Black Bear Diner

Is there a long wait on Sundays?

Not really.. They get busy but they handle it very promptly. You can make reservations as well.. I was just there on a Sunday. Was a big line going outside, and we were sat in 15 minutes..:)

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Is there mac n cheese?

Yes, white cheddar Mac and cheese. Then there is kraft Mac for the kids

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Do they serve beer?

Yes they do, a multitude of them including a wine selection

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Do they deliver?

No, I called and asked on that. Dine in and carry out.

Do you serve mimosa's for breakfast?

Yes they do...

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Tri tip dip sauce was very sour/tangy. Is that how it's supposed to taste?

Yes it is au jus... it's literally beef juice

Do they serve breakfast all day?

All day every day Jaime ! Come on in and feed your inner bear!

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Sometimes we get free muffins sometimes we get charged does anyone know if I've been stealing these?

Some plates come with them some don't. Sometimes we are trying to be nice if food is taking a while, and we might bring out some muffins to curve your hunger. If you are new to black bear, servers might bring them for you to try. If you had a less…

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Is there free wifi?

Yes I believe they did if I remember correctly

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Do they have a pet friendly patio?

No they don't

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Any chance you have an allergen menu for soy sensitive customers?

Yes! And we can look up the ingredients for any of our menu items upon request! We want to be able to accommodate and serve all our customers and attend to any dietary needs they may have!

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Do they serve alcohol?

Howdy! We are in the process of obtaining our beer and wine licence and will be serving Beer, Wine, Champagne, and Mimosas once we obtain it!

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Sizzle Shack Burger

4.8

(141 reviews)

4.4 mi

Hands down the best burger spot in East County! My husband and I come here at least once a week,…read moreand it just keeps getting better since they first opened. The burgers are always fresh (they grind their meat on-site) and flavorful, the fries and tots are crispy and delicious, and the milkshakes are a good sweet treat. Their breakfast sandwiches are also seriously underrated! One of the best parts is how friendly and welcoming the owners are! You can tell this is a true family-run business because the whole family works there and treats customers so well. The restaurant is always super clean and has a great atmosphere. Just a heads up, there are no bathrooms, but honestly the food and service more than make up for it. We're so happy to have this place in East County!

Got the sizzle burger with fries and a drink. The fries were thin and lacking in quantity - the…read morebeef here was tasty but yes, extremely thin because they're smash burgers essentially! If I come back, I would probably get something heftier. They only had bottled drinks here and parking was plentiful.

Dining room is clean and has great promo materials

Cheeseburger Salad With Ranch!

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Bacon Cheese Fries

Crafted Greens

Amazing food amazing people must try if in San Deigo, the manager was so nice he checked on me and…read moregot me a free refill, the atmosphere has a ton of natural lighting and a ton of smiling people who leave with a smile on their face.

I ordered from GrubHub. The food was delicious!, i had steak, Brussel sprouts, and a salad. All…read morewere very fresh and cooked perfectly. (even though I forgot to put in how I wanted my steak cooked.). The steak was very tender and seasoned perfectly. I will definitely order from here again!

Steak chimichiuri

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Buckboard's Barbecue & Brew

Ok so the husband and I love a good bbq date night. And this place did not disappoint! Amazing…read morecornbread, cobbler, mac n cheese as good as Mama makes it, and oh my god the maple butter. We're coming back!

Same experience as Tiffany H. Place is easy to accommodate a large group. Self serve drinks,…read moresauces, and order window. Food came out fast, perfect for a hungry group like us. They had run out of the beef ribs before we got there, would have liked to try those. No brisket here, but the Tri tip was more to our liking, leaner cuts of meat. For dessert, bread pudding was the winner. Cobblers would have been 10/10 with ice cream. All in all a good eat, save for that single roach sighting.

Mac and Cheese Balls with Pasilla Ranch Dip!

Smoked Baby Back Ribs

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Buckboards Bread Pudding Dessert! Delicious!

Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs

We enjoy meeting family here. The area outside has tables with misters for when it's hot and an…read morearea for the kids to play so they aren't restricted to a table the whole time. They also have live music on certain evenings which is really nice. There is often a wait for a table. Service varies a lot! Sometimes it is awesome and other times really lacking. The food also varies. My husband loves the tri-tip sandwich, but they often run out of tri-tip, and it can be delicious or dry and tough. I gave up on tri-tip because of the lack of consistency. I really like the brisket burrito. It's even better than the meat plates. And the brisket in general is really good. The sides are pretty good but none of us are crazy about the fries. They also have a kids menu which is nice. And if you save room for dessert, as simple as it is, the hot fudge sundae is a favorite. Over all I would recommend this place. It's a relaxing place to chill, have a meal and a beer, listen to some music or watch a game on the tv, and let the kids run and play so they aren't bored.

Always the best spot for BBQ, it never disappoints. Tucked away in Flint Springs. A little out of…read morethe way but worth the drive. Today I had the Double Wide BBQ Burger It came with chopped brisket. This burger also comes with fries. Everything is freshly BBQ'd. Also had the George Strait Fried Pickles. (I ordered these just for the name)!!! Also very good. The house pickles are great and they're complimentary. The best Go-To place to visit

Chili verde

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Texas Cheesesteak

Izzy's Cafe

The hubby and I stopped by for breakfast this morning and we are so glad we did. We've been here…read morebefore but I've never put in a review and Camryn was a standout today! She knows her stuff-knows how to ask the right questions so that you get what you really want. For instance, I was on the fence about having biscuits and gravy but I asked if the gravy was really peppery. She offered to get me a small taste and although it was delicious, I've been a little under the weather so I decided I didn't want anything really heavy. Instead I ordered the 3 egg scramble with their smoked ham and added cheese-it was really good and a huge serving including their potatoes and English muffin. I'll probably be able to make two more meals from this serving! My husband ordered the eggs Benedict and asked which potatoes they would be able to make the most crispy as we both like our potatoes crispy. She suggested the hash browns and even asked if he wanted them crispy on both sides which was a great way to get them the way he wanted. Those kinds of gestures really make the difference when you're dining out. The eggs Benedict and the hash browns were delicious, btw. :) Camryn had a great personality too-very friendly, bright and quick. She did a great job of checking in on all of her tables. When we go back I hope we are lucky enough to have Camryn serve us again but all of the servers seemed very friendly as well. Great job, Izzy's and Camryn!

This is a great place to have breakfast or lunch. It's a quaint little restaurant with a down home…read morevibe. Lots of items to choose from. The staff are all very friendly. We had a table of 6 and our waitress was awesome. She remembered all our requests and happily split all our tickets. Because we were a party of 6 they automatically added the tip which made it very simple. I had the pico burger with onion rings. It was a lot of food and the onion rings were good. We didn't feel rushed and were able to sit & visit without feeling pressured to leave after we ate. They have a menu board that shows the daily specials. I'll be back.

1/3 baby rib + 2 eggs + roasted potatoes w bell peppers

Counter seats

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Perfectly seasoned Bloody Mary

Mastiff Kitchen - La Mesa

Private parking lot, 2 gender-neutral restrooms and space available for large groups…read more We drove down to La Mesa just to check out this place and it was worth it. We ordered the 'That's My Boy' and 'Meet Meat' pizza plus their fries. Their deep dishes were light and crispy. I loved the sweet sauce, jalapeño and ricotta cheese combo on That's My Boy pizza. The Mastiff Fries had a wonderful crispy texture. They are like thinly sliced potato wedges. (Our order is without cilantro which normally comes with it) The staff was super friendly and the restaurant was clean. They did have two tv screens playing the sports channel and had a variety of draft beer options.

Pretty good wings and smash burgers. The fries reminded me of McDonald's fries. None of us were…read morecrazy about about the VERY THICK square pizza-it was hard with entirely too much breading/dough. The service was good-you order at the register and food is then brought to the table. The ambiance is a "bar vibe." *NO military discount. *

Left is 'That's My Boy' and right is 'Meet Meat'

Double Smash Burger

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Mastiff Fries

Burning Beard Brewing

Great quick lunch and beer. Thank you for the great hospitality…read more And when the beeper goes off there is a button on the right to turn it off. Haha

Cool joint with really nice people. Haven't been in a while and felt like old school brew. Always…read moregreeted with a smile and the beer is interesting. I think they're more into the Belgians, but I found a couple of West Coast-like IPAs. The cool thing about Burning is that they have food or an attached food truck. We went for Patty Melt/fries and a wedge. It was good and just my helpful two cents, if you're going to stay away from Rye bread in a Patty, you need lots of grilled onions. I love the white bread idea but it's more of a Chester than a Patty melt. Better news: Burning Beard is moving to a larger local, much larger, and a dedicated kitchen. Can't wait.

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Lemon Grove Bistro

Service was amazing…read more We got seated immediately and there was soft jazz which I loved, very calm and welcoming. My friend got the meatloaf I of course had to steal some and it was flavorful and just the right amount of dense without feeling heavy and the other sides paired so well and the seasoning was even through out the dish I got the pasta and I would say we came around 4 pm so this was perfect for after my workout. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the chicken was juicy and well integrated with the pasta sauce didn't feel like the sauce was just sitting on top. The pesto sauce was amazing, definitely tastes homemade and cooked with love. Also the brown butter cake ????? worth every calorie is all I'll say. Will be back !

My sister-in-law recommended Lemon Grove Bistro, saying the food is always on point and that we…read morewouldn't be disappointed. There were four of us dining on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived, but more customers began coming in shortly afterward. They have a spacious, garden-style patio that can accommodate larger groups, but we chose to dine indoors in their nicely decorated, modern dining area. For our meals, we ordered the Grilled Shrimp, Beef Bourguignon, Meat Loaf Sandwich, and Classic Burger. Every dish was a solid choice, and I would definitely order any of them again the next time we visit. Normally, we skip dessert when dining out, but our waiter did an excellent job describing the dessert options and convinced us to give them a try. We ordered the Chocolate Molten Cake, which is similar to a chocolate lava cake, as well as the Brown Butter Cake. The Brown Butter Cake was incredibly moist with a rich, buttery flavor and a lightly crisp exterior. Both desserts were excellent, and I'd highly recommend them. Before we left, our waiter mentioned that, as part of the restaurant's anniversary celebration, they're offering 20% off every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday through the end of August. That gives us even more incentive to come back and dine with them again. Overall, Lemon Grove Bistro was an excellent choice, and I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a great place to eat in the Lemon Grove area.

Inside: barstools, TVs and swag

Fisherman's Stew

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Dessert with mom

Viewpoint Neighborhood Kitchen

This restaurant is great for all hours of the day. The menu is a decent size with options for…read moreeveryone. The drinks are good and the food as well. And the portion size is good. The restaurant wasn't too loud...or loud at all actually. All of the staff were really great. No matter what time we went they were all friendly and attentive.

The food here is always great. There is a strawberry salad with cherry vinaigrette and avocado on…read moretop. That is amazing. It'll be the second time we got the French dip because that one's good too. The surface is really good. They bring you hot bread right when you sit down. For your birthday to bring you a hot chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on it Ambience is cool Cafe style casual

Breakfast steak and eggs. The steak was way over seasoned but the eggs and hash browns were perfectly done!

Inside

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Best Bloody Mary

Urbane Cafe

WOW! Delicious food (High Protein Bowl and Salmon Bowl) and excellent service from Luma! She was so…read moreaccommodating and friendly! I'm so glad we rediscovered Urbane Cafe as my husband used to go to the one on Moreno Blvd near his office. Now that he's working from home, we kind of forgot about it but he was craving a grain bowl. So, off to my Yelp search and there was Urbane Cafe in El Cajon. We'll definitely be going back again! The prices are very reasonable too. They make healthy food taste good! Thanks again to Luma!!

The bacon in the club sandwich was very dry and chewy. Bahn mi sandwich was good. I liked the…read morepickled carrots. I do NOT recommend the Mediterranean bowl. Does not taste "Mediterranean". They added some kind of weird spice to the hummus so it tasted more like spicy barbecue sauce, and the sweet potato and kale was a bad mixture. The place was clean and the service was fast. Unfortunately the food itself knocked off multiple stars.

Seared Ahi Tuna Bowl

Power Veggie Salad

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Chimichurri Steak Salad

Mal Al Sham -The Taste Of Damascus

Amazing food and great service Does get crowded so the new…read morelook and outside seating is wonderful ! Reasonable prices for the big portions of food that's given !

Jordan might've failed the entire levant region at any hope of the world cup, but at least the…read moreSyrians taught us to make the most mouthwatering delicious teta-outdoing Shawarma and rice to ever exist in the Middle East... dare I say the planet. This restaurant taste like HOME. I'm sick of all the Middle Eastern places that just serve kebab... NO I WANT TO TRADITIONAL STUFF MAMA MAKES. No wonder this place is a staple in San Diego and literally every arab who is returning from the Jordan vs Columbia match, the prices are amazing and the food is absolutely incredible that the line went to the street. I had never had so many flavors dance on my tongue over a plate of rice and you get so much meat for the pricey pay. The beef was so tender moist don't even eat beef that much, but I'd become a carnivore because of this place. I bumped into my Syrian friend in the line and she was absolutely stunned and said this tasted like Damascus. If you are new to Arab cuisine, it's not just falafel. Please branch out and find unique restaurants like this where every customer looks like they came out of the desert bro. AMAZING AMAZING I DONT EVEN LIVE HERE COME TO RANCHO CUCAMONGA PLEAAAAASE--

Mal Al Sham a taste of Damascus, Syria cuisine in El Cajon.

Platter for (3 People) ( beef shawarma swapped out with chicken cream chop)

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Leftovers from two meals

China 1968

Been living in El Cajon for a few years now and when we are in the mood for some Chinese food, we…read morealways call China 1968. Our family favorites are Beef Broccoli; we love their kung pao chicken and kung pao shrimp. We recently tried the honey walnut shrimp and man those things are addicting, in a good way of course ;) We have done a few catering orders through them and the quality and service are always great. Plenty of seating and parking if you want to swing by and have a meal with family or friends. Ambiance is great and highly recommended China 1968.

Invited here for dinner. I was skeptical from afar and was I wrong. This little spot serves up some…read moregreat food coupled with fantastic service. The Orange Chicken is a house favorite and is delicious. The Fried Rice was great and every meal was on par. Definitely a good spot to satisfy an Asian food craving.

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Gillespie Field Cafe

Great cute little Cafe right on the air strip…read more Indoor/outdoor seating. Plenty of shade and fans going to keep the outdoor dining bareable. It wasn't too bad. Plenty of parking and handicap Got seated within 5 mins. Service was a tad slow, however it was busy. Although seemed like there was plenty of staff to be a little more attentive. Other than that, no stars docked. Young kiddos and they did thier best. Food came out hot, its pretty decent food. Good coffee, and the salsa was our favorite thing. Packed with flavor and just enough spice. Great little place to have breakfast or lunch. Very simple menu, great view of the planes landing and taking off. Feels like an honor to see pilots and retired pilots. We have leagues on Saturdays and this has made our place to go to right after for breakfast . Happy yelpers!

Such a great meal here. So excited I finally got to try it. Server was so kind and it was a great…read morespace. Had the choice of being outside or inside. Coffee and meal felt like a good price :)

On the corner of the air strip

Food & Views

Protein Plate

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Broken Yolk Cafe

The food is always delicious, and the service is consistently top notch! Yesenia and Roy are always…read moreso welcoming and helpful,they're a big reason why we choose to drive to this location, even though there are others much closer to us. Whether it's ordering at the counter or table service, the staff is always efficient, friendly, and attentive. The restaurant has a fun atmosphere and is always clean and well-maintained. It's definitely worth the wait on weekends because the team does everything they can to accommodate their guests. Highly recommend!

We've been coming here for a while, and every visit has been a great experience. Lisa is always so…read morefriendly, welcoming, and helpful. She truly makes us feel like family every time we walk through the door. The restaurant is always clean, the service is consistently excellent, and the food never disappoints. This visit we ordered the 2 Eggs Plus breakfast, the Belgian waffle, the Mom Omelette, a parfait, a Messy Caramel Latte, and coffee. Everything was fresh, delicious, and exactly what we were hoping for. If you're looking for a place with amazing food, a clean and inviting atmosphere, and staff who genuinely care about their customers, this is it. Thank you, Lisa, for always making our visits so special. We can't wait to come back!

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Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse San Diego

I take my son to the doctors office every week and we drive bye it and always wondered if it was…read moreany good. Me being in the industry for 30 years was very judgmental cause I look at everything when I walk in sorry bad habit. We were greated with smiles on entering, no wait time sat down and waited for our server since it was our first time there wasn't sure how it work. Very clean place tables everything. So our server taylor if i got her name right, I told her it was our first time here and she explained everything perfectly answered all our questions with a smile and happy attitude. Good job. Like I said I watch everything, like how long it takes for servers to get to the table how often they check back on the table. I also watch other tables and there servers on how they interact with the quest that come in to eat. So me and my son proceeded to go to the salad bar. Very clean and it looked great. Nice presentation . All the food on the salad bar tasted great. When we sat back down we had the meats start to arrive. Wow all the meats, chicken, fish ,and pork were cooked perfect no complaints. My favorite was the lamb. I love lamb and was looking forward to trying it. I was not disappointed perfect. Not gamie at all. So we had dessert at the end very good. I was very pleased with the experience. So since it went well I left a 100 tip for tayor cause I am sure that they tip out the runners and busers for all the work they do as well. She wouldn't except it but I left it anyway. Also great job kitchen staff for all the hard work you guys do as well. Thanks again chef mike. Next time II'll come with a bigger appetite.

Rodizio Grill in El Cajon is an absolute gem for a group celebration. We came here with a party of…read morefive to celebrate my sister's birthday, and the entire experience was great from start to finish. The gauchos were super friendly, incredibly attentive, and kept the meat coming at a perfect pace. They actually took the time to check how each of us preferred our meat cooked, making sure everyone at the table got exactly what they wanted. Every cut was seasoned well and cooked to perfection. On top of the fantastic meat selection, the side bar is loaded with a variety of delicious options to round out the meal. Great atmosphere, amazing food, and stellar service. We'll definitely be back!

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Main buffet

Chicken spicy & sweet

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Saland Bar

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99 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Gary A.

7 months ago

You only get one chance to make a first impression. My girlfriend and I went 2 days ago after she had gone the month before with her parents while they were in town over the Thanksgiving weekend. She had good things to say so I was interested in trying it. When we got to the podium the receptionist was pleasant enough, took our name and informed us it'd be 15 to 25 minutes before we were seated. As my girlfriend and I sat there waiting for our name to be called the reception started taking other couples and pairs and seating them ahead of us. I was willing to accept that at first. Maybe they were on the list before me but after a half hour went by and people were continuing to be sat in front of us, I realized that was not the case. I got up and spoke to the receptionist about the issue and we were promptly seated with an apology that followed. I was willing to let it go at that. We sat down and the server was helpful in making recommendations. However, when our order came to the table it in fact was not our order. They had brought us the wrong food. Then, after getting the correct orders we sat there eating and we had the opportunity over here another server and a cook arguing over who didn't enter what and why an order was wrong rather than working together to make the order better. This was not our order. Mind you, this was someone else's. The conversation went on for nearly 10 minutes and concluded with someone finally piping up that the person had been waiting for the correction to their order for 23 minutes. The fact that we could hear such a conversation and that somebody else had this issue did not leave a good impression. I'd ordered the country fried steak as a recommendation from the server. The steak itself had a nice crisp to it and was seasoned well. The gravy however had no flavor whatsoever and was a great disappointment. Overall I was left very disappointed and I will not be returning. read more

Alan P.

5 years ago

Just finished another great meal at Black Bear Diner, El Cajon. When I entered I saw that all of the staff were wearing masks. Tables were either socially distanced or separated by plexiglass. Hand sanitizer was available at each table. I was asked for my name and a contact number in case there was a COVID incident. I chose to be seated at the counter because I was by myself. Every other seat was removed from the counter to enforce social distancing. I arrived at noon on a Saturday and the restaurant was very busy. As soon as I was seated at the counter, I was asked for my drink order. After a few more minutes they took my meal order. This included checking the availability of a dessert for me and reserving it so it wouldn't go to someone else. The main course came in a reasonable period of time given how busy they were. The staff asked frequently if I needed more coffee. And they monitored my progress on the main course and when I was just about done they said they would prepare my dessert. Many thanks to Angie and Maria for taking such good care of me. I ordered the Parmesan Sourdough Cheeseburger and Cole Slaw for my main course. The burger was piping hot and cooked just as I asked - medium rare. I'm glad I didn't use any condiments, because the flavor of the beef by itself and the included Dijon mustard were fantastic. The Parmesan cheese crust cooked on the bun plus the Swiss cheese, tomato, and onion just added to this delicious burger. The cole slaw was fantastic and fresh. For dessert I had the bread pudding. The pudding was hot and delicious, with just the right amount of praline sauce and a touch of whipped cream. I look forward to having this meal again, but it will take me a while to get to it because there are so many delicious choices on the menu. I will definitely return to this restaurant, many times! read more

Betty C.

7 years ago

Today, July 29, 2019, my husband and I had lunch at the El Cajon restaurant. The service was excellent, the restaurant was clean, and the food was good. The reason for this review is because the manager, Jonny, caught my attention by his work ethic. He never just "stood around." He actively was checking on all aspects of the restaurant, front to back. And then this happened: While we were eating, we heard a dog bark. Customers were looking around wondering what the heck? I noticed a couple in a booth, across the way, and they were trying to hush the dog beneath their table. The dog got quiet, and the woman got up and went to the restroom. I saw that Jonny, the manager, was talking to a family who had been seated across from the couple with the dog. This family engaged him in conversation at the checkout register. The couple with the dog was leaving, and the dog I saw was not a certified service dog. I know what a service dog is as my friend had one. This dog was a pet! Now here is the good part. Jonny spoke to the people who brought in the dog!!!!!! Yeah, Jonny. I appreciate this young man's work ethic and his concern for the restaurant and other customers. We will continue to patronize this restaurant! read more

Charlene V.

7 years ago

Love Black Bear! I'm originally from the Bay Area and love going to the Black Bears up there so I was so excited to find out that they were opening one down here in San Diego. I went in for the first time on Mother's Day knowing/expecting it to be busy. Even though our wait was about an hour the hosts took great care of us, providing us with free coffee and kind attitudes. Once we got sat, our server was prompt and brought our drinks very quickly and made sure they were always full. Our food took longer than usual, we waited about 40 minutes for it but boy was it worth the wait. I ordered the chicken fried steak like always and I was not let down. Other people at my table got the cinnamon roll French toast and a California bacon Benedict and it was all delicious. Even though the waits were longer than usual I'm very satisfied with the exceptional service and quality of of food. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Sam S.

7 years ago

I went in today. I had lunch and some of my party had breakfast. My server Jolee was very knowledgeable and she had a cute personality. Jolee suggested the ranch dressing. Man, that ranch is amazing! She suggested to my party to try the gravy on the biscuits and also the country potatoes. The food was great! Now, I want to come for breakfast and dinner. Where did this place come from? I originally thought it was a random pop up. However, they are all over! How is it we are just now hearing about this? Move over IHOP and dennys. My new go to spot. I would travel to broken yolk for better quality breakfast. Now, I have something in my back yard! My server was awesome and the food was great! Love the bear decor. This place feels cozy. I guess it just opened. I assume this will be around for a while. Also, they have cute slippers and clothing. What a cute store! I'm definitely coming back! read more

Kay P.

3 years ago

I want to start off by saying the food is really good. If you want home style country food this is the place. The service however is not good. It was about 8 months ago. We come here about once a week because yes the food is great. Each time we hope that they have some new staff and sadly they don't. The servers are rude , stuck up and very short with you. They always seemed rushed to get your order and never have suggestions. No smiles here either. Management please have your staff get some customer service training or just start over. Young teens would do a better job at this point. Today is our last day here because we have decided that we won't be coming here anymore. This was really our last shot and right when we got here we were greeted after about 10 min in front where we saw no employee. Sadly I was in love with this place because it reminds me of Big Bear. read more

Mandy M.

7 years ago

Went here for lunch last week. I had the smoked brisket and eggs, hubby had fish and chips. Both meals were delicious! I grew up in the Southeast so one of the things that sets the good apart from the bad when it comes to restaurants that serve breakfast is how decent their grits and biscuits & gravy are. Black Bear's grits were perfect and the biscuits were yummy too. I did not try the gravy yet so that is still up in the air. The biscuits were a little sweet, which hardcore down-home cookin' peeps may frown upon but I prefer them a little sweet myself. The smoked brisket was amazing too. The only thing that held me back from a full 5-star review was the eggs. I ordered them over-easy and the yolk was fully cooked hard in some places. Overall, very happy to have this restaurant in El Cajon to balance out the culinary options. read more

Steve S.

1 year ago

My Follow-Up to Black Bear Diner's Reply: Thank you for responding to my review. I did take the time to email your team, as you requested, even though the details of my experience were already clearly outlined in my original post. Unfortunately, I never received any followup or acknowledgment to my email, which leaves me feeling that your public response may have been more about optics than a genuine attempt to resolve the issue. I believe transparency and accountability matter, especially when a customer takes the time to share constructive feedback. If your intention was truly to make things right, I would have appreciated a direct response to my email and a willingness to engage more meaningfully. As it stands, the lack of communication afterward has only reinforced my original concerns. read more

Rano D.

4 months ago

Thank you for your public response here on Yelp. However, I want to clarify that I already contacted you directly by email on April 15 and followed up again on April 20, and I have still not received any response. It is disappointing to see a public reply asking me to reach out, while my emails regarding a serious food safety contamination issue at your El Cajon location have been ignored. This situation is concerning, especially given the location's recent health-related closures. I expected a timely response from management about what actions are being taken. If I do not receive a proper reply soon, I will be moving forward by contacting the county health department and additional customer service channels. I hope this matter will finally be taken seriously read more

Dan K.

7 years ago

Came in today for breakfast. Had an awesome Server Jolee who made my girlfriend and kids feel like family. I really enjoyed my breakfast. She suggested we try the bacon ranch with the kids meal. Seriously, she was right! The ranch is awesome. I'm curious to see what the dinner is like. She said we had to try the bread pudding. Next time I'll be in for dinner and some bread pudding and that infamous ranch. The atmosphere at black bear really feels cozy. They have a little gift shop that's cool. Jolee was telling us how it's new to San Diego area but it is all over Northern California and other states. Come to think of it I think I might have passed one before? Glad we have something cool in El Cajon. Really hope you stay around! read more

Brandon S.

7 years ago

I took my wife, kids and grandkids to the new black bear diner for Mother's Day and we were quoted an hour and a half!!!! We waited and waited and waited. We finally were seated by a a nice young girl with a great attitude. Our server promptly approached us and notified us that the kitchen is backed up and food may take a while. She wasn't wrong it took quite some time. We were understanding as it was Mother's Day. The food finally arrived and it was worth the wait!! We've never heard of the place and we were very surprised at the amount of food and the quality taste. Other than the long wait we had a splendid time. And we will be back to try dinner at the diner! read more

Grace G.

2 years ago

Black Bear Diner offers a quirky cabin vibe that instantly makes you feel welcomed. The portions are generously large, perfect for sharing or indulging in a hearty meal. Brunch here is an absolute must, especially the pancakes--they're fluffy, delicious, and just the right amount of sweet. The food is reasonably priced and consistently tasty, with a ton of options to suit everyone's taste buds. Be prepared to wait a little, though, as this place is always packed, but the wait is definitely worth it. Whether you're a local or just passing through, Black Bear Diner is a fantastic spot for a satisfying brunch experience read more

Pat D.

2 months ago

Dear "Business Owner": How can I email you directly when I don't even know who to address it to? You really should be more transparent. And I take no value in the standard response you give everyone here on Yelp. "Business Owner May 25, 2026 Thank you for your feedback Pat D.. We are sorry to hear your disappointment over your service received. We strive to provide our guests with the service and attention you deserve and it sounds like we let you down. I would like to address this personally. Please email me directly at el.cajon@sdbears.com so I can follow up with you and try to make it right. " read more

Jason H.

Elite 24

148

3 years ago

5 stars for Black Bear Diner! This local gem is our go-to spot for an amazing breakfast experience. My family and I are regulars here, and we're always impressed by the generous serving sizes, each dish brimming with flavor. We recently enjoyed the French toast, pancakes, and the sausage biscuits and gravy. A heads-up for the sausage biscuits and gravy - it's a hearty portion that could easily satisfy two to three adults, but don't forget to ask for extra gravy! Both the French toast and pancakes were fantastic. We have absolutely zero complaints and look forward to our next visit! read more

Jerry C.

7 months ago

Stopped by this diner with moderate expectations and left feeling mixed. The space is classic and comfortable, and the staff was polite, which earns it three stars. Unfortunately, the food missed the mark. The beef in my main dish was noticeably dry, lacking seasoning and moisture. The fries were overcooked and hard, closer to crumbs than a side. More disappointing was being charged for an item I never ordered, which required extra time to fix. With better quality control and more attention to orders, this place could improve with consistency and fair pricing going forward. read more

Dj K.

7 years ago

I had a server Joleene who was great!. I asked her about what to recomend she said the gravy so we ordered the chicken fried steak with gravy on biscuits and the red potatoes. The portions are huge! We attend the rock the church and she was nothing but patient with me. I had questions and she got answers. I will be telling all my rock friends about this place. The wait wasn't too bad however, the hostess asked me the drinks and brought me nothing. I had to retell my server my drink order. My only complaint is if the person who seats me asks my drinks dont ignore me. read more

Joanne L.

108

4 years ago

My husband and I went for his birthday lunch today. The waitress was very nice but my sandwich sat under the lights for at least 15 minutes and his simple bacon and egg breakfast never came up. My husband became upset and we left after waiting a total of 30 minutes. No food at that point. We are very disappointed as we have been to Black Bear Diners in many states and the food and service has been excellent. Today was the first time we tried our local one and our experience was not good! There seemed to be no manager that I could see thus this bad review! read more

Paulina B.

7 years ago

Came in for the first time since they opened and had a great experience. Even though they were super busy, which is to be expected on Mother's Day, we had a very nice experience. From the hostess Daja kindly explaining how long the wait was to Ashley taking care of us at the bar top. Everyone was awesome and the customer service was the best I've had since moving to San Diego a year ago. I could tell everyone was so busy but you would've never guessed it by the quality of our food and kind accommodating service. Definitely coming back! read more

Mike B.

7 years ago

The food here is good, but what differentiates this place from other local watering holes is the impressive customer service!! Our server Noemi was so nice and even in the craziness of Mothers day she went out of her way to help her customers as well as everyone else. The Hobo omelet was very good (Bread not really toasted that well). The owner or manager came up to us and gave us a very warm greating and thanked us for our business. Overall I felt at home with this place and they now have a life long customer. read more

Isabel B.

7 years ago

Came in with my family (party of 5) and we had Jessica as our server who quickly came and greeted us & had a great personality. It was our first time here and she was super knowledgeable about the menu and recommended us her favorites! Her service was super fast and efficient which is always great when trying somewhere new. Definitely recommend coming here & trying the country fried steak and eggs, with a side of pancakes which are so good! read more

Black Bear Diner - diners - Updated August 2026

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