We came for lunch so I decided to get their dinner option for the Chicken Fried Steak. You can choose either salad or soup and I ordered the Caesar salad . Fresh with light dressing on the side. For my two sides, I order the mashed potatoes which was so good! Had a bit of texture to it so it felt homemade. The onion rings were nice and crispy. Chicken fried steak was perfected cooked and seasoned. The gravy was also seasoned well but it was a bit much. I would had preferred less gravy on the steak and mash. Portion was huge! Sharable size. Service was great! We were greeted and seated when we entered and the kids enjoyed the bear theme and vibes throughout the dinning area. read more

Black Bear Diner - Chicken Fried Steak - dinner option with mashed potatoes, onions rings, and side of Caesar Salad - American Near Me - Monterey, California

When I arrived, there was no hostess at the front, and I had to wait until I could catch an employee's attention to be seated. The food was the biggest disappointment. My breakfast came with a tiny piece of hickory ham steak that was dry, overcooked, and burnt. The eggs were overcooked as well. The biscuits tasted like a basic Bisquick mix, and the gravy was loaded with processed black pepper and that was all it tasted like. Overall, the food was poor quality, especially considering the high prices. I tried several times to get my waitress's attention so I could send the ham back, but she never looked over. By the time I was finally able to flag her down, I was nearly finished eating. To her credit, she replaced the ham with two sausage links, which were acceptable. Unfortunately, the service issues continued when I went to pay. I was standing at the register ready to check out when a group of customers walked in. Instead of completing my transaction, the employee at the front asked me to wait while she seated the new arrivals. Between the lack of attention, disappointing food, and poor customer service, this was a frustrating experience. There are much better breakfast options in town that offer better food for less money. I won't be returning. read more

Black Bear Diner - Hickory Smoked Ham Steak (240 cal) - American Near Me - Monterey, California

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Honest review from a long time customer. Food was what is expected from a greasy spoon style diner. Hashbrowns cold and rubber bacon. Everything else was ok. Nothing special. Diner was clean and kept to the theme. Restroom could use a cleaning. Server. Uggg. Not good at all. Forgot about us several times even after I asked him "don't forget us..". This was because we were seated away from other customers. I have always liked Black Bear diner. This was a huge disappointment. read more

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Classic diner vibes, but the food was just meh. If you are looking for traditional comfort food, this location delivers the basics. On the plus side, the location is easy to find with plenty of parking right out front. The cozy, bear-themed decor gives it that classic diner feel, and the staff is nice, welcoming, and fast. However, the food was just meh. We had the meatloaf, but overall the meal felt pretty heavy and greasy, and the fried chicken lacked much real flavor. Super fried and hard. It's fine if you need a quick bite before heading out to explore Monterey or the coast, but given the average quality, 3+ stars feels about right. read more

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Breakfast was great. Came out quick and still hot. Ordered the Scrambowl (minus the country gravy) and the biscuit was excellent and huge. Will definitely stop by here again. read more

The service was fast and friendly. Restaurant was clean and quiet. The food wasn't anything amazing but it was good and definitely hit the spot. read more

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9.7/10 Ordered the New York Steak and Eggs, amazing as usual. This is a staple meal you really can't go wrong with. The steak was actually cooked perfectly, with a nice char and a solid cut of meat. The only downside was a bit too much pepper, but overall still very enjoyable. The eggs were spot on, sunny side up with perfect yolks. The country potatoes were a highlight, well seasoned, flavorful, and super satisfying. I also tried the pancakes, and they might be some of the best breakfast pancakes I've had. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and packed with sweet flavor. The sausage links were decent, good flavor, just a bit smaller than expected and not as charred as I'd prefer. Service was great, fast, attentive, and friendly. The place was busy, but everything still came out quickly. The ambiance was clean and lively. You really can't go wrong with breakfast for dinner here. read more

Black Bear Diner - New York Steak & Eggs* - American Near Me - Monterey, California

I have always had the best food at this location. No matter what I order, it always comes out fresh, crispy, and hot! Just the way I love it! I absolutely love every item I have ever tried, pot pie, roast, prime rib, etc! My husband always gets breakfast, and he enjoys every breakfast item he's ordered! I really recommend giving this place a try! Their menu is great, lots of options, and no matter if you're craving breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there are always options!!! Customer service is usually pleasant and quick, and the building has always been clean! read more

Black Bear Diner - Prime Rib (1130 cal) - American Near Me - Monterey, California

My friend and I came here today I ordered the lemon fish with capers,mashed potatos, veggies, garlic cibata bread and a diet coke Food was good My friend enjoyed her meal as well Employee are spot on Plenty of parking read more

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Second time here and we had breakfast this morning. The breakfast was typical to other restaurants. The service was slow and they were not busy this morning. No return service to table and took forever to get our check. The lunch was better and service was on spot and they were very busy that day. The place was clean and music from kitchen. We will return for lunch or dinner. read more

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The food was amazing!!! Four different meals orders and they were all outstanding!!! Jose M. Was an excellent server and provided suggestions to make our dining experience memorable. We planned on having leftovers for lunch tomorrow but wound up finishing all of our meals!!! We even overstuffed ourselves with desert because it was too tempting to pass up. read more

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I don't even care to talk about my meal. I got from there. What does it matter? If you can't make one plate, right You can't do anything right. I'll never return there And I regret giving them my money. You can try it if you want, Everyone's pallet is different. But to my close friends and family? I would tell them never go to this place, It's beyond awful... Customer service is great But that's inedible as well... read more

11/22/25 I writing today because it was late to write a review. We ate in and food was very good. Service was quick Ambiance: lit lights and nice music and very relaxing atmosphere. read more

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The food keeps you coming back the service makes you ask yourself why. Went back this last Sunday literally to have the fried chicken because it was calling my name after my mom had it last weekend. We always go find a place for lunch/brunch after church and blackbear diner is so easily convenient to the vicinity with the vast variety of options for your meal. The food is always spectacular, but the service is just laughable and I know it's a diner. I'm not expecting to be welcomed with open arms.(even though I should be.) see it's not cheap here like so affordable that you can be treated rudely and it not matter cause you're like oh well it was a super cheap place and a bite to eat. It's gonna be 50 $60 for two people to eat for sure. After tip for this meal we were pushing 75 (because no matter how rude they are, I will always leave a tip. Nobody wants to be that cheap person not tipping lol) Basically, this Sunday we went back to give them another shot. This was two weeks in a row. We were even talking about how this could be just the place we always come instead of looking for different spots because of the options that they provide, but the older lady that helped us this time Was rushing the hell out of us and I think she messed up because we wanted this chicken special that they're advertising and she gave us something totally different and charged us for a chicken dinner. When I was trying to ask her the question holding the little advertisement in regards to the dinner and the lunch special, she pretty much put her finger up and said wait. Let me finish taking her order and then I'll talk to you even though I had ordered for my mom and I it was pretty rude . That's probably why it was upwards of $100 as you see she gave my mom Corn and mashed potatoes. Mine came how the picture looked in the advertisement but we were definitely charged for chicken dinners not the chicken lunch special but hey it is what it is. It was pretty much the same thing. Except for the major difference in pricing, I guess - my mom did say we should cut them some slack because of the lady that was our server being the older lady. My mom didn't want her to get in trouble or anything but the way I see it just be nice. We're paying good money as I mentioned, it's not cheap here The chicken was delicious we left full and content and enough chicken to have lunch the following day. I think we will just go back to grandma's kitchen they're always super slammed but super sweet blackbear diner is always just more comfortable more space etc. but I think we're just gonna hold off for a while. I'm coming back. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm being hard on this establishment. We did go back two weeks in a row to see if things would be different and last week was just a fluke, but unfortunately, we just felt like we were treated rudely and if my mom says it, I'm a say it. read more

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The food was perfectly alright along with the combination of the atmosphere. The service was very question able, people had gotten their foods before I have, even when I gotten here before they have. it's just weird and wrong. overall if they changed it it would be better read more

Took my daughter here for a daddy daughter date. In fact, she requested we go here. Restaurant was a bit dead. Maybe three or four tables had guests. We ordered breakfast for dinner. The four sausage links looked like they cooked this morning. The cook never should have served these. And the waitress should have known not to serve. We kindly asked for replacements. The next four were cold in the middle. The cherry on top of this burnt cake was having to get up multiple times to ask for a refill. Bill came to 41$. I don't know if I could justify spending this much money for the food we received. read more

Black Bear Diner - Burnt dry sausage links looked like they were cooked hours ago. - American Near Me - Monterey, California

The Bigfoot chicken fried steak was out of this world. If you order it please ask for extra gravy. I celebrate my 50th birthday here with my family. Thank you Jeremy Schreurs read more

I'm on a quest of trying different Locations of Black Bear Diners! Service was good! What suprised me was the portion size and the biscuit! First time served a small oirtuons of hash browns and a small biscuit! We went around noonish on our way home. Not very husy and you could actually hear the music playing. read more

Black Bear Diner - front of restaurant - American Near Me - Monterey, California

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Was at BlackBear Diner in Monterey on Tuesday and let me tell you there was a waitress named Crystal that was so rude to her coworkers was so uncomfortable the food is always good and amazing and we come at least 2 to 3 times a month all the other staff is amazing but that Crystal just not a part of the BlackBear family and it shows they should really think about having her on the team just RUDE read more

Black Bear Diner - Breakfast - American Near Me - Monterey, California

I had an early dinner on Friday. My food was delicious. My fries crispy and beautifully seasoned! My server was great, I don't remember her name,she had French braids. Lacey whom sat me was incredibly. She is definitely a hard worker! I watched her as I waited for my food. She was very attentive and a multitasker! Great job Lacey! read more

It was our first visit to Black Bear diner. What we didn't like: 1. The menu really worn out maybe it is a style but it's in a very bad shape, didn't even want to hold it 2. When I ordered my food, it had spicy broccoli on it and I really can't eat any spicy food, the waitress didn't warn me about it 3. My husband ordered chicken soup and only 5-7 minutes after placing the order the waitress told us that they only have some taco soup which was not delicious at all 4. In common all the food we ordered was not delicious and there was really no pleasure to eat it Talking about the good.. well 1. The interior looks great, the idea of bear-things everywhere makes this place unique 2. The restrooms were clean 3. Our waitress Maria was nice and polite, even tho not very professional, she really tried In conclusion I can say that it is a very old-style place, price is too high for the quality and taste of food you are getting We definitely won't come back read more

Black Bear Diner - Meat loaf full and half portion - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Something isnt right about this BBD location. I've had good experiences at 3 other locations. We tried this location for lunch 6 months ago. I got the patty melt and fries and it was just okay. Overcooked. My wife and son got the BLT and it was terrible; little slices of white bread with a couple of pieces of soggy undercooked bacon and 1 slice of tomato; super lame. They hated it. We went back today for breakfast. I got eggs Benedict. English muffin undercooked and soggy, only a little ham. Hash browns were not right at all; dry and soggy; I've had excellent hash browns at thier other locations. Fruit not ripe and a small amount of it. My son got the waffle with eggs and bacon; bacon undercooked and soggy again. He didn't eat the bacon. My wife got eggs with sausage patty and they brought the spicy sausage by mistake. She was done with the rest of her food by the time they brought the right sausage. They forgot to bring us our orange juices and we had to flag someone down 20 minutes later to get them. The waiter understood that our experience wasn't great so he took 10% off the bill which is why they didnt get one star. We will not go back to this location. I dont recommend it for anyone. read more

The skimpiest Black Bear I have been to so bar. I think they forgot their motto. Black Bear is suppose to known for their over sized portions. Not this joint. In the first picture if you read the article it explains. This looks like some you would get at Dennys. read more

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Food came completely cold. Syrup has a fine film over the top of it. My meal looked like they accidentally made it an hour before and didn't want to waste it, so they waited until someone else ordered it and then served it up. French toast was gritty. I sent it back and received a breakfast the way it was supposed to be done. Won't be coming back here. read more

Ordered extra biscuits with my meal, got home, and... no biscuits. Pretty frustrating to pay for an add-on and not receive it. Hoping the business can make this right Double-checking orders before they go out would really improve the experience. read more

The restaurant was fairly empty, so I was seated quickly, but it took a while to get any attention from the staff. Interestingly, alcoholic drinks weren't listed on the menu--I only knew to ask because of pictures I'd seen on Yelp. On a positive note, the steak was beautifully cooked and came out quickly, though it was unfortunately underseasoned. The service was friendly, which helped improve the experience, but overall, there were some minor disappointments. read more

We are big Black Bear Diner fans but this particular location in Monterey was very disappointing. Service was okay but the food was cold and coffee tasted watered down. We had steak and eggs with hashbrowns and a biscuit. The biscuit was hard and dry! Won't be back to this location read more

We've been coming here for their breakfasts and it's always plentiful and delicious. Their service is great and very attentive and helpful. We like the atmosphere and the hometown feeling. read more

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Food and service was terrible. Waited almost an hour for our food. My hamburger had rotten tomatoes on it. Had to ask for a refill on our drinks every time. Waitress would walk right by our table. Very disappointing! read more

Consistently quality ingredients prepared well. A reliable place to eat. The main problem I have with this place is the on-going shrink-flation here. Part of their image is that they serve satisfying, down-home fare....but when it comes down to it, the amount of food you receive is always disappointingly too little. Had their excellent roast turkey dinner the other day, but again...everything just too small. Nice thick slices of white meat, but just enough to make one medium sandwich I'd say. No choice of dark or white. Too little gravy. I got a side of green beans but they were literally served in condiment ramekin and cost FIVE DOLLARS. Ridiculous. read more

I didn't feel like making breakfast this morning, so I ate at the Black Bear Diner. I had their wide cut hash brown potatoes with three eggs and a side salad. My server Celsa, was very friendly and smiled a lot. That always makes me feel welcome. Thanks, Celsa! read more

Walked in around 730 PM. Stood in at the front for a good 5 minutes before being greeted and seated. It wasn't busy, maybe 7-8 parties in the restaurant. Table for us had to be cleaned before we could sit down. We had 5 so the clean tables weren't big enough. One wait staff asked us if we were ready to order but the menu is huge so we took a little bit. Then when we were ready, it seemed like forever for her to come back. But someone else came over to take our order. She was very friendly. Food was ok. Wasn't expecting anything great. I had the Shasta scramble with grits and toast. They were vacuuming a lot around us. Kind of distracting. Plenty of parking. read more

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Went for breakfast, Pancakes were doughy and undercooked and hashbrowns were cold. Never came to eat at any black bear locations before and kinda ruined it for me in the future for breakfast. read more

Donna was the best! She handled everyone and everything with a smile on her face. Her positive attitude is contagious and Black Bear Diner would be nothing without her! read more

What stood out today at Black Bear wasn't the food (I always order ham and eggs..can't go wrong), it was the service. A smile, checking to see of we were ok more than once, it was Krystal's energy. What was the icing on the cake was when I found out she is tge manager. Krystal Robles, I would hire you any day. You lead by example. Thank you for yout service. Excellent! BTW my husband had the chicken fried steak burrito!! Compliments to the chef!! Savory, just enough crisp and gravy spilling from inside. Of course I can't eat that but had to try it and OMG!!! Nicely done! read more

The seafood is well priced for the area. I ordered to go orders for friends and it was 20.00 a plate, average.

I've only been once since the upgrade on the menu. I must say it's better than the older menu. Service is sometimes better than others. Always fun listening to the jukebox and enjoying good company, as Black Bear is a good place for that. read more

Just had dinner. Amazing service. Chelsie was awesome, made sure we were well taken care of. She is a new server and couldn't be more professional. Ask for her you will be amazed. The food was delicious and lots of it. read more

Went to Black Bear Diner for lunch on a Friday. Surprisingly, the place was fairly empty. Got seated fast and our order was taken right away. I had a chicken avocado club on sourdough that tasted pretty good. The avocado was delicious. Didn't really care for the fries. My friend had a ham and cheese omelette with hash browns and said it was good. read more

Excellent customer service!! Thanks to Michael, our server, and cashier-hostess (no name tag). We had a good time. Clean bathrooms, well... clean everything! Lotsa coffee refills, no real cream, warm but not hot beverages & food. Prices are okay, but portion sizes are ample & flavors are good. Many options for most diet restrictions, but stay home if you're high-maintenance. No complaints... just better quality diner food with an emphasis on customer service. read more