I had just arrived in town and I was hungry. Thankfully, a family member had this diner on their must-try list, and it went pretty well. We all ordered something different with the goal of being able to taste more of the menu. The menu is a well-rounded Southern American selection, and all of it is made in-house. It was a nice touch with the newspaper like menu, loved the decor and cabin home theme. The side salad was fresh; however, the house-made ranch was too creamy and too thick. There was potential with the cooked bacon mixed in, but the ranch flavor was missing. The cup of chili was great, similar to Wendy's chili if you needed a comparison. My meatloaf was good; the added carrots and topped crispy onions weren't too bad; however, the drizzled brown gravy was a no for me. The side of creamy grits and green beans and bacon were gobbled up! The cornbread muffins were a bit dry. Side of hash browns were good, a little on the oily side. The biscuit and gravy were colossal! Loved the gravy; the biscuits were a bit too doughy, almost seemed a bit undercooked, and for some reason, there seemed to be a lack of flavor in them. Enjoyed the ham and eggs. The pot roast dish was savory, and everything was nice; the veggies were a little over-seasoned, but I didn't mind them. The chicken-fried steak plate was a hit, I didn't even get a chance to take a solo photo. We had no room for desserts, and leftovers were taken home and appreciated. I'd like to add, despite ordering the larger versions of these meals, we only paid $68 and some change! The place was clean, the wait time was commendable, and the service was incredible!!! Despite the small misses, we'd still return. The majority of our food was great, and we left fuller than ever! read more

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Black Bear Diner is inspired by the California black bear and ski lodge experience. They offer all day breakfast and a wide variety of dishes on their menu. The food was yummy and our waitress Claudette was friendly and attentive. She explained the interesting history of the restaurant. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience here and will definitely stop by again on my next visit to the Valley. read more

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We were in town for a conference and had dinner there last night and it was so very good. My husband had the prime rib dinner which was very reasonably priced, and served just as he asked. I had the breakfast BLT on sourdough bread that was huge... and delicious. We shared an apple pot pie ala mode that unbelievably good. The dough was light and flakey . Service was fantastic, welcoming, friendly, answered all our many questions and made sure everything was as we wanted it. If we're ever back in McAllen we will be back. Need to see if there are any close to Victoria. Highly recommend it!! read more

Very filling meals are really good price, taste was very good as well. Usually with breakfast, I don't get too full but with how stacked these meals are, I even had leftovers. Will come again. read more

In this old Shoney's that is now a cute bear-themed rustic interior, we had brunch at noon on a Wednesday. Best Grits I have ever had. Bar none. Also enjoyed the chicken sausage scramble, but get the pork sausage instead. Sufficient service, but very polite and willing to modify meals. I wouldn't recommend the pancakes. They tasted too much like artificial vanilla or something. Very unnatural. read more

Walked right in and seared at the counter. Avoided the long lines of folk waiting on a table. Ended going with the smaller of the chicken fried steak eggs, hash and a pancake. Portions sizes are just effing ridiculous, my meal easily feeds 2, possibly three adults. Steak and gravy were good, it's massed produced but the vendor is good nonetheless. Eggs are a little over cooked and the hash was lacking flavor. The pancake was alright but elevated to damn good with butter added. I'll go back and it's on the list when traveling to other places as well. read more

Love this diner! Breakfast all day. Giant biscuits that have a ton of tasty butter! Cool decor and ambiance. First time here and it was delicious over all. There is a slight wait even when slow, so if busy, expect to wait a while. Our waitress was nice enough, but she did forget our utensils even when she brought out the food and I had to actually get up and ask someone else because I couldn't even get her attention when she passed by. It affected her tip, but not this review. My biscuit was the highlight of both dishes, but everything was delicious. I would ask for more crisp on my hashbrowns, but that's about it. The hot sauces provided at the table were all tasty and they all seemed pretty hot. Great diner overall. Recommended. read more

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The food is awfully bland not a single person liked what they ordered and my sister's lemonade was THICK like syrup we had to send it back. The service was okay nothing wrong but nothing that made our day better. The ambiance was awful it was muggy I'm not sure if there was something wrong with the ac bc one of the workers tried making it cooler with the thermostat and nothing happened. The only highlight was the gift shop, but even then we we aren't going back. read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - Tri-Tip Dip* - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

Stopped in for breakfast and was seated after about 5 minutes of waiting for someone to come greet us. We were seated way in the back of the large dining room, away from basically everyone, which was fine. Our server took our order quickly but the food took a very long time to come out. For a basic diner, this seemed surprising/disappointing. Usually this type of food is super fast, even when the place is packed. They were busy but still less than 75% capacity. I ordered the breakfast burrito and added a side of wheat toast. My colleague had the biscuits and gravy. Both portions were so massive that we both only ate half of our meal. The food came out very hot and everything was correct, it was just very slow. The bear obsession seems very random for McAllen, TX but they are all in with gifts filling the entry way. Not great, not terrible. read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - Breakfast burrito with a side of toast - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

Might as well close this place down. It took 45 minutes to get one burger, one order of chicken nuggets, and one grilled cheese sandwich -- and there were only three tables occupied. Really disappointing, especially since I have limited time with my family and didn't even get to eat with them before heading to work. read more

The food here and atmosphere is great and fun! Service is good! Our waitress went above and beyond!

Came for breakfast with 3 adults and 2 kids on a Saturday. The place was fairly busy and it took about 30 minutes for us to be seated. We ordered the Bigfoot chicken fried steak, the breakfast club melt, and the chicken fried steak omelet. We loved the sweet cream pancakes as well. The portion sizes here are massive! The food all tasted good, freshly made, and we had plenty of leftovers to take home. Definitely worth the money here. The service was a bit chill, we did get checked on but had a more relaxed feel to it. The oreo milkshake was the only thing that could gave been better. read more

Delicious went a second time Service was outstanding "Rosie" was awesome, she never wrote anything down! Everything came out warm and delicious read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - Omlette red potatoes pancakes coffee - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

We were able to get seated quickly by the friendly hosts, which was a great start. Our waitress came by soon after to take our drink order and let us know about the specials--she was nice and friendly throughout. Unfortunately, the food took quite a while to arrive. When it finally came, it was just okay--not bad, but nothing special. Service was pleasant, but the long wait took away from the overall experience. read more

Excellent breakfast. Great service. We will return and recommend this restaurant. Clean.

I waited over a year since they opened to go. There was a lot of hype about their biscuits and I heard mixed things, so I figured it would be good to give them time to get things on point. It really just wasnt very good. I ordered the big chicken fried steak. It literally tasted like a tv dinner, but with a much better crisp to the batter. The hashbrowns had no seasoning at all. The biscuits are huge, but they just arent very good. Texture is fine, if a bit dry, but they didnt really have flavor. I only had one bite and I was done with it, and I love biscuits. It was basically going to Dennys or IHOP, but not as good. I know its not the fault of the location. Its just the business model. read more

Breakfast food is usually pretty good, but geez they are slow! It usually takes anywhere from 45 min to an hour to get our food and we've gone during breakfast and dinner. read more

What a unique experience at the Black Bear Diner! Our server May was very attentive and knew a lot about the menu. She did everything right as far as super service! She was descriptive and knowledgeable about the brand! She had a pleasant attitude and made us feel very welcome and comfortable which I think is very rare to be blessed to be seated in someone's section who cares about your dining experience! When we first walked in, it felt like we were going into a cabin in Colorado! The menu was like reading off of a newspaper on a Sunday morning. When the food arrived, we were in awe with the portion size! We had the Big Foot Chicken Fried Steak for Hungry Bears and the Bear Paw Chicken Fried Steak. Their blackberry stuffed French toast was delicious! As soft and crumbly as a croissant with a yummy blackberry jam inside. Their chicken noodle soup was also delicious. The biscuit was HUGE! Perfect consistency. Crispy on top and soft on the inside. We definitely needed boxes to go as promised from their Black Bear Philosophy. Thank you for coming to McAllen, Texas Black Bear! I will be recommending this beautiful breakfast place with my family! read more

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Black Bear Diner, a few weeks ago, our family had our first breakfast at the Black Bear Diner - it was an excellent experience. The hostess welcomed us and we were placed on the waitlist. The diner was packed. The staff were most kind and served our food with much delight and kindness. We were met by Manager Art Puentes and he welcomed us. I expressed our appreciation for the food and the outstanding service. It was apparent that Manager Puentes was key to the successful management of the restaurant and the staff at the diner. Black Bear Diner is now one of our favorite restaurants in Mcallen!!! read more

Excellent Food! Excellent Service! The ambiance was superb! It was well worth the wait. Sunday so it was busy

First time eating at any Black Bear Diner. I was able to get seated right away at the counter, although there were tables available as well. Friendly and fast service; my order came out very quickly, and the food (Joe's Hobo Omelette) was hot and delicious! The biscuits are quite large, so be prepared for that if ordering biscuits here. The only reason I'm not giving five stars is due to the number of flies present while I was dining. It worries me that there were so many flies so close to the kitchen - seems like someone could easily end up with a surprise in their food! read more

I was pretty bumped with my experience at Black Bear Diner because of all the hype around it. I had seen many amazing reviews and TikTok videos o Black Bear Diner so when it was my turn to choose our daily brunch spot from my friends and I, I suggested here. I regret it. Here where some good and not so great things from Black Bear Diner. There was a lot of parking available so that was good. The restaurant was packed since it was around 2:00pm. Kind of late for brunch but it was still packed. The staff was very friendly and made us feel at home. They told us the wait time would be around 30 minutes but ended up being like 50 minutes to a hour. We finally got seated and we ordered our drinks. The restaurant was very cute like a cabin and had a nice atmosphere. I trei their iced cold brew and it tasted a little too watery. We placed an order and it took almost 40 minutes for the food to come out. Even having it come out that late it was all cold. I ordered the traditional eggs benedict with a side of classic grits and hash browns. The poached egg was fine and the flavor of the hollaindese sauce was actually pretty good. The bread for the eggs benedict wasn't great and the ham was wayyyyyy to salty. I had to take it out cause it was too salty to enjoy. There was way too much oil in the grits and they had no flavor at all. The hash browns were also way to unseasoned and a little hard. The pancakes were good but nothing new. Overall, the staff was so friendly and sweet. The restaurant is cute and feels like you are inside a cabin in the woods. But the food is not great, unseasoned and could be better. read more

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This review is for the location in McAllen, TX. This location opened fairly recently and like most BB locations is pretty popular, particularly at breakfast times. Since we've visited BBD in other locations on the west coast we knew "what they were about" and for the most part we like the food they serve. At least occasionally. Our first visit was a couple weeks after they opened and there were still a LOT of employees, many still "in training". We were there during the breakfast hours and it was busy, but not overwhelmingly so. We were seated fairly quickly, approached by a server and asked about drinks. We received our water and coffee quickly and the cups/glasses were kept full. So, service was A-OK. The food/menu is the same at every location, from Vancouver, WA down through California and even here in Texas. There were no surprises. The meal was correctly prepared as ordered, so the food was OK too. As with other locations the food isn't the best I've ever eaten but it's not bad either. It's a bit of a drive for us and the location isn't the easiest to get to so while we will visit occasionally, this won't be our regular breakfast joint. But we will be,min fact we have already been back to enjoy a meal with friends. Next visit maybe we'll try lunch or dinner. read more

The great: large portions, breakfast all day and yummy options. We had the famous "The Grizz" plate and meat lover omelette. The grizz is packed with eggs, bacon sausage, ham, hash and pancakes! And an extremely large biscuit! Make sure you bring your appetite! The good: the meat lover omelette came with a side of delicious red potatoes. These were worth the hype. The bad: don't recommend going on a Sunday. Crazy busy and loud. But overall this California original restaurant is worth trying. read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - The GRIZZ (1460-1520 cals.) - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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Ya'll the experience here was pretty sweet. I can at the right weather with my toddler. It was cold and chilly where I came to enjoy the Black Bear Coffee. I love the corner of merch. My toddler love the home slippers. Food was good. What got me was the exceptional customer service, from the greeter to the waiter, to when exiting the door. Sweet people. Will return. read more

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This new spot in the RGV is really bumping! They have breakfast, lunch, and dinner! There are some wait times, nothing new in the valley when something new pops up. Their The Volcano is worth it! It has 3 sweet cream pancakes, 2 link sausage, 2 slices of thick-cut smoked bacon & 2 eggs! read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

The wait for food, Ruben sandwich & Bears Choice breakfast was over an hour! The waitress was nowhere to be found - when she finally came to check on us, she was all sugary nice, but no apology for the long time away & no explanation for long wait on food! Asked for water without ice & got ice water! Asked for extra sauce on the sandwich & finally I just got up to go get it myself! I don't blame the kitchen. This waitress was just not doing her job! The sandwich was mediocre at best, although the fries were good. Got our check & got charged for an extra coffee that wasn't ordered & price for juice was higher than on menu. Didn't bother to try & get it fixed, we just wanted to get out of there after being there OVER 2 HOURS! read more

Large portions and all very good! Try the taco salad, you likely won't finish it! Great burgers but since I seldom add salt, a little salty for my taste! I would highly recommend this dinner! read more

Visited this place that I have seen all over California and I'm glad I stopped here in McAllen. The breakfast was delicious and the portion size was huge! Everything had great flavor and good texture and taste. The service was above average and the waitress took care of us pretty well. The ambiance was good. It had the feel of a diner in the northwest part of the US. I will definitely be back to eat Black bear diner here in McAllen or as I travel through California read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - The GRIZZ (1460-1520 cals.) - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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First time here and the services was excellent (Rosie) and the food was great too...well worth it...love it ..we will be back The Falcon read more

The food was great. You can really taste the distinct flavors of each side of food. The service was quick and nimble, definitely worth it if you want food to come quick. The place is very cutely decorated as if it were a cosy cottage, the vibe is exactly what would want it to be if you like the bustling noise of chattering. However, if you are heavily introverted like myself, I suggest going in a day that isn't the weekend...it gets a bit noisy. (The coffee is great too!!) read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - This is the bear's choice, I choose scrambled eggs, French toast, and bacon! + got some coffee - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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Very good breakfast. Friendly service and giant portions. They have options for people that need smaller portions. Highly recommend read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - Mini volcano plate - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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Let me start by saying I actually love this chain. I'm a regular at one near Houston. I go regularly and usually there is a wait to get in. Not this one. It was close to empty. I should have walked out right then. I ordered small chicken fried steak. Food came out. Steak was in a puddle grease almost no gravy. Cold mashed potatoes. Actually just disgusting. I'd say this place is a hard pass. I mention problem to server with no response. Terrible, no Wonder place was close to empty. If you're the owner( get new management fast! read more

Before ordering, I asked if the CFS was fresh beef breaded on site. Her response was "yes". It was A frozen pre-breaded bad hamburger Patty that was cold with bad gravy as well. I requested crispy hash browns that were cold and not at all crispy. The biscuit was burned as well. When I told the waitress it was it was a frozen pre-breaded patty, she said, "Oh is it, I'm sorry", and walked away swiftly. My wife's chicken tenders on her salad were cold, hard as a rock, and hazardous to chew. Her Italian dressing was Wishbone. She ordered no red onions, & it was covered with them. The atmosphere was Circus like, & so loud we couldn't even talk, & service was very slow. I'm a former restaurant owner, and I told my wife it was going to a be bad corporate food experience . Boy was it ever! Never again. We usually just don't ever go back & don't complain, but this time we felt obligated to do so. read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - Chicken Fried Steak - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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I REALLY REALLY wanted to like this place, but I can't . So, my spouse and I get there. There's a 25 minute waiting. No problem, it's Monday, it's early and at noon this place was packed. So, when we get called, I'm flooded with memories of living in the mid-west. I love the cabin feel. I was pretty happy and excited being there!!! But this happiness was short lived. We get our drinks and shakes we ordered. Then......we waited......45 MINUTES TO GET OUR FOOD. And mind you, what we ordered were omelets. It should have taken 15 mins-20 tops and that's being generous. It gets better. My husband's hashbrowns are raw. Inedible. While waiting during that 45 minute time, there were many times we contemplated in just leaving the money for the shakes, and going somewhere else. And honestly we should of had. I look at the reviews, and I'm wondering WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN 6 MONTHS? Because the reviews made it seem it was so awesome, to go and eat there. Where people let go? Are they hiring inexperienced cooking staff? Again, I don't know. But what I DO know in all my times at IHOP, THEY SURE AS HELL DON'T TAKE 45 TO SERVE ME AN OMELET. My spouse spoke to the assistant manager and told him about the Inedible hash brown. Guy was completely professional and deducted -$ . Hence why I voted 2 stars, 1 for the 45 minute wait, another 1, for the assistant manager professionalism. I honestly think, if this location revamped cooking times and how quickly food gets out, this place will be packed. At the rate they are going, it will be a miracle if this place stays open for 2 years. And this is a sad thing to say. You can go and check out the place. The ambiance I did enjoy, and so will you. I cannot guarantee you if you like the wait times. Cannot guarantee that you'll have the exact experience as me, but if you do go and it was about the same, write a review because the manager needs to understand that bad service will make no one want to give the restaurant an opportunity. All it does is push clients to go to their go-to usual restaurants all because they know the service is quick and the food is prepared correctly. Maybe things will change for the better someday. And I just hope it won't be too little too late for them. read more

Went in , a little hesitant of the food, since the aspect did not look very clean; even though was clean but decided to give it a try. Order something basic, me and wife order meatloaf . The presentation was different , was with dark gravy . The taste was ok . Overall after we finished eating. Came to a conclusion that we won't go back . read more

Solid breakfast spot. I had the waffle. Eggs were fluffy. The waffle was delicious. I devoured the whole thing :) read more

Black Bear Diner McAllen - Diners Near Me - McAllen, Texas

First time trying this and the breakfast was delicious!! The service was excellent too. It's a wonderful establishment with home cooking vibes to it. Highly recommend this location. read more

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Came fairly early and was seated instantly didn't get to order until about 20 mins after being here which was odd taking into account there was only two other tables. Other than that service was great. I ordered the steak and eggs with a side of grits and a order of the pancakes. I the grits were amazing the eggs were just eggs nothing crazy but the steak was absolutely horrible it wasn't seared and was very dry i do not recommend. The pancakes were amazing though i will come back but will probably stay away from the steak and get something else. read more

The pancakes were rubbery and tasted like cardboard. Not at all fluffy like mine at home even though they did look pretty. The chicken fried steak was excellent. It was freezing cold in there as it was a cool day outside but they didn't seem to care about our complains and didn't want to turn the heat up. We ate quickly and left. Very little customers. It was questionable as to why. read more