I was neutral about my trip. I loved the original Johnson's corner and was excited to try the remodeled diner. The kids working here are happy and nice, There was a couple who came in made a scene and stormed out, no idea what happened, but the staff and management were supportive of one another and made sure the the rest of the customers were taken care of The ambiance was forced rustic with logs and carved bears, nice try but a little tacky. I miss the art deco 50's diner lunch counter and ginormous cinnamon rolls of the old Johnson's corner The food was good the entrees could have been a little larger and the biscuits a little smaller. I cannot say if I will make the out of the way trip again. read more

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Whoever runs this place doesn't know how to run a restaurant. I grew up working in restaurants and it's very apparent in how long things take that they either don't know or don't care or maybe it's a bit of both. Having one person serving the entire dining room and taking orders is a complete failure of front of house management. I shouldn't be sitting there for 10-15 minutes waiting for a Caesar salad that arrives on a flat plate, un-tossed with no easy way for me to mix in the dressing. They give you one fork and a single napkin for your utensils, well in this case utensil because utensils is plural which would imply more than one utensil was provided. It's one thing for things to take a long time because whoever hires and staffs the front of house is failing to properly staff it. It's a whole other thing it in addition to that to provide the bare minimum to the table as the default setting. That just adds insult to injury. I usually always tip something when I go out to eat. But this time I didn't because it's as crystal clear as possible that these folks do not care about this restaurant or what customers think when they're sitting there waiting for food. I at no point in time will be returning and could not recommend anyone come here for a meal as it's not an experience worth spending money on. I'd look elsewhere to someplace nearby that has good reviews and it's clear that you'll have a positive experience. I feel bad for the one front of house staff member who was doing all the work on a Saturday during dinner time because they were put in that position. Maybe the guy sitting up front on his phone can get off it and go help out instead of treating his shift like one long break. He didn't even know what table I was at and he'd walked past me several times. If you own this place and are reading this you need to pay attention to what is taking place and be more present if you expect things to change for the better. read more

Atmosphere is warm friendly and inviting and food was great, (coffees strong) This review will revolve around Caleb the most amazing server I've ever seen! (I'm 50) Caleb is upbeat but not overbearing, incredibly attentive and has an amazing grasp on people skills. I observed as Caleb, took my order and was friendly, & knowledgeable, as I waited on my order (wasn't long) a table of 8 clearly repeat diners asked for Caleb by name, I then watched as he assisted some lovely ladies to a separate section of the restaurant as they requested a "quiet location" he then went to another server to clearly communicate why he placed them there and then offered to give her other clients, Caleb engages in quick friendly conversation and makes people feel welcome. I watched him go on to have conversations with 2 other diners and still got food to the table in a timely fashion. My only regret on this visit is that I don't get to this area enough to enjoy this level of service! If you're anywhere within 200 miles it's worth the drive! If you make it to Johnstown Colorado and the Black Bear Diner and don't have the same experience because you didn't ask for Caleb..that's on you! read more

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I've only been there for breakfast twice and both time it was delicious and the breakfast are huge The biscuits and gravy is ridiculous. The biscuits are the size of a small cake. read more

First time for dinner have been for lunch. We were greeted upon arrival and taken to our table. Our hostess was nice and chatty which was fun Waitress took a few motto get with us but she was great at answering our questions and giving us time to look over the menu Husband ordered chicken fried steak with a salad and baked potato. I ordered meat loaf with fries and green beans and a cup of the loaded potato soup. Soup hit the spot since the outside temperature was 7 I needed something warm for a starter. Food came and there was plenty of it. We enjoyed the cornbread muffins which came before dinner with real butter and honey. Chicken fried steak was done just right. Not dry, still moist. Meat loaf was 3 pieces with onion straws and brown gravy. I enjoyed the meat loaf. Onion straws were overcooked and tased a little burned. Brown gravy was great. We ended up taking some of each home. French fries were eaten but mostly for the dog that was waiting patiently at home. The diner is so much nicer than the old Johnson Corner restaurant. It's nice that they renovated the inside. Tables and booth are far enough apart that you don't hear other's conversations. If you're traveling I25 and want to eat as in sit down eat stop here. The big new gas stop down the road may have food but you can't sit down and eat it there. read more

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The wait time was pretty long. The service was just so so. From the time our waitress took our order to the time we received our food was at least 45 minutes. I ordered the corned beef hash and it was pretty good. The portions are huge so keep that mind. The restaurant was nice inside and kept clean. Would I go again?? Maybe. read more

Black Bear Diner is the kind of place that reminds you why dining out can be so special. From the moment you walk in, you're welcomed like family and surrounded by a cozy, rustic atmosphere that just makes you feel at home. The portions are huge (bring your appetite!) and the food is always hot, fresh, and full of flavor. What stood out most to me was how much care goes into every plate--from the fluffy pancakes and hearty breakfasts to the savory comfort food dinners. And don't even get me started on the desserts... absolutely worth saving room for! The staff is friendly, attentive, and genuinely makes you feel like you're a regular, even if it's your first visit. Whether you're grabbing breakfast, brunch, or dinner, you'll leave satisfied, smiling, and probably already planning your next trip back. Honestly, this place speaks for itself--if you want a true diner experience with food that never disappoints, Black Bear Diner is it. Once you try it, you won't even feel the need to look anywhere else. read more

Black Bear Diner Johnstown - Diners Near Me - Johnstown, Colorado

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Food was cold when it came out, steak not cooked to request. Cold but took half an hour to cook! Waitress was nice but may have been new, seemed really confused on a lot. read more

This was probably one of the worst experiences I have had at a restaurant for a long time. At was Sunday at 9:30am they are a diner so it so be fine we thought. We were sat right away which was great then 15 minutes nobody greeted us finally we were greeted at 17 minutes right as we were leaving and should have. We please drink orders and food at that time. Then 1 hour later no waitress check in on us and no food. We finally ask for a manger. He went checked on the food and told us it would be out in 10 minutes and refilled our coffees. The food then took about 20 minutes. The food was delivered by the actual manager I believe and he said what do you expect it is Sunday any other day this wouldn't be a problem. The food was good, the service is absolutely the worst from attitude to service. We will not be going back. read more

Waited 1hr for 2 eggs w/cheese, 2 bacon and 2 biscuits and gravy! Then I was going to leave and the guy said I was next order to come out and to please wait. So I did and the order was missing simple things like the cheese I paid extra for. Im surprised they are still in business. Avoid at at costs and I won't be going back. read more

Third time here since it opened as BBD. Large portions were nice, Berry Bear Claw was tasty and shared by three of us. Service a bit sketchy... refills on coffee and water, had to flag down server. Food, atmosphere, and avg price were good. Definitely visit again read more

My wife and I come from Redding CA and have been working out here for 4 years. Growing up in Mt Shasta and Redding, black bear has always been a go to our whole lives so it's pretty cool Colorado is seeing more now. While comparing the newest location to the originals isn't a fair, it's a nice taste of home at times, just living right down the road. Like any restaurant, you're gonna have slow service at times and ups and downs, everyone's human. Foods great, give it a shot! read more

Server was very pleasant. Although we weren't ever checked on prior to our food being brought out. No one came by to say your order will be out soon NOTHING! Service was HORRIBLE! Food took forever to be brought to our table. Husband had chili was just ok. We split a patty melt, asked for well done very pink inside didn't finish. Decorations are always cute with the bears, however not worth eating here. read more

Black Bear Diner Johnstown - Diners Near Me - Johnstown, Colorado

You won't believe what's happened to the old Johnson's corner, the famous landmark in Colorado! It's now a Black Bear Diner! I've been to a few Black Bear diners in Northern California and Arizona, and they've all been pretty great. But this one stood out. It's got a bigger space, a really cool atmosphere, and fast and friendly service. So far, it's definitely my favorite Black Bear diner. The place is spotless, and the service was fast and friendly. Our server, Caleb, was amazing! And the restaurant manager, Toya, went from table to table to make sure everything was perfect. I will be going there again in the near future. As with all other Black Bear Diners, I recommend this one too! read more

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Great breakfast. Friendly service. Not too noisy even though it is part of the truck stop. Lots of car parking. read more

Black Bear Diner Johnstown - Respect - Diners Near Me - Johnstown, Colorado

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Today father's day, of course it was busy. The waitress, extremely nice. How ever we waited over an hour to just get our food. Fish and Chips fries cold and limp the fish dripping with oil and hard as rocks. This is the second time with extremely horrible kitchen service and quality of food. Will not be back, nor should any one else. Save your money !!! Better kitchen management!! read more

The food presentation was an A+. The portion size was an A+. The food itself was probably a C. It looked pretty and there was a ton of it. It just was really, bland. The service was good but the waitstaff walking around with stuffed black bears strapped to their backs was a ridiculous gimmick that falls flat . I won't go back until the taste improves. read more

Black Bear Diner Johnstown - The Grizz - Diners Near Me - Johnstown, Colorado

Came here by myself 6/26/26. I ordered a water and a club sandwich with onion rings. Essentially it's one of the easiest things to make on their menu I figured and I'd get my food quick and easy. Boy was I completely wrong... When the guy brought it out to me the bread wasn't even toasted and it was built incorrectly so all of the ingredients were spilling out all over the plate. I mentioned this to him and the guy said with a rude tone they were trying real hard and to cut them some slack. I replied "why would I cut them some slack when they screwed up on a simple sandwich?". I got up and left. 0/5 stars read more

Our first visit here was right at the grand opening when corporate was on site, training. Everything was spectacular from our greeting, service was top notch, fun ambiance, food was timely, hot and tasty. Fast forward to Sunday morning, July 13th when I wanted to take my daughter and granddaughter. Could not get greeted even with 5 employees in the area. Took 7 minutes to even put our name in for a 40 minute wait with half the tables empty! Got seated, and we were told although the menu states breakfast and dinner ALL day, the cooks freak out if anyone orders a dinner item, so breakfast was all that could be ordered. Out of mushrooms. Took close to an hour more to get our food. What happened here? Lady at the register kept reaching into the drawer and putting something into her mouth. Food was okay, certainly not great. Lettuce was rusty, looked very old. Needless to say, we will not come back and my bragging this place up is over. read more

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Food is great however it takes 45 minutes. They need better cooks or more of them. Waiters are great trying to keep you positive. read more

This may have been the only restaurant where I've sat down, Looked at the prices, then said no thank you. I then went to pay $5 for the cup of coffee I had and left. Seriously, In what world is any breakfast with two eggs $20+ dollars? read more

Food was really good. Server friendly. It just took a really long time to get our order. If it had been a full restaurant, I wouldn't have mineed. But a mostly empty place shouldn't have had this slow of service. read more

I moved here from Las Vegas last year, where I was a regular at the Black Bear Diner. I was so excited to see that one opened here. We went to check it out and it was one of the worst breakfast dining experiences ever. The wait for a table was over an hour. There were empty tables everywhere. We opted to sit at the counter. It took 50 minutes to get our food, which was mediocre. The waitress was very nice and apologetic, but we won't be back. read more

Great food and Camryn was awesome!!!! Huge portions!! Fresh and healthy. Great service. Highly recommend and we look forward to coming back!!! read more

I had a great breakfast there a few weeks ago. I checked Yelp and Google reviews before trying the place when it first opened. They were so bad I just stayed away. I can honestly report that they seem to have the kinks worked out. My service by Ann Marie was just fabulous. At the moment they are not ADA compliant as all the handicapped parking is at one end where the doors remain locked. The hostess stand is at the other entrance. It took me a while to get inside. read more

Roast beef plate was great, large portion and very tasty. Service was a little slow, place was pretty busy but they could have used another server. Overall was very good. read more

The restaurant was clearly understaffed, and the women's restroom was in terrible condition--3 of 4 stalls were filthy and out of toilet paper. When I told the waitress, she and the bus boy said they didn't have any toilet paper to restock. Completely unacceptable for a restaurant. read more

We've tried Black Bear twice since they opened here in Johnstown - and we're pulling hard for them! The food has been really good, and we like the atmosphere. It's very similar to the Johnson Corner restaurant than had been here for so many years. They struggled a bit on service during our visits though. During both visits, we've waited 30-40 mins for our orders - far too long with so many other nearby options. read more

It's appalling how bad this place is!! I sent an email to corporate several times and no response. Place is dirty, food is inedible and no one seems to care. read more

Very unorganized. Service was slow. Food was incomplete and cold, not of good quality. Numerous wait staff and no one to run register on check out . Also dining room was full of flies Very disappointing Will not be back!! read more

We had breakfast today, Saturday. It was slammed. We ate at the bar and our waitress AnnMarie was awesome! Gracious and totally efficient, gave us an honest estimate of when our food would arrive and was there with that 2nd cup of coffee on the spot! Thank you so much Annmarie! read more

With the BB being just down the road we decided it was time to give it a try despite the negative reviews. We lucked out and they were not overly busy and were able to get seated right away. Our waiter was on top of it and assisted for our drink order as soon as we sat down. We did notice that there was a lot of staff and we were asked many times to refill our coffee. The only negative was on the wait for our food. Once the food came out it was good and hot. It's typically diner food, but that's what we wanted. From the older reviews it does seem that they are working to improve and have. Speed up the kitchen and it would solve the table turn over issues. read more

Was excited about black bear dinner coming here, found out it opened yesterday, so we went by to get 2 small pies. Got a chocolate and a banana pie. We came home and when getting ready to eat the chocolate pie we found 2 dark hairs in the whip. We lost our appetite and threw pies away!!! Re- thinking going back. read more

Just wasn't that good. Burnt potatoes for breakfast, service was very slow. And had to ask for water a few times .

Corporate trainers need to do a better job with kitchen staff, and hosts. The hosts have no idea how to properly seat people. They have a full staff but seat everyone in one section only using 2 servers. This leaves a bunch of servers with nothing to do but ask if we need coffee or to go boxes repeatedly. The cooks need training as well. 45 minutes to get meals out is ridiculous. We know they just opened but they've been training the employees for over a week. The trainers must be terrible. The servers are all nice. I don't feel like corporate cares for this location. We went back again recently and management is non existent. I called in a complaint and Justin just said sorry and had excuses of just opening. However, corporate is there, there's no excuse. They've opened 163+ stores. There is no excuse for such a failure. It is so obvious they hired managers with ZERO experience. read more

First off, I'd like to say this has nothing to do with the food. The food was excellent, and I genuinely enjoyed it. The diner itself has a nice, cozy atmosphere, and I believe I would have really enjoyed my visit if the service had matched the quality of the meal. We were seated fairly quickly, which was a positive start. However, after being seated, we waited about 10-15 minutes for our server, Maria, to approach us. When she did, her first and only words were, "Are you ready to order?" There was no greeting or introduction, which came across as abrupt and unwelcoming. It gave the impression that she was unhappy to be working or annoyed that we were there to dine, and it set an unfortunate tone for the rest of our visit. What was most disappointing is that this was the only time we saw her during our entire meal. We noticed another server, a gentleman with long hair and a mustache, actively engaging with his tables and providing a warm, friendly presence. In contrast, Maria did not check on us, run our food, or provide our ticket -- these tasks were handled by others. As we left, we passed her once more, but there was no farewell or acknowledgment. I understand that working in a restaurant can be challenging -- I've been in the industry myself. However, basic hospitality, such as greeting guests, checking in during the meal, and thanking them as they leave, makes a huge difference in the guest experience. I truly enjoyed the food and the atmosphere, and I would gladly return if I had a different server. I only hope this feedback can help ensure that future guests feel as welcome and cared for as they deserve. read more

The food is wonderful, service is great, no idea why this only had 2 stars. We had a great experience and will be back again.

The claims of slow service are 100% accurate. Waited and waited to get seated. Every worker there kept telling us "somebody will be with you". Somebody never came. Also, the place was relatively empty, with plenty of seating available. This was not a capacity issue - it was a service issue. I don't know how the food was, but ONLY go here if you have a clear schedule and time to kill. I likely will not return, despite the likelihood of receiving a "We are sorry you were disappointed" response from the company. read more

I was so hopeful to have a good experience, but unfortunately we did not. We should up for breakfast this morning. We were told that it would be a 30-35 minute wait. We waited over an hour. I understand that it's hard to quote those times exactly, but then get to the table and wait over 45 minutes for our food is ridiculous. We wanted to give them a shot, and were induced by a free breakfast offer that they didn't even honor. Our server was great, but the food was definitely not worth a 2 hour wait. I spoke to the manager and the gave us $5 in bear bucks. A bit of an insult. We will not be back! read more

Not impressed. Food was warm not hot. Worst blue cheese burger. Fries warm. Ice tea was weak. Service was slow. Ambiance ok.