Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue — Restaurant in Hartford

There are some decent people working here, don’t get me wrong, but I had a very strange experience here that really left me confused and with a bad taste in my mouth. In my years of foodservice experience as an employee and as a customer and as a local guide I have never been in a situation similar to the one I had at this location yesterday.

Let me preface this by saying that I was dressed cleanly and neatly, I was friendly, polite, and patient. There was no line when I came in (it was approximately 11AM). I could see the staff was busy preparing something so I was hanging back until the server let me know he was ready to take my order.

I tried ordering burnt ends as I have the past few times I came in. As with a few of my previous visits, the server informed me that there were “no burnt ends”. I lamented the fact that they never seemed to have burnt ends anymore and that I came in early that day to try to get the burnt ends before the restaurant ran out.

I asked the server what he would recommend instead and was looking at the menu for alternatives. The server started shared his recommendations and then started telling me a story about how the fat caps on the beef they’ve been receiving lately aren’t as big as they usually are, and so that’s why there’s a shortage of burnt ends.

I accepted his explanation and instead got some (dry and flavorless) brisket.

I paid for my order and sat down in the seating area closest to the food counter and started eating. Less than a minute after I sat down, 4 other customers entered the restaurant and were cheerfully greeted by the very same server and I got the impression that they were familiar with each other.

Here’s where it gets interesting. I heard at least 3 out of the next 4 customers order the burnt ends (not the pork belly burnt ends, mind you) as part of their order and EVERY SINGLE ONE received what they ordered with no denial or BOGUS explanation. One of them even ordered a Mac Attack with DOUBLE burnt ends!

I felt like I was living in the Seinfeld episode where the chef decides who is allowed to eat at his restaurant and who isn’t allowed that privilege.

I decided to get back in line and ordered the burnt ends from the very same server to see what would happen. This time, I got what I ordered with no fuss at all.

What is going on here? What kind of business practices are at play? How can you play favorites and lie to your customers so boldly? Isn’t my money just as good as anyone else’s? Why was I discriminated against?

Why did I have to spend my hard-earned money to order something other than what I originally wanted before I could get what I really came here for?

I don’t get it and I would love an explanation.

Edit: To add insult to injury, no one from Bears has responded to this review or even bothered to acknowledge my email directly to them regarding this incident. What more needs to...

I've been to Bear's in Hartford many times. The food is excellent and so flavorful that any type of BBQ sauce is optional. The moink balls are one of my favorites along with their ribs, brisket, and burnt ends. Their pulled pork is also very good. Their kielbasa is ok, nothing amazing.

However, despite a large menu of delicious food that will have you craving Bear's again, the customer service might be the worst I've ever experienced in a restaurant, not once, but twice. Called ahead to place an order for Super Bowl Sunday and selected a time to pick up. When I arrived there was a large group of people waiting for pickup. Not one person from Bear's greeted me or asked my name or what I was picking up or what time my pickup was. I ended up waiting an hour (!) for them to get my order ready. That is inexcusable whether it's Super Bowl Sunday or any other day. I would've left except I paid over the phone. I guess I should've learned but I love BBQ and gave them another try this Father's Day 2023. I put in an order over the phone, paid for it, and selected a pickup time. Wouldn't you know I had the same experience only this time I ONLY had to stand there for 45 minutes to get my food. Still same terrible customer service. Nobody greeted me, nobody asked my name, etc. I also love how there was a group of people standing there to pickup and the woman behind the counter says they're doing everything they can. Really? Then why is the guy standing 2 feet away at the register not helping to prepare to-go orders when there's nobody coming through the dining in line? The best part about both of my last two visits? They call out names when an order is ready but those people aren't even there yet! Doing everything you can? Not even close! If you knew who came in you could find out their pickup time and prepare them in order and get them out the door. Oh, and the real kicker is my food was sitting there for a while because they put the wrong first name on there but I spelled it over the phone twice. Now if the woman asked for my last name she would've caught it and I would've been out sooner. I love standing in Bear's watching a couple dozen dining in guests get their food and start eating it. I love taking an 1hr and 15 minutes to make the round trip. Not!

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. There won't be a third.

I spent over $200 that last visit and that is my last visit to Bear's.

Taino's in Middletown offers everything I love at Bear's with the exception of burnt ends, but their customer service is at a level it should be and they greet you and get you out the door quickly. They meet their commitments and their food is also delicious. I'm about equal distance from both restaurants, but Taino all the way from here on out!

You've...

This is a review about management at this location not the food.

I live in the immediate vicinity of this restaurant and it's often convenient to pick up dinner here. The food is good 75 percent of the time and the ladies that work there are nice.

My mom made the mistake of trying to buy me a bears giftcard for my birthday. After waiting a month for the giftcard she ordered to arrive to my apt, she requested corprate cancel the original and send a new one. Great news- they can have it ready at the location across the street and the manager, Adam, tells my mom I can bring ID and pick it up.

I am mostly unbothered by this process and go to pick it up a handful of days later when I grab dinner there for the night. When I arrive asking about the giftcard- the manager there was immediately begrudged by having to contact his higher up Adam who went home recently. On the phone with Adam, the present manager first relays to me "he has no idea what im talking about" then it's "oh that giftcard? Some lady picked that up last week". At this point I'm flabbergasted at the lack of respect coming from these two men who begin to gaslight me about something they lost. They ask me to call my mom to see if it was her that came to pick up the card. I tell them she lives in Louisiana. He begins to search theatrically under all of the cash drawers while still on the phone with Adam. The call continues in the back while I wait patiently.

Current manager comes to me 30 minutes into the ordeal and explains that the card was with ANOTHER manager and not given to a customer, and hands me the giftcard. Despite the obvious plotholes in this new story he continues to shift the blame and mumbles something about ME not showing up on Saturday like "I was supposed to" (my mom never said to them I would do that).

I take my giftcard, my cold meat, and leave after being disrespected and reprimanded by these two managers who spent all this time making me litigate for my birthday present with no surface apologies, excuses or even a "have a good night" (the ladies behind the counter got to say it while offering me bbq sauce after the manager ran away from me).

I understand this is not a traditional way to receive giftcards but my mom is technologically impared and wanted to get some dinner for her daughter who is thousands of miles away. It was 6pm on a Tuesday-not that busy compared to how I've seen it. I wasn't looking to the managers for quick service, just a facade of friendliness.

Burnt ends and beans are good. Don't convert your money to bears currency or you better be ready to argue with a...