The Bear's Den

Smittys In & Out is exactly the kind of old-school drive-in that is getting harder and harder to…read morefind. Tucked away in Elma, Smitty's has that classic small-town, roadside burger-joint appeal that makes stopping there feel like part of the experience rather than simply grabbing another fast-food meal. The simple drive-in setup, casual atmosphere, and straightforward menu give the place a genuine nostalgic charm. The prices are another big reason to like Smitty's. You can get a satisfying burger-and-fries meal without feeling like you are paying premium modern day inflation price. The same burger fry and shake would be 50%-100% more in cost in Tacoma or Seattle. The portions are generous, and the food delivers the kind of comfort-food experience you want from a local drive-in. The burgers are definitely the highlight. They are flavorful, have that grilled taste, and have that classic burger-joint taste that you just don't get from the big national chains. Whether you go with a basic burger or something more loaded, the quality and flavor make it clear that Smitty's knows what it is doing. The menu also has plenty of classic sides and other options if you want to mix things up. The wait time was perfectly reasonable for a small, popular drive-in. Smitty's prepares food to order, so you may have to wait a little longer than you would at a typical fast-food chain, but that is a tradeoff I am happy to make for hot, fresh food. It never felt like an unreasonable wait, and the friendly staff made the experience even better. The service was good. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and welcoming, which adds to the small-town character of the restaurant. There is something refreshing about getting good food from people who actually seem happy to have you there. Overall, Smitty's is a great example of what a local drive-in should be: old-school atmosphere, reasonable prices, tasty burgers, fresh comfort food, friendly service, and a relaxed small-town feel. It may not be the fastest stop in town, but the combination of quality, value, and nostalgia makes it well worth the visit. If you are passing through Elma, Smitty's is absolutely worth stopping for.

This place has been around since I was little and visited my grandma's house just a few blocks…read moreaway. The food and service are just as top notch today as they were back then. A place I had to introduce my hubby to - and he eagerly adds his two thumbs-up to my review. LOL

Smitty's In & Out from outside

Turkey Club Sandwhich

See all

Fries

Shujacks

3.9(73 reviews)

7.3 mi

These are the nicest people!! They are very dog friendly, and Kaiden brought out water and bacon…read morefor our dog, and offered to make a custom taco salad for my vegetarian wife. The club sandwich and tots were tasty too. Highly recommend this spot.

Came to Elma for Olympia Dog Fancier show. We came for…read morebreakfast and was a total disappointment I had the Philly cheese sandwich and as you can see we got the grill scrapping. Service was poor. We had to ask for napkins forks etc. We should have gone to the Rusty Tractor.

Cluckin Bloody Mary

Chicken strips and fries

See all

The Ritz Burgers

4.1(177 reviews)

13.3 mi

We've been going here for 20 years. Excellent, every time…read more Does that mean we have to watch the game? I wish we Best place in town to get double burger and fries for the prize

We stopped by this quaint burger shop for a quick bite and it was pretty good! They had some of the…read morebest prices around and the family deal was perfect for us. The burger was tasty and fries were super hot. You can tell it's a local spot and it's a loved one as people were quickly shuffling in and out with a friendly greeting while we ate. They were very kind and made our food fast even with a very long drive thru line. It's a really good spot for an old school burger and fries in a friendly and warm environment. I'll be back the next time I am in the area!

Menu and Counter

Doublecheese W fry!

See all

Outdoor seating

Rusty Tractor Family Restaurant

3.3(305 reviews)

6.7 mi

5/17/26: so late writing this review, I was shocked to see it only had 3-1/2 stars on Yelp!. All…read morefour of us thought it was great. We were on our way to the airport after visiting a weeks in Forks & were looking for a decent place for breakfast. Rusty popped up on Google, it was right off the interstate so we popped in. Glad we did. Food: fantastic! Between us we had the shrimp salad, Belgian waffle, French toast, chicken fried steak, and a cinnamon roll. The waffle was crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside; the hashbrowns were crispy, not mushy; let's just say we all devoured the food. Service: Angel was wonderful. Very friendly, smiling the entire time, and attentive. Ambiance: cool decor in- & outside, great patio area, and plenty of parking.

Stopped here for lunch driving from South Snohomish & King County down to Seaside, OR for the…read moreholiday weekend. We were greeted promptly, seated quickly, and our server approached right away to ask what we'd like to drink. We had lemonades, a Reuben with tots, a club sandwich, and soup. Everything was tasty, and the portions were generous. We ended up leaving our leftover food behind since we were going to be on the road the rest of the afternoon. The entire place is wood, adorned with animal hides, heads, bumper stickers, T-shirts, hats, etc. A very rustic feeling. We would return again given the opportunity.

Great Reuben and Tractor Tread fries!

See all

Habanero infused bloody Mary

Burger Stand

3.8(164 reviews)

25.0 mi

The staff was very friendly. The food pricing was honestly reasonable for the quality of burgers…read moreyou get they allow dogs outside in the seating area, which is great. Staff brings out food to you. If you're sitting everything was just honestly perfect. My burger was so good and so juicy the fry sauce was amazing. My husband got the chicken teriyaki and he said it was the best he's ever had if you ever need a quick bite, definitely stop here. I would 100% recommend this to my friends and family and eat this again.

Got a deluxe burger with fries and chocolate chip shake and it's been sooooo delightful so far I…read morestopped eating just to write this review. The burger is juicy and flavorful cooked to perfection both the burger and fries are made hot and fresh because it took me a minute to let it cool and then some. The fries are the best! Not limp or cold or tasteless. Crispy golden and not too salty! I don't think you could go wrong with any of the shake flavors. Also fun and random to see a sword for sale ($250) in the restaurant. Gives it a little spunk. The service was also just fine, no complaints, simple, smooth, to the point. Try it out and enjoy the weather in their outside seating. Surprisingly no flies present.

Breakfast burrito

See all

January 2026 menu

Ranch House BBQ & Steakhouse

3.8(535 reviews)

7.5 mi

A bit on the pricey side, but pretty good food. Doesn't come with sauce so be sure to ask for some…read more Real nice folks.

The people were nice. It was giving old school cabin feeling when you walk in. We ordered the big…read moresampler platter, half a rack of ribs, and the brisket dinner. Big Sampler comes w/ 4 meats and 2 sides+cornbread. Meats: Pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and brisket. Special side of the day: Mac & cheese. Ribs are ok. You could taste the smokiness, but it's def. lacking flavor. Brisket is fall apart tender, but a lot of pieces were dry like it was left out instead of wrapping it after each order to stay moist. It seems as if they sprinkle seasoning after it's cooked. There was no depth to this. Skip the Mac & cheese if they have it as a "special" side for the day. Noodles were wayyyy too overcooked. Cheese sauce was trash. Coleslaw lacked flavor, all you taste is a little vinegar and sugar. Cornbread was ok. It was a little over 15 min out the way to get here. Will not be back.

The back corner of the bar where we were out of site.

Carnivore Burger

See all

Pulled Pork

Highway 12 Drive In

4.0(45 reviews)

18.0 mi

On a vacation from Pa and stopped in for an early dinner. Food was great and so was our waiter!read more

Exactly what you'd expect from a burger joint on the side of the road. Old fashioned hospitality ,…read morebig portions, and decent prices.

See all

Al's Hum Dinger

4.1(203 reviews)

29.5 mi

Yum! I am visiting the area and was driving past before i turned around and pulled back in, best…read moredecision ever! Food was hot and fresh and low price! What a perfect spot for a quick lunch as i am passing through. I had a cheeseburger with fries, crinkle cut if you're wondering & the pup had a pup patty! Service was friendly too!

Does my photo look like a 4.00 order of Onion Rings? They tastes like they were under a heat lamp…read moreall afternoon too. Next time it's Grizzlies Den....

Fried gizzard

See all

View from the back

Grizzly Den

4.0(225 reviews)

30.5 mi

I always make a stop here when I'm traveling in the area. The customer service and food at the…read moreGrizzly Den is outstanding and keeps me coming back. Each meal has been impressive and well-made. This is a great place to stop if you find yourself near Hoquiam. I highly recommend!

Food is decent but these prices are kinda high…read more $11.75 for a bacon burger and over $4.00 to add fries. Definitely other options out there that are just as good, and not as pricey. Guess it's worth stopping if you've passed all others in Hoquiam and want to grab a bite, before heading out to the beach. But I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

See more unrecommended reviews

Big daddy

Double Bacon with Waffle Fries

See all

Garlic Fries

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

21 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Ava W.

7 years ago

this place is terrible. the food is gross and high priced for the quality. more importantly, the owner is a sleezy guy. literally thats his last name! hes constantly changing hours or closing randomly. when he is there, he is incredibly abusive to his staff, steals money from his customers, condescending, rude, and openly mocking customers in front of others. he uses foul language and makes jestures that turns this nice small town family burger spot into an absolute pit. if you have kids please do not go here. definitely dont let them work here. dont pay to be abused or help an abusive person stay in the community! fyi: smittys and the eagles nest in elma are so much better and not far up the road! they support the small town communities instead of tearing them down too! not to mention the raspberry shake at eagles nest is devine ;) read more

Gloria M.

8 years ago

Hey everyone: If you want a really good place to eat with quite a extensive menu for a small place, stop in to the Bears Den in McCleary. The folks there are some of the friendliest people that you will ever meet. The burgers are to die for! Yummy. You can get them just how you like them. Prices are pretty good also. Stop in and say "Hi". My friend and I stop in there all the time and really enjoy ourselves. The owner really tries his very best to make all of his customers happy. In my opinion, he has succeeded! It has been under new ownership for around 6 months or so now, so a lot of these older posts are not something that you need to worry about now either. Just pay attention to the ones since around the fall of 2018 to 2019. All others are out of date. read more

Kaylee B.

128

7 years ago

do not give him your money. he is a disgusting excuse for a man. i wouldn't even call him a man. the way he treats his employees and customers is sick! i didn't even work there a full month! he shamed me for needing to go home because i started my period and had blood all over my legs and showing through my jeans!!!!!!!!!! i'm attaching a review i left for him that he actually deleted on facebook. i'm thankful i took screenshots! also i took screenshots of some things other people have said that i'm including here. stop. giving. him. your. money. and. support. read more

Jeannine S.

7 years ago

This place is not what it used to be. Since new ownership took over, it has gone downhill fast. What used to be one of our favorite spots in our little town is now one we avoid. If you enjoy overpriced, average burger joint food and watching an employer berate his female staff (who seem to change by the week) then by all means - this is the place for you. I've experienced his behavior in person, and have read multiple stories on local social media to be convinced it's the norm as opposed to just a bad day on his part. Save your money and go elsewhere! read more

Jim V.

7 years ago

New owner is really turning this place around. Decided to give it a try after ownership changed and I couldn't be more pleased. Been there multiple times and the food and service are both wonderful. Time and time again the owner and wait staff have been outstanding. If you're driving to the coast, you have to stop in and give the Bear's Den a try. Well worth the stop!! read more

Jordan F.

3 years ago

Just drove through today and grabbed a jalapeño, Swiss burger and fries and they were delicious all the updates they've made the building look really great and I even had the owner Amber Eaton take my order in the drive-through. She and her staff were super friendly and the service was quick. Definitely got to make it back to try one of the many shake flavors. read more

Kristina G.

7 years ago

Now that there is a new owner the place has gone down hill. He treats his employees and customers horrible. Talking behind there backs and talking to others about past and currents employees. Food has been rare and the presentation is a mess. Owner is rude and I will not be back until he is gone read more

Sara B.

7 years ago

The food is lackluster. And if you're trying to pay with a gift certificate be prepared to lose whatever is left on it if you don't spend the full amount (illegal in WA btw). And the owner is known to the locals for the horrid way he treats his staff. read more

Linda S.

7 years ago

Burger undercooked and tots over cooked and extremely small portion. What's worse is the great big extremely rude guy is so sweaty I lost my appetite. I say pass this one up and go to one of the other restaraunts that has a nice calming atmosphere. read more

Brianna A.

8 years ago

Very lovely place to be with the family. Always ordered chicken strips and a hamburger and always comes out the same!!! Highly recommend coming here for family dinner or by yourself read more

Renee M.

7 years ago

Awesome burgers! My favorite side is the deep fried pickles. Very clean and excellent service. They added on outside picnic tables to enjoy the beautiful weather. read more

Gerard G.

3 years ago

Terrible ownership/management. Workers underpaid. Don't waste your money here, and don't waste time on applying here. Much better places in the area. read more

Aidyn J.

6 years ago

Amazing food great service and very quick for these times only things is there not always open when they are the food is amazing 10/10

Lisa T.

7 years ago

Steve, the owner, is amazingly friendly....the food is fantastic. I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the McCleary area!!

Randi L.

8 years ago

This place is excellent! Perfectly cooked beef and bacon! Will recommend this place to anyone. Thanks for the fantastic lunch!

Joe S.

5 years ago

Just driving through else this would be our regular place. The wife says it's her new favorite place. Glad we found it

Matt S.

8 years ago

There was no bears, very disappointed. Took my son expecting to see at least one bear, only to find it there was none

Jerry B.

7 years ago

OK I've ate there once was very disappointed in portion so I personally would never eat there again

Eddie N.

300

7 years ago

Over priced for what we got and the owner/ manager was very rude to the girl waiting on us.

Christopher M.

110

16 years ago

This is everything you want from a small town restaurant.

The Bear's Den - burgers - Updated October 2026

People who viewed The Bear's Den also viewed

Crows Nest Drive-In

3.4

(134 reviews)

Good food, good portions, and a pretty standard wait time. Would highly recommend caving in and…read moregetting a malt. I'm only giving it 4 stars though, as one time when I went I used the drive thru. Despite there only being 2 cars in front of me, this visit had me waiting in line for a touch over half an hour. This was in the middle of the day in a car with no A/C so I got a little bit of onset heatstroke, but it was worth it.

You will find this place on the right side of Olympic Hwy before reaching Aberdeen. We were heading…read moreto a game at Aberdeen and wanted to grab something before start of the game. Cheap burgers. We ordered couple of cheeseburgers, chicken and a garden burger with fries on the side. Wait time was long; there were no other customers - still they took almost 15-20 mins to get us the food. We planned to dine in but then later picked it up as take out due to the delay. Coming to the burgers - loved the food. Nothing to complain about. Really enjoyed the freshly made hot burgers. Shame we couldn't enjoy it while sitting there than from a moving car. Small place with a handful of tables. Very casual ambiance. Looks like a take out place than a dine in. Staffs were very friendly. Despite the delay, I am rating them high for the great burgers they made that day!

Gene's Stop & Go

4.0

(69 reviews)

Food is amazing every time we've been here! Service is spot on and love the outside seating on nice…read moredays. Really makes for an enjoyable atmosphere. Been coming here since I was a teenager and will continue to visit everyone I'm in the area! It's awesome this place has gotten back to the quality and consistency I remember.

This place is adorable! We stopped here on our way to Ocean Shores, and the prices to portion size…read moreis amazing. The soft serve is delicous, and the service was outstanding. We always love a place with a pup cup too!

Smitty's In & Out

3.9

(158 reviews)

Clarks Restaurant

3.8

(197 reviews)

Ice cream Vanilla…read moreand black raspberry!!!! Hand made delicious! We arrived 20min before closing and the staff was amazing! Friendly, welcoming and not bothered at all!! We could see the already cleaned grill and kitchen and it was spotless! Definitely will be back for the actual food!!! As for the ice cream! Worth stopping!!!!

This is a great roadside stop! There aren't many places around here, so if you need to fuel up,…read morethis is the place to go. They have a quick and easy take out window out front and some picnic tables. Food is good and prices are reasonable.

Radio Fryer Foods

4.1

(30 reviews)

If somehow by chance you end up in Shelton and want a burger, this is the place for you! The burger…read morewas juicy and just amazing. Ask about about the bacon jalapeño jelly. That is all that I am going to say.

It was area really hot day but I love supporting food trucks. The service wasn't that welcoming…read moreand it took a long time for our orders. The fries were really oily and had an after taste like that burnt peanut you get sometimes. The burgers were nothing special but the shakes hit the spot.

Eastside Big Tom

4.1

(501 reviews)

Arrived in Olympia and stopped in to Eastside Big Tom's for lunch. I had to order the signature…read moreBig Tom burger. It came with two patties and on soft bun. It also had cheese, tomato, onion and the world famous goop sauce. Also got a an order of fries that we split among three of us. The burger was delicious and flavorful. It was like a melody to my tastebuds. The decor was unique and cool. It had a prehistoric theme with dinosaurs around the outside. It had a cool vibe. The service was great and the food was served in a timely fashion. Definitely treat yourself and stop in for great food.

It just isn't very good anymore…read more I just paid $23 for an extremely greasy and peppery burger that I had to throw away because it made me nauseous. I thought my side of onion rings would be good, but nope. They were either fried to a crisp or soft and squishy. Sadly, I won't be back.

Rusty Tractor Family Restaurant

3.3

(305 reviews)

Van's Burger

4.5

(346 reviews)