Came here for breakfast today. It was midmorning, a few customers here and there but not busy. We were a large group so it took a minute to sit us down but afterwards it was about 15-20 minutes before the waitress came to take our drink order. Right next to our table was another table that had yet to be bussed, with about a dozen empty beer bottles/glasses/mugs sitting there for about just as long. I'm going to estimate that from the time we sat down till the time we received our orders it was a good hour or so. Understandable on a busy weekened, however this was neither the weekend nor was it busy. I had the chicken fried steak which was listed on their menu as their most popular breakfast item so I thought "hey this might be good". It was just ok. The fresh fruit was semi fresh with the exception of the strawberries. The biscuit was the only decent thing on the plate. It's more of the size of a huge dinner roll (and looks tastes more like one) and is served hot out the oven. Normally I'd give a third star for the biscuit, but like another reviewer posted a couple days ago, I hadn't even gotten up before I started to get a stomach ache that lasted for several hours. Bottom line: expect a long wait for mediocre food that might send you on a trip to the bathroom. read more

My family absolutely loves this place, so on a recent trip to San Francisco we stopped in here for breakfast on the way. The first warning sign should have been that right at prime breakfast time, this place was absolutely dead. We walk in and there are a bunch of waitresses just standing around because there is no one to wait on, other than the one singular old man reading newspaper and drinking coffee. Oh well we are here now, might as well get a bite to eat. We ordered up and everything went as planned, and the service was good and polite, but not overly friendly. We got our food and everyone dug in. The first thing I noticed is my omelet tasted kind of funky. Not like rotten funky, but it definitely had an off taste. It wasn't horrible so I put a little tobasco and plowed on ahead. Once I was done eating, I noticed that my newly eaten omelet was not sitting well with me, and my stomach was a rumbling. I will spare you the gruesome details, but lets say certain parts of my body were making some not so pleasant sounds. On the plus side they have one of those new fangled juice machines that you dump a butt load of fresh oranges in the top of the machine, and it juices them automatically. Its really nice to get a glass of FRESH orange juice. But fresh squeezed juice does not make up for doing the culinary equivalent of punching me in the intestines. read more

Most disgusting place ever! They served me a raw chicken salad and didnt even apologize. My soup was cold and the diner is dirty. Who ever comes here and says that the food is good clearly has never eaten good food. read more

Order for one, feeds two, you won't go away hungry from a Black Bear. Love breakfast, great service, eaten at 12 Black Bear now never have had a bad experience. The best ones are in our valley.. read more

This was the bomb.com as far as I'm concerned! I have had breakfast at BBD at several different locations and loved it, but I had never had dinner and I was not disappointed. First of all we had a big crowd (17) without reservations, but the staff was super nice and accommodating and seated us very quickly. I ordered the hot turkey sandwich (a child hood fave) and loved it! I had some of the best mashed potatoes ever. Plus you cannot beat the prices. You don't realize how much more expensive SoCal is until you go back home. We got a great meal for not a lot of money. I wish they had some locations down here! read more

Horrible! 2 nd visit and last! Waitress asked which breakfast size I wanted so I showed her with my menu but when she brought The food the ham slice was As small as the palm of my hand. I asked if this was the large I ordered and she said yes then went to he kitchen and came back and said she thought I said small order. AFTER I showed her it in the menu. Of course this was not as bad as the cart that the manager kept rolling back and forth on the brick floor which was annoying and so loud that we couldn't hear each other talk. I like all othe BBDs but will never go back to this one. Food was all over cooked also. read more

I love you Black Bear.....I wish you were in SoCal! You biscuits are amazing and your meals never disappoint me. I love you so and can't wait to visit you again!! read more

I was actually excited to go here because there is a Black Bear Diner near my university. Many of my friends recommended that I go but I haven't been. So when I was on vacation at Yosemite, I found out our hotel was next to a Black Bear Diner. I was excited because I finally got the chance and I was very disappointed... First of all, the food was pricey for something mediocre... My father ordered medium-rare but he got well-done. While my cousin asked for medium but got super well-done because her food was very dry. The waiters didn't attend to us (it was hard to get their attention....). Also, we had to ask for water three times until we got it. Overall, everyone at my table didn't seem to enjoy the food. The only highlight to the meal was the mashed potatoes... I'm not sure if it was just this location or not, but I'm highly disappointed with what my family and I got that dinner. But I might still check out the Black Bear Diner near my school. This diner is not worth the money. read more

After traveling to Madera to visit Black Bear Diner, we were very disappointed. The service lacked a sense of urgency and the hostess were snobby. After the hostess asked us the number in our party, she never wrote it down. Four people were seated before us that arrived well after, including those with larger parties (there were only two of us). When we finally were seated, the seats were still wet. The hostess served us water without straws, she had a bland attitude and was not customer service material. Customer service is not for everyone, those with inadequete personalities should not be employed in the field. This restaurant is known and talked about, however, we will not be returning to this location. It is unfortunate we traveled to a highly known place to receive poor quality service. So, if you're looking for a place with decent service, it will not be here. read more

Poor customer service,not enough staff. My Family and I arrived at 11:30 am we waited over an hour to get our food.

Well our first bad meal at this Black Bear. Their breakfasts are always top shelf, but the other meals are spotty. My husband ordered the bacon burger basket but it arrived without bacon. The burger was pretty anemic too. I ordered the Chinese chicken salad. I asked the waiter how it was, he said it was good. What answer did I expect? It was awful. It arrived without a roll or bread, when I asked he said he could bring me something. I settled on cornbread. It was stale - good thing I told the waiter, I was charged a dollar! The salad was $10 and didn't come with bread? A really bad meal! Breakfast anyone? read more

Great service. Lovely atmosphere. Very good food. Had the tritip sandwich. Best I've had. read more

Black Bear Diner - Madera - Stuffed bear area - American Near Me - Madera, California

We were greeted by 3 staff who repeatedly said "someone will be right with you"; and we waited several minutes just to be seated. We both knew what we were going to order, but waited another several minutes .... no coffee or water served... no one even acknowledged that we were sitting there gazing around as other customers had coffee refills by the waitresses. Finally we both agreed it was time to leave. We explained to the manager and a waitress at the door what happened. Maybe we'll give them a second chance another time, but today we are on a limited schedule with 200 miles ahead of us. Rating is for service only because we never had an opportunity to try their food.(Note: The restaurant was less than half full) read more

We found this place right off the freeway after a long weekend camping. It was nice to have such a large selection of choices. There was literally a newspaper page worth of options. I ordered the corned beef hash and he ordered the chili verde omelet. My Corn beef was pretty good and you could tell that this was not from the can. There were pretty large chunks of corned beef. The hash browns and biscuit was not all that exciting they were dry and not really seasoned. Food was not that special but the portions were out of this world. I think that our 2 plates took over 90% of the table. The prices were really good for the amount of food that you got and the people were really nice. I would recommend this when you are traveling along the 99 read more

I really Like the foods and Kim and all of them are always happy of help to everybody. I m happy with the service

Great service and great food. One of my favorite restaurants in the Madera area for breakfast and worth the money. read more

I came here for a quick breakfast and have nothing but glowing reviews. I ordered a biscuit with my breakfast and the biscuit was large, fluffy, and buttery. My breakfast was a "small" portion but it was very filling. I do want to compliment the employees. When I was there, a group of people who had just had their food served to them, asked that it all be packed "to go" right after it was taken to their table. The server took it in stride, and she and the other employees acted fast in getting the food packed up and they were all very calm and friendly despite the inconvenience caused by the diners. I will be back... the food was great and the servers all seemed to care about their work and customers. read more

Not overly impressed. Have been here twice, while visiting from out of town, and both times orders were wrong. Quality of food was a 6 out of 10 Second time we were there, it took FIVE tries to get my order right. We were told they were out of 1,000 Island dressing, out of the prime rib, out of this, out of that... Server had no clue what she was doing. Maybe she was new? Doubt we'll be back. read more

We walked in & it was not busy, but took them about 10 minutes to come and seat us - and their front desk waitress wasn't very friendly. Menu is really cool and well designed. It's a newspaper, "the black bear gazette." I drink a lot of water and they had a "water-wise" sign on the table indicating, "we only serve water upon request." After finishing two glasses fairly quickly, she brought a pitcher out. I really liked that. Our waitress was also very good as we continued to request more sides of ranch, etc. she happily helped us and maintained a good attitude. I had the volcano breakfast special. Bacon was good (thick cut) sausage links were flavorful but a little fatty... I upgraded to the 7-grain nutty pancakes. (+$1.49) They were really thick and grainy with big chunks of walnuts throughout. However, upon making the batter, someone must've mistaken a Tsp for Tbsp with the almond extract. It was way too strong - I could smell it before taking a bite. Kind of ruined my pancakes. Otherwise everything fine. Between a 3-4 star, but I'll give them a 4, because they were hosting a Black Bear diner blood drive for the community! read more

The fresh squeezed orange juice is delicious! The biscuits are big and fluffy, but the gravy was just mediocre, not much flavor. What I was not impressed with was the ladies' room. It was unclean. The toilets had rings in them from not being cleaned in awhile. Sorry, but when you post that your restrooms are clean, they need to be clean. At least there was soap in the dispenser. read more

Great place to go! The food is delicious and price is fantastic! Deserves a visit 100%

I used to go to the Black Bear Diner in Beaverton OR. I happened to see this on my way up the freeway. And the next day wanted to stop off and see if it was as good as my memory. Of course i was coming on Father's Day (just my luck and lack of remembering father's day) but i was still sat immediatly. I loved all of my food. The service and staff were great. Everyone was friendly and attentive. Lots of resturantes claim that anyone (employees) can help you, but usually are put out if you ask anyone. They aren't you ask someone for help with this or that, and that's what you get. MUST GO MUST GO MUST GO!!!!! read more

Just wanted to say we had a great experience at this restaurant. We came for breakfast. From the moment we walked in got a great greeting from Kim. We were seated at our table by Leticia who was also our server. What a wonderful person. Very attentive,warm and just happy to help us. It was good to see a smiling face in the morning. We explained our experience to Jo the manager, also very warm and happy kind of guy. We will definitely be back to see those smiling faces again. Ohhhhh and the food is fabulous read more

Went in for breakfast on 7/14/13 and received the worst service. I've started going to the Merced Black Bear but since I was heading into Fresno we decided to stop at the Madera location. We ordered ham and eggs. Seems pretty simple. 3 tables received their food before us that seated long after we did. When our food got there it was cold. This made me think our server forgot our order. We never got a drink refill and when my food arrived I asked for some Mama Bear salsa and the waitress said sure. I never got it. We also noticed the portion sizes are now smaller. Guess I will be going back to Merced. Went in today 8/8/13 and Yasmin helped us. I think she has been there since they opened. She s the best...... Food was great. read more

This place is horrible, will never get my support again , iv paid 15 dollars for a tri tip sandwitch that had 3 peaces of tri tip now this is not the first time ether , iv took it back before but this time im just to upset to take it back you would think they would care about there customers but nope , heres your sandwitch and yiur on ur way had lots of fat in it and red ... never again will I go back read more

When we were seated, there was something on my placemat, of a liquid nature. The cooking was a bit slow, but the place was packed for lunch. Now that the complaints are out of the way, wow! I had the linguica and eggs. Order this if you're hungry, that's for sure. Most places will give you a split side a few inches long. This was a foot long, full piece. Add toast, eggs, and potatoes, and you've got no reason to leave hungry. read more

I would have given this place NO stars if I could have but both times I've been here our burgers have been burnt & were not edible & they still charged us. The first time I ate 1/2 of my burger. I had asked for well done but the cook took it too far and burnt it. A few weeks later I came again with my son and he ordered a burger and the same thing except this time it was so burnt my son didn't want to eat it after the first bite. I explained to the waitress what had happened and she just apologized with no resolution. I won't be coming back nor recommending this place to NO ONE! Burnt Food & Bad Customer Service! read more

Breakfast here was okay the presentation was on point.It lacked that good Waffle House feel you get from a home/restaurant meal. I would recommend to a friend based on the area. The breakfast wasn't great but it hit the spot.... read more

Black Bear Diner - Madera - Okay breakfast, I think Waffle House has this place beat.... - American Near Me - Madera, California

Hmmmm, it's the only place to eat in town really so where else are you gonna go, especially if you're traveling through Medera. This is diner food and many items ARE from the jar/can. My husband always asks and yes the waitress knew which was made in their kithen and which came from a jar so hey, props for her honesty. 4 star service, honest, hard working wait staff, friendly host/manager 4 star price (2 adults can eat off of 1 HUGE entree) 3 for taste (i'ts won't knock your socks off and tastes like canned) 2 for slow kitchen read more

I was here when this place first opened in madera and i hated it. I just now revisited with my family and got the california burger. It was good. Taste has improved here, the fries were extra greasy though. Drink selection was typical. Excellent location in front of the springfield suites. The staff was very helpful. read more

The service I experienced my few visits was spectacular. My daughter wasn't having a good time and the host came by and offered her ice cream on the house. Just made us feel like an old fashioned family member asking if you're ok and making you feel welcomed. What a great staff and good food. read more

Meatloaf without meat and beef stroganoff without sour cream and beef that can only be seen with a microscope. The meatloaf was all filler. My husband said it was awful, the worst he ever had. My stroganoff was a plate of noodles with brown gravy, no sour cream at all, and a few tiny pieces of beef. I sent it back. It's been several years s since we stayed at the adjacent hotel and had dinner here. The food has definitely gone downhill. Very disappointed. read more

Great food large portions friendly staff good coffee as well. I really like this location the breakfast is better than IHOP. I recommend the grizz breakfast delicious. read more

We love Black Bear Diner in Madera, the manager is great. We especially love all their deserts. We go all the time! The staff are very friendly and all the food taste great. read more

We were staying at the Marriott right next door so decided to drop in here for one of the mini pies that most if the reviewers raved about. We agreed on a chocolate cream pie and took it to go. It was nothing special, just a bunch of chocolate pudding with some whipped cream in a tough pie crust. I didn't care for it and with 3 of us eating it 3/4 if that mini pie remained untouched. The service there was great and the place was quaint if I am ever back in the area I will give it a try. Maybe their food is better than their pies. read more

Great breakfast spot next door to Springhill Suites. Portions are more then enough to fill you. Been to several Black Bear locations since they are spotted all over Nor Cal, and Nor Nv. Love the bear theme which is cute for families. Keep coming back. read more

This place is great for giant portions of comfort food! We usually dine here for breakfast or lunch! You can't go wrong with the chicken fried steak. I always get a dessert to go! They're great for sharing...the chocolate lava cake or the bread pudding with and extra side of the caramel sauce are both my favorites! read more

Kim was a great waitress. She came with a great attitude. Food was out on time and hot how I like it.‍‍‍‍

The many times I've been here I've not been disappointed yet! Food is great and portions are awesome. Well depends what you order too. I love challenges so my portions come out to be big....lol. Great atmosphere and the service is good! Has a great outdoor look......"The Woods" read more

Black Bear Diner - Madera - BIGFOOT Chicken-Fried Steak & Eggs - American Near Me - Madera, California

This chain has a great country feel to it. The portions are large. The price is fare. I'm a big breakfast person and that is why I really enjoy this establishment. read more