Cow By Bear

Something different. The wife surprised me with this meal after I mentioned it to her 4 weeks prior. Not usual to have the chef dressed up as a bear, but I’m all about trying new things. Great service by the staff. I don’t drink alcohol and since the wife informed them of this, they were able to have some bottles of Coca-​Cola ready for me when I got there! We sat at a big table with other diners that we never met. Everyone was pretty friendly. So if you’re not into talking with strangers, this may not be the right dining experience for you. I’d imagine this would be a lot more fun for a large group of people where everyone knew each other already. Food was delicious. Overall interesting experience, something different.

This review may differ slightly because we booked out the entire table of 10. We were anxious to try CBB since our dinner reservation was made in February. Our dining location was outdoor on the rooftop of a building in Cortez Hill. We were met by Bear’s lovely assistant, Emilie, who ushered us upstairs to the gorgeous rooftop. The dining table was set up exquisitely for us. We got treated to a welcome cocktail that was very delicious. Then we were served a puff pastry appetizer that was super-​duper good. A golden beet salad followed that, then a gnocchi course, before finally being served the famous CBB 45-​day dry aged ribeye steak. While the ribeye was delicious, it wasn’t the best ribeye I’ve ever had. That said, the final entrée course wasn’t what made this dinner a 5-​star review. The «entire» experience was what everyone in our party loved! It’s not every day that you have an unknown chef wearing a bear costume preparing each of your courses, while they’re also exquisitely paired with nice wines to complement each dish. We were fortunate to have pretty much wrapped up dinner before the rain started coming down hard. All in all, we had a great time and Bear & Emilie were awesome hosts to all of us!

UPDATE: In one of the greatest customer service experiences of my life, Bear reached out to me to personally address each concern in my review. With that in mind, I truly believe that my experience was an off night, and that if given the opportunity, Cow by Bear could be as great as I’d hoped. I’ve changed my rating from 2 to 4 stars in response to the personal care and genuine concern that Bear expressed regarding my experience.
Okay, so it pains me a little to write this review. I wanted to love this place… this… experience, I really did, but it was the epitome of «meh».
The reservation process was great. The staff was incredibly helpful at squeezing me and my husband in right before his deployment. When that date was unexpectedly moved up, instead of canceling the reservation, they moved it up even further to give him a good send off.
They send the location and menu shortly before the reservation, possibly in an attempt to seem clandestine, but from what I understand, it is consistently being held in the same place now. With this email, they asked for any special needs, allergies, or concerns. Since each course is paired with a cocktail or wine, I let them know that I was pregnant, hoping that they would provide me with non-​alcoholic beverage options. They told me that they would take care of me.
When we finally arrived, parking was dismal, but that is Little Italy on a Friday night for you. I didn’t dock them any points for that. They opened up just in time, and we met the rest of our dining party. They only seat one table per night, max 10 people. It is fun and interesting to get to know your dining partners. It feels intimate, like a dinner party at someone’s house.
This is where the meal jumped the shark a bit…
The server began pouring alcohol for everyone, and I reminded him that I was in fact, pregnant, and that they had mentioned they’d still take care of me. It was a little awkward to have to announce this in front of the table of guests even after I had emailed them privately. I was offered water, and later, ginger beer, which he often forgot to refill for me. I had hoped for the price tag, that they would have subbed something interesting for me.
The first bites came out. puff pastries and olives, served family style. These were okay, but the introduction and service was so slow, we were all starving, so they were devoured quickly.
The first course was a golden beet and radicchio salad with goat cheese and walnuts. The radicchio was SO BITTER. It was literally inedible. I would estimate that 9 out of 10 people at the table refused to eat most of that salad. It was completely disgusting, and I love beets, goat cheese, and walnuts.
The next course was a garlic soup with chive oil and yogurt. It didn’t match what was on the menu they sent out, but it was pretty good.
The main course was the «steak». DO NOT BE FOOLED. It may have been a lovely cut of meat, but they roasted it as a ribeye roast. It was not individual steaks. There’s no choosing doneness, and even though they said it was served at medium rare, some people got well-​done pieces, some got nearly raw pieces. The person who got the very raw pieces had to send it back to have it further cooked. I found it incredibly bland, especially for aged beef. It was under salted, and they anchovy butter they served it with was pungent and unpleasant, stinking of canned anchovies. The roasted potatoes, were okay, but a little dry and overdone for my personal taste. There was a distinct lack of vegetable matter that made the dish feel heavy and one dimensional.
The dessert was a peanut butter and banana parfait style dessert served in the ever-​trendy mason jar. I find that a parfait or pudding tends to be the fallback for chefs who aren’t skilled in pastry. It was tasty, but underwhelming.
Final takeaway — Trying to be a novel experience by adding in a dash of whimsy by having the chef dress in a bear costume. Ditch the gimmicks and just serve good food for the $ 150 per plate that people are spending here. Honestly, if this had been a traditional restaurant, I probably would have asked for a refund. If the price tag had been $ 50, I would have bumped this to 3 stars, but I left feeling very dissatisfied and disappointed.

Was surprised with a Cow By Bear birthday dinner by my wonderful wife. We had an amazing time, I can honestly say I’ve never had a dining experience like CbB before. In a nutshell it’s a communal dinner with your food prepared by a bear. If you are gifting the dinner I recommend you tell the recipient as little as possible before you arrive.
Dinner is a fixed changing menu. I posted a pic with our menu and I won’t break down the dinner dish by dish because everything was delicious. Between getting to know the other folks enjoying the meal with us and our host Raffe (I’d forgotten his name and happily ran into him at the airport a few days later! Thanks Raffe), bringing out and educating us on the meal the evening went by very quickly. The Ribeye was prepared in a cast iron skillet over a propane camp stove. in my opinion this is the best/​only way to cook cow.
If you are socially uncomfortable this may not be for you as chatting with the other people at the table is pretty much necessary for the night. Don’t be afraid of bear, he’s a jolly and welcoming bear and quite the chef!
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would and will do again!

I have to admit this is generally not something I would be drawn to. A chef dressed in a bear costume and dinner at a communal table with strangers, in an initially undisclosed location. Just not my cup of tea. However, I was visiting San Diego and my host set this up and wanting to be a good guest I went along. So glad I did! Such a fantastic night!
We were greeted by our hostess Emily, who was delightful, charming, and friendly, as well as Bear the Chef, who was silently friendly and outgoing. Our chef and hostess had just the right amount of interaction throughout the evening.
We started off with a rum and ginger beer cocktail. Then an appetizer of puff pastry with mushrooms, a beet and radicchio salad, a creamy sunchoke, soup, a 50 day dry aged steak, and we finished with dessert of pistachio cheese cake and rhubarb sorbet. Cow by Bear also accommodated one of our vegetarian friends, just let them know when you’re making your reservation. Our friend enjoyed the vegetarian meal. Each course had a wine pairing of Argentinian wines.
Overall the food was good, but the evening was great! We started out as 10 strangers in front of a roll up door and by the end of the evening after much conversation and laughter we were comrades in a shared experience. Would highly recommend, even if you don’t think it’s your cup of tea!

What a night! From start to finish we had an amazing time. The whole experience was one to remember. Our host, Emily, was very energetic and friendly. Bear was interactive (as much as possible) and a great chef.
At first it’s slightly awkward sitting at a table with strangers, but once everyone started chatting about where they were from and how they found out about the dinner, it mellowed out. One couple we were with happened to be in town for Spring break and got lucky with a cancellation.
Each course was paired with a drink and all four rounds were excellent. The drinks were great and the shots with Bear put me over the edge into a nice cool buzz for the evening. The food was delicious and never made me feel stuffed!
I’ve already recommended all my meat loving friends to go as soon as possible! Thanks for a great, unique date night.

I knew it would take something extraordinary to get me writing my first Unilocal review. Indeed, it did. This is an experience, not a dinner. I found a lot of friends asking me, «how did you find this place??». I will tell you the same thing I told them: I searched our beloved Unilocal for «unique dining experience» and I found exactly that.
One can see from the other reviews what you can expect. Make your reservation, meet at the top secret location. There are 5 courses, each paired with wine or specialty cocktail, with the steak being the highlight of the meal. Food-​delicious. Wine-​yes please. Company-​wonderful. Bear-​mysterious and fun (you will spent some of your night trying to figure out just who is in that Bear suit…).
Some tips: 1. Plan ahead, they do fill up. 2. Don’t be shy, sitting with people you don’t know makes this so much more interesting! 3. Be prepared to have a good time. Don’t go to this if you are no fun.
Our group of strangers became fast friends by the end of the night. If you are looking for just-​another-​dinner, this is not for you. Go to this, embracing the concept, and open yourself to a one of a kind night you will not forget. I purchased this as a gift for my husband’s birthday, and he was so happy, he was telling his friends about it for the next week.
Thank you Bear and Company, for a night I will never forget.

This is a very creative approach and really makes Bear and his team stand out. My wife and I had a great time. We visited Bear on St. Patrick’s Day and he put an Irish twist on the menu. There were 14 guests and everybody was so friendly — if you’re going to a dinner party with strangers, bring your adventurous and friendly attitude. I thought the food and wine were great and the night flew by. Bear is definitely the star of the show but I’d like to point out that Emily, the hostess, is one of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. I’m sure every dinner party is a little different but we got phone numbers from two of the other couples and maybe even made some new friends. Book it.

I’m torn between three and four stars. I’ll give four since they don’t have 3.5. The experience is definitely different and unique. You are with a group of strangers at a large communal table at a secret location in little Italy. I’m not sure if I am allowed to disclose exactly where. You are greeted by a host and Bear. Both are very friendly and entertaining.
They start you off with a cocktail, appetizer, and introductions. I didn’t care for the cocktail. It had rum and ginger beer (?). I can’t exactly remember. Appetizer was crunchy seasoned chickpeas, these were «OK», and a sausage and peppers en croute. Very small, pretty good bite. Next was a seasonal salad. Greens, blood oranges, pistachios, vinaigrette dressing. I enjoyed the salad and it was paired with a white wine. After salad came a soup. This was by far the tastiest dish of the night. Paired with a 2012 Malbec, it consisted of kale, beans and potato, with black garlic oil. I inhaled it and wanted seconds. I know the main event was soon to come though.
After a while they take the left over rum from the cocktails earlier, and pass the bottle around the table and every one takes a shot. They also pass around a Polaroid camera to take your picture as you take your shot. This was fun, and a unique idea.
Now the main course. It is no longer a 45 day, but now a 50 day dry aged ribeye, served with cabbage and white bean ragout. I know ribeye is a more «marbled» cut, but mine had quite a bit if fat on it. It was nice and tender and juicy. I just feel like it didn’t blow me away.
All in all for $ 150 per person, it was kind of steep. Do I feel the food was worth that? Probably not. But if you take into account the experience, the wine… lots of wine… and the food, you’re probably getting a deal, if not the same price as a higher end restaurant. It’s definitely something different and people who are open to this environment of dining with strangers, and having a Bear cook your food, go for it. I definitely had a good time and definitely felt the wine at the end of the night. So after much consideration, yes it’s worth a solid four stars.

What can I say about Cow By Bear… It is an amazing experience and great food. It’s a place for people who enjoy something different, meeting new people and just having a fun time in a private setting. Bear is great, and although he doesn’t speak, he is very animated and makes everything that much more fun.
If Bear is the heart, Emilie is the soul. She is the greeter, server, and brings the most wonderful energy to the evening. Her smile lights up the room and you can’t help but enjoy her presence.
All in all, this evening was great in every way! Plenty of food and drinks. The right amount of anticipation, mystery and surprise… That did not disappoint. Fun goers, food lovers, mystery seekers, all welcome. Thank you Bear and Emilie for a wonderful evening! XO

Let me start by saying that the food was good. However, that would probably be the only positive feature from this experience. The location of the dinner is always changing and is emailed to you the day before. My dinner was supposed to be a «special Valentine’s Day dinner,» but to be honest it didn’t feel like much of a valentines vibe. The décor was very dull and boring. I expected more entertainment from bear, instead it felt as if I was at Disneyland surrounded by just another person in a costume. Not what I was expecting. Also, everyone sits at one table which might be okay to some but you just never know what can happen when you sit a bunch of strangers together. All in all a less than mediocre experience that was a waste of money. Would definitely not be doing this again nor recommend this to anybody.

We checked out Cow By Bear little over a week ago on a Friday. As stated by others, the location is not disclosed until a day before, and yes, the chef is a bear (hehe… dressed as a bear). In terms of reservations, I checked them out on Unilocal,and emailed them to inquire about reservations back in December. I was given 2 available dates in February. One of those corresponding to a day after the fiancé’s birthday. So, making a reservation was actually very easy for me.
Things to point out:
— The chef is there to put on a great feast, and he/​she is NOT there to entertain you.
— Yes, in fact you get to sit with strangers.
Now back to our experience, upon arrival, we were given a delicious appetizer (sausage en croute), and a drink. Our next course was a kale soup that was very good, but something I could attempt to make at home. As a third course, we got a salad which was really just ok — I had the same thoughts regarding the dessert.
For the main course, we got a 45 days aged rib eye which as expected was the super star. I am not sure if this was the best steak ever, but pretty up there.
All and all, this was a very pleasant experience. The food was good, the drinks were great, and our shy selves really enjoyed meeting the other people at the table.
I will say that I had higher expectations for this meal, and my expectations were only met by the main course.
I will recommend this place to others for the experience, but it is not the best meal I’ve had.

Bear is a class act… other than some service issues, it was a night to remember.

I woke up on Saturday morning and had to take a few minutes to collect myself from a dream I had. I do realize that I have a pretty wild imagination and pride myself on being creative, but even this dream had me scratching my head with amazement. Let’s face it, a bear cooking me dinner… correction, a bear cooking me a meal of epic proportions all while never speaking a word or revealing his/​her true identity surely is not reality. Or is it?
The dream took place in a warehouse that doubles as a coffee shop in the day and a five star restaurant at night. Not every night and certainly not all night, but rather only Friday and Saturday between the hours of 8:00 and 10:30pm. There is no hostess at the door and in fact reservations need to be made months in advance or else you’re not getting in this exclusive affair.
I was casually seated at a single table with nine other people. Fast forwarding a bit, some were strangers to start but all were friends by the end. The journey began with a few small bites of crispy garbanzo beans, a sausage/​pepper croute and a signature rum cocktail to whet the whistle before leading into course number one, a fennel and citrus salad with a glass of tasty Albarino. I take it all in as it’s bitter, sour, fragrant and neatly dressed. A salad like this is sturdy, sophisticated and not capable of being built in my kitchen at home — all served by the bear’s trusty assistant.
The bear and his/​her partner in crime appears once again, toying with the table, reveling in the praise from my dining companions and baring gifts. This time it was a hefty bowl of potato, kale and black garlic oil soup. This soup was deep with flavor and slurp-​worthy. As a self-​declared soup fanatic, a soup sans protein is only delicious in my wildest dreams. Am I dreaming? Well, these flavors are leaving me further convinced that I just may be especially going sip for sip with a tall pour of Argentinian Malbec.
At this point we know that this magical bear has some skills, but let’s face it, we’re not here for soup and salad. You want to really make some dreams come true, bear? Cook me a steak. Not just your average deli case strip of red meat but rather a cut that’s not easily forgotten and guaranteed to send me to war with gout. Dry age that beef, bear. Not for 18 days, 25 days, 32 days or even 40. If you age that cut of cow for 50 days I’ll gladly pay the equivalent of the Lindbergh baby’s ransom for a bite, but seeing that this is a dream I’ll shoot for the stars and request a slab for myself. Minutes later I’d find myself eye to eye with a piece of medium-​rare perfection and realizing that some dreams really must come true. For some it’s a night on a beach rolling in the sand with, Olivia Wilde, but for me it’s this steak and a glass of French wine.
We wrap this dream with a delicious dessert and a curtain call from the bear. Knowing that this story may sound so strange, so far fetched and so oddly unbelievable, it dawns on me that I should figure out a way to document the experience my mind had just conjured up. Was I dreaming after all? Well, consider this review the evidence and pictures don’t lie, friends. You decide.

The whole experience was great especially dining with others that you just met. Food was ok… For the price… The ribeye was sold as 50 day dry aged… It seemed like Costco ribeye.

How do you spell amazing? Cow by Bear. That’s how.
I’ve never been this close to a bear before, and it feels awesome. And you should get close too, because this bear is one seriously skilled chef.
His delicious aged ribeye, cooked to perfection, and the most decadent wine to pair it, will make you see bears (and cows) differently.
Thanks so much Bear and Emily, for hosting a most «fantastic» night you guys sure know how to throw a dinner party!!!

Nothing but great things to say! Bear and the hostess, Emily, were great! The food was delicious and the best part about the whole evening were the people we met. It was a close-​knit group and a few of us decided to grab drinks afterwards. I would definitely recommend Cow By Bear to others!

Let me start by saying I am a steak snob (probably the only thing I’m snobby about). I used to work at a very prominent and established fine dining steakhouse in downtown San Diego, and we would have a rep from the meat distributor to come and teach extensive classes about steak and other cuts of beef from where it comes from on the animal, what makes a steak «prime», to how to cook certain cuts of beef. I take the meat I consume very seriously, like how some people take their wine serious.
My wife and I heard about Cow By Bear through a friend and I was skeptical at first, thinking it was just a gimmick or something like that. I emailed and eventually got a response from «Bear» saying the location and time. It was a fun «pop-​up» dinner and the guests were all just as curious as I was. Someone in a bear suit made our meals, come on. But let me tell you, I was blown away by the level of service, the ambience, and most importantly, the food. Coming into it, the only thing I knew was that you were served beef by someone in a bear suit, and by the end I enjoyed it so much that I’m jaded when I hit up other «steakhouse». It’s the level of service you’d like a fine dining establishment and the care of food you’d find in a chef who really appreciates how people enjoy his offerings, all without the stuffiness of dress code, or pretentious air in the room. Bottom line, it was impressively damn good food, great service, and just plain fun. Thanks again Bear, please let me know the next opening, can’t wait to go back.

After a few weeks of waiting I am please to finally review Cow By Bear. My friends and I booked a private dinner for 10 on a Friday night (something Bear does apparently even though it is not on the website). I had not heard much about Cow by Bear which made me want to go and check it out even more. Wow did this experience surpass any expectations I could have imagined.
To begin, Marq was a awesome host: Quirky, wild, and peculiar in all the right ways. He was certain to ensure a heavenly mixed drink that fit the vibe as soon as we got in our seats. From that point, Bear set the tone with the astonishing smells from inside of the kitchen (as you would envision a Bear in a kitchen would do), while Marq guaranteed we had our share of beverages that were paired with each course to perfection.
You wouldn’t think a Bear could cook an astounding full-​course meal… but THIS Bear cooked that 45-​day-​dry-​matured Ribeye flawlessly. I would be lying if I didn’t state that it was the best ribeye I have ever had and totally WORTH it! In the event that you enjoy an eccentric, odd, and energizing vibe merged with really great food and company and an ordeal like no other, then you will fall in love with Cow by Bear

Cow By Bear was so fun. The food was delicious! Each course was so well done and made to perfection. Our server (Mark I think) was wonderful. It was great sitting with new people and sharing this experience with them. We all sat outside and the atmosphere was great as well. Bear is adorable, and was more than happy to take photos with us. I would definitely come back! I’m from out of town so I made my reservation 6 weeks ago. However, almost everyone at the table, including myself, got in because of a cancellation or a moved reservation. So email Bear and ask to be put on the wait list if you can’t get in!