Barbeque, Missouri Style At The Bear Pit
Written: May 25 '04 (Updated May 26 '04)
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Pros: Delicious barbeque at reasonable prices
Cons: the bugs on the patio, bad interior decorating
The Bottom Line: Try a sandwich and some sort of ribs -- and avoid the patio after 7:30 (flying bugs!)
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| Dhano923's Full Review: The Bear Pit |
I recently saw a commercial for The Bear Pit on cable TV. I was hungry, and the food looked delicious! So I told my husband a couple weeks ago that we were going to try The Bear Pit for dinner that Friday night.
The Location
The Bear Pit is located on Sepulveda Boulevard, in Mission Hills. It's basically at the intersection of Sepulveda and the 118. There is a large neon sign out front so it's not too hard to miss.
The Ambiance
Old school family restaurant. No kidding. The parking lot is to the back, so you walk up to the restaurant and inside, there are wooden booths, and dorky teddy bears drawn on the walls. It looks like like a place the Brady Kids would have eaten at, but older. This is definitely a jeans and Tshirt type of place.
You have your choice of eating inside or on the front patio. The patio is nice, but if you are having dinner, beware of the flying bugs that come out around 8:00 and get into your food and drinks -- not very fun. They are attracted to the neon light from the sign out front.
The Food
Awesome food. The menu is fairly large, and offers a wide range of options. They start you off with a small plate of their homemade dill pickles and ice cold carrot sticks and celery to munch on, on the house. This is enough to tide you over until your order arrives.
The Bear Pit has your standard barbeque food. They specialize in Missouri style barbeque, whatever that means (this is my first experience with it). They have sandwiches -- your choice of sliced beef, pork, chicken, ham or lamb, offered on a sesame bun, french roll or their famous garlic toast. Pay the extra money for the garlic toast -- it's delicious. The sandwiches come with two sides (barbeque beans, cole slaw or fries) and a side of their delicious barbeque sauce. At less than $7, their sandwiches are a bargain. You can also get The Kodiak, which is a combination of a sandwich, 2 sides, and your choice of a beef rib or 2 spare ribs. Go with the beef rib -- it's so tender, it's practically falling off the bone.
They have several combo plates consisting of BBQ chicken, ribs, tri-tip and other barbeque fare like hot links. Combination plates range in price from $10 for a chicken dinner to $17 for a plate with a sampling of everything. The dinners come with 2 sides and their delicious deep fried taters.
The Bear Pit has a la carte items like onion rings, hot links, and other side items. The onion rings are ok -- stick with the fries -- they are really good, especially with a side of ranch dressing.
We never have room for dessert, but they do offer cheesecake, pie and a couple other items.
The Service
The service here is friendly, but is a bit slow. I think it goes with the whole laid back environment, though. Plus good barbeque does take time, so we don't mind waiting for our food. We have done take-out orders over the phone too, and have never had a problem with the order being incorrect.
Anything Else?
This is not the type of place you can enjoy for a business lunch or while wearing a tie. This is a very casual, relaxed restaurant. If you are looking for simple but good barbeque, then The Bear Pit is an excellent choice. If you happen to be driving on the 118 through Mission Hills, definitely make a stop -- it's really worth it.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations The BBQ beef sandwich on garlic toast, beef ribs
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
Dhano923
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: SoCal
Reviews written: 260
Trusted by: 201 members
About Me:
After a long hiatus from Epinions, I'm itching to write reviews again!
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