Thirsty Bear Kitchen & Bar

We had such a great experience at Thirsty Bear Kitchen + Bar! From start to finish, the service was absolutely top-notch—friendly, attentive, and welcoming. Our server was amazing. She was so full of life and super friendly, and she also offered up some good jokes and just natural conversation . The food was excellent; we tried the burgers, spinach dip, and birria tacos, and everything was flavorful and cooked perfectly. The drinks were a nice complement, and the atmosphere made it easy to relax and enjoy. On top of it all, the views from the restaurant are stunning, which made the whole dining experience even better. Definitely worth a stop if you’re in Waterton!

We went there for the bison stew, after we sat, turned out they were out of it, unfortunately, had to stay. My husband got a nice salmon salad, the server suggested dill dressing as we mentioned that his stomach sensitive to any acidic food, which was great suggestion. But my burger was a bit disappointing, didn't look anything as the picture I found here by another client. For the price? Was not worth it

Ate lunch at the Thirsty Bear while visiting Waterton on August 26, 2025. I ordered the garden burger with gluten free bun, fries and the strawberry wine cocktail. The burger was pretty tasty but could have used more condiments and the patty lacked a bit in flavour. The fries were delicious, and the cocktail was one of the best I’ve ever had - so sweet and flavourful! I loved the all the wood interior in the restaurant and it felt rustic but charming. The patio was nice on the now pedestrian street outside. Would visit again.

Great Food, Cold Beer, and a Fun Atmosphere – Twice! We enjoyed The Thirsty Bear so much, we ended up dining there twice during our stay in Waterton—and both times were fantastic! The atmosphere is lively and welcoming, with great music playing throughout. The Friday night live performance really elevated the vibe and made for such a fun evening. The food was consistently delicious. On our first visit, we had the steak frites and the bison stew—both hearty and flavorful. On our second visit, we couldn’t resist trying the weekend specials: the bison burger and poutine hit the spot. Everything was well-prepared and satisfying, and the beer was nice and cold—just the way we like it. Special shoutout to Eliza, the hostess, who welcomed us with warmth and a smile, and to our server Paige, who was friendly, attentive, and made our second visit even more enjoyable. Highly recommend this spot for good eats and great energy in the heart of Waterton!

We went for just beers after the hike and this place has the best collection of draft beers. But what made our experience so pleasant was our server, Joanne. She is amazing. Her positive attitude and bubbly personality and interactions with the patrons made us smile. It’s a rare thing nowadays to experience “above and beyond” hospitality. We will definitely come back.

Their patio is dog friendly and they gave us lots of room so he doesnt get overstimulated with the hustle and bustle around us. The food was well portioned and delicious. Our server was very friendly and she was there with a dog bowl right away! For starters we had the Baked Spinach Dip (with chips and pita). For mains we got the Baja Fish Tacos and the Nashville Chicken Sandwich. We were too full after to even get up!

We had two great meals at this restaurant. Excellent service from Paige and Mackenzie. We had mushroom tacos and the mountain craft burger. Everything was excellent and there were some tasty beers on tap. Friendly servers, and enjoyed the musician who was playing on the nights we were there. Highly recommend this place for an excellent meal, and a great experience in Waterton.

We went to Thirsty Bear and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. We ordered the salmon salad ($38), mushroom tacos, fish tacos, and ramen. Honestly, none of the dishes were enjoyable. The salmon salad was especially disappointing — it was overly sour, the fish had absolutely no seasoning, and for $38 it felt like there was no value at all. The tacos were just as bad: half of the portion was nothing but extremely sour cabbage, and the fish taco had no flavor whatsoever. The ramen was incredibly greasy and tasted like instant soup from a package. Overall, the food was a complete disappointment and definitely not worth the price.