I'm so glad to have found The Fat Bear. I'm from Texas and I finally found a place to get pretty authentic American food from the South. I was able to get my chicken fried steak fix. It was great! Also had some fried alligator as a starter. It was good too. I cannot wait to go back and try more items on the menu.
This Southern American spot has taken up residency down a small City backstreet, well tucked away above a pub called The Rising Sun. There’s little to give it away from the outside when walking past, so congratulate yourself on being in the know when you get there!. I’m sure those members of the Boozy Bunch with American roots are undoubtedly better qualified to talk about authentic Southern food. I’m afraid I can’t tell you if the brisket tastes just like it does in Texas or if they do grits the way they should be done. But what I can say is that this is hearty (though perhaps not so good for your heart), comforting Southern food done well. Their website uses the words ‘soul-enriching’ which seems quite apt, though I’d use it alongside ‘waistline-enriching’ too (I err did actually have to loosen the belt on my dress a notch whilst at the table).
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This Southern American little gem can be found above the Rising Sun pub on Carter Lane in Blackfriars.
Owned by two english guys who’s two passions are food and drink mixed in with their American chefs with heaps of past London michelin star experience and this gives you this quirky pub feel dining experience which is definitely worth a try!
They have a ‘New York’ style cocktail bar and kindly served me a beautiful looking sherry and peach based cocktail!
They have a big range of starters which dare to be a bit different including: Alligator Bites ( I was not brave enough but apparently they are a big hit!), Crab Cakes, Truffled Gnocci, Deep Fried Pickles etc.
I went with the classic Chicken Wings which did not disappoint! Probably one of the best I have had in London to date!
Main courses feature classic grills, fish dishes including Seafood Jambalaya, and Southern Fried Chicken & Waffles.
I went with The Best Seller of course: Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy
This was absolutely delicious- definitely try it!
Note: The Fat Bear also provide the bar snacks for the pub downstairs if you are just looking for drinks and nibbles.
They also have a Private Dining Room which can be booked out so definitely check it out here
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I have to write this quick because in the time you read this, it could all be over; the Fat Bear beefsteak bacchanalia popup at the Rising Sun is a carnivore's dream!
The popup pays homage to the traditional beefsteaks popular in New York and New Jersey. The concept could not be more simple; you buy your ticket, you show up, then proceed to eat your own weight in a variety of quality Rare Breed Meat Co. steak. As the Fat Bear says themselves, these are "...extravagant, indulgent affairs which involve mountains of the finest beef sliced and then dipped into butter and eaten with fingers, alongside copious quantities of excellent wine". Sounds alright to me!
If you come, be prepared to see red. Meat is cooked primarily raw and medium at best but if you can stomach it, it's seriously good and makes for a much more enjoyable protein hit than a protein shake.
So in need of a steak hit, this is your calling. Get in fast before this popup pops off.
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really good service; polite, friendly and attentive.
deep fried pickles - sounds so wrong, but tastes so right.
rack of ribs were finger licking good and the crab cakes were delicious.
Brief wine list, perhaps a bit pricey, but interesting selection
baked oreo cheesecake left me drooling all the way home
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When I heard of the pop-up restaurant called The Fat Bear, I immediately thought it was named after me, and so booked a table. It is located in the Rising Sun pub a very short walk away from St Paul's Cathedral. This was only my second experience with a pop-up (I believe so anyway - to be honest the only part of my body that remembers the food I have consumed is my stomach) after the Three Compasses in Hoxton last year (where I watched Game of Thrones. See that review, but beware of GoT spoilers...) and so I was expecting the food to be brought to us while we were in the pub.
This restaurant, however, was leasing the upper floor of the Rising Sun pub, which was a good thing as it had a much nicer atmosphere than its host. While the downstairs part was a rather dingy pub, the upstairs had a nice early 20th century feel to it, with fireplaces and mahogany tables. We were welcomed and seated by a very friendly waiter who also turned out to be the barman (and the chef, and the cleaner.. just kidding - he was front of house). He had a beard, was a little plump and WELSH! Basically like me, except talented and of value to society! We were bound to get along...
What amazed me in particular about his service was that this man knew EVERYTHING about the restaurant. From being able to fully explain the ingredients of each menu item, to selecting an optimal red wine to accompany our meal to making a virgin cocktail for my friend who was doing Dry January, to even the music that was playing! (We recognised a few covers from the setlist - my friend recognised that cool song with the whistling that's always on the ads done in a folky way. I of course only picked up on the Game of Thrones theme being covered by a swing band... I like Thrones by the way...) His service was attentive, thorough and of the kind of quality that made me feel like someone important like a recruitment consultant...
As for the food, well I perused the menu trying to find a low-fat option. I'm trying to lose weight you see... I want to change my name to Abstemious Jones.... so naturally I ordered a Sloppy Joe burger with Buffalo wings as a starter and the Fat Bear Sundae as a dessert. Meanwhile my far more sensible amigo, who already weighs half of what I do, ordered the catfish with his virgin cocktail.
The wings arrived swiftly and they were delicious! The winning part was definitely the blue cheese sauce, which was a mild, but tasty antidote to the spicy (but not too spicy) wings. My friend ordered the chicken livers and I had a try - those were even better (they had some sort of chutney sauce inside).
My Sloppy Joe Burger was the most disappointing part of my meal. Despite the delicious combination of sauce, salad and pickled red onion, the patty itself was comparatively bland. I should have ordered the catfish or the short ribs, as the catfish was spicy and delicious (I'm not usually a seafood fan) and the ribs were boneless, meaty and came with two absolutely divine BBQ sauces. The best part of my main was the paprika-spiced fries.
I was stuffed, but there is always room for dessert! While my less disgracefully gluttonous friends shared the milk and cookies (where you add flavoured milk to cookie cups) I went for the holistic Fat Bear Sundae, which is pretty much the whole dessert menu thrown into a sundae, with salted caramel, bourbon caramel (I think), oreo cookies, honeycomb, chocolate pieces and a cream cheese topping instead of your usual chantilly cream. It was one of the best sundaes I've ever had, and Chris (the expert waiter) told me that usually it would include some Baked Alaska as well, but they were out. I couldn't believe it. It was already the dairy equivalent of the mixed grill and even so it was incomplete!
I rolled down the stairs and waddled my way home, full of delicious food and very satisfied with a fantastic pop-up.
Pros: great service, good range of food, amazing sauces, lovely atmosphere, Chuck Norris waiter
Cons: Sloppy Joe was average.
Recommend to others: Hell yeah - book a table while you can! It's only around for a year. I'll be back for livers, ribs and Oreo cheesecake!
We went there for dinner last week, it must have been about 15 of us from work.
I being a vegetarian was a little skeptical about the menu but I found the only vegetarian main on their menu "vegetarian gumbo", I didn't know what a gumbo was but after I looked it up I was quite excited to try it out only to find out that it wasn't available that night.
So I asked our host for vegetarian recommendations and he asked me to try gnocchi and pimento cheese with tortilla chips.
The gnocchi was served in white sauce and it tasted brilliant ditto for pimento cheese and tortilla chips.
I also had sweet potato fries, unlike other places these were quite different here. They are cut in long thick strips which aren't the same.
We also had 2 cocktails, one was old fashioned and other one was something with absinthe in it. Both quite amazing!
All in all I would love to go there again!
Another special mention for service, best in London
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On a floor above a usually buzzing pub you get to have an american dinner, in an environment that looks and functions very much like a British gastro-pub. Certainly a very quiet and cosy kind of place, perfect for a business lunch/ dinner or even a date. Perhaps not so much for a big group as somehow it just doesn’t fit the setting. Unfortunately, I was there with quite a few friends and although loud, we were received politely and with a lot of patience I had chicken wings with blue cheese sauce (sauce so good I’d personally add it to everything I had this evening), disco fries and braised beef short-rib with a side of broccoli. A little on the dry side, the short-rib went down really well although it can use a little more of that sauce. Disco fries however is probably something I wouldn’t have again - taste-wise they were fine, but were at one point swimming in the sauce that they came with. I’d happily go back for a glass of wine and probably have the Biscuits and Gravy as the feedback for them was incredible. I'm giving it 4 for the service, which is really rare in London and for the ambience, which has always been the most important thing for me.
PS: be ready for big portions.
Very good place. America Cuisine lovers.. Go for it. At first, the ambiance is curated and lovely. The staff is trained and welcoming. Prices are average and even convenient. 35 £ for two people are enough.
But what about the food?
I had some sweet potatoes, which were delicate and smooth. Also, the chicken was nicely presented and quite tender. Not the top. However, the place is convenient and enjoyable. Overall, a likeable experience !!
Great rating for great service - I joined a large private booking later on after coming from another event. While I didn't get to sample the food, the wine was flowing and the service was immaculate. Really well looked after, would happily return!
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The Fat Bear is the latest popup to take over the upstairs space at The Rising Sun. Previous tenants include Disco Bistro and Bob's Lobster, so you know you are in good hands.
Popup is probably the wrong term as The Fat Bear have taken up residency for at least a year. That's longer than many "permanent" eateries last these days. The menu is broadly American influenced, though the Southern States are particularly well represented with the likes of gumbo, shrimp & grits, crawfish, and biscuits and gravy making it onto the menu.
As it was chucking it down outside, comfort food was the order of the day. Loaded Sweet Potato Skins (£6) and Gnocchi with Broad Beans & Blue Cheese (£5) answered the call for starters. The moreish cheese sauce stuck around on the table until the end of the meal. Cajun-fried chicken livers, clam chowder and deep-fried pickles must wait for another day.
Roasted Quail with Cornbread Stuffing (£16) and Spicy Crawfish Mac'n'Cheese (£9) were chosen over tempters like Braised Beef Short Rib, Cajun Meatloaf and the Papa Bear Burger. The quail was very neatly presented and was dispatched by my fellow diners. My second cheesy pasta dish of the evening was not short on flavoursome crawfish, but it was lacking a spicy kick, not that it bothered me.
Full up, we didn't stick around for desserts, but Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce sounds wonderful and Pecan Pie can do no wrong in my eyes. They are also bringing in a soft serve ice cream machine very soon.
As for drinks, they have set up a nice little bar area where they have most things covered. A cocktail menu is in production - we did sample some pleasant mocktails that were kindly created in support of Lauren's Sober October (never heard of it). A few American craft beers wouldn't go amiss to keep all the great food company.
The Fat Bear is in a funny part of town, but it's worth going out of your way, especially with C.O.L.D. Bar, Hack & Hop, Harrild & Sons and 5CC round the corner too. The staff are a really friendly bunch (thanks for saving Mary's iPhone) and the food hit the spot.
My partner and I enjoyed a lovey lunch here. Having been to New Orleans before, we both love gumbo, which is extremely hard to find in London (well, it’s hard to find good gumbo). I had the vegetarian one while my partner had the chicken and prawn one, and we were delighted to discover the gumbo here is as good as any we had in NOLA! The cocktails and dessert were good too, although we were surprised that there was no hurricane on the cocktail menu!
Service was friendly but could have been a little more attentive. We will very likely return in the future.
We came to fat bear for dinner and enjoyed the evening. A highlight for me was the excellent service we received from the team there. Food wise, we tried the fat bear burger and the chicken burger. Both were very good but I think the beef burger was slightly better. The sweet potato mash was nice but I found it a bit too sweet. The biscuits were also excellent. Overall a lovely experience and a restaurant I would recommend.
Its located above the pub. The entrance is down the alley beside the pub. The food is really, really nice. You could fool me into thinking we are in America while there. My party were all happy with all dishes. One went as far as getting the buffalo starter he had after the main again. I'll be going again to try and work my way through the extensive menu. Recommended.
Good friendly service, nice space (that doesn't exactly go with the food but that's not a big deal) and tasty food. Mac and cheese was definitely a winner... The corndogs were tasty but you almost want the poor quality sausage rather than a super posh one. Tried the gumbo which was tasty and a generous serving!
Had a phenomenal meal and experience at The Fat Bear. Gareth was extremely hospitable and was very knowledgeable on his bourbon. The fried chicken sandwich was perfectly cooked and reminded me a lot of fried chicken from the south (Atlanta, GA). I cannot recommend The Fat Bear enough! If you are in the area visiting they are just past the mcdonalds, towards the river, slightly to the right on the upstairs portion of a pub called Rising Sun (stairs are to the left side of the pub). Thanks again Gareth!
Very glad I came here. Really enjoyable meal. You couldn't eat regularly as you would be enormous. But for a one off it was great. Also bike parking outside which was good. Went for the chicken and waffle, Buffalo style!
Had sausage gravy with biscuits off the side menu (just ask) and fried chicken and waffles with Siracha maple syrup. The sausage gravy and biscuits were my favorites and everyone I ate with had the gravy on whatever they order and loved it too. The fried chicken was excellent, the waffles were the only thing that was just fine not amazing.
It’s a small but lovely restaurant. Cocktail lists are interesting, I ordered a Sloe boat to China which is mixed Gin and juices. It’s the first time I try southern American food. I would say it’s very delicious and meet my expectations. Recommend the Gumbo, a bit spicy, the texture quite like curry rather than soup. The cornbread is a bit too sweet.
The buffalo wings were one of the better options. Gumbo was also pretty decent comfort food (I am guessing because there is rice and I'm Asian)
I'm from New Orleans and I can attest that this place is legit. 5 star quality gumbo and some of the best cocktails I've ever had. Highly recommended for anyone looking for southern food with big flavor. The owner, the "Fat Bear" himself, and his wife deserve all the accolades I can give them for a fantastic menu and dining experience.
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