It was wonderful to see that BLACK BEAR DINER WILLOWS IS BACK AND EVEN BETTER. I Had a great breakfast here eggs perfect hot cakes delicious and done perfect. The bacon was crispy and a very thick cut. If you are looking for a great meal and are close to a Black Bear Diner make an effort to stop. My wife had a salad and her only complaint was there was too much to eat. The decor is really cute with lots of Bear art. Also a great place to take kids. The service was good and really friendly. We ate out in the new patio tent with Astro turf floors. It's like eating in a park under a tent with misters to keep you COOL!! UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT BIG IMPROVEMENT read more

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Went to the Bear for breakfast. Kim our waitress was great, service was good, friendly and on her game. Will continue to come back. Thank you, Wilson read more

Let me start out by saying what a joke ordered a rare burger that came to the table raw 100% never saw the grill and the wait was so long that all our other food was cold as well as undercooked pancakes. read more

We stopped in for lunch the other day on a little road trip to visit grandma. The place was hopping as all Black Bear Diners seem to be. Bustling with people, and the servers were all on the ball and getting things done. I ordered the Beef Dip au jus sandwich with side salad. I was really happy with the portion, good size, and the salad was super fresh. I especially liked the waitress because she was pleasant, sweet and just seemed to like her job! I'd definitely eat here again if in the area. read more

I'm never returning to any black bear dinner again. I ordered the eggs Benedict and my food was not prepared correctly. My eggs were hard like a hard boil egg, my bread was dry and looked like it was taken out the freezer. Never had a dry eggs Benedict before. Then when I pay the guy charges me the wrong drinks. Waiter knew my food wasn't done correctly and all he does is not charge me for a coffee, instead of replacing my food. read more

Stopped here on our way to Oregon, we were all hungry after spending 4hrs in the car. The restaurant was dirty and under staffed and the food was NOT good. We sat out side and the chairs and tables had not been cleaned and were cover in cobwebs. We ordered an almond croissant which was stale, a bacon and egg breakfast , the home fries tasted as though they were old and reheated. J6st a very disappointing meal. We are Black Bear Diner fans so we were not happy. Won't be going back to this one. read more

This diner was unfortunately worse than the other locations that I've visited. The food wasn't s good. Especially the banana cream pie and mini corn dogs. The service was great. The restaurant was also very cold. I had to go get my sweatshirt from the car. read more

Ok there is controversy about the BLACK BEAR DINNERS. The one in Willows is excellent and I think the reason why is because the cooks are keeping the PANS SEPARATE from the food they cooked it with and the griddles. The potatoes are cooked in their own pans egg mixtures or just eggs are cooked on their own griddle or pan. But the problem the WOODLAND CA. BLACK BEAR DINNERS , doesn't respect the different foods there for most things they cooked, just doesn't taste anywhere near as good as The WILLOWS BLACK BEAR DINNER AND THE SERVICE IS GREAT. The service is great in Woodland just the cook is lazy on cleaning and separating the pans. So if your heading up I-5 stop in Willows and.Chow down on the freash foods here you'll love it! read more

Black Bear Diner - Willows - American Near Me - Willows, California

Travelled by car 2,500 miles and so far this is the best breakfast and best service that we had. Server Donna was very attentive and courteous. Highly recommend to all read more

Black Bear Diner - Willows - American Near Me - Willows, California

Bummed the experience warranted a 1 star. Half our order was wrong. My friend ordered the taco salad with chicken strips and it came out with a pound of ground beef on top. My boyfriend ordered the veggie burger and they sent out a regular burger. When we mentioned it she told the cooks and they waited another 20 minutes to tell us they didn't even have veggie burgers. By this time 2 of our 4 guests did not have food or fixed orders. Clearly they were understaffed so the long wait to be seated was understandable however getting the food wrong is completely avoidable and a bummer when you're super hungry after a day of motorcycle riding. read more

Ok my husband and I have eaten at many of Black Bear restaurants and loved them but this was the worst one we have ever eaten at. On 7/6/2021 9:35 am no one was at the front counter to greet us. Once they finally got a table for us there was no waiter to take our order! Then we finally got our food the bacon wasn't cooked and the hash browns OMG! Looked like a flat mush pancake mess! Will not Ever go there again! read more

The wait to receive our breakfast was extreme. I wouldn't necessarily blame the help, but attribute the 'lacking service" to poor management. Might have been nice to receive, at least, a few informational words with our coffee. Can't rate the food because after nearly an hour and a half of unacknowledged sitting, we left to have lunch, across the street. read more

I finally got to check out Black Bear Diner on one of my trips to Willows. Right after that trip, we went to Black Bear Diner twice more, so this review is for three separate meals. I've come for dinner twice and breakfast once- the majority of the menu is available all day (especially the breakfast items), so it doesn't make a huge difference when you come. The only negative about coming for dinner is that the pie you want may already be sold out (like chocolate cream!!). I've tried: -Western BBQ Burger (BBQ Sauce, Cheddar Cheese, Deep-Fried Onion Rings, Served w/French Fries): Solid burger, and I liked their BBQ sauce and onion rings in the burger. The patty is seasoned and cooked well- recommended. -Side of Biscuits & Gravy (http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=vrh_5u-T3XDVJwnI76v_Hw&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Quantity wise, this is one of the largest "side" dishes I've had. For a side, you get an entire LARGE plate full of biscuits and white cream gravy. This wasn't the most amazing biscuits and gravy version that I've had, but it's solid, especially for the price. Recommended for biscuits and gravy lovers. -Apple Crumb Cobbler (Sweet Cinnamon Apples Topped w/Brown Sugar Oats): The whipped cream was really good, but I wasn't a fan of the rest of the cobbler. I thought it was a pie, so was bummed to see there was no crust. I wouldn't get this cobbler again. -Sweet Cream Waffle (Served w/Two Eggs, 1 Slice of Bacon, 1 Sausage Link, http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=SiKbjiwFZN0SEbQ59NTYew&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): The waffle was good, but super dense, although it did have a fluffiness to it too. I liked that it had a good crust on the outside (and the bear paw imprint is super cute too), but I don't think I would get this again since it was so heavy. -Prime Rib (Served w/Salad, Corn Bread Muffin, Mixed Vegetables, Mashed Potatoes w/Country Gravy, http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=nVLavVW2XJKwD9-3otzaZA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Just ok- we figured we should have low expectations for ordering prime rib from a diner, although they only have it available Fridays & Saturdays I think. The prime rib was bland, and the meat was really chewy. The corn bread muffin was good though, and they give you a gigantic muffin. Mixed vegetables weren't bad, but I wasn't a fan of the mashed potatoes. -Bear Claw French Toast (Topped w/Powdered Sugar, Drizzled w/Icing, http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=d80n0le8jmEUZ-8n5y3T_g&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Good, but really sweet. I enjoyed trying it once, but would stick to regular French Toast next time. -Thick Cut Smoked Bacon Classic 2 Egg Combo (w/Strip Cut Hash Browns, Housemade Biscuit, http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=69GSx7RP1cyA9P5VjiT5Vg&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Yum- although this was the simplest breakfast dish I've ordered, it was also probably my favorite. Their bacon is nice and crispy, and is delicious with the hash browns and biscuit. The hash browns could have been browned more, but it was still good. -Chocolate Cream Pie (Rich Chocolate Cream in a Chocolate Cookie Crust, Topped w/Whipped Cream): Yum- my favorite pie from here so far! There was only one left the night I went, and our server was nice enough to hide it for us until we were ready for dessert. It's nice and chocolate-y, and I love the crust and whipped cream- highly recommended! Overall, Black Bear Diner is a great place to go for breakfast and/or for comfort food. They have huge portions for great prices, and the quality is really good too. Breakfast and dinner at this location can get quite busy, but they have a good amount of seating so you shouldn't have to wait for very long if there is a wait. The staff is always friendly and efficient, and parking is easy since they have a big lot. read more

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The food and service was great but Wowzersss was it freezing in the Diner everyone was wearing their jackets. A man and his family were hurrying up to get out of there while he's bundling up his baby. My husband and I asked for red velvet cake that is supposed to be made fresh and the waiter said it was frozen there was no hot chocolate and again the waiter said there was no more because everyone was cold. I would give another Black Bear Diner a chance but not this place . Take a blanket with you read more

We come here for breakfast almost every time we drive thru. The portion here are huge. We usually share. I haven't had a bad breakfast meal yet, no matter what you order. read more

Black Bear Diner - Willows - American Near Me - Willows, California

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I would most certainly recommend this place, they are a chain of restaurants and the food has always been good, this one seems a bit older and worn and could use a remodel, the waiter was very friendly and prompt and she made she I had a full glass of Pepsi. I went with one of their scrambles, and loved it, the potatoes were perfect, and the rest of the food real good! I would most certainly get it again! The prices are pretty reasonable as well, I would have no problem going into any Black Bear Diner. read more

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Sadly....we didn't get to eat here. We ordered.....but left after waiting or 30 min. For our food to come. Breakfast. Nothing fancy. Ridiculous. read more

The first Black Bear Diner opened in 1995 near the old strawberry patches near Mt. Shasta. The menu, service and decor are designed to remind the guest of a time when life was a little more simple and not so un-BEARable. There are about 30 Black Bear Diners around, including 1 in my home state of Iowa. This Black Bear Diner in Willows is a convenient stop for when we're either going to or returning from Ashland Oregon. It's a comfortable place, with food that's good and plentiful, friendly folks, and a definite step (or 2) above other chain places like Denny's or IHOP. This is American comfort food as you like it. The bear kitch including photos, paintings, mugs, stuffed animals, themed menu items and condiments, etc., get's old quickly, but who cares? I won't own it, but it no doubt makes someone happy. read more

Updating my review to share exactly why they get the 1 star. I was on the road for Thanksgiving. I called Black Bear and asked them what they were having and what time they would be open till. They told me 7pm. I rolled into their at 6pm starving. I went hungry all day saving up for this meal. I walk past the sign that says the Thanksgiving specials and says they are open until 7. The guy at the register says we are closed. I look around and there are like 10 tables full. I explain that I called and was told they were open until 7. He says we are not busy enough to stay open. I suggest that I can take something to go because I see there are people that still have menus who have been seated so the freeking kitchen must still be open. They guy starts to get an attitude and says. Nope, told you we are closed. I ask to speak to the manager and he tells me no we closed at 6 because we are not busy. I explain that I walked in maybe 2 minutes after 6 and they are supposed to open until 7. There was a group of 6 people that came in behind me that were not too happy about this news either. So now it is Thanksgiving night and nothing in this town is open and I am starving. I ended up eating chips from the gas station because that was the only thing open. I went online and filled out a contact form. Never heard back. I wrote a review on here and got a response from them that I never contacted them. Believe me I am still pissed about this and that day I was fuming. They heard from me. I will not be dropping money at this location again. Service has always been poor at this location. Other Black Bear Diners are better. read more

It was a hot and muggy summer night. Some humidity in the air with the little summer bugs flying busily about. It was getting late and I was hungry so I was very happy to see the Black Bear sign along deserted I-5. I don't really like to eat at the Black Bear because they they think they are literally feeding a hungry bear and give way too much food. But there was that gnawing hunger in my belly with miles to go still. I spotted a new item on the menu called 'Cabo Mahi Mahi Tacos!? Cuál es éste? This is not 'Traditional American Food'! The tacos when they arrived were delicious. This is a new menu item but they know what they are doing. The fish was shredded with some cabbage, onions and wonderful sauce on top of two soft corn tortillas with just a few sprinkles of cheese. None of that Westernized 1/2 pound of cheese here. As I was eating my tacos I kept wondering if somehow I had been magically transported down to Los Cabos. With the humidity, heat, and fresh Mahi Mahi you could have fooled me! read more

Black Bear Diner - Willows - Cabo Mahi Mahi Tacos! Yummmm - American Near Me - Willows, California

Five years ago, my dad ate at this restaurant and I still hear about, "The best breakfast ever. Man, it was good." After finally eating here myself, I have to say that it is a damn fine breakfast. The diner is cute, with a very woodsy theme and bear silhouettes painted on large walls. It is clear that the locals eat here (a very good sign) and for good reason. The scramble that I had was absolutely delicious! The waffles all have bear paws embossed in them and were sweet and filling. Everyone was very happy with their meals as well as the reasonable price. Service was a little slow that morning and we had to flag our server down to get refills, but overall, I was very happy with the meal! read more

I used to be a big fan of Nancy's but something happened that caused the food to become less good. Plus their pies which were once awesome now really suck! But on to BBD... I went in for my free birthday breakfast on the way to a camping trip on the Pit River. I got a waffle, eggs and sausage patties. It all tasted pretty good, but the waffle could have been crispier. Overall a satisfying breakfast and it's hard to argue with the price! My server was attentive and nice. The customers could have kept their political opinions to themselves. That would have contributed greatly to my enjoyment of the meal, but it's something you run into everywhere these days. Sorry Nancy, but BBD is the new winner! read more

Edited based on more info. from Black Bear customer service...... Went here with my son and his friend on the recommendation of the friend. It seemed like a California version of Cracker Barrel at first glance. Anyway, most standard fare dinners, meatloaf, fish and chips, etc. run about $12 with soup or salad included. We had meat loaf, pot roast, and chicken fried steak. The waitress warned us the pot roast came with potatoes in it, which seemed like an odd warning as it is not unusual to find a pot roast sauce with potatoes, carrots, etc. Anyway, my pot roast comes out and I figure out where some of this is coming from. The pot roast consisted of meat, potatoes, carrots, celery, and sauce. Now this would seem A-OK for a pot roast, right? The recipe I use at home for a pot roast basically has all these things, plus some onions. So what's the problem you might ask? The problem is that when most people cook a pot roast, they do it in a single pot with all these other things. Not so at the Black Bear Diner it seems. Apparently, the way they do it here is that they cook the meat by itself, have one pot of brown gravy in the kitchen they use for multiple menu items, and then cook the vegetables by themselves. The "chef" completes the meal by combining these ingredients on your plate and sending it on out. This night, it was even worse, because they were out of the usual veggies and they apparently had to improvise. That combined with a lack of knowing how long to boil potatoes, dragged the meal down to one star level. So the waitress comes out and does the usual how is everything deal. I explained to her that having half cooked veggies in the meal was stupid. She said she would talk to the chef. She came back a bit later and explained that the chef agreed with me and he wouldn't want to eat it either. So I gave them back one star for at least agreeing with me that it was a crappy meal. That and the fact they gave us a free dessert as an offset. Still not probably going back there though. Oh and the lemonade was $2.69 a glass! read more

2.5 stars Meal options along the I-5 are very limited. Having never been, we curiously stopped for lunch. Although the menu states otherwise, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served all day until items run out. I had the meatloaf with vegetable soup. Vegetable soup was hearty, with leafy and colorful vegetables and garbanzo beans. My meal came with cornbread, which tasted more like a corn cupcake, heavy on the baking powder. Their meatloaf includes ground sausage, which may have made for the odd tart/tangy aftertaste. I disliked both the sauce crusted on the top of the meatloaf and the sauce ladled over the meatloaf. The meatloaf itself was not dry, and contained shredded veggies. It tasted odd, squishy...off. The mashed potatoes came with a white gravy tasted like a box mix. The steamed vegetables were fine. Having just had marionberry and blueberry ice cream in Oregon, I was intrigued by the huckleberry ice cream on their dessert menu. The berries almost tasted medicinal like cherries sometimes can, but I was hungry. Service was great, but the food was sub-par. Most customers ordered sandwiches and burgers, so maybe I ordered poorly. I'm not particularly motivated to try again, though. read more

Black Bear Diner - Willows - Meatloaf (from dinner menu) - American Near Me - Willows, California

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Nice little traditional diner very convenient to the freeway. The foods pretty good, a step up from places like Denny's. Since there is an a lot around here they got a lot of travelers. Found it to be clean, comfortable place to stop.I ordered several side dishes and the waitress was kind enough to order me a full breakfast I just make a substitution so I can save some money. Including the tip and some coffee breakfast was $13. read more

We stopped in here on our way back from an amazing houseboating trip at Lake Shasta. We were planning to go to Denny's until we decided maybe this place looked a bit less commercial. Even though it's still a chain, I gotta say it hit the spot! I had the make your own with waffles+strawberries, 2 scrambled eggs, a slice of ham and an extra biscuit. The server said, "You eat A TON for a little girl" and we laughed hysterically. Apparently the portions are laarge. My other friends ordered a california omelet, a grilled chez and veggie soup combo, and the mt shasta lava cake. Pretty much everything was totally scrump. My waffle was perfectly cooked with ripe, yummy strawberries. The biscuit was insanely huge and buttery and good. The ham was Easter brunch grade -- super thick and juicy and glazed. If you're looking for good, basic breakfast foods and dessert...go here! Nothing to cap off a fatty house boating trip with a fatty diner lunch. read more

Did not enjoy this one as much as the other Black Bear Diner locations. Although the chicken fried steak, which I guess you could say is the most important part was excellent, both of our hash browns were soggy and underdone, not crispy like they should be. Splurged on a coconut cream pie for dessert because the pies looked so good, but I was disappointed to start eating it and find out that the crust wasn't cooked properly so it was just graham cracker powder at the bottom, instead of a crunchy crust...which you really need to offset the thick pudding-like filling. read more

Black Bear Diner - Willows - Chicken Fried Steak. The chicken fried steak was good, the potatoes were not. - American Near Me - Willows, California

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Food took 38 min to arrive and their avocado toast was very underwhelming and accompanying fruit had basically wilted. I usually have great experiences at black bear diners but a mix of the long wait, underripe/hastily plated avocado toast, and expired fruit left me with a bad taste in my mouth this time. read more

Black Bear Diner - Willows - This is their avocado toast... Took 38 min to serve it and the avocado wasn't even ripe yet... Sigh... - American Near Me - Willows, California

Great team serving my hubz and kids tonight. Despite a full house, being understaffed and a few setbacks in the kitchen, the attitude and disposition of the employees was great. Hard nights deserve a great reward. Thanks Team Redding Black Bear Diner Staff! #tipthebill read more

Breakfast lunch or dinner! A stop here is filling on the stomach and The atmosphere. Clean tables, clean facilities and clean personalities! Get a biscuit--and tell me if you like the i house bear claws!! read more

This place is consistently great! The food is really good and they serve huge portions. Everything is fairly priced especially considering you will likely have leftovers. They have some unique items on the menu. The service is friendly but can be slow at times due to being so busy. There is always PLENTY of seating so we have rarely had to wait. read more

My wife and I stopped here heading back to Sac. We like Black Bear Diners, but this one (Willows) didn't seem to have the quality standards we've come to expect. We both ordered the Slow-Cooked Pot Roast, small portion. The dinner salads came out and I immediately smothered mine with 1000 Island dressing, probably a mistake. My wife looked over her salad before adding any dressing and found all the lettuce to be brown and wilting, she did not eat hers. Once the pot roast was delivered it was luke-warm and smothered with a chalky tasting brown gravy that barely moved. Both of us agreed it tasted more like Dinty Moore Beef Stew than slow-cooked pot roast, not that we've eaten any in 40 years. We both chuckled thinking if we went in the kitchen we would find the stew cans still in the trash. Our waiter was super friendly and nice, so we tipped him well and left without complaint. However, I would put money on it, this pot roast is coming from a can, nothing about it is slow cooked. read more

I come here to meet my best friend here for the last 2 years. We meet up half way. This is our favorite restaurant well until now. We ordered our drinks which came pretty quick but here's the fun part. Our waiter was Brian. Took forever to get him to come over to take our order. While we were waiting we needed refills. He said ok I'll be right back. Never came back. My friend ended up flagging down another waiter to come over. She told the waitress we asked for refills and didn't get any. So she brought us our refills. Well we waited what seemed like forever for our food. When the waitress ended up bringing the food over for 3 out of 4 of us. Brian brought the 4th over. We told him we needed napkins. He said AGAIN ok I'll get them in a second. Again he left and the napkins were right by us where the coffee station is. So we told the waitress again we asked for napkins. So I'm assuming she had a talk with him because he came over fast and kept saying I'm sorry I'm sorry so he comes back with 2 napkins not 4. So my friend holds up the napkins and says so are we sharing these? He said oops then went over and grabbed 4 more. Well the food was not great. Me and my boys ordered "Shasta burgers" and medium for the doneness of the meat. Well our meat was well done and crispy. The cook didn't even follow directions. I just told my friend lets go and I'm not coming back. I came here all the way from Stockton and my friend lives in Redding so I came 90 minutes to get this kind of service. Not worth it. Going to a fast food restaurant next time. They lost our business. read more

Omg the food is horrible looks like they just tossed my club sandwich together in a hurry. Would not recommend.

My husband and I brought our 13 month old son here and the eggs Benedict was amazing and came out in less than 10 minutes our server was Monique and she was very sweet and attentive! We got the chance to meet the new owner Justin! He gave us a little bit of background which was cool! Definitely will be coming back! 10/10 recommend!!! read more

I go to Black Bear for breakfast usually. I was there yesterday 10/23/2021 at just past 7am. There were already 3 or 4 tables seated, but I walked into a log jam. 5 + groups waiting for a table; and I soon discovered why. A single waitress was handling the whole floor and a single cook in the kitchen. But, like the proverbial duck on a pond, Stephanie (the waitress rock star) was calm, cool and collected. She would seat a table with utensils and placemats and ask for their drink orders, go to the previous table with their drinks and ask for their meal order, if they were ready, and then back to the line to seat another group. As I was watching all of this, the other staff arrived (obviously late). My meal arrived quicker than I thought, and was delicious; thank you for going back to the bigger dice of the veg in the country potatoes! I left a 60% tip, and I hope Stephanie got it all! She should be the lead trainer for wait staff. read more

Excellent service with a busy restaurant! Clean bathrooms, good food, helpful staff. Worth a stop!

Food was ok. Had to reheat it after during a block. Staff was slow and unprepared for customers. I'm only in Willows a few times a years to visit family, but the last couple of times have been disappointing. I was hoping that with the change of ownership, it would have improved. Sorry to say it hasn't. read more

If it is possible, I took a star away as the plates were HUGE! It seemed like a true waste. Each salad we ordered could have fed three people. The place was clean and the service just fine. The menu was fun having been printed in what looks like an old newspaper. The prices were terrific. read more

Black Bear Diner - Willows - The taco salad was HUGE! (and delicious!) - American Near Me - Willows, California

Second time this summer they have ran out of food. First time they had only egg white, no bacon or any other breakfast meat. Also no hashbrowns or other potatoes. This trip they were out of meat and French fries. How can you run a restaurant that prides itself on breakfast if you can't produce a breakfast meal? Good thing there are other restaurants that keep up with inventory in town. read more