Poke the Bear - Green Bay, WI

My husband and I first moved to Green Bay in November of 2019, and the first meal we shared together was at Poke the Bear in downtown. It was the only restaurant he knew of in the area because its where his job took him during his interview process, and he wanted to share the experience with me on that first evening. Back then, I didn’t review it. I was not as serious about my blogging back then as I am now, and I was somewhere brand new.
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Now, two years later, we walked into the doors of the Northland Hotel for the first time since. It is exactly as I remember it. A luxurious looking hotel lobby out of a magazine is there to greet you before you turn to your left and into Poke the Bear. We arrived as a bridal shower was wrapping up in their back room area, so we took a seat at their high tops by the window to look out on a bright, sunny, and most importantly warm Saturday afternoon.

We sat down to a pair of beers and awaited our appetizer order of their fried cheese curds to take in the two year anniversary of our arrival into town in relative quiet. In an effort to accurately recreate that evening, we ordered what we could that mirrored our dinner the last time we walked through the doors. No charcuterie board, but that’s alright. The evening of our last meal there was bitterly cold compared to the coastal state we left behind, and it felt like a lifetime ago in relation to the warm afternoon outside the window.

We arrived between the lunch and dinner crowd, so the service moved quickly. Our cheese curds arrived looking much like I remembered. A crunchy, delicate batter spiced with equal parts sweet and heat paired nicely with the delicate curds inside. Paired with ranch dressing and a smooth marinara, they provided a unique experience of the Wisconsin cheese curd compared to some of the brew pubs nearby. The spice mixture in the batter is especially unusual and a welcome change.

My appetite isn’t what it used to be back then, and I have lusted after their venison and black bean chili at a distance for the whole two years since then. A midday meal was the perfect opportunity to indulge myself in that desire, and so I did just that while my husband ordered their Nashville hot chicken sandwich. Given that we were among the few guests dining at the time, our entrees arrived precisely as we ate the last of our cheese curds.

I already knew from following the restaurant’s social media that I didn’t need to be worried about my chili arriving with spaghetti, so that’s a point in Poke the Bear’s favor already. As advertised, the chili comes with a cheese crisp and a cilantro crema. What arrived with the chili didn’t look like the thin baked cheese crisp I expected, but looked more like a large Cheezit (and I mean that in the best way possible). Regardless, It was a delicious addition paired with the fattiness of the crema. Venison in this application can be very lean and need the addition of other fats, and the crema helped out.

During our last trip, my husband had their burger. He said as we sat at the table again this very afternoon that he couldn’t really remember the burger, but he would always remember the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich recommended to him by the waitress. He’d order it every single time we came back, which for all I now know may be more often than once every two years now that he’s found something he really latched onto. I neglected my duties as a food blogger, and I didn’t get a picture. Next time.

Poke the Bear will always be a special location for us given our history with it and the city of Green Bay. It’s well maintained, showing no signs of wear in the two years since we first visited. Service remains attentive and knowledgeable about what they serve just like they were in the past. The history of the Northland hotel alone makes it a highlight for any visit to the area, and I regret not making more efforts in the past to bring my friends and family into the restaurant. 

Poke the Bear is available for delivery on nearly every delivery app available in town if you don’t want to head in for dinner yourself, and you can keep an eye on their facebook page for any updates about hours and new menu items. Thanks to the staff for a delicious meal and a wonderful two year Green Bay Anniversary!