Big Bear Cafe
We source from local farms and vendors, use herbs from our own gardens, cure our own meat & fish, and do our own baking, preserves and pickling.
We also source from the farmers and vendors of the Bloomingdale Farmers' Market that we helped to establish in 2009.
We do private events and special dinners upon request including weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, coursed dinners, and cocktail receptions.
For special events or parties of 10 or more please contact the restaurant at bigbearcafe.events@gmail.com.
Private Dining
Book your next event with us
We were a party of 3. The worst thing was 2 of us ordered the same thing but only one of us was left with no food. The third person's dish didn't come till one of us was nearly done eating. Besides that it was a wonderful night out. The burger was delish. The farrow rissotto was surprisingly yummy. The Old Fashioneds were very smooth. The waiter was very apologetic and we'll blame the snafu on the tiny kitchen.
I took my wife here for her birthday and we also had our wedding reception here. They have taken great care of us every time, it is clear they care about their customers. Plus, the food is amazing! The outside area is beautiful as well. They also have a great selection at the bar and great mixed drinks. We will be going back to Big Bear many times I'm sure and I would recommend it for any occasion. Great place, great experience!
Loved that you could reach up and pick a few grapes from the vines there.
Delicious food. Variety for different tastes and diets. Waitress and chef were able to make slight adjustment for no saturated cream fat and low sodium, while staying true to the entree.
Unique, summertime ambiance outside. Definitely a neighborhood gem.
This is our fourth or fifth visit to Big Bear Cafe and we will keep coming back. The outdoor seating is very pretty, surrounded by an herb garden and underneath a network of grapevines. Indoors is rustic, but really well done. I'm not a huge foodie, but I've always liked the food and foodie friends have said they like it as well. They used to have awesome interesting drinks and while they were in between bartenders, the wait staff was nice enough to whip up some really interesting cocktails. We love the feel and the food and look forward to the next visit.
Good food, great service, casual neighborhood vibe, not too loud at 8:00 on a Saturday night. Would definitely recommend the risotto and burgers. However, have only eaten here once on a cold winter night with 3 friends. Have not had the brunch menu which is highly recommended online or had the pleasure of sitting in the outdoor dining space, which is also highly recommended online. Look forward to returning for brunch in better weather.
Healthy and tasty food, nice ambiance, cute terrace and good energy
This is the third time I've been to Big Bear for dinner. It was an excellent experience, per usual. We were celebrating a birthday with 13 people, and we sat outside on their patio. It's so wonderful out there - vines all around you, lights hung above you, not noisy. The drinks were delicious - especially the old oak tree cocktail and their sour white beer. Ordered the mac and cheese to start, which comes in the cutest little cast iron skillet. Definitely tasty, with a spicy kick, and not overly cheesy. Had the short ribs for dinner, which were cooked and seasoned so perfectly, as well as awesome greens and couscous. The plum cobbler dessert was my favorite. Service was excellent, though food took a while to come out. Overall delicious!
Big Bear is our normal morning spot for coffee and breakfast out on their patio, but we decided to give dinner a shot! The lighting, vines, patio, etc. is beautiful and would be great for friends or for a date. The food was absolutely delicious. We had a group of 7, so we tried much of the menu. Seriously- food is awesome; however, it took forever for us all to get our food (1+ hr)... likely because we had a larger group (and they have a small kitchen). I'd suggest going in a smaller group or plan to hang out for a while.
FAQs
Big Bear Cafe is rated 4.2 stars by 10 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.