Every time we swing by black bear whether it's in Reno or Sparks the food quality comes out the same or better every time. Been our go to diner for quite sometime. If you're wondering if you should go, Black Bear Diner won't disappoint. read more

LOVED this place! The vibe. The food. The service. The newsletter-looking menus. The prices are good too. I recommend this place!

Been here a couple of times. It's in the Max Casino, so it's a Casino environment. The Restaurant itself is kind of small, and the floors could use a good sweeping/monitoring, constantly. The food is okay, but not really memorable. Decent prices though, and the Staff is okay. Not overly friendly, but not rude, either. Biggest complaint is that the place closes at 8 pm. That's kind of nuts. read more

Large portions, friendly staff and fast service. We enjoy getting breakfast or brunch at Black Bear Diner since we always get great value and service. Whether it's the thick and fluffy pancakes, fried bacon or fresh squeezed orange juice. The blackberry french toast is absolutely delicious too! read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - The Volcano for brunch! - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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I ordered breakfast... skirt steak... it was the only hot item in the plate. Ordered a turkey club with extra mayo to go.... no mayo, no lettuce, an absolute embarrassment if I was the cook. I complained to the waitress... no manager in sight. Someone needs to be in the kitchen for sure. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - Turkey club thrown into a to go box. Absolutely unedible. - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Came here today for a birthday breakfast with the hubs. (His bday) he ordered biscuits and gravy and it was delish, the biscuits are super fluffy. I ordered the California Benedict, and it was ok. I've had better hollandaise, and the eggs were over done. Our server Izzy was awesome, very friendly and attentive! As a waitress it seems like they run their staff ragged. There was only one host who was seating and cashiering, and was definitely doing a lot!!! No food runner so there were piles of plates dying in the window, no manager around to help. 4 stars mostly for service. The black bear caddies are cute and efficient. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Always a good and safe choice. Many places are still not seating and some, a shortened menu; Black Bear is seating and has a full menu; plus welcome back specials. They have great breakfasts, and, for the hungry soul gigantic Bear Claws (almond or black berry). House Roasted Turkey, Tri-Tip dishes. Right now, open from 6AM until 8PM M-Thurs; not sure about the weekend hours. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - specials - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Stopped in at Black Bear diner on Virginia in Reno because the one at Sparks I've had some good experiences with. However this one was not the same. The staff is very friendly but definitely short staffed. We were seated immediately and given our choice of table which I appreciated. The restaurant was probably 20% full. The prices in Reno have gone so high. $18 for breakfast is just ridiculous and that does not even include coffee which is $3.49. In any event we were served promptly. I had the scrambled egg breakfast. the eggs were dry and not very flavorful not seasoned at all. The biscuits were good. The child's pancake with fruit was cute and my granddaughter enjoyed it. The biscuits and gravy were humongous way too much for one person to eat. Overall the staff was friendly. the restaurant was clean. we didn't have to wait long for anything. But the food was average or below in my opinion. The Black Bear diner in Sparks is much better food. I don't think I'll return to this location. read more

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Coffee so good, waitstaff friendly, prompt, courteous. Ate there twice on our recent visit to Lake Tahoe, good place to before and after the airport. They have a cute little shop with clothes, gifts, lotions. read more

I've always loved the vibe and decor of Black Bear Diner's and this location did not disappoint on that. It always feels so homey with the food to match. I got a scramble, the Shasta scramble, but it had eggs (duh), onions, bell peppers, spinach, and a few other yummy things. I held the cheese and our server was very nice and made sure no other dairy would be added (yes I always have to be that annoying customer now making sure they don't add milk to their scrambled eggs). When we came a second time I had the same request and they were still on it! I got fruit on the side and on my second visit got a side of bacon and breakfast sausage links to try and both of those were delicious as well! My boyfriend always enjoys his meal as well and usually sticks with his favorite, the tri-tip dip sandwich. Neither of us had any complaints and love Black Bear Diner as a whole for a treat. I'm sure we'll be back again! read more

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Went for breakfast. Service was slow and very poor. The food was not seasoned at all and so severely overcooked it was next to inedible, could not even eat most of it. Absolutely a waste of money. read more

Went here with a group and it does get noisy. The cuisine is down home American comfort food. It's large portions and coffee refills. They are mega busy on weekends so refills on the coffee are hard to come by. Go on a weekday! They don't have enough wait help for the # of people. That's the only thing. Food is great and they have mini pies to take out and Black Bear merch galore. If you go there a lot, they have a passport program to reward frequent visitors. I like the idea of sitting at the counter...it looks cool. read more

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Good lunch yesterday! Friendly and attentive service. Food was okay. My wife wasn't as impressed with the fried chicken as usual.

Came in for dinner after a long day of traveling. Needed a decent meal. Ordered a BLT on wheat with steamed broccoli and carrots. Husband had the fish and chips with fries, hush puppies and the steamed veg medley. Meals arrived quickly. Vegetables were spot on, steamed perfectly and so tasty. BLT was good but it was obvious the bacon hadn't beef freshly cooked. Husband's fish "wasn't bad but about what you'd expect." Hush puppies a little on the dry side but not greedy. Fries were excellent. Speaking of excellent, our waitress was by far the most excellent waitress we've had. Friendly, helpful and attentive even though she had other larger parties to cover. Even noticed her helping to clear tables! Good experience, decent meal, outstanding service. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - Fish and chips with veg and hush puppies - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Stealing from customers! REPORT KATHY WHO STATES SHE IS THE "GENERAL MANAGER" & DOES NOT HAVE A BUSINESS CARD! Refuses to give customers a receipt and charges for food that was not received!!! DISPLAYS UNPROFESSIONALISM and very passive aggressive! Fried steak was very dry and tasted old, causing my son to get an upset stomach while dining. We sent the food back and decided to check out. Upon check out, I noticed my sons returned meal was still on the bill. In escalating the matter, the mighty manager Kathy decided to make an executive decision and say that "my son ate the meal" and refuses to take the charge off our bill. This manager was no where present to make that determination. I informed her we did not consume the meal and returned the plate, as well as we l did not receive a replacement - therefore, we should not be charged. She continued to argue and make a scene at the front desk making all types of Excuses of why she can give a discount but not take off the charge. I told her to contact the police as I would be happy to discuss the matter with them as I felt that she was stealing from the customer and fraudulently charging us for a service/product we did not receive. She refused to contact the police and also refused to give me the corporate contact number. Black Bear Diner Corporation, please have secret shoppers round during Ms.Kathy's shift as she is tarnishing your business reputation !!! Horrible service received from this branch! read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - Fake manager - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

First time ever eating at a Black Bear Diner. My husband liked his food-a waffle, eggs and bacon-better than I liked my tri tip sandwich. He said the waffle was one of the best he'd ever had. The tri tip would've been good if it had not had as much garlic seasoning as it did. Very overpowering. Personally I don't like red onions either and when I asked if onions were cooked (waitress said yes) I should have asked if they were sweet onions or not. Would have left them off if known were red onions. We also ordered a blackberry cobbler and it was phenomenal!! Just like my grandma used to make!! Service (Ava) was spot on! Would recommend this particular restaurant and maybe during our travels we will stop at another location and see if maybe the cook at this location was simply having a heavy handed seasoning day, lol. read more

We came here because we are familiar with the diner brand and we wanted a good place to relax and have lunch. We came in and waited a few minutes for a booth to be cleaned, the rest of the restaurant was rather empty. The gentleman took our drink order immediately but the server started cleaning and helping other guest and I figured she forgot about us and taking our order. When she finally came we ordered and waited a little for our food. When the food came I noticed the plate was hot but the food was just room temp. The food tasted fine so it wasnt a big deal but I do prefer hot fries. The fruit bowl was very small, that was disappointing but again it tasted ok. The best part was the gentleman who worked there. He was friendly and made the ratings go from 3 to 4 stars. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - Fun atmosphere - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

We really enjoyed our breakfast here of cinnamon roll french toast and California bacon benedict. The service was great and we loved the theme of the restaurant. The cinnamon roll french toast disappeared quickly. My boyfriend was excited to try the boysenberry syrup with that. My benedict was great. Lots of bacon and I appreciated the fruit that came with it. read more

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A staple breakfast spot! Consistent friendly service with go-to diner-style food. We only had to wait five minutes for a table on a busy Saturday morning and were immediately asked for beverages and our orders. We love the bears choice breakfast. Their waffles are our favorite. Even though they don't need syrup, the syrup adds some moisture that is missing with the waffles. The eggs and sausage help balance all the sweet. You come here hungry and you'll leave here full with how large their portions are! read more

Black Bear is so consistent. Had the prime rib, baked potato & green beans. Came out hot, medium rare & cooked to order & delicious. The green beans are so good. Eat your heart out expensive steakhouses. read more

The decor here is rustic log cabin meets teddy bear gift-shop.The food looks good and the portion sizes are LARGE. That being stated, i did not order any of Black Bear Diners entrees. On my one trip to BBD my motive was to enjoy a nice slice of (or a whole) pie. At first glance it would seem that BBD has a great selection of pies. I was sadly disappointed. The aforementioned items sold as pie are lacking a critical element. PIE CRUST. Instead, the BBD pours graham cracker dust or chocolate oreo crumbs into a small bowl and covers this disgrace with pie filling. Is it too much work to just place a thin pie crust?! Is it not cost effective to simply slap some phyllo down and bake it for a moment? The crumble-cups being passed along as pies do not have golden flakiness. No buttery crispy edges. No Dough! So crucial is this missing component that once it is removed, you may not call your dish a pie. Shame on you Black Bear Diner. If there's no crust and its not baked don't call it a pie. Writing this in hopes that no one else gets fooled by Black Bear Diners hollow claims. If you go here looking for a delicious baked pie, these guys will only give you sad fillings. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - THIS IS NOT PIE! - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

We stopped here for a quick bite to eat before making the trip to S Lake Tahoe for a day on the lake. It was extremely close to the resort we were staying at so we decided to try it out. So absolutely happy we did. Every interaction we had with the staff was top notch and cheerful. One of the managers showed us where she bought her face shields as we were looking to get our own and our server Maribell hooked it up with utensils and to go condiments to make up where our hotel resort dropped the ball. Everything here was so amazing we came in the next day to eat again while we were in the area. Pancakes are seriously out of this world and I recommend "The Grizz" if you are looking for a bigger meal. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - The GRIZZ (1520 cals.) - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Our bad visit...I had the hobo it had no taste, the hashbrowns were cook very little, it had a little brown on them and not hot not even warm. I also ordered a sierra mist and after I drank it the waitress did not ask she just filled it back up with water..WOW. My wife had a bacon cheese burger and her burger taste funky, like the meat was freezer burnt. The French fries she had was way over cooked dark brown, hard with no potatoes in it.. Man I hope it's not like this all the time... Maybe the cook needs training. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - Bad day... - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Came in for breakfast today, a weekday, and Black Bear is much more less crowded than weekend days. Made for an immediate seating and serving with constant coffee refills. Located on Virginia Ave and Plumb, easy access. Black Bear is a great place for breakfast with heaping big servings. I splurged and got the chicken fried steak and eggs. Cooked perfect with plenty of food for the next day. Also ordered was a huge ham omelette with potatoes and an English muffin. I forgot to mention that I also got a huge biscuit, nice and fluffy. The prices are good. Breakfast was great We shall return! read more

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I have never seen a Black Bear diner so crowded. The waitress Heather told me it's like this everyday. I'm from San Francisco and Black Bear diners around the Bay Area are not like this. Heather gave us great service and fun to talk too! I will definitely comeback when I'm in Reno again. I've been in Reno many times never know could be my future home I definitely would be a regular customer if that time happens lol! read more

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Had Thanksgiving turkey dinner delivered, it was all cold, no stuffing, who knows how long turkey was sitting out, I hope I don't get sick. Thanks for making my Thanksgiving meal even worse as a disabled person alone who must rely on food delivery. Also tiny portions all for grand price of $40. Terrible place. read more

I was too hopeful on the pot roast. It was neither tender nor was it flavorful. So sad. The green beans were cooked in pork but had no flavor of the pork. Strange. It seemed as though they threw some home fries into the mashed potatoes. That was strange too. Thank goodness for the soup which I devoured. The waitress was wonderful. She wanted an honest review. Mimi's pot roast wins, hands down. read more

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After seven years in Reno, my wife and I finally tried the Reno Black Bear Diner. We had dined at a Black Bear Diner in Salt Lake City and we were not impressed. Our visit today for breakfast has completely changed our view of this restaurant. We both had omelettes with hash browns with a side of bacon and a pancake that I intended to share with my wife. The sweet cream pancake did not survive to see a second diner. The omelettes were perfectly cooked and the strip potato hash browns were a delicious combination for this breakfast. The portions were generous so we had to take half in a to go container- now I'm looking forward to lunch! I apologized to our very attentive server for not coming to this gem of a restaurant earlier and she proceeded to tell us the background of the owners of these particular restaurants and how they are so committed to high standards and quality. IT SHOWS!!! The next time we go out for breakfast we will have the Reno Black Bear Diner at the top of the list. It might be the only one on the list! read more

Food was amazing as always. Our waitress Michelle was wonderful! Polite, efficient, friendly. Everything you want in a waitress. Wonderful aesthetic, decor, and staff, definitely go here tourists!!! read more

Visited here for the 2nd time recently and sad to stay it was a stark contrast to the first visit. Having had Black Bear in various locations in the past, expected the same experiences as before, and left disappointed. While I get things are different post COVID, between staffing, food options/supply, and the multitude of factors that go into a restaurant, I can't see myself returning to this location. In the past, the food has been average to above average for everything I've tried, from breakfast to lunch, to dinner. Not wanting to pay casino prices for breakfast, thought it would be a worthwhile short trip and was sadly disappointed. The chicken and waffles was sad to say the least. The chicken strips were lukewarm, the waffle severely over cooked and dry, and the pancake was undercooked and too thick to be able to enjoy. Seeing as I could have spent $20 at the hotel restaurant and probably gotten the same meal, which would have tasted better, since coincidentally, I had breakfast at the hotel the next morning and was pleasantly surprised at the quality for the price. Much more than I can say for black bear. While the restaurant was noticeably shorter staffed than it likely should have been, as one waitress was covering about 10-12 tables, that would excuse the slower service, not subpar food. While I like Black Bear Diner as a chain, I would skip this location as it seems to be an outlier from the other locations I've frequented in California. read more

Stopped in here after a long drive back from Yosemite, and we were quite pleased with the atmosphere, food, and the service. I had the fish and chips, and my husband had a burger and some chili. It was all good and cooked just as we ordered it. We finished up with a banana cream pie and coffee. Our waitress, Christy, was simply INCREDIBLE! She was super pleasant, friendly, and accommodating. She was everything one would hope for in a waitress. I even found a couple of little bears to take home to the grandkids back in Texas. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - My bears - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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I wish I could give a 10000000/10. I had Kali as my server and she was absolutely amazing. I was having such a bad day and going through a hard time and she definitely turned my day around with her bubbly personality. She always had a smile and even asked if I wanted dessert which I couldn't refuse a chocolate cream pie. I highly recommend if you go asking for this lovely gal. I was so happy and will definitely be coming back just to see her! read more

Food & service were both outstanding! Had the Island breakfast tacos, breakfast sandwich &. 2 egg scramble: all were huge, sides were great as well. Thanks to Leona our server!' read more

The staff is always amazing. Our food was cold, like it's been sitting for hours. We had ordered biscuits and gravy, sweet pancakes, the big foot chicken fried steak. Hash browns tasted like oil, the home fries were still hard. I love the one in Fernley and was hopeful. But, we will continue to travel to the one in Fernley. read more

Great service and the food portions--- OMG!!! You better be hungry and I'm taking about their normal portions!!! Always great food-- the chicken fried steak is fantastic!!! But seriously you better be hungry!!! They do NOT skimp!!! The servers are always friendly and it's nice to go to a restaurant where you can tell they genuinely love their job!!!! read more

If you're in search of a delicious breakfast spot, look no further! Black Bear Diner is the bomb! Be prepared to wait for at least 15-20 minutes, because the secret is out and this location gets busy. Even though it gets packed, they are quick to bus the tables and get you seated as soon as possible! Their portions are HUGE and I find their prices to be decent. The staff is very friendly and attentive. I had the chicken fried steak and it was amazing! Their homemade biscuits are one of the best I've ever had and they are enormous! Pretty much the same size as a brick! My son had the cinnamon roll French toast. I tried a bite and it was outstanding. If you're like me, breakfast is my favorite meal and I think I found my new favorite spot for breakfast. Give them a try! You won't be disappointed. read more

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Visiting from Baltimore, MD, we were out walking around Virginia Lake one morning when we had a diner craving. Not just Starbucks or some Pinterest breakfast quiche. We wanted home breakfast food. "Hey Google... are there any diners near me?" TAH DAH! We had a 10 minute walk to the diner and breakfast served! When you walk in, you feel at-home and welcomed by bears everywhere! It made us feel like we were in Gatlinburg or Nashville. The menus are really cute too. They looked like newspapers with the story of the restaurant on the front. When you open the newspaper, you get the menu. Very cute. Food was fantastic. Great breakfast foods. We got the country fried steak and the biscuits and gravy meals. They were great down-home cooking diner foods. Definitely made it feel like mom made it for me on a rainy Saturday morning or something. All the staff were friendly, kind, and prompt. Thank you for a positive experience. If back in Reno, we will probably visit again for some morning munchies. read more

I went here for dinner yesterday, Friday, May 24, 2019. I hadn't been here for a while, so it was good to be back. They are known in the west for serving large portions of American comfort food at reasonable prices, along with having extreme black bear themed restaurants. Even the servers were black bear suspenders at most locations. Parking is a little strange, since the diner abuts South Virginia Street directly, with the entrance being right on the sidewalk just about. There is some parking on either side, but more in the back. However, when I have gone in the past, I have been scared to park in the back, since it was dark and all the stores on that side closed early it seemed. This time I was able to park close. I was very happy about my experience there, as I have always been. I proceeded to the counter area where there is open seating. I don't like waiting for a waiter and having the host or hostess point me to an area. I was acknowledged right away and proceeded to order. As usual, I had the Bear's Choice Breakfast for $9.99 (served all day). It used to be like $6.99 or $7.99 a few years ago, but prices have gone up. The breakfast includes two eggs of your choice; your choice of two bacon strips, two sausage links, or ham steak; and your choice of two slices of French toast, two pancakes, a waffle, or biscuits and gravy (either four or six biscuits I think). There is also an orange slice garnish. The biscuits for my meal were big (unlike at Denny's, for example), and there was a ton (and I mean a ton) of sausage gravy. I almost had to bring it home it was so large. The eggs, which I ordered over-hard, were perfect, and not greasy. The ham steak was cooked well and had no or little fat on it. And, the orange slice garnish this time, which I always eat, was thickly cut at this particular location (like getting two for one)! I added orange and strawberry jelly to my biscuits to sweeten them up. When I was done, the waitress brought my check really quickly,which is good, as I hate waiting like I do at places like Denny's, IHOP, Carrow's, or Coco's. I have no complaints. This was a quick, good-sized, easy meal for a fair price, and I was very satisfied at the end. And as always, this Black Bear Diner features a mini store inside. Some are small, some are bigger. This store was walk-in and was large. They sell items like keychains, back scratchers, onesies, t-shirts, towels, mugs, their hot sauces, and teddy bears. They all feature a juke box as well, and plenty of bear-themed decor, including hand-carved life-sized bears on the outside and inside, with some stores having hand-painted murals. This place is really popular on weekends and Friday nights. On Friday afternoon and evenings is when they have prime rib and all-you-can-eat fish frys. Be sure to join there passport program, modeled after the National Parks Service program. You get a stamp for each of their locations you go to (only one per restaurant), and they have over 100 now in 14 western states. At so many stamps, they send you a $5 gift certificate (called Bear Bucks) and a prizes like a backpack, blanket, license plate holder, nice jacket, mini gym bag, keychain, and tumbler. I also got a bonus gift last Christmas, a very nice and expensive insulated tumbler. You get a window sticker just for joining. There are different levels you can achieve. read more

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Huge serving portions! Very reasonably priced. We hit them up for breakfast and it did not disappoint. Very friendly staff. The atmosphere is exactly what a cozy Sierra home town diner should feel like. The cleanliness was okay. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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I've been here a few times before, but it has been a while. My very first time was middle school, so long ago My last visit was last year, I believe, and I got their chicken and waffles. Decided to come in for breakfast with my coworker before we headed to a work training. We expected a wait, but we were seated right away! Super cute interior. My coworker ordered an omelette, while I got their corned beef hash with toast and hash browns. It must just be me, but I wasn't a big fan of the hash browns due to the texture of kinda burnt potatoes. However, I loved my order and practically inhaled it all. FOOD: 5/5. Delicious! I was expecting the corned beef to be like the ones from the can. But this one was legitimate corned beef, sooo darn good. My coworker enjoyed her omelette as well. Let's just say, there was nothing left on our plates but some hash browns. Very good breakfast, I'd say! Yummmmmm. CUSTOMER SERVICE: 5/5. I never got his name, but our waiter was on top of it all. He made sure to check on us at least every 5-10 minutes. My coworker's coffee was full the whole time, since he refilled it a few times during the visit. We never had to look for him, as he was asking us if we needed anything here and there. OVERALL: 5/5. We were completely satisfied with breakfast. Left full and happy, plus the prices were really reasonable considering the amount and quality of food you get. Will come back here definitely, and maybe try their lunch this time. read more

Black Bear Diner Reno - Omelette & Corned beef hash - American Near Me - Reno, Nevada