The Famous Bear

They have 65 different beers, including 15 Maine Microbrews. According to the website, the bar has been named one of the Top Ten Beer Bars in the US by Celebrator Beer News, Barleycorn, Beer Advocate and The Malt Advocate. And All About Beer Magazine wrote, "This is our idea of a perfect bar," and named the Bear one of the 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die. Read Forbes Traveler.com's review on the bar.

The venue, located on Forest Avenue since 1979, has very little parking for it's size. Plan to travel together if you're in a group and you'll probably have to park on one of the side streets off Forest. Or take a cab - you'll be tasting every one of those 65 beers anyway, right?

(photo found at www.photosbyjoie.com)

Like the venue, the menu is huge - separated by categories of Soups & Chilis, Nachos, With this Wing I Be Fed, Ruffage, Not So Fat City, Hot Open-Faced, Carnivores Beware!, All American Hamburger, Cheese Steaks, Food From Maine & Away, The Bird is the Word, Bear Necessities, Specialties Du Bear, Flour Tortilla Roll-ups and Dr. Gonzo's Baked Baja Fajitas. For the indecisive, the menu could be a nightmare, however, it may be impossible to not find something you'd try. And there are choices for vegetarians, low-cal diets and healthy eaters, so Daniel Howes, the angry commenter, can be happy. View the full menu.

The beer menu is equally impressive, with just about every Allagash brew, Delirium Noctornum, Maudite, Smuttynose, Geary's, Shipyard, Gritty's, Sebago, Magic Hat and tons more. All the people that cried about Novare Res not having enough Maine brews should go to the Bear, where they'll be appeased by the epic selection. Prices vary by beer. A tower of beer costs $18 and you can buy 5 oz tasters for $1-2 each. Oh, and the menu uses a star symbol to show which beers are Belgian (there are 16!) or have high alcohol content.

(photo from the Bear's myspace page)

Mixed drinks are available - and a little pricey. My tall Tanqueray & Tonic costed $6. There is a short wine list that includes whites (Dry Creek, Bella Italia, Mad Housewife, Kenwood Estates and Pannotia Torrontes, $5-5.95 per glass) and reds (Calatrava, Concho Y Toro, Fat Bastard, Flying Fish, Parker Station, Rafferty's Rules, Rocca Delle Macie and Carmen, $5.50-6.50 per glass).

The servers, who are quick with anything you need, seem to have that I'm-not-stoned-but-people-who-are-think-I'm-rad sort of vibe. Customers love it there. In the summer, you can rock out the patio. In the winter, there are back rooms for large parties, plenty of seats at the bar and tables galore. Just look how happy these burger-eaters are. The love the Bear. And America.

PS - Plan to spend a chunk of cash. My last bill for dinner and drinks for two came to $77.