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when i first moved to portland, i lived a block away for a couple months and never went here.
its been a destination after having gone.
couple things:
- wings
- jamaican jerk chicken
- bumper sticker
oh, there's the beer, as well... miles of taps. but, for a connoisseur of wings, this is different and good. a server once told me the secret, and i've been able to come close. blash me your belly button and i'll share...
jamaican jerk chicken is sublime. unlike i've ever had anywhere since, and i've looked. full and dark.
OH and my fave server of all time was here. he was soooo very stoned, eyes as red as a mighty taco employee (the ORIGINAL) at 5a, but took, from memory, our order (table of 4). perfect. was always around when any one of us needed another round, appearing behind the person opposite you; a quick look, a returned nod. a beer appeared shortly thereafter.
prices are good, esp by NYC standards.
I drink here too much.
The food's not bad, but the highlight is the huge selection of beer they have on tap. This is the most in Portland, and was even featured in some magazine whose name I forget. They have some beers that are hard to find elsewhere. They do sampler sizes so you can check out an unknown beer.
It's a pretty big place too, so there's always room for more. I've never had to wait here.
im a vegetarian and i like beer. sometimes its hard to find places to eat while travelling. reading the GLB menu i saw a few veg friendly dishes and we decided it was worth checking out (and they had lots of beers).
the parking lot sucks. the parking on the street was a bit sketchy. i saw the webcam on their site and i thought it was going to be a tiny hole in the wall. i was wrong - its freeekin hooj. it wasnt too busy when we were there (a saturday night?) the beer selection was good, i forget what we had - something local, maybe pumpkiny.
the food - oh my the nachos were massive and covered with vegetables, really - moving forward, these were the nachos that all others will be judged by. they were damn good. i had a vegetable reuben that didnt have tempeh or any fake-meats, kinda weird but it was really simple and good.
if you are veg and looking for a place to go this is a decent reasonably priced bar type establishment. mmmm reubens.
If you enjoy regional microbrews, the GLB is a must visit with over 60 beers on tap. On Monday and Tuesday they have Talls for Smalls, which is basically a 22oz beer for $4. Not bad considering they're on draft. The wait staff is usually friendly, and the food is solid as far as bar food goes. Definitely a cool atmosphere and they have limited outside seating in the summer. The GLB is consistently rated as one of the top bars in America for good reason.
Upon moving in down the street from the Great Lost Bear, my roommate and I decided, without ever having been, that this place was sure to be our own version of "Cheers." Complete with outdoor seating (and smoking after ten!), a beer list that will make you drool, and nachos the size of you and your friend's faces, this place is sure to be your nightly-neighborhood spot. We loved it so much we've become the regulars who don't even need to be seated; and I am frequently greeted by my favorite waiter out on the town. If you're looking for a place for you and a handful of friends, come on down, buy a couple Beer Towers, and get ready for a good night.
Excellent beer bar in New England's best brewing city!
Good job Portland! Six unique breweries (more than Boston!) in a city of under 70,000 people!
Great Lost Bear is a great dark joint, serving beers from all around Maine, that simply aren't available outside state borders. Over 60 taps, nearly all Maine brews, and greasy pub food! You can't go wrong here!
Oh.my.Goddddd. I went here last week after brewery hopping and was supposed to continue to other local bars, but didn't want to leave once I found this place. Locals bar, amaaaazing beer selection. Amazing. Started out with the beer sampler, which is always a find. Soooo cheap for this awesome beer. Moved on to the seasonal harvest beer I liked the best mixed with a shot of vanilla vodka soooo good. Last, but not least are the wings. Dear God, the wings. I'm always in search of amazing wings and have been thinking about these ones all week. Haha. Got the plain wings with ranch on the side. Meaty, crispy to the point of perfection.... Like they had the bird out back and just made it into amazingness. GO TO THIS BAR. Realllllly wish I was closer
Perhaps it's the great burgers, perhaps it's the fantastic selection of beer, or perhaps it's simply childhood nostalgia, but The Great Lost Bear has been a mecca for me every time I visit Maine.
Their burgers are large, tasty and cooked excellently. They even understand the difference between medium rare, medium and medium well, which many places miss.
As a kid, I jumped at the chance to stop at The Great Lost Bear. The staff was always friendly and welcoming when I was little.
Add to this a great selection of beers from across New England and the US as well as imports and it's easy to see why this is one of my favorite places.
Last time I was there, I collected 4 pint glass (each one full) to build myself a set for when I came home. After all, the best thing about The Great Lost Bear is their logo and slogan:
Support the right to arm bears.
This place USED to be a solid 5 stars, OMG, the food was amazing, the beer amazing (beer still is amazing) altho I have found that the food in recent years has gone down in quality from what it was in the 90's.
Love that they have tons of different burgers to choose from, they still do at least offer a great variety on the menu. I can't really explain what happened with the food, other than the last 3 or so times, at least one person in the party has had to send food back because it was either not cooked properly, or just tasted like crap, or for whatever reason they just screwed up the order.
That being said, really if you want to have a burger with an amazing choice of beer, this is the place to do it. However, if you are just looking for a really good burger, you may be better going to Grittys....they certainly have good beer there too, altho not the same type of selection!
If you love beer, this place is flipping fantastic. Tons of taps, and a great selection of beers (including cask conditioned) make this place worth visiting. The Belgian selection is great, and their American craft brew selection is outstanding.
I've only eaten food here once - and was pretty happy. My mom likes wine, and she's impressed with the wine selection.
The food is okay, I've had better and I've had worse. My main issue with The Bear is I find the food to be extremely overpriced when it's really over-hyped diner fare. They do have a great selection of beers.
Despite this I've been here many times with very large groups and the service has always been excellent.
One of my favorite places to eat in Portland. Shoot, it's one of my favorites to eat *anywhere*.
Fantastic burgers, wraps and salads, and the best beer menu you'll find just about anywhere.
The only problem with this place is the parking lot, which is terrible (and always full). If you're in Portland and you like pub food and beer, this place needs to be on your itinerary.
Went up to Portland for the day last weekend and after a bit of Yelping, we decided to eat dinner here based on the vegetarian choices (for me) and beer variety (for the boy).
We got there around 6:00 on Saturday and there were a bunch of people waiting, but the line moved quickly and we only waited 10-15 minutes.
We ordered a lot of food. And overall it was pretty good. We started with some cheese fries and the boy got the vegetarian chili. The fries are actually big slices of potato which are fried and then baked in a small casserole dish so the cheese gets all melty. Pretty good. The boy really liked the vegetarian chili. You can also get it vegan if you skip the cheese on top. It comes with tortilla chips.
For dinner I got the spinach salad and a side of mac & cheese. The spinach salad was HUGE and so good! Mac & cheese can be hit or miss, but their version was pretty good. The flavor was mild and the texture was creamy and there was a small sprinkle of crunchy breadcrumbs on the top. i wasn't blown away, but it was pretty decent. The boy got the veggie fajita and wasn't too thrilled with it. His main complaints were it looked nothing like a fajita and just like a giant quesadilla and the veggies were mushy. So, my advice is don't go to Maine for Mexican food.
For dessert we split the cake in a jar. It is a big Bell canning jar with chocolate cake at the bottom then topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream and nuts. Holy crap, so simple but yummy. The boy is still talking about it.
This is a fun place serving basic food in large portions. Good for families (they have a separate kids menu) or just a casual night out. I will definitely go back next time I'm near Portland.
Terrible food, awesome beer selection. Best hole-in-the-wall (always the mark of a great hangout) bar in Maine.
I miss you, Great Lost Bear. There's nothing like you where I live now.
The Great Lost Bear is one of those places that I rarely skip out on if I'm visiting Portland. There are over 50 beers on tap, 'nuff said.
But if the beer selection alone isn't enough to pique your interest--though I don't know why it wouldn't--allow me to expound further.
The food is kind of your basic American pub fare--soups, salads, and sandwiches. Personally, I'd recommend one of their many delicious burgers--my favorite being the One-Eyed Bacon Cheeseburger--since the burgers are arguably the best thing on the menu.
The atmosphere is also a draw. While there is a bunch of old stuff on the walls, it's not done ad nauseum like at say an Applebee's or T.G.I. Friday's. The lights are somewhat dimmed, giving the place a tone of relaxation--encouraging its patrons to kick back, relax, and drink a beer or two.
My biggest complaint would be the service--however, this sort of functions as a double-edged sword. If you're starving or looking for a place to pop in for a quick bite, you might want to look someplace else. However, if you want to meet up with friends, relax, have a meal and a few rounds over some philosophical/comical/life conversation, the slower service lends to that. I've spent hours and hours there just talking with a handful of friends. For that, it's excellent.
I suggest you check out this place for yourself, if you haven't, since it has an inexplicable sort of charm. At the very least, you should be charmed by the sheer volume of beer the Great Lost Bear offers.
I love Great Lost Bear.
I don't really get the complaints about the food in some of the reviews here; I've never had a bad experience with the food and found it to be pretty solid bar food/comfort food--no complaints. I guess you might be disappointed if you were expecting gourmet, but then why are you there in the first place?
Where GLB really shines is the Beer, Beer, Beer. Lots of varieties both on tap and bottled, and also featuring a lot of New England beers. Venture away from your typical stand-by, and spend a few minutes selecting something new. The staff knows their stuff and can describe a beer for you -- or if they can't, they'll go ask someone who can, and come back with the info.
On my last visit here I was with a group of about 10 people; service was good and all our food, amazingly, came out at once--and none of it was cold. We had one slight mixup when the waiter delivered one beer of the wrong type--he graciously and quickly brought the correct brew over, and left the "oops" brew at no charge.
Mmmm. Beer.
Truth be known, I really love this bar. When my Masonic lodge meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays we go here without fail. The beer selection is without doubt wonderful, with more good draughts, includng three to five cask ales, than anywhere else in Portland. They recently added a stable of belgian draughts which are my consistent favorites.
Unfortunately, the downside is bad pub food and highly variable service. This is a pub in the classic sense. You go for a relaxing pint with your friends, not for a great meal and or a quick bite.
Good food and Good beer.
What can i say this is probably one the greatest beer bars, if not THE greatest beer bar in New England. Unbelievable amount of beer on tap, good service and everyones friendly.
Worth stopping in.
Holy, holy, holy is the Great Lost Bear. Was taken here by some friends--this place is awesome, and I'm saying that as a die-hard New Englander. It took me probably 10 full, intensive, heart-wrenching moments to pick out a meal--a salad with dill-yogurt dressing in a taco shell--and while it ranked top 5 of all salads ever had by me, my friend had the best meal hands-down. And it was....
A fajita.
At a beer bar in Maine. I don't know what they do, I couldn't care less if it's authentic, but it was perfect. Grilled tortilla, phenomenal steak, perfect seasoning...my husband and I were shocked, I tell you, shocked. And we've considered driving back up just to have it all to ourselves.
And yes, they've got beer-tons of great seasonals, microbrews, and a sign advertising "40 beers on tap." The atmosphere is great too, if albeit a bit frightening with boars heads, neon signs, and vintage newspaper clippings everywhere. Great place that more than deserves a visit, and more than one at that.
Great juicy burgers. Among the best in Maine. The atmosphere is great too.
Horrible food. My Blue Cheese Burger (how can I go wrong right?) had actual milky Blue Cheese dressing dripping out of it, on a hard bun...yech. The mixed drinks were bad too. Stick to beer and chicken wings, two nice fattening choices, but hey, this is Maine right? Amazingly it's always busy, but hey...
How anyone could go to this place and not give it 5 stars is beyond me. The comment about it being the greatest beer bar in New England is pretty accurate. New England has a lot of great local beers, and the Bear carries most of them at one point in time or another. They usually have 30 or more beers on tap and only a small handful are domestic.
If you have trouble choosing you can get a rack of beer or buy a few of them by the 3 oz glass.
The food is very good and pretty much runs the gamut of what you could expect to find at a casual style place. Even the food menu carries over the lighthearted atmosphere with names for the entrees that will always make you laugh.
Very reasonable prices, awesome nachos & burgers and amazing deserts if you can fit it. To put it more succinctly, as a family tradition every year we go out to dinner for our birthdays and pick the place no matter what type of food. I've chosen the Great Lost Bear each of the last 2 years and plan on picking it again this year.
They have a lot of vegetarian and vegan options, but I wasn't really that impressed with the food or the service. Maybe I'm holding it personally responsible for the fact that I had to wear a sweater in the middle of July in Portland. No one should ever have to wear a sweater in July. T on the other hand swears by this place and can't believe I'm only giving it 3 stars.
beer heaven
burger w aloutte cheese slathered on top
helpful waitress
comfortable surroundings
can someone explain to me why portland has so many amazing breweries?
Maybe could have been a 5 star if the service wasn't so slow. Our group had loads of time on our hands, so slow service wasn't a big deal. You'd think sitting at the bar would get you better service though. My taco elsalada was incredible. This place definitely has a great local feel to it.
BEST Beer Selection anywhere in Northern New England. Staff is awesome and food is average to below average. But if you're going to Portland seek this place out as it gets a great crowd. So many beers, so little time!
I really like the Great Lost Bear. They have really good nachos and a great beer selection. The only thing I don't like about it is how it is kind of crowded, but I guess it's that way with any bar. The food is really good and they have a good enough selection for vegetarians, which is something that I always take into consideration, since I am one.
i was so impressed by how friendly the staff was. the food was pretty good, and the beer was heavenly. there were so many options. the place itself is welcoming, with lots of kitschy stuff hanging on the walls, which is nice when you don't feel like paying attention to the people/person/girlfriend that you're with. we sat in the outdoor patio, which was comfortable. i was a little disappointed with the music, and the group of burly sorority chicks that arrived midway through our meal, mais c'est la vie. if you are a clueless tourist, ask for emily. she will guide you to places you've only dreamed of. every morning that i drink my coffee out of my great lost bear mug, i cry.
This place is the place to come for great, if artery-busting, entrees and an extensive selection of beer on tap. I've been to a lot of college-hangout bars around the country, and USM folks definitely have one of the best.
Burgers are hand-formed and large, nachos mountainous, and the chili is phenomenal. It's veggie friendly without losing sight of the core pub-style menu. You will have a hard time deciding what to order from the menu that provides old standbys, but also some interesting twists such as a unique cheese spread.
It's not too expensive, either.
Service isn't exactly first rate but you don't expect that at a place like this.
Portland, ME
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Portland, ME
Category: American (New)
Portland, ME
Category: Seafood
Portland, ME
Category: Pizza
Portland, ME
Category: American (New)
