The restaurant has a great layout and very spacious. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The food is ok. We had the wings and I had the steak and cheese sandwich. Nice crunch to the wings. I had a frozen drink, it was ok. The next time I am in the area I may stop in again to try something else. read more

First come first serve bar side bear cage is an unpleasant experience. From the uncomfortable tiny stools with no backs that hurt your bottom to the heaters baring down on you. Windows open makes it a cold breeze so the heater is wasted. Table is too low to the ground so you have to hunch over to eat. The service from this side is sub par at best. Water needed to be refilled more for how big the party was. Chicken was dry. Needed more syrup. Combined with dry waffles and dry potatoes your mouth is a desert. Butter knives should've been replaced with steak knives for how tough the chicken was to cut into. To even get to the bear cage you have to go through multiple doors and all the way around the entire restaurant even though there's a door right there for it that says not to go in but you can go out. So unnecessary. read more

In the same restaurant family as our beloved Ragtime, Bear Branch is conveniently located and has a creative and pretty expansive menu. Service is friendly and there's ample bar space to sit. We love coming for the raw bar and apps as well as their rotating cocktails and craft beer. read more

4.5/5 Ambiance is adorable and the back patio is super spacious and packed with space heaters and a fire pit. The servers even gave us free hand warmers to use. The service was great. The honey bear cocktail drink I got was delicious and cute. The wings and nachos (freaking huge) were standard but nothing special. Tasted like typical bar food. The Brussels sprouts however were outstanding. read more

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Great place. Huge. A little difficult to find. Food is excellent and so are the drinks, but I think its a bit over priced. read more

Bear Branch Tavern - New American Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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Good food. Clean. Nice atmosphere (better outside). Good service overall. Parking is weird but no real hassle. Near a nice downtown stroll if you wanna walk it off afterwards. Nice selection of traditional dishes. Good appetizers. Nice selection of beers. Cool little spot overall. read more

Great service, attentive waiter, ordered the ahi tuna nachos which were delicious and well priced

This place is really a hidden gem--beautiful inside and a wonderful outdoor deck. Even more amazing was the service--some of the best I've had, just really personable and kind. The buttered rum was really phenomenal and I was pretty happy with the pretzel-cheese appetizer and my pesto chicken sandwich. Not the best food around, but definitely good enough that I will be back, especially to try some of the other drinks and food items...I love the option of a local place in an area that's pretty heavy on chains. read more

I love this place. Tonight however service was horrid. Food was good. Sitting outside was delightful.

It's been a few days and I'm still sad over our experience. We can walk here and I was looking forward to it being our new "place." So far, that's not going to happen. This was on a Wednesday evening starting at 6pm. I called ahead and was put on the wait list. Checked in when we got there and was told it shouldn't be long because there was only one person in front of us for patio seating. Sat in their indoor/outdoor area and got a drink from the unfriendly bartender. After 45 minutes I was on the phone with another restaurant to see if they had an open table when a server grabbed us and told us to sit in his section. Great. I get "things are different" right now and was willing to look past the long wait. While we were sitting there (waiting), by the way, not a single table had paid their bill and left. So we sit down. We order some drinks and pretzels with beer cheese. TWENTY FIVE MINUTES LATER the manager brings us the appetizer. I say "wow, thank goodness, that took forever." She didn't say a word. Nothing. Not "oh was there a long wait?" or "oh I'm so sorry." Nothing. Our server shows up again and my husband said something about it being my birthday. The server kind of nods and says "well please remember we have a 90 minute limit for patio seating." Great, thanks for being so welcoming. The was the 2nd out of 4 times we saw him the entire time. Our food finally comes and it's just eh. I probably would have ordered another drink or two - remember, it's my BIRTHDAY - but he drops the check and walks away. We walked in at 6pm and walked out at 8:45pm. and ONE table turned over on that patio. But yet we got a notice we had to leave within 90 minutes? Poor experience. Poor service. The food was just okay. Drink prices are exorbitant. Ambiance is amazing. If you want people to come back out to dinner and pay this much for it the service needs to be there!!!! Go take some notes from Clarity and Bazin's. Sad, disappointing birthday dinner. We try it at least one more time. We will see. read more

Went here with my beautiful bride for dinner. Ashton the manager made amazing suggestions. Susan the bartender was on point. Created me a gin and earl grey cocktail that was 5 out of 5! Got the chefs special was executed expertly risotto, scallops and shrimp! 5 outta 5 here too! Extraordinary service from Susan at the bar, great atmosphere, fair pricing, there's nothing else to say but go in and tell me I'm wrong! Won't happen. When you're in falls church go here! read more

Went here for the first time. Had a bit of a wait to get in - but call ahead helped. This place has a really cute atmosphere. There's nice outside seating but we ate inside. We just had drinks and appetizers. I would avoid the nachos which weren't good. Hummus and Brussel sprouts were great. Good beer selection. Fun frozen cocktails in a free cup to take home. Our server was sweet and fairly attentive. read more

I tried this place last Monday and absolutely loved it. Food and environment is so good and relaxing. Nice drink menu and food menu is good enough. Not too many varieties but enough to enjoy. Outdoor sitting is very convenient. Overall good experience read more

Bear Branch Tavern - New American Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

This is a great restaurant/ bar. Good food, drinks, beers, open late, friendly staff, lots of space, and grilled wings. I'm rating it 2 stars because the new head chef ruined the sauces for wings. Used to be be go to place at least once a week since the day they opened. But now hardly go because of dissatisfaction with the decline in quality of the hot sauce. The Buffalo sauce literally taste like the chef dump tons of salt into it. And the hot sauce is like a thick paste full of tons of sugar. Horrible. I hope they give him / her some feedback to up his / her game. read more

My wife had been here on her own a few times but I went for my first time for dinner last week. Preferring to sit outside I was a bit bummed that there are no reservations. You can get your name on the list 30 minutes out but when we called we were told we couldn't be on the list until we arrived; hanging around w/ two young kids isn't ideal. However, shortly after calling we did get confirmation that we were on the list so that needs to be communicated to the staff better and to the people calling. However, when we arrived they had a table open up and we were able to sit outside, which is a great space. It wasn't a huge menu but they had a lot of options for different tastes. We ordered oysters, nachos, steak, and shrimp and grits and cocktails. Overall the food was good. The oysters were good as were the nachos. The steak was cooked to order and the fries that came with it were okay but a bit soggy but the kids made short work of them regardless. The shrimp and grits were great but a bit too salty overall. The grits themselves were nice and creamy but I'd prefer for the shrimp to have the tails removed. The cocktails were tasty--not too strong, not watered down. The space itself is nice--the outdoor dining space is great. The indoor has a huge horseshoe bar, plenty of TVs, and a good amount of space. The music playing was noticeable but not overwhelming where you had to speak loudly to make yourself heard. The employees were very good--they seemed busy but mostly attentive. I'd go back again and try some of their other offerings for sure. read more

Nice place for Sunday brunch. Try the Ahi nachos for a starter. Interesting egg dishes.

Super good restaurant! It located in a good place where maple ave and w&od cross. All the drinks and food were delicious and I will definitely go back to try again. It has a nice outdoor deck as well. read more

We tried Bear Branch Tavern again yesterday. Once again the service was prompt and the location good, but the food was tasteless and over priced. They offer a very weak value proposition. Likely we will never go back after giving it several tries. Too bad. read more

Dinner at Bear Branch Tavern was the last normal meal I had before the pandemic decided to change the world. My significant other and I have been longtime champions of Dogwood Tavern, so we were glad to see that Bear Branch Tavern opened in our backyard. The inside is great and has a ton of high end finishes that make me think they'll be able to become a Vienna favorite after this pandemic lets the world return to normal. Since delivery and takeout have become de rigueur, I've gotten dozens of crabs, lobster rolls, and fajita kits from Bear Branch and they've all been great. They also had frozen mimosa and jack & coke slushies which didn't hold back on the booze. When we dined in-person it was really good, I had a chicken salad with cous cous and it was typical for a place from the vintage restaurant group. I also started with the cauliflower appetizer which reminded me of the tahini cauliflower from True Food Kitchen in Mosaic. It might have been a little greasy for my tastes but it had some great browning that probably wouldn't have been attainable if any less had been used. My boyfriend got the french onion dip sandwich and he really enjoyed that, we've been heartbroken ever since Dogwood Tavern took their french onion burger off of the menu and were hoping to find it reincarnated at Bear Branch, in a way it has been, but I'd be getting takeout even more if that was back on the menu. I really hope that we can soon return to a normal in-person dining experience, but until then, I'll be happy to support this place through numerous takeout orders. read more

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I've been here twice, the first time was okay, but the second time was awesome. I got the oysters to start off, they tasted nice and fresh. For my main course, I got the cheesesteak. This cheesesteak was probably the best cheesesteak I've ever had. Service was good. I'll be back for sure! read more

Been going to Bear Branch since it opened. Service is good, food is great. I wish they had more live music in the back bar area. Also, I was a bit disappointed to see that their old fashions are premade. They used to be my favorite drink there. I am hoping it was just because they were shorthanded. They seem to change bar tenders quite a bit. I really love this place. I hope their quality does not decrease. read more

Come for the food and atmosphere, return for the cocktails and brunch. I want to preface this review with the fact that this place has some of the best cocktails I've had. Particularly drinks such as the whiskey sour, cold brew, and White Russians are fantastic. They also always have a great selection of craft beers as well. However, the service and food has been a bit hit or miss. I'd say that the food is good but not great in my experience. Things such as their sandwiches and wraps haven't been particularly memorable in the 5-7 times I've been here. I really enjoyed the nachos for an appetizer (generous portion), but just wasn't blown away with entrees on offer personally. I've also heard that they have some great oysters but have yet to confirm myself. BUT, I think it's important to recognize the that their food and service appears to be improving. The last visit that we had here was noticeably faster service-wise and I was pretty impressed with the brunch! I ordered the Juevos Rancheros and was pleasantly surprised with the plating and flavor that the dish offered. Overall, this was a really encouraging sign and would have me happy to come back to give them another chance during dinner. Overall, this is a great place to come for drinks, brunch, or a for good bar-food style meal with friends. Definitely a good place to visit in Vienna! read more

These guys have it together! Great setup and managing with the outdoor deck and inside tables (great a/c when too humid outside). Their only shortcoming is the need for an experienced oyster shucker.. they manage. But their oyster on half shell were good but they recently upgraded their source so we ALWAYS start with a dozen. With faster shucking we would eat 4 dozen..1 takes not 5 minutes to concume..more than eat super enjoy! Service is swift and attentive even passing wait staff ask if we are fine or knvneed of anything ( I spilled sauce on me and extra napkins quickly supplied).great drinks and craft beers! We have worked our way thru the menu and every single dish is superb. The steak frittes and especially the shrimp and grits are phenominal! The shrimp and grits is now my wife's go to meal as if it just came from New Orleans. It is so tempting to me but I try to rotate to some different dishes every other time. Cannot wait till COVID clears and dancing on the deck is available. Love there is plenty of shaded parking. A grest addition to little ole Vy-enna! read more

I recently had the privilege of enjoying a dinner at Bears Branch. While not totally up to par in comparison to other top restaurants in your area. There is some things I really enjoy about the restaurant. The atmosphere was great, perfect amount of hospitality while at the same time, giving you enough breathing room unlike some other restaurants where the server will check in with you every 8-12 minutes. The decor brings a nice cozy feel and the open concept brings the restaurant to life. The food is certainly worth the visit and I can't say I have any complaints in regards to the menu or selection of food and drink. The prices are probably best described as modest, you get what you pay for, I felt like I had plenty of options when going through the menu and the servers where properly equipped with the knowledge needed to inform the guests. Music was a little loud where I was seated and I'm not to crazy about the selection but hey, no restaurant is going to cater completely to your needs. Overall definitely enjoyed the experience and I can confidently say the rest of my party left satisfied. Roman read more

Fun place, very crowded and too loud to carry on a conversation. Lots of staff but service was slow. Food was ok nothing special though.

My wife and I had dinner there for the third time last night. The first two times the food was really good. The service was great. The place can be very loud so ambiance is what it is. The third time the service was outstanding! I had an expensive ribeye that was awful. Bad cut served almost raw slathered in a steak sauce. My wife had a french dip that was ok but french fries that were overcooked to the point of hardness. Very disappointed in our third time. Won't be returning. read more

The Pork Shank is at the top of their menu. It totally lived up to it. Compared in quality, preparation and flavor to the very popular native dish of Poland we enjoyed many times while there last summer. Outrageously good is their socially distanced indoor/outdoor environment. And in downtown Vienna VA. EasyPeasy. After remembering our meals in Poland and Zurich that are called Sweinhauxen, that stands for Pork Knuckle. This was the whole Pork Shank (shin) a much bigger portion. Fully two delicious meals worth. read more

Great location and atmosphere! Nice website. Easy online ordering process. We had 4 entrees among the group. One (a holiday special) was amazing! The others? Not so much. Not horrible, but far from the best... soggy fries, very liquid mac and cheese, etc. We expected a little better at that price point. Heads up: They are *extremely* generous with sauces/dressings on sandwiches, fish, etc. Not our thing... but I'm sure a different palette would be thrilled. We're only doing take-out post-covid, otherwise we may have asked for one in particular to be remade. Regardless, if I had known that in advance, I think we would have ordered differently and been happier with our meals. So, hopefully that knowledge will help others select a meal they enjoy. I'd try Bear Branch again - but something else on the menu. read more

I am big craft beer drinker so I was looking up bars around Fairfax, VA. This place came up and I figured I would give it a try. I was immediately impressed walking in with the beer and liquor selection. There are two bars, and a lot of indoor and outdoor seating, which really pays off during this COVID-19 pandemic. The service was great. The hostess was nice, communicated well, and even apologized for a small wait. My waitress was amazing. Our drinks were always full, she knew the menu, and was able to meet our needs without being annoying. Good service goes a long way in my book. The food was great. My wife and I both had the ribeye. The stuffed Zucchini and the truffle frites were great sides to perfectly cooked steaks. I am telling all my friends about this place and definitely coming back here again. read more

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Very Disappointing at Brunch Bear Branch Tavern Vienna Va. Visited on Monday Memorial day 11:45 am. Called first to ask if they were crowded but they said "no" and so we went. We saw many cars in the parking lot but we actually were seated promptly outside. The waitress took our order five minutes later. I ordered the French toast my husband got a veggie omelet. Five tables around us were empty. By 12:15 those tables filled up and we noticed they all were being served before us. The waitress brought us coffee almost filled to the top with little cream. Coffee was like jet fuel way too strong to drink. My French toast finally came out. It tasted smoked. They used a smoked fruit compote which was on the side and ruins the french toast taste. My husband's veggie omelet was swimming in soggy spinach and hardly any cheese. He still ate it. The manager came over and asked how the food was and I said ok and he insisted after I really told him what I thought that he would get me a re-order of French toast but guess what after waiting for another 20 minutes it never came. Bill was $37 that we paid and that's the last time I go there for brunch. Good thing chief Ramsy wasn't there. He would have thrown those plates on the floor. read more

Congratulations on winning the worst bar I've ever been to award, Bear Branch! I was put in completely new situation i have never been in before. I opened a tab and ordered a total of six drinks. Another guy in the bar continued to order drinks for the entire bar. Eventually, he came up and asked what we like to drink. I told him I appreciate the drinks he was buying and what we were currently drinking. The guy then buys my crew a ton of drinks of drinks. We would have likely ordered 2-3 a piece instead I'm having drinks shoved down my throat I don't want because someone else is buying. At the end of the night the bartender presents me a tab for not only the drinks we consumed that were "bought" by this guy but also some of his friends drinks he "bought" as well. I asked the bartender for a total of 6 drinks. My tab exceeded 300 dollars. When I asked the bartender what happened she went and got a manager and explained that despite the fact that I didn't order the drinks and the guy agreed to the bartenders he would pay. The guy decided he didn't agree to pay for them when the check came so it was now on us to pay. What to w actual F?!? I've never heard of a policy that the person who agreed to pay for the drinks can just say no at the end of the night and the rest of the bar then has to pay HIS tab. Sounds like I should just come in agree to buy the entire bar all the food and drinks in the whole place and tell them I only agree to pay for 1 miller and some pretzels?!? read more

Visiting from SC. Had a lovely dinner out on the patio. Great atmosphere and great food. Dog friendly.

Food was awesome and service was great. However, with only three tables occupied, it was very noisy. Thank fully, we were done eating so we left. I think this is because the table are close together and nothing absorbs the sound. read more

The waiter is very good BUT unfortunately everything else do not meet my standards. Food is just very mediocre. The burger was bland. The mahi in the taco was bland. A few appetizers are fine. But this place gets a very low score for the ambiance. It is so incredibly loud with night club music. This is a total sports bar with TVs on at the same time with loud music. Not enjoyable nor relaxing. You have to shout to be heard by whoever is at your table. This place is perfect for a loner who needs to drink or eat and can just sit at the bar and listen to the loud music, no obligation to talk with anyone. Or group of friends it the mood for the noise just to hang but don't care about quality of the food. Not a place for families. I have such a headache from the incredibly loud music and shouting. Most staff are friendly though. I'd come here next time only if I have a craving for oysters and drinks. read more

While the food and drinks are very, very delicious, the service at this restaurant turns any trip I take there into a bad experience. It is unfortunate because I have given this restaurant multiple chances, I have had many different waiters and waitresses there, and I am still finding that if I need another drink or I want to place an order, I have to flag down the waiter or waitress myself and they do not seem happy to have me putting an order in- they make it seem like a burden. The 2 stars are for the truly wonderful food and drink options, but the -3 is coming from feeling like I am a burden as a customer every time I come to this restaurant. read more

Lovely spot for a socially distant , quick meal. Very friendly and attentive service without being too overbearing. We especially enjoyed their selection of oysters and spikes , warm winter drinks (hot cocoa, eggnog, mulled wine etc). Heaters on each table too. Would come again. read more

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We ordered the Quarantine Family Meal and it did not disappoint. As a native Texan, I can tell you the ribs were legit and the fried chicken was on point. Cole Slaw and fries were great too! Our order was ready in less than an hour and the service at pickup was great. Would definitely recommend. read more

Nice, clean, and open space. Friendly service. Sat at the bar and got the cauliflower as a suggestion from the bartender and it lived up to the hype. read more

From the owners of Dogwood Tavern in Falls Church, Bear Branch Tavern is the newest kid on the block from the Vintage Company. I dined here five days after its' official grand opening and needless to say, it was 'just alright.' The decor was a nice and modern take on your typically dark and cozy tavern. Be forewarned that the official entrance is located towards the rear of the parking lot. In fact, they were still building the patio furniture as I walked in. I ordered Fried Cauliflower as an appetizer which was followed by a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with a side of truffle fries and the Israeli Couscous Salad with Salmon. The food was mediocre. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt by saying that they're probably working through the kinks and continuing to perfect their recipes. However, I thought that the food could've tasted better. The fried cauliflower did not seem to be fried to me but rather stir-fried. It tasted as if it was mixed with tomato sauce. The couscous salad had little to no taste beside just being well-dressed kale and couscous. My favorite entree was by far the Buffalo Chicken. It had a nice crunch. If you're interested in ordering the Truffle fries, be forewarned that they are coated with some sort of sweet sauce which was a bit off-putting since I barely tasted any of the truffle oil. The food also seemed to be cold since the parmesan that was dusted did not actually melt once the food was served. Overall, I think this is a cool spot to enjoy a cold beverage and watch a game. They plan on having Raw Bar Tuesdays and live music performances so stay tuned for that. read more

Bear Branch Tavern - Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich w/Truffle Fries - New American Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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Great vibe/atmosphere in both sides of the tavern, the bar side and the restaurant side. Nick,my waiter, was fantastic and so was the manager Susie! The food and drinks were excellent-had the filet mignon dinner and a sangria and dessert, first visit here and will definitely go back! read more