Wife and I had breakfast the other day and we were very surprised. The waitress was awesome as the rest of the employees were also. The food was very good and the amount of food was a lot more than we expected. I usually finish what's in front of me, but I couldn't do it. It was so much food and so delicious. We're definitely going back. read more

Food is good, service is good, Food is outrageously priced, Other diners in town have better food for half the price.

great service , food , atmosphere attention to detail ! staff is friendly! great gift shop

Visited April 15th..see receipt. This location is in Chico and has indoor and outside seating. Great location within the Chico Mall ( marketplace ) Stopped in for a late breakfast after shopping at the mall. I had the lighter breakfast with pancakes and 2 thick cut bacon slices and a scrambled egg. I really liked the bacon as it was crispy as ordered! Everything was really good! My friend got Joes hobo omelete with a ton of crispy hash browns. It also came with a biscuit and for 99 cents more you get the gravy on top. The portion was huge and everything was really good! Plenty of leftovers! They also have some yummy looking desserts and pies! They serve beer and wine as well as mimosas. It's cutely decorated with bears. Waitresses were friendly and order came out quickly ( thanks Monique)! I will definitely come back when in Chico! read more

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OK, looks like I've been on a Black Bear Diner kick here a little bit. I was just at another location and had a great experience. I'm in Chico for a little bit and found there's a Black Bear here. The onion rings I was really impressed with last, so we decided to get a whole side order for around $8 bucks. It arrived before our entrees, of the patty melt and the bacon cheeseburger salad. I guess i was expecting a bug mound of onion rings with the full appetizer order, so I was a little underwhelmed with the portion, but it tasted good anyways. I found you can substitute say fries off a burger or sandwich for the onion rings no charge, which I find rare in restaurants that you can get onion rings no extra charge. I'll just get the onion rings that way next time. My patty melt was mos fab and actually cooked med rare as ordered! Hardly any place cooks as I order, normally you just get well done no matter how you order a burger. My friend's bacon cheeseburger salad was really good, that was my choice if I didn't get the patty melt! I'll still come to Black Bear Diners, I'll just get onion rings instead of fries. Service was fine for our visit as well. read more

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Norma was wonderful! She treated us so well thanks for the experience! Food was so delicious couldn't even take any home!

Good food Big foot chicken fried steak- this meal you get to choose soup or salad, I chose salad. Then you get to choose 2 sides, I chose green beans and toast. it was a big steak and did take me a lot of bites. Was super nice and hot when it came out but cooled down pretty quickly. Knife that was given was really sharp. White gravy was white gravy, lacked flavor imo. It was an alright steak, took a lot of bites but wasnt as much as I expected. Salad- waiter will ask what dressing you want, from what I remember, he mentioned balsamic vinegar, thousand island and a few others. I chose thousand island, was surprisingly good ha ha. Maybe cause it came out first and I was slightly hungry, was refreshing and nice to snack on before the meal. Tomatoes were so good. And every other ingredient tasted really fresh. Garlic parmesan toast- this came with the big foot, was alright, toast is toast Green beans and bacon- also came with big foot, was pretty flavorful. Felt like eating the ingredients from a soup. The little soup at the bottom was super salty. Huckleberry ice cream- was alright. Quality was similar to store bought ice cream. With bits of ice. Not really what I'd expect from a restaurant. But I guess with such a cheap price, it makes sense. Definitely wasnt the highest quality. Didnt go to a restaurant to get store bought quality ice cream with ice. Like actually store bought better cause theres no ice. There was so much at the bottom. Nothing I cant chew through but not something you'd want in ice cream Vanilla ice cream- my friend got this and she said there wasnt as much ice as the huckleberry. To me, it also does look better than the huckleberry. Rueben sandwich- my friend got this and she said, "The garlic toast was great and I'm happy the waiter guy suggested using it as the bread for the sandwich" and "I wish there was more of the non-corned beef in the sandwich tho, but that's just my preference" Extra Theres a juke box Waiters nice We paid at the counter idk if its just cause we split the bill. Ambiance was really nice, comfy chairs and well decorated Nice place but idk if Im gonna crave to go back so 5/5 read more

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My to go place whenever I'm on the road. Huge servings. Try their Big Bear Burger. Holly Molly, it was great.

After having a few negative experiences at the Chico , ca. Black bear diner location. I decided to give it another shot and unfortunately, I was again disappointed at my overall experience. The food was pretty good this time so I gave it a two star, but the waitress was not good at all. I had to ask her repeatedly for coffee, and water refills. The Restaurant only had about 6 to 8 other tables. At the time I visited. Therefore, there were plenty of opportunities to give good service and earn a four or five star review. read more

Wow... what a serious disappointment. It's been a year or so since we ate here last and now we probably won't return, the food was that bad. GREASY. Overcooked. i ordered onion rings and got onion pieces. My husband's burger was an oversized McDonald's hamburger with extra grease and greasy fries. And, the item i went for is no longer on the menu. i don't know if you can call yourself a diner if you don't even have a tuna melt... read more

We ordered online. The chicken fried steak was not quite ready when I arrived. After a few minutes, the food was given to me and I quickly drove it back to the hotel. The chicken fried steak was an extremely thin hamburger patty that was breaded and then deep fried. The steak came with some gravy that did not help too much. It came with a baked potato and vegetables. The baked potato was probably the best part of the meal. Their breakfasts are much better than their dinners. No to the chicken fried steak. read more

Black Bear Diner Chico - Ugly looking chicken fried steak - Diners Near Me - Chico, California

Kind of hit and miss at this restaurant sometimes good sometimes not so good. Today the omelette was good potatoes were kind of undercooked and bland. Today Should have been an IHOP day. Service was good read more

Black Bear Diner Chico - Hobo omelette, and potatoes - Diners Near Me - Chico, California

Food is just okay but the service is great! Feels like eating at home. They are so nice and the diner is cozy.

Only 1 out of maybe 5 times do they not disappoint. Got omelets and both had all the filling outside the omlette! Like WTF?! even the fricken cheese was outside the onlette. It was so bizarte! The sourdough tasted like how sweaty feet smell, the home froed had zero seasoning. They couldn't even get a fruit cup right, as the cantaloupe and honeydew were not ripe and had rind on them. Total shitshow and won't try again with them. read more

This place is down the street from my house, so I decided to walk over for breakfast. While the restaurant is pretty big, it has a homey and cozy feel to it. My server Spencer was super sweet, attentive, and easy to talk to. His fun and kind personality made me feel like I was speaking to a friend. I'm somewhat picky when it comes to breakfast food, but he recommended the Shasta Scramble which is now one of my favorites! read more

Today's food, which I Received in a timely matter, was hot My waitress was friendly and attentive. Much improved over my last experience where half the items on my plate were cold, and the coffee was lukewarm. The service was very slow and it took about 45 minutes to get my order. read more

Black Bear Diner Chico - Hobo omelette - Diners Near Me - Chico, California

Visit after mall shopping Outstanding food and friendly staff Great visit very happy with service and visit

Wow! Wow. Just a terrible long wait. If you're in a rush, don't come here for lunch time. Thirty..... thirty plus minutes wait just for two simple dish.... Come on.... Super duper slow. Either they didn't have enough cook in the kitchen or they just slow for no odd reason. Food was good but when you're waiting so long just to eat, nope, the vibe isn't right anymore. Ham, sauce and bacon were perfectly cooked and delicious. Scrambled eggs were okay. Potatoes were alright, could've been a little crisper. About returning again- probably not. read more

Black Bear Diner Chico - Sprinkle Cakes (860 cals.) - Diners Near Me - Chico, California

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Went in at about 5pm on a Wednesday and got the patty melt. I have to say, it was absolutely the most delicious thing I have eaten in a very long time! read more

This was the seventh BBD I've visited and the food didn't disappoint, nor did the service given a busy Sunday morning. The hostess who seated us was also a bear enthusiast and wearing bear ears on her head. She was adorable and so I explained I like to wear the 10" bear paws they used to sell. This location was too busy for me to communicate like a bear with the server. The bear hostess was unique and fun. The wifi has a password and works, but both the gentleman's and ladies washrooms were disappointing. A carved wooden trio of cute bears greets you outside. They don't have a lot of merchandise at this location. Its nice and cool inside...bears don't like the hot Chico summer, either. If traveling, you can get an omelet with fruit and English muffin as a lighter option, which'll prevent early hibernation before you reach your den. read more

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I want to salute Linda B. on her FIVE star service yesterday 8/26/25. I had decided not to return to your establishment due to the lack of service and attention I've had in the past, but the chef who prepares your breakfast is so good at his job I decided to give it a go and what a surprise. A gentleman greeted me at the the door and ushered me right to a table. Linda then greeted me with a large smile and fantastic service. I am not sure of her last name Blackbeg? in dine. Satisfied customer and will be back, Reba Black read more

That black bear diner today, Chris was probably the greatest waiter. I have had the staff was helpful and friendly, and the food came out promptly read more

Went on Thursday 8/1 ordered well done breakfast potatoes. They came out raw... the waitress didn't come Back around and check on us until our meal was half way over.. the waitress should have seen they were raw before bringing them to our table... the waitresses were talking about scheduling issues on the floor also. Something about the manager wanting more waitresses to come in but they didn't feel they needed more.. I felt one more would have helped. Also if you order the chili remind them to make sure it's hot... read more

Highly recommend. Great food! Great service! Staff is all so friendly and considerate about if we need anything even if they aren't our waitress they are stopping by to help. Julia is our waitress and she's a five star employee. The hostess had us seated quick. Also manager is very present and all over the restaurant assisting and managing staff. My husband loves salmon and he said this is the best salmon pasta he's ever had. read more

Black Bear Diner Chico - Pesto fettuccine salmon pasta - Diners Near Me - Chico, California

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Black Bear in Chico is an epic failure. Both food and service were subpar and food is VERY overpriced. I ordered the fish and chips ($17), and hubby ordered a Denver omelet ($18.49) and I had a Coke. Our order took almost 35 minutes and there were a handful of tables--maybe 4 tables occupied with 2 tables already eating. One table left not too long after we arrived, and another table of 2 arrived shortly after we placed our order. My hubby's meal arrived hot and freshly cooked except the corn muffin which was cold and stale. On the other hand, my meal arrived over cooked and barely warm. The fries tasted like they had been sitting and then warmed up in the microwave--nasty! My meal was so inedible, I just set it aside and dug into hubby's meal. Hubby's omelet was just ok. Nothing special to warrant an $18.49 price tag. The portions were generous but I now know you get quantity over quality. The waiter was gracious (sarcasm) enough to offer taking my meal off our bill like it was some grand gesture of recompense. Our bill came out to $24 and some change for the omelet and a coke. We left still a bit hungry and very disappointed. This was our second time dining at this location and the first time was the same experience--low quality food at a high price. This is NOT the Black Bear chain of yesteryear. This chain used to pride itself of good food with generous portions at a fair price. It seems to me the owners have been too concerned with expansion rather than focusing on quality control. After 20 years of patronage (Mt. Shasta City and Paradise were my two go-to stores) this was my last visit to a Black Bear diner. I'm now a loyal Cracker Barrel patron. read more

The food here was very good! The bacon and cheddar burger was awesome and the service was great! The servers are very kind and the ambiance was a very comforting vibe, gave off forest cabin vibes and is overall a great place! read more

Walked in, sat down, and was forgotten about. Mind you only two other tables were taken. Basically empty. Two young ladies servicing the front. Sad service...didn't even get asked if we wanted a glass of water. Zero.nada.zip.nothing.we walked out after waiting for what seemed like forever. And I was hungry. Shame. read more

Pretty dissappinting. No host to greet us. Waited several minutes. There was dirty silverware. I asked about local beers -none. None of the beers they did have listed were in stock, only bud light, The hamburger I ordered was dry, pretty tasteless, the tomato runny and unappealing. The grilled onions minimal and bland. The fries were not fresh, microwaved likely. I only saw one staff member for the whole floor. Bring back Outback? read more

I went to the Black Bear dinner on two different occasions for their prime rib and they didn't have it. I called this last time to make sure they would have it and was told they would and didn't. It's on the menu, and they lie I won't be going back ever again. read more

Breakfast food... YES! Dinner... not so great. We first had dinner at this location and I wouldn't have gone back another day for breakfast if we hadn't had brekky at the Barstow location before. The breakfast was excellent. Will absolutely go again. Dinner wasn't great. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. read more

Well.. to start with. I have eaten at Black Bear in many locations, I haven't eaten here in Chico. Apparently on a slow Wednesday at 8 pm they close. First my husband called and someone finally answered after 8 rings. A man answered and said hold on. My husband heard conversation and laughter, and the man never got back on the phone and just hung up on us. I called back, another 8 rings and a young sounding woman answered and I asked " are you busy?" Her response was no and we are closed. I replied " your website says 9 pm." She said we do normally but today was slow. Wow.. how unprofessional and how sad a statement for a relatively newer restaurant here. Maybe it's slow because the servers are rude? Food is bad? I don't know and I guess I won't find out either. Whoever runs this house better do some housekeeping with its staff. Too bad for Chico. The site is a very busy location. So it seems odd to be so slow. Bad management and bad food is generally a rule of why things quickly go south. read more

We had dinner there last night 9/13. The service was awful. The server never came back after our food was delivered. It's was not busy at all. We waited for 15 minutes for it check , we finally went to the register to pay for our meal. read more

We come into Black Bear pretty often but never had we had service like this! They have a new server and his name is Spencer! It was one of the best service experiences i've had at any restaurant! He is professional and polite and a fun personality. He made our breakfast extra special!! We will definitely be coming back on Saturday and Sundays when he works! If you get the chance ask for Spencer! You will not regret it! read more

We went for breakfast on Sunday, and were surprised that it wasn't that busy. Now I realize why--it's pretty pricey! The food was ok, not great, but they do give generous portions. However, the service was excellent! read more

Service was fine, employees were nice and clearly trying, but abysmally long wait time. Almost 2 hours, and once we received the food, my order was complety wrong and one of us didn't receive a side that came with the dish. When we paid, we paid separately- after confirming what we each ordered, we still all paid for the wrong thing. Extremely understaffed, do not recommend until they have a properly filled out schedule. Genuinely quite possibly the worst restaurant experience of my life. read more

It just keeps getting worse and worse. High prices, horrible service. Understaffed. No spoons served to stir coffee or tea. It's just bad these days. read more

Oh lord, where to start. First, I don't really like writing reviews- I'd rather support a restaurant through word of mouth. However, I'm writing this review to caution potential diners- times are tough financially, and I wouldn't want someone to walk away feeling like I did. I certainly have opinions, but I'll leave it (mostly) to the facts. The good: -Guy running food from the kitchen (not my server) -The manager smiled at me -The onion rings were properly cooked The bad: -I got seated a 6:46pm, and my soup arrived 28 minutes later -The green beans with bacon were sitting in a puddle of water, and there was literally one 1/2" square piece of soggy bacon in it -The tri-tip and ribs were over cooked (the rib bones were breaking apart), and no steak knife was provided -The server told me the cornbread and soup or salad were included, however they tried to charge me $5.29 and the cornbread never came. -I ordered bread pudding; I did not ask for it "to go"; it came to me ice cold AND it was burnt -My server did not smile once. I paid $37 for this meal. Now my opinion: I could have gotten a meal equally as good at Denny's... and it would have cost me approximately $17 less. read more

Good was good as expected. But the best part of the visit was our server Holly! She was amazing! And as a retired Chef of 30+ yrs., i don't compliment servers unless they earn it! Holly was friendly, helpful and made us feel right at home. She definetely sets BBD apart from the rest of the breakfast establishments! read more

It took a full 30+ minutes for an overdone breakfast to be served when there were very few people in the diner. Burned hash browns and bacon, dried out french toast and $43 for 2 people. Save your money and taste buds. read more

Just went with a large party of 20 to Black Bear Diner to celebrate a birthday. Our food was delicious! And always, the rotation sizes were huge! I would give 5 stars but they were out of ribs and prime rib (what the birthday girl wanted) and their pie selection was lean. Our server Sammy was phenomenal! They handled our large party with ease and were very polite and upbeat. It's a breath of fresh air to see such a happy server! One of the cooks came out twice (didn't catch the name) as well to make sure everything was in order). When you go, ask for Sammy! They will treat you right! read more