Dining
The grilled New York strip steak ($48) is a menu item unique to the McKinney Union Bear location.
The restaurant’s drink menu features various cocktails in addition to Union Bear beers.
Union Bear opened its third location April 8 in downtown McKinney.
PHOTOS COURTESY KAYLA ENRIGHT 33 RESTAURANT GROUP
Union Bear looks to be a ‘neighborhood hang’
One of the newest additions to Historic Down- town McKinney, Union Bear began serving patrons beer, burgers and more April 8. The restaurant is the third in McKinney from Frisco-based 33 Restaurant Group, which also operates downtown restaurants The Yard and Cadillac Pizza Pub. The McKinney location is the third Union Bear restaurant, and restaurant o cials are looking to make the elevated eatery a gathering spot for the community. “You’re going to feel like you’re in a special place, but you’re also going to feel like you’re in your neighborhood hang,” General Manager Gabe Nissen said. The details The restaurant o ers a chef-driven menu of American classics like the Big Tavern Burger, the “Grown Up” chicken tenders, and sh and chips. Appetizers available include pretzel bites and green chile-dusted pork rinds, and guests can also order from a selection of sandwiches and salads. Items unique to the menu at the McKinney location include a chicken fried ribeye served with jalapeno gravy, a seasonal red sh dish and more. The menu was developed with the restaurant group’s other downtown eateries in mind in an e ort to create menu items that draw patrons to all three locations, Director of Operations Tanner Fleming said. “Our food menu is really one of the most
exciting things about what we’ve done here,” Nissen said. “There are going to be items that you’re going to see at every location, but we also have some real rock stars.” The restaurant’s drink menu features hand-se- lected spirits, cocktails, and over 15 types of Union Bear beer, including award-winning varieties. Union Bear o cials brew a “No Coast IPA” along with varieties like Union Bear Light, Amber Ale, German Pilsner, Pomegranate Blueberry Sour and more. Various brews from the company have won statewide and national awards, including the Mexican Lager, Fleming said. “You can’t have a Union Bear without beer,” he said. Diving in deeper Each Union Bear restaurant o ers pizza, with the variety varying by location. The concept’s rst location in Plano o ers atbread-style pizza and the second location in Denton o ers hand- stretched pizza pies, according to its website. The McKinney location o ers a Sicilian-style deep dish pizza in both classic and white pie vari- eties. Nissen said guests that have visited multiple Union Bear locations often discover the di erent pizza types. “Even in such a nite segment as pizza, we’re able to provide that variety,” Nissen said. “It keeps it really fun.”
The grilled pork chop ($29) is served with sweet potato puree and apple cranberry sauce.
Union Bear McKinney has over 80 employees on sta to operate the new restaurant.
W. VIRGINIA ST.
W. LOUISIANA ST.
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308 W. Virginia St., McKinney www.unionbear.com/union-bear-mckinney
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