Karan is the best!!! my toast was well toasted With extra butter Water glass was always full Extra Ranch dressing Extra napkins What service!!! and he also spelled the cook for lunch/ break Thank you Karan!!!! read more

A MAGA OASIS... The main purpose of this restaurant group is to elevate places like Applebee's. (Sarcasm) You could stop by one look at the hash-browns! Skin on - nice idea, but it looks like they pulled them out of the garbage disposal? Another depository for SYSCO distributors. Dining for the culinary nescient. Maybe better suited for rural areas or uncultured American cities? A very pedestrian menu, concept, and environment that had me searching for the bowling lanes. OK, so if you read the words above, I sounded a little harsh, but I just have been there a couple different times and just told my honest feelings, but you know what- that's just my own particular taste and has nothing to do with the masses that seem to love it and there's several of these locations, so don't pay attention to me. Take it with a grain of salt as I'm just an old opinionated fool! Maybe I'll take a spin through there again and see if I can find something to eat and rave about it. Stay tuned. read more

Usually I eat Saturday morning breakfast at home, but today I got up very early to enjoy the beautiful day with a long walk. On my way home, I went to Black Bear. This was my first time there and I won't go back. I like to support businesses in my neighborhood, but this place was horrible. The food was tasteless and mass produced. The scrambled eggs were "ok" but the french toast and bacon obviously were mass produced earlier in the morning and then reheated on the grill top. Both were rubbery and tasteless. I can forgive bad food once -- maybe the kitchen is just having a bad day, but I can't forgive rotten service. It started with a "grunt" for a hello, and although my coffee arrived quickly. I waited nearly 10 minutes to place my order. The place was not busy, but the two servers were more interested in chatting with each other than serving their customers. Coffee refills had to be requested and then it took forever for the cup to be refilled. I ordered and English Muffin but it did not come with the rest of the meal. Again, I had to ask and then wait. There are many other great place in San Rafael for hot, freshly made breakfasts. Skip Black Bear and go elsewhere. read more

Recommended Clean & nice foods and services but need to wait the tables.............. read more

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I grew up in Northern California and went to the Black Bear Diner in Mt. Shasta all the time. It was always a great experience. The San Rafael location is horrible. There were egg shells in my scramble. EGG SHELLS! read more

Great service Comfort food Vast menu Options for smaller portions are nice Free parking in private lot Windows and parking lot could use a good cleaning read more

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One thing you can expect here is big portions. Their chicken fried steak is crispy, tender, and delicious with the gravy. I ordered the hash browns extra crispy and they were great. Perfectly cooked over easy eggs. While the biscuit is huge, it was my least favorite; definitely not a buttermilk biscuit. Love the bottomless coffee. Love the motif and friendly service. read more

Black Bear Diner San Rafael - Chicken Fried Steak (5 oz) - Diners Near Me - San Rafael, California

Serving size is large, food itself is OK. I think most people are already aware that this is not a fancy high end place. Service was middle of the road, not bad, but not impressive either. I went early morning, so it wasn't busy. For not being busy, it did seem longer than I expected read more

Since my last review, the service has improved a lot. The food is amazing as usual. Plenty of places to sit. Quiet place to eat at and customer service has improved. It's been my regular place to go to when I can afford it. read more

Black Bear Diner San Rafael - Appetizer sampler - Diners Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Nice comfort food, I ordered the skirt steak, medium rare but came well done, they switched it right away! The prime rib was okay, it is huge! My husband couldn't finish it. The service is really friendly, and it's a good neighborhood restaurant. read more

What a colorful cast of characters at Christmas dinner! I had chicken fried steak, my kid had a burger on grilled Parmesan sourdough with onion rings, and my husband had a lovely Denver omelette with perfectly crispy hash browns and a biscuit I heard complaints that 1) four onion rings isn't satisfying; and 2) it wasn't a biscuit so much as it was an overlarge slab of dry bread. But the waiters were sweet and the coffee was good and they were open on Christmas! read more

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Have eaten at several Black Bear Diner locations and they do vary by management style. This location was super clean. Came Sunday morning and we were greeted promptly and seated. They were pretty busy, but our service was quick and everything ordered was good. Server was friendly and checked in with us several times during our visit. read more

I come here a lot with family and was extremely disappointed. Prices increased, menu shrank... Service was fine but the food quality was really poor. Almost inedible. Meat was a strange consistency and the sides were gross and burnt. Pretty sad this place was a solid diner in marin idk what happened... read more

Really substandard. No set ups given or offered. Steak was inedible. Mixed up two orders in every conceivable way....wait staff seemed cognitively delayed. I won't return. Too bad b/c I was happy to find a diner in my city that was open past 9pm. read more

Ordered the turkey dinner and the best part were the vegetables - cooked well and tasted great. There was a lot of food for the price but the turkey had an off-putting taste. Even though it was big thick slices of turkey, it tasted like those dollar store turkey slices in the packets. The mash potatoes were no better and had an odd, phony aftertaste and the turkey gravy had no flavor. The cornbread was really dense but tasted fine. I give BBD a try every six months or so and I'm never really pleased unless I just get pancakes and eggs. read more

The coffee and coconut cream pie were both delicious. The service and staff were excellent.

Love this place. Breakfast alllll day! Awesome portions. Friendly and attentive staff.

My kids love to come to this place, and I can see why. The booths are welcoming and easy for them to sit in. They have a great kids menu. It is always a very fast in and out experience. I think the food is mediocre. Especially for breakfast food where I feel like it shouldn't take too much to cook bacon and eggs correctly. When I come with my kids, I will usually just get something small. I have some coffee then plan my meal elsewhere. read more

We came into this place on a rainy night because breakfast sounded good for dinner. I wish I could tell you that the food was good, but I can't because we didn't get that far before deciding to take our business elsewhere. The "host" didn't say a word to us, just pointed to one of the many empty tables in the place, (it wasn't busy) We sat down. Then this guy brings the menus, tosses them down onto the table carelessly and walks off. As if it was a major inconvenience that we were even there in the first place. At this point my wife, my son and I decided it was time to leave. I'm not going to spend my hard earned money at a place as unwelcoming as this place felt. Thanks, but no thanks read more

We went to this location today for a late lunch. We have been there previously and we were always very happy. Today we ordered the new Pot Roast sandwich and fries. We were served quickly and the food was delicious! The server came back and refreshed our coffee and tea. read more

Black Bear Diner San Rafael - The Pot Roast Melt! - Diners Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Omg, it was my very first time here earlier today for Mother's Day! My very kind, generous friend, Joanne, treated our entire party to a delicious Mother's Day brunch. I could not have been more thrilled with what some of my friends in our party recommended to me which was the 4-piece fried chicken with 2 sides. let me just say I am extremely picky about my fried chicken, and this dish completely surpassed my expectations because a lot of other places that charges way more did not pass. I absolutely LOVED every last bite: super extra crispy, succulent, moist, and very well seasoned!!! My friends told me Black Bear is known for their friend chicken and they were spot on! I saved one piece for my hubby to try and he loved it too. We can't wait to go back! Also, loved my crispy French fries and flavorful cole slaw. thx u very much, Koran (spelling), our server and also the very helpful, friendly manager for ur best-in-class service. Also, a shoutout to Anna for clearing our plates and greeting us with a warm, friendly smile and great energy. A blessed Mother's Day indeed in a very comfortable, spacious, clean restaurant with great staff and yummolicious, generous portions! Can't wait to visit again soon! God bless this great restaurant and wonderful staff! read more

Placing an order online - super easy Order ready for pick up quickly. Ordered 2 omelettes with potatoes and side of bacon. I am not exaggerating when I say the food was disgusting. Potatoes tasted like they were from the day before and just reheated. Omelettes tasted horrible. I gave our dog a piece of bacon and watched as she took it outside and buried it in our planter! We literally threw $50 into the trash. read more

Came here after a long early morning! I had nothing to eat so I was starving and to my surprise Black Bear was around the corner from us! We were greeted right away and seated! I got my usual mini volcano, my bf got himself a new york steak, and my lil bestie got herself a kids pancakes in the shape of a Micky mouse, how cute! We made a few modifications on her meal which was not a big deal. Loved our food as we always do at Black Bear definitely our go-to spot for breakfast! The service here was amazing definitely will be stopping here again!! read more

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I'll be quick to it. Server got my drink wrong multiple times, and when it was brought out correctly it was too light on the syrup and just tasted like soda water. Server never checked up on us or brought refills until we were done. Eggs were dry. Steak was ordered medium rare and came out medium well. Server never acknowledged us when we talked to him. Had to ask multiple times for something to be brought out ex. creamer or extra set of silverware. They were not busy when we visited. Food taste was ok and it came out quick. If you don't care about your experience and all you want is food in your stomach, then this is the place, but if you actually care about time and experience, go somewhere else. read more

This place has the jolliest bunch of servers & kitchen staff...no RBF's here. With the pandemic, there are RBF's everywhere these days, even with masks on lol. Food is always consistent with hearty portions. There's a section for lighter meals as well. BBD is also reliable during the Holidays, as they are open. They serve wine, beer and mimosas. Peppermint hot chocolate this time of year is delightful. Can't go wrong with BBD, there's something for everyone. 'Til we meet again ~ cheers & see you on Yelp (SYOY)! read more

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Love this place because it's kid friendly. I love that my kids can be loud here and no one judges. My kids love coming here for the pancakes. It's fluffy and sweet and you can have them decorated like a bear with tons of whipped cream on top. Their portions are also generous, even for the kids. I got the steak and eggs here and it was great decent. read more

We're back in CA and this is our favorite "go to" place for lunch. Today, the restaurant manager, Gera, went above & beyond and gave our dead car battery a jump in the parking lot. The customer service here is always friendly and efficient. The food quality is consistently good with reasonable prices. Highly recommend! read more

Since my first visit, I've been back multiple times. Good food (usually enough for 2 meals) and the prices are phenomenal.

I went to black bear diner store#198 in San Rafael,Ca to enjoy brunch with my friend Jen. Our server Deborah was amazing! She made sure everything was to our liking. Great customer service indeed. Will be coming back! read more

I used to love this place but management has gone downhill quite a bit I don't know if it's because I'm white and I have a black boyfriend because that's the way they were acting towards us and we got no attention no service it was really crappy we didn't even leave a tip the guy totally ignored us both times and we had the same waiter both times.... It just makes me wonder if it's because I was with somebody that wasn't my own race or what but that's how he was acting. Also had to wait to get our food was sitting up at the counter for a while he was chit-chatting with what looked like not customers but friends. We needed more napkins in our food wasn't cooked all the way I had to take care of that both times couldn't find our waiter went behind the counter got the napkins myself and told the cook that the hamburger wasn't cooked hella pissed felt bad for my boyfriend shouldn't have to feel that way in this day and age. read more

The best breakfast spot The grizz is good,service is pretty good,portions are big 8.5/10 read more

I stopped here for lunch with my husband today. We got great service from our server, Ruben, especially impressive because the restaurant was quite full. The portions were large and the food and Nicaraguan coffee were very tasty. I had the turkey club sandwich with coleslaw and my husband had a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes and a green side salad. We had enough left over for at least one other meal. read more

So we tried Black Bear Diner for the thanksgiving day. Surprisingly, with reviews I was skeptical to order, but that was one of the best choices I have ever made in my entire life., everything was made for us as easy as you can think of. Each plate was coming with 2 sides , and each portion was enough for one plus some sort of pumpkin cake and a salad. Truly enjoyed each bite of my coarse . Definitely recommended read more

My little cubs love coming here for breakfast, as do I. They have a ton of options to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plates are plenty so you get your moneys worth. The have mimosas and hot chocolate with whipped cream for the cubs. Whether you want to eat light or fill your belly to the brim, this restaurant has the ability to have you leaving feeling satisfied. read more

Came here this morning for breakfast, and was greeted by an amazing kind woman. She sat our large party in a great area, and took our order quickly. The inside of the restaurant is super cute, and each decoration is perfectly curated to fit the theme of the Diner. We ordered a couple of different plates, and they were all phenomenal. I ordered Pancakes, Bacon, Potatoes, coffee and they were all super delicious, specifically the potatoes though. I would definitely recommend coming here, thank you for having us! read more

Yummy breakfast food! We got there at 11:30 am and were seated right away. Huge menu of breakfast food, burgers, meatloaf, sandwiches, etc. We ordered brunch and I got the Original 2 Egg Scramble with sausage, ham, bacon, cheese, veggies and potatoes. It was so good! I didn't love the gravy on top and didn't seem needed. I also enjoyed the Biscuit! Fluffy and so good with butter and jam! The portions were huge and we did take a bit home after. My daughter enjoyed the Denver Omelet with ham, cheese and a side of potatoes. Service was very fast and reasonable prices! Tons of parking out front. We will be back! read more

Poor service, slow service. Not because of COVID shortage either. The employees were standing around talking to one another. Showing each other pictures on their phones. We waited to be seated while the woman at the register never looked up. The cooks were scratching their heads and then continued to cook. There were 5 small tables occupied so it was not rush hour! We tried this place when it first opened and thought we would give it another try. WRONG! We will never come back! Not sure how clean this place is either. Especially seeing the cooks scratching their heads and then returning to cooking! Ugh...NEVER AGAIN! The only person working or moving was the bus boy. I just saw the manager walk out and "visit" with a friend that walked in. Who owns this pit? It needs an over haul! Update: music was good, food was ok I think the manager was on a perpetual break. read more

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Reuben, manager training a young kid and teaching us Spanish and actually thanked us for speaking Spanish. Why an awesome guy. We gonna be back to try another dish on their huge menu. 2nd time here and it just got better over all. Suburbs and chain restaurants, all good baeby baebe! read more

Black Bear Diner San Rafael - Parmesan Sourdough Cheeseburger* (960 cals.) - Diners Near Me - San Rafael, California

Woohoo considering : This is a diner. This is a franchise. The hostess and server-I think her name was Anna (definitely started with an A -was either the owner or should be paid and treated well by the franchise owner because she was everything you want in that position. She was welcoming and warm and seemed to be treating everyone like they were a regular. This was our first time at a brown bear so we stuck with basics- bacon and eggs and a blt on white. Both were surprisingly good. The bacon was unusually good so that impacted both meals. The biscuit was lighter and fluffier than my fave but it was totally fine and that's a personal thing. I don't want to say we'll be back because we don't live nearby, but if we did, we would probably become regulars at a franchise diner. Go figure! read more

This place has gone downhill. They've reduced the menu, are overpriced, and the service sucks. They used to be friendly at Black Bear. Now the wait staff does the bare minimum. They give you a meal with a pound of stale fries and charge $14. I don't want to have to negotiate with a waiter to order less food and a smaller plate. And no service, have to wave someone down, no refills. "How is everything?" Nope. They just bring the food. Also it seems someone either dropped or threw food on the floor near the kitchen entrance. The staff walked past it several times before they cleaned it up. It wasn't busy. They just ignored it. Not sure what's going on. The vibe is off and the people aren't happy. read more