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| - Great service, nice atmosphere which will be even better in the summer when the overhead doors are open. We also enjoyed the food, although we were hoping for a fresher California feel. The menu is heavy on chicken, pork and bacon and there weren't too many vegetarian options. I was happy to see a few seafood dishes but they often had pork (shrimp tacos are my favorite but they had bacon lardon, so I passed). I finally settled on the Hawaiian truck style shrimp which was delicious, if small for the price ($16.50 for a medium bowl I easily finished). We'll be back, but hope there will be menu rotations occasionally with more vegetarian and seafood options.
Update: We tried Bear and Bottle again and the experience wasn't great. We stopped for a drink after a movie. It was about 9:30 or 10:00, and the host seemed slightly put out that we were coming in. This may be because the entrance is awkward, so the host has to leave the stand to greet you. There are two doors and the front one was partially blocked by carts and signs (but there were still plenty of people inside). The service was slow. We had to order at the bar while the table next to us had a server. I like the space and there are some good qualities, but sadly this place is falling a little flat for us.
Update: I was happy to see a bean burger added to the menu, but sadly it was disappointing. Way too thick and mealy. A bean burger is best when it's a little thinner so the beans retain some firmness and the edges crisp. The flavor was good but the texture was awful. And to add insult to injury, there was a $1.50 upcharge for it!
I had such high hopes for a California inspired restaurant. I was dreaming of simple fish or shrimp tacos, veggie dishes, limey drinks and fresh guacamole. We'll continue to support Bear and Bottle but will stick to drinks on the patio.
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