New owners! Excellent food and service. We had the curry mussels. I've never had mussels with that much flavor. And the key lime pie is a must! Everything is fresh made, even the ranch dressing. The staff is so friendly. read more

Feb 26 - We were brought here by friends who had eaten here before. I'm rarely a fan of Bar Food, primarily because most are Bars first...Restaurants second unless it's a Specialty Appetizer. We were here for lunch. I noticed the wide array of TVs and a Karaoke stage when were arrived to I asked for the quietest table available. The Host hesitated at first since he'd likely not gotten that request before (it is unusual for a Bar), but he found a table in the back as far away from the sound as possible. Kudos Our Waitress (Haley) was super friendly and helpful with recommendations and took our 6 orders (there were 3 other tables with Patrons). My Big Bear Chicken was one of the last out but probably the first prepared - the Chicken and Onion Rings were too cold to eat. :-( She replaced them with a fresh order and off we went. I wouldn't order the same again as nothing about my meal stood out (even with a freshly prepared order), but I was very happy with the Service and Atmosphere. read more

Big Bear Bar & Grill - Big Bear Chicken and Onion Rings - Bars Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

If you have a Big appetite for a Big Burger then Big Bear Bar and Grill is where you need to go. A neat eatery with Lodge like decor and fun atmosphere. Starting off with the appetizer, I went with the servers recommendation of the Bang Bang Shrimp. So tasty with good flavor and cooked just right. For the main it was the Big Bear Burger. While not quite a grizzly burger, it really did the trick. A delicious and filling patty with all the standard toppings. Sorry, no room for dessert after this one. lol A fun experience, especially with the fun servers and staff. I can't wait for the next visit. read more

I tried this place twice since it has reopened under new ownership. Candidly, the food was excellent both times. The first time, they were out of a specific entrée that we wanted, and they were out of all salad dressings. Not sure how that happens but, it did. Regardless, what we ordered was very tasty. I went a second time with my extended family and grandchildren. They have zero options for a kids menu. When you ask, the servers will tell you "I wish we had a kids menu, but our owners just aren't willing to have one". I spoke to both the gentleman and the lady who are co-owners and both were adamant that they did not need a kids menu because they had options that you could order from. Things like sliders (it comes with three) and pasta, or macaroni and cheese, etc. Well, my grandson wanted one slider... We had to order three. My granddaughter just wanted a bowl of noodles with butter. That one slider that was consumed and that one bowl of buttered noodles that was consumed cost me over $30. That's not including their drinks. I can see how that is very lucrative and quite acceptable to them as owners but, to the average working family with children, that is absolutely unacceptable. It's fine if they do not want children and families in their establishment and they want to focus on more of a bar environment. However, they seem to want to have it both ways. They were absolutely steadfast and adamant that they would not offer any reasonable kids menu options. I gave them every chance to make that right and they refuse to do it, I will never be back. Sometimes good food is not enough. read more

Amazing! The new owners of this place have such a cool vibe. New menu is a bit more pricey but definitely much more elevated than what it used to be. Give this place a try the new management is completely different. read more

I'm only giving it 4 stars on the food. Our food was good. Yet, we had to order other items than what we wanted on the menu due to a good bit of the items being not available or sold out. Our waitress Skye was really sweet and attentive. The staff was super helpful and polite when delivering our food. Skye knew the menu and was able to provide options and choices. Loved the look of the restaurant and the setting. We'll most likely be back. The food was really good just wished we were able to taste our primary choices yet second best was just as good. WAYYYYYY BETTER THAN BIG BOX PLACES. I will say the mashed potatoes were amazing!!!! read more

Big Bear Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

See all

The atmosphere is amazing the food was great our waitress was fast as well. One of the restaurants owners came to our table makes it even better service in my opinion read more

See all

We ordered several different appetizers and two meals all of which were basically cooked in the microwave. Not great food at all. I would say the service was good, but after taking a order and taking a 20 minute smoke break, our beverages never got refreshed. read more

Very cute restaurant that looks small from the outside, but it's big on the inside. First of all the service was excellent highly recommend Stacy! She was right on top of everything. We have the grilled salmon on Caesar salad and shrimp Poboy with fries and an appetizer of salmon dip. All was terrific. We will be back!! read more

Big Bear Bar & Grill - Shrimp, Poboy, and fries - Bars Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

See all

New owners!- food is definitely elevated from the previous version. Very fresh and delicious! Key lime pie was the best I've ever had! Owners were walking around the restaurant checking on service and food- very friendly! Looking forward to see what this place has to offer in the future. read more

Food was very good. Service was even better. Prices reasonable Lots of locals. Definitely recommend. read more

Great bar food and atmosphere. Don't let the location deter you. Most good finds are a hole in the wall. It's in the Lowe's shopping center opposite the main building. Happy hour Wednesday to Friday 4-6. read more

We rode our motorcycles north and found this gem. We had The pork chop, and the jambalaya both were amazing! The beer was cold and the Bloody Mary was right on. We sat at the bar, service was A1. The music was just right. Volume was a concern when we arrived, but it was perfect. After leaving we realized we gave no tip to the musician, thanks to Venmo we got it covered. Thank You, for the great experience. Looking forward to visiting again. read more

We ate at Big Bear Ellijay for lunch today. This was our first visit since the soft opening in February of this year. The interior renovations are very nice providing an upscale rustic vibe. We were seated in a fashion I being in transportation, refer to as "load from the back to the front". Instead of spacing the lunch patrons as we came in, we were sat table by table. I'm sure this is a convenience to the wait staff or an attempt to confine cleanup before the dinner rush. You will spend a minimum of $16 per person. The cheapest item on the menu was Tomato Bisque soup with homemade croutons for $8. We ordered a Grilled Big Bear Chicken Sandwich (Chicken Breast tossed in a homemade hot sauce, topped with jalapeno cabbage slaw and pickles) served with and a side of fries or onion rings for $16. We were served a Fried BBCS. I mentioned to the waitress there was a mistake but we chose to keep rather than send back. 8 Bonfire Wings were $16 or $18 with fries. They were served with 3 small pieces of celery and 2 Julienne slivers of carrot (not sold on this choice!-looked & felt like smoked salmon. LOL) I confirmed the veggies are soaked in water to retain freshness but by doing so they were wet and flavorless; definitely not enhancing the in-house blue cheese and ranch dressing which were not bad. The waitress said they cut the celery & carrots twice a week. The sandwich was good. The chicken breast was a good portion. The beer battered onion rings were very good to be frozen. The Bonfire Wings were good but there is only one option. 4 stars for taste but 3 stars for overall presentation and satisfaction. read more

See all

We had the absolute best service at this Restaurant. We went to the Big Bear for a couple drinks and some appetizer foods after enjoying an afternoon with The Georgia Back Porch Band . The service was amazing and such a fun place. Our Hostess was great and a great sense of humor. We had John as our Server, and we had so many laughs with him, best server ever ! We also had Nate (Chef)bring some food to us and he was so professional, and yet so much fun as well. These Guys are what make a Restaurant experience so worth going back for. So much experience ! We will definitely be back when we come back to Ellijay. read more

See all

SLOW. We were one of 2 tables and had to wait forever for sodas. Our food took forever as well and was edible but that's about it.

The food was good and the service was great. They had live music when we went there and it was fun to listen to.

I really enjoyed my experience at Big Bear. I got the black bear salad with chicken and it was really good! The portion was large and it felt very fresh. The service was also good with the waitress refilling the water on the regular and cleaning up the plates quickly. The restaurant itself is also quite nice with a bar, but lots of wood tables to sit that are not at the bar. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area and hopefully I can come back at some point! read more

We went when it was really packed. Like a completely full restaurant. The bar tender was still great! I forget her name but she was posed and calm in the chaos which is very impressive. We had the sausage sampler and then nachos and they were tasty. A coupon of the chairs were saddles and the kids loved to be sitting in them. read more

Tried twice and both times I never ate their food. So this is for ambience and service only. First time they were out of a few menu items I wanted and I left. Second time, I watched the bar keep stock the refrigerator and do multiple things before helping me after a long wait. Then finally Gave me the menu and disappeared...I left. I Won't be back! i don't know if the food is good or bad, but the service and ambience were lacking. Good luck to them as I wanted to do local. read more

Okay so kind of torn on the star rating. Food was good and prompt. Plenty of space and plenty of very large TVs for watching any game you want. If you order a kids meal just understand this is a true "kids" meal for like a 6-8 year old. If you have a bigger (or hungrier) kid I would definitely get the regular burger. Team was very nice. Service was efficient. Definitely a great place to watch a game with the guys. Nothing bad to say other than the person I was with said something about the scent when you walk in is kind of like an older building. It did not bother me and I didn't notice it that I can remember. My rating is based on the restaurant itself and does not include any comparison to other restaurants in the area. If there was a comparison to other restaurants in the area this place would be a solid 5 stars without question. read more

Super food and drinks. Always happy at the big Bear! Fun place to hang out w friends.

Service was amazing! We had a large table and felt welcomed and taken care of the entire time! We had great appetizers and dinners but the wings were over the top. To top it all off there was a singer/guitar player who was really good. Nice interior and seating! read more

The food was pretty good. Great price for drinks and cocktails. Had a new bourbon recommended by the bartender that was very good, Willett. The kids burgers were good and my wife enjoyed her Salmon. I had the shrimp and grits. We went for an early dinner. read more

Big Bear Bar & Grill - Salmon, delicious potatoes and vegetables. - Bars Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

See all

The food was great, I had a Reuben since it's my favorite!! Service was great the servers know what they are doing and attentive! The It's always clean and friendly. read more

It's beautifully decorated unfortunately that's the only good thing I can say. When they first opened the food and service was great. I highly recommended them to friends and family. The last 18 months has been terrible. The servers are always friendly however they are always telling us how short staffed they are. Our last visit Jan 2025 with 5 adults and 2 children was the absolute worst food we have ever had. Raw chicken, over cooked fish sandwich, so so chicken wings terrible Philly steak sandwich and even worse chicken caesar wrap. We still took care of the server because it wasn't her fault that the food sucked. We definitely won't go back. read more

What a great find! Excellent food ingredients quality, very creative and diverse menu, reasonable pricing and very good service! read more

Great atmosphere, amazing drinks, incredible food, & spectacular service! Highly recommend the chicken pasta, Reuben with Onion Rings, & pulled pork sandwich. (PS ask for coleslaw, pickles onions, & jalapeños) Soooo good! Shout out to Chef Joe! Our server, Bekah was really good! We didn't have to wait for anything & she was super personable! The blueberry or jalapeño margarita is a must!! All fresh squeezed! A great place to watch a game & enjoy a meal! The owners were pretty cool too. read more

Big Bear Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

We have been coming here for the last 3 months on a weekly basis. Food service has been superv. Except today we were out for 2 weeks on vacay came in today . Tomato soup looked and tasted like pizza sauce, chunky . Hamburger ordered medium came well done. Appetizer and main course came together. Food was cold. Wings were burned. Bang bang shrimp looked like it was battered like a corn dog. Missing the sauce and tomatoes. Looked like it was just thrown in a plate. Bill came in with dinner prices not lunch prices had to request changes in price. Sad to hear that the original chef, cook left a week ago?. Sorry will not return. read more

We ordered the fried mozzarella sticks and they were the best we ever had, they were definitely fresh and homemade. The service was great as well as the happy hour prices!!!!! read more

Service was great and food was great also. The dining room area is a large open room with a bar. We were there during winter break from school schedule, so it wasn't very crowded. read more

See all

Food ok. Service excellent. Service staff attentive and on point. .Kitchen staff more review of orders. Please Read what your server sends you kitchen. read more

Where to begin. Our evening started out with the our order being wrong. Part of our order was delivered to the wrong table and the part we received was not great. I ordered the chicken tender meal and honestly I've seen larger more desirable tenders on many kids meals. They were small, dry, and one of the four tenders consisted of a couple of small chunks of breaded chicken the size of a large marble. The $7.00 small Caesar salad I ordered came and was unacceptable and a barely passable bowl of finely chopped iceberg with a few croutons and tasteless dressing. When I expressed my disappointment the young waitress offered to replace my meal with another option. But soon a male employee, "Jack?", came and claimed that their policy didn't allow a replacement. Another male employee (bartender) tried to smooth things and seemed willing to make things right but never actually got it done. Soon we had sarcastic and derogatory remarks directed at us from employee "Jack?" before we finally left the two meals 90+% untouched and left the table as more derogatory comments were yelled at us as we left the restaurant. Kudos to the young female waitress who apologized and treated us kindly while her male colleagues were rude, insulting, and incompetent. While she attempted to satisfy our expectations her colleagues quickly spiraled the situation downward. First time I've completely rejected a meal in 40 years and first time I've stood up from a table and walked out of a restaurant. Epic fail! read more

Wait staff was short handed. Our poor waitress worked herself to death. It was probably close to 20 minutes to get our drinks and probably another 15 minutes to order so we were essentially there for 35 minutes before we ordered. The food was OK, but not great. We were a table of six almost all the way across the restaurant from the band in the bar. the band was so loud we had to scream to have any kind of conversation. One of the persons in our party had an Apple Watch, which measures decimals , the decimal level was reading a 90! OSHA requires ear protection at a decibel level of 85! I asked the chef who was out serving food, If they could have the band turn the sound down and he said it won't do any good because of acoustics in the room. He said it's like this every weekend they can't do anything about it. I asked the person who seated us and he said he would try. Fortunately, he was successful, and the band turned the volume down to reasonable level. Overall it was not a pleasant experience. read more

What a find! The place was busy with a good 2 man band. The food and drink were top shelf, the 4 of us cleaned our plates. Fresh and very flavorful. We appreciated that everyone seemed to attend to you at the table, which helped with how busy they were that night. read more

Such an amazing meal! Great service and great decor!! Loved it and can't wait to go back!! Highly recommend read more

Big Bear Bar & Grill - Salmon veggies and potatoes - Bars Near Me - Ellijay, Georgia

Had a birthday reservation for six people. Drove 30 minutes to get to the restaurant and they were closed. Even the sign said they were supposed to be open. Could have at least checked your online reservations are notify everyone. read more

Their burgers were good, ordered it med but got it well done. The seasoning was good, they just need to make it to order. Their french fries were well seasoned. Not a bad place, kitchen just needs to prepare a burger to order...well done ruins a burger. The atmosphere was nice, had a live band and the decor was fitting for the mountain town Ellijay is. read more

First time for us and the food, atmosphere and service were all excellent! We will definitely be back! read more

See all

Bear Trap Fries were delicious! Service was excellent. Must try when in Ellijay. Bananas Foster with ice cream was great. read more