The Great Bear Pub — Restaurant in Burnaby

We’ve ordered from here a bunch over the course of the pandemic... their food is always a win! Super tasty and fresh. The garlic Rosemary aioli is A+ ! Great pub food, 5/5 on that aspect.

The reason for the low rating... TERRIBLE service. Holy cow.

Our server was dining with friends (???) when we came in. The bartender seated us. The server came over and told us the daily specials... that was the last time she spoke to us. LITERALLY. When we ordered and when she brought us drinks/appetizers/food... she did not say a word. Not even in response to us saying thank you. She just scowled and walked away. Both my partner and I are in the service industry and we were embarrassed for her. She didn’t do any quality checks and she left as we were finishing our mains without saying anything to us. She also spent most of her time standing at her friends table, to the point that the bartender came to check on us twice. He’s also the one that cashed us out. I believe Nicholas was his name. He was entirely more pleasant and professional than her.

Also... I’m not sure what their covid policies are because they’re not posted on the website from what I can see, but the female server wasn’t wearing a mask at any point. Nicholas and the kitchen staff were, from what we could see. She should know better.

We will still order from here but definitely won’t come back for dine in. We normally like the pub setting but won’t take a risk on such bad service again. Hoping it was just an off day for her and not a constant thing! I don’t want to blast her publicly but would love to let management...

Jumping ahead, I can say that it was a very disappointing experience. The place itself is pretty big, has a pool table and live music, but seen its better days, which is fine with me. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, no complaints here. The drinks were fine as well. Food, however, was upsetting. Pork bites were okay, and I'd say fries that came with it probably was the best food we ate here. For me, beer and wings are what defines how good a pub is, so I always go for that combo when visiting for the first time. I really like chicken wings, and I think it was the first time that I haven't finished that dish. Despite being decent in size, wings were absolutely dry. But the seared wild salmon salad was a disaster. Not mentioning dry salmon, the first bite of greens came with a gritty feeling on the teeth. A quick inspection revealed that greens were poorly washed and still had remains of soil. Photo proof is attached. I expect that they at least wash lettuce for a $17 salad.Another thing that I found odd and rather repulsive is that on the patio next to where we were seated, they have a whole bunch of tables turned upside down, and they are covered with a chewing gum awful people once put there. The photo is attached. Why wouldn't you clean it up when putting these tables next to where people eat? I guess it remains a mystery. I can see people come here for drinks, but there's no way I can recommend anyone to go here...

I have visited this pub quite a few times in the 2 years I have lived in the neighbourhood. It is just kind of an average place. The food isn't anything great, you are safe if you stay with some simple appies but don't expect too much from the main courses. The drinks here are so hit and miss... sometimes they are good, other times you wonder if the people making them stick to the same recipe. The servers don't look like they are enjoying their job and don't make their tables feel very welcome. Karaoke is fun, and the crowd (who is very mixed in age) seems to be enjoying themselves but warning! Watch out how much you are enjoying yourself.. SOO many times being here I have seen the servers cut off their tables, the bar manager literally drag people out of the bar and the staff make scenes with customers about their drinking. This hasn't happened to me or my table personally, but as a customer looking in I really get the vibe that the management team in this pub enjoys the power that goes with kicking out or cutting off customers (who really aren't making a scene or causing any trouble..) Makes me feel nervous to have more than a couple drinks here with the fear of being embarrassed like that... Overall I would say its a good place to go to grab a quick drink or catch up with a friend, but take your group party...