Review No. 71: Bear’s Bistro
2850 Prince Street, Suite 99
(501) 932-6616
36.4 percent finished reviewing Conway restaurants
The Situation
She Said: I was looking for somewhere to go for a real meal at an odd time, after we got out of a movie around 3 p.m. on a Saturday. I quickly checked Bear’s Bistro’s FB page, which listed it as open all day, not just for lunch and dinner hours. So, we drove right on over. I hadn’t indulged in movie junk food, so I was hungry!
He Said: I had some junk food at the movie. But not a huge amount. So I was game.
Ambience:
She Said: Bear’s Bistro is located in the former Prince Garden, a Chinese restaurant we had visited once before we started this insane project. I like the space, décor and design here. It feels like a nice restaurant that’s not too stuffy or snobby inside. We sat in a comfy, spacious booth, and I relaxed right away. There are a lot of tables, but the space is divided so you aren’t dining in a giant area. The bar area is cozy.
I will take a moment to address a little issue that may trouble the new restaurant: the name and the signage. “Bear’s Bistro” in a college town seems like a sandwich shop, or something much more aimed at students, and the exterior signage doesn’t do much to debunk that belief. It’s rather small, and doesn’t command the façade from a design standpoint. It could be easy to miss on Prince Street, and unfortunately doesn’t communicate the kind of food or atmosphere that is waiting within. (I’m a market researcher with a public relations and branding background in my day job, so I can’t help noticing this little shortcoming.)
He Said: There is truth in your digression there, Jones. My impression was that this place would be in the same category as the Bears’ Den. But that’s not the case at all. They have a much fuller menu with some more upscale dinner entrees. The space inside is comfortable and attractive as well.
Drinks
She Said: This restaurant serves beer and wine. I had a nice glass of Cabernet that was a generous pour.
He Said: Since alcohol is verboten to me, I went for a soft drink. They have Coke products here so…Dr. Pepper.
Food
She Said: I was hungry, but looking at the menu, I could see that an entrée would be plenty for me, as my choice also came with two sides. The menu isn’t huge, but includes a nice variety, somewhat influenced by middle- and eastern sensibilities. I chose the sticky shrimp, but it was a difficult choice, as the items in the “forkless flavors” section of the menu, along with some of the salads and kabobs were intriguing. The shrimp was glazed with honey, garlic and soy, and it was deeee-vine. It comes well paired on a bed of flavorful basmati rice. I could eat that again right now. For my sides, I chose the sweet-potato fries and the Greek side salad (I needed something green!). Both were perfectly delightful, though my only complaint about the fries was there weren’t enough, but that’s probably for the best. The salad had a lot of different flavors with olives, feta and dark greens. I would choose both again; in fact, I would have the salad again as an entrée if it comes in that size.
He Said: I ordered the grilled lemon garlic salmon with grilled asparagus and roasted red potatoes as my sides. The salmon was, as is so often the case in restaurants that don’t necessarily specialize in sea food, overdone. Jones will say that I should tell the server that I want it done medium. My response is that the restaurant should know how to prepare salmon right. But I know I’m going to lose that argument. Next time, I’ll listen to my wife. Let this be a lesson to you all.
Though overdone, the grilled salmon had a tasty lemon-garlic sauce. The asparagus was nicely grilled and also tasted delicious, though as is often the case with asparagus, the stems were pretty stringy. The star dish for me was the roasted red potatoes, which were really delicious, perfectly done, and nicely seasoned. I could have eaten two orders of them. Maybe next time I come here, in addition to telling them I want the salmon done medium, I’ll take as my two sides red roasted potatoes and red roasted potatoes.
Service
She Said: Yes, Ruud! Then you’ll have more for sharing; those potatoes were delicious! I was shocked to find this restaurant was only two weeks old when we visited; the service was very polished and professional, friendly and attentive without being intrusive. In fact, the chef came to our table to check on us as did other “senior” staffers. I asked for mayo to go with my fries and got it immediately. I was impressed, as at this stage of the game, many other places are not this together.
He Said: That is for sure. Things went very smoothly for a brand-new restaurant. The wait wasn’t long and the staff checked on us a couple of times. The chef’s visit showed a particular conscientiousness. Of course, it was 3 o’clock in the afternoon and there were only a few other people there at the time, so I can’t say how the service is during peak times, but I suspect they have their act together.
What We Got and What We Paid: One sticky shrimp entrée with Greek side salad and sweet-potato fries and a glass of wine, and the grilled lemon garlic salmon with grilled asparagus and roasted red potatoes and a Dr. Pepper for $49.72.
Elapsed Time from Entry to Food Arrival: Salad within 19 minutes, entrees at 22 minutes.
Rating:
She Said: Don’t let the “look” of this place deter you from sampling the delicious menu in the friendly, welcoming space.
He Said: Very promising place that I’ll certainly give another shot.
So…He Said and She Said: Put this in your all-day deliciousness restaurant file and come here to find a dish you love.
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