Great bbq and they have both indoor and outdoor spaces. They even have live performances on specific days. Their combos are great value for your buck! Tried their grilled chicken with corn and mac and cheese. Loved everything will defo go back!! read more

Quick lunch stop after a work meeting. Can never go wrong with Bear smokehouse especially their burnt ends. Mama bear salad was so good love the candied walnuts. Looking forward to my next visit already read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Sweet Mama Bear Salad with burnt ends. - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Met about 12 friends there for a delayed 65th birthday celebration mid afternoon last Sunday. I arrived early and ordered wings and fries while I waited for my friends. I stood at the bar with my plate of wings for a good 5 minutes before someone came to serve me. I asked what lagers they had and the bartender didn't know what a lager was. She recommended a stout. I decided on the Pilsner and it was VERY good. I grabbed a picnic table and dug into my wings only to find them extremely dried out. As if they'd been sitting under the heat lamp too long. The fries were also a bit burned and tasted as if they also sat too long under a lamp. I was going to take them back and complain but my friends started arriving and I got distracted. Most of my friends ordered sandwiches and said they were good. The one who ordered ribs also complained that they were very dry with that same heat lamp effect. When we were leaving, I decided to grab some food to go. I asked for a 2 meat combo with 1/2 chicken and brisket. In a small container the server put about 3 thin 1/4 slices of the brisket and less than a hand full of pulled chicken. I advised that what he was giving me is NOT the 2 meat combo. It should have a 1/2 chicken. He advised that they were out of chicken. I stated that he should inform me before substituting what I wanted. And further, the amount of pulled chicken he put in the container was FAR less than what one would get from a 1/2 chicken - dark or white meat. He stated again that they are out of 1/2 chicken. I stated my case again. He repeated his. So I cancelled the order and walked out. I may go back to the New Haven smokehouse. But if I do, I'll eat before I go and just drink. They need to work on the food. read more

Went there for Happy Hour. We enjoyed the bacon-cheese fries as well as the pulled pork sliders off the Happy Hour menu along with a la carte meat offerings. All very good. read more

Food was amazing. We weren't aware it was a counter service restaurant but it was still well worth the stop! Nestled behind a large industrial building, has a great outdoor space and big indoor space. Large "bar" towards the rear where the brewery is. Definitely recommend read more

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Bear's sticks around and expands for a reason. They've always been consistent and reliable with good service. Bear's New Haven is no exception to the rule. The New Haven location is a fresh, open concept. It has a great outdoor area and clean indoor space, and during nice weather large glass garage doors can open to create a great indoor/outdoor connection. There's a full bar available with cocktails as well as a large tap list including beer brewed on site by Nebco. They do have a happy hour M-F. The food is always great and consistent. The menu is fairly simple with some fun creations like "Bear Balls" which are a mixture of pulled pork and Mac and cheese dipped in a cornbread batter and fried. I particularly enjoy their bowls, especially the "Bear Attack" which is cornbread, Mac, and your choice of their meats. It's a huge portion for $16 which is a really good value among BBQ restaurants. It's worth noting that they have a smoked meatloaf made with Impossible Burger as a "meat" option which is a fabulous addition for a genre of restaurant that by definition doesn't cater to vegetarians. Many of their sides are vegetarian friendly as well. Definitely check out this location. It's a very laid back atmosphere that's easy to hang out in for a long time, and it will certainly satisfy your BBQ craving. read more

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Consistency is the name of the game and for really good barbecue Bear's smokehouse in New Haven is the place to go. The ribs melted off the bone, the cornbread was hot and fresh and the baked beans had just the right amount of tang. The restaurant was clean, the service was great and there was plenty of parking. The best part is when you are in the mood for barbecue, you know it will be consistently delicious here! read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Brisket, mac & cheese, and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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When you walk into this place, there is a decent size restaurant, a large bar and a very large outdoor eating area. Lots of outdoor activities, there was a DJ outside. Good vibe. Here is the problem- You get in line and tell the guy what you want. He throws meat on your plate and hands it to you. You then walk down the line to get your sides, you tell another person what your sides are that person loads you up. You then walk in line to the register. If you happen to order an appetizer like wings. You wait some more until the wings are done, then you pay. Then you walk yourself over to the fixings area and get some sauce and napkins. If you want a drink, you then need to walk across the dining room to get a soda. If you want a beer then you need to walk to the bar, wait for a bartender and then order your beer. Then you need to find a place to sit. By the time you walk through ALL of these stations, your food is ice cold. Decent flavor, good bbq, but all of the self service keeps cost down, but it hurts the final quality of the food. Not coming back. read more

I came here with a moderately sized group around lunchtime for some food and drinks, and it was an excellent experience. There's plenty of seating both inside and outside, which was perfect for our group. The menu offers an incredible variety of options, from perfectly tender brisket to fall-off-the-bone ribs, all complemented by a rich, tangy barbecue sauce that ties everything together beautifully. The pulled pork sandwich was the standout for me--juicy, bursting with flavor, and paired with the most delicious, creamy coleslaw. Their house-brewed beers and craft cocktails were equally impressive, with options to suit every palate. Whether you're here for the barbecue, the drinks, or just the great atmosphere, this spot is a must-visit. I'll definitely be back! read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Wonderful food!!! Ribs are good. We have been there loads of time.. being from the south their ribs and chicken are the best I've had in New Haven read more

The guys working behind the counter are really nice. I got a 1/4 rack with two sides. Told them to put one of the warm bbq sauces on top. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. Their corn bread comes with honey butter. One of my favorite meals... It's so good. I had an earlier review that went with the 2 other photos. I don't know what Yelp did with it. read more

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I was here for an event, so I didn't take many photos, but what a great venue. I tried a beer (Nebco Witbeer) and a cider (blackberry something) and enjoyed them both. Our buffet was amazing and the food was all delicious: pulled pork, brisket, pulled chicken, mac and cheese, corn bread, moink balls, chocolate Oreo mousse, and more. Everything I tasted was delicious and it was a pleasant surprise to enjoy a BBQ dinner outside of Memphis. Service was great, while we didn't play any games I could see this would be a great place to hang out with friends. Also( there's ample parking which isn't always easy to find in New Haven. Would love to come back and enjoy the patio when it is warmer out. read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Entrance - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Maybe my family hit Bears on a bad day, but we probably would have had better BBQ if we stopped by a local grocery store. The ribs were dry (overcooked/sitting too long in the drawer). BBQ sauce should not be the item used to rescue the overcooked meat. I had brisket, it was ok. The corn bread tasted like it was kept in the warmer from before Christmas, would have been great for croutons. Very little smoke flavor in any of the meat. Long gone is the Kansas City style rub. I miss when bears had two locations and there was attention to quality. If you are in the area, need a spot that can sit a group with no problem, and are ok with pay for below average BBQ; then Bear's is a good choice. Otherwise, I would recommend trying something else. Service was great. The people working at the location are awesome. read more

I absolutely love the pastrami. It has the best flavor. Bring back the mashed sweet potatoes. It was my favorite side read more

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Fast service! The food is very tasty and reasonable in price. The outside fire pits with overheard heating. read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Fire pit, outdoor overhead heating. - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Great space for groups. Cavernous dining rooms (bar in the second), a garden area, and even a stage for music performances right there. $10 sandwiches which come as meat piled high on two slider-sized pillowy buns. Brisket ($2 surcharge) a little dry, a letdown for a barbecue place. Coleslaw nicely tangy, but also watery. The meat was served well by their four hot sauces, a Kansas City sweet, a peppery mild, a garlicky sriracha which very much still tastes brown sugar and ketchup fundamentally, and an intriguing fruity ghost pepper option. 3-6 pm weekday happy hour features $5 drafts, many from the IPA-heavy New England Brewing Company, which I like. read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Brisket "sandwich" ($12), coleslaw side ($4), happy hour draft ($5) - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Went today with hubby and our friend at her request. Good barbecue and sides. I was thrilled to find a baked potato on the menu. I enjoyed the brisket, the others had ribs. I'm a terrible eater but managed to make a big dent in the potato. I skipped the Mac and cheese but I'm sure it was good. It's not table service, you stand in line cafeteria style to get your food. They have a good assortment of desserts and soft drinks. In a separate area you can get craft beer and well drinks. It was early in the day so we stayed with soft drinks. You can help yourself to sauces, utensils, napkins and take out containers. Sorry, I didn't take any photos other than the bear drinking beer on the outside. If it was a full service restaurant, I may have given 5 stars but my knees were hurting, my blood sugar was low and I was very hangry. read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Outside near the entrance. - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I used to give this spot a 5 stars but i went in last week and found out they took out the best fried pickles in the world off the menu! I live in NY and coming all the way up here for those pickles was very disappointing when i found out they didn't have them anymore. The service is always quick and friendly. They always assist me when i need some answers for some questions i might have. I 100% recommend the Bear attack which is cornbread (not dry) mashed under their delicious Mac and cheese with your choice of meat. We have also done the family deal which begins at $54 but you get like 2 lbs of meat plus 3 sides! I have tried the pulled chicken and the brisket and i cannot say i have yet to be disappointed (other than the pickles)!!! They have a cute seating area. It's big and they seem to do a lot of events throughout the week. Wish they had one closer! Definitely a go to spot when in the area. Ps. Don't forget to try all those bbq sauces they have! read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Went back because my brother wanted to have BBQ. Not much has changed since my first visit - prices are high and meat is overcooked and required sauce just to give it some flavor and moisture. This time, I got the pastrami entre, which came with 2 sides. I got a lot of meat - 1/2 lb. There was nothing special about it, and I should have requested it be sliced thinner. My wife got the pulled pork sandwich. It came with 5 oz of meat on a supermarket hamburger bun. Interestingly, if she just got the meat without the bun, she would have gotten 8oz of meat and paid $2 less. Since she didn't eat the bun, that would have been the way to go. The staff is friendly and genuinely seems to try hard. read more

Dry brisket with zero flavor. They also place the dry brisket on a cold bun. The fries also lack seasoning. Pathetic excuse of bbq!

I have never had such a wonderful experience. Absolutely love the food and service was tremendous!! Atmosphere was wonderful!!

Visiting my family. Thought we would do Ribs. Decided to got to Bear's Smokehouse. I thought a 2 meat meal would be good. It was more than enough food. I was full. I was great. It looks like Mission Barbeque with bear. Love it. They were cooking a full pig outside. Having a seat just inside with an opening to the outside let me smell the pig cooking, and feel the outdoor weather. Love it. read more

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Bear's is one of those places where you gotta make it a tradition to go at least 2x monthly just because it's necessary. Good BBQ!

Ohhhhhhh yeahhhhhhhh! This is it. We visited one further north near fast pitch nation and found this place closer to home. OMG - we all enjoyed our meal after a long day of softball. The burnt ends, sausage, monkey balls, cornbread, kids had nachos and pull pork - we left there very satisfied and wanting more. Lots of parking is avalaible and the restaurant is beautiful inside. The staff behind the counter was very nice, friendly and attentive to the cleanliness of the location. Go go go there. read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Yummy!!! - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Not bad, not bad at all. This was my first top in Bear Country, and I love BBQ. The brisket and chicken were good, tender, and had a nice smoke to them. Nice bark on the brisket. The Mac and Cheese was creamy. The collard greens had a slight spicy flavor, but you could taste the veggies. Friendly staff and clean! Loved the patio space!! I didn't get the Lunch Combo, but it's the best deal in here for lunch...$8.00...come on!!! In my opinion, the food could be a bit hotter when served. Overall 4 out of 5 stars! read more

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I was blown away that I reordered again. The quality and taste of the food remains the same. But I will say this is the third time that something has been missing from the order. The first time I had a side missing, the second time they gave me the wrong side, the third time I didn't get any sauces. So they need to pay attention to orders. read more

Went for 420 Fest. First time we explored the outside area and it was excellent. First time we'd gotten the signature NEBCO beers which were great. Brisket was on point yesterday. read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Bear Balls, Broccoli Salad, Burnt Ends and Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

The service was fantastic! Staff was very friendly! I ordered the brisket & chicken w/ cornbread. My chicken was a little too dry & so was the brisket.. The cornbread was on the dry side as well. I'm used to it being super moist. I heard that this restaurant was famous for dry rubs so I wanted to try it. It wasn't my cup of tea. Too dry for my liking! The outside was so cool. There's a bear drinking a giant bear. Inside was ok. read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Very disappointed, the Brisket was super dry. No pride in what they sell to their customers, because I would have never sold anyone dry brisket. I wish I would have checked the food before I left because I would have complained about that BS. The ribs were ok at best; mac & cheese was flavorless borderline kraft box mac & cheese. read more

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The entire meal is cold today! The meats are not even room temperature and the sides are cold as if they came out the fridge. Real bad management at this location! read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I like the space a lot, the outdoor area is nicely set up... roomy enough to social distance without anyone cramming near you. The staffs are kind and friendly. Unisex bathrooms are enough without a wait. That's about it as I struggled between giving this place a 2.5 stars and 2 stars... As for the food... there are only 2 items I would recommend getting... the "Mac Attack" with Pastrami... and their bar/mocktails. Everything else is a complete waste of stomach space. I have no idea why anyone would compare this to any credible BBQ joints. I think Southerns would laugh at the beyond mediocre stuff they call BBQ here. The ribs are bone-drrryyyy.... (Maybe they aged it.. kidding). The burnt ends are... so tough... like jerky tough. The brisket was... again.. dry AF... and really... like why tho??? Seems like all the BBQ items were made without any soul... for that, it's really a shame. #totalpass #yelplife #eatatyourownrisk read more

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Got takeout a few weeks ago and the food was really good. My favorite is the brisket. That brisket melts in your mouth. The ribs and chopped bbq wasn't bad. My favorite sauce was the Texas Pepper. The cornbread and honey butter was very good. I got 4 sided (collard greens, mac and cheese, coleslaw and baked beans which have bbq meat mixed in). Again my favorite was the brisket and I will go again for that for sure. I asked for my brisket to be slices extra thin. I don't like thick meat. I would say go and check it out. Certainly get the brisket. LOL read more

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I always have a great meal at Bear's Smokehouse. This past November, they had the BEST Thanksgiving Nachos! Their Thanksgiving Nachos came with smoked turkey, brisket gravy, cornbread stuffing, cheese, cranberry bbq sauce and green onion. I can't wait for next year to have them again! Pro tip- They were only available at their New Haven location in November. As of 2022 that is. Also, be sure to try their mac n cheese, the Mac Attack and the Bear Attack! Salad-wise- I have had the Sweet Mama Bear Salad and it was fantastic too. I also love all of the outdoors seating at the New Haven location and no joke the bathrooms are pretty cool too! They are all individual rooms. I wish more places had bathrooms like these. The sodas are great too! My favorite was the strawberry one! And don't leave without trying the Berry Crisp. That is the perfect way to end your experience! read more

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Came here for takeout today. Ordered baby baby ribs (full rack) , pulled pork, pulled chicken,beef brisket , all one pound portions, a dozen wings and apple crisp. They also provided additional container of sauces. All the food was so good and it was fairly priced, $135 included all taxes. I ordered it for 6:15 , and it was ready when I got there. Staff were friendly and efficient. I rated the food in a previous review. All the food was delicious and authentic, BBQ. read more

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Food was great, especially the brisket and burnt ends. Easy to do with small kids. Seamless except for the bees near the picnic tables. We quickly moved indoors. read more

Came here for dinner for the first time. It's an awesome spot. You order down a line, servers don't come to the table which I liked. More of a chill vibe. I ordered the Super Spud. Which is a loaded baked potato, topped with Mac and cheese, bacon, sour cream, cheese, and your choice of meat. I chose brisket. You can change anything you want. It was delicious! The Mac was yummy and the meat was tender and flavorful. I do wish the potato was bigger tho! There's a brewery inside which is nice! Had an IPA. Really enjoyed this place and can't wait to come back! read more

Bear's Smokehouse - Super Spud - Barbeque Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Ordered the 3 meats combo and chose the moink balls, pulled pork and brisket. The moink balls are a must get! All meats were juicy and tender but everything besides the moink balls lacked flavor and needed bbq sauce. They offer different types of bbq sauce which you'll also be able to purchase in a bottle. The drinks are overpriced. Ordered a watermelon vodka soda and it was a drink straight out of the can into a glass for $8. The place is huuuge and they offer indoor and outdoor sitting options. read more

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Bill S pro tip - Order the family style meal, we were 5 people and had leftovers! A new Bear's Smokehouse location, yay! This new location is large and in charge. Lots of free parking, I was able to snag a spot up front. Walking inside, the space is beautifully decorated with lots of wood walls and how can you not love an outdoor beer garden? Bear's Smokehouse is practicing social distancing, the prep area is roped off while you place your order. There are lots of BBQ choices, from sandwiches, salads topped with BBQ as well as BBQ platters. Since we're 5 people, we chose the family platter which comes with two sides, a rack of ribs and another protein choice. We also added a few more items like fried pickles and a 3rd side. We paid for our food and snagged a picnic table outside. This dining area is very nice, the large covered picnic benches is very choice. Everyone enjoyed the BBQ, I did think the brisket was a little too well done for my taste. My favorite item? The fried pickles were off the chain! Something unique to Bear's Smokehouse, the bacon covered meatballs are our personal favorites. The baked beans, cole slaw as well as sweet potato mash are all southern staples that Bear's Smokehouse does very well. One thing I have to point out, since Bear's Smokehouse is Veteran owned business, the owner gives a military discount to customers. I showed the cashier my military ID, she nodded but never gave the discount? I hope the owner reads this and makes corrections for future guests. read more

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Went to their Octoberfwst, but no octoberfest was going on. guessed we missed it all. The pulled chicken was great, as was the corn! Potato was not fully cooked, edible though and the pretzel looked amazing but the seasoning on it wasn't to our liking. Had a smoked flavor, which I get goes with the bbq theme. read more

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Normally, a great BBQ. Takeout has been slow recently. We put in the order early in the day to make sure they didn't sell out, but there's a line of people who also put in orders early and nothing doing. Just standing and waiting in a tiny takeout cubicle. The last few times I've done takeout, a few items have been missing from the order, which makes a difference when it's a smoked meat you prepaid for. The dining room is casual and they have alcoholic beverages. I could use one right now waiting on this line. I suggest ordering takeout for when it's not busy and checking to make sure everything is there. I know it's not their fault they're understaffed but it doesn't inspire faith in me to have to wait with other disgruntled customers while people are hungry at home and expecting food. Just got home and items are missing, just like last time. Not happy. read more

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