Stokey Bears

Stokey Bears is excellent. The burgers are about the best you can find. Plus, they come with bacon jam. Yes, you read that correctly — Bacon. Jam. Need I say more?
The great atmosphere adds to the fantastic food. Great music, very relaxed, and very smart staff. Next time I’m in London, I’m going to try their Magic Roundabout location to see how it compares.

Stokey Bears in Stoke Newington does one of the best burgers in London. Simple and simply delightful. Juicy, messy, cheesy, tasty — in short, a very good burger that excels when it comes to the bacon, and especially the bacon jam.
When I was heading to a poetry event in trendy Stoke Newington recently, I decided to use this opportunity to finally check out Stokey Bears.
First of all, I have to make one thing clear: I backed Burger Bear’s Kickstarter campaign, so you could say I have an interest in the business doing well. However, I paid for the burger myself and did not even use the voucher from the Kickstarter campaign. If I would not have liked the food, I would say so — or rather not waste my time writing a review at all.
Stokey Bears is a quirky place with a lot of wood, something I appreciate since it gives the place a nice, warm atmosphere. The diner feels like a neighbourhood burger shop, and indeed seems to be full of local families on this Friday evening.
As you would probably guess, the wine list is not the strongest point of this place. I ended up ordering the Macon Village Louis Jadot white wine. Unfortunately, the menu did not say it’s a Chardonnay. It was not my favourite wine, but it was okay and I would say it went actually pretty well with the burger. Now, I did not go to Stokey Bears to taste their wine selection, I went there to find out if their burger is still as tasty as it was when I had it last on some street market in South London.
After reading through the brief and beautifully illustrated menu, I selected the Grizzly Burger — an excellent choice full of great flavours. Due to the fact that I was going to an event afterwards, I was very careful because the burger was a little bit messy to eat. They provide plenty of tissues though, so you can easily clean up any mess you leave behind.
The patty was deliciously juicy, the bacon thin and crispy. The cheese added a nice layer to the experience, and there was nothing I missed. I think that the fun idea that is bacon jam created a lovely and strong bacon taste, something that probably sets Stokey Bears’ offerings apart from most of the other London burgers I’ve tried so far.
There is not much to say about the fries. They were okay, not exceptional, just alright. The star of the meal was without a question the burger. And I guess that is how it’s supposed to be.
Unfortunately they do not do desserts, which might be an advantage, so they can focus on what they do really well. Some other of the oustanding burger shops in London also do not offer desserts, and I am happy to accept that in this context. If the burger is that good, I don’t even need a pudding.
Stokey Bears is definitely worth a visit, even if it is a bit of a trek to get there from central London. The burgers are simple, yet perfectly executed and a pleasure to eat, given you do not mind getting your hands a bit dirty.

Epic Meal Time! I took the Greedy Bear — two huge panties with bacon — and barely ate half of it…
The portions are not only huge but very tasty, and the staff is very welcoming!

Good ambience; Great burgers.
The hot wings dish is huge! Definitely not a side but good value for money.
Loved the music on a Friday evening.

First time here. My friend brought me here for early dinner. She is a bit of a fan of burgers and said this is good place.
This staff were very very friendly and helpful. Had very good knowledge of their menu and gave plenty of helpful advise in that matter.
This place is very family friendly and prices are reasonable. The quality of food was great, burgers had a lot of flavour and fries which are often forgotten were very good too. What I liked was that food wasn’t over-​salted which is a common problem in London.
What I didn’t much care for was the lighting and some of the décor. They had great wooden panelling but it was rather ruined by night club lighting mood and strangely chosen huge burger hanging off of wall.
Food was great though and good selection of beers which were good. I like that they served draught beer.

Having been to Burger Bears’ stall before across different markets/​breweries/​pop-​ups and knowing how nice it was then I needed to see what this restaurant was like. It doesn’t disappoint and offers the same great friendly welcoming vibe with the comfort of a roof and warmth from those standard four walls. The burgers seemed a lot bigger than normal and you know the meat is of high quality from the first bite. We also went for the slaw which was a bit different with mint running through which allowed you to break up the taste of the burger with freshness to enjoy even longer. The only downside was that the French Fries are nothing special. Don’t get me wrong they were nice but with such great burgers all it needs is a signature fries to take it all the way to the top. I would love to see some crispy sweet potatoes fries on the menu. I would definitely go back in a heart beat. (Visit — 20/​11/​2014 Dinner)

MASSIVELY DISSAPOINTING service and food :-(
Forgot our drinks until way after food was delivered (and sent back) —
We didn’t realise but they must serve all burgers very rare unless specified you want them cooked any other way (they didn’t ask us or mention this) —
Bleeding burgers are not our thing so I asked if mine could be cooked all the way through–
They brought it back medium rare unlike I asked … So again I couldn’t eat any of it–
It turned out to be an expensive meal when all I could eat was some fries that taste exactly like the McDonald’s ones– I had to go home and make dinner.
Staff didn’t give a crap that we left our food (we paid for it) — it’s like a ‘like it or leave attitude’.
I’m a pretty chilled restaurant goer in general and was not bothered they recooked our original bitten into burgers– but to bring them back rare again was beyond lazy– or defiantly hipster?
WILL NEVER GO BACK HERE

Onion rings bigger than wagon wheels, a portion of cheesy fries ample enough for a whole family… And their burgers are SO tasty!
I had a friend come to visit my local area and on the way to the high street I had to decide whether to satisfy our burger craving at Stokey Diner or this place. Never been to Stokey Diner but I’m glad we tried here instead.
The good:
— Wonderfully cooked burger patties and deliciously bacon jam
— really chilled, mellow music
The bad:
— slightly warm diet coke
The ugly:
— They ran out of slaw :(
All in all, a great place to come for a catch-​up with friends!

Pretty ok burgers. Not as good as Patty & Bun or MEATliquor, but close. The hot wings are hot, but flavourless.
Their beer selection is excellent though…

From the instant I we entered Stokey Bears and I saw their huge fairground style burger hanging on the wall, I was completely sold on the aesthetics of this burger joint.
The interior was scattered with cool decorations such as skates decks, t-​shirts from other local businesses and animals, all complemented by colourful lighting and pumping tunes to create a relaxed out party vibe
Seated at one of their simple old school desks (complete with engravings) I had a good chat with the friendly staff and quizzed them about the menu which they enthusiastically talked through with me.
Selecting from the 7 burgers was an easy for me as a vegetarian: I had the Koala, a spiced bean burger with American cheese, avocado, salsa and coriander & lime yoghurt.
The burger itself was so hearty that you could actually see the kidney beans. I much prefer this to a mystery patty. I also loved the use of vegetables and sauces to complement the burger, which had a nice fresh Mexican kind of flavour.
My boyfriend had a tougher choice but, after some discussion with our waiter, selected the Grizzly Bear — a Cheeseburger topped with, oak smoked bacon and their famous unique bacon jam. Which seemed to go down a treat.
Each burger came in an equally shiny bun which was not only delicious and sweet, but also held the generous fillings. I like to eat my burger with my hands without the contents falling all out or it crumbling away, and this bun past the test so was a winner in my books.
Another thing I am very critical of is having to order fries as a side, who are these people that eat a burger without chips? I did, despite my grievance with the procedure, have to order fries on the side, however these were not you average potatoes.
We shared ‘Angry Fries’ which came loaded with various hot sauces and mustard. To begin with I was confident that I could handle the heat, but nearing the end of our plastic basket I was feeling the effects of the spice.
To add a little health to our carb-​tastic meal we also shared some of the slaw, which instead of being creamy and mayonnaise covered, was made with white wine vinegar with big chunks of crunchy carrot and red cabbage.
This is not just a place that is serious about burgers as Skokey Bears is a collaboration between Burger Bear and Bear Hug Brewing so to help recover from the heat of the Angry Fries we cooled our mouths down with beer.
Not only were the Hibernation White I.P.A. and Himalayan Red Rye Ale both really great beers but for every one sold a donation is made to One Green Square that will help preserve one square foot of rainforest for one year.
Helping the environment by drinking beer — count me in!
When I first viewed the cute bear themed menu I was concerned that it was a little overpriced in the hugely competitive London market, however after the experience and doing a bit of research I understand why they are slightly more pricey.
Everything these guys do, they do with style and passion; even their meat is carefully sourced from Flock and Heard, a butchers that prides themselves on providing ‘free range meat from as local as possible’. I am all in for paying a little more to support independent companies with great ethics.

I like burgers. I really like burgers, actually. Hence I am a fan of Mr Burger Bear Tom. Having met the man himself in Birmingham a year earlier (and being introduced to Bacon Jam via his wonderful creations), I was very pleased when my friend Alex recommended we visit Stokey Bears for lunch.
Burgers? Bears? It had to be. On confirmation that this, indeed, was one of Tom’s venues I sat back, ordered a beer and perused the menu for the most ridiculous thing I could find. The Greedy bear presented itself as a great option and this had to be paired with fries (of course).
Yes. It was a very good option. Delicious tender beef, crispy fries and a cold beer produced for the bear franchise, I couldn’t imagine many better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon in Stoke Newington.
I think the burger, fries and beer came to around £20. Now, it aint cheap in here — but you can taste the quality of each individual ingredient and it takes Good. The venue is very cool too! A laid back, American theme with stripped back wood, barrel seats and some low key music in the background.
I would definitely recommend a trip to Stokey’s (or any of the other bear venues) to try their wares.

Delicious burgers, friendly staff and a great selection of beers.
A bit out of the way so we were lucky they had space for us.
One portion of chips is a big enough side for 3 people.
Not too expensive for eating out — but then it is just fast food with a hipster twist… So actually expensive for what it is £10 burgers and £4 fries. £5 beers

We ended up having lunch here after our initial plans fell through due to poor planning but I’m not complaining! I first came across Burger Bear Tom at an event in Birmingham ages ago and it was a damn fine burger. Recently the burger scene in Brum has exploded with great guys like Meat Shack and The Flying Cows producing kick ass burgers but il nobody has shown quite the same love for bacon as Tom.
It was fairly busy for a Saturday lunchtime but we were seated and served straight away. A simple yet effective menu means you don’t have to spend forever choosing your food. There wasn’t much of a question really, a greedy bear with fries — I was ravenous. Great burger, loads of crispy bacon and bacon jam. The only downside is the bun. A bit too steamed for me, it almost felt greasy.
There’s a great selection of beers (although most of the taps were off due to craft beer rising) and great looking local sodas.
Yeah, for a burger it ain’t cheap but you pay for quality. And these guys know what they’re doing.

Great burger but they are always running out of ingredients…
Good service too

STOKEY BEARS!!!
I’m a huge fan of Burger Bear Tom anyway (Like one of the other reviews, I’ve also backed his pop-​up in Shoreditch only instead of 1000 burgers I’ve just opted for unlimited burgers over six months ;))
So it was a delight to find out that he’d managed to get a shop open in Stokey WITH beer AND my favourite cocktail bar was opening a new place underneath it. Oh my.
Taking this as an excuse to finally pop in and see what a Burger Bear is like when served in an actual restaurant I spent an hour chilling here last week.
First off — staff have managed to retain that friendly chit-​chat vibe that I oh so love when hanging out at a burger bear pop-​up; having beer on tap is pretty exciting and owing to my past experiences at past beer-​soaked pop-​ups I can say it complements the burgers perfectly. Sadly this time I had to opt for a cranberry juice because of that evening’s cocktail plans downstairs.
I went for the angry bear (an old favourite) with a side of fries; because they weren’t very busy I was faced with a small wait for my burger — presumably making them to order instead of racking and stacking like a busy lunchtime takes some getting used to.
I felt that the burger itself wasn’t cooked very evenly (sadly) but all the flavours I’ve grown to expect from a burger bear were there (and the angry bear was angrier than usual). Presumably this was a one-​off and I didn’t complain because it was still delish. The fries were good and peppery, mayonnaise was offered and I noted that each table comes with a big roll of tissue for cleaning the mess up afterwards — no cutlery provided (nicely done!).
If you’re up in Stokey, give it a go before popping downstairs to Original Sin for the best night ever.

This place is pretty cool. I came on a Saturday at lunch and it was quiet so I have no idea how crazy it may or may not get in the evenings but everything I saw and ate, I liked.
The burger was great and others will be able to elaborate more but for me, as long as it’s tasty without juices flooding all over my hand and the burger falling apart when I lift it, I’m happy.
They have some special beers on tap so a return visit when I’m not planning on climbing later is definitely in order.
The London burger scene just continues to explode. Burgers are one of my favourite foods so it’s all good for me. Best burger in London though? I’d struggle to choose but my step daughter said it was the best burger she’d ever tasted so 5 stars sounds about right.

Got to say I was a little disappointed in Stokey Bears. 3.5 starts would be an ideal rating. I’m a huge fan of Burger Bear, and consider them to be one the best burgers around — the pop-​ups in Nunhead are one of my favourite Saturday afternoons and I’ve never been let down.
I just felt the venue was a bit rough around the edges, I get it’s Stoke Newington but it’s been opened too early. Also my friend’s burger was undercooked, rare, not even medium-​rare. They did re-​do it but not without a little tutting. Also up here they have brioche buns and not the plain soft white as in Nunhead.
Fries were excellent and the service more than pleasant. It’s still overpriced.
Look I’m probably moaning a bit because it’s slightly different from what I’m used to with the South of the River Burger Bear action. I’d bigged it up to my north mates.

Burger Bear’s burgers are so good, I recently bought 1000 of them on Kickstarter. This was my first trip up to his new restaurant, Stokey Bears, in Stoke Newington. I ordered my usual, the Greedy Bear, which is two huge beef patties, four slices of bacon, four slices of cheese and BACON JAM! It tasted as great here as it does from his street food stand, and is still my favourite burger in London. The restaurant itself is really well set up, with booths of varying sizes for groups. The Bear Hug brewery beer they serve on tap is nice and hoppy. I will definitely be coming back here on a regular basis, and can’t wait for Burger Bear’s Shoreditch container restaurant to open.

I remember my first introduction to Burger Bear like it was a year ago… It was a year ago, and I was at a secret Movember party in Soho arranged by my friend, as you do. She told me I had to have one of these burgers, because they were amazing and had bacon jam on top.
Bacon jam you say? Tell me more.
She didn’t, but instead, put a burger in my mouth. And holy hell if that wasn’t one of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life. It was that day that I met Tom, the Burger Bear himself.
I’ve followed them around the city when they’ve popped up, always enjoying their food. But now, they have a home. And strangely enough, it’s soon to be my home too, in Stoke Newington. Great minds, my friends, great minds.
Stokey Bears is in the site of a former pool hall on the high street and the space… still feels like a pool hall. But that’s not a bad thing. I like it’s kind of charming old school feel. Booths on one side, tables with keg chairs (those are kegs with cushions on top) on the other. Ordering bar at the end of the room. Dark colours with neon lights. Happy people eating burgers.
Oh, and there’s no sign outside yet. When I asked Tom why, he told, «We ran out of money.» Fair enough, I assume a sign is to come.
In fact, lots of things are to come as we went on literally day two of opening. Half the menu wasn’t available yet, and he’s going to add things to it (like milkshakes. Yay!) But what was there were burgers, and my god were they good. Meaty meat, dripping cheese, tons of bacon, well toasted buns. Man oh man that was good. A little too pricey at about £10 for a burger without fries, especially for the area, but you do pay for quality.
We got the angry fries as well and they came topped with a pickled chili sauces that was unlike anything I’ve had in London. It just looks like relish on top of your burger until you take a bite. It’s a perfect blend of kick you spicy but not so bad that you can’t eat anything else. A fantastic creation.
They also have the first Square Root soda machine in London, which means unusually flavoured fizzy drinks and unlimited refills (complete with a power cup washer built right into the machine.) Square Root is a great local soda company and I love that they’re working together. The machine was a little buggy when we were there, doing more soda water that flavour, but it’s new and still being tinkered with and so damn cool.
Overall, a fantastic addition to the Stoke Newington scene and I’m so damn happy it’s around the corner from my new home. Happy and worried, since I may exploded from too many burgers.

Does a bear shit in the woods? Sure! Does he eat burgers? I have no idea, probably!
Stokey Bears is the amusingly named new cub of famed Burger Bear, known as one of the top 10 burgers in London. They’ve taken over a former pool hall in Stoke Newington and turned it into… well, a former pool hall that serves burgers and beer. Basically not much has changed, they haven’t even a sign yet but it was day 5*.
I arrived to find my friend sitting on a keg and eating chips. The place was full of bearded hipsters, as if I could really expect anything else. Most of the items on the menu were crossed out but it looks like they will have chicken burgers, veggie bean burgers and pork. Whatever, I came for the big meat. I ordered the Grizzly, a cheeseburger with double smoked bacon and bacon jam. My friend got the same with a double patty, I’ll let you know how she’s doing after her emergency bypass.
I didn’t even really read the menu description beyond cheese and bacon but I knew when it arrived and I bite into it that this burger was different. It was absolutely the bacon jam. That shit is bananas!
I do wish the fries had a bit more oomph. They were kinda bland and not topped with cheese or chilli or any other cholesterol clogging delight that I like so much. Maybe offer some dips? Poutiney? Slather some more bacon jam all over it?
They also serve Scottish cider and they have an organic/​natural soda fountain. I kinda wish I had tried the fountain soda.
The only downside for me is that 10 pounds is rather steep for a burger on its own. We ended up paying 40 pounds for our whole meal, which seems a lot when you are sitting on a hugely uncomfortable keg in the middle of Stokie. But I have no doubt that it will be hugely successful.
* My parents had a business for 30 years and neither had a sign nor even named the place. Beat that, hipsters!