- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Brown Bear the
Categories: Nightlife Restaurants Nightlife, Restaurants [Edit]
278 N Hancock StPentwater, MI 49449
(231) 869-5444
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
18 reviews for Brown Bear the
18 reviews in English
-
Review from Carla C.
Grand Haven, MI
1/16/2012
If you have never been here, get the notorious bear burger. My sweetie and I split this and some fries and it was more than enough! ! ! My son had the chicken dinner, which was very good. Our server was also the bartender. Her name was vitalua Forebear and was good at her job. The place was an average type bar inside......except the bathrooms.....they need some work! Go for the burger and a beer... use the bathroom before you leave home and when you get back and you will love the place:)! ! !
-
Review from Russ H.
Covington, KY
I grew up north of Pentwater and while visiting this summer was told of the huge "Wimpy" burger. Challenge accepted.
They were pretty busy, so the upsatirs was open. They have a balcony that you could sit on, but if the sun is out, and its warm, forget it (sweat city). I noticed several people sitting there at first, and then moving inside.
Great staff, a little wait on getting our drinks was ok as they were running to keep up. The burger was huge, piled high with everything but the kitchen sink (although I would have loved it more if they had avacados on it too). I ate every bit and downed a Sam Adams. Only improvement I would reccomend is having the other specialty burgers in "Wimpy" size would be great!
I will be back. -
Review from Nick H.
Ann Arbor, MI
The Brown Bear is home to the "Notorious Bear Burger" which got me thinking - how exactly does a particular menu item from a restaurant become "notorious" or a restaurant become "world famous"? Who gets to make that distinction? ...well marketing departments, I suppose.
I just HAD TO, of course, pick a burger when I came here to eat on my vacation. And, I will say, the burgers are large and the price is reasonable - I had more than enough to eat. But, beyond that, there's nothing that I found to merit any additional fame or notoriety to the food. Nothing was bad and I dug the authentic rustic / up north / village pub feel and setup of the joint. But, really, nothing that I would write home about. However, in a town of 900, with only a few other venues like it within 30 miles...if you are in Pentwater, MI and find yourself hungry for a big burger - I definitely recommend it. -
Review from Rose A.
Dearborn, MI
7/19/2011
A disappointment !!! I ran into a lady while camping in Mears, she made this place sound wonderful and informed me that they have the best burgers hands down. Well, after trying them I've come to the conclusion that I was chatting with a crack head. The staff was good, the portion size was good , however the burgers were average. I had their homemade chips that lacked any flavor and were burnt. The rest of the family had their french fries and stated that they were " just ok." Definitely not a place I would try again.
-
Review from Travis F.
Solana Beach, CA
5/17/2011
People, I have lived in Pentwater and frequented this place at least 3-4 times a week for a long time. For those of you that seem to be 'drinking the Kool-Aid', put your cup down. Everyone else, I hope this helps.
Service is 5 stars, food is 1-2 stars (burgers are 4-5) and ownership hovers around a 2. Some bullet points for quick viewing:
Pros:
*Wait/bar staff - This crew is great. They do a great job of keeping the place afloat amidst comically poor management and avoidable issues that customers often complain about (NASTY bathrooms, ubiquitous ripped bar stools and chairs, bad/non-existent managers/ownership). I know service industry folks are supposed to be 'happy' all the time, but if you knew what these guys/girls had to deal with behind the scenes you'd forgive them if they are ever less than super friendly (very rare).
*Good burgers. They are not great as many folks would try and tell you (I surmise that the "best burger ever" reviews or those like them are from people who don't eat at too many restaurants that don't serve tons of fried food), but they are solid. Unlike high quality beef, if you were to eat these burgers without condiments or toppings you'd find them fairly mediocre, but the toppings and size of the patties seem to trick most people, myself included sometimes.
*Fairly cheap prices for the large serving sizes
Cons:
*Management is terrible, when there is even a manager. Again, it's a testament to the staff that the place runs as well as it does, because they have very little guidance or formal training from their hire date on.
*Ownership seems like they read a manual on "how to run a restaurant:", but skipped the chapters called "how to manage people" and "how to set your employees up for success". I know people that gave this establishment at least $200 a week in business through this winter (2010/2011) and didn't get so much as a "thank you", much less a free drink/app/whatever from the owner. Classy, very classy.
*Facebook page managed by the owners is often laughable. Not only do you get little gems from employees saying how great their shift was (are we really to believe that's done on their own volition without any suggesting from the owners??? Hint: I know for a fact it's not), but you also get unintentionally hilarious posts like "...that's 33.3% off the normal price!" Seriously? Do you really think breaking down some numbers that you just read from your calculator (while looking at your own profit margin no doubt) is going to attract customers? Just tell people what the special is and let them compare the price vs. the standard menu price. Again, a rookie move clearly based on concerns about their own bottom line.
*Food is often not fresh. Seeing soup on the white board for a full week is not super appetizing!
*Bathrooms that are smelly and unclean, and chairs that are so ripped apart that they look like they were stolen from an alley behind student housing at a college.
Look, I have much love for the Brown Bear, especially for the employees. What I don't love is the fact that ownership is WAY more concerned with their own bottom line than they are with providing high quality fresh food, and a genuinely caring attitude towards their employees. I fully understand that a restaurant is in business largely to make money, but it is absolutely possible to make money while also keeping the food fresh, the furniture not ripped, and the restrooms a step above "hold my breath as long as I can until I'm done" status. Seriously. -
Review from TJ J.
Manhattan Beach, CA
8/8/2011
Ordered medium rare olive burger, got medium well to well done... um, you guys serve mainly burgers right? But considering how overcooked it was, it wasn't horrible. Rueben was really thin on meat (given the price and that it comes with just some chips -- no pickle even or maybe a little thing of slaw??), but it was fine. My check had a beer on it that no one ordered. Marginally OK experience, but apparently cook & wait staff are trained by monkeys. I'd go to Antler Bar way before going back to BB -- and probably GoodStuffs for the rueben.
-
Review from J R.
Almont, MI
8/6/2011
As usual the food and service were great. The Irish Potato Skins are awesome.
-
Review from Nichole F.
La Porte, IN
8/16/2010
The ONLY thing that could make this place better is better buns. Otherwise - love this place!! Great service, cold beer, good burgers!
-
Review from Diane Z.
Grayslake, IL
7/30/2011
We ate lunch here while coming to visit Pentwater while staying at Silver Lake. This place was great, bar atmosshphere, cold inside while hot outside. Service was fast. We visited last year while camping in Ludington too. I got the same thing each time...the olive burger. It was wonderful, would get it again in a heartbeat.
-
Review from shannon m.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2008
The single most delicious cheeseburger I've ever had in my entire life. This is worth a serious roadtrip from just about anywhere. I don't know what they use, Lawry's? The best ground beef ever on a well seasoned grill? Whatever it is, these burgers are fantastic. Wait as long as you have to (although it's usually not all that long) and come from wherever you have to. Get this burger. It's available in three sizes- Wimpy, Cub, and Bear. The Bear is a true showstopper. And the Bear with all of the ultimate fixings (including a giant slice of ham!?!) is as big as a dinner plate. Oh man, I'm starting to get a hankering, but make mine Cub sized...
-
Review from Danielle S.
Aurora, IL
1/19/2009
This place does not disappoint! The Big Bear burger is huge. I recommend splitting it with a couple of people. I got the olive one- it was so delicious. I also recommend the breaded pickles...yummy with ranch dressing. Plus the atmosphere has a very home town feel. The Brown Bear is surronded by a lot of cute shops and close to the water. Worth the drive for a mini vaca!
-
Review from Erica D.
Cordova/Appling, TN
11/23/2009
LOVE this place. I have to get their deep fried cauliflower!!! I don't know what they use for their ranch, but it is awesome!! All of their food is great!
-
Review from Steve T.
Lansing, MI
8/29/2010
The full size bear burger is more than most reasonable people will want to take on. If you're looking to impress your friends with how much you can eat, then by all means.... go for it. I've got a decent appetite and the cub burger is where I draw the line.
All their burgers are excellent, with a wonderful char-grilled flavor. The onion rings are outstanding, as is the rest of their food. I go there for the burgers because I can't say no once I get there.
Be advised that the Pentwater location may close down during the winter months (it's a lakeside tourist town), so call ahead if in doubt. I'm told that they operate a couple restaurants in that area and some stay open year round. -
Review from Anne H.
Pentwater, MI
5/5/2007
You haven't lived until you've had a Brown Bear hamburger. I recommend their olive burger--have friends who drive here from all over the state for them. The infamous Bear burger is a whopper--it could serve a family of four but I've seen it eaten by a single person. The Brown Bear was recently remodeled but the seating is limited. Go earlier than you planned for lunch and dinner, especially on the weekends.
-
Review from Ryan M.
Whitehall, MI
10/7/2010
Go here on an empty stomach! The medium sized Brown Bear burger is very delicious and filling. Their french fries are excellent too. Only downside is they get busy and you have to wait around fifteen minutes to half an hour to get a seat. Also it's crowded up to the point like everybody are cramped sardines. Customer service wasn't too bad. I'm coming to the conclusion every waitress no matter what the restaurant is trained to be a little snooty. She did her job, nothing more nothing less. That's all I'm going to mention about the service, but great food.
-
Review from Mike T.
Grand Rapids, MI
1/26/2011
Bad food! Burger is always dry and make with low grade burger! Not much on menu and the service is bad!
-
Review from Darlene R.
Chicago, IL
6/29/2008
i went here while staying in mears, michigan. i knew that the internet had not lied when i was a block away and could smell the grilled meat. i got a "wimpy" bear burger supreme. the only reason i did not give this place five stars is the bun for the wimpy was truly wimpy. also all burgers are served deluxe which apparently means they come with mayo. i hate mayo and had to ask for a new bun. besides those two points i loved the food. my boyfriend had the olive burger and the bun held up nicely to the huge piece of meat! i love burgers and this place had one of the best burgers i've had.
-
Review from william d.
Chicago, IL
5/3/2009
This place rocks!! Great chili, Great burgers. Soups are good too.
