Pub Perfection
Bull and Bear Pub
Location: 125 E. Water St.
Price: Entrees from $7.25 to $8.95
Rate: 3.5 of 4 peppers
Anyone who has ever overindulged at a local watering hole knows that after a few pints, a greasy, over-cooked chicken finger or a sticky handful of honey-roasted peanuts tastes like a little gift from heaven. Simply put, the bar for bar food is set pretty low.
With this in mind, downtown Syracuse’s Bull and Bear Pub goes way beyond the call of duty.
With an atmosphere that blends the hardwood richness of an Irish pub with the urban chic of a candlelit lounge, Bull and Bear, or BNB to insiders, is located on East Water Street in Hanover Square. Bull and Bear boasts a jam-packed menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, wraps and a burger lineup that is huge in its selection, despite having all the trappings of your typical beer-and-peanuts type of bar. The modest bar is also one of the best places in town for live music, featuring local bands and artists several times a week.
My recent visit to Bull and Bear began with one of the best appetizers I have ever had. At our waitress’ suggestion, my date and I ordered the Spinach and Artichoke Dip ($7.49). Served with grilled flatbread, the classic appetizer that has become a staple for cheesy chain restaurant menus looks fairly ordinary when served. But the warm, toasty bread and the creamy, garlicky dip with just the right amount of spinach was nothing short of revelatory. Toto, I don’t think we’re in Applebee’s anymore.
For the main course, my date and I ordered two ‘BNB Classics.’ My Rochester Wrap ($8.49) was delicious. The sizeable entrée (I could only eat half) was stuffed with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato and Asiago cheese, a welcome respite from wrap standards like cheddar or Swiss. The tasty ingredients came bundled in a zesty cheddar jalapeno tortilla and were smothered in a spicy ranch sauce. Both added just the right amount of spice, stopping short of a runny nose or scalded taste buds.
My date ordered the BNB ($8.95), a burger topped with caramelized onions, provolone cheese and the tangy, barbecue-like ‘signature sauce’ that added just the right amount of bite. The BNB was also perfectly cooked, despite having only two vague options – ‘no pink’ or ‘some pink’ – to choose from. Luckily for my date, his ‘some pink’ burger was served perfectly moist and juicy.
Although sides are sadly not included with burgers and wraps, the sweet potato fries are well worth the extra $3.44. The real star of the sides is BNB’s maple dipping butter. This rich, sweet, buttery complement to the salty fries makes dipping these babies in ketchup seem like a sacrilege.
While almost nothing could top the delicious dinner, BNB’s vanilla root beer float for dessert came pretty close. A giant, frosty glass of root beer, overflowing with vanilla ice cream, and a generous pour of Vanilla Smirnoff provided the perfectly sweet – not to mention boozy – finish to the best meal I’ve had at a bar in a long time.
From the live music, relaxed atmosphere, friendly wait staff and the lengthy list of beers on tap, Bull and Bear Pub ups the ante for bars everywhere and is worth a trip downtown.
Published on January 19, 2010 at 12:00 pm
