Black Bear, oh Black Bear. This is the spot... and I just gotta say: SWEET CREAM PANCAKES. Hits the spot every time. My mouth salivates at the thought of these bad boys being served up to me. When I go I opt for the addition of blueberries (obviously this is to get my nutrient intake up and get those antioxidants in because I'm health conscious like that.), but I'm sure if you're feeling particularly naughty go for some chocolate chips on dat bad boy. These pancakes are HUGE. I mean all their portion sizes are huge. They are not your normal pancakes, they're so fluffy and indulgent and so bad but so good and so just yes. Alright, I'm done... just get these & thank me later. My friends got the club, french toast, and some corned beef hash, and a side of hash browns were involved. All us ladies were pleased with our food & stuffed beyond belief. Needless to say, you're gonna need a takeaway container unless you've starved yourself prior to your BB experience. The coffee however is not my favorite and they don't let you order off the kid's menu, even if you're truly 12 at heart. :( Oh yeah, and they have a healthy section for those trying to get grub without the self hatred afterwards... but seriously, just get the pancakes and pretend like it's broccoli or something because they are dizzzamn good. read more

Black Bear Diner Davis - sweet cream pancakes aka heaven - American Near Me - Davis, California

Well managed chain restaurant. The waiters/waitresses were friendly but tired. The food was American comfort food but tired. This is a home style American chain through and through. If Denny's is a 2, Black Bear diner is a 3. If Denny's/IHoP are a 4 Black Bear is a 5. They do it right and are still putting some effort in. read more

Atmosphere: 5/5 Food Genre: Soul/American Food Quality: Best in Davis, CA Service and quality of staff: Spectacular Time: 2 pm Before committing to a long drive, I was craving breakfast. I'd walked into black bear with greetings of smiles by the friendly staff up front. With only about 30 minutes of free time, I wanted something quick and easy. The staff helped point out a nice combo for me, roughly under 10 dollars, of eggs, pancakes, and sausage links. Even the servers had a great quality of relationships and personality with one another, joking around and having a lighthearted attitude while maintaining a professional workplace manner. With coffee in hand I had time to take in everything and how nice the place was. It had an amazing atmosphere with their own jukebox! I didn't expect much from two eggs, two pancakes, and two sausage links, but they blew me away with pancakes the size of my face. Easily, this could have fed two people (or one of me!) I love pancakes, but I believe that Black Bear's are the best in Davis. Each bite is so fluffy and tastes like heaven. The service is amazing, since they know every customer is different - and does not hesitate to ask how the food is or if there's anything they can accommodate. Thanks Black Bear! read more

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

Excellent food and service!!! We was here on Sunday for breakfast, the eggs Benedict's was awesome , perfect and clean presentation read more

Big portion of okay breakfast food but I'd keep away from everything else -- especially dessert. Their lava cake has no lava... and its microwaved. Breakfast dishes and burgers are your best friends when dining here. Egg plates and omelettes are my go-to because the ingredients actually seem fresh. The quality of their hash brown seems to have gone down recently though. Dinner dishes like chicken and waffles leaves one with a dry mouth. Dessert. Disgusting. Dessert is promptly displayed in a refrigerated display front and center at the cash register. Did I mention it was refrigerated? Yup, I ordered the lava cake. I should have known. It came straight out of the fridge, was microwaved, and served with ice cream. If Betty Crocker barfed out her own brownie mix, this is probably what you would get. The texture of the 'lava cake' was oddly soft and slimey. The center wasn't even molten. read more

I'm sorry, but this place is just not for me. While many Davis students rave about this breakfast spot, it is a PASS in my opinion. Yes the portions are big, the restaurant interior is cool and interesting, and the ambiance is fun, and the menu is comprehensive, but the food just doesn't cut it for me. Last time I was here, I ordered the pancakes. There really was nothing wrong with them, but the taste just wasn't there. I couldn't finish my meal, as I didn't really find it appetizing. Maybe I'll give this place another try in the future, but it definitely isn't at the top of my list. Some people love it, so I guess you can give it a try if you've never been. Just don't blame me if you feel the same as me after! read more

A little more expensive than Denny's, but exceptionally better. This is pretty quality diner food, not to mention monstrous portions! I've been here a few times with various people and along with my own food have tried bites of theirs. I haven't been too disappointed. One of the reasons I docked a star is because I've ordered my eggs over medium a few times and they've been either over or under-cooked every time. Another is because the place feels somewhat crowded, claustrophobic. read more

Black Bear Diner Davis - THE VOLCANO. BOOOM. - American Near Me - Davis, California

If there is one thing I like about America, it's American breakfast. I came here with my family for birthday and we had a HUGE breakfast. I am very satisfied with my pancakes, The Volcano, also including two link sausages, two bacons and two eggs. It's my favorite! We also order New York Steak, with a huge biscuit, two eggs and hash brown. I love the steak medium well cooked. It was tender and juicy. My husband said his Chicago burger was good too. In the end we could not finish and have to take some back. I pass by the Black Bear Dinner many times in past one year and can't believe I didn't come in and try. I love it immediately the first time. Can't wait to come back! read more

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If I had to pick between IHOP and Black Bear, Black Bear wins hands down. They have comparable prices to IHOP, but definitely bigger portions. They also somehow make diner food look more appealing -- as in, it doesn't look limp/burnt/old. I had the bacon cheeseburger, which came with a huge side of fries. The burger was pretty small (not even In-n-Out sized), but the fries filled me up. My friends said they were a little dry, but they were okay for me. The burger was good -- I only wish it was bigger. My friends shared one of the specials for the night, which was prime rib for $12.99. It came with two sides and salad (I think); they had cooked vegetables, fries, and ranch dressing for the salad. When his meal came, I was impressed with how much food there was -- the side salad itself was a meal for one person! Definitely try the advertised specials! Tip: To get the most bang for your buck(s), try not to pick soup as a side -- you'll feel ripped off if you do. The soup comes in this super tiny cup. read more

This place by far is one of the best breakfast joints in Davis. Every time i come here the staff is always polite. I recently had there Denver Omelet add bacon and added some Tabasco sauce on top. It was awesome. I have yet to be disappointed with this place and whenever i am in Davis looking for breakfast this place has become my default staple. Other dishes i have tried are Shasta Scramble* - Avocado, spinach, tomato, onion, bell pepper & jack cheese. Vegetarian Omelet* - ,onion, tomato, bell pepper, spinach & jack cheese..plus bacon I love me some omelette's from this place. read more

I always have random black bear cravings!! After leaving Davis I had genuinely been missing this restaurant and finally got to revisit this past weekend. Still good as ever. As others have mentioned, the big foot chicken fried steak is totally worth every penny. It is 11.99 and for me personally, it accounts for two meals. You have so many choices of sides as well from fruits, hash brown, eggs, etc etc. The service is amazing too. Everyone is always helpful, cheerful, and smiling. At the end you can also pay individually at the counter so there's no hassle if you want to split the check! read more

Black Bear Diner Davis - Chicken fried steak :) shrimp does not come with the meal. - American Near Me - Davis, California

Came in around 6:30 PM on a Monday. Was greeted as I came in and seated right away. What can I say about this restaurant? One of my favorites in Davis for their great tasting food. I usually always order the country fried chicken with hash browns, pancakes and eggs and it's delicious!!!! The only reason why I'm giving it a 4 stars is because the portions have gotten smaller over time. This is a big No no for that's why all my friends come here for we are starving college students. In all, I love this place and the fact that they are opening up more locations in SoCal read more

Black Bear Diner Davis - Chicken fried steak and NEw York Steak in the back - American Near Me - Davis, California

Last Sunday I woke up craving pancakes. I convinced my roommates to go to Black Bear diner because I heard about how amazing their breakfast food can be. The pancakes did not disappoint. The reason I bestowed 4 stars instead of 5 is because the non-breakfast food is about 3-4 star quality. What to try: Pancakes, Waffles, BISCUITS!!!!!!!!!! The eggs were well made and the potatoes were crispy and delicious. They have a HUGE bear claw and an assortment of pies for sale as well. The menu is like newspaper and when you fold it up they'll take your order. Not much else to say about Black Bear. GREAT place for breakfast but I wouldn't highly recommend it for much else. read more

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My experiences here are usually pretty good but tonight I ordered the two egg combo with sausage links and hash browns but when I got home the container only had a single sausage (they should have 3), and it seems like they just piled on extra hash browns to either try and obscure that fact or make up for it. Either way it's annoying because driving back to the restaurant for two links feels pointless. If you are short on an item just let us know when we arrive so we can order something else. Kind of a weird thing to do. read more

Black Bear Diner is always on and off for me. Either they are really good that day or really bad. I love how they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the day and their portions are always so HUGE! The food isn't that bad, its quite good. I've tried their omelette and their special chicken fried steak. I love their food, but sometimes the server tends to forget little details of how you like your food to be. It is kind of my pet peeve, I guess. So before you go into Black Bear, you prepare yourself with irritated slow service. Even if it seems like its family run, they have a lot of customers throughout the day but they don't seem to mind the slow service. Their food is good when the waiter remembers to bring it to you when its hot. There are times when they forget to bring the food the table and the food actually gets cold and don't taste as good. You kind of have to constantly nag them for refills or more water. Although, they won't give you attitude or anything, its just a hassle you know? This is a great place for some comfort food, but beware of the slow service! read more

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Every time I visit this place, I get so impressed and satisfied, descent prices always nice personnel. But the best about black bear dinners is huge portions!!! read more

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

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Food is good but you never know who the cook will be. In our case the young guy was busy listening to his music and not so much on making food. It took forever to get our food and there were only a few people in the restaurant. The food was plentiful and it was warm/hot so that's something. You roll the dice at this place because of the high turnover. read more

Great breakfast! Huge portions. Fast and friendly service. Best omelet I've ever had! 2nd visit to BBD was not so good. Waited over an hour for food, 2 groups after my group got their food before us and ordered the same meals. 1 of the groups were done before we started eating. I asked the waitress to bring me a pie before they were gone...needless to say she forgot and they ran out. read more

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

We came here as a large group and even though it took us awhile to get seated, that made sense because there was roughly 30 of us. Our server was Alonso, who did his very best take care of us along with a couple of other employees. I got the corned beef hash which was amazing - it specifically listed on the menu that it was "not from a can, folks!" which was what encouraged me to get it. I had it with a side of hash browns, over-medium eggs and a pancake. My eggs were closer to over-easy, but it was fine. It was a pretty large portion and I ate every last bit of it - including the lettuce and the orange garnish lol. Some of the food for my other friends took a little longer and some of us had finished our food before the others got theirs. But again, expected for such a large group. The best part of it was that our server split ALL of our checks. That's right, all 30 of us had separate checks - which means no hassle for us in figuring out who to pay back who! I have yet to go to a restaurant that will split a bill so many ways - usually 4-5 maximum. Customer service is the #1 most important thing in my book next to good food (obviously) when I go to a restaurant and they get 10/5 stars for customer service! Besides that, its a great atmosphere - cozy and warm with a little shop on the side of some of their merch that's branded with bears and their restaurant. The type of food you would find here is just your good ol' diner food. Come thru for good food and great service! read more

Black Bear Diner Davis - Corned beef hash with hash browns, over-medium eggs and a pancake! - American Near Me - Davis, California

4 years at davis and I've never been to the baker's square once. Driving by one day I saw a sign that said Black Bear Diner and was intrigued. I had no idea it was a chain until I went there. The place was very accommodating, we had a mini dorm reunion there and had about 24 people when we only made reservations for 18 or so. The staff was very helpful and friendly. The service was great the location is good and they have their own parking lot. The bad thing about this place is it's mediocre-at-best food. I came here twice and the first time I had the chicken fried steak dinner which was nothing to write home about. My sides were rather bland - the macaroni and cheese was particularly disappointing. The second time I came here the food was absolutely terrible. I had an open faced turkey sandwich. The meat was dry, the fries were tasteless like cardboard, and the gravy had a burnt taste to it. During that meal I heard someone complaining about the taste of his hamburger to the owner. The food is cheap and plentiful... but you get what you pay for. read more

After a morning of debating (or just me deciding) between what type of food to eat, it came down to going between IHOP and Black Bear. This was my first ever visit to Black Bear and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by both the portions, which many of have already heard about, and the quality of the food. This was honestly one of the best chicken fried steaks I have had to date. Maybe that's not saying much, but between the years of going to Mel's (for those from the Bay), to Denny's and IHOP...I have never had such a large, nor tasty chicken fried steak. The side of has browns, eggs over-easy, and english muffins were also done very well (mind you, they shouldn't be hard to screw up but Denny's manages to do it all the time). They did not seem to have this overly greasy and sodium infused taste to them. They were left up to me to season, which is something I prefer in this setting. All in all, I felt happy with my choice in picking Black Bear over IHOP today. As a strict health-nut....these were 1200 calories I did not regret devouring. read more

The food is pretty good and the hunk of bread they give you is gargantuan (hell, all the portions are pretty big). I think the way they decorated it and the menus are a nice touch. However, the second-last time I went there for lunch with my roommate (I had a class; she had to work), it wasn't very busy, but they took over 15 minutes to seat us. We told them we were in a hurry and ordered immediately, and they took an unbelievably long time (over half an hour?) in getting the food to us. I kinda thought they'd forgotten about us. We did eventually get our food, but ended up having to pack it to eat later, since it was already so late. The last time I went, things were fine, so I guess it's kinda hit or miss with this place? read more

Generous, generous portions. I got the albacore sandwich with potato salad. The salad was good, but the albacore sandwich was a bit bland... the service was great (barely anyone there at the time we went- around 3pmish) The give HUGE portions at reasonable prices, perfect for hungry and starving college students. Parking may be a bit hard while school is in session (during the weekdays). read more

I love Black Bear Diner. The bear claws are great at every other location I have been to. I have been to the Davis location three times this last month and each the bear claw had hardly any filing. They seem to be cost cutting no butter was even served or offered. The Tulare location great claws and food just No access to the wifi. If you want a good claw go to a different location. read more

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

so I'm leaving Davis in a few days, I decided to get back to Yelp and do a mass review of all the places I've been over the past year. Pretty solid place. Massive portions, decent prices, typical diner food. If you're a cook and you can't cook diner food, quit the job! Came here for breakfast, eggs were properly cooked, bacon perfect- seems like they throw it in the deep fryer :) Service is good too, everyone's very friendly. read more

Okay, forget IHOP and Denny's. If you want some quality diner food, this is the place. The portions are pretty big and the ingredients are fresh. They have the cool orange squeezing machine which guarantees perfect orange juice. I wish they brought back the steak and eggs combo. I always used to pass by the restaurant and see that sign, thinking it was a daily thing. read more

This place definitely gives big portions! Though it could be a bit pricey but I always have some leftovers in the end. The times I have came here I had to wait a long time to be seated. The service here is really good; people are friendly. I love their clam chowder soup of the day and their cornbread. I have had their Chicken Fried Steak and it was pretty good and big! I've also had one of their sandwiches and it was decent; nothing to fancy. The specials here are usually pretty great so you can never go wrong with that! read more

Really fun decor, especially the menus, which are printed on newspaper (so it looks like the whole family is gathered around the dinner table reading! Fun.), and the random bear paraphernalia everywhere. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available throughout the day! The entrees really do come out in HUGE portions, but the quality of each entree is variable. On the days that the food comes out perfectly (eggs cooked as ordered, don't have to mention twice that I didn't want an item in my omelet, bacon is not overcooked, etc.), I am okay with the slow service (which IS almost always friendly and courteous, just very slow). Overall, the restaurant is cozy and well-decorated, offers classic diner items (blackberry shakes! yum.) all day long, and provides excellent customer service, but variable food quality and slow service time keeps me from giving Black Bear two more stars. read more

A solid go-to diner for dependable traditional American breakfast/brunch. It's a very popular spot in Davis with a constant flow of students and families with growling stomachs. Amongst us, we had some steak & eggs, corned beef hash and the Acapulco scramble. The corned beef had great savory flavor with some mild spice, though pretty one note on the whole. My scramble was a fine mix of chicken, cheese, veggies and avocado mixed into the eggs - didn't expect much from one of the "healthier" options and it got the job done. Service was decent and I did enjoy some of the little touches like having the menus printed in newspaper. read more

Best pancakes ever! What is in them? Crack?! I have no idea but they taste amazing. Nice breakfast-all-day spot and plenty of parking.

The smell of bacon upon entering, warm,-cozy,-and-casual surroundings, generous portions of nicely presented and tasty breakfast entrees (only complaint: my requested "over-medium" eggs were more like "over easy")... hit the spot for a casual breakfast. I was impressed with their biscuit (huge, soft, and warm -- unlike many which are stick-in-the-throat dry and dense)! Service was impressively friendly, both at the table and the front counter. Definitely preferred over Denny's. read more

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

You certainly can judge a place's food by their quality of coffee. The coffee was nothing great and neither was the food. Pros: Pretty good and friendly service, low cal options for breakfast Cons: A seemingly glamourized Dennys, kinda pricy Would not return, but would not complain if there was no other choice. read more

We came here last Friday night after driving around and finding that everyplace seemed mobbed. We waited just a few minutes before getting a table. We are familiar with Black Bear Diners after visiting a few around the state. My daughter liked her burger. I ordered the taco salad. It was very large, piled high with lots of ingredients. I asked for no salad dressing so they brought me extra salsa which was perfect. It was really good, though I tried not to eat the fried shell. I'm really glad to have had this experience to know how good this salad is. I'll probably try it the next time I'm at a Black Bear Diner! read more

Great atmosphere! Chicken fried steak is the best here! The huge biscuits are very good also. The habanero hot sauce is amazing I decided to take two bottles home. Great service, waitress was very friendly. read more

Black Bear Diner Davis - Chicken fried steak! - American Near Me - Davis, California

I've been here quite a bit in the past year. I used to really enjoy the breakfast, especially the corned beef hash, but the quality has unfortunately tanked in the past couple of months. The hash browns are undercooked, and pretty gross. The corned beef hash is dry and disgusting now. Eggs, forget it. The coffee doesn't really speak to me. The OJ remains good, but yeah. I'm gonna take a break from this place. (Bring back the old cook!) read more

This place has REALLY stepped up its game! Fast and friendly service. Huge portions and delicious food. Highly recommend!

Last week was Picnic Day, and we needed some breakfast before exploring U.C. Davis. The restaurant was very busy when we arrived around 8:30am. We had a party of 11, and we had to split our group between three tables. I love the menu since it has the layout of a newspaper. It's very inventive. We ordered the following: 1) Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs - My husband liked the chicken fried steak. The batter was tasty, and the chicken was moist. The chefs messed up on the order since he received scrambled eggs, but wanted poached eggs. The waitress allowed him to keep the scrambled eggs and gave him poached eggs. It was a lot of eggs to eat! 2) Shasta Scramble with Spinach, Avocado, Cheese, Onions, and Bell Peppers - I really liked this dish due to the ingredients. Next time, I would not request cheese since there was too much scattered on top of the scramble. Each breakfast item received a biscuit and a type of potato. I preferred the country red diced potatoes than the hashbrown. The country style potatoes were crispy and had more texture. The biscuit wasn't bad. It was fresh out of the oven. You can definitely share a dish with another person since the portions are huge! I probably gained 5 pounds just from the breakfast. Service was pretty good considering that the restaurant probably had more people than usual due to Picnic Day. I would come back again. read more

Black Bear Diner Davis - Shasta Scramble - American Near Me - Davis, California

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if you're looking for munchies, brunchies, or even drunchies, look no further cause Black Bear Diner is the place to be! Located conveniently in downtown Davis, this place is always packed on the weekends. But don't worry, the wait is never long. Once seated in the diner-like restaurant, you can look at a newspaper-like menu and order whatever your heart desires. The meals here are HUGE and the prices are very reasonable. Great service, good food, affordable prices, and just a good dining experience! read more

Black Bear Diner Davis - Eggs Benedict - American Near Me - Davis, California

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One of the best locations I've given my business to. Food came out hot, great service from the staff. Wonderful experience.

Stopped in on our way home from vacation. Hostess took our drink order and brought them very quick. Took a bit for waitress to get to us to take our food order, even though the restaurant was not busy. Once she came over, she was very friendly. Food came out quick and hot and the waitress came by several times to check on us. We like that we can count on Black Bear no matter where we go for good food and generous portions. We stick with a handful of our favorites when we visit other locations, this time the burger basket and little lite breakfast and were not disappointed. read more