Bear Walrus in Rock Hill, SC is outstanding! I had lunch there with a girlfriend on 7/17/26, and everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and the customer service was top-notch. What really earned this 5-star review happened after my visit. While reconciling my account on 7/29/26, I noticed a $45 charge for an item I didn't order. I called and spoke with Tiffany, who was incredibly kind and assured me she would speak with the manager, Philip. When I called back the next day, Katie was already expecting my call and immediately connected me with Philip. He had all the details, sincerely apologized, refunded the $45 without hesitation, and even gave me his personal number in case the refund didn't post. That level of honesty, communication, and trust is rare. Thank you, Tiffany, Katie, and Philip, for turning a billing mistake into an example of exceptional customer service. If you're looking for amazing comfort food, friendly people, and a place that truly feels like home, Bear Walrus is it. It's Rock Hill's version of "Cheers." I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in the Charlotte area! :::writing read more

Very busy Friday night. Our reservations for 6:45 pm didn't guarantee seating at that time, 20 minute wait estimated, got lucky and found seats at the bar while getting cocktails. Bartenders were really entertaining and I actually preferred it. We've had dinner there before and opted not to move to a table. Prime rib - Friday night special. AMAZING. 8 oz portion rare was juicy and so flavorful. Crust was peppery and delicious, perfect with savory heat from the horseradish cream. Mac and cheese was super creamy and just the right amount of pepper, made with shells, cheese pull galore. The collards were on point and packed with chunks of pork. The tri tip was sliced thin and stayed juicy but that chimichurri was the showstopper. It was fresh and spicy and totally made the dish! Beans were too smoky for me, hubby said they were good. Potato salad was solid but not sure any potato dish could top that Mac! Sparkling rose was just a teensy bit sweet, very refreshing and divine. Bartender said it's one of the best wines on their list. Hubby had Tito's and cranberry, also excellent. They have a good draft selection too. No oysters for us on this trip, but they did have a list and the raw bar was fully seated and enjoying them. We totally enjoyed oysters last time. Longer table down the middle would make it easy for large parties and they did have several large groups in as well. Overall it was a pretty energetic vibe with a fun but casual ambience. Dress it up if you like, but jeans are also okay. Games were on the three TVs at the bar, or maybe there were 4 TVs. Bartenders were fun to hang out with and provided all the menu recommendations and entertainment we could want. read more

BearWalrus - Tri tip with potato salad and baked beans - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

See all

In December 2025, my husband and I moved to this state and stayed in Rock Hill for a week waiting for our house to close. We had the opportunity to eat at Bear Walrus in person and it was the best bbq I'd ever had. I always try the turkey at every bbq place as sort of a litmus test. If the turkey is tender & juicy, it usually means they know what they're doing. That first time I wished I had more hands to give more thumbs up. Fast forward to last month. We ordered food to go. I got the turkey again and it was inedible. In the trash it went.The sides were still delicious. The greens and the Mac n cheese were so good. I figured maybe they had a bad night. This evening, once again, ordered the turkey and wow, it was wayyyyy over-peppered, completely dry, basically it was cardboard. Horrible. So decided to write this review in hopes they will reverse course. read more

BearWalrus - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

See all

Hands down some of the best food in Rock Hill! The BBQ is absolutely delicious - they usually run out of items, which is always a great sign because they make it fresh and only prepare so much each day. Their oysters are also top-notch, exceptionally fresh, and always shucked well. This has easily become one of our go-to spots. Highly recommended! read more

Inconsistency was the theme of our recent dinner at BearWalrus. Disappointing, and yet hopeful, because with some attention to detail this could become a great addition to the Rock Hill restaurant scene, As we sat our server did an excellent job explaining the menu. However, she then disappeared. Well, not disappeared, we could clearly see her at a table talking, and talking, with another couple. 15 minutes later we still hungrily (and thirstily) sat waiting to place our order. The service unfortunately remained unsteady throughout the evening. My wife and I love properly barbecued brisket. (Key mention, I lived in Texas many years and my wife grew up in Houston. We've taken vacations visiting Texan barbecue joints. Admittedly, we're "brisket snobs". ). Brisket is a tough cut of meat and aside from lots of loving time and attention it requires fat. Fat provides tenderness, moistness and most importantly flavor. When asked, ALWAYS order fatty brisket, not lean. Of the three slices of brisket we received, one was delicious, it all but fell apart with a fork. Another was partly good but the third slice was clearly overly lean; it was dry, tough and, in our view, not worth eating. So again, inconsistencies. We had a dozen oysters, four each of Good (from Virginia), Awesome (PEI) and Baller (Washington). The descriptions should've been switched. The large Chesapeake oysters were the best. They had a buttery finish - I enjoyed them. Meanwhile the Pacific oysters were very briny and one tasted of fish; after that I didn't touch the remainder . (I'm fine, by the way, no after-meal ill effects). I now suspect the price points for the oysters have less to do with quality and more with shipping costs. My advice, support our local, and delicious, fisheries. We ordered hushpuppies for starters and they arrived a dark, dark brown in color. The table next to us received the same so we first told ourselves that was perhaps how they were served here. However, we then saw other table servings and realized ours were burnt. The manager comped us for these (we had only eaten one). Of the four sides we had, the Cole slaw and onion rings were good but the Cowboy beans overly sweet and the Mac N Cheese was bland and lacked seasoning. BearWalrus is new, clearly still working out a few kinks. There were enough positives in our meal that I'm optimistic that this unevenness in quality will be ironed out in due course. read more

See all

Went to this place for the 1.00 oysters and it was so worth it! The house oysters were so big I had to take two bites to eat the whole oyster. I didn't try any other food but the restaurant was small and cute with a wait. read more

BearWalrus - House oysters - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

3rd time going and everything has been exceptional. Beef cheek is amazing, fresh oysters, great sides. read more

See all

We were excited to try a new restaurant. The service was terrible. I think they had two servers waiting on the entire building. Our server finally came to our table, no introductions, just "what would you like to start with?" The hostess was trying her best to help with service. Our appetizers came, no appetizer plates. When our entrees came, we had to ask the hostess for ketchup and more water. The table beside us left after not receiving their food in a timely manner. They asked to speak to a manager who never came. I don't know if they were short staffed or if this is typical but I don't think we will visit again to find out. read more

Fun, eclectic southern vibes. Interesting cocktail and food menus. Everyone in our party liked their drink and food choice. Have frozen slushy of the day, I mean, say less!! read more

For a party of 4 we were promptly seated even though we were early for our reservation. Our waitress was new but definitely trying, and was very polite and helpful. The food however is actually hit or miss. I had the crab cakes and lobster roll for my meal which was very tasty. The other members of my party had various BBQ items and each was not good . The meat was dry or fatty and they kept running out of 3-4 of the menu items we'd try to order. The restaurant is cute but the seating odd. We probably won't be back but it was nice to try something different. read more

Stopped by BearWalrus on a Friday night around 6pm.. The place is packed. 30 mins wait. Which is expected. And Felicity was our waitress. The grilled oysters are 5/5 stars. Nicely grills with two pieces of toast.. I truly enjoyed it. My partner try to order the lamb. But surprisingly they were out at 6pm. He the. opted for the prime rib which is really good but according to him. It's on the thin side for $36. I ordered the fried ribs with the sides of Mac and cheese and the potatoes salad. The ribs batter were a little too thick to my liking. And I never received the potato salad. She forget the Mac and cheese which she brought to us later. That I just didn't want to bother her again after we have bother her for the drink menu and asked to fill our water twice. I truly like the concept of the restaurant. Their oysters selection was great. And their shared dishes or appetizers are great. However, I'm not sure I would come back for the ribs because I didn't really care for the fried ribs or maybe just wait until the hype dies down and try again.. read more

See all

Pretty disappointing we made a reservation here and then received a call from the hostess the day of to say that the they overbooked and couldn't honor our reservation. On separate occasions we've tried to walk in and dine here on nights that didn't even seem busy and were turned away because "they don't take walk-ins" so they don't take walk-ins but can't even guarantee your reservation if you make one!! The food is good but not THAT good. I've given up and won't try here again. They're not even nice about it. Just rude. read more

Look, I'm probably gonna catch some crap for posting this, but maybe it was just a off day for them. We had early Father's Day here and started with the burnt ends. They were not only tough and chewy, but way overdone almost like a beef jerky. Then we ordered food and it took literally forever over 40 minutes to get our food as we're waiting on our food. I'm watching one of the bartenders or owner. I don't know who he was a older gentleman that was behind the back bar go over to the food prep area and is shoveling food off of either our plates or the food that kept warm under the heat lamp, but either way he was shoveling food in his mouth eating ! Was absolutely not impressed and I hate to say that because we've heard nothing but great things about this place! read more

Been to Bear Walrus a few times, trying to give it a shot. Food is inconsistent. It seems the food gets sloppier as the night goes on. Example - table next to le onion rings look amazing. Out order of onion ring look like they hit the floor a few times and undercooked. Takes forever to get anything from the bar. Most servers act as if they are doing you a favor by doing their job. Seating is uncomfortable. Waiting 45 minutes for BBQ - IMO needs to knock your socks off. No such luck. read more

Words cannot describe how absolutely amazing this restaurant is in every aspect!! My husband, daughter and I live in Charlotte (northeast) and ended up at BearWalrus while taking a trip to Miracle Park. We are unfamiliar with Rock Hill and while at the park, hubs googled RESTAURANTS NEAR ME and this one came up and ... OMGOODNESS!!! We went back 3 days later to enjoy again. Nothing in Charlotte even comes close!!! read more

BearWalrus - Double Wagyu Burger .. holy wagyu!!! Amazing!!! Side of fresh onion rings to boot!! - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

See all

Went to a wine dinner there it was amazing! Service was great and ambiance was on point for a bbq and oyster place but it's so much more!! read more

BearWalrus - Aweome captain chair at the bat! - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

See all

Philip, Porter and to entire team absolutely are crushing the restaurant scene in RH. Space is inviting, warm and engaging. Food is, well , in a couple words, Michelin quality. Well done team!!!! read more

BearWalrus - Bloody, Croque Madame. - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

We sat at the bar and were served by Pat the bartender. He was amazing at his job and it is apparent he takes great pride in what he does. I had the smoked prime rib and my husband had the Smoked beef cheek. Both were excellent, but I would lean towards the beef cheek next time. The collards...delicious. We started with the crab fries and those were excellent. We're now looking for a slushie machine for some mixed drinks...great idea. I'm not a fan of bourbon, but the bourbon and coke slushie was pretty good. read more

Was stoked to hear that a Texas-style bbq place was coming to Rock Hill. I lived in Texas for a decade and have been to John G's and Lewis in the Carolinas since transplanting. I tried BearWalrus and thought it was good, but not great. Sliced brisket was solid. I ordered both lean and fatty; it had a good Texas style bark. The lean cut was almost overcooked or right on the edge of being too dry. It was good, but not John G's level. On the side, I had mac and collards, which stood out. I had to ask for sauces and pickles, the latter of which should be automatically included on a plate of Texas brisket to cut the richness. I had room for dessert, and tried the Maple Bourbon Cake. It was dense, but the flavor was good. The icing had a bit of salt in it, which was unique. When I went in mid-September, it looked like picnic tables were in the process of being added to the patio out front. That's a great idea, because the smoker is *inside* the restaurant. I dined at the bar near the smoker. My eyes stung by the time I left and I smelled like a campfire. It's definitely smoky in there despite the ventilation. I would add a fifth star if the ventilation was better. read more

See all

Came here a little after it opened hoping some crowds would die down but the wait was like over an hour long. We waited since it was my birthday dinner and I wanted to try. The tables are set up in an interesting way all connected. While everyone working was very friendly and hospitable it was very slow. We were here for almost 2 hours or more. I found the food to be delicious. I had the special beef ribs and side of Mac n cheese and collard greens. The beef ribs were gigantic and were extremely good. Seasoned well and so tender. The mac n cheese was very good but the collards were not to my liking. They were more sour than I like. Had a couple onion rings from wife and they were amazing. I hope the wait times go down and the organization gets better under control but we will definitely be back for the food read more

BearWalrus - Beef Ribs - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

This restaurant made a low country girls heart Happy. Toni, Pat, and Rachel were awesome. I'll definitely be back read more

BearWalrus - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

See all

Just follow your nose to this gem. The smoky deliciousness will guide you straight to it. Ample parking! The oysters are flown in, sooo fresh and briny, and the steak tartare? Melts in your mouth. These guys know flavor! Staff is well trained and entertaining. This place will be a regular on our roster... A+++ read more

The food was disappointing. The pimento cheese hush puppies were over cook to the point of being hard with no hint of pimento cheese. I had the ribs which were over coated with black pepper to the point I had to scrape it off with my knife just to eat them; the sauce was nondescript; the coleslaw slaw was watery. One person had the pulled pork which was present in a ball with no resemblance to pulled pork; I thought it was the crab cake. Lastly was the chicken which the person eating it said it was chewy; she sent her food home to a friend's dog. Bottom line, we are a group who dine out a lot. BearWalrus was a barely edible one and done read more

We tried Bear Walrus this weekend, and we were thrilled with the food options. Our server, Michael, was fantastic! The ambiance is cool & the seating is nice to be able to chat with your neighbors. We will definitely be visiting again! read more

BearWalrus - Smoked chicken, onion rings & coleslaw - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

Great food and atmosphere. Both entrees I purchased were delicious and elevated. The logo and name of the restaurant is fun. Yet another great Rock Hill food choice. read more

Friday evening, 3/27/26, we tried this restaurant based on a recommendation of a friend. We ordered oyster Rockefeller. Instead of creamed spinach, it said creamed collards. Not good at all. The collards still had big stems, it was not creamed, the cheese was not melted, and the dish was barely warm. They have work to do on this dish. The Salmon was delicious but only came with a small salad on the plate and was $32. Not worth it. Service was mediocre. Twice they tried to bring us someone else's food and I had to request more water with ice several times. The restaurant has potential, but it needs to pay attention to detail and if it's going to serve food, it needs to be right and worth the money. read more

Ok I gave it another try. I know not to go on holidays but it actually was very good. The oysters can't be beat and the ribs were great.

Stopped here on way back from FLA. Definitely worth a stop! Great food! Great service! Well recommended!

This is a gem of a restaurant. I believe the owner owns a butcher shop and has access to the best cuts of meats. You cannot go wrong with anything. I usually am indifferent about eating out. I often feel it is not worth the price and I could have done better myself. For this area this is the one restaurant that I would make a special trip to. read more

Good food and really attentive service! The oxtails pizza was the star of my show, that particular visit but definitely looking forward to my next visit. read more

Great place! Great service. We will be back. Nice to have somewhere for oysters in rock hill. Espresso martini was fantastic like dessert. Nice fresh margarita. Texas Twinkie on special was great. Will definitely be back. read more

See all

This is a really great place. The brisket was among the best we've had across multiple states and many well known BBQ spots. The wedge salad topped with bacon is a memorable must try, also an all-time favorite of mine. The ribs were solid too, but we'd probably pass on the chicken next time. Will definitely return! read more

Great food, awesome service, cool vibe! Just wish they weren't closed for private parties several times we tried to go for dinner.

Solid spot! It's nice to have a restaurant down here that rivals Charlotte restaurants. It's new and the hype is still strong. We had a 20 minute wait at 5:10pm on a Friday, so I suggest going early. We ordered the mid-tier oysters ("awesome" oysters), beef tartare and a two meat bbq plate (brisket, st.louis ribs, coleslaw & onion rings). The oysters were good but they didn't come with a little fork to jostle the meat out on the stuck ones. The beef tartare was great and I loved that it was topped with a fried oyster. The breading on the oyster and on the onion rings was so good, very well seasoned & perfectly crispy. I RAVED about the onion rings. We requested bbq sauce for the brisket and it wasn't my favorite. It was very ketchupy. The ribs had a great rub on them and were juicy. Coleslaw was forgettable. I have to give props at how solid this spot is in its infancy. With a couple small tweaks (little oyster forks, more bbq sauce options), this place could easily be 5/5. read more

BearWalrus - Oysters, beef tartare topped with a crispy oyster - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

See all

Amazing oysters! Poboy was huge and the sides were fantastic. Can't wait to go back for more of that potato salad and all the sauces. read more

BearWalrus - Poboy - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

See all

As a local in Rock Hill, we have waited and waited for this to open. We frequent the owners other business often. I'm going to give Bear Walrus a break because they just opened but I should not have to wait 30 minutes for my water, 45 minutes for my wife's margarita when the place is basically empty at 8:15 at night. Everything we asked for was "not available" even after many attempts to find something. Was finally offered a piece of fish that isn't even on the menu. The chef offered to comp the entire meal but must have forgotten because we still had a 40.00 bill plus tip for basically the only food available. I do love the atmosphere but the service was the worst I've probably ever seen. I will give the server that took care of the people beside us because he was back checking on his guests every few seconds it seemed but we had to wait 30 minutes for a glass of water and 45 for a drink from an empty bar? Come on. We need better! Definitely wasted an hour and a half of our time last night. read more

BearWalrus - Cool interior - Smokehouse Near Me - Rock Hill, South Carolina

Hands down, the best restaurant in Rock Hill! Everyone that works there that we have met are attentive, friendly, and just wonderful to be around. We have visited every week since they have opened, enjoying the daily specials as well as many menu items, with everything being absolutely delicious. The prices are reasonable for the high quality of food received and generous portion sizes. Toni, Corbin, Mike, Jake, Tiffany, Matt, Carly, and Philip are amazing and make every trip in enjoyable. We love this restaurant! read more

See all

My husband and I stumbled upon Bear Walrus on our way to a mountain getaway to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary, and we are so glad we did. This is by far one of the best smokehouse restaurants I've ever visited. Definitely try the Steak and Brisket, you wont be disappointed!! We sat at the TV bar, and Pat, who was bartending, took incredible care of us the entire time. Even though he was slammed, he still found time for meaningful conversation and made some of the best cocktails we've ever had. When Pat and Charlie (GM) learned it was our anniversary, they surprised us with a special treat, and we were so touched. They also serve their food on a variety of vintage China and dinnerware patterns, and one of the pieces happened to be from our original wedding set. We thought that was such a neat and sentimental touch. It took us right back to our Wedding Day. Please stop in and tell them we sent you. Thank you, Pat and Charlie, for an outstanding first visit. The food is delicious, and the service is outstanding! We are planning our next visit soon. Mike and Katy read more

Really great food and fantastic service. The manager walked around and talked to all the tables- I mean, really talked and got feedback, asked about us, and really made us feel welcome. We will definitely be back. read more

Great food and great atmosphere. The staff was very friendly. We will be coming back!