We had such a great first visit! Everyone in our party of 6 has worked in the restaurant business at some point, so we can totally be critical. That being said... The server was super nice and attentive. The food was all pretty amazing. Great beer selection and very impressed with their cocktails. And they did such a good job with the space! It's comfortable, airy, and has a lot of seating variety. I can't wait to go back. A great addition to the northside! read more

Went to Bear and Bottle on N Sherman Ave. Enjoyed drinks and appetizers, Jerk Chicken & Pineapple Kabobs that were awesome and met a fantastic waiter named Mo. I would highly recommend to anyone wanting a nice outdoor atmosphere and good food. Make sure to ask for Mo. #bearandbottle read more

This place is a find - tons of great tap brews And a very good wine selection Then a great menu and casual vibe. We did the Salmon plate with appetizers-duck confit sliders And smoked pork tostadas Service was great even though the place was rocking Thanks Ray Ski read more

Went to Bear & Bottle last night with our family and it was an OK experience. The interior of the building was very nice, a little loud, but clean and welcoming. Ordered the Crab Ragoon Nachos at $13 and expected a little more than what we received. Very little filling within the pastry, but plenty of cabbage and carrots. It was definitely different and worth trying, but not a $13 appetizer. Three of us ordered different tacos (Chicken Verde, Carnitas, and Tilapia) with the thought of sharing between us. While the fillings were very good and tasty, the shells were soaked in grease and thus did not hold up. We did ask for additional shells to double them up and prevent the leakage all over us and the staff was quick to provide, but the initial reaction was not a positive one on the quality of the taco. Other person in our group had the California Chicken sandwich with fries which he said was good. Service was good with some lapses in getting our server back to the table to order another drink. Took a short time to get our app, but a long time (30 minutes) between the app and our main course. Will try it again as the flavors seemed to be there, but they need to fix a few things to get a regular customer. read more

BIG portions! Great beer selection. Amazing cheese curds. Super nice server and host/hostess. What drew us to this restaurant was being able to sit outside, and although it was too busy and we would've had to wait over an hour, the seating on the inside was just as if you were outside. Open air concept! Great place! read more

I have only been here when you could only order on the after hours menu... it was great. I had the tacos and they were divine. The server took a shot with us and that was pretty cool I guess. To be honest I never have seen that but it's a bar and I could only assume that's what you do lol haha. I enjoyed it. Great music and such. The cheese curds were great as well. read more

I like the idea, patio is nice and the beer/drinks are excellent but they are missing an important part of Cali cuisine: fresh flavorful veggies. Everything I have had is a bit bland and generic. Not terrible but a missed opportunity. read more

Wow! Came here with my boyfriend once and wooh it was so good! We sat outside and our waitress was quick and nice! We had spicy corn as an appetizer and wow it was so good! Spicy and salty! Also had tilapia tacos and they were great too! Not too pricey and has a wide variety of food to choose from and a lot of beer to choose from! If you love corn I recommend getting the corn! read more

Not-Yo Burger... keep this on the menu. Crave worthy. Sinfully good. Despite the long list of toppings... nothing gets lost in this complex burger masterpiece. read more

Had a great dinner here tonight. I'm really excited this place is close by. Atmosphere was great - staff were friendly and food/drinks were top notch. Enjoyed their take on an old fashioned, sliders were solid, wonton nachos were amazing.... looking forward to heading back soon. read more

I may be a little biased because I live near this place and it's just super convenient for me to go here, but it's solid. It's not the best for food and drinks in Madison, but it really doesn't do anything wrong. I've never had anything I disliked on the menu, and I like the West Coast selection of craft beers that they offer. The interior is designed with large garage doors that open to outside seating, which is something that this area needs. read more

Great burgers. Ordered mine medium well and it came pretty rare. Told waiter and they happily made me a new one that was done perfectly. Good service and good food. read more

My Friday fish fry (cod) tacos were outstanding. Already looking forward to going back.

Great service, nice atmosphere which will be even better in the summer when the overhead doors are open. We also enjoyed the food, although we were hoping for a fresher California feel. The menu is heavy on chicken, pork and bacon and there weren't too many vegetarian options. I was happy to see a few seafood dishes but they often had pork (shrimp tacos are my favorite but they had bacon lardon, so I passed). I finally settled on the Hawaiian truck style shrimp which was delicious, if small for the price ($16.50 for a medium bowl I easily finished). We'll be back, but hope there will be menu rotations occasionally with more vegetarian and seafood options. Update: We tried Bear and Bottle again and the experience wasn't great. We stopped for a drink after a movie. It was about 9:30 or 10:00, and the host seemed slightly put out that we were coming in. This may be because the entrance is awkward, so the host has to leave the stand to greet you. There are two doors and the front one was partially blocked by carts and signs (but there were still plenty of people inside). The service was slow. We had to order at the bar while the table next to us had a server. I like the space and there are some good qualities, but sadly this place is falling a little flat for us. Update: I was happy to see a bean burger added to the menu, but sadly it was disappointing. Way too thick and mealy. A bean burger is best when it's a little thinner so the beans retain some firmness and the edges crisp. The flavor was good but the texture was awful. And to add insult to injury, there was a $1.50 upcharge for it! I had such high hopes for a California inspired restaurant. I was dreaming of simple fish or shrimp tacos, veggie dishes, limey drinks and fresh guacamole. We'll continue to support Bear and Bottle but will stick to drinks on the patio. read more

I've been here twice and had a good meal with good service both times. While it's been too chilly to eat on the large patio or have the garage-style doors open while I was there, they are really nice touches on a cool-looking place. My first stop I had the chicken nachos which, like many menu items, contain pickled jalapeños. I like jalapeños, but quickly discovered that pickled jalapeños are a whole different beast in terms of spicy level, and there were copious amounts in the nachos. So beware while going over the menu. Otherwise the nachos (jalapeños removed) were tasty. They could have benefited from more fresh ingredients, like some chopped tomatoes or shredded lettuce. We got a brownie dessert which tasted great, but had a hair or fiber baked into it. It was removed from our bill. That time I also had a cocktail, a Coco Limeade, and it was fabulous. The second time I went I got the chicken tacos without pickled jalapeños, and they were the best tacos I've ever had, hands down. The ingredients were of high quality and the flavors melded so deliciously. I was thoroughly impressed. My companion was enamored with the house vinaigrette that came on her salad. I was put off by my first visit, like anyone would be by a hair or fiber in their food, and I only went back because I already had a lunch meeting scheduled there. I'm glad I had to go back and I'll definitely return to try more menu items. read more

I love the decor and ambiance in this place. I always think that I wish my house could be decorated the way this looks, it's sort of rustic and modern at the same time. We sat inside, and it was pouring outside but we had a nice area to sit right next to giant windows that they could open without us getting wet so that we could have the experience of being outside without getting wet which was really nice. However, it was noisy with the cars constantly going through a busy intersection next to the restaurant. I felt that this place has good food, but not a lot of vegetarian options. Also, I just think that it doesn't really have a style, it's not just mexican, or american, or pub food so it's hard to know what to go with because i think it's just lacking a direction. My salad was overpriced and so was my drink. Both my drink and my salad were good, but I think that it cost too much for what it was worth. If you go here, you should get the nachos. I did not get the nachos, and two tables next to me had them and I was staring at those and craving them all supper long. We had the honeyed ricotta with bread which was interesting, and I had the california cobb salad, and the Ruby. The Ruby drink did not have much flavor. I think it's a cute place and a nice location, but I think the cost of the food is too much. read more

The mac and cheese, pork sliders, and ceasar salad are to die for! The beer selection is fun and changes often. I am visiting from out of state, but will be sure to be back another time. The only thing was that they seem to be working on perfecting service and such. The host who sat us was not friendly, but our waitress was sweet and efficient. Hopefully they continue to work out the small kinks, but our experience was great overall! read more

Left Coast. Mendota Coast. Decisively defining this gastropub with two unique blends. Service has always been great, their specials are written out on butcher paper and are always rotating. Owners are there getting their hands dirty alongside their fantastic staff. A welcome addition to the neighborhood! read more

I love this place! I was in town from MSP for business and sat out on their patio on a beautiful spring day. Get the cauliflower bites as an app for sure, I should have taken a pic but by the time I thought of it, there were maybe 2 sad small pieces left as I devoured them. I'm currently eating my street chicken tacos with butter lettuce "shells" love their alternatives for tortillas. I would def come back here on my next Madison visit read more

Like all the old barnwood. Very open and loud! Had the crab rangoon nachos they were a bit cool in the center. The slaw was good. The pork belly banh mi was very good on a crusty roll. read more

I had the vegan burger and there was way too much salt in it. This was about 2 months ago. Maybe they've changed the recipe. But at the time I couldn't even eat it because it was so salty. read more

Food is delicious. Its a bit pricey. Ive visited a few times during lunch time. Their wings are tasty. Definitely try the cauliflower bites and butternut soup. So good. The only negative thing i can say is food service is slow. But I was with a large group so that could be a factor. read more

Loved our waitress and the atmosphere is cool but the food (brunch) was tasteless and not something I would go back for. Also, food took forever and we were one of the only people in the place. read more

I tried brunch at Bear and Bottle Sunday and it was delicious. A friend and I were meeting at another breakfast spot which had a long wait so we walked over to Bear and Bottle - open at 10 on weekends for brunch. The vibe was great. I had one of their specialty salads and my friend ordered pecan French toast. Both were yummy. There were lots of other tempting breakfast and lunch items. The specialty drinks looked good too. Looking forward to another brunch there soon. read more

Been there twice , food is great! Lots of choices and both times I dined there, everyone in my group loved the food. Nice atmosphere, a bit noisy by the bar, but, heh, it's a bar! The first time we ate there, the front of the house person seemed stressed and "short", not very pleasant. The second time a different person and a totally friendly vibe. Pretty important, the first person who greets you, sets the pace for the rest of the night. Would definitely return, a great addition to the northeast side. read more

Food was sub par. I think we ordered the wrong things. Wings were amazing. Street corn came out room temp. Service was extremely slow and sat without drinks for way too long. Being a server I am understanding but holy lord of god it was so ridiculous we sat with our food and empty drinks for 15-30 mins(I was so frustrated with seeing our server and him Not even giving a glance or acknowledging us) without getting checked on or asking if we need anything. People think serving is easy and the service is everything!! If I go back I will sit at the bar because it really is a beautiful location but extremely disappointed in the service read more

We have been here about 6 times. The food and drinks were so good and service was amazing the first 4 times. The last 2 times were not as good. One time was Memorial Day weekend. We will give them a pass for maybe not fully staffed. My husband's chicken sandwich was burned and hard. My daughter said her sandwich was ok. I met some friends there and the service was slow. Took her awhile to get drinks and we never got our waters. Food was also slow to come out. We are going to give it another chance because its beautiful inside and the drinks are amazing. read more

Walking In the restaurant is gorgeous. I had to walk around and take it all in. It is very well put together and a great addition to the north side We went to the bar while waiting for a table and we were immediately greeted by a friendly bar staff who informed us of everything they had...including cocktails on tap how fun is that!? Try the punch! We ordered a bunch of apps. The sever kept checking in on us and apologizing for the wait...we didn't even know we had been waiting and it was opening night...things are expected to take awhile. The apps were great.... I recommend the crab Rangoon nachos or the tempura asparagus! For dinner I got the short ribs! They were fabulous! My friend had the Hawaiian shrimp and it was spot on! And I got to top of dinner with a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk!? Yum Will definitely be returning and am looking forward to the weather being nicer and checking out the patio! read more

Our hockey team was in town on 1/19/19 at a local ice arena and we had a short amount of time between games. The staff here was amazing at accommodating our team of 16 plus families in a timely manner. They had our food I ordered over the phone ready and waiting when we walked in. Could not have asked for better service. The food is also outstanding here. I had the Thai bowl which was delicious. Thank you! read more

I live nearby and like their beer selection, but the kitchen needs a lesson in consistency. My GF and I have ordered the chicken nachos 4 times and every time they're different. I'm not sure if they run out of ingredients or if they don't teach the kitchen what is expected on an entree. Once the chicken was completely missing, once we noticed the black bean salsa was so light we could count the black beans, once the cheese sauce tasted gritty, like it was old. I want to like it, but if you can't get consistency out of the kitchen you're going to tank a restaurant quickly. read more

don't let the long wait fool you. I'm giving them only 2 stars 1 for the wait staff and 1 for the cheese curds. my sister ordered the chicken nachos and I got the fish, neither were anything to write home about. The fish was flavorless, the slaw tasted old and the fries were not hot. read more

Space was great and my beer selection was great. Staff seemed a bit flustered however listening to them talk of how busy their opening weekend was put much of this into perspective. Will definitely be headed back to try the food. read more

We've been here several times since it opened and have enjoyed the experience every time. I love the variety of cocktails and robust beer list. All of the appetizers are delicious but we order the curds and crab Rangoon nachos every time. (SO good!) We went to try out their newly added brunch menu and it did not disappoint! Really looking forward to enjoying a long brunch on the patio this summer. We also like that it's family friendly, making it an easy choice for any meal. read more

The rangoon nachos disappointed. The chicken wings I've had before were good but this time were overcooked and the carrot sticks tasted waterlogged. The beer list is not very balanced...way too many IPA's and not a single lager. I had the pork belly which had the weirdest presentation. There was a fatty piece in the middle which was black on top. On the side there was a pile of dry cooked pork. Omg, I can get pork belly elsewhere that's cooked correctly. Who thinks pork belly is a pile of dried out meat and blackened fat? Although the service was okay I've had much better. All in all not a great experience. I've had better experiences many times over at local restaurants. read more

Went there for the first time, very excited. We were seated quickly, and our server, who happened to be a friend-in-law, came over quickly. My boyfriend got a K4 Lady Luck on nitro (!!!!!!) and I had their blackberry collins with gin instead of vodka. The drinks were delicious, and perfect for the hot day we happened to be there on. I was recommended the tacos, as they apparently were amazing, and while the sandwiches were good, they didn't compare, and you can't get many tacos like these in Madison. I got the salsa verde chicken tacos (I think that's what they were), and they were fantastic! They were so fresh, and bright, and had the perfect amount of heat to them. The single corn tortilla on them was a little thin to eat them in a traditional way, but was so good still. My boyfriend got the house burger, and ate ever single crumb. Both satisfied to complete fullness, we couldn't order any dessert. It's a little pricier than anything else in the neighborhood, but the food was so fresh, the interior was beautiful, and the drinks were cold and tasty. Excited to try it again! read more

First, our ears were ringing when we came out because it's loud. Beer list looked excellent. We tried the signature mixed drinks and they were good. The food? Blah! One ordered the Beef Barbacoa taco. It was not good. Stay away from this, as it's pot roast that's been soaking in beef broth, and you get a soggy, tasteless mess. I guess the cook (this cannot be a chef) must have thought adding pickled jalapeño would do the trick. Nope. Barbacoa has flavor - this had none. Another ordered the fish tacos. Those were slightly better when we added the pico, but the fish really had zero flavor. I'm willing to give the place a second try, but some items were bad, a lot lacked flavor. read more

Stopped first time for lunch , Tuesday after 12:30pm. Seated right away by host. Completely ignored after this .Waited patiently all other tables seemed to be served well. Finally flagged down a server and asked who had our table she did not know , offered to help us. Also stated we could eat somewhere else. Asked if manger there she said she would get them . Gave up walked out 3-4 staff hanging out by door, apparently one the manger. read more

I visited Bear & Bottle with my parents (from out-of-town), my husband, and my son. Overall, the experience was pretty good, but if they intend to hang around, they have some things to work on. Mainly their customer service. Pros: 1. The atmosphere is nice and kid-friendly (there were many kids there in addition to my own). 2. Overall, the food was really good and the portions were great. 3. It's pretty nice to have another restaurant option walking distance from where we live. Cons: 1. The service! I cannot say this enough. Our waiter was terrible and gave the impression that he simply didn't care whether we received our drinks or food. Another waiter actually stepped in to get some of our drinks because our server, even though we had ordered drinks, hadn't actually bothered to place the order with the bar (our food was already arriving). He then asked again what we wanted to drink and we told him someone else was getting them. His only response was "that's cool". We also ran into issues with him when we asked if something from the menu could be modified; we had to ask multiple times if he could check with the kitchen before he actually did. 2. The avocado on the California Chicken Sandwich that my parents ordered was WAY underripe, as in, hard as a rock. They should not be serving it that way, a substitution should be offered if they don't have any ripe avocados. read more

For a new business, they seem to be off to a good start. The food is a bit on the pricey side and the quality can be a little inconsistent but, it's new and going through the normal restaurant growing pains so that's to be expected. Great beer selection! Parking can be a bit of a problem because about 10 businesses share a parking lot, so show up early! read more

I'm not impressed. Took a party there thinking I was so happy to have a classy place in my neighborhood. How disappointing. The service was awful (Trevor) he never came around to see if we needed anything, we had to grab the host or other waitstaff. Then the chicken was tough, the shrimp was burned on one side, etc. don't go until they change it. read more