The Brown Bear

Not super duper fantastic, but not super duper awful either... I was really hoping to be blown away by the burger I ordered (the Pine-A-Peno burger), but I was only half blown away... I loved the interesting combination of ingredients (pineapple, jalapeño and blue cheese), but the burger itself didn't come out as fresh tasting as it should have... Maybe it was the bun? The burger was pretty soggy... My friends ordered appetizers, which came out piping hot and fresh, so that was a plus. As for the selection of beer on tap, it was just eh... Nothing too exciting... I'm sure I'll be back, but I'll hope for a better burger and selection of beer on tap next time...

Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?

I see a solid base but much room for improvement.

Our server Barbie saved The Brown Bear from a 2 star review.  We were served cold fries, given a dirty extra plate with bits of food on it for splitting our food, offered chips instead of the  fries we ordered, and served cold grilled mushrooms on the burger.  Barbie was clearly a bit frustrated with the kitchen, and advocated for us. We ended up with a two full orders of hot fries, a clean plate, and a hot burger with toppings, all fixed quickly.  Thanks, Barbie!

Overall, though, yelpers, I don't think this place deserves the high rating it has (the high rating prompted us to drive here from a nearby town).  The upstairs has thin, drab carpet, where we found a pile of chips ground into the carpet when we walked in--and they were still there when we left.  Decor is mismatched. The outdoor balcony seating is nice, but tiny, so you can't count on getting a seat here.  

Burgers were tasty, however, and cooked perfectly to order.  My brother got the chicken strips, and he liked those as well.

I am pretty much copying my review for the Antler Bar, because these two establishments were our favorite places to eat while we vacationed in Pentwater. It seems that most of the local restaurants employ high school/college kids who are clearly just around for a summer job, so it was refreshing to have a server who knew the art of waiting tables

We ate here twice, and both times the food was excellent and the service was very attentive. I got the Spicy Jack burger the first time and it was so good almost everyone in our party ordered it on our second visit.

It's a pretty busy place, so I suggest getting lunch as soon as they open or taking a late lunch after 1:30. We stopped by a couple of times between noon and 1 and the waiting list for a table was way too long.