Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue 135 Coxe Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801

"This place is super cool. great layout with outdoor and indoor space. Dog friendly. good selection of beers. food menu looks awesome. Food itself was just okay. burnt ends tasty. pork shoulder not very. would return for the overall experience."

"This might be a 4 on a good day for this place - they have a big slice of property that looks like it could be built for fun but it was a quiet rainy Friday afternoon for us so we couldn’t see this place in it’s full element, and I can only judge it on the service and the food. The workers greeted us and were ready to help us as we looked over a unique menu. They have some crazy items here I wasn’t expecting to see so it took us a few minutes! We got the Bear Balls, Spicy cheese curds, and a loaded spud with Mac and Cheese and burnt ends. We also grabbed a gigantic cookie that I think is made by another company. The bear balls were interesting. It was tasty and ridiculous - no regrets but I don’t think I quite got the flavors I was expecting. It’s a fried ball of something alright and then drowned in cheese and bacon. Spicy cheese curds were freshly fried and hot. More of a cayenne heat, I didn’t taste any chili or pepper flavor, just had the throat heat. Wife killed em. Spud seems pricey at $15 with a $2 up charge for burnt ends but it’s so much food it will destroy you! Ungodly pile of food that included a ton of Mac and cheese on top of a cooked russet, then additional shredded cheese and burnt ends on top. The big issue I had with this is I need the burnt ends to be the star - especially when being up charged for premium meat - and the flavor was good but they were cold. That’s just not cool, and so that had to lose a star for me. Several different locals recommended the spot and it smelled good and we ate as much as we could and I couldn’t eat for the rest of the day so it’s definitely worth the money - I think it could be 4+ stars at the top of their game and a better environment than what we experienced in an empty place. P.S. the cookie (photo) was OUTSTANDING."

"We went here on my dad’s birthday and we had a great time. The outdoor area is so cute and it was wonderful to be able to go chat and stay warm out there after dinner. I had the portobello and it was cooked perfectly and flavor on point. The collard greens were sooo good I could’ve eaten a big bowl of those alone. All in all it was a great experience and I thought the bear artwork inside was the cutest."

"Great place to enjoy BBQ downtown with outdoor sitting. We usually get the combos to share as portion is large for us. Tonight we chose pulled pork and 1/2 chicken with BBQ beans and fries. Also tried the wings since it was on 1/2 price tonight. Everything tasted great. I think the best part is really the outdoor spaces, so many options of outdoor sitting to choose from. The ordering process is a bit cumbersome since food is ordered in 1 place and drinks in another. Fairly long wait in food queue for food to be ordered and prepared. Though bar wasn’t busy, waiting twice to get food and drinks isn’t the best for experience. It’s also confusing that cutlery and condiments are by the bar. And overall service can be a tad more friendly."

"This place blew whatever expectations I had out of the water. The food was absolutely delicious and super tender. We ordered a huge variety to include: Beef Brisket, Bear Balls, Ribs, Mac Attack, Cole Slaw, Buffalo Wings, and Baked Beans. We also ordered some drinks from the bar: I got the boozy b*tch. None of the food disappointed and partnered with the beautiful atmosphere it was so memorable. The outdoor area was full of fun games and a beautiful fire pit area. We are only here for one more day and we will definitely be back before we leave! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!"