"Second Chance Café (Black Bear Diner, Petro Travel - Horizon City)" Call it reckless optimism or just bad life choices in motion, but I decided to give the Black Bear Diner a second shot--because who doesn't love disappointment with a side of fries? It was 2:30 on a Wednesday, that awkward time: Lunch rush gone, faith in humanity fading, and me thinking, "Maybe they've changed?" The vibe? Taxidermy chic meets thrift store lumberjack fantasy. The staff had all the warmth of a snowstorm, serving smiles that must've come straight off the clearance shelf. My burger arrived piping hot on the outside yet chillingly undead within--true culinary symbolism for broken promises. The fries were a crispy-meets-greasy existential crisis in potato form. By the end, I realized this wasn't a second chance; it was a sequel nobody asked for. Guaranteed this little bear won't bring Goldilocks back. read more

Service was AMAZING Food: this was our second visit. Food is just ok. But it's a diner!!!! The eggs in the omelet were dry. Huge pancakes had way too much vanilla. Bear Claws saturated with fat/oil that left a film on your palate and are very dry. Wine selection was OUTSTANDING. Better than most restaurants in El Paso. Not sure we'll be back. If I have to compare this to Crave, IHOP, etc. I would rank a 3 stars. But if you want the best value for your money...this place is for you. read more

Don't be intimidated by the gas station vibe. Local pit stop for some brunch! The restaurant opening is located inside the Petro travel center store and there is plenty of parking. It was our first time here and the food was pretty ok for a truck stop dinner and the portions were large. However the Service wasn't terrific. We were a party of 12 and they were able to accommodate for our large party. Working in the food industry myself, I understand the struggle of rushes but in this case, we had to keep reminding the waiter of two orders. One of them even came so late that the food was cold, and everyone in our party almost finished with their meals. As for the second one It seems like they had forgotten it because we had to come up to the front and ask and we saw the plate just sitting there. They did reimburse us for one meal but service was a bit disappointing. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Black bear diner is a cute honey diner that is found in Horizon, TX. The service was great the servers were friendly and were able to recommend some of their favorite dishes. My boyfriend ended up trying the bacon classic cheese burger and I had the open faced turkey sandwich. The food was exceptional comfort food. The staff was extremely friendly. My boyfriend and I also shared a brownie sundae. The options are endless. If you are in the mood for comfort food check out the Black Bear Diner read more

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Looks like what I've been looking for! Traditional American Style Diner! Service was pretty good. No complaints there. Ambiance was perfect. It has that trucker, small town American diner ambiance. The food was delicious! I want to visit here again next Saturday and try a different breakfast plate. First off, I've been wanting good hash browns that don't seem like frozen or bought pre-prepped and these hit the spot! They're unique also. Never had this style. The potato slivers were really thick so really tasty. It was toasty and soft, so perfect texture. I just wish it was seasoned. I understand why it may not be but it would've made it perfect. I came originally to order the ham steak but I saw home made hot Italian sausage and I had to try it. I'm so glad I did. It was delicious! So tasty! It's going to be hard not ordering that on my next visit. I didn't care for the Apple Cobbler. It was just a mini apple pie. I mean if that's what you want go for it. It tasted good. It's just not my ideal version of a cobbler. I still highly recommend this place and I'm definitely eating here again on my next opportunity to eat breakfast! read more

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The food was very cold. We asked our waitress to heat up the pancakes and she stuck the plate with the syrup in the microwave, which caramelized the syrup. Not to mention the pancakes were burnt. read more

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This place is a complete travesty!!! Stopped in at 6:00 am and this place was not open. I inquired within and the woman that was there said that they were not open -- by this time it is 6:15. NEVER AGAIN!! Enough said. read more

In general, the husband and I like Black Bear Diner. The first one we went to was years ago in Phoenix and always a favorite place on a birthday. More recently, we've gone to the newer truckstop locations. It was nice to find one in El Paso. This location seems fairly new. It's located inside the Petro and replaces the previous restaurant. We were at the Petro for a couple of days on a reset and had three of our meals at the Black Bear. Each visit, we were seated right away. There are booths and tables along with counter dining. The menu has plenty of options, including entrees with smaller portions and low calorie options. The food was good, but lacking at times. The Fit & Focused Chicken Apple Scramble was greasy and missing the avocado. The husband had a cheeseburger that was very good, but the coleslaw was cabbage with very little else. Some of the food came out barely warm. Overall, food was hit or miss. All of our servers were pleasant. Service was good. read more

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After a two year hiatus I tried this place again. Not many tables at 4:00 PM so I expected quick service. Good thing I wasn't in a hurry. The server was sweet but terribly inexperienced. She needed to be trained. The food took way too long to come out. They forgot the salads which should have come out first and I never got my corn muffin. With that being said, the food wasn't bad. I got the pot roast dinner. It was more than I could eat so I had leftovers. Hubby got the meatloaf which he enjoyed but they forgot the mashed potatoes. I do not blame the server, I blame the kitchen. It looked as though they could have used a few more cooks behind the line. I might try the new location on 375. I think this location has potential but will be unable to compete with other restaurants in this rapidly developing area unless it steps up its game. read more

Nice big menu. Really good food. Service was perfect prices very reasonable and breakfast anytime. Typical truck stop comfortable booths good desserts good food read more

I have fond memories of visiting this location on the outskirts of El Paso, when it was the Iron Skillet so I took the family out to change things up a bit. I found myself wanting to give a 4-star rating but unfortunately I think everybody enjoyed shopping in the truck stop store afterward, more than our actual meals. The hustle at the location was undeniable. The staff was working hard & moving to get diners served quickly to make room for those waiting for seats. The location is kinda cool with woodwork throughout that ties into the Black Bear theme. For the actual food, we ordered the chicken strip meal with fries (4-5 stars), the breakfast waffle meal (3 stars but waffle was tasty & sweet enough to not require syrup), the bbq burger (4-5 stars), the chicken fried steak breakfast meal (3 stars) and the bbq pork ribs (2 stars). Best part of the meals was the kids strips & burger. Most disappointing was the ribs - they were not tender at all and most were left uneaten. We might return again but hopefully it'll be better food next time. read more

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First when we sat down she took our drink order quickly. We Ordered chicken and waffles and Cheese burger basket waited 30 minutes still no food . People ordered around us came 15 minutes after us and they have already gotten the food. Same server. Would not recommend and won't be back. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - Chicken and waffles - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

I wouldn't know if the foods any good, I can't comment on the ambiance other than not to friendly, service is underwhelming considering i just got kicked out because, "We're not open right now!" It's 6:15am and they're still not open yet! Then change your hours!!! read more

Terrible diner, 10 min.to be seated, not bad, 25 min.for them to tell me no reuben had to order something else, so far 50 min.no food, if your diabetic stay the hell away from this business, I will never come here again, Will contact main offices this place really stinks avoid this diner.Terrible service.This is Friday at 330pm not even busy. read more

Horrible experience Aside from messing up the entire order they decided to also charge us for their mistake should of gone to Cracker Barrel read more

Had been waiting to visit this location since opening and we seemed to have picked a perfect day to do so. We initially tried for Fathers day but the wait was just a tad over what we felt comfortable doing. Also as a recommendation to other people, this is a diner, which means it is not that large of a place and large parties will take time to be seated as the accommodations are a tad lackluster in that sense. Their food as always was as delicious as their arizona locations that we frequent throughout the year. I had their Country Fried Steak eggs benedict and as always the portions were good and hearty. The fruit was deliciously crisp and in season and honestly everything felt and tasted great. The atmosphere is one you would expect and it does feel very active throughout your meal. Please remember they do have fudge as well as other goodies you can take afterwards. This is inside the Petro station where there used to be a Skillet Diner so please don't go in expecting this to be a large establishment like its other iterations. Also shoutout to Petro for awesome amenities while traveling. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - Now thats a biscuit. - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

First of all the menu is so extensive, it was difficult to decide what I wanted between so many good choices. Please know that the portions are huge! We couldn't decide to we started with dessert. It was a bear claw stuffed with berries, served, warm and yummy. Then we had a difficulty deciding between all you can eat fried fish on Friday or on Fridays and Saturdays the prime rib plate, but we chose order breakfast to go -I ordered the volcano , it started with humongous pancakes three of them. On top were eggs I chose my scrambled. They were two slices of bacon and two links of sausage. This order gave me t three good meals! For dinner I had the club sandwich on sourdough with sweet potato fries. It was fabulous, and so much food that I had to take half of it home. My friends ordered a large breakfast plate, with the eggs, sausage links, bacon, pancakes, and grits... everything was so good. She ended up taking the pancakes home.. This place is been around for a while, but it's off my beaten track. It is located inside the truckstop at the Petro on Horizon Boulevard. I haven't been there since they changed the restaurant inside. I will definitely go back. ! read more

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Went today and soo much food. Their portions are a lot so be careful when ordering! It was ok for me. Nothing wow other than portions. The ham steak was pretty good. It wasn't all bone or fat, which is a HUGE plus for me. Their "thick cut" bacon was not thick- normal size. Their sausage (2) were a good size I guess (I'm not a fan but it came with it). They load up the potatoes (they give you a choice of side) which have good flavor. Not sure if I would go back. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - The GRIZZ breakfast - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Best food ever always coming back for more!!! great service from our waitress Kailey!

The food is great but overpriced and there is a constant turn over of waitresses. The style of the dinner is that of old time America. Me and my wife use to go there all the time but the prices kept going up and we could no longer afford it. read more

We went on New Year's Day and it was quite busy. The wait for table 7 was around 45 minutes and the hostess was really nice and pretty accurate. As I was sitting there waiting, I saw the manager step in and make a lot of accommodations which is really nice. He clearly seemed to want everyone to be happy. In the waiting area there were little souvenirs and things you can shop from like Cracker Barrel, but not as extensive. It was pretty expensive with average branded T-shirts for around $25. When we were finally seated we were given a booth and two tables were put together. We had plenty of space but the table next to us with 6 clearly was uncomfortable and crowded. Our waitress seemed new and since we were seated in the back room she would disappear for long stretches at a time and we would have to flag other waitresses to ask for water refills. Besides the service, the menu is extensive and I was happy to see that they had different serving sizes for people with large or small appetites or maybe to even try different menu items. I was surprised to see California staples like Tritip even Santa Maria style, but it wasn't available in the mornings. Pro-tip: there's a clock that will tell you if the items are available in the afternoons. As far as the food is concerned, it was really a hit or miss. I think you have to really play around and order different things to see what you will like. Hits were the club sandwiches, fries, cold brew coffee, the pancakes and eggs, fried chicken eggs Benedict, and the children's menu which was a great value! Misses include the weird sweet and sour chili, the dry Tritip sandwich which the au jus couldn't revive, the hot coffee, the soggy hash browns, and the extremely hot plates which burned our waitress. There were a lot of families, couples, and single diners at the bar area, and they were taking a lot of phone orders. I can see the appeal if you're in the area as it can accommodate a lot of different tastebuds. It's a good value diner with some items that are rare in El Paso, but the execution isn't as tasty as it could be. After going to both, since they opened at roughly the same time, I prefer the new Cracker Barrel in the Eastlake area. It will accommodate larger groups and the food is beyond delicious. To be honest having to guess and take a chance to see if my breakfast is going to taste good in the early morning isn't something I want to think about. read more

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I really enjoyed my breakfast. Wide selection for adults and kids. Staff was nice. Service was a little slow but the place was packed so no complaints there. My company said they had the perfect toast so I feel compelled to mention that. Will definitely come back. read more

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Had a couple of glitches when we received our food after ordering, but Christopher was spot on fixing the problems. All establishments could benefit from having a Christopher. This was our second time to eat there. It will Not be the last time. Can't wait to try out the next delicious meal. read more

It was not my idea to visit this place today but I am so glad we did. Not knowing much of the restaurant I left with lots of respect and my visit was memorable. The food was plentiful and good- yes. The service was good and quick- yes. The prices were reasonable- yes. But what really sets this place apart is the evident pride in their company culture. Their logos are on all the cups, glasses and throughout their themed "log cabin" feel. Check out all the carved bears on the wooden posts! The menu includes their history and highlights some of their employees in appreciation. I am always a fan of that. Their placemat also gives more history of their origin and credos which I so enjoyed reading. It all adds up to a charming and cozy personality for this place. Oh and the greeting and farewells by all staff is refreshing. I am not a fan of the location, too much trailer traffic for me, but having visited now it's well worth the trip and will be bringing others I am sure. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

Been to this place a few times in Phoenix. It is always so good. Sad to see iron skillet go but this was a good replacement. Service was a bit slow but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since its new and they haven't gotten a routine down yet. Kitchen did get backed up, but there was no lack in the quality of the food. I had the sweet cream pancakes combo. Came with eggs and bacon and I asked for a side of red country potatoes. My eyes were bigger than my stomach though, I forget how big the portions are. So keep that in mind. Pancakes were huge. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - Sweet Cream Pancakes (700 cals.) - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

DO NOT COME HERE .Service is horrible I have only seen my sever once. I waited for an hour and still didn't receive our food. Also the waiters have been talking behind the counter for mostly all the time. And plates are just left there after 10 of minutes after people leave. read more

Went on two different Sundays & food was great. But came on Tuesday night & food was cold & not that good. So only gave them a three this time. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - Some of their breakfast options. - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

Food not the best. I give most places three tries I'm on the second Service was good Cook made some errors in getting order correct They getting one more chance read more

My dad likes to come eat here because the food is really. There is a lot to pick from for me and my brother. We really like the fluffy pancakes and you get a free sundae after 11AM. This place is kid approved. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - Chocolate Chip Pancakes (1020 cals.) - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Lousy service and food. The employees never smile. Always making faces. The manager was nowhere in sight. People waited to be seated, yet lots of tables were empty and clean. The hostess was also a cashier and waitress. Lousy place. read more

Nice themed atmosphere, busy during breakfast times, worth the wait. Food portions are generous. Only complaint was front waitress worked bar seats and tables along with running register which made food come out cold from sitting on counter too long. Maybe just a fluke since it's only time it happened. read more

Arrived at the Horizon Blvd Black Bear diner around 12:30 PM (party of 4); the diner was about 1/5 full. The young man at the check-in/out counter looked at our party then walked off without acknowledging us or saying anything; about 6 minutes later he finally returned to lead us to a table. After being seated, we sat for 10-15 minutes before the waitress finally came over to take our drink and food orders. Note that the diner was not busy by any measure. My wife and I both ordered breakfast meals with eggs over-easy and toast. About 20 minutes later our order was placed on the serving line under the heat lamps where they stayed for about 10 minutes. When finally served to us, the toast we ordered was not with the order; the waitress said the toast would be up shortly. About 15 minutes later, our eggs had gone cold and we still had not received our requested toast. At this point I had eaten most of the breakfast and I re-requested the toast and a new set of eggs to replace the cold eggs. The staff at this Black Bear Diner was inattentive and lackadaisical compared to any other Black Bear Diner I had ever been. The food was decent, but also not up to Black Bear Diner standards. Note that the other Black Bear Diner in town is excellent and nothing like this one. read more

Good size portions and delicious! The ambiance is very cozy feels like you're in ruidoso. Service was great! read more

Good, as always! Huge servings. We're older and need to start ordering one plate to split.

A great place to have a big breakfast, whether it's a chicken fried steak, eggs with bacon or pancakes and waffles. The restaurant seems to get packed on weekends but surprisingly the chatter is not too loud like other places. You can save some waiting time by sitting at the counter. The seats are comfortable, you can see the kitchen action and the servers have your attention. Prices are a bit higher but worth it. read more

Black Bear Diner El Paso - Chicken Fried Steak and eggs, $13.99 - Diners Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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The food here was so good, petitions were generous and the service by the staff was awesome. Family style casual restaurant and great ambiance. I would definitely be back read more

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They have the best taco salad and it is so big you and someone else could share it. It is delicious surface was very friendly and it is a very kid friendly family, friendly restaurant. I will try and remember to take a picture of my taco salad and post it on here, but it was so delicious looking I was just ready to eat. read more

We were off to a slow start, as we waiting for someone to take care of us! A young man finally came over and took our order!! We were not disappointed, the portions are ginormous!!! The music could be changed up a little the big band blaring was a bit much. The manager finally made rounds and I let her know it took 15 minutes for someone to come take drink and food order. After that we were checked on every few minutes. By the way there we're only 4 other tables seated! We left with bellies studies and a decent price for food. Only reason I couldn't rate a 5 was due to the wait after we were sat:( read more

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Great service and food was delicious went with a group of friends and we probably stood more than we should have on a Saturday morning but server never told us anything. read more

The service could be better. We were told that the kitchen was short-staffed. Well, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression! read more