10 Best Episodes of ‘The Bear’

‘The Bear’ follows Carmen Berzatto and the crew of The Original Beef of Chicagoland as they rebuild a kitchen, a business, and their lives. Across three tightly crafted seasons, the show tracks the grind of service, the strain of family history, and the step by step work of turning a neighborhood spot into a destination restaurant.

These ten episodes mark important story turns, showcase character growth, and detail the systems that keep a kitchen moving. Each one captures specific beats in operations, training, and menu development that shape how ‘The Bear’ evolves from a sandwich shop into a new dining room.

‘Fishes’

Season 2 Episode 6 rewinds to Christmas Eve at the Berzatto home and stages the Feast of the Seven Fishes with a full extended family around the table. The episode brings Donna, Michael, Natalie, Richie, and multiple relatives and friends into one house to show long standing patterns that precede the events of ‘The Bear’. Several notable guest performers appear as key family figures who influence decisions that echo through the present timeline.

The night stacks small conflicts into larger eruptions, including a confrontation in the kitchen and a final act that physically alters the house. These events clarify why Carmen and Natalie approach work the way they do, and they explain ties and tensions that still affect how the team communicates inside the restaurant.

‘Forks’

Season 2 Episode 7 sends Richie to stage at a top fine dining restaurant where he learns front of house fundamentals from open to close. The day covers polishing cutlery, timing courses, language on the floor, and how to coordinate with the pass so guests receive a smooth experience. Chef Terry appears, anchoring lessons that connect service to purpose.

By the end of service Richie can read the room, anticipate needs, and execute guest recovery with confidence. He returns to the new restaurant prepared to handle pacing, checkbacks, and pre shift standards that lift the entire operation.

‘Review’

Season 1 Episode 7 tracks a full service meltdown after an online preorder switch floods the kitchen with tickets. Printers run nonstop, callouts overlap, and stations slip as the brigade structure collapses under volume. During the chaos Sydney and Richie collide on the line and Marcus falls behind while testing a dessert.

The aftermath forces changes in workflow and accountability. The team confronts miscommunication and gaps in training, which sets the table for decisions that define the final push to retool the business.

‘Braciole’

Season 1 Episode 8 closes the first chapter with a letter from Michael that sends Carmen to a stack of number ten tomato cans. Inside the cans he finds cash that immediately changes the financial picture with Jimmy Cicero and creates a path to end one concept and begin another. The kitchen gathers to process what the discovery means for ownership and debt.

The Original Beef shutters and a plan to build ‘The Bear’ takes shape with a new layout and new standards. The sign on the door signals a reset as the staff starts mapping stations, permits, and timelines for the site to reopen under a new name.

‘Honeydew’

Season 2 Episode 4 follows Marcus in Copenhagen as he trains under pastry chef Luca and rebuilds his foundation. He works through lamination, tempering, sugar work, and plating while absorbing a disciplined approach to mise en place and time management. Daily sessions emphasize repetition and feedback until techniques become instinct.

Outside the kitchen Marcus rides through the city, studies textures and shapes, and keeps in touch about his mother’s care. He returns with a catalog of desserts and a set of standards that reshapes how the pastry station integrates with the line at ‘The Bear’.

‘Sundae’

Season 2 Episode 3 documents Sydney’s full day of research across Chicago to develop a menu for the new restaurant. She maps a route, tastes widely, builds notes, and refines a sequence of dishes that fit the space and staff. She also checks equipment lists and confirms what each station will need to execute service.

Back at the kitchen she organizes her findings into courses, drafts prep lists, and coordinates with Carmen on sourcing and vendor outreach. The episode links creative work to operations so dishes can move from idea to consistent execution on the pass at ‘The Bear’.

‘The Bear’

Season 2 Episode 10 covers the friends and family service that opens the new dining room. A broken handle traps Carmen in the walk in, which forces the team to redistribute responsibilities on the fly. Richie runs the floor, Sydney calls the pass, Tina and the crew hold their stations, and Marcus monitors the board while expecting personal news.

Service reveals what works and what needs fixes before the first paid seating. The night ends with a list of adjustments for doors, pacing, and communication protocols that will shape the next service at ‘The Bear’.

‘System’

Season 1 Episode 1 introduces Carmen Berzatto as he takes over The Original Beef of Chicagoland after Michael’s death. He brings fine dining structure into a neighborhood shop through a brigade chart, labeled containers, and precise prep. Sydney arrives eager to learn and the crew starts to adapt to new expectations.

The episode sets up debts to Jimmy Cicero, daily cash pressure, and the personalities of Richie, Tina, Ebraheim, and Fak. It establishes call and response on the line, menu costs, and the idea that changes in language and process can change outcomes inside ‘The Bear’.

‘Ceres’

Season 1 Episode 6 shows pressure building as the team juggles debt, menu tests, and limited space. Carmen speaks at a support meeting about loss and work while Marcus keeps pushing a dessert late into the night to solve texture and structure problems. The episode links personal stress to performance on the line.

Sydney experiments with risotto and notes how timing affects consistency across tickets. Richie handles responsibilities that pull him outside the kitchen. By the end the crew understands that the next steps will require clearer roles and stronger systems to move forward at ‘The Bear’.

‘Bolognese’

Season 2 Episode 8 tracks Carmen as he spends time with Claire while also working through buildout and training plans with Sydney. The episode follows prep lists, station guides, and timelines that must align before inspections and tastings. It also shows how personal commitments affect availability during a tight schedule.

The crew refines menu tests and expands front and back of house training. Tina applies new skills from class, line cooks practice fire times, and the team updates the punch list that will carry the project into the final stretch for ‘The Bear’.

Share your own picks and the moments that stood out to you in the comments.