We were Visiting Monterey ,California and decided to visit this diner after reading good reviews online. At the suggestion of my server Kevin I got the avocado chicken club with chicken noodle soup. It was delicious! Our server was very nice. My husband liked his food also. An added point that I liked was that the bathroom was clean which is always a plus in my book . I would recommend this restaurant for anyone new to this area. Great service and food! read more

Black Bear Diner - Chicken avocado club with chicken noodle soup. - American Near Me - Monterey, California

The menu looked awesome. It had a huge variety. I ordered an all-you-can-eat fish filet as my main. When I bit into it, it was still frozen inside. So, I complained to the waitress and got another serving, but it took forever. When it arrived, the batter was fried deep brown, almost burnt. But this time, it was raw inside and not fully cooked. So, I complained again. I'm not sure what was going on there, but the cook clearly has no idea how to deep fry. I deep fry a lot at home and have an outside kitchen. You need to have the right temperature to deep fry frozen food, not cranking it too high. Otherwise, you'll burn the outside while still cold on the inside. The other plates were also not great. We were very disappointed in both the service and the food. read more

To start with, the food was ready VERY quickly. I picked it up figuring I'd have to wait inside for 10 mins and they were just pulling it from the window. The Alfredo was LOADED with sauce. You couldn't even taste the pasta.. total mush. The BLT was just ok. The tomato and lettuce tasted fresh but the bacon tasted like it was fried hours ago -- it was cold and limp. The side salad was the best part of the meal. It was fresh and the bacon ranch was very good. read more

Had 3 places on list yesterday and BB won because others closed by 2P. Glad because it was a delicious lunch with excellent wait service!! The Meatloaf and Pot Roast full lunches (20.99) looked great, but too much food. And didn't really want take home any. YEA to see they were available as Smaller Dinner options (12.99) that ended up being perfect portions to finish. Entrees wonderful, redskinned potatoes had some nice little chunks, and good gravy. The green beans with a bit of bacon that definitely tasted fresh as thanksgiving dinner at grandma's. Pot Roast very tender and Meatloaf perfectly crispy on edges. We had just enough room to go Big and order dessert. Wow wow wow. The coconut cream pie in 1-2 serving round pie dish among the best we've ever tasted. And carrot cake was dense, moist, chock full of all the nice crunchies. We were admittedly pretty full after, but would easily come back again for the exact same meal. Good job Black Bear!! read more

Good huge portions of comfort food. The staff is always friendly and accommodating. The last time we took all the kids (9 of us) and they put together a table for us, no problem and had good service. read more

Walked in. Read daily specials on the board. Prime rib was listed, ordered a plate but was told that was wrong. Prime rib was the day before special. Bummer Ordered pot roast. Next time I'll ask to put the gravy on the side. Brown gravy was thickly poured over the pot roast and potatoes which was too overpowering. Staff is friendly and helpful read more

I been going to Black Bear diner for years. We've always we've always been greeted by Donna for years. She is an asset to black bear diner. She makes that restaurant so inviting we we always come to blackbear diner always thank you Miss Donna for your loyalty to your customers read more

This brownie sundae is good and the large brownie is nice and soft, and for five bucks it's a good deal. The place is clean and the service is good. read more

got the strawberry stuffed french toast. it was grilled next to onions. my friend and I were on a schedule as we're on our way to work, so we didn't have time to have it remade. About 3/4 of the way through the food I realized that there was a piece of butter wrapper in the cream cheese filling, i told my waitress she said, "sorry, i'll let the kitchen know," but didn't offer to do anything else. I also told the hostess and she asked, "Did you tell your server?" and I said yes and she's like "well then what do you want me to do about it?" and walked off. I was just letting them know so they could tell the kitchen to be more careful. I wasn't angry. I just didn't have time to wait for another meal. All in all my server was super friendly, the hostess was super rude and the food was marginal. comfy booths, decent coffee, warm atmosphere. lovely waitstaff, rude hostess, careless cooking. read more

We don't eat out as often as we used to but every time we eat at Black Bear Monterey we enjoy it. The food is very good, portions are large and our favorite waitress, Donna, gives spot on service. read more

My husband and I are from out of town visiting Monterey on our honeymoon. Tonight for dinner we really just wanted some comfort food. We had been out all day and didn't feel like getting dressed to go to a fancier restaurant. This Black Bear location was half a mile from our hotel so we said let's go there. So glad we did. I've been to other Black Bear's and the food is always good but this one seemed to care more about presentation as well as the taste! Our waitress Maria was an absolute sweetheart! She even gave us a sample of one of the soups just so we could try it. It was really good, my husband decided on the soup, I liked it but I had my heart set on a side salad. I ordered the New York strip steak and mashed potatoes, he had the pot roast with mashed potatoes, both were delicious and cooked to perfection. Oh, and the cornbread muffin really hit the spot! Monterey's hospitality has been superior of any vacation spot I've ever been too! I didn't take any pics was too hungry to think about it. read more

Super spacious restaurant with a gigantic menu you'll take hours to read. We went for their house burger (the 10-oz), avocado chicken sandwich and chicken fingers (for my daughter). Everything was just ok. The burger was over cooked and lacked flavor. The avocado chicken sandwich was ok... but nothing to write home about. The chicken tenders were crunchy (but the fries were soft). Overall, I really don't have much of a reason to return. The service was professional and helpful, but the quality of the food is mediocre. read more

We've always loved this diner. The service is excellent and the food is delicious. We were greeted by Maria, the assistant manager. She seated us and asked what we wanted to drink. When I said water, she asked if I wanted a lemon in it. I have never been asked that before. It was very thoughtful of her. Our server, Kevin, was very polite and professional. He didn't forget us at all. It seems like he knew what we wanted before we even asked. And as always the food was great: big portions, fresh, and you have to try the bacon! I am looking forward to going back soon. read more

Family was on vacation and decided to have dinner here. There was 17 of us. The place was quiet, not too many people. Since our party was so big, we sat in their "party room" per se. It was nice and closed off with glass walls and French doors. Kept the noise within the room. The food was amazing. Service was amazing. I can't remember the gentleman's name, maybe Mario? I can't remember but that sounds like that's it. He had a Spanish accent. He was a great waiter. Got our drinks, food came out quick, didn't get anyone's order wrong, and loved he served the kids first. read more

I come here for my Toastmasters meeting. We reserve the meeting room in the back. I use MST Rides, which has recently been very late for appointments. I was still here when they closed at 9 pm. The staff was friendly and caring. They could have told me that they were closing and apologized but instead, they said they wanted me to be safe. I commend them for that! You can find a few good favorite menu items and kick back with your family or friends. And if you get stranded, they will value your safety over their convenience. read more

Black Bear Diner - My toastmasters ribbon! in the private meeting room - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Ordered the pot roast melt with no cheese and I receive extra cheese with some very dry ends of meat. Very disappointing.

Just got off the phone with their manager Andrew extremely rude i've already been told from friends who work in the kitchen they have a roach problem but i was raised on BBD. Never going to this location again. Ordered entrees for my family to go yesterday and all the plastic from the lids was melted into the food. Everyone in the family is bed ridden or on the toilet. Andrew made me extremely uncomfortable so good luck speaking any type of grievances to them. avoid at all costs this place has gone off the deep end UPDATE: Gabriel the supervisor more than took care of the situation and was extremely upstanding and polite. i will still support Black Bear Diner and give this location another go. read more

Black Bear Diner - plastic melted on top of Chicken Fried Steak (560 cals.) - American Near Me - Monterey, California

4-6 waitpeople standing in the station screwing around, reading a paper, drinking an iced tea, anything but looking to see how their customers were doing. had to go ask for service, they did they'd sent our wait person. nothing. OTOH, if they're getting $20/hour to stand there maybe that's enough. we left. read more

Always look forward to eating out of town at black bear dinner. Friendly and the food is great.

Plenty of parking in a lot net to a gas station. Went in on a Monday morning around 9am in a party of two. Ambiance was quiet, clean, and looks like a faux cabin, which was really nice. We got seated immediately, got waters, and our server came to take any additional coffee orders. I ordered the Volcano and let me tell you, I regretted nothing. IT SLAPPED (and that's young people talk for absolutely phenomenal). It was three huge, tasty pancakes and two of each: bacon, sausages, and eggs however you like them. For $13, it was a steal. I'll definitely be back. read more

Black Bear Diner - The Volcano - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Great food - you must try the chicken fried steak Alfredo. Great service. Friendly staff. Would definitely come back. 4 soldiers give it each 2 thumbs up. read more

Black Bear Diner - American Near Me - Monterey, California

I guess I missed small print that $27 turkey dinner, is actually Turkey roll. Side were decent. I guess like most things post Covid, not so good. . I dont know this place used to be good, last few times not so much. One person out of three thought it was good. They also thought it was Ham. Ugh read more

Black Bear Diner - American Near Me - Monterey, California

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Great food, excellent baked potatoes. Healthy portions, I never leave hungry. Those pies are incredible! Lastly, we had Maria as our server, & she was fantastic. I think she is psychic when it came to refilling our drinks. She is friendly & a true benefit to this business. read more

I LOVE black bear diner! I begged my partner to try this place out and he loved it! The portions are HUGE, this place makes sure you are fed! The service is always amazing, always super attentive and fast. The food is always on point, they even use the GOOD, THICK CUT bacon . The pancakes and the cinnamon roll French toast was SO good. All the plates in the picture were basically licked clean. Anywhere you go, always check if there is a black bear diner! It's one of my top breakfast places! read more

Black Bear Diner - American Near Me - Monterey, California

When I eat at chain restaurants, I never expect the food or the service to be outstanding. I generally have low expectations. Came here the other night around 7:30 pm and it was relatively quiet. The service seemed to move at a slow pace however my experience with Jose was great. He accommodated my family's needs and did a fantastic job in a timely manner. Although I noticed subtle changes were made in regards to our orders without any prior notification, the food turned out well, except for the chicken noodle soup. The chicken noodle soup was disgusting. read more

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Every time I visit Black Bear Diner, I generally have wonderful service and great good! They are able to accommodate my dairy-free dietary restrictions, which is a bonus! This restaurant is very busy on the weekends, but the wait is not very long during the week! read more

Black Bear Diner - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Normally Black Bear Diner is a reasonable chain for our family of four. However, our most recent visit (4/24/19) to this particular location missed the mark. The drink-only waiter forgot to bring our drinks for starters. Over ten minutes to wait for a simple fountain drinks and milks is ridiculous. Then some of our food came out lukewarm. My shrimp basket was really greasy. Next our main waiter failed to bring some items we asked for... he must've forgot because he was doing his job and the other guy's. Women's restroom needed tending to... *sparing those details* HITS - hostess/cashier was very friendly and fast - free parking in shared lots with other nearby businesses I'mma jus' chalk this slow Wednesday lunch hour up to bein' a fluke. Hope you get better service and are served HOT food when you visit. read more

Black Bear Diner - For sale at the counter (4/24/19) - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Very nice inside and decent food. Eggs Benedict tasted good along with the home fries and hollandaise sauce. The food was warm not hot. The service was good minus a little wait at the door. read more

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I admit it.I am extremely fond of diners. The Black Bear diner hits the spot. I had the fish and chips, Which were nicely fried. They were crispy but not hardened. I was so hungry from skipping breakfast and lunch I almost ate the whole thing. I happily admitted defeat. Finding the diner and parking was simplicity itself. read more

Black Bear Diner is one of those places I always wanted to try but never got around to... until we moved to Seaside. My little boy started school at a Dual Language Academy here and the first school fundraiser we attended was at Black Bear. Now we're hooked! To me, Black Bear was a breakfast place. Truth is, it's one of those places that has a higher quality of food than the average breakfast place and also has great options for lunch and dinner. The last time I went, I ordered a super healthy salmon dinner that was good and fit my keto requirements. When I'm having splurge meals, though, I always get one of their yummy breakfasts. My son loves it, too. I think the meal he likes is the kids' volcano something. We always meet friends there. They have big tables and can easily move more tables together. It's great for groups and families. We avoid the super rush hours and days, though, as our kiddos can take up a lot of room and energy from the servers and staff. lol We appreciate them! See ya there! read more

Black Bear Diner - Fit meal yummy Salmon It's cooked well done so request medium, if you prefer a lighter grill. :-) - American Near Me - Monterey, California

Their fettuccine dishes are delicious. Priced at 11.99. So good. I'll definitely be back for more. read more

I really love Black bear diners bread pudding. It's enough to share and it's great when you take it home and heat it up and have with a glass of milk. The staff is great and quick with helping grab your order quickly. read more

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Good experience! As an older millennial, this brought me back to the types of restaurant my parents would take us to as children in the best way. Gorgeous oak fixtures and details, bear themed everything, mountain lodge atmosphere. Service was on point. Very quick to sit down on the busy Big Sur International Marathon weekend. Coffee at the table within 5 minutes of arriving. We mistook the specials menu as the main menu and thought it was limited. There were two fake newspapers at the table we though we're just for fun and kitschy local stories. When we asked about some common diner fare we were directed to open the news papers. We were flabbergasted! The opened news paper was the whole menu! It was thorough but not overwhelming and easy to navigate the sections from pancakes and waffles, omelette, etc. The sweet cream pancakes with bacon were some of the best I've had, pancakes were fluffy and the bacon was perfectly crispy. Order of country potato's on the side completed the meal. My spouse had the Eggs Benedict. Hollandaise sauce was home made and flavorful and the Canadian bacon was well prepared. The eggs themselves were cooked well but are the common diner quality of egg with thin runny yolks. Overall the experience was great and I would come again if we are back in Monterey for another Marathon weekend. This restaurant was out of the way as all the others downtown were packed with other athletes and had exorbitant lead times. The layout is also perfect for families with plenty of large booths and tables and a welcoming atmosphere. read more

Good evening, fellow Yelpers! It's your favorite critic again with another find. We came to Seaside, California, from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to visit my Sister (Sister-in-law), and our combined party of 10 were having a hard time finding seating accommodations. So, we picked this spot, and we couldn't have been more satisfying. Keep in mind that our family has been there for over a year (military career, after RN Degree - Go Sis!) Ut it was their 1st time going there, and it made it all the more enjoyable. Our waiter & waitress were on point! Their memories are impeccable to say the least. No one took a note, sketch, wrote down our order or anything, but everyone's order was correct to the T! I was immensely impressed, (I definitely would have forgot something or messed it up, lol) Their menu is quite extensive, so if you have an idea about what you want, & how you want it, they will give it to you! I do apologize, because, I have no pictures to back up my claim. I promise I will do better. You know, sometimes you're so hungry, that by the time you think to do your review, the foid is gone, lol!!! If you're ever in the Seaside, California, area, please stop by and get your fix! You will thank me later read more

Been to the Black Bear in Arvin, all went well just like here. Nothing to complain about. Apart from sleeping in the truck outside the Meth hotel, all is going well. Very simple, eggs and bacon, you cannot go wrong! read more

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

I arrived at 8 am to eat breakfast. I was hungry and I walked in to a restaurant that had one server for the entire place. I waited at the front for about 5 minutes before I was just told to have a seat wherever I wanted. I had to get my own menu!! I sat down and never was asked what I wanted to drink. After waiting another few minutes I got up and left. This was the worst Black Bear Diner I have ever been too. This left a bad taste in my mouth for this place and all Black Bear Diners!!! If I could give it a zero, I would. Horrible, horrible and horrible. read more

Crystal and Donna provided wonderful, very friendly, and courteous service. We came back the next morning because of their great service. Food was great, we liked that there were options for different size portions. read more

Factory food. They call dinner rolls a biscuit. Toasted English muffins come to the table still cold in the middle. Weak coffee. When they say red potatoes for breakfast they mean that, nothing else just red potatoes and a ton of salt with grease. Mindless read more

Very disappointed in the service here. I was ordering and told the waiter I have celiac (I was ordering something gluten free) and he rolled his eyes. My friend went to management to make sure my food wouldn't be contaminated and was told they couldn't accommodate to my allergy. Had to cancel my order and left feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable. read more

Look, it's a chain diner, so maybe don't get to excited here, ok? That being said, as chain places go, this one is pretty decent. I've lived around here for over 30 years, and this particular place has always seemed to have a decent staff. They always seem to be genuinely nice, in spite of what has to be an annoying amount of clueless tourists pouring through with fresh abuse daily. We like it for basic comfort food, especially on those nights where nothing sounds good to eat, and we're just tired. They rarely get our order wrong, which is super important because we normally order to go. There's nothing in the world worse than getting home and finding something missing, or boogered up. So when you've just had a long, rough day, and you don't want to cook or deal with stupid B.S., get you some Bear. Put on a silly movie, snuggle up under a soft, fuzzy blanket, and let the magic of comfort food do its thing. read more