Madison Bear Garden — Restaurant in Chico

Went on a trip to Chico and decided to try this gem. Friends have told me this was a super popular place for the college folk to go and indeed the restaurant has a hip pub-like atmosphere.

The good:

The atmosphere was pretty fun. There were a lot of young families when we went and the staff was very welcoming.

Great location. Great area of town. Historic building.

The food came out fast.

Their burgers were really good. I ordered the Papa bear and also a side of onion rings. The burger was juicy, properly cooked, and well seasoned. The bun tasted fresh and the sauces were great.

The BBQ sauce they keep on the tables is just the right blend of sweet and spicy.

The fries were very good too and cooked just right and salted properly.

Lots of places to sit and eat on a Sunday afternoon.

The bad:

The onions rings were a bit of a miss. Ours seemed over cooked and over salted.

The ranch also tasted yuck. There is ranch you can get cheap at the store that tasted better than what they serve here so they should just switch to another brand.

They don't offer Coke Zero or fun drinks like Angry Orchard or Mikes.

In the ladies restroom my wife witnessed some young ladies who were sick and ready to puke due to too much alcohol. I think the restaurant needs to cut people off before they get like this. It's in their interest to not have to clean puke from everywhere in a restroom. The mens restroom smelled a bit and was in need of a remodel.

Overall:

It was a fun experience and I can see myself going back and trying new things...

Eating at the "World Famous Madison Bear Garden" has been a treat of mine for 20+ yrs, and I'm finally going to give it it's dues. My wife and I went to use our birthday coupons for a Sunday lunch, and we arrived at 12:45pm. Since football is over, and no baseball in sight... it was a relatively quiet afternoon. She ordered the "Singin' the Blues" burger, curly fries, and a side order of fried mushrooms...I ordered the "Bravo Avocado" with a side salad. Drinks must be purchased at the bar, so we also got a pitcher of soda (with free refills) and waited at our table while looking at the wall-to-wall decor in every nook and cranny. It's a beautiful place with ALWAYS something new to spout and discuss. Our food was called in less than 10 minutes, and we dug in. The burgers were cooked perfectly, and piled with the add-ons...including pickle spears. The mushrooms were delicious and fried to a perfect brown, as were the curly fries. We ate, listened to the 70's soundtrack played over the speakers, and discussed the varying displays. Before we knew it, 1 1/2 hrs had passed, and we were heading out the door. Sure, it's busier on Fri/Sat nights with the college in, but for lunch it can't be beat. Remember to tip the cooks/counter/bar staff, as they EARN their wage by being both hard workers and friendly employees to ALL customers. First timers can't go wrong with the traditional "Bear Burger", however...up your game and try any of the others with an extra patty. 5 starts isn't justifying this...

I hadn't ever been before, but it was nice! On first impression I was dazzled by the ceiling and walls - it was absolutely PACKED with kitsch and tchotchkes. Fanfare all about, it was almost visually chaotic. I arrived just prior to 9pm, and it seemed that there was a switch at the top of the hour - that minors were asked to leave and all IDs were checked. All the staff I interacted with were exceedingly pleasant, but I took notice to the 3 or 4 roaming about. They seemed stoic and would gather things here and there, like sentries - I could neither catch their eyes nor get a smile. When I arrived the upstairs was booked out for a private party. After 9 they cleared out and it became a dance floor, but unfortunately no one was up dancing. A shame, as that was why I chose here this evening. I waited around the upstairs bar while I finished my last drink, but no one took up to the (slightly loud) music. I also had a burger, again after asking for recommendation, and was given one where the bun was a grilled cheese sandwich. It was phenomenal and had a great BBQ sauce. Finally, many of the male staff had facial hair. This might not mean much to many, but to me beards are always a plus and worth mentioning. The staff were grand, the drinks and food were grand, and the venue interesting. I was just disappointed I didn't get to dance - but that could have been on...