Still, these types of restaurants play a meaningful role in the economy and fill a void for travelers looking for food without having to filter through dozens of search results on Yelp. And with Bear Paw, they must be doing something right if they've got the means to open another location. So, why not give them a fair shake?
I've always talked myself out of going for one reason or another. But armed with more of an open-minded mentality, I could at least see myself enjoying a beer or two as long as I could manage to avoiding pervasive thoughts of their stuffed animal collection and those vacant eyes peering into my soul.
Let's be clear, I wasn't expecting anything highbrow or fancy out of this establishment — just a decent meal and a place to unwind. So with my expectations in check, I set out for Bear Paw's midtown location last week to see how they fare at selling Alaska on a plate.
Our server and the entire waitstaff were dressed in a referee's uniform — an example of how hard Bear Paw leans into their sports bar status. In any case, our waiter was fast, attentive, and efficient despite the number of tables he was tending to. In a fine show of hospitality, my pint of Midnight Sun's Panty Peeler was delivered with haste. I was similarly impressed by the speed at which our food was later brought out — a turnaround time of around 15 minutes!
The food selection at Bear Paw amounts to what you'd find at a typical chain restaurant in that it's mostly comprised of burgers, pizzas, and pasta. But if there's one thing I admire, it's the shoutout to the prestigious Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the front page of their menu. Additionally, most of their menu items bore a reasonable price tag, such as a 10 oz ribeye for $30 that I jumped on considering it felt like a relative bargain.
We hadn't even finished the jalapenos before I was presented with a large slab of steak accompanied by onion rings and some coleslaw. Ultimately, the slaw wasn't anything special in that there wasn't nearly enough acidity to give it the brightness it needed. I was significantly more impressed, if not completely enamored, by the onion rings and the light, fluffy batter they were encased in. This tempura coating was well-adhered and noticeably seasoned with the onion imbued with its own natural sweetness. I didn't know it was possible to start craving onion rings, but this may have stirred something in me as I'm happy to have found what I view as an exemplary model.
It was finally time to try the steak — what I consider an excellent measure of quality for any restaurant. Cutting into it revealed a shade of rosy pink while the thickness was somewhere in the ballpark of about an inch. From the second I took my first bite to the very last morsel, I thoroughly savored this unexpected delight for its tenderness and slightly peppery kick. The mushrooms were plump and possessed earthy, meaty flavors in their own right. It was as if, for a few fleeting moments, I lost touch with reality along with the dozen or so things happening around me. Simply put, I was in a state of pure bliss from chewing on this steak until my sense of self reemerged upon seeing my plate empty.
On the other end of the spectrum, my wife's burger could've used some improvements — particularly in the seasoning department. She ordered the sriracha jalapeno burger as she wanted toppings that could punch things up a little. But in the end, she seemed neither amazed nor disgruntled. After trying a bite for myself, I found the purported sriracha aioli was imperceptible. I would concede that the crunchy jalapenos were the highlight of this dry, albeit meaty and charred burger. The squishy bun and the generous portion of fries coated in a crisp batter were additional standouts to this otherwise flat rendition.
I didn't want to leave without trying a cocktail from Bear Paw's extensive glossary of drinks, so I asked to try their habanero lime margarita. This, too, was served in a jiff and mixed with tequila, habanero lime syrup, and sliced cucumbers and jalapenos. The rim was coated in a spicy salt blend that made my lips burn, while the drink was delightfully cold and refreshing due in no small part to the fresh cucumbers. The level of heat didn't quite live up to the drink's moniker, but it was still as drinkable as they come and assured me that this bar is well equipped to help fuel an evening of self-indulgence.
What have I learned from my time at Bear Paw? Well, if that delectable cut of ribeye is anything to go by, perhaps it's that you shouldn't judge a restaurant by its oddly adorned cover. Despite my reservations, I enjoyed my time here far more than I imagined. Sure, some of it may have to do with the jovial atmosphere, but if anything, that speaks to Bear Paw's charms and strengths as a hall of merriment. It's all too easy to label their meals as tourist fodder and chastise them for going all out with the Alaskana, but it's clear after one visit that tourists, locals, and even jaded critics alike can find something to appreciate at this crossroad for food and entertainment.
