to eat indoors with the air conditioning. The only problem with open garage-door windows were bugs - we killed 3 little flies during our meal. FOOD: We ordered cheese curds (excellent, soft, fresh), Korean BBQ tacos (delicious - if you don't like too much spice, order the sauce on the side) and a class burger (so good, the juices were dripping down my husband's hand). SERVICE: Our waitress was super friendly. I enjoyed talking with her. It's nice to finally talk to people after being stuck in our homes during IL's stay-at-home orders for months! She was attentive and helpful as well. I'd love to come back, but we're not in the area often. It's definitely a must visit! read more

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