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Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Nightlife Bars Pubs Canadian (New), Pubs [Edit]
1177 Lynn Valley RdNorth Vancouver, BC V7J 2A1
Neighbourhood: Lynn Valley
(604) 990-8880
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 12 am
Fri-Sat 11 am - 1 am
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
16 reviews for Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub
16 reviews in English
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Review from Grant B.
North Vancouver, BC
2/7/2012
Congratulations once again Black Bear Pub! Lynn Valley is very lucky to have such an excellent local watering hole with great food for the past 15 years... wow time goes by fast when you live on Guiness and Signature Prime rib specials. Can't wait until Thursday, Feb 9th to join in the celebration of your 15th anniversary. Too bad dogs are not allowed... Joesy loves prime rib! I'll have to get one order to take home for her. No Guiness thou, as she is only 1 and a half, but you know those Aussie's they love meat and beer :)
See you Thursday, Grant and Jasmine and a few others from the Botto Team!Comment from Alastair K. of Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub 2/26/2012
Thank you guys, it is always gratifying to know that what we… More » -
Review from Mike A.
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Chicken and asparagus strogonoff was very good. GREAT pub ambiance and this stop is highly recommend for those going to or coming from Whistler that want close food stop that isn't fast food. Look it up, it's right of Exit 19 Lynn Valley Road? on Hwy 1.
Had to update my revew with the person that made it a memorable experience and her name was bethany. Very Cool and fun --- made for a great experience. -
Review from Sarah O.
6/27/2009 ROTD 7/3/2009
Mmm.. who else loves french fries? Steak cut fries.. you aiiiite. Yam fries.. you cool. Curly fries... you fun. But let's be real, shoestring is the best right? I thought so too until I discovered the Haystack Fries. These needle point cut frites, pommes, chips, patatas, what have you, they are deeelish. Outside patio is a cool place to chill out, though sometimes it could get rambunctious with young drunken rascals.
Also, you better go for the pitcher of beer. Way better value than getting individual sleeves. Yay!Listed in: Oat Sodas And Good Company.
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Review from Rebecca H.
North Vancouver, BC
6/3/2010
I visited this pub a couple of weeks ago, when I friend and I met for a casual evening of drinks and conversation. This place was in a convenient location for both of us, and was thus the chosen venue. I found it to be fairly standard; nothing incredible, but a good place to meet up on a weeknight. However, I must admit that I did not try the food; after reading several rave reviews about meals, I think I may have to return for a bite to eat.
When I arrived, my friend had already found a small available table. We sat down and the waitress arrived swiftly to take our orders. We had not yet decided on drinks, so we asked if she could return in a minute or two. Apparently that was the wrong call, as we waited for 15 minutes before approaching another waitress to ask if we might place an order. After receiving our drinks, we were not visited by another waitress until we went up to pay our bill.
The atmosphere of the pub was warm and lively. At times, it was a little too loud to carry on conversation; however, most of the evening we were able to talk without being overly disturbed. I was impressed both by how busy it was at 8pm on a weeknight, and by the low price of the drinks. It's rare that I can buy a glass of wine (though I admit, not great wine) for $5.
Overall, it was a decent experience and I would probably return due to the convenient location. However, I would not recommend this pub as a place to go out of your way to visit; I think it's pretty typical of what you might find in your own neighbourhood. -
Review from Namit M.
9/11/2010 3 Check-ins Here
This restaurant is the Cadillac of pub food - not sure post bankruptcy if that is a good saying, but ya'all get the point.
I have been frequenting this place for over 10 years and the food has consistently stayed good. I have a weakness for their Indonesian pasta - its spicy, hot, comforting and served with a nan is bloody damn good.
I also think they do an excellent job with their burgers and fish and chips - the burgers are always cooked to perfection with excellent toppings. The fish and chips are done in panko crumbs and are very good. They also do a mean ostrich burger - which IMO is an excellent option.
The patio is excellent, albeit with splendid vistas of Safeway. The drinks are reasonably priced. Love Black Bear. -
Review from Megan S.
12/15/2008
Despite being a pub, I haven't tried any ales here. And it's not a place I'd want to hang out and drink at. It's really small and crowded. But they surprisingly good food. Surprisingly- because I didn't expect much the first time I went.
But the food was great. I had a burger and my husband a pulled-pork sandwich. We both finished them off easily and enjoyed it. They have quesadillas- and when you order that, the Black Bear donates fifty cents from the order to a North Shore charity. Pretty cool- so far they've raised several thousand dollars. Gotta love that. -
Review from Kevir K.
North Vancouver, BC
9/1/2011
I have a love/hate relationship with The Bear. It's been here for years and would only come here because I had a friend that lived in the neighbourhood. It wasn't anything special back then, but was good enough for a couple of college kids putting back a few pints. After my friend moved out of the neighbourhood, I stopped coming here.
Fast forward several years when I moved into the neighbourhood and I started coming here again. For months, my friends and I would come here just to drink; the menu didn't have anything special or unique, so we decided we'd save money and hit McDonald's on the stumble home. One day, when I was hungry enough and tired of drunken McDonald's, I had a Club Sandwich and was won over.
With food now being an option again here, I would hit up The Bear at least thrice a week. I was getting known by the staff and started making some new friends with other regulars. This was becoming my own version of Cheers. I was here so often that I would get comped a couple of drinks at least once every two weeks (I know it's not a lot, but it really went a long way for customer loyalty). Things went to shit when they let Danielle, one of the managers, go.
With Danielle's departure, the staff turn over went up. Very quickly there were so few staff that I recognized and they didn't stay long enough for me to re-establish myself as a regular. Gone were the comps and I started feeling like I was supposed to be privileged with being there rather than they were thankful for all the business my friends and I were giving them. With such a dramatic change, and their refusal to serve Hoegaarden again, I come here very rarely, even though it's within stumbling distance of my house.
Shortly after the managerial change, I noticed that they started charging for pop refills. Before we paid out the bill, we asked the server if this should still apply for our designated driver, and we were told that it is policy. With a $150 bill, I was appalled that they would not give free refills to the person driving three drunks home while most other places wouldn't charge at all. This is a minor thing with significant impact that should never have been implemented.
On another visit, a friend and I were sharing a pitcher. During my first glass, I noticed that my glass had lipstick on it. My friend's was clean. I had my glass replaced with another with lipstick on it. My third glass also had lipstick on it. When I got my fourth glass, which my server indicated she looked at "under a microscope", also had lipstick on it, I figured I was cursed and relented to drink out of a lipstick stained glass. After a shift change, my fifth and subsequent glasses were lipstick free.
With my most recent visit to The Bear, my friend ducked into the mall to get a pack of cigarettes first. As they didn't have any matches there, I suggested to him that he could probably get some at The Bear. We walked in and ordered a pitcher. When the beer came, we asked our server if they had any matches behind the bar, and we were told they don't. After our first pint, we covered our glasses with napkins (napkins or coasters signal our intent to return), walked over to Safeway for a pack of matches, and then I waited for my friend to finish his smoke. When we got back in, our bill was waiting for us and, thankfully, our beer was still there. The server rather snootily asked for prompt payment and advised that we would have a new server going forward. The current server took the new server aside and vented her frustrations because we had "spent 20 minutes in the parking lot." I don't understand why she was yelling at our new server, I know that we weren't away that long, and I thought it was quite obvious where we were and what we were doing. Luckily, our new server was one that recognized me and the rest of the evening went smoothly.
They run a wing special, everyday from 2 to 7, $0.45/wing, which is no longer listed on the menu (though it's still served), and they are very tasty - we've been known to come in and eat wings alone for a meal. There's also a Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding special every Sunday that, if you're not careful with flagging down your server, can sell out between 6pm and the server checking in on you. In addition to the regular menu, they do run a fresh sheet as well, though it seems to never be available during my usual visits between Friday and Sunday. I'm also disappointed that, being a pub, I can't get Shepherd's Pie but I can get Butter Chicken (like I'm going to eat Indian food not cooked at home).
I do come back for the wings, but the usual drama of lipstick glasses or servers keeps me away until the wing craving really hits me. I wish I could rate them as high as I used to think of them, and it seems The Bear thinks of itself as entitled to great reviews rather than earning them. I hope one day they'll be as they used to be. -
Review from Richard W.
Vancouver, BC
5/30/2009
Admittedly, I only visit this place once a year, when visiting Lynn Canyon. It's sort of a summer tradition. Go for hikes through the park, then finish off our healthy activity with food and drinks at the local.
Its a nice cozy pub, with excellent service, consistently. The food really shines here. Its real pub food, but great quality. I never understood why so many pubs seem to think that pub food and quality are mutually exclusive. But these guys get it.
The burgers are great. Have had the firecracker shrimp a few times, and the pulled pork sandwich. All phenomenol. Will be back again next year, and the year after, etc... -
Review from Roanna Z.
8/28/2009
I guess it's a thing around here to go for a hike, burn off a bunch of calories and then eat and drink them all back at a place like The Black Bear.
Calories are my friend. Hiking.... well, gotta move my lazy butt sometimes and as long as I can get away with a little whining it's all good. All along the trail though, I was craving Root Beer of all things.
Now for the grub here:
The variety on this menu is crazy! and they're selling all of it all of the time so it's all fresh.
Burgers, Salads, Seafood, Pasta and fried stuff.
They even have a Thai Prawns served with Rice noodles! Our table ordered a Shrimp and Avocado salad, that looked really yummy, a Salmon salad, a Burger that was reportedly "very good" and I had a Salad with Chicken, and some Fries.
The atmosphere is lively and LOUD. So it would have been nice to be on the patio, but alas, it was full. This place is crazy busy.
Lots of TV screens too.
Sadly though.... no Root Beer :-(
One other note is that their coffee is blahh, and they do not offer Soy. But the thing that ticked me off was that we were told we wouldn't be allowed to bring a coffee (WITH SOY) in from Delany's across the way. Now is that normal ?
I think it's downright rude.
I don't actually think our group will return after this last of three visits.Listed in: North shore businesses and…
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Review from Terry W.
North Vancouver, BC
2/17/2010
I live in the hood and have been going to the Bear for years. I have enjoyed their food for the most part. Their burgers have sagged lately. Last night's was over cooked and the bun stale. The service was excellent and usually the food is good. The tortellini or noodles are great. They like to use spice!
All in all a great place to meet a friend and bullshit over a beer. -
Review from Susan W.
5/1/2009
Stopped her on the way to the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. had originally wanted to go to lunch at the Stanley Park Bar & Grill but as they are closed from Sept. - May that wasn't an option.
Hubby had the falafel wrap with yam fries. YUM! I had the steak sandwich with salad. Very tender steak but no seasoning. Had to put salt & pepper & steak sauce on it. Nice side salad with tasty blue cheese dressing. Black Lager a perfect match to my steak sandwich. Lighthouse IPA very good too. Adequate server. Had to flag her down to get steak sauce and another beer as she was busy chatting with a friend at the bar. Side of chipotle mayo for fries .75c not worth the money. Also charged .75c for extra tzatziki for falafel wrap. -
Review from Cameron D.
North Vancouver, BC
10/16/2011
I thought I would head out here to have a couple pitchers and watch the Canuck's game for my friends Birthday, growing up in Lynn Valley I used to love this place. At first everything was fine, we found a seat, our Waitress appeared to be nice at first, asking us what we would like to drink etc. My friend got the Tortellini with chicken, but after seeing, and smelling what I saw, I quickly decided I would just drink. It was mostly cold by the time it got there, and it literally smelled like my feet after a Soccer game. When the game ended, we decided to order one more pitcher, and then hit the road, lets say that wasnt going to happen. We got a stone cold face from our waitress, No you guys have had 3 Pitchers now and you have 9 people at your table, ( she counted the table of acquaintances next to us as part of our table ) so you guys are cut off... what? My friends who had only ordered one pitcher ordered another, but as soon as she returned with it, she made off with me and my friends glasses, not allowing us to even try and have some of the Beer. My friend took a sip of the recent Pitcher, and it was like a Cat on a mouse, the waitress power tripped across the crowded bar, told us all shes charging us 15 percent saying "Way to go guys !!!, you just screwed yourselfs over!" This women just was unhappy, and did not wanna be doing what she was doing. I felt like i was in High school, since when is a man NOT allowed to drink Beer freely when he is paying for it? When she returned with the bill, we saw she had tipped herself 16 percent!!!!
I will never, ever be coming back to the Black Bear, nor will any of my friends. I suggest Browns right across the parking lot, friendly, young Waitresses who want to be there, and a great menu. -
Review from Lorne M.
North Vancouver, BC
3/19/2011
Overall great pub. Friendly servers, quick service, heated non smoking patio and ample parking. My only gripe is the food. The menu NEVER changes. Please change the menu managers. Also, the kitchen closes really early and they need to extend the kitchen hours.
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Review from Jennifer D.
Vancouver, BC
5/12/2010
This used to be my local when it first opened (i used to live across the street). i still frequent it although not as regularly as i used to. Still probably go more often than most i would imagine. The staff is FANTASTIC. The atmosphere is GREAT. it's sort of a 'nook and cranny' kind of place. the food is usually great. it used to be always great, but they've had some turnover over the years (as most places), so there is some inconsistencies. if one of the specials tickle your fancy - DO IT. ALWAYS delish. My only real complaint would be the cost of drinks seems a bit high. this place could have slunked by (being the only pub in lynn valley), but they knocked it out of the park and continue to do so.
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Review from Nadine N.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 11/3/2010
I had a bad experience during my last visit. I ordered my beloved tuna burger that I previously raved about, only this time it was bad. The tuna looked good poking out underneath the bun, so I broke off a small piece and popped it into my mouth. Thankfully it was a small piece because the fish tasted really fishy, a good indication that it was not fresh and perhaps even spoiled. Gross! It took a good 15 minutes before anyone came to check on us and when they did I reported that the tuna was bad. They took the plate back to the kitchen but not once did anyone who interacted with us apologize for serving me bad food. They did ask if I wanted something else, but by that time I'd already eaten half of my wife's dinner, so we just asked for the check. Now in the Black Bear's defense, they did take the tuna burger off the bill. If someone had just expressed some kind of concern, I would have felt much better about the whole thing. You know, convince me that this is not normal and that you hope I'll come back again to have a better experience? No? Okay, then why should I assume that next time will be any different? I'd rather not take my chances.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/17/2009
I'm sort of shocked by how good the food is at this pub. I love love love the tuna burger. They give… Read more »
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Review from Jane K.
North Vancouver, BC
8/8/2010
Largely consistent over 7 years of eating here but lately been grieving no haystack fries any more
