Bear's is always great. I got their 3 meat combo with pulled pork, moink balls, and brisket topped with Texas Pepper sauce. Their mac n cheese is also very creamy and delicious. The beans have a goot amount of meat with a tangy bbq sauce flavor. Service is friendly and helpful. This is my favorite Bear's location because the ambiance is a fun southern style cafeteria style with a nice bar to the right as you walk in. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - 3 meat combo - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

The place had a bar to watch some sporting events and they had the FIFA World Cup on TV today. I had a platter with brisket and Texas-style sausage, along with some macaroni and cheese and potato salad. The sausage was pretty good, but the brisket was just okay but not as good as what I had back when I visited Texas. The sides that I ordered were good though. Overall, it's not bad by CT standards, but it pales in comparison as to what I had back in TX. read more

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Placed an order around 9:10pm. Worst take out in a long time! They gave us one small box containing two entrees totaling $40. What a rip off. If you cannot fulfill an order with appropriate amount of food, then reach out to the customer! This was a poor representation and introduction to this establishment. Shameful. read more

Recently went to Bears Smokehouse in Hartford! First time in that location and loved it! Big space , clean and friendly staff. Met with my friend who is celiac and well I am gluten intolerant ( wheat allergy) and I must say they were very very careful with cross contamination and how they handled food. I ordered a salad as I felt more comfortable but all of their meats are gluten free. My friend ordered pork, with side of corn and sweet potato. Menu is great with sides and meat to choose from! Salads, meals, apps, sandwiches! Great variety! And if you love bbq then you will definitely enjoy Bears Smokehouse ! read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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I ordered from Uber Eats while visiting Hartford. The brisket and ribs were decent but the order through the app was awful. I didn't receive utensils or even the BBQ sauces that was prompted through the app and they blamed me when I called and asked me to come get them. If I was able to go to the restaurant I wouldn't have used ubereats to begin with. They said to call the restaurant to verify that I get the stuff that I ordered through the app. The Mac and cheese is barely edible. Don't bother with that. The baked beans were slightly spicy and I did like that. It was really a disappointment to NOT get BBQ sauce with a BBQ order. Just don't trust anything. Document everything even if you order it and then I wouldn't trust it to be delivered anyways. read more

Overall: Bear's Smokehouse was an interesting style that I've never tried before. Pretty good food here, would try again. Food: I got the loaded fries with sausage. Tasted pretty good and everything was seasoned well. Definitely a heavy dish, but you expect that when ordering here. Sausage was cooked well and had a great snap to each bite. Service: The service here is a Chipotle style ordering system where you walk through with an employee and talk about what you want in your dish. Food came out ready quickly. Ambiance: This is a casual sit-down place. Lots of seating. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Kickin Tots - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

One of the best bbq spots in CT I happen to be fond of bears. It's not the best bbq ever, it's pretty good bbq in a place that really doesn't have good bbq. It's good enough to scratch the itch, a little pricy but not too expensive and plenty of meat options available. The sides are kind of lackluster, but the meats are usually smoked well, tender, and seasoned. My last visit was just a serving of burnt ends, and it was just as good as I recall. It's an option for that area, and the best option for that area for bbq. Not worth going g into Hartford for, but a good option if you're in the area and need bbq. read more

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This was our first time visiting Bear's Smokehouse, and it did not disappoint! The food was absolutely delicious just what we needed for a quick dinner. I had the ribs, my son and mom enjoyed their chicken dishes, and my sister had the brisket. Everyone gave a big thumbs up to their choices! The service was quick and efficient, likely because it wasn't very busy during our visit. The ambience was okay plenty of seating options since the place wasn't crowded, which worked out perfectly for our group. I'm not sure if the fountain drinks were unlimited or if we had to pay each time, but no one mentioned anything, which was a nice surprise. I also ordered a salad, and while there was an extra charge for add-ons like bacon and onions (I can't quite remember the rest), it was still fresh and satisfying. Overall, Bear's Smokehouse is a solid choice if you're in downtown Hartford with a group and want a quick, tasty meal at a fair price. We'd definitely come back! read more

We popped in before a show at the Infinity Music Hall. It's easy and convenient to come here anytime. There is plenty of parking and easy access off the street. There is a small area of table service tables in the bar, otherwise its cafeteria style which, to me, is a lot of fun! You watch them put your meal together. Behind the counter its coordinated chaos. As you stand in line you can see the smokers going and you can look out over the entire restaurant. We had the Bear Attack which is basically a generous hunk of cornbread, covered in really cheesy mac and topped with a meat of choice. We had their delicious pulled pork. It was a meal for the two of us. Cole slaw as awesome too. Definitely worth a stop! read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Bear Attack with pulled pork! - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Totally enjoyed this barbecue place. What's was definitely the best barbecue that I had in a very long time places located in Hartford very nice establishment. Staff was very friendly and welcoming. They also had a lot of options which was great as well. The pork belly and the brisket was 100% the best. If you're in the mood for some barbecue, definitely would check out this place. If you're in the area will definitely go back again. read more

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We heard how great this BBQ restaurant was, so we decided to try some takeout. We were very disappointed. We ordered a half pound of brisket, which was reasonably tender and flavorful, but if there was any more salt on it we couldn't have eaten it. The French fries were terrible- they were small pieces, very dark in color and they stuck together in mushy, flavorless clumps. The mac and cheese was good, but was too small a portion to have called it a side dish. read more

From the moment you walk inside and smell that food, you know you're in for a treat....staff was friendly and the food was as amazing as it smelled!! read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Kickin tots with burnt ends - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

I didn't realize this is a quick-serve establishment where you get your food at the counter and sit down, which ended up working out perfectly for our needs. We were with our kid so any time we can get food as you ask for it, the better. Service was friendly and the food was great. Reasonably priced kids meal. Looks like they had full service available in the bar area. My favorite part was that UConn dairy bar ice cream is available here for $3.50 a scoop! Way closer than Storrs and tasted just as fresh. read more

I was not impressed. My husband loves BBQ and wanted to try this place so we used a gift certificate we got for Christmas What I didn't like to see was that they touch everything ( pork, beef, chkn, crumble the corn bread, grab containers, trays, knives, you name it) with the same pair of black gloves that they serve the meat with. Talk about cross contamination . The brisket sits on the cutting board for every serving, by the time we sat at our table with the tray the food was COLD. The AC was blasting and they have big fans also going therefore food gets cold quicker. The wings however were served late because they fried them on the spot so those were hot and tasty. Im glad that it was a gift certificate because I would have been upset if I had to spend $75 dollar on cold meat. read more

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First visit. Served cafeteria style. I had the brisket, 1/2 of it was good, the other half was super tough and overcooked. Sides: Mac 'n cheese was creamy and tasty, baked beans were excellent with tons of flavor and meat mixed in, broccoli salad was dry and pretty tasteless. Overall average experience. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Brisket with sides - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

They had made a mistake on our order but made the effort to correct it. Burnt ends and Mac and cheese are very good. Tx bbq sauce is also very good. read more

For this place to have 4.1 stars blows my mind. The meat was not hot, more lukewarm. The Mac and cheese had way too much pepper in it. The cornbread was not good. The coleslaw was horrible. I would say the only thing good was gentleman clearing tables and bringing utensils. Probably not a good choice to eat at. read more

It was really good! $5 drinks during happy hour. Food was also $5 for a pulled pork sandwich and chicken I believe. $6 wings and they were super crispy. They have 4 different types of bbq sauce and I tried Texas pepper and a ghost pepper one (my fav). The bartender was super sweet and it was great all around! read more

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Decided to check out this location. I've been to the Big E and to running events around town and have gotten to eat small portions of Bears food, specifically the Mac and cheese with pulled pork, and I love it. Checking out this location was pretty cool. The restaurant is really well decorated and comfortable. Great bar too and staff. I was recommended to doing a trio platter so that I can get a little of multiple options to try so that's what I did. I got the Texas sausages, brisket and ribs with a side of Broccoli salad and Mac and cheese. Sausages were awesome. Mac and cheese was good, and the broccoli salad was fantastic. I almost ordered another portion. The meats however were very dry, which was disappointing, but I just ate as much as I could (I was stuffed.) When I finished I got asked how it was and provided my honest response, without expecting anything in return. I did choose to eat my food anyway after all. Still the manager came out and apologized and quickly provided me another portion of ribs and brisket to-go which looked much less dry. It was surprising and not necessary, but I was very grateful and the leftovers were delicious. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Three Meats Half Rack Baby Back Ribs Tx Sausage Brisket Mac and Cheese Gluten Free Broccoli Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

This place has a lot of hype but I would say the BBQ is pretty average. The portion of pulled pork was somewhat generous, though the sides were quite small. The coleslaw was very very soupy/ runny and had a lot of vinegar added. Mac and cheese was decent. BBQ sauce was good but sweet option just tasted like a sweet baby rays store bought sauce to me, nothing crazy. We got takeout, would recommend ordering online because we were on hold for 15 minutes trying to call. Parking is a bit difficult in this area on busy nights. It looks cool inside but definitely busy on a Saturday night. Overall would say decent but average. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese , Gluten Free Coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

You don't associate BBQ and New England typically, but a bunch of my followers told me to go here on my Hartford trip. I walked in and the place and saw cutesy bear plaques on the wall and put my guard up but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food, service, and the overall vibe. They just do a really nice job across the board! Would totally go back. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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The three meat combo is our go to with ribs, pulled pork and brisket! Everything is to tender, juicy and the ribs ALWAYS fall off the bone. We had the Mac and cheese and tried the sweet potato mash as sides and they were delicious. The sweet potato was so good and not overly sweet like a casserole The cornbread was a little overdone and dry, but still good. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Three Meats (Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork) - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

I went to Bears smokehouse tonight for dinner before seeing an exhibit at the convention center. My friend and I sat in the bar.And were served very quickly.No complaints there. The food came out so very quickly that we were both surprised. I assume everything is premaid and Possibly heated in the microwave. The meat was Pretty tasteless without the bar b que sauce. And I felt that the serving size was quite small as well. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Beef brisket , sweet potato & collar greens - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

I was really looking to trying this spot out for the first time, but it was pretty underwhelming. The style of the venue was fitting, but I didn't realize it was cafeteria style. I felt like it took away from what the experience should have been for $50 dollars worth of food. I got the ribs, brisket, mac and cheese, broccoli salad and the smoked wings. Ribs were top tier and I wish I just got a half rack of them as the brisket was dry and flavorless. Had to have it smothered in the BBQ sauce to have it taste like anything. The sauce was amazing but good meat shouldn't need a ton of sauce. Mac and Cheese was so bland we needed to add salt to it. Smoked chicken wings were above average but nothing I would be running back for and didn't have a strong smoky flavor. There are better options out there for a kick as wing. For the price, I was expecting to have my socks blown off and that did not happen. Better smokehouse places in CT that knock it out of the park with flavorful sides and meats. read more

I pulled in at 8:45 PM on a Sunday. They said they're open till nine. The food was great service was great thank God the hours matched.

After Glow Hartford, I wanted to find a quick bite to eat nearby. Once I saw Bear's Smokehouse I knew I had to stop in (I've heard it's a bbq staple in CT)! Was a quick 5 minute walk from the Connecticut Convention Center. I ordered the combination platter including two meats and two sides $23 (and added cornbread $2.50). The ribs were my favorite -- the meat literally fell right off the bone, and of course, loved their mac and cheese. The coleslaw was a bit vinegary for my taste, but other than that a great meal! I definently want to head back in to try more of their menu. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

We used Bear's for catering and just... wow!! We got the pork, chicken, brisket and moink balls (meatballs wrapped in bacon). Also got Mac n cheese, Cole slaw, and cornbread. The price worked out pretty well for the number of people, there was a lot of food and everyone throughly enjoyed! read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Catering platter - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Brisket Mac Attack is a Grand Slam! I grabbed the Mac Attack with brisket at Bear's BBQ at Dunkin' Park and it was phenomenal! The brisket was smoky, tender, and perfectly juicy -- paired with the creamy mac and cheese, it was the ultimate comfort food while watching the game. Portion size was huge, service was quick, and everyone was super friendly. If you're at Dunkin' Park, do yourself a favor and grab the brisket Mac Attack. Best BBQ ballpark meal in Hartford, hands down read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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(Context: to-go order.) I'm hoping that this was just an off night, as I've had great stuff in the past, but this was pretty disappointing. I ordered smoked turkey and burnt ends (historically, my 2 favorite items from Bear's), but both were pretty dry. Additionally, they forgot all of the sauces that I added to my order, do there was nothing to help remedy the dryness. It was a bit of a bummer, but I'll give it another chance next time and provide an update of warranted. read more

The staff here is so nice and they work so well together. Came for good food and they just made my day, thank you

Popped in for a quick lunch. Had the "Moink Balls" appetizer with the KC sweet BBQ sauce on the side. I thought they would be crispier, but they were still delicious. Bar area was bright and had a good selection of liquors. Typical BBQ place vibe. Service was very good! Bartender was friendly and attentive. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Moink Balls - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

I got the ribs, brisket, pastrami and kielbasa and wooooh let me tell you it was a lot of meat. Did I get the meat sweats? Yes. Was it delicious? Yes. Would I come back? Heck yes. Their crew was polite and got my food out hot and quick. Can't ask for more. Bring on the Bear & Beer. read more

Some places just give you that hometown feel. This restaurant is great from the food to the people who work there they will really make your day. The ordering process is a walk up process with a tray that you receive once your meat option is chosen to the sides and/desserts you receive as you go down the line. The staff members that we interacted with throughout the walk through ordering process were super helpful and patient as my group and I hadn't been back in a while so we're getting used to the menu ordering process and flow. The food is really good from pull apart chicken, to broccoli, potato salad, and corn bread sides you have everything for a great bbq meal. The restaurant also has a vegan option so my husband who is pescatarian was able to enjoy the whole meal, not just the sides with the rest of our group... love it! Their portions are a nice size, so if you have people that eat small portions (like me), they have a nice take our container area to let you do it yourself. Definitely worth a visit if your in town. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Pulled Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

I went to both locations, downtown and by the airport, and had a great experience at each. I had the pulled chicken combo with Mac and cheese and mashed sweet potatoes. There was a blueberry BBQ sauce for the season and it was perfection on the meat. Everything was delicious though I would skip the banana pudding. It was sitting in the case and so the vanilla wafers on top were not crisp. Otherwise I had no complaints. read more

Last two times ordering pickup, get home and order is wrong. Terrible focus by kid staff.

Food was good, had ribs and Texas sausage with collards and Mac n cheese. Sauces are all tomato based. Typical BBQ place order get your food and find a place to sit read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Two meat and sides - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Ordered the loaded baked potato via uber eats. The potato and macaroni and cheese were kind of warm but zero flavor and the brisket was ice cold. The most disappointing was there was no barbecue sauce added or on the side per the order that was supposed to be on it and to top it off no utensils. Maybe try dine in but whoever packs their to go order needs some better instruction. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Loaded dry unflavorful brisket baked potato - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Came here after visiting the CT convention center because it was close by. I thought the food would taste better by the hype, but it was mediocre to me. We ordered a three meat combo with sausage, brisket, and ribs. We got free mount balls with a Yelp check in. We also ordered some chicken wings; although flavorful, it was disappointedly dry. The Mac and cheese didn't have that baked feel for me and the cheese wasn't cheesy; it felt more like a boxed Mac and cheese. The mashed sweet potato was good, naturally sweet not overbearing. I enjoyed the cornbread. The staff were friendly, service was quick, and the establishment was nice and clean. read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Anytime I travel I'm always looking for a good bbq joint, and Yelp led me here... Having not previously visited I felt a bit rushed by the staff, who were also not very helpful or friendly. Opted for the one meat plate with brisket and selected the beans and Mac& cheese as sides. Everything was rather average, though the beans were over peppered. The brisket, while very tender, didn't have the depth of smoke I expected. Ambiance is rustic industrial, service was at the counter and disappointing, and prices are in line with expectation. At first visit this joint does not make the list... read more

Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - One meat plate with brisket, Mac & cheese, and Smoked BBQ Beans - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

The food is ok but it is really expensive for the portion sizes. Located in downtown Hartford, the vibe is very industrial and not at all cozy. read more