For years We have been stopping here for breakfast when in the Adirondacks. You can not beat the Breakfast price ... lots to choose from eggs, pancakes , French toast to name a few .....all delicious. A charming little place ( with clean bathrooms) . Since Covid the Black Bear is a reliable spot , as anyone traveling in the area knows lots of places are closed Monday & Tuesdays. As for gas ... there is a station right around the corner. read more

If you're on a road trip and looking for a spot to stop by, this does the trick. Friendly hostess and the breakfast was good. Would definitely receive if you're hungry. read more

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Stopped on our way to our vacay in Adirondacks. There was no food for quite some time so if you're heading to the area, scope out your lunch/dinner spot before you go as there's no internet for a lot of the way. No gas either, so gas up when you can. Went into the bar area (separate doors for bar and restaurant) and they had no taps but three different IPA's in cans. They had the usual Bud/Bud light as well. We were told the turkey is cooked and sliced here, so we got the turkey club. Also ordered the Papa Bear burger (mama is 4 oz and $1 less). Lemme tell ya, that was one of the best burgers I've had. Just naturally delicious, nothing special on it, just a really good burger. We got the twice over when we walked in, but it's a local bar so maybe we were a friend. The bar maid was very friendly and speaking of that, I walked out without my food and a patron ran out with my takeout box. The bathrooms were clean and smelled good. It's on the way to the bottom of Schroon lake and Whiteface in Jay NY. read more

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Only expediency would encourage you to visit this restaurant. Order wisely (breakfast is probably best), and avoid the fries, which were limp and inedible. Like many "quirkily" themed restaurants that were decorated that way decades ago, there is too much intricate surface area and not enough attention with a duster. read more

The service, food and cost are all great! The ambiance is charming!! We would definitely enjoy time here again. (We're not in this area often, but I've heard about this sweet place since at least 1988) read more

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Food is decent and the place had a recent makeover. Still a local place, for the most part. Service is fine and the ambiance is local.

Came here last Sunday around 630 in the AM. Waitress and cook, obviously a tired slow morning everyone has. Got a cute free post card. I had pancakes, sausage and homefries. Homefries were slightly underdone but that was alright. Very filling. Decent coffee. Cute atmosphere. Bathroom SPOTLESS. read more

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The sign in the front was enough to make me buy a shirt. Smelled like indoor campfire and added to the trucker vibe read more

Black Bear Restaurant - The sign, bears sitting at a table with a woman striking a pose for them - New American Near Me - Pottersville, New York

We were looking for some place different. What wonderful ambiance and friendly service. Food was good, simple but loved it. Definitely check this place out! read more

My family and I walked in and the ambiance felt like we walked into a relatives house. The service was equally homely, very kind and considerate. I ordered the black bear breakfast (2 eggs, hash, and toast) the eggs came out perfect and the hash was just right. An absolutely great place to get food. Would 100% recommend read more

Quiet little diner w standard fare ...what elevates the experience is the lovely waitress who has been here on both my visits. Had been turned away from Cafe Adirondack minutes earlier and feel it very much worked out in my favor. read more

Cute rustic atmosphere and good service. However, the grilled chicken sandwich featured a severely dry thin piece of chicken the diameter of the hamburger bun and an orange tasteless tomato slice. In July..... The iced tea was tasteless. Won't be back. read more

Adorable! It's like being in a log cabin in the woods. Burger was delicious and cooked perfectly. The server was super sweet and attentive. Next time I'm in the area I'll definitely be back. read more

Fast American Food for people on the go, passer bye travelers. Service was timely and Pauline was extra nice! Food is good. We had sandwiches BLT, Fish, Hamburger and also some Chicken fingers. All were cooked fresh but they are not home cooked. Expect quick food, Hot food. I would recommend a stop if you like American fast food. I also know they had soups and salads for more healthy eating. Prices are very reasonable. read more

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This is a cozy warm place to eat. The waitress was very polite and had a smile. The prices were fair. The food, was poor. The salad was made with wilted lettuce. They did offer to bring another salad, or soup. The "beef stew soup" was good. The meals took a moment to get to the table. The "French dip" was luke warm. The fries and the tots were almost room temperature. This was our first time. I will try again in another month or so. read more

Horrible from start to finish! We started with two bowls of soup! Which came after our crappy meals... First was a clam chowder which as soon as you tasted it it was obviously spoiled!! The second was vegetable soup!! Literally Campbells Vegetarian Vegetable soup straight from the can! My wife got a hot turkey sandwich OMG One Thick piece of turkey on top of one piece of bread! ICE COLD!!! Not even slightly warm!!! My daughter and I got Burgers My girls bun was soaking wet on the bottom all but inedible... she asked for tater tots instead of fries... fries on plate 10 minutes later tater tot's at $6 came out! Worst service Dingy interior and cooks that looked like they came straight from the penitentiary bare handling all the food! Incredible waste of $70 dollars!! Couldn't even get ketchup One and permanently done folks Oh and a sidebar my niece was at a table next to ours and got a piece of "fish" she couldn't bite through Something hard down the middle! Disgusting !!!!! Steer Clear folks read more

I will begin with my only negative comment about our "Black Bear" experience: We called ahead of time for reservations and were told we did not need any since there were only two of us, that we would be seated right away. We went into the restaurant and had to wait about 15 minutes at the bar while other customers left and a table was cleared. Since it had gotten busier than expected, I don't find it terribly unreasonable, but it was a negative read more

Good food! You won't leave hungry and the waitresses were very cordial like a step back in time

This restaurant was a very pleasant surprise during our travels! Our waitress was very pleasant and attentive and our meals were delicious! I had the reuben with fries and Boston cream pie for dessert and my husband had an open face roast beef sandwich with gravy and fries and peach pie for dessert! I recommend this gem when traveling through or staying in this area!! read more

So, pro tip: If you're driving from Michigan to Vermont and your map takes you through this part of Upstate New York, be sure to uhh, take advantage of facilities when you see them, before you start your journey through the mountains. I'm not sure where anyone living up here gets gas or groceries, because those establishments don't exist for miles and miles... and miles. If you need to use a restroom and you don't see a gas station for hours, things can get a little dicey on the road. Just saying. Every small town we passed through looked like it had some kind of store that might have a restroom but they always ended up just being someone's house. I was getting desperate enough that I considered knocking on some doors. Oh yeah, there is no cell phone service up here either, so you can't really search on Yelp or a map to see what's around. Anyway, just about when I thought my boyfriend and I might die from being too hydrated (if you know what I mean), we finally found a pocket of cell service and I found the Black Bear Restaurant in Pottersville! The parking lot had cars in it, so I figured it was open (unlike the one other restaurant we drove by). We hopped out of the car with jubilation and made our way inside. The place is half small town dive bar, half small town diner. I was totally there for it. And for the bathroom. We sat at the counter of the diner side and we ordered some food before casually walking to the bathrooms as if we hadn't needed one for the past three hours or so. The food came out pretty quickly and was hot and fresh. The clam chowder was pretty good, with actual clams and big chunks of potato. The chicken tenders were over-fried and tough but the BBQ sauce helped. When we finished, our server asked if we wanted any pie - of course we wanted pie! Peach pecan pie, to be exact, that was just baked that morning. The pie was great with lots of fresh fruit and sugary pecans. The crust didn't seem homemade to me but the whipped cream made it better. The food was decent, but nothing special. We used the bathroom again before we left. read more

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The French fries were easily top 3 best fries Ive ever eaten. they were perfectly crispy and were amazing dipped in the Russian dressing. The Ruben was also incredible and left me wanting more. the food revived me and I will definitely be coming back for more. read more

Grabbed lunch to-go from Black Bear Restaurant on Monday afternoon. A diner and bar, that serves up some solid food at good prices. Quality: On our drive back to the city, spotted Black Bear Restaurant and decided to grab some food. I went with the Cheesesteak Sandwich and Fries. Thin slices of tender meat served on a soft bun with melty cheese and onions, it was a solid sandwich. And the Fries that came with it should not be missed. Thick cut, perfect consistency, and great flavor. Worth adding on whether you are here for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or drinks. Quantity: A large sandwich that came with a healthy pile of fries. Value: $11 for a Cheesesteak Sandwich and Fries. Ambiance: Black Bear Restaurant is located in the Upstate New York town of Pottersville. When driving by the large and long establishment, it is easy to become curious about what is inside. Unfortunately COVID-19 kept our visit inside quick, but it has the perfect mix of diner and bar needed in small towns. I also loved how each table had lottery slips to fill out as you wait. The restaurant also had a small outdoor patio on the far end, which looked great for enjoying a drink. Crowd: We were the only guests at the time, but it seemed like it would be popular on weekends. Service: Friendly server rushed out to greet us and bring us menus. Food was prepared fast and well packaged for take-out. Parking: Private parking lot that surrounds the restaurant. read more

Black Bear Restaurant - Cheesesteak Sandwich And Fries - New American Near Me - Pottersville, New York

Borderline in-edible.... i hate giving one star reviews but this was the definition of it. Ordered the burger with onion rings and the nachos with chili. The burger tasted like it was frozen. No flavor or anything. Onion rings were worse. Definitely store bought and when you bite into them they were really oily. The nachos did not hit the mark either. Very bad I will say the curly fries were the only thing that were ok. This place needs a major overhaul. read more

We have eaten and drank here for years, anytime were up that way on the Harley, we always stop. It's nothing fancy, but the food is very good and the beers ice cold. Prices are very reasonable and the place is always clean. Waitress and bartenders always very friendly. We will go again and we recommend. read more

Good food, good people, low prices. Can't get much better than that! This is my favorite place to go for breakfast when I'm in the area.

Service was good, which was impressive since it was a one woman show that afternoon with a full restaurant. Food was standard bar food and came as ordered. My Thai chili wings would have been amazing if they hadn't been drowning in sauce. Less is more. My family had a papa bear burger, a regular bacon cheeseburger, and a grilled chicken on lettuce. They all said it was fine, nothing spectacular. There were flies buzzing about and that's kinda gross when you're inside, which is the first reason they earned a 4. And the women's restroom was horrid. The smell was putrid. I guess someone must have had a bad night. This was the second reason they earned a four from me. read more

I can easily understand how the Black Bear could get just 2 stars from someone or possibly even 4 stars from someone else. It depends on what you are looking for when you come in here. But whether you're a biker, a hiker, a leaf peeker, or a bird seeker, even if you are just passing through, there is probably something here to satiate your need for some comfort food at any hour they are open. And they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are three distinct Adirondack rustic areas within the Black Bear. The bar, the diner counter, and the dining room. We arrived at the dining room on a Sunday evening just after a rush that our server, Dakota, said had her running around like a chicken with its head cut off. (Not an enjoyable sight to watch on YouTube.) They don't serve any draft beer, and I didn't see any real craft beers in bottles, so I decided to go with a trusty can of Guinness ($2). My wife had a bottle of water (75 cents). None of the three in our group was up for a full dinner so we focused on the sandwich section of the menu. The result was two orders of Grilled Bacon and Cheese ($5.40 each), one on whole wheat and the other on rye, and a Papa Bear Burger ($8.50). Our eyes were also caught by an appetizer called Bear Droppings ($5.25), so we decided they might be good to share while our sandwiches were being made. It turned out that Bear Droppings were potato nuggets topped with crispy bits of real bacon and drizzled with a bit of melted cheese, and ranch dressing. This was a good start for a comfort meal. The bacon was especially good, I wonder if it came from Oscar's in Warrensburg? One indication that the Grilled Bacon and Cheese sandwiches were good was when my sister admitted that she had eaten the exact same thing when she was there the night before. I tasted my wife's with the rye bread and it brought back memories of the ones we had growing up as children. While slices of tomato also added a nice flavor and texture, once again, all that bacon was a highlight. The Papa Bear Burger is a quarter pounder. I can't recall the last time I was served only a ¼ lb. beef patty. It seems that everyone wants to give you a half pound of beef now. Frequently, I find myself taking home half of those half pounders. So I wasn't the least bit disappointed to be ordering the smaller patty. But what did surprise me was when our server asked me how I wanted it cooked. Could they really do a medium-rare on what I now considered was likely to be a skinny patty? The answer to that is YES! While I might have considered the hard roll that it came on to be a bit more bread than was necessary for the amount of meat, the inclusion of lettuce, tomato, cheese, and fried onion combined to provide enough volume and flavor with my choice of some medium wing sauce, to make this a tasty and hunger satisfying burger. I will point out that the fries were the weak point of the meal. So it took us 40 years of driving by here to finally stop in. I don't see any reason why it should take another 40. Our server was very friendly and the kitchen had the food coming out very quickly. You certainly can't beat the prices for the quality. And while a Homemade Meatloaf dinner ($11.50) seems like it could be another good thing to try, I don't know where else I'm going to find Liver with Onions and BACON ($12)! read more

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This was my second time at the black bear. First time wasn't great, slow service, lots of flies. This time we stopped for breakfast. Place wasn't too busy. Waited 5 minutes for the waitress, ordered coffee and our meals. Very simple,my brother ordered french toast and bacon, and I ordered 2 eggs and hash. We waited almost 40 minutes, 3 cups of coffee later we asked the waitress if our food was being cooked and she said not yet. We said we were leaving and she said no charge for the coffee. Not, food will be right out, or it will be ready soon. We left 5 bucks. Never again. read more

I suggest you to go here if you want something cheap and the foods okay I went there the other night and it was okay the service was great they were quick the food wasn't that good I got a philly and the steak was so dry and my brother got the chicken nuggets they were over cooked. overall it looks nice and is really quiet unless the people in the bar are screaming lmao. read more

staff was attentive to us but was very loudly complaining about other staff.. Food was, eh. About what we expected but had I known that there were more options down the road in CHestertown, would have gone there instead..... read more

While staying at a bed and breakfast not too far from Gore Mountain this past weekend, we needed to find a place to hit up for dinner, and Black Bear was right down the road and advertised "home style cooking". Can't go wrong with home style, right? Last time I checked, "home style" didn't involve getting served popcorn shrimp with hair in it. I found that out the hard way. Lucky me. Consider me officially scarred and too traumatized to ever order popcorn shrimp again. For dinner, I got a simple cheeseburger with fries, and that was acceptable, though I think it's pretty hard to mess up a cheeseburger. I was intrigued by the Russian sauce that was a sauce option, served on the side. The waitress had no clue what it was, and it was hard to pinpoint what it tasted like. I'm going to say it tasted like fat. It was like a mayo base with a slight orange tint to it, fatty, and otherwise, lacked any other distinguishable flavor. Beware of the Black Bear. read more

Honestly the food was amazing this review is not about that at all. The young waitress working at this restaurant cannot handle being a waitress. The first time we came here she told us " I have too many tickets and I need to get caught up so it will be awhile before I can seat you " so we left. This time we came and she said the same thing but we could seat ourselves. We chose to do so but every person who came in after us she turned away telling them she wasn't serving because she needed to catch up and couldn't think straight. She also stated she sent the other waitress who was there home because she didn't think she needed her. I'm sorry but if you can't handle six tables ( the restaurant was not full ) maybe you shouldn't send the other waitress home. If I owned this establishment I would honestly be embarrassed and pissed off I'm losing money because the waitress can't handle her job. read more

Easy laid back country roadside eatery. Simple food, burgers, not prepared well and service is pleasant. Very tidy and clean.

Mozzarella sticks served with pizza sauce out of the refrigerator!?! That's just gross Chicken fingers that are not fully cooked. Thanks but no thanks. I don't understand how this place has received as many stars as it has. The only reason that they should get any is because the waitress is nice read more

This is a local favorite. The veggie omelet was quite nice (mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and onions), steaming hot and served with a side of toast (white, wheat or rye). A plentiful selection of a la carte items are available, too. Pancakes, eggs, sausage patties and more. I do not believe the restaurant provides cream for your coffee. Just milk. It was fine. Our wait staff was very attentive and supportive of each other. I learned the owner of 49 years is selling the establishment that includes a substantial size bar/lounge attached. read more

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We needed a quick lunch with kid in the middle of nowhere and didn't expect much from this place. If anything they exceeded expectations. The place is divided in two, with half being a dusty divey bar and the other half a family restaurant, decor circa 1973. I had the trout on the recommendation of other Yelp reviews. It was good but a bit salty for my taste. The accompanying potatoes and steamed veggies were straight from a mix/can and tasted accordingly. French fries were pretty good. Restaurant merchandise is awesome in an ironic way. read more

This place gets 5 stars for doing one simple thing incredibly well: The Turkey Club Sandwich. I know. It doesn't sound like a hard thing to do, but theirs is the best club I have eaten since I-don't-when. Let me explain how to make a good club sandwich. 1- use 3 slices of bread: white, wheat, rye...whatever you like. 2- toast the bread, but not so hard that it'll tear up the roof of your mouth, a common occupational hazard of eating a Club Sandwich. 3- the bacon should not shatter. It should be still a little bendy. There should be enough bacon that I can get a little into every bite. 4- don't skimp on the turkey, and use good turkey 5- all internal sides of the bread need mayo. Not Miracle Whip, mayonnaise! 6- Include some substantial tomato slices that aren't too mushy. 7- The lettuce should not be shredded....why do sandwich places shred the lettuce? It all falls out all over the place. And it's extra work, it already comes in these easy to layer, easy to handle, sandwich-size leaves??!! Just don't. 8- Add a huge pile of fries on the side and some pickle spears or slices and you're done. So congrats to Black Bear Diner. I liked the club so much I bought a T-shirt from you guys so I can remember where to go when I need another one. And also thanks to the polite patron in the parking lot who gave me the "OK clear" sign to back out into the road. My guess is he's there a lot. read more

take the pizza off the menu!!! Everything I mean everything was nasty from the frozen pizza crust topped with nasty cheap nasty pizza sauce, nasty cheese, nasty pepperoni and wayyy under cooked cheese. Save your money!!! Little Caesars has better pizza for 5 bucks lol read more

Staff was very rude when we walked in and stated it would be a bit which was not a problem for us as we knew we had a big party for lunch. The staff acted like it was an inconvenience for us to be here. Not sure why they offer appetizers when you can't order them as an appetizer and have them before your meal. The food was not the greatest as one person ordered a hamburger and it tasted nasty. How do you mess up a burger? Never even offered refills on drinks. Not a very kid friendly restaurant. If I could give a 0 I would. read more

I stopped at the Black Bear on the way home from Vermont. My travel companions and I had stumbled upon the restaurant getting off the Thruway for gas. We were hungry and the Black Bear was right there. I have to say I was surprised by what I got. There was a nice bar and a restaurant section separate from the bar. The bar had multiple TVs showing the Yankee game and college football. It seemed like it would be a great dive to hang out and have a few drinks. The menu was very basic but the prices were really cheap. I didn't expect much and was pleasantly surprised with my meal. I ordered the cold meatloaf sandwich and a bowl of Chicken Dumpling soup. Both were good and hit the spot. One of my companions had the same thing as me with no complaints and the other in our party had a burger. The burger was basic but cooked to spec with all the fixings. A highlight for me was the service. Our waitress was fun and spot on with the service. She was attentive and actually seemed to care about our experience. She wasn't hard on the eyes either. I read the other reviews posted about this place and have to disagree. I think you need to take this place for what it is. A nice cheap place for a few drinks and a basic meal. read more