The Easter special crab and asparagus omelette was so good. Full of crab all the way through the omelette with a few pieces of asparagus that had just enough crisp still in them all wrapped in the egg with a white cream sauce over it. Plus hash browns and toast for only 10.99. I wish this was always on the menu as it Was one of the best I have had! Service- very attentive and nice Decor- it's Black Bear
(5)
Andre J.
Typical diner food. The taste is pretty good, the prices are not too bad, but the portion sizes are Gigantic. The staff is friendly and very attentive but come for breakfast and be prepared to wait up to 30min for a seat even longer on Sundays. Favorite thing to get here is the grizz. Its a humongous lumberjack sized meal that blows away other breakfast platters. Also great is the Volcano breakfast plate. For lunch the turkey bacon avocado sandwich is delicious. Definitely a place to stop by if your nearby and hungry.
(4)
Jaja A.
Polite and kind staff, great food, clean ambience. No complaints. Had chorizo omlette and french toast plate. Next time we will try lunch and dessert menu! Coffee was high in my opinion but really there are no "real" diners in west vally in my experience so far... so this place was a pleasant treat! Its a lil drive for us. But we will come back again for sure. Thumbs up.
(4)
Glen B.
Good home style food. Large breakfast and never wrong. Biscuits and gravy are perfection.Had the meatloaf for dinner. The right amount of moisture content, as I've had some places that are just dry. The wait at sometimes can be a pain, but that's breakfast on the weekends for you.
(4)
Grant B.
Good food, huge portions. I think they have great pancakes, sausage links, and ham steaks. My only complaint would be that the sausage gravy is a little runny, and over medium eggs have always come out extra over easy.
(3)
Arlene H.
Huge breakfast, really creamy, tasty waffle & pancakes! We could have fed another person with all the food served, we will be back!
(5)
Antiquity S.
In all honesty, I would give this place 3.5 stars, but since I can't, I am rounding up. The place was clean, and adequate. Actually liked the bear theme, and it had sort of a log cabin feel to it all. The service was friendly, though the wait for the food was a little longer than expected, considering it was nearly empty. I ordered the special: chopped steak with onion and mushrooms, with mashed potatoes and green beans. My girlfriend ordered the turkey dinner, with the same sides. Both tasted pretty good. Portions were not overly huge, but more than a large chain. Definitely better than a Denny's or similar restaurant. The banana cream pie was good, too. I will return. Nothing bad to say about the place. Just didn't totally blow me out of the water as amazing, either. A solid place to go to.
(4)
Julie M.
This place has delicious breakfast! We have tried several menu breakfast platters and they have all been really good. Exceptional chicken friend steak with country gravy and the sausage seemed homemade! Grandson and hubby are constantly after me to order
(5)
Shannon L.
Wonderful and woodsy atmosphere! Bear themed interior and exterior, with a rustic touch. Large , comfortable booths with soft music wafting through the dining area. Happy and attentive (but not overly) wait staff. Hot, delicious food with generous helpings. Will definitely be visiting again soon!
(5)
Missy K.
My husband and I absolutely love their pancakes they make them with vanilla and they are hands down the best place we've had pancakes here in the valley!
(5)
Bungle G.
Bears have long been a staple of popular culture. They have their own ride at Disney World. East coasters flashing backwards might recall a pre-Chuckie Cheezwiz Pizza serving arcade ridden place called Showbiz. "Does a bear poop in the woods" has even become a catch phrase and punchline. In response I would like to say "Yes, bears do poop in the woods. Well. Especially after ingesting the huge portions of food served at their own Black Bear Diner." I love breakfast and lunch places. This primarily for the breakfast food. Lunch is just lunch. Yeah, so, whatever. Ah, but breakfast food is like the food of the Gods. It's where it's at. Just give me one table, a fork or spoon in place of a microphone and I'm happier than a bear doing their business. In my efforts to test run every breakfast joint in the area I raced into this place one Sunday morning. Me, my Wife and my Mom and all of us liked it very much. The atmosphere is very cool. Very outdoors for being indoors. Lots of lumber. Pictures of bears everywhere. Me come for food though and Black Bear Diner brings you a plate of food that even a lumberjack on steroids would approve of. Breakfast platters were passed all around the table. Everything was industrial sized and much enjoyed. Pancakes were as big as record albums. I could have slapped one up on my turn table and danced to it had I not been so deeply engrossed in chowing down on it. Sausage and bacon was extra good. I use the word extra because sausage and bacon pretty much tend to be celebratory meats. When served up here at Black Bear Diner I would have rolled my tub-us maximus out into the street, then pooped and locked in traffic had I not been glued to deep throating the contents of my plate. All eggs were lovely and worthy of a chicken dance. The scrambled, with cheese added, were fluffy and cheesy. The sunny side ups were straight up in the blue skies of tasty. Home fries were diced nice and seasoned oh so fine. Yeah, bears got good taste and we were all thankful for it. The coffee was good but not super strong. Good enough I suppose. Me and my wife prefer oil slicked sludge in our cups though. But with massive portions of great tasting food we'll give it a pass. Drinking 7 or 8 cups to my normal 4 or 5 did my senses plenty in the way of justice. The place was jumping but the wait was not too bad. Service was good. I really don't have a complaint. There are so many breakfast places in this area and the Black Bear Diner is a welcomed one. They even have memorabilia if you're into that sort of thing. I'm more of an eat, leave and go poop in the woods kind of guy. Kind of like bears and lumberjacks. Pooping aside, bears and lumberjacks alike, and anybody else for that matter, can rejoice. This place is great!
(4)
Jennifer S.
I was told to come here by my 70 year old parents. That should have been my first red flag. I know this place gets good reviews but I still am not sure how. It is a pretty ratty diner with homeless people sleeping outside and subpar food that is lower quality than what you would find at Denny's. We found the place to be dirty, the clientele to be a little to redneck for our taste and the food to be greasy and not in a yummy cure my hangover good greasy way. Go to IHOP on Bell and the 101 instead.
(1)
Daniel D.
Great food, cheap prices and excellent customer service. Our server was "AM" (Hispanic lady) she was wonderful and knew her job. Will be coming back more often.
(5)
Bill D.
Came here since I have been at another diner in the past. So came here for some dessert and it was not bad for price but service sucked. When server asks only dessert in a tone like that's it. There weren't many customers so you would think the 5 workers we saw would be attentive, nope. The guy came 3 times once to take order, give coffee and dessert and never came back no refills nothing but did have time to drop off check and ask need anything else. Yea how about good service.
(2)
Francesca B.
I'm updating this review because we did not have the most pleasant experience. The service was excellent but the food on the other hand was okay... My husband ordered the California eggs Benedict, I ordered the corn beef hash with poached eggs and my son ordered the griz. We all ordered the hashbrowns crispy, now that usually means a little more crispy than soft... My husbands and my sons hash browns came out burnt to a crisp! It was awful! And my husbands eggs were slightly overcooked. My poached eggs were more like barely cooked eggs, they were pretty much inedible unless I'm trying to drink my eggs like I'm in a rocky movie... Lol it was bad. The manager and waitress were very attentive and fixed everything in a hurry and even gave us a free pie and 10 percent off of our bill. Service- 5 starts Food- 2-3 We will be going to the black bear in good year from now on because both their service and food is always spot on.
(3)
Mihaela P.
Great place! Huge portions! Depending on what time/day you go there might be a big wait but it's definitely worth it
(5)
Brad S.
I was pretty bummed when the Phoenix location closed. You can always get a hearty breakfast here. I like the spicy in-house sausage - biscuits and gravy on the side and you are talking my language.
(3)
Joe S.
Again we came to take our chances on service and capped out! The entire dining room was open however we had a 10 min wait because we were only 2 and those were reserved for larger parties....it always seems to be that when Heather manages this takes place...our server Cathy left something to be desired....thank God the food was good!
(2)
Lucas J.
I love this place. Everyone is very friendly and the biscuits are huge! The sausage is excellent and they serve beer. Ask for heather, very punctual and professional. We will be regulars here.
(5)
Phoenix E.
I struggled with giving Black Bear 3 or 4 stars because I had two VASTLY different experiences. I decided to go with 4 though because in the end I can say I'll return - just in a more planned trip! So my very first experience, we went on a Saturday late morning. They were busy, but not packed. Our server was friendly, helpful, efficient & enjoyable. Our food was hot & delicious. Most notably was the Big Bear burger (may not have the name exactly right, but it's the biggest burger on the menu) that my Mom got with bacon & no bun. Really, really good. We were so impressed that we turned right around & went again on Monday evening before my Mom went back to MN. It was like night & day!! The server was all over the place, inefficient, unfriendly & seemed quite clueless. We asked if the Mac & Cheese on the kids menu was Kraft (we have a rule of not paying $5 for 1/2 cup of what only costs .98 for an entire box) & she told us no, it was hand made. We were very angry when she then delivered COLD Kraft to our table. :0/ The rest of our food was just warm & not nearly as well prepared as the first time we went. Nothing note able or memorable. I mean the difference in the 1st visit to the 2nd was like the difference between Kiss the Cook & Denny's. I was very surprised. But it's a good thing the bad time wasn't our first visit or I wouldn't bother going back. As it stands I WILL go again - but only during their busier breakfast times.
(4)
Christine P.
I always passed by this place and never thought it will interest me until my sister wanted to come here. I like how all the decor is forest like. :) Came in, and got seated right away! I got the thick french toast. Not my favorite choice. Bummed. We spilt our meals. :) Sissy had The California benedict. It was absolutely amazing. I think this was the first time ever that my biscuit was crispy!!!!! It was perfect. Andddd the hash browns? Whooo, don't get me started on that. The potatoe was cut thick, not thin and all mashed up like other places. It was well cooked, crisp and was delightful. Best hash browns everrr!!!! Especially with the black bear diner original pepper sauce baby burn with ketchup was yummmyyyy. I AM ONE HAPPY GIRL. I WOULD BE HAPPIER IF MY FRENCH TOAST WAS GOOD. BOOO.. so.... four stars. ALL THIS DELICIOUSNESS WAS ALL UNDER 20 BUCKS!!!!!
(4)
Danielle A.
Came on a Thursday at 10am for a late breakfast with my husband and 3 kids. It wasn't very busy at all, but took an hour to get our food. Our kids were restless and antsy and it made for a frustrating wait. It was our first visit, we've been wanting to try for some time. I got the steak and eggs. The steak was cooked as desired and had decent flavor. The country potatoes were terrible, however, hardly cooked, almost raw mixed with hardly any peppers and onions. They offered it with fruit or biscuits, but had to pay an addt'l $1.75 for gravy. LAME! Who orders biscuits without gravy? At any rate, the small and meager amount of gravy I did receive was decent, nothing great. All in all, our bill was over $50, for a blah breakfast. We probably won't return due to service and just nothing to write home about food.
(2)
Justin F.
Fantastic. I got The Grizz. Those are the best pancakes ever tasted in my life. Bacon was great, and the eggs, ham and everything else were excellent as well. The service was excellent and on point, and I enjoyed everything about my visit. I will certainly be going back again. Ps. The Banana cream pie is awesome!!!
(5)
Edward S.
The server was great the food was okay the wait was long not as good as Gilbert black bear.
(3)
Hillary R.
I went here for lunch a few weeks ago. It was ok, not great, not terrible, and not particularly worth visiting. The food didn't seem to be cooked quite right in texture or flavor. I was kinda disappointed because a friend of mine loves this place so I was expecting great things. Even the pie was disappointing! Pie should never be disappointing!
(3)
Danielle H.
First of all I was not excited about going here for dinner. Never been there, never wanted to go and probably been passed it a million times back in the day. The fam saw a commercial (great advertising) recently and fricken loved the bear mascot. So much that my man thinks he could be the voice! "Well Howdy! "The place was packed! Short wait was no prob since we had a photo shoot with gigantic stuffed animal bear on the bench. Server Mikaela was super sweet. Had great recommendations when I asked her. Our table had chicken tenders w fries + bacon ranch! Blazing Bear sandwich. ( Reminded us of french dip on steroids so asked for side of au jus. Yum!) I did Chicken Pot Pie w mashed pots+ turkey gravy. Pie tasted great some herbs and nice crust. Bits of turkey in the gravy were also a nice touch. We wanted to split a chocolate pie for dessert. They were out.Boo! Happy w Strawberry one. Also bought a Baby Burn Sauce. Tried all sauces before picking Baby sauce. Comfort food with bear theme everywhere! Great for kiddos. Only negative for me is the restaurant is in desperate need of new flooring.
(4)
James F.
Service was great for a Sunday morning. Had steak and eggs and side of biscuits and gravy. Hash browns no taste to starchy, steak was dry for a medium rare and tuff biscuit taste floury the gravy had no taste. Guess menu is for people with no taste. May give it another shot but not Sunday too busy
(2)
Daniel C.
Nice place. I'm from NY so felt good to find a dinner , which isn't common out west. Extremely friendly and clean. Had grilled cheese and fries ... Felt like I was back in NY. Would return
(4)
Jason V.
I dine here for breakfast/brunch only and only on weekends. There's always a wait for a table but it doesn't last for too long. You can go healthy (fruit bowl and some oatmeal) but there's not a lot of fun in that, is there? You can do healthy at home. Be a man, ladies, and order one of the ginormous breakfast platters. I'll split it with you. Ample portions like Sofia Vergara in a tube top, y'all. Your plate is about as big around as a steering wheel and there's no vacancy on it. They make a damn good chicken-fried steak and there's enough of it to share. If you order the "Big Foot" version, there's enough to feed two adults with leftovers. It comes with a few eggs cooked to order, hash browns and biscuits. The biscuits are made in house and they are quite remarkable. The omelets are also huge and delicious. The hot sauce on your table goes well with eggs. Ask to be seated in Molly's section if it's possible. If she doesn't love her job, she's awesome at faking it.
(4)
Courtney M.
If you're used to food that is not up to par, this is the place for you. The wait staff is alright, but should try to pick up the pace a bit. Only having about eight tables and three waiters/waitresses at the time, I shouldn't have to wait 10 minutes for a drink refill. As for the food, I had the fried fish and shrimp and it was okay. A little over cooked and just plain boring. Very typical diner food and unique bear / lodge type theme. The kids menu is cute, but my son even have this place a thumbs down on taste. I will not be coming back here again.
(3)
Ronald H.
The food is so delicious and brings that home feeling back. The restaraunt has a great feel and great decorations. The food is so good the eggs Benedict practically melt and swirl flavors. The Chipotle sauce they make has such a unique and great taste. Alex the Great was one Amazing server recommend all the best things and was totally right.
(5)
Ron P.
Great place for breakfast or lunch. I like that they offer fresh food as I ordered the hash and eggs that were excellent. No canned hash as they state on the menu and it was correct! Good portions and great service. They are also in IDINE so as of this review so got my discount.
(5)
Kevin K.
Well this is a regular place I love to come to but today they did not do as good as usual. The food was excellent and plentiful. Great value for the buck but the service from the front, server and everything else just fell flat. The manager just stood around looking like he didn't know what to do and didn't help at all. So good food saved the day this time for this review
(3)
Tonya M.
This is our favorite breakfast joint. They have the BEST pancakes in the valley. We've only been in for breakfast since their dinner menu doesn't offer any vegetarian options besides getting a grilled cheese or asking for no meat on the salads. Adding a veggie burger would be inexpensive for the restaurant, can be tossed in the back of the freezer and be charged the same price as a beef burger. This simple addition would allow us to come in for dinner all the time!
(4)
Kelly C.
false advertising and uninformed manangment. second time we have had a problem here and mgmt just doesnt care. came in to use coupon we received from BEAR REWARDS CLUB. They did not want to honor what is printed on coupon, plus they were out of 1 of 3 entrees u must purchase to get coupon promo. No substitutions so if they are out too bad. S.O.L. wish i could give negative stars.....
(1)
Heather P.
This place is everything you could ever want in a diner. The food is awesome, service rocks and the atmosphere is cozy! I'll be back for sure!
(5)
Anne V.
I absolutely love this place! Huge portions and friendly wait staff. Favorite for breakfast! I dare you to do it! I have moved from here since then, and I miss it, but I will sometimes make the trip up there for the great food :)
(4)
Edward D.
On our way home last night with our foster girls! Of course they wanted McDonald's or Taco Bell! Need to get that fast food thought out of them. So we stopped here. Wife and I have been here a few times. We have always enjoyed the food here. But last night! Don't know if they had a off night? Or our taste buds have moved on? Should have listen to the six year old and gone to Taco Bell! When we first got there, I wanted to order breakfast. But i have been on some kind of Ribs kick for the last three months?? So i ordered a full rack of ribs, with fries, mixed vegi's, and broc and cheese soup! The best part of this meal was the soup, it was a little salty but it was very good. It also came with a piece of corn bread. The ribs were very dry, I had to rip them off the bone, and very tough. And a day later, I am still feeling the effect! The vegi's and fries were good. I was able to get a taste of wife's waffle, again i was not that impressed! Very soggy, even before the syrup was poured is was not crispy, to soft, i just didn't like the texture on it. The girls had chicken fingers, and pancakes. Seem they both liked their meals very much. Now all four of us shared their Mt.Shasta Lava Cake, this cake sounded great according the their menu it said. "Our homemade chocolate cake has a gooey chocolate lava center, served hot and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle. Perfect for chocolate lovers!" We were very disappointed It was just a dried up piece of chocolate cake, with chocolate sauce on the bottom and top, with ice cream on top. Not very good, not what we were expecting. Not sure if we will come back here? There are just to many options to eat at.
(3)
Eric F.
I had the meat loaf with mashed taters and gravy. It came with vegetables, soup or salad, and a delicious corn bread muffin. My wife had the chicken fried steak with country gravy, also delicious. We shared the blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert, Devine! The service is very welcoming, our server Renee was great! We will definitely be back, looking forward to trying the fried chicken.
(5)
Debra A.
This place is a great place for a family Breakfast. The atmosphere is down home with carved bears and a lodge look to it. We were seated quickly and the service was great with a friendly waitress.I had the California Omelet and it was ver good and fresh tasting with the avocado on top. My Grandaughter Had the Chicken fried steak and loved it and the portions are large. The prices are very reasonable and I will be definitely going back.
(5)
Sean C.
Heyyyyy it's good. Open faced turkey sandwich, is great. French dip is good too. The onion rings and fries are delish also. My grandma loves this place. Will be back again.
(4)
Jet F.
Spendy for breakfast but still good food. Music pretty loud for the breakfast crowd. Too loud in fact. Probably won't go back because of it
(3)
Mikee V.
Service is slow. In need if new management. The staff needs to learn the meaning of diversity and how to properly function in the dining business. Everyone moves at 50% no motivation. Open tables and still a 20 minute wait. Love the food but this place needs help. Bad. Bring in someone who actually has a passion for the culinary field.
(2)
Beth S.
I've avoided it as long as I can, but I did go back to the Black Bear Diner as it's still my Dad's favorite place for breakfast. You know what? I'm glad I went. It was actually a pleasant experience and for the most part, the place has vastly improved from my last visit. First of all, they offer fit fare selections on the menu which is important to me. The portion of egg whites I had was way more than advertised, but that's ok because it was a vegetarian omelet that was filled with veggies that I don't ordinarily find in an omelet: squash, zucchini, and more! I asked if I could skip the toast and just have fruit and the server gave me a double portion of fruit! Nice! Dad had the french toast and he loved it. It's a generous portion of french toast and more than he could finish. And the server was really very nice. She smiled and kept smiling the whole time she served us! Yeah...I know, right? Crazy! She was pleasant, friendly, and prompt with service. Loved it. I might actually suggest we go back again the next time I meet Dad for breakfast!
(4)
Curt B.
I like this place. Rustic feel, love the bear theme and all the carvings and pictures on the wall. They also have a traditional juke box that pays the oldies but goldies music. Serving staff always seems to be on top of things and man can you get huge portions if you want.
(4)
Tim B.
Always a good place to come in and just get a lot of hearty food. Normally stick to breakfast items here, as I have been let down by some of the other entrees. Today had Meat Lovers Omelette, which was fantastic. Any meal you can get that comes with their large biscuits also is a plus. The family is always happy when we decide to eat here.
(4)
John H.
Our hangout lots of great food , good service and good atmosphere. Lots of food at lower prices !
(4)
Francesca U.
This place has always been amazing. If you are looking for diner food they sure do deliver. They have the comfort foods down pat! I'm sad that they closed the bell and 17 interstate location. But if you are looking for a diner this is 10xs better than Denny's!!
(4)
Diana B.
got very sick from the food, it was awful, especially the dip, they had cooked it with something and it made me very sick.
(1)
Kaitlyn F.
I am seriously straight up addicted to their orange juice. It's freshed squeezed and seriously SO good. I usually squeeze my own oj at home but it's a process, so if I'm no too patient it's perfect to stop by:) and the staff is always very nice. One girl especially, I believe her name was Ellie. There's one other young guy who was AWESOME as we'll but I totally don't remember his name:/
(5)
Julie S.
Rediculous!!! Was told there would be a 25 min wait, which was hard with our special need twins, but instead we waited over 45 minutes, meanwhile 2 tops were walking in & being seated, spoke to the "manager" who was rude & wasn't willing to put 2 tops together! Needless to say their food might be good but who cares with that wait & attitude, you can get breakfast anywhere!
(1)
Sharon C.
So I tried this place a couple of times before deciding to give it this review. Which worked out well because it would have been just one star after my first visit. My first visit was well over a year ago - it took me that long to get over the experience to the point that I was willing to give it a second try. It is cute and seems like it SHOULD be good. Just a "down home" kind of feel with little country black bears everywhere. Our first time we sat forever before anyone came. As we waited for our food we saw our waitress get into a confrontation with what appeared to be a manager or something and then the next thing we knew we saw her storm out of the diner crying. We didn't really know what to think but after a while our food still hadn't come and our waitress was MIA. So we asked someone about our order, then waited a long time again and finally got it. I had a battered fish dish and became nauseated and sick later that evening. My husband had the meatloaf, which was a 2 on a scale of 1-10. And even after it became obvious to the staff that we didn't have a waitress anymore, they brought us the food and then never came back. We had to hunt down someone to give us a check to be able to leave. Gave it a second try recently. The food didn't make me ill this time so that was a plus. Our waitress didn't leave the building, also a vast improvement from the last time. But our wait for the food to come was pretty long and unfortunately it wasn't so great that you felt the wait was worth it. But the food wasn't terrible, it just took a long time and wasn't that good. Had the wait not been so long I might have even thrown in an extra star on this review.
(2)
Jonathan K.
In the never ending struggle to find a great breakfast place in the N. Valley we decided to check out this place. When you walk in your greeted by friendly staff and surrounded by"bear motif". It's has a great diner feeling that is warm and welcoming. It reminded me of a few places I had been when I lived in the NW. When you sit down the bear/diner motif continues. There are some neat things they do with the table setting that makes the experience fun. The menu appears to be a fold open newspaper from the 60's, the table setting has a bear print on the napkin and all of the sauces are made custom for this place. All along there is a good mix of 60's-80's music playing in the background. Even though the menu was cool looking, it was a little overwhelming (seemed like there were 80 visible choices on the menu). I ordered "The Volcano" with the almond multi-grain pancakes and a coffee. The bacon and the pancakes were great, but the eggs were over cooked (ordered over-easy). The coffee was regular diner coffee - nothing special. The menu item was about $10. This place actually reminded me of "The Place." However, the cool ambiance and more tolerable noise level gave the Black Bear Diner a step up in my book. I'll probably be back to try something different.
(3)
Christina D.
We are always SO happy with this little place :) It's my daughter's favorite luch spot (she's ten) and my parents love to come here when they visit from out of town. I can say I've never had a bad experience. It is all that a diner should be...cute, comfortable, homey and good.
(5)
Thomas I.
Portions made to feed a bear. Well maybe 2 of them. I got an omelette and It was good but nothing special
(3)
Julie P.
This is hands down the best breakfast place in town. They do a super lunch and dinner as well, but I usually can't get off the breakfast selections. The "California Omelette" (Avocados, Mushrooms, and Jack Cheese) is superb, as is "The Volcano" which is made up of three fluffy / yummy pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs. As other reviewers have noted, portions are ginormous. Go planning to share a selection or take at least another meal home with you. There can be a wait on the weekend, but once you get seated, service is prompt and attentive. (Albeit the Fuzzie Bear that walks around can get a little creepy around the fourth table pass). BBD is supposed to be known for their desserts and they do look good, but the blackberry pie that I took home was more than a little tart and the crust was on the tough side. I wouldn't let this stop you from sampling as it could have been an isolated experience based on their reputation. There are actually a few locations in the Phoenix area, so visit their website to see which one is closest to you. blackbeardiner.com/locat… This definately isn't your parent's Denny's!
(4)
Darlene D.
What a horrible experience! ... Don't waste your time!!!!!!!! Not only did it take an hour to get our food, when they brought out their "famous" pancakes, it was cooked with pieces of broccoli! Also, my bacon was burnt! When I let our waitress know she went to speak to manager who never came to apologize, and instead of taking my meal off they only took off a few bucks! What a terrible place! Don't bother unless you want broccoli pancakes and hard burnt bacon! Oh and a ridiculously long wait!
(1)
Martina A.
I came here for the first time yesterday and I had the best, biggest and fluffiest pancakes I have ever had! The prices are right and the portions huge!! I have no shame when I say I am planning on going back tomorrow with my mom.
(4)
Jon C.
I've been here three times now, all for lunch. I really wanted to like it, but it was not to be. Maybe the breakfast is awesome but the other stuff is not good. I've had a burger that was gigantic but fell apart as soon as I tried to pick it up. The patty was also missing the middle section. It looked like it came apart while cooking and they tried to hide it with tomatoes and lettuce. Then I tried an open faced roast beef with mashed potatoes. The gravy had that slightly artificial taste. I assume it came out of a can or jar. The roast beef was made I don't know when but they tried to heat it up and just dried it out on a griddle. The potatoes were ok. My final meal was a ribeye steak. It was the worst steak I've ever had. I asked for medium and got a dried piece of shoe leather. The best cut of steak was reduced to a dried up shoe that I could barely get a knife through. The one redeeming feature was the staff. Every time I was there, they were great.
(2)
Joseph Y.
Took family out for dinner at Black Bear Restaurant. The best homemade food in the valley. Also it was Tuesday and found out kids eat free that day. With trying to feed a family of five it was great to have three of my kids bill knocked off. Just had to pay for me and my wife....Awesome.
(5)
Joanna L.
One of my friends took me and my bf here for my b-day breakfast just before I left Arizona, we got there around 10:20ish or so (Saturday) and it was pretty packed...they told us it would be a 10-15 minutes wait...but perhaps either I was really hungry or it was more like 20-30 minute wait.... When we went in we saw many empty tables...so I'm not sure why they made us wait so long...and other people were still waiting outside when we were seated...and there was clearly a few good open tables. Now our waitress was a sweet old lady though...I overheard her trying to help a customer warm up their food because they were gone for a long time and the food was sitting there for awhile...the waitress insisted on warming it up for her and I thought that was really nice. I couldn't decide rather to get the Chicken Fried Steak with Eggs or the Homemade Corn Beef Hash with Eggs...since they both sound so yummy when you're starving...hehe So my bf ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and I ordered the Corn Beef Hash. I can't say I was a big fan of how they made the Corn Beef Hash...it was lots of potatoes with kinda too little of the actual Corn Beef......I ate a lot of the Chicken Fried Steak though..now that's a really good dish to order. My friend ordered their steak...and it looked pretty juicy and tender to me. My scramble eggs was a bit overcooked too. Overall I like the service, the menu was pretty unique....at first we just thought it was a newspaper but if you opened it up, you would have seen the menu inside..lol the food was okay....I liked the Chicken Fried Steak but do not suggest the Corn Beef Hash because it came with either hashbrown or country potatoes...and since I forgot Corn Beef Hash came with potatoes and not just the corn beef itself....I got double loads of potatoes...=/ So perhaps next time if I get Corn Beef Hash...ask for a substitute side instead of country potatoes or hashbrown.. The food was kinda pricey for breakfast though...it was about $50($6 tip included) for the three of us...
(3)
Michael W.
Great breakfast every time. Whenever I am really hunger in the morning I head over to the Black bear for breakfast or brunch. The French toast (or freedom toast) is cooked and egged just right. They also use real maple syrup. The staff is always friendly and responsive.
(4)
Christina D.
Clean spotless dining area friendly smiling staff and great food what more can you ask for. My daughter is a picky eater and our waitress designed a meal just perfect for her I was grateful and she was like oh its no problem. Just a total sweetheart. This was our 3rd time eating there and it won't be our last. They have the best pancakes ever.
(5)
Jewel C.
We were running a little low in funds and has a few folks to feed. My niece recommend this place. We tried a variety of meals, sandwich,soups, burgers and everyone loved their meals. Great prices 4 adult 2 kids for $50 bucks. Will visit again.
(4)
Cassandra B.
I love this place for breakfast! Even on a busy weekend morning, the place works like well-oiled machine. Everyone seems to know how to move efficiently and effectively in seating and serving people as quickly as possible. The food is always delicious and the portions are large, so don't be afraid to share if you aren't that hungry.
(4)
Andrea D.
if there were more stars they would qualify!
(5)
Danielle D.
By far our most favorite place for breakfast, we always go to the Black bear in Havasu too! Came into Glendale location for a Saturday breakfast to sit down for a change-since we usually take to go. Again.. DELICIOUS food, I had the California Benedict- YUMM, hubby had meat lovers omelette and he's taking half home. I had to write the 4 star review since the services literally was HORRIBLE! We waited and waited and waited for every single thing! No drink refills, would stop at other tables with our food/drinks and go to her manager to ask before dropping off. I would request a new server if I had again. C'mon black bear we've always known you for amazon food and service- ** disappointed **
(4)
Sara B.
We go here all of the time. Seriously the best breakfast food I have ever had. Makes The Place look like Denny's. Fish Fry on Fridays is actually really good too. I've never had a bad meal here but WOW the breakfast is amazing. PS: While I LOVE Black Bear- Their coffee SUCKS, its really bad.... Stop and grab a cup to bring with you.
(5)
Keith W.
Wow, The Volcano, has to be the best breakfast any restaurant has to offer. When it is time for breakfast this is where I will go....
(5)
Dean D.
Mediocre breakfast. California bacon benedict. Avocado nuttiness drowned away by hollandaise. Hash browns not crispy enough. Bacon thick and good. Fruit was pretty legit actually. But the breakfast itself meh. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. It's so simple and yet it can be so exciting if executed well. It was with high hopes that I walked through the doors of Black Bear Diner. Upon initially entering the establishment, I was overwhelmed with bears. Bear pictures, bear statues, bear memorabilia everywhere! It was cute and welcoming so I went with it. Unfortunately, I didn't find the food as charming. I ordered the California bacon benedict. Love benedicts and love bacon. Also love avocado. What can go wrong? Everything went wrong. Well that's prolly too harsh. It'd be better to say that I was served a plate of mediocrity. The dish was drenched in hollandaise. Soaked the English muffin and made it soggy. Drowned out the nutty buttery flavor of the avocado. And it cascaded through the spinach. Gave it the texture of seaweed. At least it didn't kill the bacon which was cut rather thick and tasty. It didn't taste bad or anything. It just kinda didn't taste like anything. Just very slimy with hollandaise sauce. And the sauce itself was pretty bland too. Also, a perfect breakfast can quickly go south if the hash browns aren't done right. And to do hash browns right, they need crispiness. The hash browns here are not crisp at all. They were crazy mushy and soft, failing to provide the complimenting crunch that goes so well with the thick strong creaminess of hollandaise over eggs benedict. But it was served with fresh yummy fruit which was nice I guess!
(2)
Scott W.
Stopped in here for breakfast this morning. Place was not very busy around 7AM. I got the special posted for the day consisting of 3 eggs, 1 each bacon ham sausage, hash browns (or home fries), toast (or biscuit). Total with decaf and tax came to $9.83. Good points: I like the decor, especially the color scheme. There was plenty of food for the price. Josh gave me excellent service, most of the time. There was not a long wait for the food and it was all hot. Stuff that could use some work: While Josh directly gave all his customers great service I do not think the whole dining room needed to know about the steak that was served way over done or what mess the closing shift left him, He should be a bit more discreet talking to the rest of the staff rather than shouting. I was drinking decaf and there was no marker under the cup so the other waiter almost added regular coffee to my cup. Overall it was an OK place to go.
(3)
Larry B.
Hello my name is Larry and I am an eggs Benedict snob....hi Larry... No disrespect to the 12 step crowd. One of the worst Benedicts I have ever had. I ordered the California something arouther Benedict with avocado, bacon and tomato. EVERY single component of this meal was the same or very close to the same texture. Soggy English muffin, soft avocado, soft bacon, grilled(???) and therefore mushy tomato with an over poached egg. Hollandaise was nothing to yelp home about. They do have a list of "mantras" or something on their menu and #4 encourages ordering the food specifically to your taste so if I do go back in (not going to happen) I would ask the English muffin to be toasted and crispy, the bacon to be crispy and the tomato to NOT be grilled. This would offset the avocado, egg and hollandaise sauce and likely make a fantastic breakfast, well aside from the giant loogie under the poached egg I would undoubtedly get for being so picky. Seriously! Does every breakfast place in AZ peak out at average? I have yet to be impressed, even by the ones with relatively good reviews. If I win the lottery I am starting a quality breakfast joint in the valley. My server Paula was nice, the seats were classic beat down unconfortable seats.
(2)
Sara S.
Went there for lunch with the family. Staff and our waitress were extremely friendly and helpful. Probably the best service I've had in a restaurant. However, the food was nothing spectacular. My husband enjoyed his burger, it was just ok, my reuben sandwich was missing sauerkraut (there was less than a tsp scattered on it), and corned beef was just ok. My daughters pizza was frozen, not fresh, and she wouldn't eat. After taking a bite, and spitting it out, I realized why, it was old, & cheese was sour! Waitress took it back and off the bill. My son had a grilled cheese sandwich, no complaints. But then, we had the dessert, bread pudding, and some sort of chocolate cake with ice cream. Both were by far the worst things I've ever eaten in my life. They tasted like they were made in a microwave or something. Taste and texture were way off. Despite the great service and ok food, I'm hesitant to go back there just because of the dessert alone. They shouldn't even be allowed to sell that crap. FYI, we didn't try the pies because they're made with lard which we don't eat.
(3)
Chad B.
I'm not a big breakfast eater but when I'm in the mood, I'll drive the 110 city blocks to eat here. They have great iced tea. And their green Mama Burn sauce is better than Tabasco.
(4)
Clarice W.
I've eaten here twice. Once when the restaurant first opened, and today. I remembered it being good, so we decided to give it a more current taste test. My grandmother ordered the biscuits and gravy with a side of sausage. The sausage links were big and the side came with 3 of them. She said that the gravy had no meaty flavour which in turn made the whole meal bland. John S. ordered the special for the day, eggs, one piece of each meat and country fried potatoes. He seemed pleased. Even though my two dining companions opted for brunch, I went straight for the lunch menu and got a much desired Reuben sandwich. I absolutely loved the sandwich! The rye bread was toasty, the swiss cheese was melty, the beef was corney and the sauerkraut and pickles were perfect additions. The sandwich came with a wide choice of sides, so I picked potato salad. When I took a bite of the potato salad it tasted funny. Not like a bad funny, just a different funny and I didn't like it. I had John try it and he liked it but said it did have a different taste. I poked around and found out to my horror it had BLACK OLIVES in it! EWWWW! I really don't like black olives and I was horrified to find them sneakily placed in my potato salad. I have NEVER experienced black olives in potato salad of any kind. Black olive haters be warned! Otherwise, I would and will eat here again. There is a lot on the menu to pick from. Service was good!
(4)
Tony S.
Basic walk-in dining that has a few twists. First, the prices are very reasonable and the portion sizes are nothing short of imperial. Kind of like when the ship cruises by in the opening of Star Wars, and you think it will never end... Did I mention the portions are insanely large? Anyways, my real issue keeping me from rating this restaurant higher is twofold. First, the food was bland. The only exception to the bland taste of everything was the homemade sausage links and patties. Everything else though was bland bland bland. Plenty of food, but not enough flavor. PS: Sodium does not equal flavor in my book. That is just a cheap restaurant trick. So, I posted a pic of a breakfast plate so you can see what I am talking about. Now on to the other issue. I found the restaurant clean, but apprarently Maricopa County does not agree with me. I advise checking their current restaurant cleanliness ratings at maricopa.gov to see how they are doing. As of December 2008 things did not look so good and I certainly was leery after reading this.
(2)
Daniel C.
All-you-can-eat Fish Fry is the way to go. Friday nights. Hot, fresh and quick. Late-night is the best.
(3)
Conrad F.
Delicious breakfast choices at a very reasonable price. Eggs were cooked perfectly and the pancakes were some of the best I ever had! Friendly staff bottomless coffee and tea...Super!
(5)
Marty F.
I once ate hear years ago with some friends and really enjoyed it. Then recently my friends told me that this place has gone down hill some.. Well... I beg to differ. I love this place. I love breakfast.. so when you put the two together, you get a nice marriage of good food and plenty of it. There is so much stuff to try here and I dont know where to begin on what, but just open the cool newspaper menu and go to town. Im sure this place is not for everyone, but it always seems crowded on a Sunday morning. The staff has always been friendly and they have a Jack Black look-a-like working there too... pretty cool stuff.. lol.
(4)
John C.
Friendly atmosphere, good service, simple American fare, done well. Does get busy at times. Orange juice is really good, as though freshly squeezed.
(4)
Greg F.
The chicken fried steak is the biggest and the best that I've found in the valley. A great place if you are looking for the American classics done right.
(4)
Chris J.
So half way through a pretty good breakfast, one of six of us found a hair on our food. The waitress said she would remove it from the bill. As the check arrived, we noticed the manager took off 10%. I asked to speak to him and basically got into an argument over him removing a nine dollar breakfast item. We were all pretty mortified to be treated so poorly. They definitely lost 6 customers. Fail
(1)
Brenda B.
I come here for the breakfast menu, it has always been excellent, how ever the couple times I ordered dinner, it was like eating in a senior citizen center. Stick to the breakfasts and you'll do just fine.
(4)
Albert H.
Great homemade pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice, and unforgettable "bear claw" breakfast pastries make this a great place for a wholesome, hot breakfast. Food is great, service is average, and there's often a wait during the popular dining hours on weekends. Hit this place on a weekday morning and you're in for a real treat.
(4)
Karen G.
Was one of my favorite places for breakfast. However, my last two visits have been very disappointing. The first time my breakfast took a long time to receive and when it got there bacon was almost uncooked, hash browns were burnt, and eggs were dried up. When I complained they said they had a new cook. Next time I went (about 10 days later) a worse outcome. Took 30 minutes to get (on a Friday at about 10:45) and the bacon arrived raw, eggs dry and cut up into tiny pieces, hash browns cold and toast burnt. I told the server it was unacceptable and she offered to take it back. I told her forget it and I left. I don't know what happened but I won't be returning.
(1)
Marylou J.
I'm thinking 'kitchy' would be a good word to describe Black Bear Diner. And in a good way...theme restaurant decor/atmosphere. You guessed it...Black Bears! Or at least bear paw prints on EVERYTHING! And let's not forget the log cabin -like structure. As someone else posted - it's like a place you'd find when you are vacationing in the mountains! And it all makes for a cute place to dine in. Add to this, the PAPA bear-sized portions with Baby Bear prices...and you have a great place to eat! Steak and Eggs for $7???!!! Nice size steak with eggs the way you want it and your choice of hashbrowns or country potatoes. YUM! Our favorite - a full stack of Sweet Cream Pancakes! And for dessert... pies or bear claw. They need to open one here in Surprise!!!
(4)
Lisa O.
The old fashioned burger basket combo was a joke. The patty was thinner than the tomato. A piece of bacon would be thicker! Never even tasted the meat. Asked me how like it cooked, couldn't be specific on this burger since the second it hits the cooking surface it would be done. Come on, is this the Wammy Burger from the movie "Falling Down"?
(2)
Walt P.
Love the food here...it's inexpensive, tastes good and they give you enough to feed a small army. The chicken fried steak is fantastic!
(4)
Adam N.
Coming from NY, diners are a mainstay. Basically they are family restaurants with monsterous selections of both comfort food and complex offerings as well. Here in AZ, it seems the the word diner means 50's style retro restaurant (life 5 & Diner). Walking into the Black Bear Diner, I had high expectations, great interior a moderate selection of food, but still the retro 50's selection. Boy was I disappointed. First my hamburger was only adequate, and my son's chicken nuggets were store bought frozen food as well as the smiley fries that came with it that he doesn't like. As well as the wait time for the food, was unreasonable. So such a long wait for crappy food is not a good experience make. The ambiance is nice but with such poorly prepared food and horrible wait times, it makes it hard to want to return.
(2)
Ray C.
GREAT BFast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUM YUM YUM!
(4)
James H.
Excellent breakfast and lunch... Traditional American style. Friendly waitress too. Recommended.
(4)
Kimberly S.
HUGE PORTION'S friendly staff inexpensive great kid's menu (but don't order the pizza), comes with free sundae clean
(4)
Ben C.
I can't believe this place is rated so low. Other than the wait I couldn't ask for more in a breakfast joint. Their chicken fried steak is the size of Texas and really isn't that expensive. I could also eat their biscuits and gravy all day. To me, all breakfast food is pretty much the same but this place is like Denny's on steroids.
(4)
Megan B.
Been here for breakfast twice, lunch once, and dinner once. Breakfast both times was pretty good. HUGE portions. Busy place. I guess the sausages are homemade? Can't remember having anything for breakfast that I didn't like. Both guests I went with on both occasions were happy too. Service is mostly on top of things and friendly. For lunch I had "the gobbler" with fries... a turkey sandwich with cranberry, avacado, tomato, and onion. Fries were pretty darn impressive. Enjoyed this sandwich. The time I went for dinner I remember thinking it was just average. Still massive portions though. Only downside I have found to the place was today when we ordered a "blackbeary" cobbler to go. Thinking that this was black bear diner, the blackberry cobbler should be a specialty.... it was pretty lackluster. Mostly just goo with a few berries, topped with a pie-crust like topping that wasn't quite cooked all the way. We popped it in the microwave and tried to help it out with some vanilla ice cream, but it just wasn't good. Not AWFUL, but not good. So we won't get that again. Otherwise a decent place!
(4)
Bridget H.
To date, this is my favorite breakfast joint in the valley. It's a little pricey, but you are getting great quality breakfast... Best Best Best pancakes I've had anywhere.. or.. well, yea, anywhere..(I was thinking of Al Johnson for a moment in Door County, Wi, but those are actually sweedish pancakes) Pass on the lunch, the burger I had was not amazing. Nothing like the pancakes.
(3)
R B.
Better than the Good Egg for breakfast. Big portions and always busy on weekend. I only had good experience in this restaurant. The only downside is when the place is slow, the service is also slow.
(4)
Heather Y.
I love this place. They're breakfasts are great! They make the best buttermilk biscuits I've ever had. I had their california omlet, it was fantastic and huge. Prices are resonable too. I've always had great food here, burgers, sandwiches, taco salads..........only thing I didn't like was their chili. It's extremely spicy. I love the decor in there too, makes you feel like you're on vacation in the mountains.
(4)
Jim T.
Last Friday 3/4/11. My wife, myself and out two grandchildren went in to the Diner for dinner. My wife and I ordered the "All you can eat Fish and Chips" dinner while the grandkids order from the kids menu of Corn dogs and Pancakes. We left the diner about 7:30 and went home. About 9:00 my wife and I started experiencing nausia symptoms and by 11:00 we were both feeling terrible. We determined it had to be the fish as the kids didn't get sick and that was the only meal we had together that was the same thing since Wednesday evening. The symptoms carried over through Sunday. On monday I called the Diner and spoke to the Manager to let him know of the situation. He took our information very casually. He asked me which fish dinner did I order, was it the fish and chip dinner for the "all you could eat." I informed him which we had ordered and then dismissed it. It was obviouse to me that if he hadn't asked me which dinner I ordered then how could he known what entres to focus on. Last time I will ever eat at this dive. Let your friends know. go somewhere else.
(1)
Jro B.
i absolutely love this place excellent service.. my waiter josh was very knowledgable about the menu. the portin was nice & the food was just great. the ambiance & mood of the place puts you in a very good mood. i love it!
(5)
Marina K.
Hi, I am next to you from MK Nova Barber/Salon. Just wanna tell you , your food so so so good. I like very much tacco-salad.. I like your decor in side too,. thank you so much . See you soon.
(5)
Amanda W.
I love the breakfast!! I am a complete breakfast fan! It is always delicious i can never finish it because they feed you so much! We also like to go to the diner on our lunch break but unfortunately sometimes we are leary becuase it can take a while, so we tend to worry about not having time to eat. But all in all the food is amazing! The staff is always great. Looking forward to breakfast soon :D
(4)
Luke S.
Similar to other Black Bear Diners, this one also features numerous wooden bear and other rustic designs. In addition to the art and an assortment of hats and shirts, they have one of the best breakfast menus you will ever see! I have eaten tons of the things on the menu and have yet to be disappointed! So if you are looking for a big, hearty, non-healthy, delicious breakfast stop by the Diner today! Also gets pretty busy on Sunday mornings!
(5)
laura b.
ok. i'm a fan of the food and decor, but if you're in a rush, this isn't the place for you. i've been here for breakfast a few times. the food is always very good with large portions. you are paying for those portions though. my chicken fried steak breakfast is $10.00 . so if you're looking for a cheap diner, this isn't it. you can get a breakfast buffet for this price at other places as well. anyway, the quality is good and it's loaded with cute country bear decor. however, it's always super slow to get our food. it's almost always very busy as well. there are breakfasts under $10.00. on average, probably $8 or so. they have a simple lunch menu of sandwiches and burgers. their dinner menu is VERY limited. they have a steak, chicken, and ribs dinner. they are all $15.00. thats about it. so, good on quality. good on portions. a little higher in price. bad if you are looking for something quick. give yourself atleast 1 hour after you sit down.
(4)
Robert A.
Great tasting food large portions and a rustic view of bears everywhere. Upon entering you are greeted with a bearish smile the waite will be worth the waite. The menu is printed in a news format called The Black bear gazette. After eating their is a giftshop with a plethera of bears.
(5)
Michael C.
Black Bear is a small chain dinner with great Southwest breakfast options. I went here to kill time, it barely worked because the service was so fast! I had the breakfast burrito and used their poppa bear hot sauce. The burrito comes with jalapeno and is medium heat, the poppa bear sauce, sent it over the mountain. This dinner is clean, homey and fresh.
(4)
Mama G L.
The next best thing to the diners I loved back home in NY. Excellent food and service...gets very busy but worth any wait. Best eggs Benedict in Phoenix.
(5)
Victoria S.
We really like Black Bear Diner, Im with another guy's review i read..."You won't regret it, unless you over indulge with their HUGE portions". This is so true. I love that they have flavored non-dairy creamer for my coffee. I generally get breakfast or lunch, yet to try dinner, only because there is less for me to choose from dinner part of the menu. I have to chose wisely since i am Gluten Intolerant. The 4 stars is for not having gluten free bread. There is always a huge line of people coming and going in the waiting area. If you are lucky, you can sit next to the big stuffed bear while waiting for your table, Ha! Our servers are always great and we have no complaints. We will come back and you should give this a try, many locations, even out of state and we have tried those too.
(4)
Braden N.
Upon arrival, you are given a newspaper with Glendale news from a many years ago. Mine was a 1967 front page newspaper, inside which guests will find the menu. I really enjoyed this feel, made you feel almost like you are at your own kitchen table. Older interior but kept clean, very nice homey feel-very welcoming atmosphere. Servers are all smiles and very kind, mostly women, at least in the morning when I visited. Play oldies music in background, easy listening. Average plate price looked to be in the 7.50 to 10.00 range. Has full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Meal came out within 5 minutes. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros Benedict for 10.49 (yes more expensive than most but sounded so good). Potatoes not as crisp as I normally like but tasted fresh which is most important. The fruit was fresh, crisp, and cool. The eggs Benedict were good, just slightly, again, not as crispy as I would prefer on the English muffin. The meal I selected had green chillies, pulled pork, and of course a poached egg. I never had this before and would probably order a bacon or sausage Benedict instead next time, simply because that is what I am used to for breakfast taste. Overall, however, a tasty meal with a drink that stayed filled. I would certainly come here again; the lunch menu looks very appealing to me with fresh sandwiches and salads. The menu has a "little less" section for seniors or people that don't swallow as much food as the average joe. Those prices are in the 6.00-7.50 range. They also have a conference room for guests with large parties. I saw some family or company meeting at 8:30am on a Thursday! I was surprised, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Again, overall a very good experience. I am very glad it was clean and welcoming.
(4)
Leslie M.
Only my second time here. First time was many years ago with friends. This time was for a free birthday breakfast I received through their email club. We got there around 11am on a Saturday. Had about a 10 minute wait. The hostess was pleasant. Our server came to our table almost right away. We ordered the Bear Breakfast with sausage, two eggs and a waffle along with a side of bacon and toast. The coffee was good, and the food came out hot in a reasonable amount of time. The bacon was cooked just right and a nice thickness. The sausage was seasoned well. The waffle was okay but a bit sweet for my tastes. It had a sweet cream flavor. Overall, food was delicious. The service was excellent. Christine was our server. She did a fantastic job! Came by our table at all the right times even though she was fairly busy. Looks like they have a great lunch and dinner menu as well. Definitely will be returning!
(4)
Sylvia Z.
Great breakfast. Fresh squeezed orange juice. We had the Blackbear choice. Two eggs, choice of pancakes, sweet cream waffle or biscuits and gravy and your choice of meat. We opted for no pork and got hash browns instead. We also got a side of chicken sausage. So good and a lot food. Loved our waitress. She was very nice and helpful. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Glenn B.
Lots and lots of very mediocre food. Cheerful but loud waitress. This place had a wait list full of huge patrons on a Saturday morning.
(2)
Brooke D.
Loved it! The place is super busy but we got right in. We had a really great, personable server who knew his stuff. My omelet was great! My sister is coming to visit for the 4th of July holiday and we'll be taking her there!
(5)
Adam G.
The service here is great. Everyone is extremely friendly--to the point that it rubs off on all of the customers and creates a really awesome, happy atmosphere. The food is good, not great. I've had it better at other Black Bear locations, which made me feel like the prices were kind of steep.
(4)
Jessica B.
I swear whoever is cooking in the kitchen must be the fastest cook in the West, since it was barely over five minutes from when I placed my breakfast order to my waitress that I got my food. And it was hot. Not warm. Hot. And it was delicious! Bacon, eggs, hash browns and a biscuit for me, eggs, a waffle, and bacon for my mom. She raved about the waffle, and it did look really good. The little bear claw imprint on the top of it was adorable. And this place's bacon is so good. Actually, everything I've ever gotten from this location has been delicious. It hurts my heart when I don't finish my plate but I leave too little to take home. This place gives you such big portions it's so hard to finish a plate. Not finishing a good meal feels like an insult to me. Top it off with the nice, friendly service and its a great place to stop by for when I'm in the mood for a sit-down dinner. That and the prices are quite easy on the wallet.
(4)
Carlos R.
this is as good as it gets for comfort food. the protons are big and very fresh love this place just moved to phoenix and I have ate here three times ummm.
(5)
Natasha A.
Very impressed! I came here on New Yrear's day because my other breakfast spot was closed so I figured why not try something new. Right when we walked in, it was packed full. I figured it was just due to the holiday and accepted the 25 min wait time. Once seated we had excellent service! I was so amazed by how great our waitress was even though she had many other tables. The food was DELSIH and man what a big portion! The only reason I am giving 4 starts out of 5 is due to the wait time. This establishment is certainly worth the wait.
(4)
B. Edwin B.
This place has gone downhill recently. The last two times I've had breakfast, I've been quite disappointed. The food was served on a cold plate, so the eggs and hashbrowns were barely warm. The hashbrowns, which used to be a high point, were mushy. I expect over-easy eggs to have whites that are a bit runny, but not grossly runny like the ones I received. A clear indication of laziness or inattention in the kitchen was the breakfast meat (ham and patty sausage). Both were cooked nicely on one side, but barely cooked on the other. The good side faced up, of course. I have to drive out of my way to get here, so they have lost me as a customer.
(2)
Maria P.
This place is delicious! I was visiting the area and had been recommended to this place numerous times and finally went in one morning to try it. The atmosphere was great and the waitresses were so happy. Starting with the coffee, everything was awesome! I ordered the Bear's choice which was two eggs, pancakes and bacon. The food was so fresh and the pancakes were bombay. I enjoyed the bear-themed atmosphere throughout the restaurant. From the paper placemat with the history of the restaurant written on it to the bear mugs we were drinking coffee out of, everything was very entertaining. I will recommend this place for breakfast, lunch or dinner and hope to be back for a nice breakfast soon.
(5)
Chandra L.
Seems clean, and my husband and daughter loved their dishes, but mine was seriously lacking. I order the huevos rancheros eggs Benedict, it sounded great, and had the potential to be amazing, just poor execution. First the waiter got my order, and the two tables around me orders wrong. I asked for the regular sauce, and it came out smothered in the salsa sauce. The pulled pork was like eating newspaper and had a weird "funk" to it, the English muffin was soggy and had an odd consistency. The customer service was ok, but the servers need learn to listen. We won't be returning.
(1)
Will S.
Inexpensive neighborhood diner environments are so rare here in the Valley of the Mega Chain. And yes, Black Bear is kind of a chain -- but compared to the dreary suburban factory that is Cracker Barrel, this place feels like it really is involved in a community. And the food is VASTLY better than any Cracker Barrel, AND the staff, at least anytime I've gone here to the Bell Rd. location, really acts as if it is enjoying their job. I love this place so much! It just feels like home!
(5)
Matthew N.
So I had the corn beef hash breakfast with the hash browns , and a side pancake , everything was amazing the hash browns are hands down some of the best I have ever had and the hash is fresh real meat and potatoes. I asked for well done and it was crunchy and amazing . This pancake made with sweet cream was soooo fluffy and creamy and slightly sweet and thanks our server alex the great he brought out hot butter and syrup together and told me to rip and dip and boy did I , soooooo good I will definitely be back and the portions where pretty large as well. Amazing yummy spicy full of flavor mama burn sauce
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Lance M.
The Easter special crab and asparagus omelette was so good. Full of crab all the way through the omelette with a few pieces of asparagus that had just enough crisp still in them all wrapped in the egg with a white cream sauce over it. Plus hash browns and toast for only 10.99. I wish this was always on the menu as it Was one of the best I have had! Service- very attentive and nice Decor- it's Black Bear
(5)Andre J.
Typical diner food. The taste is pretty good, the prices are not too bad, but the portion sizes are Gigantic. The staff is friendly and very attentive but come for breakfast and be prepared to wait up to 30min for a seat even longer on Sundays. Favorite thing to get here is the grizz. Its a humongous lumberjack sized meal that blows away other breakfast platters. Also great is the Volcano breakfast plate. For lunch the turkey bacon avocado sandwich is delicious. Definitely a place to stop by if your nearby and hungry.
(4)Jaja A.
Polite and kind staff, great food, clean ambience. No complaints. Had chorizo omlette and french toast plate. Next time we will try lunch and dessert menu! Coffee was high in my opinion but really there are no "real" diners in west vally in my experience so far... so this place was a pleasant treat! Its a lil drive for us. But we will come back again for sure. Thumbs up.
(4)Glen B.
Good home style food. Large breakfast and never wrong. Biscuits and gravy are perfection.Had the meatloaf for dinner. The right amount of moisture content, as I've had some places that are just dry. The wait at sometimes can be a pain, but that's breakfast on the weekends for you.
(4)Grant B.
Good food, huge portions. I think they have great pancakes, sausage links, and ham steaks. My only complaint would be that the sausage gravy is a little runny, and over medium eggs have always come out extra over easy.
(3)Arlene H.
Huge breakfast, really creamy, tasty waffle & pancakes! We could have fed another person with all the food served, we will be back!
(5)Antiquity S.
In all honesty, I would give this place 3.5 stars, but since I can't, I am rounding up. The place was clean, and adequate. Actually liked the bear theme, and it had sort of a log cabin feel to it all. The service was friendly, though the wait for the food was a little longer than expected, considering it was nearly empty. I ordered the special: chopped steak with onion and mushrooms, with mashed potatoes and green beans. My girlfriend ordered the turkey dinner, with the same sides. Both tasted pretty good. Portions were not overly huge, but more than a large chain. Definitely better than a Denny's or similar restaurant. The banana cream pie was good, too. I will return. Nothing bad to say about the place. Just didn't totally blow me out of the water as amazing, either. A solid place to go to.
(4)Julie M.
This place has delicious breakfast! We have tried several menu breakfast platters and they have all been really good. Exceptional chicken friend steak with country gravy and the sausage seemed homemade! Grandson and hubby are constantly after me to order
(5)Shannon L.
Wonderful and woodsy atmosphere! Bear themed interior and exterior, with a rustic touch. Large , comfortable booths with soft music wafting through the dining area. Happy and attentive (but not overly) wait staff. Hot, delicious food with generous helpings. Will definitely be visiting again soon!
(5)Missy K.
My husband and I absolutely love their pancakes they make them with vanilla and they are hands down the best place we've had pancakes here in the valley!
(5)Bungle G.
Bears have long been a staple of popular culture. They have their own ride at Disney World. East coasters flashing backwards might recall a pre-Chuckie Cheezwiz Pizza serving arcade ridden place called Showbiz. "Does a bear poop in the woods" has even become a catch phrase and punchline. In response I would like to say "Yes, bears do poop in the woods. Well. Especially after ingesting the huge portions of food served at their own Black Bear Diner." I love breakfast and lunch places. This primarily for the breakfast food. Lunch is just lunch. Yeah, so, whatever. Ah, but breakfast food is like the food of the Gods. It's where it's at. Just give me one table, a fork or spoon in place of a microphone and I'm happier than a bear doing their business. In my efforts to test run every breakfast joint in the area I raced into this place one Sunday morning. Me, my Wife and my Mom and all of us liked it very much. The atmosphere is very cool. Very outdoors for being indoors. Lots of lumber. Pictures of bears everywhere. Me come for food though and Black Bear Diner brings you a plate of food that even a lumberjack on steroids would approve of. Breakfast platters were passed all around the table. Everything was industrial sized and much enjoyed. Pancakes were as big as record albums. I could have slapped one up on my turn table and danced to it had I not been so deeply engrossed in chowing down on it. Sausage and bacon was extra good. I use the word extra because sausage and bacon pretty much tend to be celebratory meats. When served up here at Black Bear Diner I would have rolled my tub-us maximus out into the street, then pooped and locked in traffic had I not been glued to deep throating the contents of my plate. All eggs were lovely and worthy of a chicken dance. The scrambled, with cheese added, were fluffy and cheesy. The sunny side ups were straight up in the blue skies of tasty. Home fries were diced nice and seasoned oh so fine. Yeah, bears got good taste and we were all thankful for it. The coffee was good but not super strong. Good enough I suppose. Me and my wife prefer oil slicked sludge in our cups though. But with massive portions of great tasting food we'll give it a pass. Drinking 7 or 8 cups to my normal 4 or 5 did my senses plenty in the way of justice. The place was jumping but the wait was not too bad. Service was good. I really don't have a complaint. There are so many breakfast places in this area and the Black Bear Diner is a welcomed one. They even have memorabilia if you're into that sort of thing. I'm more of an eat, leave and go poop in the woods kind of guy. Kind of like bears and lumberjacks. Pooping aside, bears and lumberjacks alike, and anybody else for that matter, can rejoice. This place is great!
(4)Jennifer S.
I was told to come here by my 70 year old parents. That should have been my first red flag. I know this place gets good reviews but I still am not sure how. It is a pretty ratty diner with homeless people sleeping outside and subpar food that is lower quality than what you would find at Denny's. We found the place to be dirty, the clientele to be a little to redneck for our taste and the food to be greasy and not in a yummy cure my hangover good greasy way. Go to IHOP on Bell and the 101 instead.
(1)Daniel D.
Great food, cheap prices and excellent customer service. Our server was "AM" (Hispanic lady) she was wonderful and knew her job. Will be coming back more often.
(5)Bill D.
Came here since I have been at another diner in the past. So came here for some dessert and it was not bad for price but service sucked. When server asks only dessert in a tone like that's it. There weren't many customers so you would think the 5 workers we saw would be attentive, nope. The guy came 3 times once to take order, give coffee and dessert and never came back no refills nothing but did have time to drop off check and ask need anything else. Yea how about good service.
(2)Francesca B.
I'm updating this review because we did not have the most pleasant experience. The service was excellent but the food on the other hand was okay... My husband ordered the California eggs Benedict, I ordered the corn beef hash with poached eggs and my son ordered the griz. We all ordered the hashbrowns crispy, now that usually means a little more crispy than soft... My husbands and my sons hash browns came out burnt to a crisp! It was awful! And my husbands eggs were slightly overcooked. My poached eggs were more like barely cooked eggs, they were pretty much inedible unless I'm trying to drink my eggs like I'm in a rocky movie... Lol it was bad. The manager and waitress were very attentive and fixed everything in a hurry and even gave us a free pie and 10 percent off of our bill. Service- 5 starts Food- 2-3 We will be going to the black bear in good year from now on because both their service and food is always spot on.
(3)Mihaela P.
Great place! Huge portions! Depending on what time/day you go there might be a big wait but it's definitely worth it
(5)Brad S.
I was pretty bummed when the Phoenix location closed. You can always get a hearty breakfast here. I like the spicy in-house sausage - biscuits and gravy on the side and you are talking my language.
(3)Joe S.
Again we came to take our chances on service and capped out! The entire dining room was open however we had a 10 min wait because we were only 2 and those were reserved for larger parties....it always seems to be that when Heather manages this takes place...our server Cathy left something to be desired....thank God the food was good!
(2)Lucas J.
I love this place. Everyone is very friendly and the biscuits are huge! The sausage is excellent and they serve beer. Ask for heather, very punctual and professional. We will be regulars here.
(5)Phoenix E.
I struggled with giving Black Bear 3 or 4 stars because I had two VASTLY different experiences. I decided to go with 4 though because in the end I can say I'll return - just in a more planned trip! So my very first experience, we went on a Saturday late morning. They were busy, but not packed. Our server was friendly, helpful, efficient & enjoyable. Our food was hot & delicious. Most notably was the Big Bear burger (may not have the name exactly right, but it's the biggest burger on the menu) that my Mom got with bacon & no bun. Really, really good. We were so impressed that we turned right around & went again on Monday evening before my Mom went back to MN. It was like night & day!! The server was all over the place, inefficient, unfriendly & seemed quite clueless. We asked if the Mac & Cheese on the kids menu was Kraft (we have a rule of not paying $5 for 1/2 cup of what only costs .98 for an entire box) & she told us no, it was hand made. We were very angry when she then delivered COLD Kraft to our table. :0/ The rest of our food was just warm & not nearly as well prepared as the first time we went. Nothing note able or memorable. I mean the difference in the 1st visit to the 2nd was like the difference between Kiss the Cook & Denny's. I was very surprised. But it's a good thing the bad time wasn't our first visit or I wouldn't bother going back. As it stands I WILL go again - but only during their busier breakfast times.
(4)Christine P.
I always passed by this place and never thought it will interest me until my sister wanted to come here. I like how all the decor is forest like. :) Came in, and got seated right away! I got the thick french toast. Not my favorite choice. Bummed. We spilt our meals. :) Sissy had The California benedict. It was absolutely amazing. I think this was the first time ever that my biscuit was crispy!!!!! It was perfect. Andddd the hash browns? Whooo, don't get me started on that. The potatoe was cut thick, not thin and all mashed up like other places. It was well cooked, crisp and was delightful. Best hash browns everrr!!!! Especially with the black bear diner original pepper sauce baby burn with ketchup was yummmyyyy. I AM ONE HAPPY GIRL. I WOULD BE HAPPIER IF MY FRENCH TOAST WAS GOOD. BOOO.. so.... four stars. ALL THIS DELICIOUSNESS WAS ALL UNDER 20 BUCKS!!!!!
(4)Danielle A.
Came on a Thursday at 10am for a late breakfast with my husband and 3 kids. It wasn't very busy at all, but took an hour to get our food. Our kids were restless and antsy and it made for a frustrating wait. It was our first visit, we've been wanting to try for some time. I got the steak and eggs. The steak was cooked as desired and had decent flavor. The country potatoes were terrible, however, hardly cooked, almost raw mixed with hardly any peppers and onions. They offered it with fruit or biscuits, but had to pay an addt'l $1.75 for gravy. LAME! Who orders biscuits without gravy? At any rate, the small and meager amount of gravy I did receive was decent, nothing great. All in all, our bill was over $50, for a blah breakfast. We probably won't return due to service and just nothing to write home about food.
(2)Justin F.
Fantastic. I got The Grizz. Those are the best pancakes ever tasted in my life. Bacon was great, and the eggs, ham and everything else were excellent as well. The service was excellent and on point, and I enjoyed everything about my visit. I will certainly be going back again. Ps. The Banana cream pie is awesome!!!
(5)Edward S.
The server was great the food was okay the wait was long not as good as Gilbert black bear.
(3)Hillary R.
I went here for lunch a few weeks ago. It was ok, not great, not terrible, and not particularly worth visiting. The food didn't seem to be cooked quite right in texture or flavor. I was kinda disappointed because a friend of mine loves this place so I was expecting great things. Even the pie was disappointing! Pie should never be disappointing!
(3)Danielle H.
First of all I was not excited about going here for dinner. Never been there, never wanted to go and probably been passed it a million times back in the day. The fam saw a commercial (great advertising) recently and fricken loved the bear mascot. So much that my man thinks he could be the voice! "Well Howdy! "The place was packed! Short wait was no prob since we had a photo shoot with gigantic stuffed animal bear on the bench. Server Mikaela was super sweet. Had great recommendations when I asked her. Our table had chicken tenders w fries + bacon ranch! Blazing Bear sandwich. ( Reminded us of french dip on steroids so asked for side of au jus. Yum!) I did Chicken Pot Pie w mashed pots+ turkey gravy. Pie tasted great some herbs and nice crust. Bits of turkey in the gravy were also a nice touch. We wanted to split a chocolate pie for dessert. They were out.Boo! Happy w Strawberry one. Also bought a Baby Burn Sauce. Tried all sauces before picking Baby sauce. Comfort food with bear theme everywhere! Great for kiddos. Only negative for me is the restaurant is in desperate need of new flooring.
(4)James F.
Service was great for a Sunday morning. Had steak and eggs and side of biscuits and gravy. Hash browns no taste to starchy, steak was dry for a medium rare and tuff biscuit taste floury the gravy had no taste. Guess menu is for people with no taste. May give it another shot but not Sunday too busy
(2)Daniel C.
Nice place. I'm from NY so felt good to find a dinner , which isn't common out west. Extremely friendly and clean. Had grilled cheese and fries ... Felt like I was back in NY. Would return
(4)Jason V.
I dine here for breakfast/brunch only and only on weekends. There's always a wait for a table but it doesn't last for too long. You can go healthy (fruit bowl and some oatmeal) but there's not a lot of fun in that, is there? You can do healthy at home. Be a man, ladies, and order one of the ginormous breakfast platters. I'll split it with you. Ample portions like Sofia Vergara in a tube top, y'all. Your plate is about as big around as a steering wheel and there's no vacancy on it. They make a damn good chicken-fried steak and there's enough of it to share. If you order the "Big Foot" version, there's enough to feed two adults with leftovers. It comes with a few eggs cooked to order, hash browns and biscuits. The biscuits are made in house and they are quite remarkable. The omelets are also huge and delicious. The hot sauce on your table goes well with eggs. Ask to be seated in Molly's section if it's possible. If she doesn't love her job, she's awesome at faking it.
(4)Courtney M.
If you're used to food that is not up to par, this is the place for you. The wait staff is alright, but should try to pick up the pace a bit. Only having about eight tables and three waiters/waitresses at the time, I shouldn't have to wait 10 minutes for a drink refill. As for the food, I had the fried fish and shrimp and it was okay. A little over cooked and just plain boring. Very typical diner food and unique bear / lodge type theme. The kids menu is cute, but my son even have this place a thumbs down on taste. I will not be coming back here again.
(3)Ronald H.
The food is so delicious and brings that home feeling back. The restaraunt has a great feel and great decorations. The food is so good the eggs Benedict practically melt and swirl flavors. The Chipotle sauce they make has such a unique and great taste. Alex the Great was one Amazing server recommend all the best things and was totally right.
(5)Ron P.
Great place for breakfast or lunch. I like that they offer fresh food as I ordered the hash and eggs that were excellent. No canned hash as they state on the menu and it was correct! Good portions and great service. They are also in IDINE so as of this review so got my discount.
(5)Kevin K.
Well this is a regular place I love to come to but today they did not do as good as usual. The food was excellent and plentiful. Great value for the buck but the service from the front, server and everything else just fell flat. The manager just stood around looking like he didn't know what to do and didn't help at all. So good food saved the day this time for this review
(3)Tonya M.
This is our favorite breakfast joint. They have the BEST pancakes in the valley. We've only been in for breakfast since their dinner menu doesn't offer any vegetarian options besides getting a grilled cheese or asking for no meat on the salads. Adding a veggie burger would be inexpensive for the restaurant, can be tossed in the back of the freezer and be charged the same price as a beef burger. This simple addition would allow us to come in for dinner all the time!
(4)Kelly C.
false advertising and uninformed manangment. second time we have had a problem here and mgmt just doesnt care. came in to use coupon we received from BEAR REWARDS CLUB. They did not want to honor what is printed on coupon, plus they were out of 1 of 3 entrees u must purchase to get coupon promo. No substitutions so if they are out too bad. S.O.L. wish i could give negative stars.....
(1)Heather P.
This place is everything you could ever want in a diner. The food is awesome, service rocks and the atmosphere is cozy! I'll be back for sure!
(5)Anne V.
I absolutely love this place! Huge portions and friendly wait staff. Favorite for breakfast! I dare you to do it! I have moved from here since then, and I miss it, but I will sometimes make the trip up there for the great food :)
(4)Edward D.
On our way home last night with our foster girls! Of course they wanted McDonald's or Taco Bell! Need to get that fast food thought out of them. So we stopped here. Wife and I have been here a few times. We have always enjoyed the food here. But last night! Don't know if they had a off night? Or our taste buds have moved on? Should have listen to the six year old and gone to Taco Bell! When we first got there, I wanted to order breakfast. But i have been on some kind of Ribs kick for the last three months?? So i ordered a full rack of ribs, with fries, mixed vegi's, and broc and cheese soup! The best part of this meal was the soup, it was a little salty but it was very good. It also came with a piece of corn bread. The ribs were very dry, I had to rip them off the bone, and very tough. And a day later, I am still feeling the effect! The vegi's and fries were good. I was able to get a taste of wife's waffle, again i was not that impressed! Very soggy, even before the syrup was poured is was not crispy, to soft, i just didn't like the texture on it. The girls had chicken fingers, and pancakes. Seem they both liked their meals very much. Now all four of us shared their Mt.Shasta Lava Cake, this cake sounded great according the their menu it said. "Our homemade chocolate cake has a gooey chocolate lava center, served hot and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle. Perfect for chocolate lovers!" We were very disappointed It was just a dried up piece of chocolate cake, with chocolate sauce on the bottom and top, with ice cream on top. Not very good, not what we were expecting. Not sure if we will come back here? There are just to many options to eat at.
(3)Eric F.
I had the meat loaf with mashed taters and gravy. It came with vegetables, soup or salad, and a delicious corn bread muffin. My wife had the chicken fried steak with country gravy, also delicious. We shared the blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert, Devine! The service is very welcoming, our server Renee was great! We will definitely be back, looking forward to trying the fried chicken.
(5)Debra A.
This place is a great place for a family Breakfast. The atmosphere is down home with carved bears and a lodge look to it. We were seated quickly and the service was great with a friendly waitress.I had the California Omelet and it was ver good and fresh tasting with the avocado on top. My Grandaughter Had the Chicken fried steak and loved it and the portions are large. The prices are very reasonable and I will be definitely going back.
(5)Sean C.
Heyyyyy it's good. Open faced turkey sandwich, is great. French dip is good too. The onion rings and fries are delish also. My grandma loves this place. Will be back again.
(4)Jet F.
Spendy for breakfast but still good food. Music pretty loud for the breakfast crowd. Too loud in fact. Probably won't go back because of it
(3)Mikee V.
Service is slow. In need if new management. The staff needs to learn the meaning of diversity and how to properly function in the dining business. Everyone moves at 50% no motivation. Open tables and still a 20 minute wait. Love the food but this place needs help. Bad. Bring in someone who actually has a passion for the culinary field.
(2)Beth S.
I've avoided it as long as I can, but I did go back to the Black Bear Diner as it's still my Dad's favorite place for breakfast. You know what? I'm glad I went. It was actually a pleasant experience and for the most part, the place has vastly improved from my last visit. First of all, they offer fit fare selections on the menu which is important to me. The portion of egg whites I had was way more than advertised, but that's ok because it was a vegetarian omelet that was filled with veggies that I don't ordinarily find in an omelet: squash, zucchini, and more! I asked if I could skip the toast and just have fruit and the server gave me a double portion of fruit! Nice! Dad had the french toast and he loved it. It's a generous portion of french toast and more than he could finish. And the server was really very nice. She smiled and kept smiling the whole time she served us! Yeah...I know, right? Crazy! She was pleasant, friendly, and prompt with service. Loved it. I might actually suggest we go back again the next time I meet Dad for breakfast!
(4)Curt B.
I like this place. Rustic feel, love the bear theme and all the carvings and pictures on the wall. They also have a traditional juke box that pays the oldies but goldies music. Serving staff always seems to be on top of things and man can you get huge portions if you want.
(4)Tim B.
Always a good place to come in and just get a lot of hearty food. Normally stick to breakfast items here, as I have been let down by some of the other entrees. Today had Meat Lovers Omelette, which was fantastic. Any meal you can get that comes with their large biscuits also is a plus. The family is always happy when we decide to eat here.
(4)John H.
Our hangout lots of great food , good service and good atmosphere. Lots of food at lower prices !
(4)Francesca U.
This place has always been amazing. If you are looking for diner food they sure do deliver. They have the comfort foods down pat! I'm sad that they closed the bell and 17 interstate location. But if you are looking for a diner this is 10xs better than Denny's!!
(4)Diana B.
got very sick from the food, it was awful, especially the dip, they had cooked it with something and it made me very sick.
(1)Kaitlyn F.
I am seriously straight up addicted to their orange juice. It's freshed squeezed and seriously SO good. I usually squeeze my own oj at home but it's a process, so if I'm no too patient it's perfect to stop by:) and the staff is always very nice. One girl especially, I believe her name was Ellie. There's one other young guy who was AWESOME as we'll but I totally don't remember his name:/
(5)Julie S.
Rediculous!!! Was told there would be a 25 min wait, which was hard with our special need twins, but instead we waited over 45 minutes, meanwhile 2 tops were walking in & being seated, spoke to the "manager" who was rude & wasn't willing to put 2 tops together! Needless to say their food might be good but who cares with that wait & attitude, you can get breakfast anywhere!
(1)Sharon C.
So I tried this place a couple of times before deciding to give it this review. Which worked out well because it would have been just one star after my first visit. My first visit was well over a year ago - it took me that long to get over the experience to the point that I was willing to give it a second try. It is cute and seems like it SHOULD be good. Just a "down home" kind of feel with little country black bears everywhere. Our first time we sat forever before anyone came. As we waited for our food we saw our waitress get into a confrontation with what appeared to be a manager or something and then the next thing we knew we saw her storm out of the diner crying. We didn't really know what to think but after a while our food still hadn't come and our waitress was MIA. So we asked someone about our order, then waited a long time again and finally got it. I had a battered fish dish and became nauseated and sick later that evening. My husband had the meatloaf, which was a 2 on a scale of 1-10. And even after it became obvious to the staff that we didn't have a waitress anymore, they brought us the food and then never came back. We had to hunt down someone to give us a check to be able to leave. Gave it a second try recently. The food didn't make me ill this time so that was a plus. Our waitress didn't leave the building, also a vast improvement from the last time. But our wait for the food to come was pretty long and unfortunately it wasn't so great that you felt the wait was worth it. But the food wasn't terrible, it just took a long time and wasn't that good. Had the wait not been so long I might have even thrown in an extra star on this review.
(2)Jonathan K.
In the never ending struggle to find a great breakfast place in the N. Valley we decided to check out this place. When you walk in your greeted by friendly staff and surrounded by"bear motif". It's has a great diner feeling that is warm and welcoming. It reminded me of a few places I had been when I lived in the NW. When you sit down the bear/diner motif continues. There are some neat things they do with the table setting that makes the experience fun. The menu appears to be a fold open newspaper from the 60's, the table setting has a bear print on the napkin and all of the sauces are made custom for this place. All along there is a good mix of 60's-80's music playing in the background. Even though the menu was cool looking, it was a little overwhelming (seemed like there were 80 visible choices on the menu). I ordered "The Volcano" with the almond multi-grain pancakes and a coffee. The bacon and the pancakes were great, but the eggs were over cooked (ordered over-easy). The coffee was regular diner coffee - nothing special. The menu item was about $10. This place actually reminded me of "The Place." However, the cool ambiance and more tolerable noise level gave the Black Bear Diner a step up in my book. I'll probably be back to try something different.
(3)Christina D.
We are always SO happy with this little place :) It's my daughter's favorite luch spot (she's ten) and my parents love to come here when they visit from out of town. I can say I've never had a bad experience. It is all that a diner should be...cute, comfortable, homey and good.
(5)Thomas I.
Portions made to feed a bear. Well maybe 2 of them. I got an omelette and It was good but nothing special
(3)Julie P.
This is hands down the best breakfast place in town. They do a super lunch and dinner as well, but I usually can't get off the breakfast selections. The "California Omelette" (Avocados, Mushrooms, and Jack Cheese) is superb, as is "The Volcano" which is made up of three fluffy / yummy pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs. As other reviewers have noted, portions are ginormous. Go planning to share a selection or take at least another meal home with you. There can be a wait on the weekend, but once you get seated, service is prompt and attentive. (Albeit the Fuzzie Bear that walks around can get a little creepy around the fourth table pass). BBD is supposed to be known for their desserts and they do look good, but the blackberry pie that I took home was more than a little tart and the crust was on the tough side. I wouldn't let this stop you from sampling as it could have been an isolated experience based on their reputation. There are actually a few locations in the Phoenix area, so visit their website to see which one is closest to you. blackbeardiner.com/locat… This definately isn't your parent's Denny's!
(4)Darlene D.
What a horrible experience! ... Don't waste your time!!!!!!!! Not only did it take an hour to get our food, when they brought out their "famous" pancakes, it was cooked with pieces of broccoli! Also, my bacon was burnt! When I let our waitress know she went to speak to manager who never came to apologize, and instead of taking my meal off they only took off a few bucks! What a terrible place! Don't bother unless you want broccoli pancakes and hard burnt bacon! Oh and a ridiculously long wait!
(1)Martina A.
I came here for the first time yesterday and I had the best, biggest and fluffiest pancakes I have ever had! The prices are right and the portions huge!! I have no shame when I say I am planning on going back tomorrow with my mom.
(4)Jon C.
I've been here three times now, all for lunch. I really wanted to like it, but it was not to be. Maybe the breakfast is awesome but the other stuff is not good. I've had a burger that was gigantic but fell apart as soon as I tried to pick it up. The patty was also missing the middle section. It looked like it came apart while cooking and they tried to hide it with tomatoes and lettuce. Then I tried an open faced roast beef with mashed potatoes. The gravy had that slightly artificial taste. I assume it came out of a can or jar. The roast beef was made I don't know when but they tried to heat it up and just dried it out on a griddle. The potatoes were ok. My final meal was a ribeye steak. It was the worst steak I've ever had. I asked for medium and got a dried piece of shoe leather. The best cut of steak was reduced to a dried up shoe that I could barely get a knife through. The one redeeming feature was the staff. Every time I was there, they were great.
(2)Joseph Y.
Took family out for dinner at Black Bear Restaurant. The best homemade food in the valley. Also it was Tuesday and found out kids eat free that day. With trying to feed a family of five it was great to have three of my kids bill knocked off. Just had to pay for me and my wife....Awesome.
(5)Joanna L.
One of my friends took me and my bf here for my b-day breakfast just before I left Arizona, we got there around 10:20ish or so (Saturday) and it was pretty packed...they told us it would be a 10-15 minutes wait...but perhaps either I was really hungry or it was more like 20-30 minute wait.... When we went in we saw many empty tables...so I'm not sure why they made us wait so long...and other people were still waiting outside when we were seated...and there was clearly a few good open tables. Now our waitress was a sweet old lady though...I overheard her trying to help a customer warm up their food because they were gone for a long time and the food was sitting there for awhile...the waitress insisted on warming it up for her and I thought that was really nice. I couldn't decide rather to get the Chicken Fried Steak with Eggs or the Homemade Corn Beef Hash with Eggs...since they both sound so yummy when you're starving...hehe So my bf ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and I ordered the Corn Beef Hash. I can't say I was a big fan of how they made the Corn Beef Hash...it was lots of potatoes with kinda too little of the actual Corn Beef......I ate a lot of the Chicken Fried Steak though..now that's a really good dish to order. My friend ordered their steak...and it looked pretty juicy and tender to me. My scramble eggs was a bit overcooked too. Overall I like the service, the menu was pretty unique....at first we just thought it was a newspaper but if you opened it up, you would have seen the menu inside..lol the food was okay....I liked the Chicken Fried Steak but do not suggest the Corn Beef Hash because it came with either hashbrown or country potatoes...and since I forgot Corn Beef Hash came with potatoes and not just the corn beef itself....I got double loads of potatoes...=/ So perhaps next time if I get Corn Beef Hash...ask for a substitute side instead of country potatoes or hashbrown.. The food was kinda pricey for breakfast though...it was about $50($6 tip included) for the three of us...
(3)Michael W.
Great breakfast every time. Whenever I am really hunger in the morning I head over to the Black bear for breakfast or brunch. The French toast (or freedom toast) is cooked and egged just right. They also use real maple syrup. The staff is always friendly and responsive.
(4)Christina D.
Clean spotless dining area friendly smiling staff and great food what more can you ask for. My daughter is a picky eater and our waitress designed a meal just perfect for her I was grateful and she was like oh its no problem. Just a total sweetheart. This was our 3rd time eating there and it won't be our last. They have the best pancakes ever.
(5)Jewel C.
We were running a little low in funds and has a few folks to feed. My niece recommend this place. We tried a variety of meals, sandwich,soups, burgers and everyone loved their meals. Great prices 4 adult 2 kids for $50 bucks. Will visit again.
(4)Cassandra B.
I love this place for breakfast! Even on a busy weekend morning, the place works like well-oiled machine. Everyone seems to know how to move efficiently and effectively in seating and serving people as quickly as possible. The food is always delicious and the portions are large, so don't be afraid to share if you aren't that hungry.
(4)Andrea D.
if there were more stars they would qualify!
(5)Danielle D.
By far our most favorite place for breakfast, we always go to the Black bear in Havasu too! Came into Glendale location for a Saturday breakfast to sit down for a change-since we usually take to go. Again.. DELICIOUS food, I had the California Benedict- YUMM, hubby had meat lovers omelette and he's taking half home. I had to write the 4 star review since the services literally was HORRIBLE! We waited and waited and waited for every single thing! No drink refills, would stop at other tables with our food/drinks and go to her manager to ask before dropping off. I would request a new server if I had again. C'mon black bear we've always known you for amazon food and service- ** disappointed **
(4)Sara B.
We go here all of the time. Seriously the best breakfast food I have ever had. Makes The Place look like Denny's. Fish Fry on Fridays is actually really good too. I've never had a bad meal here but WOW the breakfast is amazing. PS: While I LOVE Black Bear- Their coffee SUCKS, its really bad.... Stop and grab a cup to bring with you.
(5)Keith W.
Wow, The Volcano, has to be the best breakfast any restaurant has to offer. When it is time for breakfast this is where I will go....
(5)Dean D.
Mediocre breakfast. California bacon benedict. Avocado nuttiness drowned away by hollandaise. Hash browns not crispy enough. Bacon thick and good. Fruit was pretty legit actually. But the breakfast itself meh. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. It's so simple and yet it can be so exciting if executed well. It was with high hopes that I walked through the doors of Black Bear Diner. Upon initially entering the establishment, I was overwhelmed with bears. Bear pictures, bear statues, bear memorabilia everywhere! It was cute and welcoming so I went with it. Unfortunately, I didn't find the food as charming. I ordered the California bacon benedict. Love benedicts and love bacon. Also love avocado. What can go wrong? Everything went wrong. Well that's prolly too harsh. It'd be better to say that I was served a plate of mediocrity. The dish was drenched in hollandaise. Soaked the English muffin and made it soggy. Drowned out the nutty buttery flavor of the avocado. And it cascaded through the spinach. Gave it the texture of seaweed. At least it didn't kill the bacon which was cut rather thick and tasty. It didn't taste bad or anything. It just kinda didn't taste like anything. Just very slimy with hollandaise sauce. And the sauce itself was pretty bland too. Also, a perfect breakfast can quickly go south if the hash browns aren't done right. And to do hash browns right, they need crispiness. The hash browns here are not crisp at all. They were crazy mushy and soft, failing to provide the complimenting crunch that goes so well with the thick strong creaminess of hollandaise over eggs benedict. But it was served with fresh yummy fruit which was nice I guess!
(2)Scott W.
Stopped in here for breakfast this morning. Place was not very busy around 7AM. I got the special posted for the day consisting of 3 eggs, 1 each bacon ham sausage, hash browns (or home fries), toast (or biscuit). Total with decaf and tax came to $9.83. Good points: I like the decor, especially the color scheme. There was plenty of food for the price. Josh gave me excellent service, most of the time. There was not a long wait for the food and it was all hot. Stuff that could use some work: While Josh directly gave all his customers great service I do not think the whole dining room needed to know about the steak that was served way over done or what mess the closing shift left him, He should be a bit more discreet talking to the rest of the staff rather than shouting. I was drinking decaf and there was no marker under the cup so the other waiter almost added regular coffee to my cup. Overall it was an OK place to go.
(3)Larry B.
Hello my name is Larry and I am an eggs Benedict snob....hi Larry... No disrespect to the 12 step crowd. One of the worst Benedicts I have ever had. I ordered the California something arouther Benedict with avocado, bacon and tomato. EVERY single component of this meal was the same or very close to the same texture. Soggy English muffin, soft avocado, soft bacon, grilled(???) and therefore mushy tomato with an over poached egg. Hollandaise was nothing to yelp home about. They do have a list of "mantras" or something on their menu and #4 encourages ordering the food specifically to your taste so if I do go back in (not going to happen) I would ask the English muffin to be toasted and crispy, the bacon to be crispy and the tomato to NOT be grilled. This would offset the avocado, egg and hollandaise sauce and likely make a fantastic breakfast, well aside from the giant loogie under the poached egg I would undoubtedly get for being so picky. Seriously! Does every breakfast place in AZ peak out at average? I have yet to be impressed, even by the ones with relatively good reviews. If I win the lottery I am starting a quality breakfast joint in the valley. My server Paula was nice, the seats were classic beat down unconfortable seats.
(2)Sara S.
Went there for lunch with the family. Staff and our waitress were extremely friendly and helpful. Probably the best service I've had in a restaurant. However, the food was nothing spectacular. My husband enjoyed his burger, it was just ok, my reuben sandwich was missing sauerkraut (there was less than a tsp scattered on it), and corned beef was just ok. My daughters pizza was frozen, not fresh, and she wouldn't eat. After taking a bite, and spitting it out, I realized why, it was old, & cheese was sour! Waitress took it back and off the bill. My son had a grilled cheese sandwich, no complaints. But then, we had the dessert, bread pudding, and some sort of chocolate cake with ice cream. Both were by far the worst things I've ever eaten in my life. They tasted like they were made in a microwave or something. Taste and texture were way off. Despite the great service and ok food, I'm hesitant to go back there just because of the dessert alone. They shouldn't even be allowed to sell that crap. FYI, we didn't try the pies because they're made with lard which we don't eat.
(3)Chad B.
I'm not a big breakfast eater but when I'm in the mood, I'll drive the 110 city blocks to eat here. They have great iced tea. And their green Mama Burn sauce is better than Tabasco.
(4)Clarice W.
I've eaten here twice. Once when the restaurant first opened, and today. I remembered it being good, so we decided to give it a more current taste test. My grandmother ordered the biscuits and gravy with a side of sausage. The sausage links were big and the side came with 3 of them. She said that the gravy had no meaty flavour which in turn made the whole meal bland. John S. ordered the special for the day, eggs, one piece of each meat and country fried potatoes. He seemed pleased. Even though my two dining companions opted for brunch, I went straight for the lunch menu and got a much desired Reuben sandwich. I absolutely loved the sandwich! The rye bread was toasty, the swiss cheese was melty, the beef was corney and the sauerkraut and pickles were perfect additions. The sandwich came with a wide choice of sides, so I picked potato salad. When I took a bite of the potato salad it tasted funny. Not like a bad funny, just a different funny and I didn't like it. I had John try it and he liked it but said it did have a different taste. I poked around and found out to my horror it had BLACK OLIVES in it! EWWWW! I really don't like black olives and I was horrified to find them sneakily placed in my potato salad. I have NEVER experienced black olives in potato salad of any kind. Black olive haters be warned! Otherwise, I would and will eat here again. There is a lot on the menu to pick from. Service was good!
(4)Tony S.
Basic walk-in dining that has a few twists. First, the prices are very reasonable and the portion sizes are nothing short of imperial. Kind of like when the ship cruises by in the opening of Star Wars, and you think it will never end... Did I mention the portions are insanely large? Anyways, my real issue keeping me from rating this restaurant higher is twofold. First, the food was bland. The only exception to the bland taste of everything was the homemade sausage links and patties. Everything else though was bland bland bland. Plenty of food, but not enough flavor. PS: Sodium does not equal flavor in my book. That is just a cheap restaurant trick. So, I posted a pic of a breakfast plate so you can see what I am talking about. Now on to the other issue. I found the restaurant clean, but apprarently Maricopa County does not agree with me. I advise checking their current restaurant cleanliness ratings at maricopa.gov to see how they are doing. As of December 2008 things did not look so good and I certainly was leery after reading this.
(2)Daniel C.
All-you-can-eat Fish Fry is the way to go. Friday nights. Hot, fresh and quick. Late-night is the best.
(3)Conrad F.
Delicious breakfast choices at a very reasonable price. Eggs were cooked perfectly and the pancakes were some of the best I ever had! Friendly staff bottomless coffee and tea...Super!
(5)Marty F.
I once ate hear years ago with some friends and really enjoyed it. Then recently my friends told me that this place has gone down hill some.. Well... I beg to differ. I love this place. I love breakfast.. so when you put the two together, you get a nice marriage of good food and plenty of it. There is so much stuff to try here and I dont know where to begin on what, but just open the cool newspaper menu and go to town. Im sure this place is not for everyone, but it always seems crowded on a Sunday morning. The staff has always been friendly and they have a Jack Black look-a-like working there too... pretty cool stuff.. lol.
(4)John C.
Friendly atmosphere, good service, simple American fare, done well. Does get busy at times. Orange juice is really good, as though freshly squeezed.
(4)Greg F.
The chicken fried steak is the biggest and the best that I've found in the valley. A great place if you are looking for the American classics done right.
(4)Chris J.
So half way through a pretty good breakfast, one of six of us found a hair on our food. The waitress said she would remove it from the bill. As the check arrived, we noticed the manager took off 10%. I asked to speak to him and basically got into an argument over him removing a nine dollar breakfast item. We were all pretty mortified to be treated so poorly. They definitely lost 6 customers. Fail
(1)Brenda B.
I come here for the breakfast menu, it has always been excellent, how ever the couple times I ordered dinner, it was like eating in a senior citizen center. Stick to the breakfasts and you'll do just fine.
(4)Albert H.
Great homemade pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice, and unforgettable "bear claw" breakfast pastries make this a great place for a wholesome, hot breakfast. Food is great, service is average, and there's often a wait during the popular dining hours on weekends. Hit this place on a weekday morning and you're in for a real treat.
(4)Karen G.
Was one of my favorite places for breakfast. However, my last two visits have been very disappointing. The first time my breakfast took a long time to receive and when it got there bacon was almost uncooked, hash browns were burnt, and eggs were dried up. When I complained they said they had a new cook. Next time I went (about 10 days later) a worse outcome. Took 30 minutes to get (on a Friday at about 10:45) and the bacon arrived raw, eggs dry and cut up into tiny pieces, hash browns cold and toast burnt. I told the server it was unacceptable and she offered to take it back. I told her forget it and I left. I don't know what happened but I won't be returning.
(1)Marylou J.
I'm thinking 'kitchy' would be a good word to describe Black Bear Diner. And in a good way...theme restaurant decor/atmosphere. You guessed it...Black Bears! Or at least bear paw prints on EVERYTHING! And let's not forget the log cabin -like structure. As someone else posted - it's like a place you'd find when you are vacationing in the mountains! And it all makes for a cute place to dine in. Add to this, the PAPA bear-sized portions with Baby Bear prices...and you have a great place to eat! Steak and Eggs for $7???!!! Nice size steak with eggs the way you want it and your choice of hashbrowns or country potatoes. YUM! Our favorite - a full stack of Sweet Cream Pancakes! And for dessert... pies or bear claw. They need to open one here in Surprise!!!
(4)Lisa O.
The old fashioned burger basket combo was a joke. The patty was thinner than the tomato. A piece of bacon would be thicker! Never even tasted the meat. Asked me how like it cooked, couldn't be specific on this burger since the second it hits the cooking surface it would be done. Come on, is this the Wammy Burger from the movie "Falling Down"?
(2)Walt P.
Love the food here...it's inexpensive, tastes good and they give you enough to feed a small army. The chicken fried steak is fantastic!
(4)Adam N.
Coming from NY, diners are a mainstay. Basically they are family restaurants with monsterous selections of both comfort food and complex offerings as well. Here in AZ, it seems the the word diner means 50's style retro restaurant (life 5 & Diner). Walking into the Black Bear Diner, I had high expectations, great interior a moderate selection of food, but still the retro 50's selection. Boy was I disappointed. First my hamburger was only adequate, and my son's chicken nuggets were store bought frozen food as well as the smiley fries that came with it that he doesn't like. As well as the wait time for the food, was unreasonable. So such a long wait for crappy food is not a good experience make. The ambiance is nice but with such poorly prepared food and horrible wait times, it makes it hard to want to return.
(2)Ray C.
GREAT BFast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUM YUM YUM!
(4)James H.
Excellent breakfast and lunch... Traditional American style. Friendly waitress too. Recommended.
(4)Kimberly S.
HUGE PORTION'S friendly staff inexpensive great kid's menu (but don't order the pizza), comes with free sundae clean
(4)Ben C.
I can't believe this place is rated so low. Other than the wait I couldn't ask for more in a breakfast joint. Their chicken fried steak is the size of Texas and really isn't that expensive. I could also eat their biscuits and gravy all day. To me, all breakfast food is pretty much the same but this place is like Denny's on steroids.
(4)Megan B.
Been here for breakfast twice, lunch once, and dinner once. Breakfast both times was pretty good. HUGE portions. Busy place. I guess the sausages are homemade? Can't remember having anything for breakfast that I didn't like. Both guests I went with on both occasions were happy too. Service is mostly on top of things and friendly. For lunch I had "the gobbler" with fries... a turkey sandwich with cranberry, avacado, tomato, and onion. Fries were pretty darn impressive. Enjoyed this sandwich. The time I went for dinner I remember thinking it was just average. Still massive portions though. Only downside I have found to the place was today when we ordered a "blackbeary" cobbler to go. Thinking that this was black bear diner, the blackberry cobbler should be a specialty.... it was pretty lackluster. Mostly just goo with a few berries, topped with a pie-crust like topping that wasn't quite cooked all the way. We popped it in the microwave and tried to help it out with some vanilla ice cream, but it just wasn't good. Not AWFUL, but not good. So we won't get that again. Otherwise a decent place!
(4)Bridget H.
To date, this is my favorite breakfast joint in the valley. It's a little pricey, but you are getting great quality breakfast... Best Best Best pancakes I've had anywhere.. or.. well, yea, anywhere..(I was thinking of Al Johnson for a moment in Door County, Wi, but those are actually sweedish pancakes) Pass on the lunch, the burger I had was not amazing. Nothing like the pancakes.
(3)R B.
Better than the Good Egg for breakfast. Big portions and always busy on weekend. I only had good experience in this restaurant. The only downside is when the place is slow, the service is also slow.
(4)Heather Y.
I love this place. They're breakfasts are great! They make the best buttermilk biscuits I've ever had. I had their california omlet, it was fantastic and huge. Prices are resonable too. I've always had great food here, burgers, sandwiches, taco salads..........only thing I didn't like was their chili. It's extremely spicy. I love the decor in there too, makes you feel like you're on vacation in the mountains.
(4)Jim T.
Last Friday 3/4/11. My wife, myself and out two grandchildren went in to the Diner for dinner. My wife and I ordered the "All you can eat Fish and Chips" dinner while the grandkids order from the kids menu of Corn dogs and Pancakes. We left the diner about 7:30 and went home. About 9:00 my wife and I started experiencing nausia symptoms and by 11:00 we were both feeling terrible. We determined it had to be the fish as the kids didn't get sick and that was the only meal we had together that was the same thing since Wednesday evening. The symptoms carried over through Sunday. On monday I called the Diner and spoke to the Manager to let him know of the situation. He took our information very casually. He asked me which fish dinner did I order, was it the fish and chip dinner for the "all you could eat." I informed him which we had ordered and then dismissed it. It was obviouse to me that if he hadn't asked me which dinner I ordered then how could he known what entres to focus on. Last time I will ever eat at this dive. Let your friends know. go somewhere else.
(1)Jro B.
i absolutely love this place excellent service.. my waiter josh was very knowledgable about the menu. the portin was nice & the food was just great. the ambiance & mood of the place puts you in a very good mood. i love it!
(5)Marina K.
Hi, I am next to you from MK Nova Barber/Salon. Just wanna tell you , your food so so so good. I like very much tacco-salad.. I like your decor in side too,. thank you so much . See you soon.
(5)Amanda W.
I love the breakfast!! I am a complete breakfast fan! It is always delicious i can never finish it because they feed you so much! We also like to go to the diner on our lunch break but unfortunately sometimes we are leary becuase it can take a while, so we tend to worry about not having time to eat. But all in all the food is amazing! The staff is always great. Looking forward to breakfast soon :D
(4)Luke S.
Similar to other Black Bear Diners, this one also features numerous wooden bear and other rustic designs. In addition to the art and an assortment of hats and shirts, they have one of the best breakfast menus you will ever see! I have eaten tons of the things on the menu and have yet to be disappointed! So if you are looking for a big, hearty, non-healthy, delicious breakfast stop by the Diner today! Also gets pretty busy on Sunday mornings!
(5)laura b.
ok. i'm a fan of the food and decor, but if you're in a rush, this isn't the place for you. i've been here for breakfast a few times. the food is always very good with large portions. you are paying for those portions though. my chicken fried steak breakfast is $10.00 . so if you're looking for a cheap diner, this isn't it. you can get a breakfast buffet for this price at other places as well. anyway, the quality is good and it's loaded with cute country bear decor. however, it's always super slow to get our food. it's almost always very busy as well. there are breakfasts under $10.00. on average, probably $8 or so. they have a simple lunch menu of sandwiches and burgers. their dinner menu is VERY limited. they have a steak, chicken, and ribs dinner. they are all $15.00. thats about it. so, good on quality. good on portions. a little higher in price. bad if you are looking for something quick. give yourself atleast 1 hour after you sit down.
(4)Robert A.
Great tasting food large portions and a rustic view of bears everywhere. Upon entering you are greeted with a bearish smile the waite will be worth the waite. The menu is printed in a news format called The Black bear gazette. After eating their is a giftshop with a plethera of bears.
(5)Michael C.
Black Bear is a small chain dinner with great Southwest breakfast options. I went here to kill time, it barely worked because the service was so fast! I had the breakfast burrito and used their poppa bear hot sauce. The burrito comes with jalapeno and is medium heat, the poppa bear sauce, sent it over the mountain. This dinner is clean, homey and fresh.
(4)Mama G L.
The next best thing to the diners I loved back home in NY. Excellent food and service...gets very busy but worth any wait. Best eggs Benedict in Phoenix.
(5)Victoria S.
We really like Black Bear Diner, Im with another guy's review i read..."You won't regret it, unless you over indulge with their HUGE portions". This is so true. I love that they have flavored non-dairy creamer for my coffee. I generally get breakfast or lunch, yet to try dinner, only because there is less for me to choose from dinner part of the menu. I have to chose wisely since i am Gluten Intolerant. The 4 stars is for not having gluten free bread. There is always a huge line of people coming and going in the waiting area. If you are lucky, you can sit next to the big stuffed bear while waiting for your table, Ha! Our servers are always great and we have no complaints. We will come back and you should give this a try, many locations, even out of state and we have tried those too.
(4)Braden N.
Upon arrival, you are given a newspaper with Glendale news from a many years ago. Mine was a 1967 front page newspaper, inside which guests will find the menu. I really enjoyed this feel, made you feel almost like you are at your own kitchen table. Older interior but kept clean, very nice homey feel-very welcoming atmosphere. Servers are all smiles and very kind, mostly women, at least in the morning when I visited. Play oldies music in background, easy listening. Average plate price looked to be in the 7.50 to 10.00 range. Has full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Meal came out within 5 minutes. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros Benedict for 10.49 (yes more expensive than most but sounded so good). Potatoes not as crisp as I normally like but tasted fresh which is most important. The fruit was fresh, crisp, and cool. The eggs Benedict were good, just slightly, again, not as crispy as I would prefer on the English muffin. The meal I selected had green chillies, pulled pork, and of course a poached egg. I never had this before and would probably order a bacon or sausage Benedict instead next time, simply because that is what I am used to for breakfast taste. Overall, however, a tasty meal with a drink that stayed filled. I would certainly come here again; the lunch menu looks very appealing to me with fresh sandwiches and salads. The menu has a "little less" section for seniors or people that don't swallow as much food as the average joe. Those prices are in the 6.00-7.50 range. They also have a conference room for guests with large parties. I saw some family or company meeting at 8:30am on a Thursday! I was surprised, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Again, overall a very good experience. I am very glad it was clean and welcoming.
(4)Leslie M.
Only my second time here. First time was many years ago with friends. This time was for a free birthday breakfast I received through their email club. We got there around 11am on a Saturday. Had about a 10 minute wait. The hostess was pleasant. Our server came to our table almost right away. We ordered the Bear Breakfast with sausage, two eggs and a waffle along with a side of bacon and toast. The coffee was good, and the food came out hot in a reasonable amount of time. The bacon was cooked just right and a nice thickness. The sausage was seasoned well. The waffle was okay but a bit sweet for my tastes. It had a sweet cream flavor. Overall, food was delicious. The service was excellent. Christine was our server. She did a fantastic job! Came by our table at all the right times even though she was fairly busy. Looks like they have a great lunch and dinner menu as well. Definitely will be returning!
(4)Sylvia Z.
Great breakfast. Fresh squeezed orange juice. We had the Blackbear choice. Two eggs, choice of pancakes, sweet cream waffle or biscuits and gravy and your choice of meat. We opted for no pork and got hash browns instead. We also got a side of chicken sausage. So good and a lot food. Loved our waitress. She was very nice and helpful. We will definitely be back.
(5)Glenn B.
Lots and lots of very mediocre food. Cheerful but loud waitress. This place had a wait list full of huge patrons on a Saturday morning.
(2)Brooke D.
Loved it! The place is super busy but we got right in. We had a really great, personable server who knew his stuff. My omelet was great! My sister is coming to visit for the 4th of July holiday and we'll be taking her there!
(5)Adam G.
The service here is great. Everyone is extremely friendly--to the point that it rubs off on all of the customers and creates a really awesome, happy atmosphere. The food is good, not great. I've had it better at other Black Bear locations, which made me feel like the prices were kind of steep.
(4)Jessica B.
I swear whoever is cooking in the kitchen must be the fastest cook in the West, since it was barely over five minutes from when I placed my breakfast order to my waitress that I got my food. And it was hot. Not warm. Hot. And it was delicious! Bacon, eggs, hash browns and a biscuit for me, eggs, a waffle, and bacon for my mom. She raved about the waffle, and it did look really good. The little bear claw imprint on the top of it was adorable. And this place's bacon is so good. Actually, everything I've ever gotten from this location has been delicious. It hurts my heart when I don't finish my plate but I leave too little to take home. This place gives you such big portions it's so hard to finish a plate. Not finishing a good meal feels like an insult to me. Top it off with the nice, friendly service and its a great place to stop by for when I'm in the mood for a sit-down dinner. That and the prices are quite easy on the wallet.
(4)Carlos R.
this is as good as it gets for comfort food. the protons are big and very fresh love this place just moved to phoenix and I have ate here three times ummm.
(5)Natasha A.
Very impressed! I came here on New Yrear's day because my other breakfast spot was closed so I figured why not try something new. Right when we walked in, it was packed full. I figured it was just due to the holiday and accepted the 25 min wait time. Once seated we had excellent service! I was so amazed by how great our waitress was even though she had many other tables. The food was DELSIH and man what a big portion! The only reason I am giving 4 starts out of 5 is due to the wait time. This establishment is certainly worth the wait.
(4)B. Edwin B.
This place has gone downhill recently. The last two times I've had breakfast, I've been quite disappointed. The food was served on a cold plate, so the eggs and hashbrowns were barely warm. The hashbrowns, which used to be a high point, were mushy. I expect over-easy eggs to have whites that are a bit runny, but not grossly runny like the ones I received. A clear indication of laziness or inattention in the kitchen was the breakfast meat (ham and patty sausage). Both were cooked nicely on one side, but barely cooked on the other. The good side faced up, of course. I have to drive out of my way to get here, so they have lost me as a customer.
(2)Maria P.
This place is delicious! I was visiting the area and had been recommended to this place numerous times and finally went in one morning to try it. The atmosphere was great and the waitresses were so happy. Starting with the coffee, everything was awesome! I ordered the Bear's choice which was two eggs, pancakes and bacon. The food was so fresh and the pancakes were bombay. I enjoyed the bear-themed atmosphere throughout the restaurant. From the paper placemat with the history of the restaurant written on it to the bear mugs we were drinking coffee out of, everything was very entertaining. I will recommend this place for breakfast, lunch or dinner and hope to be back for a nice breakfast soon.
(5)Chandra L.
Seems clean, and my husband and daughter loved their dishes, but mine was seriously lacking. I order the huevos rancheros eggs Benedict, it sounded great, and had the potential to be amazing, just poor execution. First the waiter got my order, and the two tables around me orders wrong. I asked for the regular sauce, and it came out smothered in the salsa sauce. The pulled pork was like eating newspaper and had a weird "funk" to it, the English muffin was soggy and had an odd consistency. The customer service was ok, but the servers need learn to listen. We won't be returning.
(1)Will S.
Inexpensive neighborhood diner environments are so rare here in the Valley of the Mega Chain. And yes, Black Bear is kind of a chain -- but compared to the dreary suburban factory that is Cracker Barrel, this place feels like it really is involved in a community. And the food is VASTLY better than any Cracker Barrel, AND the staff, at least anytime I've gone here to the Bell Rd. location, really acts as if it is enjoying their job. I love this place so much! It just feels like home!
(5)Matthew N.
So I had the corn beef hash breakfast with the hash browns , and a side pancake , everything was amazing the hash browns are hands down some of the best I have ever had and the hash is fresh real meat and potatoes. I asked for well done and it was crunchy and amazing . This pancake made with sweet cream was soooo fluffy and creamy and slightly sweet and thanks our server alex the great he brought out hot butter and syrup together and told me to rip and dip and boy did I , soooooo good I will definitely be back and the portions where pretty large as well. Amazing yummy spicy full of flavor mama burn sauce
(5)