Good solid burgers and fries in a unique environment. Noisy, not overly friendly or helpful, but good food, prices and atmosphere. Always something to look at that you haven't seen before, even if you have been there 100 times (like me). A great college place to take parents or visitors to Chico, for sure. read more

Love the burgers! The teriyaki burger and fries with the cheese sauce are bomb! I like that I can get a pitcher on Arnie Palmer! Can't get that on too many places! read more

Mediocre food, price definitely not worth it. The peanut butter burger Is good though

Just graduated college and must say during my years this place was my second home. Weather it was hanging with friends and grabbing lunch during the day or going out on the town for a night of partying this place never disappoints. The staff is also amazing and the location is huge! read more

Great burgers and selection of beers although both can get pretty pricey. They have cool stuff hanging on the walls so it's nice look around and see what's up. My favorite is the Papa Bear burger which has onion rings, bbq sauce and bacon of course. Their garlic fries are also pretty good and they have the best bbq sauce (dippn sauce) at the tables. Everything is self serve so order up in the front and grab a seat! A pro tip would be to make sure to keep an ear out when they are calling your name as the place can get pretty packed and loud. Everyday has a different special deal on their menu so it's nice to save a good amount of dollars that way. 5/5 would definitely recommend when in Chico read more

The only reason im giving 4 stars is cause of the outside staff, the inside bartender was a bitch cause i didn't tip her one time she refused to serve me and my friends, its a cool vibe there just expect to pay 4× more than you should or you wont get served. read more

If your in Chico, you go to the bear. This place never disappoints. Buy a bear shirt for 20 bucks or a hat and get half off of booze and food all day Tuesday's read more

Very poor service all around the board.. The bartender was rood, The staff working there didn't seem like they wanted to be there and you can really pick up on that vib. security was very rood as well.. food was under cooked and the garlic fries had way to much garlic.. I will never go back there again... read more

Can we spell greasy spoon restaurant? My wife ordered a steak sandwich and ordered a pastrami sandwich. They were both greasy and not worth a repeat visit. The curly cue fries were ok but super salty and oily as well. I guess that's what I expect near a college read more

Great burgers and lots of TVs. Ok selection of beers. Good place for Sunday football.

I love the way the way the restaurant is themed! Love the vibe and drinking my beer there! Bomb food too! Yee

Very interesting decor. If you are into antiques you should definitely stop by. Burger madness is a great deal, That keeps me coming in on Mondays and Thursdays. If school is in session, you may want to avoid late Thursdays and Fridays. The place is loud and crowded, and filled with the smell of spilled beer. Also not so good for Sunday football, the lay out is bad and the TV's are small. For sports the Graduate is a better place to go. read more

This place is a must when you are in Chico. Great greasy burgers and fries. Very nice pickles too. Beers deals are really good. Atmosphere is fun. read more

Fast service with good food. The atmosphere felt a little bit to much like a college bar sene. The bathrooms were a little dirty as well.

Went here before and was yelled at, because I took a picture of some of the decorations. I would understand if they had asked me to not take pix, but to yell about it? Get over youself, you bar sucks anyway. Haven't been back in years, and won't go ever again. read more

Very sticky. Don't touch the surface... And don't look around. Layers of dust and or filth will sway the sober visitor. Great if you are looking for a cheap drink next to a 20 yr old. Cheap is what cheap does. read more

They messed up my order the two times I've been their and the food was under cooked. Horrible service.

Use to be fan of the Bear and their specialty burgers. I have noticed a steep decline in the quality of their food within the last 6 months. The last 3-4 times I have visited the burger was almost dangerously undercooked. Asking for my burger to be cooked medium-well only resulted in bloody patties. If I'm paying close to $10 for a burger, I expect it to be cooked properly. read more

The Madison Bear Garden is a great place to go as college student or as someone visiting the town. As soon as you walk in there is so much to look at the decor is so unique and interesting. Its a great place to go because it is casual and the food is great at a reasonable price. The location is perfect because it is so close to the campus and is an easy walk to grab a bite to eat. The burgers are awesome and they have a great variety to choose from. I definitely recommend trying it! read more

Being a new Chico student, I was told by everyone to go and try the Bear at least once. My friends and I went there for dinner around seven and it was a really fun experience. The atmosphere was really chill with decorations everywhere. I liked being able to order and pay for my food first, but because it is a bar you have to go and order your drinks separately which is kind of annoying. I ordered the big bacon burger and was really happy with the result. I got fries with my burger and they were also very good. The only downfall for a college student is that the burgers can be up to 10 dollars so if you're broke, I don't recommend. Other than that it was a really good place to eat and is easy to walk to from campus. read more

Our family LOVES the Bear, and it seems like we are there most weeks. We only go on Bear Madness days or Tuesdays with 1/2 off specials for wearing Bear gear. The only downside is sometimes there is a long line at the counter for food orders, and it's sometimes hard to find tables inside for our large group, but it's the one spot where everyone in our family looks forward to going. They are even accommodating to our vegetarian/healthy family members with veggie patties, wheat buns, side salad options. And the beer selection is always great! A Chico must-visit. read more

Really poor experience, left after 20 minutes of waiting without a single person ahead of us being served. Trying too hard to look cool, not hard enough to actually cater to people interested in eating. read more

I am a teacher who puts on welcome home dinners for our troops. Sometimes hundreds of citizens attend our dinners. A great majority of these young soldiers and Marines enjoy Madison Bear Garden. They do have very good burgers and side dishes. I drink diet cola, but most of the boys like a cold beer. they have those too. Very popular. read more

I went in on a "Burger Madness" day great burgers, very well priced! They have great drink specials too, I have been back there at least 50 times over the last few years. I have only had a couple experiences where the burger wasn't cooked correctly but they were very quick to make one the way I wanted with no questions asked. I will continue going back there. read more

Great burgers. Burger Night is several times a week. Check website for days. Well worth the price. Great friendly employees tons of different beer choices and fun atmosphere. Call ahead to see if there is a line out the door! read more

Best curly french fries hands down of anywhere! Unique environment too. Love this place. Always brings back many good memories.

I love this place and have since 1979! Looks & smells the same after all these years! Yesterday my daughter and I visited at around 3pm. All the staff were friendly and helpful and the best part was they were playing 80's rock and roll music. So it was like a step back in time. Love the outdoor seating too. Whenever any of my family members come from out of town, this is the place they want to go for the best burgers in town! read more

Great cheap food, fun atmosphere and of course hundreds of college kids, so we make a point to go when they are home for the summer!!

very cool decor,the beers was cold but the food was oily.and guess what...i like it...it is something between a restaurant and a dance club..alot of fun.i had a really great time there read more

This place is nowhere near as good as people say it is. Food is not as great as I wish it would be. Customer service was below par here too. Of course it is going to be below the standards if they hire college students who don't show a professional attitude here. My name was called to pick up my food through intercom, and then the lady who said my name said she was just kidding about my order being ready. I brushed it off as a joke at first, but I was also a bit annoyed. I thought it was just a simple mistake, and that I should brush it off. That was when I ordered a beer that the bartender ignored me when I was about to tell him what i wanted, and then I realized there was a shift change happening. The rude bartender could have told me that there will be a shift change with the different guy in charge of the bar. The bartender who took over was also rude. I was going to pay him with my debit card, but had to get my wallet out. He couldn't wait a few seconds, and then he moved on to the next customer's order. He came back ten or so seconds later, and it was just awkward and rude. It wasn't even busy at the time too. Hopefully they improve. read more

Sometimes you just gotta grab lunch at the Bear. Fun, good food... the chicken peep is my FAVORITE! Fun atmosphere. Cool history. Fun place to take outta towners. read more

Very unhappy with the bear and the staff. Was at the bear for my friends birthday party this weekend we had about 20 people with us. My friend, her boyfriend and myself were all sitting down and randomly a security guard came up and told her boyfriend the bartender said he was to drunk to be there and I thought it must have been some kind of mistake because he had been sitting down next to us for probably about 45 minutes and was nowhere near the bar or getting a drink from the bar but they still proceeded to kick all of us out. Very disappointed felt a little bit like discrimination. There had been a prior incident the weekend before(Saint Patrick's day) with a male staff member coming into the girls bathroom while girls were using the restroom and it was very inappropriate and the girls didn't like it so when my friend said something they kicked her out of the bear for simply saying she didn't want a male staff member in the woman's restroom. This happen to be the same staff member that kicked us out of the bar the next weekend when we were at the bear for her birthday. Very upset with this incident because not only were we a large party but there was girls breaking glasses all over the place, throwing up and falling over and not one of them were kicked out but we were. Very disappointed with the way this place is managed. I gave two stars because this isn't the first time I've felt discriminated from a staff member at the bear but it is one of my go to bars for food and dancing, just wish the staff was a little better and handled situations appropriately. read more

ohmehgod! where do i begin? its is soo fun. despite what they say about not good for kids it doesnt matter. if you can get in before 8 (or maybe it was 7) you dont have a prob wit the kid situation. they have hecka good burgers. they used to be giant too!!!! on st.patty's day its the shiz! only people over 21 were able to get in. but i got in! haha! u have to go there. they have all this shiz hanging from the cieling too! read more

The interior decor is amazing, if your into antiques its worth a visit. The burgers are ok, but nothing special, and if you go there to eat keep an eye on the news and review or sythisis to see what the specials are. Burger Madness is a very good deal, and if there is a drink special going at the time that's a great time to go. If your into big crowds and lots of people weekends after 9pm when CSU is in session is super busy, at that time go to meet people and have fun. Don't even think about trying to order food when it gets super busy since they use a PA system to call your name and it's very easy to miss when it get's crowded. Early evenings are great. read more

I Was A Popular Fixture at the Bear For Quite a While. I Disc Jockey'd the Famous Beareoke For Many Years. I had the Biggest turnout for Karaoke in the whole North State. I remeber the days of Standing room only nights...For none other than Karaoke. Hell 100 people on the Back Padio was a slow night. I was Known as none other than "Mr. Monday Night." Now I'm Back in the Area and I know Some of you Need a Little "Monday Night" back in your life. I will see what I can do and possibly help out "The Dragon" And Make Mondays the New Saturday again!! read more

"The Bear" was a staple of myself and my friends during the college days. Always had a blast on the patio at nights, great DJ's, cool bartenders, and the staff was always nice and seemed like they were having a fun time. I recently made it back to the Bear for lunch with a work colleague for lunch on a Thursday (Burger Madness, great prices). First off, the place has not changed a bit. It's so cool in there and there is something new to look at every time I go in. Staff: even nicer than I remember! I walk in the door and the bartender yells over to us to say hello. The kitchen staff recommended a great meal for my colleague (The Papa Burger) and I went with my usual, a bear burger with cheese. Food: Cooked perfectly and had great flavor. Everything came out super hot and fresh. Side note: I was a little jealous of my co workers burger as it came with bacon, BBQ sauce, all the produce, and two onion rings on top. The fries there are so money, I like them with a side of ranch dressing. What a meal! Some kid ( assuming the busser?) Came by and was great! He came by and had a great sense of humor and was really a personable kid. Bottom line... This place keeps getting better and better! Will be back more often. read more

beer for $5 pint is that right or is this just Halloween pricing? Its been a few years since drinking in Chico and all I remember is buck Night...Is this a thing of the past? Burgers and fries late night is fantastic, not so good the next day. read more

The only thing I really like about this place are the decadent burgers. But I've lived in this town since I was a teen and know that the staff at this place are generally rude; they truly think they're cooler than they are. More recently it's gotten better, but through most of the years and even still much of the time now, the staff is rude. They like to ignore you at the bar, depending on who you are, and it's a chore just to get a soda; and I'm talking daytime before the party begins. Basically the same with the people who take food orders. Shoddy people generally, thinking too highly of themselves, just because they work at some bar. Also the novelty of the "atmosphere" wears off quick. Just more hokey chico stuff. read more

By far one of the worst places I've been to. And I ONLY SAY THIS BECAUSE I WASNT TREATED RIGHT AT ALL!!!! Me and my sister in laws came in for a nice lunch since we were visiting my sister. Came in ordered food. Then found out had to go to bar to order drinks. That was no problem. Ordered my little sister a coke. And me and my sister in law got 3 mi mosa's. Figured we would share the third one between her and I. Next thing we know we have a random dude come to out table saying we needed to be id'ed again. Which was no problem. Bur then went further on to say that we couldn't have that 3rd mi mosa sitting at our table. We were like ugh ok. That wasn't a issue. He then was rude and took it. Came back and said we had to leave because the minor that was at our table was holding the beverage. Which there again was FALSE! Told them to show me the camera that shows this such thing happened. So long story short wanted our money back since we didn't even drink the third beverage. Never got it cause something was made up that didn't even happened. Finally waiting on my food. The manager went in the back very rudely and told the cooks to make our food TOGO. Which I was at a point to where I didn't even want to stay for the false accusation. Get my food. And feel like the cooks did it on purpose. They slabbed on a TON OF DRESSING IN MY BERGER! and when I say a ton. I mean a TON. IM JUST PUTTING THIS OUT THERE. cause this is no means is right in any way. Besides how I was treated!!! The Berger was still good. After I took all the extra added crap off. read more

The atmosphere is fun. The drinks are usually cheap and fast. The food is, well, it's bar food. Pretty decent dogs and burgers. It's a Chico icon, so you gotta try it at least once if you're in the are. read more