Undercover Diner: Bear Walrus Delivers Some Winners, but the Oysters Never Arrived

The fish special and pimento cheese hushpuppies were standouts, but heavy seasoning and a missing appetizer left us with mixed impressions.

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Sometimes a return visit to a restaurant is just as revealing as the first.

We had been to Bear Walrus before and left satisfied. On that occasion, I ordered the lobster roll and enjoyed it enough that another visit seemed worthwhile.

We also had a connection to the restaurant through Long Bottom Meats, where we ordered our Thanksgiving turkey. We picked it up at Bear Walrus, which apparently shares ownership with the meat business.

So when we returned for dinner on August 22, we had good reason to expect another enjoyable meal.

This time, however, the results were mixed.

Bear Walrus has an interesting setting, with exposed brick walls, high ceilings, long communal tables and an industrial feel. It's a distinctive space that seems equally suited for a casual meal with friends or a larger gathering.

Our party of three included my wife and our daughter. We each took a different direction with our orders.

I selected the fish special; a seasoned white fish served over roasted potatoes and topped with a slaw of pickled red onions. It was an attractive presentation, with the colorful topping providing a nice contrast to the fish and potatoes.

More importantly, it tasted as good as it looked. The fish was very good, and the combination of roasted potatoes and tangy pickled onion slaw worked particularly well. It was one of the better choices at our table.

Lisa ordered turkey breast accompanied by macaroni and cheese and French fries. The turkey was good, although the edges were overly seasoned and didn't quite measure up to our previous experience with the Thanksgiving turkey from Long Bottom Meats. The macaroni and cheese was good, as were the fries.

Regan went with chopped prime brisket, accompanied by onion rings and pickled vegetables. The brisket and onion rings were good, although she also thought the seasoning was a bit heavy.

That became a recurring observation during the meal: Several dishes seemed more heavily seasoned than necessary.

One of the best things we ordered was the pimento cheese hushpuppies, served with honey butter. We had them nearly gone by the time I took a picture.

These were really good. The hushpuppies had a golden, crispy exterior, and the honey butter provided a sweet complement to the savory pimento cheese. They were among the highlights of the visit and something I would order again.

Service was generally good. Our server was friendly, attentive, and the food arrived in a timely manner.

But there was one notable exception.

We had ordered oysters and were particularly looking forward to them. Unfortunately, they never arrived.

It's the kind of oversight that can change the impression of an otherwise pleasant meal. We weren't dealing with slow service or a lengthy wait for our entrees. The oysters simply never made it to the table.

That was disappointing, especially because they were something we had specifically wanted to try.

Our return to Bear Walrus wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't quite as satisfying as our first visit, either.

There were definite positives: the fish special, pimento cheese hushpuppies, macaroni and cheese, fries and onion rings. The restaurant also offers a distinctive atmosphere, and the service was otherwise punctual.

On the other hand, the turkey breast didn't quite meet expectations, some of the seasoning seemed excessive, and the missing oysters were an unfortunate oversight.

Would we return? Probably. Our previous experience with the lobster roll was good, and there were enough things to like about this visit to give Bear Walrus another opportunity.

But next time, we'll be hoping the oysters actually make it to the table.