Bull & Bear Pub

Monday to Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Closed Sundays

Regular kitchen open until 10 p.m. weekdays, 11 p.m. weekends

125 E. Water St.

3.5 chili peppers

When I eat out, I hardly ever order burgers. Compared to other delicious menu items, they rarely catch my eye. But when my dining partner and I arrived at the Bull & Bear Pub, the restaurant’s tagline grabbed my attention: ‘Shut Up and Eat Your Burger.’ With a slogan like that, we couldn’t resist. 

The decision to order a burger was easy, but picking out which to get was not. Bull & Bear has a whopping 16 different burger options, ranging from the fairly standard — like the Vermonter, with sharp white cheddar and smoked bacon —to the more unique. My mouth watered at the thought of the California, loaded with guacamole, pepper jack, bacon, onion and mayo.

We chose the Caliente: bacon, pepper jack and a creamy chipotle sauce, and we decided to stave off rumbling stomachs with a bowl of the Middle Ages Impaled Ale Chili as an appetizer. 

Our chili arrived in what felt like three minutes.  It had a thick gob of cheddar cheese melted on top and a chunk of golden cornbread. The chili was spiced enough to leave my lips burning a bit and contained thick hunks of tomato. I didn’t notice it with my first bites, but once I got used to the spice, I could taste the ale infusion. I found it interesting and unique, but a little bizarre because I’ve never tried chili with beer in it before. It added a light hoppiness to the bowl. 

The cornbread came with a small container of maple butter and toed the line between not quite cooked enough and moist. I’m not one to ever butter my cornbread, but I decided to dip a piece into it. My taste buds celebrated. The maple butter was light and airy as a cloud. Taste-wise, the light sweetness complemented the cornbread perfectly.

Post-chili and pre-burger, I soaked up the pub’s atmosphere. We sat in the middle of the room at a table with long wooden booths big enough for three on each side.  More booths lined the window, and a few tables skirted the wall. 

On the opposite side of the room stretched a long bar. Bright lights illuminated the sit-down side where we enjoyed our meal, and the bar glowed with the fluorescent light of various beer and liquor signs, giving it a nightlife vibe. We didn’t witness any action, but each weekend night, a local band takes the little stage by the back of the room. With its weathered and lived-in feel, the Bull & Bear captured the feel of a classic pub — a diverse crowd and intimate atmosphere.

When our burger arrived, its sheer size impressed me. The chef had artfully dribbled the light orange chipotle sauce across the top, and the bacon was plentiful. Every burger comes with a side, so we had the sweet potato fries, which came with my old friend, the maple butter. 

If the cornbread with the butter tasted great, then the fries and butter tasted out of this world. A sucker for the sweet-and-salty dynamic, I found myself in culinary heaven. Just enough salt sprinkled over the piping hot fries contrasted the butter’s sweet flavor. The burger also offered a well thought-out palette of tastes. The smoky bacon added just the right crunch, and the zest of the chipotle sauce hinted at the reason behind the burger’s title ‘Caliente.’  The beef itself tasted succulent and fresh.  We didn’t ‘shut up,’ but we definitely finished our entire burger.

Throughout our feast, the Bull & Bear provided a great playlist for a Saturday night, a mix of old classics with a modern touch. When we completed the meal — the maple butter containers once again left spotless — the bar started to fill up, proving the pub’s reputation as a popular late-night hangout. 

I plan on revisiting the pub to try another burger with the amazing sweet potato fries, but next time, I’ll also make sure to stay for the music and drinks. 

jidonfro@syr.edu

Published on February 28, 2012 at 12:00 pm