Always friendly! Food is always amazing!! Service is wonderful. Their blue cheese is the best I've ever had if i could buy it by the jar I would lol.

Mike is a cool guy, bet the horses, play the quick draw and try the house lager, you will love it, just be prepared it comes in a very big glass!

Went there for an open mic, discovered that they had good food and fantastic service! One note: the music would be even better if it was on a riser or something rather than on the floor.

Great beer with decadent comfort food. Incredibly friendly staff and ownership. Couldn't ask for a better place to grab a point with a friend!

I had the smoked wings with the sweet and spicy sauce. Absolutely delicious! Our waitress/ bartender was personal, friendly and attentive. Small local business with good food. Definitely will return.

Excellent food. Good patrons hang out here often. A bit of homegrown crowd so if you're from out of town you can get some good info about the area from the locals who frequent here. Friendly bar tenders and owner as well. Great crowd on Sundays during football season as well.

Went for the first time today in-person, my job got us takeout once before and my burger was great, so figured I'd give it another go upon a spontaneous lunch invite earlier. Let me say: official hidden gem! I had the fried green tomatoes (with pork belly!!) and the burnt end fries today. Soooo good! I am coming back for sure when they're no longer out of the pretzels with beer cheese :) that's my jam, and if they're sold out, you know they're prob good as hell too.

Went to the Black Bear Inn yesterday with my sister to watch a World Cup game. Requested the game be put on, Mike let us pick which TV to play it on. Ordered the Cajun parm wings, delicious. Nice, crispy and perfect flavor!! Service, food and drinks were wonderful, I will definitely come back again! Thanks Mike!

Visited today, it was busy but Mike the bartender did a good job of keeping drinks full and customers happy. Will absolutely be back soon.

One of the BEST resturants I've ever been to. Amazing selection of saucesas well as breads (for burgers or other sandwiches). For example they offer a jalapeno cornbread which was awesome and different. Their bear claw fries are the bomb and the mac & cheese never disappoints. Keep it up black beer.

I just love this place. I don't eat or drink at restaurant. We order take out once a week minimum. I have never disliked any of the food. Burnt end fries are amazing! French dip awesome! Grizzly Burger(I think thats the name-comes with an fried egg)ridiculous! Ranch dressing I want to swim in lol! Highly recommend!!

The food is amazing here. The staff is no nonsense and there to make sure you're well taken care of when you're seated. They have some really enjoyable specials that you must try!

AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME venue!!! A Most Fun and Fabulous OPEN MIC! Thank You to Jack Kelle and the entire staff for making Himer T. Morgan's 73rd Birthday, yet again, UNFORGETTABLE!!! 🤗

Nice bar and we had a great lunch Place was kinda busy and we showed up with 8 of us. Katy was fantastic. She was bartending and serving all of the tables. She was pleasant and never stopped hustling.

Just tried this place for the first time tonight and WOW! I'm not sure how we had never heard of it before other than the fact that we dont live in Watervliet. Everything was delicious....and fresh! We tried the smoked wings (sauce in the side) and the bacon bombs for appetizers and both were 🔥🔥. I tried the Cowboy Reuben and the hubby got the Big Kahuna burger....both with a huge pile of fresh cut fries! Everything was amazing and we will DEFINITELY be back again.....soon!

Excellent.nt PBJ wings!

My favorite place in the capital district to watch football. They have all the games on and he atmosphere is great. Place is bustbut the bartenders are attentive and quick. The wings are phenomenal and the prices on everything is very fair.

Loved the pepper jack burger, and the fried portabello mushrooms were delicious. The taco salad was big enough for two to share. Also had eggplant fries... But we were too full. Note... Online menu says fried calamari but it had been discontinued. Great prices.

I placed a order for pickup. I ordered Sirachca blue and. 1 order garlic parm wings. The best Chicken Wings so far this year. Cooked perfect. Very tasteful and went out of there way with customer service. Food is out of this world good. If you want good food and a great experience. Highly recommend.

Great food. All hot and well prepared. Good and drinks all reasonable and Good selection. Good helpful staff and fun regulars. Had a great time with Jack Danny and Steve at open Mic nite. Likely visiting again.

WOW! What a perfect stop on our way home to NJ from VT! Excellent beer selection, the most perfect buffalo wings, fresh fries, generous portions, and friendly service (Mike R.). Also, very cognizant of COVID—tables were well spaced apart, they were busy but never crowded, and plenty of signs and hand sanitizer everywhere reminding everyone to be smart. This will be a regular spot for our annul trip from now on.

To err is human, to love is simply divine. Beginning with no errors, when you first walk in to the Black Bear Inn, you are greeted with the roaring sounds of faithful good locals that are genuinely happy to be in each other’s company. A deep sea of smiles and eager bar maids are plainly seen on the surface. However, taking a glimpse into its depth proved worth the effort as I noticed the wide variety of cocktails adorning the trim of the bar, an electronic dart board for the brave and competitive, and a span of televisions broadcasting your favorite pastime. I have eaten my fair share of grubbery, enough to be qualified to tell you the truth about its form. The food here transcends comfort; it is an emotional moment to bite into a burger that is so very fresh and so very juicy. The Black Bear Inn burgers will give you those ‘feels’. The diverse variety of Mac and Cheese boasted at the Black Bear Inn is deserving of full exploration... simply oozing with a golden yellow thickness that I personally have found to be unmatched. A clean, friendly, attentive staff rounds out this five star review of a local watering hole that just might be the next best thing you’ve ever tasted. Jolly good show, my hat’s off to you, simply divine.

Every thing was great had a cowboy Reuben with no coleslaw and it came out and the best sandwich I ever had the rest of the family had the wing and said they were pretty good

I have been here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. The food is very good, and the portion sizes are large. Good selection of beers. The staff has been very attentive, pleasant and efficient. I look forward to coming here again.

Great dive bar, smoked wings are excellent. Service is good. Men’s room was a little dirty but Im used to that. For some reason drunk men have a hard time aiming or it’s too short and they are not standing close enough idk but it’s a common problem.

Always great food and awesome selection of beer on tap. The staff here is great too ❤️

I come to black bear often but usually at night. I stopped in for a late lunch today and ordered the Beef on Weck. The food was amazing. Service fantastic. Mike is a great bartender!

The food and service here are excellent and have been for a long time! The Smoked Wings are some of my favorite wings of all time and I lived in Buffalo, NY. The Pulled Pork Sandwich is definitely one of my favorites as well and I've eaten at a lot of BBQ joints. Their Homemade Shoestring Fries are absolutely phenomenal! The Burgers are really amazing as well! Do yourself a solid and stop by and grab some grub, you won't be disappointed! The prices are more than fair.

Best chicken tenders and chicken wrap we’ve had! Last visit we had the moonshine wings and they were terrific. This place is a must try, it’s our fourth visit and each has been 5 star.

Drinks were good, great service and food was fantastic

A regular bar with upscale food . We got the burnt end loaded fries and the ot stickers which were both delicious.

The wait staff was cordial and attentive. Good selection of draft beer. The nachos were fabulous.

Service is always spectacular. Im a HUGE fan of the "Cowboy Bites" (get extra sauce because its awesome) and the Pulled pork Mac n Cheese. Be hungry when you show up. You get your moneys worth every time. Clean, comfortable bar atmosphere with well made cocktails and a large on-tap selection including local micro-brews.

First time ever going there! My wife and I were looking to try something new in the neighborhood. Honestly... The food was absolutely amazing!! I substituted my french fries for the mac n cheese... WOW!! Baked cheese on top and little slices of jalapeños, but it's not spicy it was so good! Even the presentation of my grizzly burger was awesome! My wife ordered the turkey bacon sandwich, which was also very good. Its a very clean bar on the inside, especially for being privately owned. It was pretty busy and the service from the bartender/takeout lady was great! I was immediately acknowledged as I walked in, the food was ready right on time and i was in and out. I managed a few restaurant's over the past 8 years and I've seen a lot of things... Bravo to the owner of this establishment and to his or her staff! I wish I had 2 more hands so I could give you guy's 4 thumbs up!!!

We hired the black bear to cater our wedding that had no kitchen, and all the food was beyond our wildest dreams!! It was incredible and so hot and the perfect amount of food was available. We are SO grateful to the entire team that was there to make our day perfection!

Small place but pretty well kept. Food is OFF THE CHART GOOD. Not super high prices. Mostly affordable. Tv's with sports and other things on bar head wall. Lottery machine. Mostly a bar, but also serves Great food. Seems to have shows and events every week or so (maybe Monthly) but for a small town where is located. Is a very nice place and location. Didn't look for it's parking (or if it has one). But that's the only bad thing if street parking happens to be full when you go.

Absolutely fantastic. The food is amazing with portions big enough to feed two with one plate. Bartenders are outstanding as well. They have open mic night on Tuesdays and the guys and gals that show up there to perform are outstanding to say the least. They have OTB in there as well.

Food was exceptional, great quality and more than we could eat. Wings and cowboy bites were exceptional. Salads were huge, fresh and delicious. Mac n chesse is out of this world as were sandwiches. Looking for a great place to eat, great portions and fabulous prices.

Still love this place! Always changing their menu, clearly listening to their customers, the best place to eat in Watervliet, NY by far!

Cozy pub with flavorful food and a great beer selection including some high end craft and cheap low-end iconic American swill. First time there but definitely will be back. Watch your step however the landing for the entrance is a little weird.

Yeah, good place. Bartender was on point. Food was good. Wasn't overly fancy or anything. But it was cooked properly and on time. Black claw fries were on point. We'll be back next time we wander over that way. Thanks

Very impressed with portion sizes. The flavor is definitely their. Prices look expensive but you get alot of food. Will be reordering

This place is always delicious and great service

Quite possibly the best Burger I've ever had! Pimento Burger is a unique and fantastic choice. My kids also loved their Burger and wings.

Matthew Desrochers

Good food, Open Mic Tuesday nights and Karaoke Wednesday nights are always a great time!

Michelle Eckler

We went for lunch on a Monday morning and was not busy at all. Our waiter was running the bar and serving our table and was very attentive! We had been a few years ago for their wing sampler and was happy to see it still on the menu! 25 wings with up to five different sauces. They were delicious! Everyone else enjoyed their food (burgers and sandwiches).

Fantasma Alvarez

Was so polite menu was delicious was hard to choose the Mac was so good must try plain jane cowboy bites yum town and the French onion soup divine deff will be back laid back environment very recommended

Evita Lee Rivera

Delicious food and Great drinks !!!!

Timothy Baum

The chicken tenders are from scratch you can't make this up the fries are delectable and addictive quick service with a smile I brought the Upstate Karaoke Mafia with me and now it's my go-to for Wednesday night fun Henny Jenny a fantastic singer KJ has the best gimmick in the game a collection of the cutest stuffed chickens and when you are a karaoke version there you must hold her on of her cox for the entirety of your song😆😂🤣🐔🐓🐣🐤🐥🦆🦢🐔🐔🐔🐔🐓 but definitely try the chicken tenders I believe it is it seems like pounded chicken thighs boneless and skinless what coded with delectable breading with great dipping sauces okay I've rambled on long enough LMAO try it you'll like it TJ Johnson Baum Boss UPSTATE KARAOKE MAFIA 🎙🎤🎶🎵

+1

Christopher Peterson

Have been a fan for years & should have written this review forever ago. My girl & I consider this home base as far as “our” restaurant. 90% of the time the food is exceptional & the other 10% it is still GREAT lol. What I mean by this is that even on their worst day… Black Bear has provided better food than other places best days. Customer for life!

Sidewinder Fire Photography

The food was absolutely amazing. The hamburger came out and was massive and the homemade fries hit the spot. The mac & cheese across the way on someone else’s plate amazing also that will be my next try here. I highly recommend the Black Bear Inn to everyone

Jennifer Grogan

Great food. Little loud you want to just eat and not join the bar crowd. Had the nachos and buffalo chicken mac and cheese

Brianna McNall

Stopped by with the cousin for a late dinner, and stumbled into a raucous, delightful karaoke night! The gal at the bar was holding down the fort alone, but was friendly and super helpful. The patrons were having a blast and the atmosphere was welcoming. Food was fantastic. We snagged the nachos and the cowboy bites off the appetizer menu, and it was a full meal and then some! Definitely planning to come back, there's a lot more we want to try!

TheCgamache

Wednesday nights Karaoke with Dan. and also on St Pateucks day. They served the best cornbeef and cabbage dinner. It was delicious!!!

+9

James Edward

We stopped by at the end of the day on a Friday. First, the atmosphere inside was cheery and welcoming. It reminded me of a bar like the old series “Cheers” or the Ben Affleck movie “The Tender Bar” - people were gathered like old friends at the end of a long work week. Katy was the bartender and server - very welcoming, upbeat- we can’t say enough about the great service we got. Now the food - we had read great reviews from Facebook and finally had a chance to try it out. We were not disappointed! This is pub food better than best - it’s the real deal. First we started with an order of honey BBQ bone in wings (they have many sauce flavor options)- best we’ve had in the capital region - hot, crispy, large sized and absolutely delicious. Next we tried the plain Mac and cheese and it, too, was delicious- lovely melted cheese on top of cavatappi pasta with a lovely blend of creamy cheeses underneath. We didn’t need to add any salt because the flavors were perfectly delicious already. Next we had the pulled pork sandwich that came with Cole slaw and their homemade, hand cut fries. I opted for onion rings. Can’t even begin to describe how delicious everything was - the pulled pork had excellent smoky tenderness, the Cole slaw was delicious — (too many places just can’t make a good Cole slaw but this place has it down !) And then there are the fries and onion rings - wow - both were excellent! Super flavor and perfect light crispy texture- haven’t had good fries/onion rings like this in years! The menu had many other pub fare options from chicken to salads and burgers. It’s a small cozy place inside, people are very friendly. Highly recommend this place. Katy was great and she makes a top notch White Russian. Our hats go off to the chefs/cooks for the extra mile on serving amazing pub food that sets this place apart from so many other places in the Capital Region

Christina L

Stopped here 11/15/23 after looking through the reviews which seemed mostly good. We accidentally picked to sit at the end of the bar near the kitchen , don't do that lol only bc it's the bartenders drop off spot for the dirty dishes. We had thought about moving, but didn't mind, the bar is big enough, it's not like they were on top of us. The bar tender apoligized and said she would find a different spot, i told her it was fine. I think we inadvertently messed up her routine, but she was nice. The cook was great. The cheese curds weren't available, they offered mot sticks- which is our favorite, and they were among the best I've had. They have sauces I've never seen before like raspberry bourbon, zesty tequila, and moonshine. We had the 5 for $25 sample platter, which is 5 different sauces , and it was really good and presented well. It came with plenty of celery and carrots and the blu cheese sauce is homemade and sort of whipped, it was really good as well. I thought about grabbing a second order of mot sticks to go, then regretted I didn't. Lol. Definitely not a bad find, I'd stop again.

Tishawna Weston

It was my first time going to Black Bear Inn and the atmosphere was wonderful. The music was nostalgic, the food was delicious, and the waitress was lovely. She was assisting everyone and checking in periodically. Will definitely return with some friends next time! 😊😊

Jackie Adler

We loved everything about the experience we had yesterday when we stopped for dinner. Great service, delicious food that came out quickly, and a relaxed spot to hang out in. I knew going in that the wings were a must-try and I was still surprised by how good they were; crispy but still moist and flavorful without having to be drowned in sauce. Loved the loaded fries too! Burger was juicy and the mac and cheese I added for my side will be the next day's lunch. Highly recommend stopping by to try it for yourself!

+1

angela cunningham

First visit and the food was spot on. Burgers were amazing, slightly over cooked for our taste but honestly juicy, thick burgers. My husband had a burger with pork belly on it, the burger was massive. Fresh cut fries and Mac & Cheese both great. The fries were crispy, hot and reminded me of homemade fries my grandmother used to make. The bartender/waitress/ host, she does it all and does it well. The place was pretty busy and she managed to answer each call, table, guest and order with the ease. I’m impressed by the overall experience.

Michael Verrastro

Great relaxed atmosphere and superb bar food. Katy behind the bar is adorable and makes you feel right at home. On my top 5 list for wings. Will be back for sure. On returm trip, tried the Grizzly Burger. Phenomenal!

lyfewithoutmusic

Stopped here on the way to Palmyra with a group and will definitely want to come again. The food was absolutely delicious and filling. I got the blackened chicken sandwich, which was just the right size. The Mac and cheese was nice and cheesy, with a nice flavor.

I had the cheapest thing on the menu which was a turkey bacon sandwich. I wasn't really impressed because the bacon wasn't cooked all the way. The onion rings were very good. I took half the sandwich home and it was better when I cooked the bacon and added some mayo to the sandwich.

First review got botched so here we go again. Food is great and price it fair. Wait time the first I went was normal when they were quite busy. Second time I went it wasn't busy and it took a while to get the food. Perhaps a bad day in the kitchen. I'll do a final judgment if I go back a third time.

Food and service were excellent. Pepper jack burger was handmade and cooked medium well as ordered. What a nice surprise! Definitely go again.

The best wings I’ve had in a long time. Great atmosphere, had a blast!!

It's good, mostly bar food and BBQ but everything is hand made from real and fresh ingredients from the French fries to the BBQ sauce like real chicken breast and fresh hand made burgers. I go pretty much once a week for lunch but they got dart leagues and karaoke too if ur into that. Good place, great beer selections, clean and safe, no worries just fun.

Great bartenders, food is good. Great for lunch.

Excellent food. Plenty of leftovers to take home. We want for lunch and it was not crowded at all. Can't wait to go back and try the Mac and cheese. They have a great menu.

Small neighborhood pub with awesome food. Live music but although the internet said it was open mic night sadly no band. Bear claw fries and Mac and cheese was awesome.

50 cent wings on Friday. Great Atmosphere

I will say up front that this is not my usual place to eat. We were visiting a friend out of state and he brought us to the Inn. This is very much a working class bar that looked much like the kind I had seen often in movies. Having said all of that, the food was simple but excellent. The bartender was friendly and the place had a cool vibe.

Amazing food, and the best hot sauce I've had in a long time!

Small bar with several tables. Friendly bartender/waitress. Food was ok.

Robert Blacka

A great place for family and friends with delicious meals!! I had the Tuna steak and it tasted amazing!!

Brian

Bar with good food. The portion are huge so come hungry. Service could have been a little better. The busy bar tender was also the server so she would get behind. Overall good experience would definitely go back.

I ordered a taco salad and a chicken quesadilla. The Taco salad was terrible. No shell, strips only, made with shredded pork instead of taco burger. The shell is the appeal. I didn't order it in this manner. Just shoved it all in a aluminium pan and called it done. I did like the quesadilla but it all came without toppings for either items, no sour cream, no salsa or taco sauce. The worst money spent. The shell is the appeal!

Food and drinks were great! Small interior and very little parking. We parked a few blocks away at a grocery store lot an walked.

Ordered a pulled pork sandwich and it had no Cole slaw or bbq sauce on it. It was very dry. Tried calling for 45 min and busy. Ordered thru Mealeo

Good wings. We went on open mic night and it was a lot of fun. It would go a long way in my book if they would clean the bathroom and provide hand towels.

I like the blackbear food. Specifically the bear claw fries loaded, super yummy. HOWEVER, it is extremely frustrating when trying to order at 8:30 and nobody answers the phone. On the last call, they just took the phone off the ringer cause all I heard was the beeping. Insanity. If you’re not open, post those hours. It’s a good way to lose business when you ignore the phone 7 times, and take it off the ringer on the 8th. Guess I’ll be taking my business elsewhere for dinner tonight 🤷🏻‍♀️ whoever is working & lost business for you guys, you suck lol. Really was craving those fries

Food was good. But everyone’s was so SALTY. I will never understand why restaurants put so much salt on food. We can salt it ourselves!!

Waited almost 20 mins for waitress who was too busy talking with friends and taking selfies. Took our drink order and disappeared. Cobb salad had burnt chicken strips. No blue cheese crumble and raw bacon. Used to be a good place,wont go back.

I have to be honest, asked for deep eddys vodka, bought one bottle, sold out , just ordered wings to go , no Bleu cheese or vegs, asked and assume I paid for extra, owner on vacation,

The new location, 711 Central Ave.AlbanyThe Waitress there Turned an OK Day to a horror show. DREADFUL Service. Would not recommend to my worse enemy!

Says open until midnight confirmed by owner one week ago. Arrived 10:50pm to find them CLOSED. very irresponsible to post your hours and not stick to them. Sign of BAD restaurant. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise saving me from a terrible stomachache. AVOID.

Disgusting food. Great service. Absolute **** atmosphere. Never going back and or ordering delivery.

Waitress tonight was too incompetent to leave the bar and take orders for people sitting at the tables. Sat for 30 mins didn't get to order and left. I said to the waitress we were ready to order and I got attitude instead. Great job. Only come to sit at the bar or get nothing

EVERY time I've been here they do not have my first choice from the menu available. EVERY time. I would return however, because the food is pretty good. After my last experience I will NEVER return. I was there this Thursday and, despite once again not being able to order my first choice from the menu, everything went fine... Until today when a nearly $50 fraudulent charge showed up as pending on my debit card statement. I already paid for the visit on Thursday. This charge is out of nowhere. If you do decide to risk going here, DO NOT USE YOUR CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD.

Friend green tomatoes was a waste of money 14 dollars for two small pieces. The waffle fries tasted stale and freezer burnt and the fried chicken was dry and over cooked.

Claudia Cuttino

I have never been so appalled in my life. My daughter and I went to this establishment to get food. I remember this place when I did food delivery a while back. This is one of the places customers ordered from a lot mind you this was a while ago but I remembered this place because the burgers look so good and they served cheese curds with syrup. I’ve never had them that way before but they were delicious. Fast forward to today not even 10 minutes ago. My daughter and I is looking for a good burger place and I suggested this establishment only to stand there for a good 15 minutes and be ignored yes we’re African-American. A customer pointed out to the guy behind the counter, that we were waiting to order, and when he looked at us, he looked at as if he was disgusted. He rolled his eyes and continued to help other customers then he decided five minutes later and say to us, he will be right with us. too little too late I didn’t feel comfortable. My daughter didn’t feel comfortable. We definitely didn’t feel welcomed so we left.