Black Bear Diner

Generous portions and fair prices. I ordered the cornbeef hash with the biscuits and gravy. It has to be in the top five I’ve ever had and if it’s on a menu I order it just to see how it compares to other restaurants. My coffee cup was kept full, so overall I left the place full and happy.

On a Wednesday night (6÷22÷16) at around 8 p.m. this Black Bear Diner location was not that busy.
ENVIRONMENT
Super kitschy. Super casual. The solid wooden train out front was a hit with our two toddlers… as was any baby bear pictures inside. The newspaper menus were neat. I’m knocking off a star mainly because the bathroom needed a wipe down and trash pick-​up. Other than that, the rest of the diner seemed clean and well-​maintained.
There is a picture of the «Big Daddy Burger» on a sign out front. While we were waiting a man the size of a grizzly bear was rushing in to get a seat. His significant other of a similar size followed him. As they passed this sign he looked at her and asked in a sort of Karl Childers of Sling Blade voice, «Hey baby, you want a ‘Big Daddy?’»
SERVICE
Nice. Mostly efficient. Rose was the sweetest waitress.
THE GRUB
— mostly typical diner food… all served piping hot
— patty melt from the «Little Less» section ($ 8.99) — typical greasy serving… juicy patty
— instead of the traditional fries, I opted for the soup of the day which was corn chowder as my side… It was slightly spicy and fairly creamy. I would choose it again.
— the kids enjoyed a chicken strips plate ($ 4.49) and Brandi’s favorite macaroni & cheese ($ 4.49). The fries could use a little more seasoning, but table salt works just as well. The apple slices on one of the plates could have been a little more fresh, plus they forgot to bring the bacon ranch dress for the chicken, but they made for it when…
— Rose, our waitress, asked if she could bring out free ice cream sundae’s for the kids (offered after 11 a.m.) either for our table or to go. It was late, so we got it to go. It was still cold and in good condition after our 25-​minute trek home.
PARKING
Free. Fairly large lot.
TIPS
— kids meals, high chairs & baby changing station in women’s handicap stall available
OVERALL
As long as this place isn’t overwhelming busy, I could see this is a great option for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner as their menu and prices seemed pretty swell.
| Food: 4 | Service: 4 | Environment: 3 | Price: 4 |
Review #480
’16 Challenge #46

I can’t speak for the entire menu, but I can tell you that what I ordered was delicious! I ordered the Fiesta Scramble with their potatoes! It also came with your choice of bread so I chose pancakes. Well, come to find out its one pancake but a pretty good sized one. Their portions are pretty large and reasonably priced. I feel like I’d pay more at Denny’s for less especially on the quality scale.
I do want to add that my experience was relaxing due to the time I went. I went around noon so it wasn’t as chaotic as I’ve heard it is during actual breakfast time. They serve breakfast all day which is a plus. I also like the feel of the place. Very cabin like and almost feels like you’re in a different place which is fun.

My first time at this restaurant had a little bump in the road. I ordered the Club, when I got my sandwich I was looking at it, something was not right. It was supposed to be a triple decker sandwich, this one was just a regular one. I asked my server Brenda for the manager. I asked him what was on my plate. He told me it was the club lite. They have a smaller portion menu.
Somehow my server had misunderstood what I ordered and put me in for a club lite instead of a regular club.
The manager offered to have it fixed for me. I decided I would just stick with what was there as the lite portion was huge.
Brenda came back over, she felt horrible for the misunderstanding. She is a very sweet woman. Her sincerity meant a lot to me.
The manager did insist upon giving us some free huckleberry ice cream for the misunderstanding. OMG I wish I had said no! Now I am hooked on this amazing ice cream. I sometimes go back just to get ice cream to go. I do not think I have had an ice cream I like more since blueberry cheese cake back in Iowa and that place went out of business over a decade ago.
My suggestion is if you haven’t already try the huckleberry ice cream. If you have Brenda as a server treat her well, tip her fairly because she really is a sincere and genuine person who strives to do her job well.
There are tons of adorable black bear items for sale inside. A carved wooden train with bench seats outside for the kids to play on or adults to just sit on.

Decent portions of yummy old-​fashioned comfort food from a huge menu in a rustic but homey restaurant decorated by someone’s obsessive grandma in Big Bear.

Great food!!! Big portions! You can definitely share & still be stuffed! We enjoyed eating here for lunch before our day at Knott’s. If you like good Olé’ American Comfort food, you’ll love it here. They have breakfast all day & their burgers are awesome!
We had a great experience here with the exception of our encounter with the host. She had an awful attitude. We told her we were a party of six & needed one high chair. She took us to the back room & we had a nice family size booth. The only thing was that she took off right away never said a word to us. Like, «Your waitress will be right with you.», nothing! We thought she was bringing us the high chair but never came back. We found it very unprofessional of her to not follow through with what a host is supposed to do. They are the first people you meet & give you the first impression. We didn’t even know we had menus until we figured out that the newspapers on the table were the menus. Really cute idea for Menus just wished we had been properly introduced to them & had better service while getting seated. She deserves a zero would of given them a 5 but this host just ruined our first impression. Thank goodness our waitress was awesome & she made up for it. We’ll be back because of her service & the great food.

Portions are for sharing — great value for food and log cabin ambiance was spot on. Took 30 mins for our order to be served, but I’ll hand it over to them because it was a Sunday and wait time was 30−40mins. Top tip: if there is a wait list and you aren’t picky with seating, you can express sit yourself down on the counter. Comfy swivel log chairs and ample leg room.

Loved the atmosphere and the food! This was a well earned treat after a long morning hike, and I went all in by ordering the chicken fried steak — something I haven’t let myself order in YEARS. Definitely need to get the gravy on the side, as I scraped most of it off so that I could enjoy the steak alone with just a touch of gravy. Yummy fried goodness that went perfectly with my over-​medium eggs and crispy hash browns. So much food that I didn’t even get to try the biscuit and gravy it also came with, and all that for just $ 11! Everything in here is bear themed and you just feel like you’re at a cozy mom and pop diner in the mountains or something. Super fun and stick-​to-​your-​gut filling food for very reasonable prices. I know it gets packed on the weekends, so plan accordingly!

Great family friendly restaurant with a fun Bear
Décor! There are plenty options to choose from if you want breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I’ve had both breakfast and lunch and can’t complain about either. There’s something for everyone and you can’t go wrong! The service is really great too!

This place has some pretty darn good country fried potatoes, french fries, and a mean house-​made bacon ranch dressing!
They’ve got large portions that, for modest appetites, will find satisfactory for two meals, or otherwise food coma if you can eat it all in one sitting!
Very casual vibe with a campground-​like interior with plenty of bear decorations to occupy your senses, and a neat menu that comes in the form of a newspaper and actually has some news on the front of it!
They have the best corned beef hash I’ve tried, but I’ve tried only like two others so take my comment with a grain of salt! The biscuit and gravy is not to my liking (their biscuit is basically a loaf of bread!) but not too shabby. I only eat breakfast here (served all day!) but don’t be afraid to try their lunch and dinner stuff! Friends have mentioned their sandwiches and burgers are on the better side than most.
Haven’t had any issues with service and my visits have been on the pleasant side.
Overall, a nice casual place with a campground cafeteria-​like seating, traditional diner-​like seating and patio seating with lots of a different menu options. Will definitely be back.

Love the food. I have only been here for breakfast. Huge soze plate, even the children plates are big. Homemade flavors abit of everything for all.

Really bummed, had an amazing BBD experience in Vegas. Food and service were really good. Decided to check out the Buena Park one. Was disappointed. Found 2 flies in dinner salad.
Each of my kids ordered the New York steak– off kids menu. We asked for them both medium.
One was bleeding still, not exaggerating. Super red, raw. The other was over cooked, dry. Felt bad for the poor waitress, wasn’t her fault.
Was a disappointed with the manager. I would think the fly salad would be taken off the bill. But it wasn’t. They did comp a free dessert though. Don’t think we’ll ever be back.

Impressive I was lucky to have the end cut prime rib. Succulent. Rice pelof well made. Asparagus soft and taste. The tri tip is well flavored. The tortilla soup very tasty. Nice how they have a smaller serving of the tri tip as well. This place is worth a return trip
Thank you for the happy birthday singing

Our family visit to BBD was on Mother’s Day and man… it was packed. This was our first visit to BBD and we were not sure what to expect. Unilocal rating were okay but we tried it anyways. We waited almost 2 hours for a table. We had 14 in our group and since it was Mother’s Day we knew the wait would be long.
It was worth the wait. We had good service and good food. We even rotated plates so that we can all try everyone else food choice. All 14 of us were pleased with our quality and quantity of food. We will enjoy BBD again, but maybe not on a holiday.

***. Food
*. Service
First timer for Black Bear Diner. The décor is nice, like a lodge with Black Bears. The menu is pretty big, Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was there for breakfast and I tried the lessor portion biscuit and gravy with bacon. It was still a large portion and the regular portions are huge. As noted in other reviews the food wasn’t very hot. I probably wouldn’t order the biscuits and gravy again but I will go back and try other items. The service was terrible. Our waitress pretty much ignored us. We had to shout at her to get her attention and come to our table to order, get refills. Anything. and she never asked how our food was. (Note: We were sitting at a table directly next to the path to the kitchen /​POS area and she walked by us numerous times.) All told I will try again. I just hope management reads Unilocal reviews and improves on the food temperature and service.

Based upon the décor, it is like walking into a mountain resort lodge. BBD has truly been upgraded and is nicely visual. With that being said, let’s now begin talking about the menu and service.
When we arrived, it wasn’t that crowded and there were several empty tables. With our name being taken, we had to wait and wait. When finally being seated, we again had to wait in a less than timely manner for our server. After he did arrive, we ordered the drinks, and again had to wait. Taking our food orders, based upon what they offered and what we like, it took us a quite awhile to receive them.
My wife and daughter ordered spaghetti and meatballs and I ordered trout. We also requested a giant bun (at the cost of $ 4.95) and butter. They loved their spaghetti but I was disappointed with the trout and the side order. The taste was hardly within my realm and I received a veggie item I didn’t order. Had to call our waiter back and he brought me what I requested (mash potatoes and gravy).
Our waiter was friendly but each time asking for something, we had to ask again for it to arrive (could have been because the amount of servers was lacking that evening).
All in all, with a three star review, there are certain things you have to be barring at Black Bear Diner until your food arrives and a costly bill is paid.

Loved going to the Black Bear when I’m out of town
Now I’m super excited that they opened up one near my hood. I went to day and it was packed. The wait was only about 15 minutes.
The food was good and the portions are large!

Friday morning. Parking lot was jammed. People milling around outside. Thought there’d be a wait. Wrong. No sooner than we sat down our waitress, Brenda, was pouring steaming cups of coffee.
Poor Mom had a fasting blood test this morning. She was starved. Thank you, Brenda, for the speedy service.
After a short browse through the menu Mom ordered the Volcano Breakfast (a mountain of pancakes, sausage, and bacon). I ordered the Fiesta Scramble (scrambled eggs featuring onions, peppers, jalapenos, olives, and avocado). Both plates were humongous and thoroughly DELICIOUS!
Sweet ambiance throughout the restaurant — rustic, rough hewn lodge.
The piped in music featured tunes from the 50’s & 60’s leading us to share precious memories of people we love who’ve passed on, and circumstances that brought us to Black Bear today. Great stories. During breakfast we text messaged with family members who wished they were able to join us. Next time. And there will be a next time.
Bought a coconut pie to bring home. Luscious. Can’t wait to dig in for dessert tonight. LATER THAT NIGHT: The pie was scrumptious. Small, so we didn’t feel guilty. Flavorful coconut custard billowing with shards of coconut. Yum!

I would say Black Bear Diner is a 4-​star diner if you come here and order off the breakfast menu. The rest of their menu isn’t as good IMO so if you’re coming here, try to stick with a breakfast dish.
They give you a ginormous portion of hashbrowns, and not many places make it better than Black Bear Diner. They are crisp and browned well on the outside. They are on point with the eggs, which I usually get scrambled. I would recommend against choosing their biscuit over the toast though. The one time I had biscuit, it was so hard and dry that I could not take more than one bite.
Most of the menu items have pretty big servings, but they do have smaller portion and more health conscious options which was nice to see. I would continue coming here for breakfast!

Horrible Experience, Hurry up and wait for lame ass food. This place sucks!
Every Wednesday is family day out for me and my three kids. It’s tough to find something that fits the bill for all of us. My 9yo loves Kraft Mac & Cheese, plain McDonalds C-​burgers typical kid crap. My 17.5yo son is pretty much open to anything unless his 15.5yo sister wants it first. All my kids hate beans and don’t like Mexican? I may need to get a DNA check on the Mex deal. Son likes Phở, daughters lovers Ramen. What the hell can a man do?
Ok passing by the old Hoff Hut I see its now Black Bear Diner. I had seen a few of these around and thought ok give it a try. Having no preconceived notions other than it seems like a Denny’s or Norm’s.
We walked in ahead of a few others. Our party of 4 a party of 3, 2, 4, and 13, The hostess left and told us all to wait. Not noting any of this down. She returned 5 min later only to ask who was next. Really? Luckily most all of the other folks waiting were civil and said we were next. She then took the parties of 2 & 3y but came back in a few min for us. Shopping time. The restaurant is loaded with ketchy bear pics and sells overpriced bear related tchotchkes’ like shirts, mugs, back scratchers, lip balm, underwear… Tourist junk. As we were seated I noticed many open booths and tables. WTF the 3 & 2 first?
We were seated in the back room. A large room that had a fake rustic décor complete with deer antler chandeliers and a couple of big screens, LOL rustic lodge.
Now were back on track I thought as a waiter quickly came to take our drink orders but never returned. Cue Jeopardy music. Da Da Da… almost 10 min go by. Then another waitress came and took them (drink orders) again saying she’d take our food orders when she returned. So almost 10 min later she showed with the drinks apologizing for the 2 big parties she was working. By then we had all memorized the menu better than the staff there! This was 30 min into the affair and we hadn’t even ordered any food! She finally took our orders. I was so ready to leave by then but my kids were starving and had school early the next day.
Woo Hoo we ordered our food, the kids all played on their phones and I soon noticed at least 15 min had passed. I flagged down our waitress. She again apologized for the slow service. And she disappeared yet again to return in a few min with a bowl of cornbread.
She then told me she was so sorry our food was taking so long and that her manager would give a break on our bill or a free desert. Forget desert I told her how about dinner? She then left and reappeared 15 min later with a couple of plates. and back again in a few more with the balance of our meal. At this point I could have eaten a turd off a zombies ass.
THE FOOD:
9yo daughter ordered the Cubs NY steak n fries.
This was the best smelling entrée on the table however it was loaded with gristle and my daughter gave up after ½ of the steak… my dog liked it though! 2** Stars.
15yo daughter ordered the «little less» tri-​tip.
She too only had less than half telling me after we left that it was cold from the kitchen. I tried it and thought it was the most flavorless tri tip I’d ever eaten. The fries were good. +1 for the fries = 2 ** Star
17yo son ordered the «Bigfoot» chicken fried steak.
WTF? This was more like a Chihuahua sized. The «country» gravy was flavorless unless flour is a flavor. And the meat was a tad chewy and way small for the price. 1*Star
I ordered the Slow-​Cooked Pot Roast dinner thought when looking around at all the blue haired trailer park fatties and their families eating that I’d be safe with this one.
Ok so it was covered in a brown «beef» gravy, all in all it was ok. A little on the fatty side but the flavor was ok. The veggies were great, maybe because I was starving at this point in our meal. As was the bacon ranch dressing on my salad. 3***Star
Our 2^nd waitress offered us a price break for the slow and crappy service which I thought was only affable, or she said that we could all have free desert. My little one was way tired (8:30) by then so I told her we’d take the $ break. She came back after 15+ min with our bill (no break) and a box of misc. deserts «for our trouble» By this time I just wanted to leave. 2+ hours in a shithole were enough for me.
Maybe this place has fantastical breakfasts, IDK but the dinner menu sucks!
Will not be back again…

Feo comida echada a perder la carne de mis niñas era pura grasa y no limpian la plancha