It's really nice to have a local brew pub in Escondido! I've been multiple times and really like it. Very open concept that has a modern feel to it. There is a nice indoor/outdoor vibe as there are some really big glass garage type windows that open (or close). The service has always been very prompt and friendly. I keep going back to their pizza's as they are quite good. I also suggest checking the special of the day as they usually have some pretty cool ones. They also have beer! Quite a few to be honest and if you aren't sure they are great at helping you figure out what works for you. For good food served by nice people in a clean and modern environment, this is the place! read more

Something feels off here. The vibes in this place are weird and looking into the yelp page confirmed my suspicion. First off, Im 100% sure the owner here uses ChatGPT to answer all negative yelp reviews. Any business owner worth their weight is able to think for themselves and use their brain to answer unless they're completely illiterate or too incompetent to think of a good response. Second off, are they even a brewery? I see cans and taps of their own beer, but looking into the business, I dont think they own a brewery at all. This is more along the lines of a taphouse/pub. THAT BEING SAID, the food is quite nice. I think the pizza is great and it feels like they make and roll their own dough which is respectable and ambitious for a random little spot like this. But It is quiet...too quiet. The beer tender would constantly hangout at the handicap table talking to any co-worker with free time on their hands for a long time. Seems like a cushy job honestly. I'm assuming they would hold conversation with customers, but unfortunately There were no customers... its a ghost town, and i left thinking, "This place is creepy." I'll just pick up and eat the pizza at home next time. I'm waiting to see what generic CHATGPT response the owner gives me. read more

Place is great. Staff is very helpful and nice. I brought my kids with me and my kids enjoy the food. The staff treated us well read more

It was a very basic spot. The restaurant had a good amount of foot traffic and we were allowed to seat ourselves anywhere we would like. The food was basic and alittle slow on coming out. The server was good and very attentive. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - Spinach Dip - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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This saddens me to update my reviews. We have been frequenting this wonderful gastropub for years. Excellent craft beers, great food and wonderful staff..,and now this place has declined in all aspects. They no longer have their own craft beers, their menu has declined and the staff acts like they don't want to be there. The owner shut down their brewery and closed their Vista Gastropub. This location is a hollow representation of its former self. The beers are mostly Karl Strauss which are not interesting. There are several places on Grand Avenue in Escondido which are busy while this place is dying. This is so sad; we used to love this place, but no more. read more

Service was prompt and friendly. This is a local joint that has a nice modern interior and tavern vibe exterior. It was a little bit cold and our waitress offered to close the garage doors. Dogs are welcome in the patio. We all ordered burgers, kids burgers are plain, patties, pickles, and cheese. They forgot our cheese and we had to ask for the slices. The adults ordered a Cali burger and bear classic burger, the brioche buns toasted are very tasty, and the fries are cooked well and salted. The patties were bland and could use seasonings. Otherwise it's a nice local joint, we didn't try out the beers on tap but lots of other guests did. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - Bear Classic Burger - American Near Me - Escondido, California

On the way back from a recent road trip I stopped by Bear Roots Tavern in northern Escondido! This restaurant & craft beer tasting room on El Norte Parkway is impressive, both inside and out! It has that nice open-air vibe that is common to many Grand Avenue establishments. The service I experienced was welcoming and friendly. The place seems popular with salt-of-the-earth Esco locals. My first priority was to digest their fantastic selection of beers on tap. For my first I chose what's called "Deep Rooted", a Double IPA coming in at 8.9% ABV. It was outstanding; however, I was served a short pour. Not sure why but the presentation suffered for it. Looked like someone took a drink out of it. My second beer was called "Lecker", a German Pilsner coming in at 5.6% ABV. This one was excellent! Light bodied and crisp with a delightful floral note. The food menu looked great. A nice selection of pub grub style dishes. I was most interested in their selection of hot dogs, made with a Nathan's 6" frank. I ordered the "Tijuana Dog" and it was very tasty, artfully constructed and nicely presented. It's a bacon wrapped dog, topped with grilled onions & bell peppers, jalapeno and a cilantro aioli drizz. The dog was plump, juicy and hot but the jalapeno wasn't really present. I would have appreciated a little more of a kick. I have eaten these things back in the day on the streets of TJ and this wasn't really the same. I do appreciate their version which chefs up an otherwise pedestrian handheld treat. I observed several other dishes come out to other patrons and they all looked very good. I look forward to visiting again soon. read more

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We stopped here on our way back from pumpkin picking at Bates Nut Farm. This bar/ restaurant was clean and nice! I loved our waitress! They are family and dog friendly. Food was delicious! They have a kids menu. We had the burger, nachos, onion rings and kid Mac and cheese. They have plenty of TVs, nice seating, great bar. They have items for purchase sure as T-shirts. Definitely try them out! read more

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I've been here a few times now.....really want to love it because it's right down the street from me. I've sat on the patio a couple times and I have to say.....you are the forgotten man out there! Check ins basically don't occur and if you need something you may need to go and get it yourself. I am not going to make excuses for them because it's not been busy at all while I've been here and yet the check ins are still few and far between. I enjoyed my food the first two times but the latest was just average at best. The spicy burger wasn't very spicy and bun was a bit dry making for a messy time. Still I am willing to come again to see if the patio improves at all.....you guys need to figure out a way to make the patio people part of the restaurant too!! Ambience is good on the inside. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - American Near Me - Escondido, California

Dog friendly so plus for us. We didn't have our pooch with us this time so sat inside. Nice & clean. Server wasn't very friendly but good. Good choice of beers and beers were good. Little high pricing for food. My wife got their nachos and it's has a really good different tasting liquid cheese on it. I got the chili dog and it was ok. It was a hot dog with ok chili. She got their cake dessert that was high priced and not that big, but she really liked it. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - Dog friendly :) - American Near Me - Escondido, California

Went to Bear Roots because I saw great reviews and watch the sunset with a beer and appetizers. The Fried appetizer was pretty good but the marinara sauce for the cheese was overloaded with oregano. Fried pickles were great. We then opted for the brisket nachos with jalapenos. Brisket was tasteless and jalapenos were a bust. Not very flavorful. At least the chips were good. When you got to add hot sauce you know something's off. Service was mixed. First contact was great but everything else was pretty slow. Tables around us complained too. Beer was a high point. Lecker and Birra Felicia were good. View sunset and ambiance was a plus. read more

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Everything and everyone was so great. The wings were so delicious. Lots of space and no wait! read more

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Stopped by here on a Sunday, after being turned away at a sold out Escondido Ren Faire. Came in, didn't know if we should wait be seated, stood there, a waitress whizzed by and told us to sit anywhere so we did, I went to the restroom. I was probably in the restroom for about five+ minutes (you know Ren Faire garb). When I came back out, I asked my friend if a waitress had stopped by as we still had no menus. She said no. I looked around to see where I could acquire a menu, but I couldn't see any and there was no barcode for like a digital menu. We sat there for another 10 minutes waiting for someone to bring us menus. Meanwhile, the place only had about three tables with people, one table was a fairly large party, however, with the amount of staff that were in there, I saw no reason why someone couldn't just stop by and give us menus. I mean, they did shout probably about four or five times "Sorry about the wait" while they checked on the tables next to behind us..... so We decided to leave. Food looked good as it came out ‍ read more

This place has been on my list to try for a while now and I'm so glad I did! Dog friendly wrap around patio, open and ample seating, plenty of TVs to watch any sports games you want. My friend and I showed up mid afternoon on a Sunday and the place was relatively calm, maybe a handful of patrons enjoying the afternoon. Service was great, I forgot our server's name but he was super nice and gave us some great recommendations! I ordered a flight of beers and nachos. The beer flight was $15 for 5, 5oz pours of beer. That's an amazing price and the beer selection is extensive with something for everyone. I really enjoyed their sour, blueberry ipa and stout. Unfortunately their to go selection is picked through pretty well, so i would have needed to head to one of the vista locations for anything to take home thay I wanted. The nachos were massive and delicious. There was a good balance of smoked brisket atop a mountain of chips, beer cheese, pico, and sauce. It was more than enough for me, and very easily shareable! read more

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We needed a place to land before a game at Escondido high school. Loved the vibe and ended up really enjoying all the food and beer we ordered! read more

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This place is a hidden gem! The shopping center looks a bit dated, and I expected this place to be super casual, but it was more elevated inside, very clean, had a fresh, and modern design inside. The staff were all friendly and the service was on point too. We ordered a variety of things: beers, a beer flight, a burger, pizza, wings, chicken sandwiches, hot dog, sides and desserts. Everything was great. We were a little disappointed when our orders came out without fries (looking back it didn't say them came with any) so make note to order some - they're seasoned, curly, and you'll want them! Overall, I look forward to coming back and trying out more of their menu. read more

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This brewery is close to home and had its grand opening not too long ago. We decided to give it a try after driving by a few times and I'm so glad we did! They have indoor and outdoor seating. Dogs are welcome in the patio area. It's open seating. Our server immediately greeted us and took our drink orders. He was so nice and helpful. He gave me suggestions and offered me samples. I ended up ordering the Bite the Bullet Ale. I was surprised how good it tasted for how strong it is (11.9%). My husband and I shared the Bear Roots Nachos and we got it with smoked brisket and jalapeño cheese. I thought it was okay because I wasn't a fan of the brisket but my husband thought it was good. We also shared the Nashville Fried Chicken sandwich. We both felt like it's the best Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich we've had. It came with a large piece of chicken and tasted really good. The sandwich does not come with anything so we also ordered a small bowl of fries. They came out super hot and fresh. All the staff were so friendly and the place is very open and clean. We are looking forward to going back with our doggie and trying more beers and their hot dogs. read more

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This place is freaking awesome. I needed a spot to feed the kids after our Wild Animal Park adventure up the road. This place had what my kids wanted to eat so we pulled in. I was a bit worried at first it was more bar than restaurant, but thankfully I was dead wrong. The food was killer. I've noticed this trend that kids Mac and cheese at many spots these days is basically just box Mac and cheese. Not here - in fact the Mac and cheese is so good it should be on the grown up menu. My chicken sandwich was massive which is good cause it didn't come with fries. Very tasty and again so massive I had to cut it in half. The staff was friendly and helpful. I no longer consume alcohol and the waitress brought what I assume is some kind of brew master over to discuss the numerous NA beer options they had. That was awesome This place is rad and if I was a resident of San Diego County I would return often. read more

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Pros: - its clean - spacious; good amount of indoor, outdoor and bar seating - friendly staff - portions are bigger in real life than the pics make them appear on Yelp Cons: - the taplist is very IPA heavy and not much in the way of dark, sour or other styles - a lot of the menu is fried food and when it gets busy, the fryer gets backed up like on an episode of Chopped, so your food might take longer than usual Overall, 4 stars. Escondido is always in need of new options and Bear Roots is a welcome addition. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - Pepperoni & Pineapple Pizza - American Near Me - Escondido, California

We tried this place (finally!) for the first time. Nice interior, nice sit-down ambience. It was a hotdog special day, so we both had a hotdog, and large fries. Food was as expected: bar food to go with beer. The menu is a bit limited: hot dogs, burgers, some salads and pizzas. They were completely out of the pizzas that night. The beer menu had something for everyone. You will find some beer you can go with. The wait staff were friendly and talkative. The service was on point, nothing to complain about. Good neighborhood place to have a glass of craft beer and some bites to go with in a nice relaxing ambiance. Definitely a good addition to the neighborhood. read more

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They've just opened up recently, so they have a TON of kinks to still work out. I was in with the family last night, and we were greeted and seated promptly. The dining room has a very sports bar like vibe. With TVs playing the games. Our waiter came over and the first thing he says is, "I'm sorry guys but we are OUT of a bunch of beers!" And proceeds to name five beers on the menu they were out of (buuuuuuut, isn't this a brewery?). We settled on a couple of pints of what was in stock and ordered food. Be warned: The burgers and sandwiches are all à La carte. So if you order a burger that is all you will get; a sad lonely burger on a plate. If you want fries with that, you'll have to shell out extra coin. We waited a very, very long time for our food, and our appetizer came out with our main dishes-which drives me absolutely nuts. It's a total amateur move. The burgers and the sandwich were all ok, but just ok. I've had worse, but I've had way better for the money. They definitely needed fries but we'd waited so long for our food we just decided not to order anything else. This place has great potential, so I'm going to give it a few months and maybe try it again at a much later date when they've had time to smooth over the rough patches. They weren't terrible, but they weren't great either. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - American Near Me - Escondido, California

We've been watching this place be build for months and it's finally open! We came in and were seated right away. The inside had a very welcoming clean ambiance and the bar was really pretty. We ordered curly fries, mozzarella sticks, buffalo wings and a pepperoni pizza. The menu says flat press but they said it was a misprint and that the it's actually pizza. The curly fries were delicious and seasoned perfectly, the mozzarella sticks were defiantly frozen because they hardened fast and kind of reminded me of lunch lady mozzarella sticks, pretty mediocre and no cheese pull. The buffalo wings were seasoned really well, the perfect amount of sauce on them with a really good ranch. And the pizza was just okay, some of the cheese wasn't melted and the dough was cheap. Over all good food but not great or anything to really crave. My wife got an American ale and she liked it a lot so the beers are pretty good but all they have is beer (name gives it away) so don't come here looking for a mixed drink. Ranch dip: 8/10 read more

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I loved this beer to much, this is purely a review on the beer and appetizer we had! I feel compelled to write this review because of the coziness of this place (even with the roll up doors open), it has perfect lighting, it's open enough that it doesn't feel crowded, and the customer service was exceptional! We had the Bear Roots Sample Plater, and everything wash delicious. My fiancé has the Sol Source Session, and loved it. Ordered the Bear Cookie, and it is so good, I'm grabbing a 4-pack to take home. Even ordered an extra 5 oz while I wait for mi amor to finish his beer. Next time we come to visit our family, we will definitely be back! read more

Bear Roots Tavern - What a cute place! Feels cozy. - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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Popped in here for lunch today, and was not impressed. I ordered the brisket sliders and the meat tasted like it came from the back of the Schwan truck. Previously Frozen with a cheap BBQ sauce. I ordered a pint of their Mexican lager which was okay but just okay. The music is too loud and on a day when it was 60° outside all the windows were open. I made a point to mention the weird weather to the server who just kind of shrugged it off. Not a great experience and I will likely not be back. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - American Near Me - Escondido, California

Can here on a Friday early evening in late November. Parking sucks. Had to park in the adjacent lot by the donut place. Venue is nice. Everything appeared to be clean and new. Out of 6 beers, I found one that I liked (I enjoy IPA's). My husband didn't care for any of them (He's an IPA and Ale kinds guy). BR Super smash light finish fairly Dry. Sol source session fruity-ish (the one I liked) Rooted in the west. Light bodied. Little aroma. Rooted in Nelson. Bitter Fall in pumpkin ale. lager-ish Ginger's island. Notes of ginger root. The server noticed that I drank only one of the tasters and offered to pour me a full glass of the one that I did like. I accepted. I was told that the pizza takes a SIGNIFICANTLY longer time than the rest of the food. Or they fired it when I reminded them about it; after my husband was done eating. I wanted to cancell the order. The pizza was tasty but you need a fork to eat it because the center was soft and mushy. Not a slice that you could pick up. Had to ask for napkins and got only two. Did not receive any utensils or water. Had to ask for water twice. Wings and burger were good. Wait staff was nice, but they were noticeably understaffed which impacted service and our ability to request for items. Not an impressive first visit, shortly after their grand opening. I'll probably give them a few months and then reevaluate. read more

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I was very excited to see that Bear Roots has expanded, and to creating a cozy Tavern!! I hope to see them succeed! Our server was super sweet and attentive. We ordered the chili cheese fries (house made chili) with a Tijuana dog. Everything was mighty tasty. We really enjoyed the chili and would order a bowl of it next time around. I got their staple beer, the Bear Cookie. If I'm being entirely honest, I was disappointed. It has been a few years since I've last had one and the recipe has definitely changed. It was... okay. Their original Bear Cookie would make me drive an hour out of the way. I hope they bring back their original receipt some day. All in all, still a great spot to check out! read more

Bear Roots Tavern - Bear Cookie - American Near Me - Escondido, California

Food was a 8, service was a 3. Went in on a Saturday at 12 pm, no rush, not crowded and wasn't helped for atleast 20 minutes after being seated. Asked if I can keep tab open for beer, wasn't helped again after that until I got waitresses attention. 2 items were unavailable and not clear on the menu that it isn't available after a certain time. Had high hopes for this place as they've been open for a while. I would say improvement is very much needed. read more

The burger and fries with fresh made ranch is my favorite. Just a bummer I don't like any of their beer/tap options. Great atmosphere, service is great and they have great daily deals. Tuesday $9 burgers is awesome. read more

I like the vibe of the place. All the openness and breeze coming in was nice. But unfortunately, the rest was just ok. Service was very slow but friendly. Our food came out just one by one. Even taking our order was slow and it wasn't busy at all. The food itself wasn't good. Very bland. Burrito had no taste as well as the salsa. We got pizzas, idk how, but they had no taste. The bbq chicken was the best of the three pizzas bc the bbq sauce gave it flavor. And the chicken tenders were decent. I'd come back maybe to watch a game and just get maybe an appetizer. read more

We've been so excited to try the new Bear Roots Tavern! Today is their soft opening. We came in for lunch and Friday beers. It's so cute in here! Employees are super nice and seem really excited to be open. Will update once we get our food (menu looks amazing) - coming back to say that the food was phenomenal. We had a pretzel, fried zucchini, wings, and a smoked house burger! read more

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Spacious and clean location staff very friendly and on it! We came around 2 on a Saturday and not too busy. We had the BIG pretzel and that was amazing, we had it with the white ale cheese and needed another serving for that. We also had the fried zucchini which were a tad greasy but delicious. I think of the strain a bit before putting in basket they would be less greasy and oil wouldn't collect on liner or basket . Vegetarian Portobello Burger was delicious and brioche bun was super toasty it made burger even better ! Hubby had the fish and chips ( curly fries ) and those were very good too . Son had a grilled cheese that was not on the menu, but they asked and cook went ahead and made it! Now this is a good and our spot to return with other Family and friends read more

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Excellent beer and burgers, great deals on Thursdays too. The bartenders are more than happy to talk about their favorite brews and recommendations. Cool digs, TVs to watch the game or whatever you want. The place plays some of my favorite music. read more

We went here on a Wednesday night and it was pretty mellow! We got seated quickly and the servers were very attentive. We ordered the sampler platter, pork sliders, and the Tijuana hot dog. After, we ordered the brown butter cake for dessert. Although my favorite item in the sampler platter was the fried pickles, everything else tasted burnt, super oily, or was fried using old oil. We were coming in after "peak" dinner time, so not sure if that had anything to do with it. But everything else was great! They had great beer selection. I will say the decor doesn't quite match the bar food the menu has to offer. We were surprised of how fancy looking the furniture was but that it was a bar? Not sure lol either way, decor was still cute. we would definitely come here again! read more

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Updated: I ordered 2 pizzas at 5:15 pm today. They told me 20 minutes. I got there at 5:45 pm. It was packed. I asked them about my pizzas. The said, about 10 more minutes which turned into 45 minutes sitting at bear roots waiting for my pizzas. It took them over 1 hour to make my pizzas while others that came after and were seated got their pizzas ( of all items). I understand that it was busy and you can get behind but not over an hour and to top it off, I was not even compensated for the 45 minutes I waited in the restaurant. A free beer while I waited or a discount would have helped the situation but all I got was "sorry." They are usually good but they do need to compensate customers for extreme wait times. Not a good business strategy. read more

First time back after 9 months, disappointed. Ordered the Zucchini sticks, used to have a light tempura batter. Today they looked and tasted like they came frozen out of a bag. Hawaiian pizza, the crust is very different, not in a good way. Chicken wings, ok. Our server, Melody - either right there or had to wait for her. We were the only 2 customers will wait another 9 months to try again. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - Zucchini sticks, chicken Wings - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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this was my 2nd time trying out this place and i'm glad i gave it another try! the first time i visited, the service was slowww and the food was not good (i got the street hot dog)! BUT this time the service was better and the food was tasty! i got the chili cheese fries and i was surprised it was served with curly fries! that was a nice touch! the chili was flavorful and i like the cheese they added to the fries! usually cheddar cheese is the cheese on chili cheese fries, but i liked the twist! my husband got the burger and said it was alright! this place serves american/bar food! there is nothing spectacular about the food, but it's nice that the restaurant is close to our house and serves beer and wine! the customer service has always been great! i love the decor in the place! the chairs and decor would look so nice in my home LOL! read more

Bear Roots Tavern - burger - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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I came here 3 different times in hopes they improved. It's a shocker to me that they are still open. Every time I come here it's dead, even on the weekends. On top of that, the service is still slow and food is not good. Crazy. October 5 2024, I ordered a chili cheese dog. Cold wiener and toppings. Raw super chewy bacon. Sloppy mess, couldn't even pick up the dog without having it completely fall apart. The sad wonder bread bun did absolutely nothing to hold that mess together. 13 bucks for the poor excuse of a hot dog was insulting. Beer is not good, I sampled just about every one and it has an odd taste as if they do not clean the tap lines. Not saying they don't clean the lines but that's the best way I could describe the taste. October 7 2024 I came here again this time to try a different menu item in hopes maybe their overpriced hot dogs are a one off. I ordered the brisket sliders and fried zucchini. Sliders were okay, nothing spectacular. Once again, cold/room temp food in a restaurant with literally 2 other customers. Strange. Pull pork tasted like the precooked stuff you buy near the deli at Vons. Not bad, but certainly not restaurant quality. The fried zucchini was 20% zucchini and 80% doughy breading. Not good. Once again, beer sucked. May 24 2025. I figured enough time has passed and they for sure made some serious improvements to their food and beer. NOPE. Beer STILL sucked, and food is was low/mid tier at best. Once again, completely dead restaurant, slow service, cold food. I ordered the fish and chips. Fries's were cold, soggy, and plain. No flavor. The fish was a joke. Soggy, raw/undercooked breading on the inside. Fish itself was okay. But the breading, inedible. This is the last time I'm coming here. I really did give it multiple chances but it's insane how they serve the food here, especially for the prices. 18.99 for a 8" cheesesteak and no sides?? Wild. I do hear that the burgers are good. I will not be returning to risk it. But if you do decide to gamble, you should probably go with the burger to be safe. read more

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Cute place for beers and bites. I got a flight of their IPAs and to be honest I only liked 2 out of 5, but their service, atmosphere and the hot dog I ordered made it for it. I got the Chicago dog and it was very flavorful. read more

Bear Roots Tavern - Chicago Dog - American Near Me - Escondido, California

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This place is an absolute gem! The service was fast and friendly, the food was fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere was family-friendly. My family loved the strawberry salad read more

Been there numerous times and never disappoints. The hamburgers are the best in town as are the onion rings. Huge beer selection from thier brewery on tap and bottled imports. Place is all new inside and very clean. They have daily specials including my fav Monday all burgers $8! Service was excellent also. read more