Bear & Dragon Cafe & Restaurant — Restaurant in Prescott

My visit to the Bear & Dragon Cafe in Prescott, Arizona, was a bit of a rollercoaster. While I’m generally not a fan of English cuisine, my date was eager to try out this eclectic spot for dinner. The ambiance is undeniably charming, with multiple seating areas that each give off a distinct vibe, creating a cozy and whimsical atmosphere. However, our experience wasn’t without a few hiccups.

We arrived a bit early for our reservation, only to encounter a rather puzzling wait situation. Despite seeing a couple get seated right away after walking in after us, we were asked to wait. When we inquired about grabbing a cocktail at the bar while we waited, we were told it was full, even though we later noticed an available table. While minor, this odd start set a slightly sour tone.

Once seated, I appreciated the quirky loveseat setup on one side of our table, which added a cozy touch. However, I sat in a rather generic chair that lacked the same charm. For drinks, I ordered the El Paraiso, described as a “refined” margarita, though it leaned too sweet for my taste despite asking the bartender to ease up on the agave syrup. The drink included habanero liqueur, which I had hoped would add some heat, but it lacked any noticeable spice. My date’s cocktail, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprising, featuring a creative garnish that was memorable.

The starters came out promptly and we enjoyed the mushroom bisque and the Lady Guinevere salad—both fresh and well-balanced. But just as my date finished her soup, I was only halfway through my salad when our main courses arrived. This somewhat rushed pacing detracted from the otherwise well-prepared dishes.

I ordered the salmon special, which had a rich, flavorful sauce that may have been a touch too heavy for my taste. My date opted for the Shrimp & Grits, a solid choice, but the advertised “Southwest Chilies” didn’t deliver the heat we expected. While we both enjoyed our meals, the portions were generous enough that we ended up with leftovers to take home.

Ultimately, Bear & Dragon Cafe has a lot going for it: charming decor, creative cocktails, and hearty portions. While our dinner experience was mixed, I’m intrigued to come back for breakfast or lunch, which may be better suited to their cozy, comfort-food-focused menu. However, if you’re not a die-hard fan of comfort food or if you’re seeking a leisurely, perfectly paced dinner, it may not hit all the right notes.

For me, Bear & Dragon is closer to a 3.5-star experience—there’s charm and creativity here, but a few service missteps and a menu that’s a bit limited in appeal keep it from reaching full potential. I’d still recommend it for anyone looking to try something a little different...

Came in for breakfast over an hour early. We were sat outside the restaurant to wait for our table, as we waited people were sat before us that arrived after us (I can only assume this was due to party size). We were sat outside after a 45 minute wait and handed breakfast menus by the owner at her request. We picked our items and after 30 minutes of waiting to order, the waitress took our order. The owner, an earshot away, heard our order and said “oh no, we are not serving breakfast anymore” (she was the one who gave us the breakfast menu) she said, “you now have to pick from a lunch menu”. Then left us for another 20 minutes to pick from a list of sandwiches which is not what we came for/ arrived on time for/ menu we were handed by the owner. To be fair, I have worked in quality assurance for years in the restaurant industry and know it can be hard when things are busy. But that’s not an excuse for the poor treatment on behalf of the ownership. The wait staff was wonderful and from previous experiences, the food is top shelf. It’s really a shame that this is how things are from the top because it was very discouraging and makes me not want to eat there anymore. On average I drop about $300/meal here and refused to eat after the unprofessional behavior. I still managed to spend $80 on 2 sandwiches and a coffee so my wife could eat because she was peckish already and we had been waiting for so long, but I don’t want that to be a reward to bad behavior. Who would come in for breakfast bangers early and then be told you have to get sandwiches after being well on time? I was very disappointed and do not plan to dine here anymore. I hope the behavior is fixed at some point. Nonetheless, the food is wonderful and the wait staff is great, if you come in without expectations you can’t go wrong.

Edit: Apologies on the dollar value listed above, it also included a salad, cup of tea, and cup of soup. I typed that in frustration and apologize that the dollar value ($80) was not fully accounted for. However, that is not the issue that I had above and everything remains true ($ aside). I’m not writing to be malicious, but if the owner offers the breakfast menu and then the order comes and you tell the waitress they cannot serve breakfast, then there is a problem there. Sticking to your word would really elevate the restaurant, nothing to do with dollar value. As said above, the issue was not in food or service on behalf of the chefs or wait staff. It’s a real shame that the place I would recommend my family and community come to for an excellent ribeye has left me with this experience and a very...

This could have been so good, and it wasn't. I hate to say that I was disappointed about almost every aspect. Especially with the high prices Bear & Dragon is asking. We made reservations at 9, and that reservation was accepted by the restaurant. We were not served until 10pm. Incredibly long wait times between ordering and receiving our food. No vegan options on the dinner menu, which would have been fine if anything could have been substituted to make it so besides a single salad. The salads were less than subpar, even after the amount of confusion that went into ordering them. The blackberry vinaigrette is more like a fruit sauce than a vinaigrette, and unfortunately, it made our salads inedible, the dressing is way, way, way, too sweet. Cheese and Bacon would not have changed that fact. We were not offered to be comp'd for salads we could not eat. Our orders were missing items, entire items were substituted without asking for an opinion. Several dishes were "sold out", some while being delivered to tables next to us, and even our own table for others in our party e.g, " curry chips" which were were told by our server was vegan, only to find out that dish was not vegan. We we're not informed when things we had ordered were sold out. We had to ask where our food was before being told that they had sold out after waiting. One salad could not be made because the Chef did not know how to make the dressing that comes with the salad, so the dressing was substituted without asking our opinion on said substitution. Due to the long wait times for our food, the kitchen was closed before we were able to ask for corrections for our incorrect orders, and before some of our party was even able to order their birthday dessert. Very confusing, very poor service I'm afraid. I was so excited to try this place, as I love LOTR, but this was a big let down. The atmosphere is ok, however with the small space the music was too loud, and when mixed with general chatter, I found it overwhelming and not as cozy as I was expecting. It would be so nice to see more options for those with dietary restrictions, and better service overall. The owners response is poor, and uninviting. I will not be returning here, and providing service and response like this, neither...