Passing through Merrill recently, we decided to finally try out this little roadside eatery. The menu is pretty simple with several burger choices available. We chose the Bacon burger with fries to share. Both made hot and fresh, and though the bacon could have been a little crisper it was very tasty. The downside was the cost. I felt it was pretty steep for simple fair. Maybe it's the location and today's prices of ingredients? If you are passing through and want a quick bite this may be the place for you. read more

Polar Bear - American Near Me - Merrill, Oregon

We drove past Polar Bear on the way back up to Klamath Falls and decided to stop in to try a burger. I agree with the other reviewers who say that the employees at Polar Bear aren't very friendly or prompt but what matters more to me is the food. They do fry the burgers to order but the employees don't work particularly hard or fast. It took around 15 minutes with only one order ahead of us. Polar Bear has an indoor dining area, but it was locked, so only tables outside were available. Unfortunately it was quite chilly that day and it was raining off and on, necessitating us to eat in the car. Bacon Burger w/ Cheese ($11.75) - A pretty tall, but not particularly hefty burger. The meat itself is cooked through, not salted that heavily, and gives off a good beefy taste. It's grilled on the flat top, but only just enough to cook through, so there isn't too much developed char to create more flavor complexity. There's plenty of veggies included - tomato, onion and pickles on top, and what seems to be hand shredded lettuce on the bottom. The bacon is chewy and gives a salty kick - definitely real bacon rather than the microwavable kind that some places cheap out on. The burger includes some mayo, but they are pretty light with it. The cheese and veggies give more than enough moisture to not need copious amounts of mayo. There is a major issue with this sandwich - the bottom bun almost completely sogs up, becoming mushy and loaded with liquid. I believe this may be due to improperly spun lettuce after washing, allowing all the wash water to saturate the bun. That's not very pleasant to eat, although the top bun seems to be decently toasted. (3/5) The burger comes with fries that are unevenly sprinkled with seasoning salt. Some pieces are especially salty, while others are only lightly salted. The fries are on the floppier end, fully cooked with tender interiors, but not particularly crisp in any capacity. (3/5) Polar Bear is okay. It does in a pinch but I'm sure there are better burgers and fries to find elsewhere. Bathrooms - None available in the restaurant, but there are public restrooms right next door. read more

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Pulled in to get a burger and fries, their fryer was not working, but we're going to charge the same price for a burger and fries, even though you were not getting the fries, bad service read more

Great food, great area but only flaw they aren't very friendly... went there twice this week and the same girl was not so friendly- still will go there because I love the food and area.... read more

Food is okay but wait an hour for it come on I don't know if they are short staffed or what

I've been coming here for years! They have a new menu with all of the classics and more! None of the things that make this place great have been taken away. read more

This place takes an insanely long time. Nobody has food. After 1/2 hour of waiting, we noticed they just put some patties on the grill. Hopefully one is ours. I would put a zero if it was a choice. read more

Great little spot to stop during a long road trip. Food was super fresh and tasted great. Friendly service and had a welcoming small town burger joint vibe. read more

For what this is, a local small town burger joint, this was totally worth it! Kids all happy with their double bacon cheeseburger, fried gizzards and onion rings were on point. I don't know if I'd go out of my way, but it was a warm and friendly stop on the way out of Lava Beds National Monument. Thank you to the kind staff and yummy food! read more

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Yum Yum Yum. Service was impeccable and soo kind and friendly. Really delicious burger, my gosh. Nice to support local places on our Journey to Seattle. Awesome Burger!! read more

This spot is amazing! Their shakes are the best I've ever had. Definitely recommend a hot fudge with a real banana They have a fry sauce that's extra tasty with the fries and tots. We've only been here just a couple times because we aren't from the area but the girls who work here are awesome and are super helpful. There is a drive through and walk up to order. It takes a little time but it's worth the wait. read more

Good ice cream & sodas. Food is hit & miss. Expensive but most importantly... infuriatingly....painfully....SLOW!

Throw-back Burger joint located in beautiful downtown Merrill. If you miss this place with it's big old neon sign, you weren't paying attention and will probably get a ticket for something! Burgers are, well, Old School. I always wind up with a Double Cheese, dry, and onions only with Fries. YUM! Top this off with either a Cone or a Shake and now your rolling! Drive up service can get a tad slow but quality is great and worth the wait in my book and if you want the Mc-word, go there but it will not be as good in my book. read more

Polar Bear - American Near Me - Merrill, Oregon

I drive through town maybe twice a year and every time I stop here just to get a home style type burger. These folks are fantastic at creating a lunch that takes me back to the small town diners I grew up with, tasty hot food prepared by amazing smaller town people. Love coming here and look forward to my next visit. read more

Food and service are awesome! Quiet little place just sitting on the side of the road. Best fast food for miles. read more

A classic Hamburger joint. Great food and great prices. Don't expect the normal fast food experience. Not as fast but way more satisfying. read more

Great hamburger and bacon cheeseburger. It was convenient to call ahead 10 minutes before we got to Merrill and our food was waiting. We drive between Reno and Tacoma every month so this is definitely our stopping place for lunch. read more

New management sucks. Slow on time and I ordered a whole basked of chicken strips and they gave me 2 tiny ******* chicken strips for 10 dollars. Fries where not hitting like they used to be. read more

Love this little place! We just moved to Klamath falls and it's hard to find a decent burger place in town. We always make the drive out here when we are craving a good burger. Their fries and ranch are amazing as well! read more

April 2, 2021 This if stays, will be review number Maestro or Maestra, a few notes on the piano if you please, Twenty Four of the category. I had did Five Star review. Even did two Five Star updates. Not sure what category is about, so in my child like way seeing things, I had written of the Animal polar bear. Scientific name Maritimus Ursus. Seems right. At a zoo, I said Ursus means Bear. A mother with three children says Maritimus means Bear. As say, seems right, Water Bear. Its skin is black. The white one sees is word Translucent, for its fur. Cubs stay with the Mother Polar Bear up to three years. Oh, okay. I read reviews. Seems be hamburger restaurant. Hamburgers, salads, fries. Child menu. Ah wow I like order from Child menus. Milk shakes, hot tea. I usually just get water. If Child menu includes drink, I ask for milk or I ask for orange juice. I not liking sodas, so it has be milk or I not liking sodas, so it has be orange juice. Good luck to the employees of this restaurant. Good luck to the volunteers of this restaurant. Maritimus Ursus says to the human population to PLEASE AH PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASK. Do not spread the Mister Corona Virus to the employees of this restaurant. Do not spread the Mister Corona Virus to the volunteers of this restaurant. read more

Amazing "hole in the wall" frosty freeze! Most likely an iconic burger place to this little town by the looks of the worn paths in the linoleum floor behind the counter. The customer service was super friendly and great for suggestions. The menu is the typical burger menu only I was a little curious about the "gizzard" dish... We had the cheese burger and a root beer freeze and the burgers came with chips if you didn't order fries. Tasty and flavorful. Clean and fun interior decorations. I'm coming back to this place next time I come through. Great stop for a break from camp food at Lava Beds National park. read more

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Nasty! That pretty much sums it up, greasy, mushy, nasty nightmare in a bag. It's not that hard to have a small town burger joint with good food but this place is definitely an epic fail read more

Polar Bear - Fried mushrooms and fries - American Near Me - Merrill, Oregon

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Too expensive, hamburger was ok nothing special. I only order from them when I run out of options. read more

This old-fashioned, fun 'n' friendly drive-in with a drive-through is hard to miss when you're rolling through Merrill thanks to the best neon signage in the entire Klamath Basin. That's the first thing that caught my eye about it, but on closer inspection, the murals inside and out are even more fascinating, especially the cartoonish painting of a polar bear enthusiastically cranking an antique ice cream making machine under the excited observation of a boy and a girl, each licking their lips as they eat their own bowls of ice cream. The burgers are very good...some of the best in the area and certainly recommendable, but not distinctive enough to be legendary beyond the basin. What does go the extra mile is the chocolate chip milkshake. You could say it's a misnomer because it doesn't contain chocolate chips as an ingredient, but you might believe it did. I think they squirt generous amounts of that "hard hat" chocolate sauce, and then the shake-maker swooshes it around within vanilla ice cream just as it's beginning to harden. Invariably, some amount of it sticks to the side of the cup, and it makes you feel like a kid again when you chisel it off with your spoon or straw to enjoy the last few bites of chocolate flavor. read more

Polar Bear - American Near Me - Merrill, Oregon

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So the burger was frozen (i saw her pull it from a freezer) and came out flat and tasteless. The first thing the cook said when the waitress told her our order was, "I think there's still some fries left from earlier." we got stale cold fries. I asked about the fish and chips and the girl told me "it's disgusting" verbatim. I almost forgot to mention the unholy fried mushrooms. They were soaked in chilled oil. I did not finish the food. That was some gross shit. At least they got $1.00 large sodas....except they give it to you with a full cup of crushed ice so it becomes water in seconds. No read more

Polar Bear - Ya....no joke. This is on the menu - American Near Me - Merrill, Oregon

I absolutely love places like this! We stopped here on our way home from Reno. Not too busy at 12:30 on a Sunday. There are enough seats inside for about 14 people. They also have a few seats outside and The park right next door has a couple of picnic tables and restrooms. The two ladies working there were very friendly! My only complaint is that my fingers ended up sticky after I helped move a table for an elderly gentleman so he could sit down. They have nearly 20 flavors of shakes so you're in for treat there! I had chocolate and it was good. The burgers are tasty and the fries are hot. If you're looking for gourmet, go somewhere else. This is good old fashioned hot burgers and fries and friendly people! The prices are a tiny bit higher than I would like, but it's not too bad. The small town charm is worth it. Overall, I recommend the Polar Bear to anyone looking for a quick bite on their way through town. read more

Best place to eat in the Basin. A new owner took over and has improved it immensely. This is the only place in Merrill I will ever eat at

walking in the place was packed, but I soon realized it was the family and a few locals just sitting at the tables. prices were pretty high, but after driving from Reno I was not about to run all around town looking for food sadly. Nothing tasted that amazing, all deep frozen from a chest freezer and it showed in the food. Atleast the young girl working was nice. read more

Polar Bear - Double cheeseburger. About 5.50$. Very forgettable. Onion pickle and lettuce. No tomatoes included. - American Near Me - Merrill, Oregon

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This place is our absolute favorite stop on our way to Oregon to visit family. Your basic old fashioned "foster freeze" with great burgers and handmade shakes. Love the small town too. Great stop along an otherwise unappealing drive from Susanville to Klamath Falls. read more

Classic greasy spoon burger joint. The food isn't amazing...but it's good! Friendly help. We weren't disappointed.

You are in for a wait. Dropped in on a Tuesday after spending a day at the Lava Tunnels, and waited an unholy amount of time for food. There were only two people working, and there was zero hustle between the two of them even though there were seven of us waiting on food (two different groups), and some people in the drive through as well. Orders for our group and the other group came out wrong, one for them, two for us. The other group, who had arrived first, took forever for their order to be corrected - please see lack of urgency above. As for the food itself, the "lime" shake just tasted like icy milk, and you hardly get what you pay for. The burger - which was supposed to be a bacon mushroom and cheese - just kind of tasted salty. Will not go again, not worth it. read more

We liked it. Little mom and pop joint. Burgers and fries, but we really liked it. I would recommend it.

If I could give this place 0 stars I would. My family and I have been stopping at this little place for years multiple times a year. We always order lots of items and tip big. Today, we stopped by and the door to the dining area was locked, but the walk up window and drive thru windows were open. I walked up to the window and the young cashier said the dining room was closed. It was freezing outside and I told her "no problem" and we would go through the drive through. I then asked if the bathroom was open. She said yes and pointed to the back of the building. I walked around and went in - the same door I've used many times over the years. I came back out and my husband went in. He was met by an enraged heavy set woman wearing a red hoodie. She was on the phone and began yelling and pointing her finger at my husband. She was out of control screaming. Also, the place has gone down hill and is filthy. I just looked back at my last charge to this place and it was $78.50. Multiply that by about 6 times each year and that's what we spend stopping here when we drive through. NEVER AGAIN. EVER. This place will eventually die on the vine. It's dirty, gross and now the workers are just place rude. Save your time and drive on by! read more

We had someone recommend this little place as a good quick stop for burgers or ice cream in Merrill. The soft ice cream is very good quality..I wanted another! The owners are really friendly & nice, food was fast & good. Definitely worth a star on Google Map! read more

cute lil retro burger and shake joint. food was decent. ordered a chocolate shake, but there were about 25 different flavors. dipped cones were good. price was a bit high, but it's a small town. worth a visit if you cruise thru town. read more

My second attempt at a review of this establishment. Waited at drive thru for 20 minutes. Figured from the wait that the food would be great. Nothing further from the truth. Hamburger cold tasteless. Milk shake was plain milk no ice cream or flavor. French fries greasy and limp. My family of 5 got deathly sick . It has ruined our whole vacation. I waited till I got home. Some of the family still has been spending most of there time in the bathroom. 62.00 mistake. read more

Lots of different flavors of shakes but the shakes are pretty bad and lowkey expensive. The burgers are classic and very tasty though. I'd say a little bit overpriced (the shakes) and a little bit overhyped... read more

We stayed in the area for a few nights, and this lil hole in the wall was AMAZING. They had TONS of vegetarian options (unlike some other places in town) so I was a happy camper. They were fast and friendly. While some may scoff at an entire meal being deep fried it was just what we needed to get the chill out of our bones. I especially loved their mushroom basket and I got the curly fries (better than Arbys!) and my hubbs got a double cheeseburger and he loved it. Seriously better than the diner in town! Highly recommended. read more

A good, solid standby. Their burgers are pretty tasty but their shakes are where it's at. Combine shake flavors (peanut butter & banana for example), that's my advice. read more

Good food, lots of deep fried options. Settled with the bacon burger and WOW it was great. Kids loved all they got too. Ladies were super friendly too. If ever down in these parts I will go here again. read more