Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue - Windsor, Connecticut

David G.

The price is high for what you get. Portions are small for the price you pay. A rack of ribs no meat 32$. Insane. We got brisket burnt and coleslaw broccoli salad, and four baked potatoes. This combo cost $80. 4 months ago it was $65. The meat was good, but I could eat that pint of coleslaw by myself not much in there. Had to pay extra for cornbread….. and apparently you get a bottle of barbecue sauce for five dollars with the combo and they charge me 8.99. Staff was nice. I just can’t believe the price increase. Went there a couple weeks ago paid $38 for three meats and a drink after the tip. The staff doesn’t control the prices. They work hard. And I hope they are taken care of from all these high prices. With all these locations I’m sure owners are doing great. The food is good but not worth the price. I will not be going back. Unless I have a big savings coupon…. I got this meal for 3 of us.. u fill up on sides before the meat….

P C.

Always hoping for good BBQ, I decided on ordering from Bear's Smokehouse as I was staying about 10 minutes up the street before an early flight the next morning. I ordered the two meat plate - brisket and smoked wings. My two sides were cornbread and the side salad. I also ordered an extra side Tots. Upon opening my stapled bag, I was very disappointed to see that my cornbread never made it into the bag. Further disappointment ensued with the smoked wings which lacked a punch of flavor and were dry. The brisket was thick cut and was mildly flavored and smoked. The taste was good, however, it too was on the dry side. I was assured that there was a fork and knife in the bag.....but no knife made it - I had two forks. It was not possible to cut the thick slab of brisket with a fork - so I had to resort to using my hands. The salad was a nice mix of fresh greens, onion, cucumber and tomato. The tots - they were perfectly crispy and seasoned - the best part of the meal. My recommendation - at least open your bag to make sure your entire meal and the correct utensils are there. $31 is a lot for a carry out meal when you're missing part of your order, utensils and the food was slightly overcooked.

Tyler M.

A little late to try bears but better late than never, my girlfriend and I went on a Sunday night. I got the Bears style poutine with brisket and my girlfriend got the Bear Attack which adds cornbread. The portions are big especially my poutine. The staff were very friendly and had a good atmosphere. Will be back to try more of their delicious menu.

Thomas B.

Every time we are in the Hartford area, we make it a point to stop in for dinner and we are never disappointed. On this trip we enjoyed a full rack of ribs with corn and mac & cheese sides. The ribs were fantastic along with the side dishes. Was told by several members of the staff, who are super friendly and helpful, that if we like pork ribs, you need to come on the weekend when they cook up the beef ribs. Wish we could have been there to give them a try. For dessert we had the homemade ice cream, which we are told is made at the University of Connecticut by the agriculture students and it was delicious. The only thing we personally did not care for was the Hosmer Mountain soda selections, but that really comes down to personal tastes. And what is up with that huge Kansas City Chiefs flag in the window, this is New England Patriots turf, so the Chiefs must go – just saying. Other than this obvious transgression, this place is just perfect. Great food, servers with a friend and welcoming atmosphere and plenty of parking to boot.

Tom F. J.

Pros: Some friendly staff. Tasty food - if you can get past somethings. Sufficient parking.

Cons: There was a hair in my sandwich. When I pulled it out, it was quite long. I returned the sandwich. They replaced it. Even for a quite Sunday night, the looked like it could use a good cleaning. The cashier's credit card signing screen was filthy. Lastly, some of the staff seemed like they didn't want to be there. They weren't unfriendly, but they weren't friendly either.

Not the first place I would choose to go to again.

DK G.

Went here on Sunday night, probably not a busy night for this place, but there was a pretty good crowd which created a little wait. My buddy from KC was less than impressed with the sauces and some of the meats. I had the turkey and brisket, he had the sausage and burnt ends. I wanted pastrami but they were out. I also wanted beans (out), hot potato salad (out) so I settled for sweet potato side which was good. I thought the brisket was good, well cooked. The turkey was dry and seemed like it had been in the warmer too long. My buddy said the potatoes seemed undercooked. He said the burnt ends were good. Overall it was okay but he wanted to reclaim the KC flag...

Seth D.

Bear’s BBQ has the look and smell of a great barbecue spot, but unfortunately, the food didn’t quite live up to expectations. The brisket was dry, and the pulled pork was served cold, which took away from the experience. On the positive side, the baked beans were flavorful, but the mac and cheese was a bit bland. The sauces were decent but nothing standout.

The staff was friendly and courteous, which was a plus, but overall, the meal felt more like someone understood the idea of BBQ rather than truly mastering it. I really wanted to like this place, but the execution just wasn’t there. Hopefully, it was just an off day because the potential is definitely there.

James O.

To start, Bears Smokehouse serves a LOT of food. Nachos could serve two and the half ribs seemed double portioned. Service was good they offered a lunch room type approach to serving. After you eat there is a sink next to the bathrooms to wash your hands, very convenient and time saving. The worst part of my meal was the collard greens which themselves were good but I found fish meat in my collard greens(did not say they had fish meat). Extremely repulsive even.