By Wendy Erikson

It could be the lodge look, or the hearty feast of fresh food. Whatever it is, you can't help but feel welcome at "The Big Bear Grill".

For owner Arnie Freed, the name was a natural. Big bear was his nickname growing up and his wife's great-grandfather once wrestled a big bear for a living. Arnie and his fellow owners set out to create a home-grown restaurant. A place where customers feel comfortable coming in and leave more than satisfied.

Everything is made from scratch in the kitchen. From the burger to the soups on the stove and the salmon. "The Big Bear Grill" has quite a collection of stuff on the walls, most from flea markets. The rest, like the really big fish, are brought in by customers

Any day of the week you can get a big bear burger topped with garlic cream cheese & homemade chips, a grilled pork loin with spice rib rub or chicken spedini. This is the filet with Jack Daniels mushroom sauce. For seafood lovers there's blackened salmon salad with the restaurant's famous raspberry dressing. More than a few reasons to check out the big bear grill.

"Big Bear Grill" has two locations, the newest one at 10017 Manchester Road in Warson Woods. The other one is 16524 Manchester Road in Wildwood .