Bear Bay Seafood — Restaurant in Plano

Upon entering, the initial impression was welcoming and enticing. The ambiance was accompanied by a pleasant aroma, complemented by tasteful depictions of dishes on the walls. This visual presentation heightened our anticipation for the dining experience. However, upon crossing into the dining area, the ambiance drastically shifted from inviting to a colder and less appealing atmosphere. The reception from our waiter further contributed to this underwhelming environment, as their demeanor lacked enthusiasm. In retrospect, I am uncertain as to why we chose to proceed with our dining plans under these circumstances.

Our decision to reconsider should have been prompted when the waiter informed us of a mandatory 15% additional gratuity, coupled with an unfavorable attitude. Given that our party consisted of six individuals, three of whom were toddlers sharing our meals, we raised concerns regarding the applicability of this gratuity. While we consistently value and willingly provide gratuities, the stipulated 15% seemed excessive for our specific circumstance.

Opting for the "Nola style" dish, I was met with disappointment. The meal exhibited a profound dryness and a distinct lack of essential flavors. Certain shrimp showcased a disappointing mushy consistency, detracting from the overall dining experience. The potatoes were notably undercooked, while the corn, seemingly sourced from frozen stock, failed to meet satisfactory taste standards. The redeeming quality lay in the food's temperature, though this alone is not sufficient for a favorable rating. Serving the boil with a singular butter cup and seasoning cup, the seasoning blend proved excessively salty. The consumption of such highly salted fare raises concerns regarding potential health implications, particularly for those without preexisting high blood pressure conditions. My request for an alternative sauce led to the recommendation of the cajun sauce, yet its execution fell short—consisting primarily of dry seasoning, butter, and lime slices, with an absence of the expected garlic and onion components.

In an effort to improve the dish's taste, I opted to take my meal home for personal seasoning adjustments. It's worth noting that throughout the meal, the waiter displayed a tendency to overlook our table's requests, prioritizing other patrons instead. Regrettably, this subpar experience provides clarity as to the consistently vacant parking lot at this establishment. Both the quality of the food and the service provided are notably substandard, resulting in an overall disappointing encounter.

Needless to say we have no plans of returning to this...

Craving some unlimited live crawfish, shrimps & sides? This is the perfect place for you!

It has become an annual tradition for me to visit Bear Bay during the season for their AYCE live crawfish option. The prices have gone up since 2021, but I'm not complaining. They offer a regular menu as well as a buffet option, so you can either order by the pound or try to eat your money worth. Each person cost $37.99, and it includes THREE rounds of food, but you can order as much that you want.

I usually eat around 9-12 lbs by myself, so I get like 4-5 lbs the first round and then another 4 lbs. I never hit the 3rd round limit honestly. The reason why they're doing that is that they don't have enough servers to cater to everyone, which is understandable. They added a 13 spices flavor, and although I like the seasoning, it was a little bit too oily. It's pretty similar to Scezhuan hot pot broth. My favorite seasoning is the Cajun, and I usually get medium or spicy. It has a good kick, but sometimes it can be too salty or dry.

The service has improved over the years, and I think they recently changed management too. Our worker was super friendly and explained everything, even though she was serving 6+ other tables on a Saturday night. The AYCE option now includes drinks, so you don't have to pay $3 extra for some Coke or lemonade. They offer the AYCE option throughout the entire year, but only during crawfish season (late-Feb to July?) that they serve LIVE CRAWFISH. My boyfriend loves shrimp, so he just orders shrimp for his meal. There's also the blue crab option, but I've been here so many times and it's never available. I always call to check too and it's always "we're sorry, someone ordered 15 crabs so we don't have anymore".

I love their corn, sausages, and potatoes. It's definitely a stomach filler, but it doesn't feel right to eat crawfish without them. If there's seasoning at the bottom of my bowl, I just let the sides soak in the sauce and eat them at the end. They serve the live crawfish in big metal bowls now, instead of just handing you a bag. They also have plastic gloves on the table so you don't get your fingers too dirty when peeling.

Overall, it's a nice place to get my crawfish cravings fixed, but the sauces are nowhere to Boiling Crab level. Save your stomach and give this place a try because it's worth the price. I'll probably try to visit on a weekday next time so hopefully, they'll have blue crabs available. They also take reservations too which is pretty nice if you have...

Spend your money elsewhere. Bear Bay fails on almost every level for a restaurant, and it's disappointing to write as we've enjoyed our experience in the past. But things have changed since over a couple years ago, and the recent reviews confirm my experience is not isolated. Also, I write this to warn others from wasting their money here.

Failures: -Too much of the menu is out of stock. For a $39.99 all you can eat price, they sure don't have simple essential offerings available like corn (???), french fries (????), baby squid, blue crab. Why are we paying 40 bucks when selection is already limited without the out of stock items. -Service, outside of one of the servers, is HORRENDOUS. They can't take orders right, they'll take orders for things they don't have and charge you, and you have to ask for every single thing. It is the opposite of serving. It's practically self serving. I'm talking napkins, utensils, drinks. I don't have the attention to write every single thing wrong with the service, but it is one of the worst dining experiences I've had in awhile. -Food comes out extremely slow. This is evident by every other patron that is sitting for over 20-30 minutes for their food. You can feel the tension at every table as everyone is painfully watching for their food. And don't forget, the service is inattentive so doesn't matter if your food is taking forever. -Here's the kicker- when the food does finally come out, it's average at best. Bear Bay used to be much better than this. We ordered a second round, waited another 25 minutes, and the batch was so bland it was disgusting and inedible. The food LACKS CARE. It's like they are planning to go out of business. -The whole place just feels icky. The bathrooms are so nasty. There was vomit in the urinal. The sink doesn't look like it has been cleaned. This immediately killed my appetite. GET THIS- there are signs that say don't throw up in the urinal! Read the other reviews, they too reference this disgusting environment. Remember the bad service? Well they also aren't bussing tables clean after people leave. Buckets of seafood scraps just sit on tables too long.

It's an experience itself just watching other people at other tables. No one is enjoying the food and the long wait, except the one table that weirdly got their rounds of food...