| Although I usually write about new restaurants, I wanted to give a shout-out to the oft-overlooked Papa Bear’s BBQ, which resides in a small strip mall on Cottage Grove Road. Madisonians tend to think of places like Smoky Jon’s when asked about barbecue joints, and that’s a shame because they’re missing a gem in Papa Bear’s.
It starts with the ribs. I ordered the full slab ($19 for the meal), which is served with the individual ribs pre-cut. The meat is extremely tender and there’s just the right amount of Papa Bear’s homemade BBQ sauce to enhance the flavor. In my opinion, that sauce is better than anything found at Smoky Jon’s, Fat Jack’s, Famous Dave’s or Brickhouse BBQ. I also loved the corned beef brisket ($7.25 for small; $10 for large). The thin-sliced corned beef (misspelled as “corn beef” on the menu) works well outside its usual home inside two slices of rye bread, though I was tempted to stuff some inside the biscuit. The flavorful pork shoulder ($6.95 for small; $9 for large) was sliced instead of shredded and again served on its own. There was just the right amount of fat on each slice, though that may be a turn-off to some people. I combined bites with the creamy cole slaw, which I also enjoyed. All meals are served with a biscuit and two sides. My only disappointment was the hot links ($5.25 in a sandwich), not because they weren’t tasty but because they weren’t really that spicy hot. Other items on the menu include smoked chicken ($8.25), oven-fried chicken ($8.25) and the Papa Bear Burger ($5). Papa Bear’s BBQ is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. While there is space inside to dine-in, I would recommend calling ahead and carrying out.
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Papa Bear’s BBQ
