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UC Berkeley’s Bear’s Lair, a go-to for Cal students, professors and Berkeley-ites since 1962, has been re-modeled, re-menu-ed and re-opened as Bear’s Lair Tavern, a gastropub with all the modern comforts. We stopped by on Thursday evening for the grand opening, and here’s what we found.
The vibe: Totally grad school. It’s still counter-service, but elevated (servers bring orders to tables), with communal tables, mid-century modern chairs, archived Berkeley images on the walls, a beer garden with twinkling lights and a massive TV for collegiate and professional sports viewing, natch.
The food: David Lawrence of San Francisco’s 1300 Fillmore collaborated on the menu and is serving as consulting chef. Look for his tasty Fried Chicken Sandwich ($14) with jalapeno honey-mustard slaw and ancho chili aioli on toasted brioche. Twelve-inch California-style pizzas are reliable (8 slices, $14), and the Wild Mushroom is particularly good, with its garlic confit, caramelized onions, potato and blue cheese.
Vegans will appreciate unique offerings, like Black-Eyed Pea Hummus ($9) with kalamata olives and roasted bell peppers, and entree-sized Gingered French Green Lentils ($15) with fennel and Bloomsdale spinach. We liked the “FOMO” Fries ($9), which arrived hot and covered with cheese sauce, chorizo bits, cilantro and chili cream (nope, not vegan).
The drinks: Affordable. Craft beers are $7 each and there are 16 on draft, including five from the East Bay: Calicraft’s Kolsch, Crooked City’s Dry Cider, Drake’s Heffe, Gilman’s Sour and Old Kan’s Dark Session Ale.
Craft cocktails are $8, though we detected only a hint of booze in the two we had. Still, the Butterfly Soda, made with butterfly pea blossom tea-infused Tito’s Vodka that turns purple when topped with lemon juice, simple syrup and soda, will certainly impress a first date. The tangy Berkeley Breeze, made with blood orange puree, rosemary syrup and sparkling wine, will likely be your next brunch staple.
Perfect for…Watching the game, pre- or post-cramming hunger pangs, meeting eligible co-eds, and a fine-casual spot to take the parents.
Details: Open inside UC Berkeley’s Lower Sproul Plaza, 2465 Bancroft Way, Berkeley; http://bearslairtavern.com
