The Bear - Downtown Chico My husband, my brother, and I stopped at The Bear after a morning hike one weekend. We were starving, and the food hit the spot. I especially loved the curly cheese fries, and the fried chicken sandwich was good too. The place is steeped in history. I'm not really a bar person and the energy isn't quite my vibe, but there's a lot to appreciate--especially the wild ceilings packed with random items. It's unique and full of character, even if it isn't perfectly aligned with my usual preferences. My husband, a local who grew up in Butte County, shared some great stories about his Chico State days, back when this was still a quieter town of wealthy families with unpaved roads. Those little pieces of local history made the visit even more interesting. A solid, character-filled stop if you enjoy the Bar vibe, you're hungry after a hike and open to a place with real personality. read more

I was visiting my son in Chico and had heard that "The Bear" was a must-do for Chico. The restaurant itself is very vibe-y. It is a lot! Loads of TVs with a variety of sports events playing. We ordered at the counter and then sat down at a table. We only waited about 15 minutes to get our food. My son and I ordered the Great Bacon Burger and specialized it to our liking. I ordered the side salad and he got curly fries. His roommate ordered the Near Burger with curly fries. When we got our food, the boys' burgers were not the way they had ordered them (one had cheese and the other had tomatoes). And it wasn't clear was whose was whose. My side salad was basic basic fare. I should have ordered the curly fries. I probably won't be back, but it was fun to visit the iconic Chico restaurant. read more

Great spot! We wandered in here by accident, and what a terrific surprise! We came in through the huge covered patio/beer garden, and found our way into the incredible interior. What an amazing place - it's practically a museum! We loved the layout, the multiple bars, and the food was also on point. We came back later that evening and found they had a dancefloor upstairs with a range of drink specials. Pretty fun spot - did not expect something like this in Chico! Definitely give this spot a stop if you are in the area - it's spectacular! read more

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For the sake of nostalgia, I am giving four stars. But let me tell you the times have changed here and the quality sadly has gone down. But the bartenders and the staff were very nice and helpful. Came in on a Friday night and had some drinks with some friends was sad to see the specialty shots were all premade and not that great. The next day we came back for a late lunch only to discover it was prom night and super busy. Something has changed to the wings and they taste different than they used to. But they were OK. The garlic fries just had a glob of garlic on top, they were not tossed around in the garlic. That was disappointing too. A friend of ours ordered a burger with a turkey patty and it took forever to get from the kitchen. It took so long they gave us a complementary coupon for a meal in the future. When I asked why it took so long, they said all the turkey patties were frozen and it was taking too long to thaw out. I'm glad it wasn't my burger because I would've hated to know that I just ate a frozen patty. It makes me question the quality of the rest of their burgers at this point. If you have never been here, it is a must see experience. The place is huge and every room has hidden surprises. This is still a Chico staple and I will always come back when I visit. read more

Madison Bear Garden - 6 wings cost how much?!?!? OMG. Faces blurred for privacy. - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

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I love that when we come here there's never a line to wait in. You can see the food cooking. The kitchen is clean. They are always eager to serve, always helpful very informative of their products coming to Madison Bear Garden is never a disappointment.. The staff is amazing very knowledgeable on the area in the community as well. Strongly recommend this is the place to visit. Thursday is his burger madness you wanna come here for the best burgers in town Madison Beer Gardens read more

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4 star vibes, 3 star burgers, 5 star staff, 5 star ambiance. The actual Bear itself? Immaculate. It's giving local college town staple (spoiler alert, it is), on certain night it's LIT, a 10/10 time. I would, and have returned repeatedly. HOWEVER, I came this particular visit for their burgers only (I saw their ad on Instagram, and thought they looked tasty). I ordered the Great Bacon Burger; The bacon was in fact great. Aforementioned staff was great, my only reason for saying it's a 3 star burger, simple... the patty was giving frozen. It tasted like a pre-frozen patty. Wendy's (never frozen, allegedly) has better tasting patties. That's actually my only grievance. Can I confirm they are in fact frozen? No. Does it look like a kick ass burger? Yes. Would I pay another 17-ish buckaroonies again? No. In-N-Out baby, tried and true. VIBES?! The Bear. Easy. As alwaaaaysssss give it a whirl, it might be your jam. read more

Madison Bear Garden - Patio seating - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

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cute bar and all but the staff is not very empathetic. some friends and I from out of state came to get a drink. I had no issue with my California ID but they claimed two of my friend's out of state IDs were fake and refused to look at any other form of ID. I understand it's a college down and they have to follow the law but the waiter who asked us to leave refused to show any understanding for my two friends who were freaking out about how to get home without an ID. The manager refused to speak with us and we had to call the cops to validate and get our IDs back. completely unnecessary as we enjoyed a night out at the. same. bar. the night before ! read more

I tried Madison Bear Garden thanks to a recommendation. As soon as I heard they had a peanut butter burger I knew I had to come visit! You order your food at the counter and then find a seat. Drinks are ordered at one of the two bars. When I went, it was slow so only one bar was open. The place is a little dark like a bar, but there's also outdoor seating if you prefer to eat with more light. The workers were friendly. They messed up one of our orders but promptly made it again without any issues. Now let's get to the burger, I thought it was good but not anything special It was just a regular burger with some jiffy peanut butter added. Not sure what I expected. We also ordered some garlic butter fries. The menu didn't lie when it said it would keep the vampires away. The fries are LOADED with garlic!! read more

Madison Bear Garden - Jiffy burger - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

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Never a bad meal at the bear. Fantastic onion rings and ranch per usual. One last time before moving! read more

Madison Bear Garden - The Bear Burger Onion Rings - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

A definite college spot. Love the decor and old stately decor. Two bars are great. Lots of selections. Lots of televisions around. Not a spot for a high end dining spot but one for some drinks. read more

Everything was fine until they stalked me into the bathroom and waited for me to walk back to my table for the ID after they had seen my ID at the bar 4 times ...not only that the bar tender was very distracted by the soccer game and made me feel like I was disturbing him by asking what was in the shots... this was my first time here in Chico I will not be back and will not be telling anyone to come here as it was discriminatory to follow my brown self and waiting in the bathroom with me but not my very white mother in law read more

jiffy burger was probably the best. Peanut butter and jelly was on the side: lettuce, tomato, onions, mushrooms, and fries were sautéed. Rapid service and rustic ambiance decor. Restaurant is open after midnight everyday. Lots of college students in the outdoor bar dining late after midnight. Music was on fire and energetic. Adjacent to CSU Chico and downtown. Madison Bear Garden reminds me of the singer Madison Beer; made a song "Make you mine" tribute to Megan Fox Jennifer's Body. read more

Walking in, place looks cool, not going to lie. Ordering system is a little different but manageable, not the end of the world if they can't take the food to your table. The food itself is mediocre at best, I had the island burger which in it of itself isn't bad but could've been better. Its just felt a little bland and the only thing carry it was the slice of pineapple in it. I also order their version of zucchini fries called the "zooks". Ehh... mostly just batter and barely any zucchini in the middle as well as very greasy. Couldn't finish them over how disgusted I felt with them. Staff is very friendly. Wish they could improve their food a little more. if I knew I was going to spend what I spent, I would've just gone to In-n-out. read more

Papa bear: if ur too lazy to read the menu, it has patty, cheddar cheese, bacon, onion rings, mayo, bear b que sauce, lettuce, and tomato. Tall burger but go slow and small bites and can save your jaw, will get easier to bite after the first few bites. Top Bun has a nice crunch, bottom got soft. The veggies are below the patty. Patty is huge, as a bacon burger hater, the bacon was good, tears apart easily but still has the crunch and chew, my jaw feels the burn. Bear b que Sauce was dripping from the back but visually nothing in the front, the drippings were also pretty clear, sauce is lacking, flavor is kinda subtle without much sauce. Not enough I think. Onion rings adds an additional nice crunch especially in my last bites. Garlic fries: curly, topped with butter, cheese and garlic, middle has a lot but on the sides, the fries are pretty much naked. Theres more garlic at the bottom, which is nice Extra: Water comes with straw Came with pickle and kale? Idk where it came from (burger or fries) Order food first, they'll call your name with a mic when ur order is ready. Drinks (including water) in another area. Insanely well decorated. The place has so much character. In terms of vibe and atmosphere, this place is a great one to hang out and a rare find Theres even a pinball machine, and other quarter machines Menu is on a wall next to the order area 4/5, great food but I know better burgers (slyderz) read more

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Good food, good vibe, friendly staff. Awesome bloody Mary's. Every age was having a great time read more

Madison Bear Garden - The fabulous Bloody Mary - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

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Delicious and affordable food. Fun venue. Friendly staff. Lots of drink options. Would love to try more of the menu. read more

Madison Bear Garden - A double patty cheese cheeseburger - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

The vibes are cool, I love how the place is decorated. Awesome place to bring your parents when they're in town. They also play amazing music. The food is decent, but not super expensive so you get what you pay for. read more

I came on Tuesday on a trip - so not the busiest, but love the interior design this bar is so cute! Got the purple hooter which is very tasty. The bartender was so nice and walked us through all the specialty shots. 10/10 wish a place like this existed closer to me. read more

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I absolutely love this place. I've come here for years as has my parents for years, I love the jiffy burger and the fingers are so good! But I was sadly dissatisfied this last time I came when I haven't been In quite some time and I came for bingo as advertised EVERY Tuesday and it literally did not happen when I came... lol I asked the bar tender and he said because there's not enough ppl but I assure you there was plenty of people and all tables were occupied as much as the last time I came. Why advertise something you won't uphold to? Anyway I'm just super sad and was looking forward to it/: love the place though and would still recommend and take any new friends from out of town for the ambience and fun environment! :) read more

It took and hour to get my food I strongly suggest not eating here absolutely ridiculous kitchen staff needs to do better

Staff is so nice, especially the bartenders! They helped me and my partner find something yummy to eat and drink for a low cost. Definitely want to come back. read more

It had been many years since I'd eaten at The Bear. I spent many nights there as a Chico State student, and it was just as phenomenal as I remembered! My Jiffy burger was ! read more

Madison Bear Garden - Entrance at Madison Bear Garden - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

This is bar food at best. The vibe is 10/10 but on a "slow" Monday night my fries were cold and the cheese on my burger wasn't even melted I would leave a much lower review, but it's a great place for drinks and fun and obviously in a college town. Came while the college was still on break so surrounded by locals. Food 2/10. read more

Terrible service. I waited over an hour for a hotdog and a chicken sandwich. I was the first one I'm my party and had the smallest order and was the last one to get served. Everyone else had large orders and were served at least 20 minutes b4 me. The worst part is that the food wasn't that good. I'll never be back here again. read more

Family, college students friendly restaurant located close to Chico state. Plenty of arcade games for entertaining.Happy hour specials with plenty of drink specials. We ordered chili cheese fries, hot wings and bacon cheeseburgers with curly fries. You order at one station then you place your drink order at the bar. No waitress or server, self service. Everything was good. Plenty of indoor seating. Very inviting and welcoming environment. Meter parking available. Reasonable prices. Will definitely visit again read more

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Been going on and off for years and had another great Presidential the other day. Always the same and always good enough and for a fair price. read more

Over priced and over cooked grilled chicken sandwich. Very small order of fries for $1[8. Won't be going g back!

The burgers and people here are phenomenal. The food and portions are great. Worth every penny. A must visit gor anyone in town.

EVERY single time I come here my kiddo asks for the beer cheese burgeR, no mustard, onion or pickle, and with cheese fries. I take my kiddo once every couple months to see if it's a better experience THIS time. Each and every time, they get the order wrong. EVERY time. I'm seriously disappointed! This place has been here forEVER, I grew up here. I won't recommend this place for anyone, ever! read more

Madison Bear Garden - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

The bear is a great spot to grab a pitcher and a burger. They have different specials every night (karaoke, bingo, trike races). It's a great college bar and can get really busy on nights and weekends. You do need to show ID after 9 and can bring kids before then. My favorite burger is the sourdough burger and their curly fries are the best. read more

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Love this place and the decor!!! Food was great, except the bun was cold like it had been toasted and left out for a while. I remember this place from waaay back when I was in grade school about 30 years ago and it's still so popular. It turns into a night club after 9 I think. Would definitely recommend this place for great bar food and beer. Once you walk in, order your food and find you a place to sit. Pick a booth or you can enjoy the patio area. There are about 3-4 bars, maybe even more. read more

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Big smiles and big beers. That's what greets you at this popular Chico spot along with an atmosphere built for a college town. The food is average but their wide selection of beers and novelty shots elevates the taste considerably. It seemed the more I drank the better the food tasted - which is quite the draw really. Worth it for the price, the staff here is friendly and the patrons are mostly the college crowd - young and enthusiastic about life. If you want a taste of Americana, step into The Bear. Ask about the mug club. read more

Madison Bear Garden - Chili Dog and Curly Fries - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

Unbelievably rude "security". My husband and I have been going to the Bear for years now, and my husband has a mexico ID and was turned away at the door, I told the guy in the front that we've been here multiple times with his ID and they've let us in, he then flipped through his "book of rules" said " We have nothing in here about those ID's. Well then whoever was outside those nights wasn't doing their job. He's been here that long and hasn't gotten a real ID?" I was disgusted we're not going back. read more

What a fun college bar! This place has been around for generations of college students. We came in for a drink and a snack and to ogle the decor. We had delicious onion rings and a citrus wheat beer from Sierra Nevada for me and a cherry cider for Sis. I think citrus wheat beer is going to be a new fav of mine. Looking up at the ceiling installations is a major form of entertainment. There was what looked to be a taxidermy horse with a buggy suspended above the next layer of found objects. There were so many random things we could see: at least three sleds, bicycles, what appeared to be two bombs and several missile-like things. That's just in our little section. It's a sports bar too, with several TVs. We didn't go upstairs but I can just imagine when Chico State is in session, the place will be packed. read more

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Came to the Bear for some SF Giants & NBA playoffs on at least one the 100 TVs-only NBA highlights, college bball highlights & ESPN story on Univ Miami football. Asked they could change one to SFG game, they asked for the channel & waited & waited & .... after 10 min I played it on my MLB App. Barback walked by said he'd get it on & we waited/waited/waited.....ate our food & bye bye bye #NotASportsBar So much for the $200 we were going to lay down after a stressful day at work. Oh and the bartender singing over the microphone is not going on Idol anytime soon. I don't usually write a negative review but tonight was beyond. read more

Food was soggy and patty was raw. When I asked for a remake, staff kept ignoring me. Bad service. Also watched one of the cook keep picking up their phone and then touch the food repeatedly. read more

I was ready to make 5/5 review about garlic fries. Do any of you who work in the kitchen take into consideration how they look through Togo/doordahsed? That was the most soggiest fries I've seen in while. They should look and taste just like in person which was the best garlic fries I've had since moving back to Chico. My suggestion coming from city who like Togo/doordash put the garlic on the side and let the curly fries cool off before sticking them in box that will get sweaty and just help making fries get soggier. read more

Madison Bear Garden - Garlic fries for daysssss - Bars Near Me - Chico, California

Really, disappointing...wait 50mins for burger that was order medium rare and got a well done burger. There sign say that all burger will be medium but I don't think the grill cook got that memo. I got a refund but I lost wasted 50 minutes. read more

We met up with family here on a Saturday at 5:45. We were able to get some tables. When we went to order the line was about 30 people deep in front of us. After we waited in line for a long time they told us, upon ordering, it would take 45 more min to get our food. It took at least that long. The worse part is after all that time our food was all over cooked. My grandson's mini burgers were burnt black. My chicken burger was half black and burnt tasting and my husband's burger was way over cooked. This was a very disappointing evening here but I saw other posts saying they got burnt food. A manager needs to address this. The only good thing about the evening were the two nice employees we encountered; the bartender and the guy who took our food order. That is just not enough to want to return. read more

This is why it's hard to come to the filthy dirty Madison Bear Garden. If you ask for a pitcher of beer be prepared to get shorted. After asking them to fill it up all the way, they refused to do so. Even with being almost $20 a pitcher.... Also don't ask the heavy set bald guy with glasses to do anything for you, he's clearly overwhelmed with the stress of his job!!! (Whatever that is, because he can't fill a pitcher correctly.) Garbage food, garbage service, and the food honestly trash unless your wasted. read more

Madison Bear Garden - Supposedly a "full pitcher" - Bars Near Me - Chico, California