First visit to Black Bear this afternoon.  The hostess (young blonde) was  friendly and helpful.  The burger, salad and eggs benedict were good.  Our service was excellent (male in his 40's ?).  We sat by the window and watched as many people came in for lunch (the wine bar/restaurant ? across the street attracted them first but it was closed for some reason so they crossed the street to the Black Bear).  We don't know how noisy this place gets at dinner, but for a weekend lunch it was quiet and you could carry on a conversation easily.  The food isn't out of this world but its good, and we'll stop back in when in town again.
Review Source:Why oh why did you put the new pizza place in the basement! The Patio! The Patio! Pizza + Beer = Outside, not basement. I was really holding out and crossing my fingers that the new outside dining experience would be awesome and would be the casual dining spot Warrenton so desperately needed. No.such.Luck.
We went and had dinner on the patio with the hopes that the atmosphere would translate despite the lack of pizza. It had the feel of eating of an elementary school cafeteria by yourself. All you could hear was the exhaust fan and the other couples conversations who were trying to keep their voices down awkwardly like we were.
Free tip for the Owners. Move or at least start serving pizzas upstairs and put some speakers upstairs to mask the stale environment. Do this, and ye shall receive 5 stars and my repeat business!!!
We entered this quaint establishment with high hopes. We waited forty five minutes for a drink menu and another hour for our food (we stayed for comedic purposes). The staff claimed they couldn't help us when asked. The food was sub par and something I could create drunk off my butt on a Saturday night with rotting supplies. Do not go here. You are warned.
Review Source:We chose this restaurant based on positive Yelp reviews, and were sorely disappointed. While we're waiting to be seated, I looked around the room and saw a lot of people at tables with drinks and no food. That should have been a tip off to the REALLY slow service. We were seated in the dark basement and waited for over 15 minutes with no one even acknowledging us or asking to take our drink or food orders. We again noticed more people around us with no food. So we decided to leave and try someplace else. We told the hostess we were leaving due to not just slow, but no service. And all she said was,"Ok." So we went 2 doors down to Molly's  Irish Pub where we were greeted with a smile and a lovely waitress who took our order in less than 5 minutes.!
Review Source:This is the restaurant where I learned to like blue cheese dressing. I always hated it until my sister made me try theirs. I still don't like blue cheese much, but this I loved. (Awhile back, I read about how blue cheese contains the same fungus found in Athletes foot, and am still trying to get past that fact, so this was REALLY good--good enough for me to forget about the athletes foot.) They weren't lying when they said it was house made. Â Wings and burgers were delicious.
Service was good. We had an early dinner and sat at the bar. Beers on tap were great and the bartender was friendly without crossing the fine line between friendly/annoying.
My favorite place in Warrenton!
We were looking for a good restaurant while waiting for our daughter and came on the Black Bear Bistro. It had some good reviews, so we decided to try it. It was excellent, so the next time we were in Warrenton, we ate there again.
Between the two visits, we had fish and chips (excellent), Orange Ginger Salmon (excellent), Smoked Ribs (excellent), and Bratwurst Platter (OK). The only reason I rate the bratwurst as OK is I lived in Germany for 9 years and have an expectation of what it should taste like. The saurkraut here is a bit sweet for my taste. Overall, the service was very good and I'm looking forward to going back.
Went there Sat Mar 9 around 5:30pm. Â Not very busy. Â Seated in lower level. Â Waitress didn't know what was being served with what. Â Ordered Mac&cheese lobster from reviews. Â There was two pieces of nickel size lobster rest was crumb size. Â Taste was good. Â Next came sweet potato fries which were warm not hot. Â Our meal was two pieces of meat with mashed potato and I counted 6 small slices of zucchini. Â I had called the restaurant to inform them of our experience. Â Person took our name to call back at more convenient time. Â No call yet.
Review Source:We've been here several times. Â The food is good but I wouldn't say it is outstanding. The lobster mac & cheese was very good; everything else our party of four ordered was OK. This is definitely NOT the place to go if you are a wine person - there's basically a choice of 2 reds and 2 whites by the glass. Â Our service was good, no problems there. Â We felt the menu was a little limited in choices, but we had no major complaints about the food or service. Â Two of us ordered an appetizer and salad because there were no entrees we really were interested in. Â
We came here a few years ago and waited an HOUR for a table for 8 people - they wanted to seat us upstairs but finally after waiting an hour they sat us downstairs. The restaurant is fairly small and I would not recommend it for large parties - basically it's best for parties of 2 or 4 people.
My husband and I went there for the first time this past Saturday. I had heard from a friend that it was a good place to eat; she & her family had been there a few times and liked what they ate. When we walked in we were greeted promptly. We were asked if we wanted to dine upstairs or downstairs. The upstairs seemed a little small and most of the tables were full so we opted for down stairs. We should have stayed upstairs where there are windows. Downstairs there is a bar and what looks to be two dining areas. The downstairs was small and pretty full as well. We were seated in a corner and there didn't seem to be much ventilation so it was a bit stuffy. the table were seated a little close for comfort to the other tables. The waitress seemed to take a while to come to us but once she did our drinks came quickly along with placing our order. My husband ordered the gyro and it said it was thin sliced lamb. He got it and it was pretty full but the pieces were chunky he ended up eating like 1/2 of it. The fries tasted weird, im not sure if they were sweet potato fries or not but there may have been there were to many spices on them to tell. They were different. I ordered the burgers with cheese and grilled onions on a toasted bun. The burgers were Great! We want to go back, but this time we are going to dine upstairs, get burgers and a cold beer. I will follow up with hopefully a better experience next time.
Review Source:After reading the YELP reviews we had high hopes. Â
The menu was a huge disappointment. Â Just cafe food, nothing special, nothing I'd call "bistro." Â We couldn't find anything we'd even want to order, but as we were already seated we ordered the baked brie and a house glass of wine (no wine last is available by the glass).
The brie was edible, but a VERY small portion. Â It sat on top of some salad greens so some of the melted brie was lost in the greens. Â Pointless. Â There was a nice sweet onion jam on top and more than enough toasted pita triangles. Â The wine was poor quality, served in what could laughingly be called a wine glass. Â Service was friendly. Â
We had our cheese and glass of house wine and left.
I could not recommend it based on what we ate and what we saw on other tables. Â The food rather reminded me of Ruby Tuesday. Â Not special.
I've been to the Black Bear Bistro three times now - have to say - it's a cool little place!
First time I visited was New Year's Eve - we came in for dinner. I had their version of a crab bisque - it was creamy, tasty, and had a nice bit of heat to it that I was no expecting! I also had their greens salad with pears - also good - light, crisp, and refreshing!
Second time I came in for lunch - we sat in the basement. I had the meatloaf sandwich with fries. A very basic, stick-to-your ribs meal. Â The sandwich was good - but the meatloaf and gravy needed a little bit of salt and black pepper...
This evening I stopped in to check out their craft beer selection on draft. I sat at the bar - ordered the 8 Point IPA (Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA). Served in a pint glass, it had a beautiful copper color, with a nice balance of hops and a bit of floral notes, and a deliciously strong bitter finish! An excellent Ale!
Service has been good all three times I've visited! I look forward to many more visits!
Black Bear Bistro can best be described as a small town restaurant with huge ambition. My experience with this restaurant was nothing short of stellar and I would have absolutely no problem recommending them over any of the other establishments in the area.
Good service, good beer, and good food. I can think of no better combination.
I've frequented this location over the years as it's changed names and owners and restaurants but I'm finally a fan of Black Bear. Â Our first time there just a week or so after it opened I was a little underwhelmed with the food, but we found ourselves back in Warrenton again and decided to go. Â I was glad i did. Â Everything was delicious! Â The waitstaff was friendly and prompt. Â The atmosphere (especially downstairs) is a neat little spot.
Review Source:We went here in July for my boyfriends birthday, mostly because we had never been and I had a coupon from specialicious. The food was fantastic! My "inlaws" and I enjoyed the lobster mac and cheese to the point where I thought one of us might lick the plate. We also ordered the scallops and they were HUGE, I have never seen scallops that big before they were so delicious. Over all the meal was fantastic and the enviorment was wonderful.
Review Source:I like Black Bear Bistro. It's a nice, quaint spot in a quaint town. I've only been a couple of times but the food has been delicious every time. It's nothing fancy, but the taste of the food is top notch. I had the BBQ sandwich and it was very tasty. The wings are also good! I would definitely recommend a stop in here if you find yourself passing through or want somewhere to go on the regular. I have yet to spend some quality time at the bar but it looks like a nice spot to hang out for a few brews. They also offer coupons pretty frequently which is always appreciated, both through yelp and other sources like specialicious, etc.
Review Source:I chose the Black Bear Bistro because it is the only place in Warrenton that clearly marks vegan items on their menu. Unfortunately, the descriptions of their vegan items are not accurate. For instance, we ordered two veggie burgers to go. The menu describes the vegan burger as "House made vegetable patty flat top grilled served with lettuce, tomato and veganaise." Much to our surprise, though, there were no toppings on the burgers or on the side. Nothing. Just dry vegetable patties on hamburger buns. For $9 apiece. And because we got the food to go, there was no way we could have had the situation fixed without driving an additional 30 minutes, and then having cold burgers to eat. We would have been better off going to the grocery store, buying some Boca Burgers & buns and making our meal for ourselves. At least now I know.
I'm glad that Black Bear offers vegan options, but I hope they improve on the execution of them.
Dinner on way home at Black Bear Bistro & Cellar 32 Main Street Warrenton, VA, 20186 USA <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackbearbistro.com%2F&s=a36526a48dbf5dd85e5ebc3e1b08eec4ad5f3b745e7da0193d9346eebb3fb035" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.blackbearbist…</a>
We sat down stairs, it was a rare pleasure to find a place quiet enough to carry on a conversation with my parents (hearing aids SUCK in most restaurants!) Â
The waitress wasn't effective at describing the different menu offerings. Â We asked about soup and explained we didn't want anything spicy, discussed ceviche but decided against it because it probably was spicy. Â The specials were both spicy, and we said that out loud. Â
For appetizers we had Chilled Cucumber Dill soup that was excellent, although Dad didn't like it.  Wasn't what he thought a soup should be, no meat... and  P... something, a fresh tomato, sweet pepper, barely stir-fried in olive oil and Italian spices with hearty bread cubes sprinkled with fresh shredded Romano cheese, all bite sized was very good.  The waitress didn't describe the "Balsamic Vinegar Reduction" that was drizzled on top, the only drawback.  (This in not currently on the menus posted on their web site)
We ordered the Country fried chicken on linguini with mushroom sauce. Â It sounded delicious. Â The chicken was perfectly fried, light, moist, crispy. Â Although my Dad said he didn't consider it country fried because it was deep fried, vs pan fried, much less greasy. Â The linguini was cooked to perfection. Â The only drawback was the dish was uneatable because it had red HOT peppers in it. Â
Nothing on Menu indicated it had hot spices & the waitress didn't have any idea it what was in it. Â AND THE waitress KNEW we didn't want anything spicy. Â Turn off the Bobby Flay and show some originally! Â We tipped a full 20% because I blame the restaurant management for failing to train her.
Food is amazing. Great atmosphere. Lobster Mac and cheese was amazing!! Very reasonable prices. We went here for a day date and there was also patio seating. All staff was very warm and welcoming. Everything from lobster Mac appetizer to chocolate mousse dessert was great. Will absolutely return and highly recommend a visit.
Review Source:Stopped here for early dinner after a wine tasting on a Monday, so not very crowded at all. Had an almost private table out on the back patio. Lovely atmosphere. Â In the mood for a burger and their Baby Burger was just right--Papa and Mama Burgers available also--but no homage to Goldilocks or porridge on the menu. It was one of the better burgers I've tasted...added provolone cheese and some fresh sweet peppers!
Got the Gazpacho as my side...wow it was so full of vegetables, you could see the veggies piled high from far away as the waitress made her way to our table...a very good version of this chilled soup (probably less soup than veggies). Â My sis got the tofu steak, which didn't knock her socks off, but was good enough...two big slabs of tofu glazed in a soy based sauce. She liked the couscous and green beans that came with it. For the vegetarians out there, they do have a number of menu options. Â Large local beer and wine offerings too. We split the peach and cherry bread pudding, which grew on me as I was eating, however they did seem to use canned cherries.
Our waitress was very sweet and checked in regularly. But it was a little strange that she didn't realize the bistro's happy hour was going on (3 to 6pm), or exactly what the specials were for HH (advertised as you walked in) when we inquired about it.
Black Bear Bistro rates a solid 3.5, edging towards a 4. Most of the items used local fresh ingredients and I could taste it in our dishes, which was a big plus, along with good menu offerings.
Take note of the bear theme throughout the restaurant and bar--and on the menu.
Black Bear Bistro has an evening menu that is filled with interesting vegan & GF entrees, IF they haven't run out. The lunch menu? Not so much. Unless you want soups & salads which is great but since I can get that at home I'm always on the lookout for more interesting entrees.
Took my daughter here for lunch today and we kinda sat there a bit perplexed as to what we could order that would be both vegetarian & GF. Lots of vegan offerings but all were in the form of a sandwich which of course means bread which ='s gluten.
Not much help was offered as to what we could eat so we fired off a myriad of questions asking what we could put together. The result? A scrumptious homemade black bean burger with fried egg and melted cheddar cheese accompanied by very tasty French fries.
Side effect of not eating a bun with your burger? Your pants aren't snug and you now have room for dessert. Super smooth & creamy chocolate mousse arrived with a dark chocolate syrup on top.
**100% agree with the recent reviews that management needs to TRAIN their waitstaff on menu offerings, Happy Hour rules and the basic: service with a smile.
**Also in agreement with the majority of patrons questioning how does a restaurant run out of specials or menu items at the start of lunch or dinner? Very strange...
Great local VA beer selection, though it took a while for them to show up on the back porch (which is a supremely nice spot to dine/relax). Chicken fried steaks had super crispy breading and nice, tender chicken on the inside. The pasta it was served with very rich and went well with the chicken. Â My friends burger came with quality toppings, though it was way overcooked.
After all the other reviews, I feel like I definitely have to come back for more VA craft brews and a scallop po'boy (or maybe shrimp since my server said that was the best po'boy, but when has shrimp ever been better than scallops?)
We stopped into Warrenton for lunch with some friends before heading out to a wine tasting. I had been here once before a few years ago with a friend and enjoyed the atmosphere and remember the food being good. We have since switched to a mostly vegetarian diet, and noticed on the website they had some good selections.
We were seated in the basement, which was nice and cool and also felt a tad less causal that upstairs, which was fine with us. They appear to have outdoor seating int he back as well. There is a bar and ample seating upstairs as well.
I got the fancy grill cheese and a cup of lental soup - both were excellent. Everyone else enjoyed their meals as well. Our waitress was friendly and accommodating. We will come back here again for another taste at some point.
After a long flight into Dulles, we decided to overnight in Warrenton instead of driving for 5 more hours. We felt a little trepidation going to the Black Bear Bistro after reading the mixed reviews, but need not have worried. Â
The restaurant is located in charming downtown Warrenton: lots of old brick buildings. Â We were greeted & seated promptly, our waiter was attentive, friendly and knowledgable about the vegetarian offerings. Â (We had quite a discussion about whether someone who eats seafood and fish is veggie-I say NO.). Food was served promptly, too.
We had the excellent sloppy joe, nicely spicy, and very tasty lentil soup. Â He also offered to omit lobster from the lobster mac & cheese - it was so good I practically inhaled it. Â The side salad was just that, but was very fresh; the curry dressing I selected was unusual,but didn't keep me from eating every bite.
Our experience was very good, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back for another meal or to recommend this place to a friend. Â I almost forgot to mention the bear themed interior - it was fun.
I came here for a Rehearsal Dinner for a friend of mine that got married over Memorial Day Weekend. It was a Friday night at 5pm & they had us in a nice little private room downstairs. Our menu option featured beer & wine along with either the filet, chicken, or salmon. I chose a white wine with the filet. The service was decent, but I feel bad judging it due to the size of our party - I believe there were about 20 of us. One of the servers was much more attentive than the other.
I ordered the filet medium and it came with blue cheese mashed potatoes & green beans. I wasn't sure about the potatoes, because I'm not a big blue cheese fan, but as I said it was a planned menu so I didn't have a choice. When it all came out, my steak was cooked perfectly & the mashed potatoes were actually awesome! The green beans were good, nothing to write home about. The only downside for me about the filet was the lack of seasoning. Everyone likes their steak a different way, but I prefer mine with seasoning. I ended up sprinkling it with salt & pepper & it was really good!
I don't know how the pricing was for this, because it was paid for by the Groom's parents, but I would definitely consider using this venue for a large party as well as coming back here for lunch or dinner one day.
If, for some reason, you are passing by the town of warrenton,
And you are thinking... Man, I sure could use a beer right now...
Then stop the thoughts, and pull over for some free parking (street) and a nice selection of Virginia beers on draught.
I was glad this place was here.
That said, I sat at the bar, my service was fantastic.
My freshly shucked oyster Po'boy was right on the money.
yuuuup!
Best shrimp po'boy since New Orleans. I go all the time for the sandwich. However, the service here SUCKS! I have been three times and only once has the service been just adequate. Both the other times they have forgotten my order, the server switched tables and then never came back, my soup always comes with my dinner even thought I tell them every time I want it first.
So, if you go, the food is great, just expect to be ignored and treated like they dont need you to fund their business.
When we first got seated we overheard the waited advising the table next to us of all the items on the menu there were not available. Â It was quite a few items too. Â Whenever I hear this I know that this is a restaurant on it's way out of business. Â We ordered some sandwiches that were un-noteworthy. Â Ho hum seems to fit.
Would not return.
Stopped in for lunch on a beautiful fall Wednesday.
Parked on the street across from the restaurant. Old Town Warrenton has a lot of character and charm. It's small town America and it's best.
I sat at the bar cause I wanted a quick bite and needed to get on the road.
Renee was quick with a smile and a menu.
Sweet tea and the cod fish tacos sounded good to me.
Shortly she returns announcing they were out of cod but had some fresh shrimp so I went with it.
My food came out quick and with a nice presentation. There were three large shrimp on each taco but the downside was they were corn and not flour tortillas. They were flavored with chipolte and garnished with light lettuce and tomatos...very tasty. Came with a side of fries or cole slaw...the cole slaw was quite good.
The bar seats maybe nine, there are a couple of small flat screens. The bar seemed to be well stocked and I asked about the draught beers.
Turns out they are all from an Ashburn based bewery started by a couple of former Dominion Brewing employees called Lost Rhino.
Too bad it was a work day or I would have surely had a swill.
I will def be back for more.
I really wanted to like Black Bear more. Â Had dinner here about a week and a half ago and it just didn't cut the 4 star rating.
There's nothing wrong with it, per se, but it didn't knock my socks off.
We were seated in the lower level that I liked better than the dumpy main floor. Â My dining companion and I started off our meal with hummus and veggies, but the hummus kinda tasted strange. Â It was a little off...not enough time in the food processor perhaps?
Then came dinner. Â I'd made the mistake of ordering a special of theirs--blackened shrimp over angel hair pasta--which sounded relatively healthy. Â Unfortunately, it came with an alfredo sauce that, for me, ruined nice-sized shrimp over an amount of just enough pasta.
So, there was nothing horrible with Black Bear; there just wasn't ENOUGH that was right on the money. Â A little more umph in the food, and it would be a solid four-star rating.
BTW, the service was warm and unintrusive.
Wow, what a perfect little sandwich place!
The menu is truly a thing to behold, it took me 5 minutes to finally choose just one thing to order. Â The food was created by someone with an eye for the unique and was perfectly executed. Â It's the kind of place where you know the chef considers their job a calling.
The staff were super friendly, stopping to chat to us for 10 minutes because they were genuinely nice and interested in meeting us.
Perfect little sandwich place.
Great ambiance, cute bear nic-nacs. Â Parking was a pain.
Black Bear Bistro - "Sweeney's Cellar"
On 12/11, after picking up a lovely lush 8-1/2' Xmas tree from the Boy Scout Xmas tree lot in Warrenton, we had dinner for the first time at Black Bear Bistro's "Sweeney's Cellar", which is located downstairs. Â While the upstairs portion we usually enjoy is more casual/pub-like, downstairs is a bit more upscale, with linens & candles on the tables, a realistic gas fireplace, & a tiled L-shaped bar. Â There are two rooms, one alongside the bar that's very well-lit & somewhat utilitarian in flavor; & the back room we were seated in, which has the fireplace &, in nice weather, apparently opens up onto a dining patio. Â In addition to the regular menu, there are also a few more fancier dishes available presented to each diner on a chalkboard.
First off, the fireplace room is unbelievably dark.  I'm all for dining ambience, but  unless you bring a miner's helmet, be prepared to get up & take the menu over to one of the wall sconces as we had to.  And neither one of us has sight issues.
We skipped appetizers & both enjoyed selections from the chalkboard. Â Husband ordered the "Mahi Mahi in Parchment" ($15.95), which he said was "okay". Â The parchment enclosing the fish was very large & unwieldy. Â When he couldn't easily cut through it, he ended up having to unwrap it, which was quite a sight. Â Sort of typical steamed fish - nothing really special, but decent.
On the other hand, my "Thai Spiced Beef Filet Tips" ($17.95) were, in a word - FABULOUS! Â Unbelievably tender, cooked perfectly to my "medium-rare" spec, & served over absolutely PERFECTLY cooked rice - something that so many restaurants never seem to get right. Â The spicing was uber-hot - not enough to blow the top of my head off, but enough to raise a sweat - exactly how I like it. Â And the portion size was spot-on. Â One of the very few times I've left a restaurant perfectly satiated & without a "doggie bag".
With one iced tea, our bill after tax but before tip came to just $38.86 - a real bargain for a very satisfactory upscale meal. Â As usual, we'll be back to dine both upstairs & now downstairs.
On our way back from Old Rag this weekend, and we were talking about ribs. Barbeque pork ribs specifically. Yelped on my phone and found another place in town, but it was closed, so we stopped here. Glad we did friends... Local beers (all VA, but for promotion's sake they should tell you what they are... I had a stout that I'd have again, but I don't know what it is), massive plate of ribs, seat by the fire (gas, but hey, still cozy). My companion had the chicken tetrazinni special and a Nut Brown Ale that was also good.
So these ribs were no joke. You know how some ribs have a half inch of meat on them, something like that? These ribs were as thick as a goddamned dictionary. Smoky, spicy crust, tart sauce. It's the next morning and I'm still not hungry.
We'll definitely come back here on our way through town, and I suggest you do too.
Can't recommend it. Â
We stopped in at about 7 on a Sunday evening. Â No one was inside (the waiter was sitting outside reading a book), and two tables were filled on the patio.
They have a sandwich board with specials - they were out of two of them. Â I wanted something simple, and ordered the pulled chicken barbecue sandwich. Â They were out of it.
My companion had the Turkey Reuben - she didn't expect the turkey to be smoked. Â Doesn't quite go on a Reuben. Â And the sauerkraut was coleslaw. Â And I ordered a Chicken Caesar salad. Â The chicken was quite good, and the romaine was fresh. Â But the Caesar dressing had a definite horseradish taste, the cheese was hardly to be found and there were no croutons.
Oh, yes, and the service was friendly, but oh, so slow.
Maybe an off night, or a bad time. Â But that's it for us.
This is a good place for lunch. My fiancee and I both ordered burgers, which are small patties stacked as one two or three on a bun. The double is pretty big to bite into, so I don't know how you'd eat a triple. But it was nicely grilled and very tasty.
I was surprised to learn the place is relatively new, because it looked kind of '80s in there. No big deal, but it just seemed like an older place. My fiancee had some issues with the service, but I thought the quality burger and fries made up for the time it took.
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