The Bear Pit Bar-B-Q, Van Nuys, California, USA
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
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As with the <a href="http://www.h2g2.com/A405893">94th Aerosquadron Restaurant</a>, the Bear Pit is located in Van Nuys, a suburb of <a href="http://www.h2g2.com/A219999">Los Angeles</a>. Although diners at the 94th were expected to dress slightly up, for most business professionals, you will be expected to dress down. Way down.
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Most places in California must obey a city ordinance about open pit burning, and that limits what they can and cannot do. The Bear Pit is one of the few exemptions in California, owing to the fact the local Native Americans were patronizing it before the white man came. They have the privilege of being the only restaurant in Los Angeles that can burn things outside without referring to the city ordinance codes. However, this makes it slightly difficult (read: Impossible) to open up a second branch, because any new building would be subject to the fire code, and the owners are stubborn about the flavour of the food served, and they claim that they can only get that flavor by barbequing it over an open hickory flame.
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When you walk in, your first sight is of a giant carved wooden bear guarding the doorway. The hostesses are pleasant and cheerful, and dispatched one to lead me to my table. The floor is covered in a thin layer of sawdust, which has been swept up and reused many times since it’s founding 46 years ago.
The menu is one page, but extensive. Despite the name of Bar-B-Q, the bear pit did offer an assortment of seafood, and a mixed seafood platter. It lived up to it’s name with a variety of beef and chicken products, and the occasional slab o’ lab or pork rib.
The burger section is comprised of burgers that stand a proud 4 inches high, with your choice of dill pickles, tomato slices, onion slices, mayonnaise, mustard and ketchups, cheese, lettuce, and (on Mondays) the Kitchen Sink. These monstrosities will run about $5.50 - $9.60.
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The ribs must be the best things on the menu. Although they offer chicken, the house specialty is beef. With barbecued rib choices in beef and pork, they really pack a punch. There is a thin layer of burnt meat on the outside, but the core is wonderful, and still on the bone. All entrees come with your choice of two: Cole slaw, French fries, or baked beans. The beans have been baked, fried, and refried to the point where they are barely above mush, but are delicious and served with a sauce that set my mouth to watering when I first smelled it coming.
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Their steaks were also a treat, being cooked and “hickory smoked” over real Missouri hickory wood (kept in a padlocked and barb-wired cage in the back of the restaurant, with a security guard and a magazine) for flavor. The steaks are tender, but not falling-apart tender, and juicy, but not Noahs-flood juicy. You will certainly need the provided steak knife, but only just barely.
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<p>My party and I escaped for only $78.92, and we had left-overs for days afterwards.
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As with the <a href="http://www.h2g2.com/A405893">94th Aerosquadron Restaurant</a>, the Bear Pit is located in Van Nuys, a suburb of <a href="http://www.h2g2.com/A219999">Los Angeles</a>. Although diners at the 94th were expected to dress slightly up, for most business professionals, you will be expected to dress down. Way down.
<p>
Most places in California must obey a city ordinance about open pit burning, and that limits what they can and cannot do. The Bear Pit is one of the few exemptions in California, owing to the fact the local Native Americans were patronizing it before the white man came. They have the privilege of being the only restaurant in Los Angeles that can burn things outside without referring to the city ordinance codes. However, this makes it slightly difficult (read: Impossible) to open up a second branch, because any new building would be subject to the fire code, and the owners are stubborn about the flavour of the food served, and they claim that they can only get that flavor by barbequing it over an open hickory flame.
</p>
<p>
When you walk in, your first sight is of a giant carved wooden bear guarding the doorway. The hostesses are pleasant and cheerful, and dispatched one to lead me to my table. The floor is covered in a thin layer of sawdust, which has been swept up and reused many times since it’s founding 46 years ago.
The menu is one page, but extensive. Despite the name of Bar-B-Q, the bear pit did offer an assortment of seafood, and a mixed seafood platter. It lived up to it’s name with a variety of beef and chicken products, and the occasional slab o’ lab or pork rib.
The burger section is comprised of burgers that stand a proud 4 inches high, with your choice of dill pickles, tomato slices, onion slices, mayonnaise, mustard and ketchups, cheese, lettuce, and (on Mondays) the Kitchen Sink. These monstrosities will run about $5.50 - $9.60.
</p>
<p>
The ribs must be the best things on the menu. Although they offer chicken, the house specialty is beef. With barbecued rib choices in beef and pork, they really pack a punch. There is a thin layer of burnt meat on the outside, but the core is wonderful, and still on the bone. All entrees come with your choice of two: Cole slaw, French fries, or baked beans. The beans have been baked, fried, and refried to the point where they are barely above mush, but are delicious and served with a sauce that set my mouth to watering when I first smelled it coming.
</p>
<p>
Their steaks were also a treat, being cooked and “hickory smoked” over real Missouri hickory wood (kept in a padlocked and barb-wired cage in the back of the restaurant, with a security guard and a magazine) for flavor. The steaks are tender, but not falling-apart tender, and juicy, but not Noahs-flood juicy. You will certainly need the provided steak knife, but only just barely.
</p>
<p>My party and I escaped for only $78.92, and we had left-overs for days afterwards.
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