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    The Black Bear Bistro

    4.7 (178 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    The Black Bear Bistro Photos

    THE BLACK BEAR BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Intimate
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Crab cakes.
    Brian F.

    It's been a little bit since we came here, so pardon my memory on some of the names of dishes we had. We came here for a rare date night without the kids, and it also happened to be our 11th anniversary. It was the tail end of the pandemic, so many restaurants were still trying to regain the foot traffic they once experienced. We were lucky to have the entire dining area to ourselves for most of our time! For that alone, the ambiance was romantic and even if there were others in the restaurant, the setting lends itself to encourage soft conversation versus raucous jubilation. The service was personal (as we were the only ones there), and the server was patient to explain all of the fresh items and new dishes the chef had been working on. We started with a soup sampler trio, which was an explosion of flavor. I believe there was a black bean, tomato, and I think one was a cream base with herbs, but I can't remember the herb! All were unique and had ingredients that made them stand out. My wife had the flank steak with some fresh sautéed veggies, and I had crab cakes with a mushroom risotto. Both of these were cooked to perfection, though the crab cakes were not as dense as I had hoped, and the ratio of crab to filler leaned more on the filler side (though the flavor held up). My only other criticism is that some of the sauces were runny, so the plating wasn't super clean and it made the dishes feel less sophisticated. That said, I still want to err on the side of highly supporting this local, independent restaurant, because when taking all elements of this experience together, it was a great celebration for my wife and I. They even gave us a complementary dessert for our anniversary, which we had to take home, because we were too full to eat it! Great job, Black Bear team!

    fried calamari
    Car L.

    It was a different type of setting-- the interior, but ok. I had the pork belly with sweet potatoes, which I liked. My husband had some type of mushroom & filet mignon pizza, which he thought was --again, different. It was just "ok" for him. We ate here because we were hungry, and our primary choice of restaurant had a 75 min wait. Service was pleasant.

    An amazing presentation of a scallops dish
    Jeremy B.

    A quiet little restaurant you might walk right past. However, the chef and his wife inside make the most wonderful wild game dishes you've ever had. From wild boar to quail and even Kangaroo, all the dishes taste fresh and extremely flavorful. The staff was courteous, accommodating to allergies and very generous with complimentary service. It does get a bit loud at the restaurant on the weekends, but the ambiance is still lovely. Make a reservation!

    Special: stuffed poblano with lobster and scallops, risotto and veggies on the side

    My husband and I had an exceptional dinner at The Black Bear Bistro in Algonquin tonight! We started with the clam chowder and it was absolutely perfect! The clams and potatoes were tender and the seasonings were perfect. I odered the stuffed poblano with lobster and scallops paired with risotto and veggies and my husband got the Paella with Shrimp, Scallops, Mussels, Calamari and sausage with some potatoes and root veggies. Both were five Star meals! Highly recommend! Also, Chef Santi's is extremely talented, and his wife, Estela is the sweetest person ever!

    Quail.

    Excellent food with great drinks! Small, quaint place with an amazing French (I think) chef that serves varied dishes and has specials often. Friendly staff with good service. Definitely recommended!

    Grant D.

    I was looking for a small, intimate place to take my wife after our marriage ceremony. I couldn't find any place in the Crystal Lake/McHenry/Algonquin area that was excited to have us and perhaps make a few special arrangements for us. Until I talked to Estella. She was thrilled we wanted to end our day with her at her and her husband/chef Santiago's restaurant. She made sure we had the best table (great view of Main Street and tucked into a corner), offered to me I could decorate the table any way I wanted to, and agreed to create a memorable dessert. Despite being 6pm on a Thursday night, parking was not available on the street in front of the restaurant or nearby. That actually added to the fun of the night as the walk from a parking lot behind the downtown area made it feel like being in Chicago and walking to tucked away gem. When we arrived, Estella greeted us with a smile and such warmth, it was like going to a family member's home. She thanked us for choosing her restaurant and said we were lucky for her because many weekday nights they are not busy and they had a nice crowd this Thursday evening. I quickly noted she had placed a vase of small roses on just our table. The young servers were excellent, the diversity of the menu made it exciting to choose...my new wife for the first time had quail and I had rainbow trout with crabmeat. Simply delicious and I knew it must have been as my wife rarely finishes a meal! I also saw there was a Wednesday night special of Beef Wellington which we definitely will return to enjoy. Perhaps the highlight of our night was the special chocolate cake Chef Santiago prepared for us with heartfelt well-wishes written out on the plate. There was so much we got to take some home so we can have that one year anniversary cake tradition. We ended our night posing for pictures, getting hugs, and being thrilled at such hospitality. It's now like an old-school "our place" that will forever be in our hearts and certainly pleased my wife with the level of care and detail I had for her post-ceremony dinner. I hope others can experience what we did there so this cute couple and restaurant can thrive.

    Onion rings were really soggy
    Julie Y.

    Small spot with decent food, super casual atmosphere. Came here for a late dinner with my mom and sister and ordered several things on the menu. Some items were really good, others were a bit off but still had good flavors. The tacos were good but I couldn't eat some of the meat because it was too chewy so you couldn't chew through the meat or had too much fat on it. The onion rings had a good sauce but they were super soggy. That was the story for pretty much every item. The staff was really nice but the service was extremely slow. So definitely have mixed feelings about this place but would come by again for their margaritas.

    Our reservation says 5
    Zackary S.

    I will never walk a foot in this place! We had a reservation at 5 as you can see clearly says 5pm. Apparently we were 1 hour late and our reservation was at "4 " according to the owner. We tried showing her the reservation on our phone and she denied to look and told us we were not aloud to sit at the dining area and took us to a back room walking through the kitchen. Back room was small, smelled like cigarettes, no windows! Very quiet and awkward! Also passing the Kitchen is very very unsanitary. She was rude! And Mean. So we walked out. We went to Cucina Bella across the street. And we are glad we did. THE OWNER LOST 4 good customers. SHAME ON YOU!

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    Great food. Excellent service. Small quaint spot in downtown Algonquin that offers upscale food at a decent price

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    2 years ago

    Food was wonderful. Menu was unique. Service very good. Definitely a place I'd go back too

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    3 years ago

    The layout is very small but the menu is very unique. The service was great and the bison tacos were great.

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    We love this place. The chef is amazing and the staff is so nice! We can't wait to come back.

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