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Bear's Smokehouse

New Haven, Connecticut - USA
https://bearsbbq.com/new-haven

Recently I had the opportunity to try out Bear's Smokehouse BBQ at The Stack in New Haven, Connecticut. It's a exactly what the name suggest, a smokehouse BBQ restaurant. I've been wanting to try Bear's for a very long time after @ricksandmann told me about it, and I finally made it. I went with my mom (@sjagoe), my grandparents and two of my Aunts for dinner on a Monday night.

Bear's Smokehouse doubles as a micro-brewery as you can see in the photo below. Black Hog Brewing from Oxford, Connecticut brews some small batches on site at the smokehouse.

Cocoa Puff Porter

from Black Hog Brewing

I started things off with a pint of 'Cocoa Puff Porter' from Black Hog Brewing, which was made at the restaurant. It was a happy hour special that we caught with only 5 minutes to spare. It drank like a nice traditional porter with notes of chocolate and coffee. Overall, it was a good porter to get me ready for some BBQ.

Bear Balls

The highlight of the dinner was the appetizer. @ricksandmann has been raving about these for years and I'm glad to finally see what the hype is about. Bear Balls consist of pulled pork and mac & cheese filled corn bread balls topped with cheese sauce and bacon. Let me repeat myself... pulled pork and mac & cheese filled corn bread balls topped with cheese sauce and bacon. Yup. Whoever created this BBQ masterpiece deserves an award.

Bear's Sauces

Below is a look at the sauce lineup that is on every table. From sweet to heat, we have Kansas City Sweet BBQ, Texas Pepper, Hot Sriracha and Grizzly Ghost Pepper. I tried each kind. All were great in their own ways. I do wish there was a mustard-style golden BBQ sauce though.

Two Meat Combo

As a meal I ordered the Two Meat Combo. This came with two choices of meats and two sides. I ordered the Pulled Pork and Brisket with a side of Mac & Cheese and Cole-Slaw. The meats were amazing. Tender, juicy delicious smoked flavor. I split the pulled pork up into four portions and tried each of the sauces. The Mac & Cheese was creamy and delicious and the cole-slaw was also pretty good with a strong apple cider vinegar flavor. Overall, it was an epic feast.

The Family

Below is a picture of my family at the table enjoying the meal.

Pecan Pie

We capped things off with a slice of Pecan pie. By the time dessert came around, everyone was feeling stuffed, but it was impossible to turn down a slice of Pecan Pie. We decided to split it. It was nutty and sweet, but unfortunately was missing the whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Regardless, it was a good ending to an awesome meal.

I'm very glad that I finally got to try Bear's Smokehouse BBQ. It was as good as I anticipated. The Bear Balls are a heavenly creation and the meat was delicious. I hope to be back again soon!

Bear's Smokehouse's Website:
https://bearsbbq.com/new-haven