The tacos rock some of the best pub style food i've had. Great selection of alcohol, would recommend The Golden Point IPA. It has great flavor. Love this place! read more

The drinks are small and over priced. The food is what they can get out of the frozen food section of their purveyor. The kitchen staff doesn't have the talent to do entrees on Friday night forcing you to order fish fry, apps, salads or burgers. Our table was seated at 5:15 on a Friday night ordered the crab Rangoon nachos only to find out 5 minutes later they were out. The cauliflower bites were over seasoned and we got maybe 5 bites. One person at our table got the fish fry and (he's a chef with a rare Friday night off) said it was soggy and sat under a heat lamp for too long. "It might have been good 10 minutes ago." The salad my wife got was under dressed (nothing at all) she refused to say anything. The space is great but the empty buildings across the street and next to them makes the area feel sad. The beer list isn't that balanced, it's ipa heavy no ales. Yes Cali has other beers then ipa's Won't go back. read more

We had a great experience! There was two of us so we both wanted to try the shrimp tacos and crab Rangoon nachos. Tacos usually come with three but we asked if we could another for an extra charge and they obliged! Loved the shrimp tacos. The crab Rangoon nachos weren't what I was expecting but still decent. Loved the atmosphere and decor and amazing beer list. Definitely will go back read more

Bear & Bottle - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Nice patio and good atmosphere. Large selection of west coast beers. Cheese curds were a bit too oily/soggy. Food is better than your average bar. Marginally pricy in terms of value. read more

Bear & Bottle - The non-bar side with the garage doors closed - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I have eaten here a couple of times and really enjoy it. The cheese curds are wonderful. They have a nice, thin crunchy coating and are partnered with fresh made ranch dipping sauce. The crab Rangoon nachos are also very good and a much lighter option. My husband tried the fish tacos and loved them. I had the fried cod dinner and it was wonderful. Too much fish for one person, but very good. I will order again. We also love their drinks on tap!! The tasting option before you order your drink is very useful as I have taken the chance on beverages that I wouldn't normally and have been pleasantly surprised. I do hope they bring back the pineapple hard cider-that was beyond amazing! Definitely recommend. The food, service, and ambience are all very good. Update 7/12/17: I have continued to eat at the Bear and Bottle and have taken some of my friends. The experience has not been as good as before. My friend ordered the chicken tacos and the chicken was so dry that she couldn't eat it. When we said something to the waitress, the only suggestion was to add sour cream to try to get it down. They would not take it back. On another visit, we had the shrimp bowl on rice. The shrimp was good, but the rice was inedible. When I said something to the waitress she took it back. She said the kitchen told her that I must not be used to the fresh ginger that was in the rice. That is bullsh*t. I have eaten a lot of fresh ginger and that rice did not taste of ginger. The taste was closer to spackle. Again, no apology and they would not let us send the food back. Also, there was no adjustment to the bill in either case. I won't be back. read more

Never a disappointment, interesting interior. West coast inspired--definitely not just another Madison restaurant.

Margarita was great and did not need extra shot. Cheese curds are bomb. Pork belly sandwich will not be choice in future-too fatty tasting. Fries ok. Waitress should be more knowledgeable about menu and availability of products restaurant offers. I see them being really great with some tweaking in future. Atmosphere is so great, I want this place to be new go to :) read more

Excellent food. Sat outside. Avocado Toast & Tacos and beer. Excellent service. Will be back soonn

First time in for dinner on a Saturday night. Beautiful space though layout is a bit odd. Surprised how not busy it was but maybe they get a later crowd. Beer selection was just okay, and I gotta ask what the 13 oz pour is all about? Can't I just get a pint like a normal place, are you really making a profit by not giving me another 3 oz? Food was disappointing at best. Server suggested the steak tacos. So 3 tacos for $12.50 came out, not a lot of frills in them and completely under seasoned. My date had the chicken club which was equally unfortunate. Server was nice and attentive but we won't be back. I enjoy supporting independent restaurants so I hope they get it together. read more

We ordered 3 different tacos and shared. The Korean taco was excellent and spicy. The barbacoa was also really good. The carnitas was fine but didn't measure up to the other two. Great beer list. I'm a big fan of these restaurants by the same owners (Flying Hound, Waypoint, etc). Good addition. read more

We came here to try since it was new and we were a little hungry. They're only a month in but they have proven they should last! The beer list is exclusively from California and Wisconsin and doesn't disappoint. We shared an order of the tilapia tacos, which come with 3 tacos per order. The tilapia was perfectly fried and the toppings were absolutely perfect. The space is very fresh and new. It was pretty empty when we were there, but it looks like it would still be a great place when it's full. The staff were very friendly and I'm looking forward to going again. read more

It's an awesome restaurant and vibe. The pricing is pretty even. Love the concept of a West Coast / Midwest style bar. The ambiance and everything about the inside and out it is awesome. We did get eaten alive by mosquitoes but it happens. My girlfriend and I got drinks and We ordered the Mexican Street corn which is amazing and Tempura Asparagus. Im leaving this one with a solid 4 stars being that it opened in May. But I definitely will be coming back. read more

Bear & Bottle - Drinks ? Yes please ! - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Ok... food was very average. Kids wouldn't touch the cheese curds because "they don't taste like anything." I tried them, and I agree. Had the carnitas tacos, they were dry and were also very bland. The drinks were good and our server was really nice. We'll come back and give it another shot. read more

Bland bland Bland. Very cool atmosphere but underwhelming food. Patio isn't dog friendly either. Okay experience. Won't be back.

I'm a fan. Staff is great. Food could use some work. Get the nachos hot please. I'll be back.

Was hoping to try a new place for lunch! WHEN you walk in and it's not lunch rush but your sit with menus and water and never see your waitress again, there is a time when you decide to leave. Frustration and hunger have taken me someplace I hope to find food. read more

Convenient, fresh, and good people! Bear & Bottle is one of my neighborhood go-tos. The staff is always considerate and accommodating...and I am a enough of a regular they make me feel like family. The burgers are yummy, most of the taco are super, and the cheese curds and sweet potato fries are fantastic! My only sadness is that I wish they had gluten free buns, but they do have great gluten free toast/bread. Pro Tip: get the specials, the kitchen has talented people in there! p.s. don't be afraid to hunker down at the bar with a book or a laptop to do some work either, the WiFi works, the staff welcomes you to do so, and the coffee is good. read more

Stopped in on a Wednesday. Very nice interior. But by the time 5:30 rolled around it was so loud in there I could not hear my dining companion speak and she was seated next to me. They really need to fix the acoustics. Cement floors plus high ceiling equals loud. DO no go there with anyone who has trouble hearing or you will not enjoy it. Or eat outside on the patio. The garage doors are nice, but when the sun sets you may not be able to see, as I was blinded, I had to keep moving my head around to keep the sun directly out of my eyes. Our server was very nice. Food was ok. Burger & fries. They forgot to put the onions on my burger, but when i told them they came quickly. A deal for $8.50 - fries were good, burger- very average, slightly overcooked. I have had much better. My companion had tacos and they were so greasy/saucy the whole plate was filled with grease. I mean it just poured out of the taco. So she had a hard time eating them. I guess they tasted ok. We will go back to try fish fry and only will sit outside. It is a very nice place and I wish I could rate it higher. I am sure as time goes by it will get better. Its nice to have it in the neighborhood. read more

Cool atmosphere. I like the high top seating at the bar. The food is good but nothing I would go out of my way for. The cheese curds come out with more of an empty crust shell than a full curd. Nice outdoor seating. read more

This is another place where I wish I could give the service and food 2 different ratings. The service here was fantastic - 5 stars. Our server was attentive, and made great recommendations. My table was very needy, and he did not seem to mind at all, and really seemed to enjoy his job. A++ for effort. The ambiance was fun. This is definitely a hipster-y place with succulents in the tables and Edison bulbs. The food...was worse than mediocre, and we ordered quite a few items. I'm about to kind of rip them apart, and I'm sorry for that. Street corn - DELISH! So amazing. Possibly the only good dish we ate. Crab Rangoon Nachos - These were interesting. I'm not sure I found any crab, and there was little Rangoon. It was mostly slaw. The chili sauce tasted like any other sauce you buy at a store. We basically ate slaw with chili sauce. Smoked Pork Quesadilla - This could have been good. The pork was nice, but a little bland. The problem with this was nothing was mixed together, so with each bite you got a different component of the quesadilla, instead of having bites with all the good stuff. So the first few bites were torilla and cheese. The next were tortilla and pork. The last were tortilla and veggies. If they were mixed together it probably would have been good, even if the pork lacked flavor. Smoked Chicken Wings - These were like regular wings. Again, the sauce tasted generic like it came from a bottle. They were chewy too, so I'm guessing they should have been cooked longer which was kind of scary. The "scallion crema" sauce was just plain yogurt. Clam Chowder - Very thin, and not chowder-like at all. Again, bland. Spicy Korean Pork Tacos - I like the idea that they are served in lettuce. The execution needs work though. They don't use 1 large piece of lettuce for each taco, but multiple small pieces, making them even messier than they already are. The pork used here was the same pork from the quesadilla, and still bland. It seems like they make a huge batch of pork and use it in everything. The kimchi was hard to eat. Literally. It was in HUGE pieces, and impossible to bite through (or even cut through). No bueno. Pork Belly Bahn Mi - The baguette was nice and crunchy. The texture was great, and I love the spicy mayo. No one at my table actually had any pork in their piece, though. It was all fat. I'm aware that pork belly is very fatty...but usually there is a little hunk of meat in there. Not in our piece! I couldn't even eat it. I After all of that disappointment, we decided not to get dessert. Basically, it was all extremely disappointing. And some of it was just downright gross. Bear & Bottle is on my list of places not to go back to. read more

Good food and great service. Nice décor and noise level was not bad.

Went out to eat on a Friday around 7, had to wait about 15 mins instead of the 30 mins we were told. I figured there would be a wait with it being new and it being a Friday, who can complain about a shorter wait time. While we were waiting we sat at the bar, the gentlemen next to us seemed to be over served. One of the men stumbled into a table walking and the other rudely reached across my body to grab a drink menu only after to ask if we needed it. The cocktails were also below par, I got a Kentucky mule and my friend got a Moscow Mule. Maybe it was the ginger beer but it wasn't good. Things got better when we were sat. Neal was our waiter and did a great job at attending to our table and giving some food recommendations. I didn't plan on getting fish but Neal talked me into the walleye and I'm happy he did. Our food was excellent, the shrimp tacos also looked amazing (good sized shrimp). We ordered off the cocktail list this time hoping for a better result. I ordered the spicy margarita I believe which sounded amazing but did not taste amazing. So overall food is great here and so is the service but when it comes to the bar, maybe stick to getting a beer. read more

Food is a C+ the drinks are an A-, the location is walking distance to my house, so I love that. Decor and ambiance is an A+. B&B folks (if you're reading), add a couple comfort food items to the menu and I'm a fan for life. Keep it simple. read more

Delicious. We had a hard time choosing what to order. Ended up getting the crab Rangoon nachos and a banh mi sandwich. Absolutely wonderful. We'll be back to try more for sure! read more

Hate to be another person chiming in with "I really wanted to love this place, but...." However, there's just no other way to categorize Bear & Bottle right now. Aesthetically and conceptually, it's pretty perfect. Breezy and gorgeous inside, with a beautiful patio and expansive bar. Lots of big tvs playing various sporting events in the bar- we barely noticed from our table in the dining room. Unfortunately, though the menu sounds amazing, the food didn't live up to its description. We started with cheese curds, which were decent. But then I got the "Smoked Grilled Shrimp" tacos and my boyfriend got the house burger. My shrimp tacos weren't horrible, but they definitely weren't what I expected. First of all, as others have mentioned, the tortillas didn't hold together so I ate them with a fork. Not a big deal, but then I noticed other issues. The menu said pineapple pico- the shrimp sat atop what seemed to be pineapple ground into a grainy paste with maybe ginger? The menu also said smoked and grilled, neither of which the shrimp seemed to be. The tacos were also missing the bacon lardons from the menu description. I mentioned this to my boyfriend, who admitted he was disappointed with his burger, which was overcooked and didn't include the "onion strings" from the menu. We did not have the opportunity to let our server know; even though the restaurant only had a handful of other tables (and at least 3 other servers) we sat for quite a while before even getting menus and she was nowhere to be found when we wanted to ask about the omissions from our order... or get more water...or order another round of drinks. By the time she did come back, we were both finished with our food. (she was friendly/personable, but just inattentive) In the meantime, despite the gorgeous night outside and the full patio, several servers rolled the garage style windows down just behind us, which was weirdly unwelcoming. Also odd was the host- when we came in and walked up to what was clearly a host stand around 9 PM (not late for a Saturday), she sighed and looked at us in an annoyed manner and said "what can I do for you?" Suggestion: as a host, just assume we're coming in to get a table! I thought the wine and beer lists were both impressive, and the food *sounds* so good! Hopefully they work out the kinks in the kitchen/on the floor.... til then I'll stick to sitting at the bar. read more

Finally a decent bar/restaurant on the East or North side of Madison! It has been slim pickens around here for a long time. The new guys, Bear and Bottle has a lot going for it. For one thing three of the walls are garage type wall with windows, and they were up on the evening we were there. It makes it seem that you are outside even if you are not. There is outside seating as well facing Sherman Avenue. We will see how that works once the mosquitoes come calling. . They have lots of local tap beers here and even some chrome taps that dispensed my "speciality" Old Fashion. It was big and tasty but I felt there wasn't much in the way of alcohol in it. Usually one is plenty but I could have had three without much of a buzz here. The food is pleasantly different with a Korean taco and a good brazed short ribs dinner. The staff was well trained and pleasant. The bad was the noise level even with the doors open. Very loud! We had some other minor glitches but I will wait till they have been open for a while before I mention them. Hope they keep improving and become part of the scene on this side of town. read more

Absolute chaos, food is inconsistent/normally bad and not worth the prices. $14 beers and $12 quesadillas...no, no this is not New York people. It is Madison, WI. Order two simple things and waited well over and hour to have it come out over cooked and all around not good. We have tried it a dozen times now and we are never going back. read more

Are you a fan of pork belly? You should be! B&B's version will hook you ( not available on Friday Fish Fry night). It is soy-glazed and comes with rice, pickled ginger and kim chee. Try it, thank me later. read more

I'm liking this place. It's busy, noisy, lots of kids, fresh air with the overhead doors open. The place was full on Thursday night by 5:30. Food very good, service excellent, a beer list that goes the extra mile. Just what the north side needed -- we'll definitely be back. I wish them well. read more

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My husband and I went to Bear and Bottle the Friday after they opened. It was a lovely day, we we wanted to space with a nice indoor/outdoor feel. The space is beautiful, but there are plenty of kinks that need to be worked out. 1. They sat us at a large family style table. We were the only two people sitting at it, but the places us at the end that is about six inches from the ordering registers. Throughout our entire meal, I was being bumped into by wait staff inputting orders. Staff also used the narrow space to walk to the patio (instead of using the designated door). It made it hard for us to enjoy our meal. 2. The food was very greasy. I ordered the salmon sandwich, and when I bit into it, oil went everywhere. The fries didn't appear to be shaken in the basket prior to delivery. They were almost inedible. My husband had the same issue with his chickpea sandwich. 3. They changed wait staff in the middle of our meal. No one communicated that with us, it just happened. When I was out of water, I was unsure who to call on. I'm uncertain if we'll be back for a meal, but I may come to enjoy a beer on their patio. read more

Try the pork belly sandwich. Lightly spicy and quite tasty. Good service...prompt and efficient.

Service? Great. Decor? Super cute even tho it's in a mini mall. Food? I give it 1 star for jalapeño poppers, needed to be roasted longer. Not cooked well. 2 stars for the very disappointing - I wanted SO MUCH for the to be good! - crab Rangoon nachos, there was NOTHING in the Rangoon, just straight fried won tons. 3 stars for the pork quesadillas- delicious and filling! Overall, 2 stars. Fix the other apps and maybe some less sweet cocktails and you'll have a good menu! read more

I had drinks and appetizers with friends here on a Wednesday night. The acoustics are not great with the garage doors closed; all that concrete amplifies the sound and makes it hard to hold a conversation. The beer selection included a fair selection of offerings from West Coast breweries as well as Madison favorites. There are gluten-free options (read: ciders) available as well. The appetizers we ordered were the tempura asparagus, cheese curds, and smoked chicken wings. I really enjoyed the cheese curds. The batter was light (similar to a tempura) and they melted in your mouth. The tempura asparagus was also nice; pickled asparagus spears fried in a tempura batter with a scallion crema (to be honest, this dipping sauce was not my favorite because it was like a watery green goddess dressing). The wings were very meaty, dressed in a Korean BBQ sauce, and served with the same scallion crema (aka watery green goddess dressing, not impressed) and cucumbers and carrots. The restaurant is family friendly which is great for some people and not great for others. Hopefully when the weather improves and the patio opens up, the inside acoustics will improve. read more

To the people that think this place is loud, you must not eat downtown! We stopped in on a busy Thursday night, and sitting on the bar side, with the walls open, it was loud, but not as bad as those tiny Capital restaurants. Plus, it's so roomy inside! It's open air with outdoor seating, and the service was great. Our waitress knew the menu inside and out, which was great, since the entire menu looked incredible. We started with the wings, which were a delish (not spicy) twist on an Asian/sweet wing. I ordered the beer braised short ribs with cheesy grits, while my BF got the torta. We both agreed that my meal was the best, and although some of my meat was all fat, the flavor was fantastic. I look forward to heading back, and hope they expand their burger offerings (they were kind of boring). read more

If you haven't been here yet then you need to make a point to come in and try this place. Great food, awesome service & a fun atmosphere.

The outdoor patio area is perfect and the bar inside is beautiful. Looking for apps? The cheese curds are some of the best I've ever had and the quesadilla was great as well. The jerk chicken and pineapple kabobs didn't have enough flavor for our liking, but the overall experience was wonderful! read more

Today was our first visit to the Bear and Bottle. We went for the staples-burger and chicken tenders. First off, I started with the butternut squash soup which was piping hot, The food tasty and delicious-but not too heavy. The food arrived in a very timely fashion. I had 3 large chicken tenders which were crispy in a medium batter. The chicken itself was tender and flavorful. I had a choice of dipping sauces which was nice. The husband had the cheeseburger. It arrived perfectly cooked as requested with pickles, onions, lettuce tomato and lots of cheese. The bun was also delicious. If you are a fry lover, this is the place for you.Both orders came with copious amounts of hand cut delicious fries. Everything, including the service, price and atmosphere was just right on our lunch visit. I think we will be back. read more

I love this place. I discovered it about a week and a half ago and I've been twice so far; and I haven't had a bad experience yet. They have a plenty of tap beers and their Moscow mules are to die for. Their food is phenomenal. I highly recommend the smoked chicken burrito; it is the best burrito I've had in my life. I'm definitely looking forward to trying everything on their menu. I also loved how their jalapeño poppers weren't fried my boyfriend and I eat out at least 5 times a week, so we've tried a lot of restaurants; this is DEFINITELY my favorite restaurant, so good. read more

Bear & Bottle is a great addition to the East Madison/Maple Bluff area. The decor is very hip - kind of a woodsy industrial vibe with some nice outdoor seating options. Our server was very attentive and friendly. Great cocktails and solid beer selection. Their salads and tacos are quite good - have yet to try the sandwich options. Tonight we also had the whitefish gazpacho, which was a grilled fish with a generous portion of a fresh chunky tomato salsa. Not what we expected but it was delicious. Give this place a try - they are still new and likely refining, but don't deserve some of the lower ratings folks have given. read more

I'm not sure if I've had a more recent meal where the execution of an uninspiring, over priced menu, was so bad. The House Burger, over medium, came out charred, grey and dry. The onion strings were under the patty and in the tomato jam. It was pointless to have them. Cheese slice was paper thin and the bacon had a metallic/off-putting taste. This all on a burger the size of a hockey puck and half the size of the bun. I would have been disappointed if this was $6.50, but at $12.50 it was only good for a laugh.... I am pretty sure I could have gotten better quality fries in a 5lb bag for a $1 at a discount store. I'll obviously never be back. read more

Bear & Bottle - The House Burger ordered "medium." It was dry, lacking any noticeable cheese, and about half the size of the bun that fell apart. $12.50 - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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