I've heard nothing but great reviews about this place however it didn't work out for us! It took 15 minutes to get waited on then 50 minutes to get our food that my husbands was not hot. Food is good and good portions but our server was not good. She was not friendly or helpful. read more

I've been to other Black Bear diners so the food is consistent and you know what you are getting. This is about the deplorable service we received. Once we were seated if the host had not taken our drink orders we would not have been served on for 20 or 30 minutes. Our server was MIA. She would check on other tables and skip us. We had to track her down to get coffee and water refills as she continued to ignore our table. Other customers came and went before our food ever arrived. When the food did arrive half of our dishes were lukewarm or cold. Clearly our 5 orders were not a priority and completed at different times. Our server did not check in on us once we got our food until we had finished. Bad service. read more

We are not chain restaurant people for the most part, appreciate Yelp so we can discover a fabulous local eatery. However we do have a few exceptions to that concept and Black Bear Diner is one of those. We often choose Black Bear Diner when we are traveling through, not looking to spend a lot of time and want a great place to stop for a good meal. The menu has traditional and innovative offerings and our experience is it appeals to everyone in a group of people. Portion sizes are ample and I have never had something I wish I hadn't ordered. The biscuits alone keep me coming back and I am usually impressed with the jam offerings! read more

Disappointed. The greeter must have been having a bad day. She was dour, best case. No smile at all. May have been the unflattering black uniform. Very slow service. Server finally told us they had run out of lettuce for the Cesar salad. This was 30 minutes after the order was placed. Order still not served after 45 minutes. Interestingly next table came later served much sooner. When order came it was incorrect, ordered plain burger, got cheese burger. Did not want to spend time to correct. read more

It's a good diner in a small town here. The ambiance is really great with rustic interiors, almost everything made of wood logs. The staff is very friendly and the diner is located in a great place with good town views. The food is great too and the portions are really big. Everything tasted fresh and hot. We didn't have to wait very long for our food to arrive and the staff is very accommodating. I would recommend this place when traveling to Bend or Mt. Hood as it is at a perfect place. read more

The food is standard. The only reason they are even profitable is the lack of choices in town. We were unlucky enough to have the owner serve us. His lack of passion is astounding. Not once did he ask if everything was ok. Only other interaction was for him to drop off our check without a word. read more

Being from Louisiana, we know food. When I tell you their Chicken Fried Steak is some of the best I've ever had, it doesn't compare. And their hot sauce is killer. The chipotle is the perfect spice level with a sweet compliment. read more

This BBD location is our favorite in the chain edging out the original in Shasta City, CA. Why? Because its well staffed, well stocked with extra specials, and the food is delicious. A great Cobb salad with hot chicken slices and smoky sweet bacon, avacado, and fresh produce. The Gobbler sandwich was a hit. The presentation of the food is best in our visits to 10 other BBD locations. Kudos to the manager and staff, the dedication to service shows. We visited nearly 20 years ago and now today, great both times. read more

I don't know what you could possibly say negative about this place other than sometimes the service is slow. Portions are huge and the cost is reasonable. Wide variety of comfort food and some creative salads. I especially recommend the bacon cheeseburger salad. read more

Black Bear Diner Madras - American Near Me - Madras, Oregon

Food hits the spot! And kitchen staff speedy. But be prepared for a wait during lunch time.

I only gave one star because of the convenience of being able to order one line and pick up from the restaurant. Starting with the biscuit, they're reminiscent of the cinnamon challenge-- they're so dry they suck all of the moisture out of you mouth making chewing and swallowing difficult. The hash browns were under seasoned, and by this I mean not seasoned, and undercooked, just floppy, bland potatoes cut in strips as thick as fettuccine. The Bruce's Omelette had a fair amount of meat, but the processed cheese left a horrible aftertaste (we live in Oregon, could you not spring for Tillamook?) making me very happy that I had coffee to wash the taste out of my mouth. The chicken fried steak my partner ordered was very obviously previously frozen, swimming in over salted white gravy. If my grandmother were here, she would be offended if I even compared this chicken fried steak to hers. Overall, I would have rather gone to McDonalds than eat here again -- cost vs. value, McDonalds wins. read more

The decor was fun, the service was top and super fast. The food was plentiful but taste and quality was just ok, not great. This restaurant did the job when we were looking for a meal on the road passing thru town. read more

Our experience here was very positive. The food is reasonably priced. Our waiter was very nice and prompt in service, always refilling the coffee and water, and he had nice manners. What really surprised me and made me happy was the food. It was so delicious! The chicken fried steak was perfect and full of flavor. The eggs cooked to perfection. The sausages were big and plump. The waffles were fluffy with a light crisp on the edges, and so hearty. The sweet cream is amazing in them. Very impressive. The fruit was delicious. I really enjoyed breakfast here. The kids menu is reasonable as well. After camping, this really hit the spot. The only thing we didn't like was the hair we found in the food. But we liked everything else so much that I am still willing to give this five stars. read more

My husband and I ate there twice over the Fourth of July weekend. Once for breakfast and once for lunch. Breakfast was a little better then average. Nothing to write home about. Good old American food. The wait staff was lovely. Lunch, was on the Fourth of July. They were quite busy. But very pleasant and the wait was not too long. We were waited on by the owner. That was nice to see. He was very friendly and accommodating when I asked for changing my sandwich into a salad. They're blue cheese dressing they make on site. It is wonderful. I would definitely recommend them and again it's good, reliable American food read more

One of my favorite restaurants to have lunch and dinner at. I have tried most of there burgers which are pretty good; my favorite one by far is the western burger which comes with bbq and thousand island sauce and a set of onion rings. My favorite drink is there raspberry lemonade as well as there huckleberry ice tea; there other ice tea's are good too this just happens to be my favorite. Huevos rancheros and Denver omelette are also a great choice for a dinner selection. There over all customer service is great. read more

See all

Good, clean, and family-friendly atmosphere, staffed by mostly upbeat and attentive servers. Excellent participant in the local community. This also is the only joint in town with enough large tables to accommodate multiple big groups. Food, however, is universally bland, and sometimes borderline undercooked. It's got that odd watery texture of basic American fast casual food, and no amount of salt or hot sauce will compensate for it. Further, most breakfast items have about as many calories as your total daily allowance. At the end of the day, it's a chain American diner, lacking the flexibility and creativity of the multitudinous local indie restaurants you find in Redmond and Bend. It's not a bad restaurant. It's just not appealing when a quick drive to Redmond offers so many better options. read more

I was driving from Prineville to Portland and got hungry in Madras. I saw some billboards for this place. It looked really kitchy and I had to stop. I was too "bearanoid" to try Bob's Big Bear Burger (3/4 pound) but they have a normal size version that includes the special seasoning. Bear in mind, that there are lots of puns on the menu. The service here was really excellent, the waiters and waitresses are on top of their game. Food came out fast, drinks were refilled many times. read more

Good food, fair prices and a fun waitress. We liked it so much that we made a point to stop there again for breakfast on the trip back through the little town four days later and got another great waitress. If we lived in the area, it would likely be a regular stop for us. read more

Outstanding service and excellent food every time we went. We went to Madras to dig for geodes so we stayed for two days. The town is quaint and the diner was the closest to our hotel. The first meal was so good we decided to make it our go to place for the entire time. Just be prepared for enormous portions. The staff were friendly and gave us ideas for things to do in the area after geode hunting. read more

We got here at 6:30 ready for a hearty breakfast and found the staff having coffee at a table and the doors locked. We pointed at their YELP listing and they pointed at their watch and held up 7 fingers. Their listing is incorrect. They open for breakfast at 7AM. read more

Went there today for lunch. When we arrived nobody acknowledged us. After about 10 minutes we were finally seated. We received our drinks and our order was taken. After that service went downhill. Our server was Pam. We received our order and the fries were just warm. We waited over 10 minutes and then asked another person for more coffee. Our server finally came over after we got our coffee. Out of all the back bears we've been to this one needs help. read more

I hear the real magic at the BBD is actually the cobbler, but we were too full for any of that. I got a small portion of cinnamon roll French toast, ate til I was stuffed, and still only took in half of it. They had let the roll go a little too far (or didn't soak it long enough), either way I could tell why it was being French-toast-ified, and that shouldn't be the case. There was a lot of bear shenanigans related stuff. Weird to have a giant stuffed bear wearing a straw hat watching you eat... Black Bead Diner [is greater than] Shari's [is much greater than] Denny's read more

Good food and fast went I. For breakfast we had chicken fried steak. And eggs Benedict The chicken fried steak was just average. And the eggs for the Benedict was hard not runny good service tho read more

We stopped at the Black Bear on the way to Prineville from Portland. As I recall this would be the Madras, OR site. I will say that we would not have stopped if we knew it was a chain, alas once we were here we decided to go ahead with it. My wife and I ordered the reuben and my kids had different breakfast-like items. The reubens were terrible, with overly fatty meat and a woeful lacking of cheese to "bind" the sandwich together. WAY too many french fries, overly small sandwich. Considering this was the last stop before several days of wilderness camping, it was a let down. The kids loved the bear scenery and the menus were and interesting gag. I did really enjoy their "baby bear" hot sauce, which is black-pepper based. Don't be fooled by the "baby" in the name, I found it hotter than the "momma" (jalepeno), and the "papa" (habenero). I bought a bottle from the gift shop I liked it so much. If in Madras, save your money for a bona fide local restaurant but stop in here for the baby bear hot sauce. read more

Heading from Redmond to Portland and found this place on Yelp. I had the open faced turkey and it was a large portion. Plus it was pretty darn good. I would come back. read more

Not impressed. Service was slow, there was no allergy menu. I did not get the food I ordered, I was too tired and too hungry to fight about it at the time. the only thing labeled 'gluten free' was a gross looking salad with blue cheese. Blue cheese is NOT gluten free. My family got large burgers with seasoned fries (meaning I couldn't have any) that were tasty enough. My chicken and apple 'sausage' was a cut up chicken breast with egg and chili peppers from a can. no sausage flavor NO apples. Hash browns were tasty and she did give me fruit instead of toast. Just not impressed. read more

We have become big fans of this chain and we are eating our way thru the menu and I must shout out for dessert the bread pudding so fabulous

Regional chain breakfast/lunch/dinner diner, but a step above Denny's and Shari's. Good place to eat on the back highways of the West. I'm aware of two or three of these in Oregon and California. They serve all the traditional fare you would expect - nothing special. The dining room is nice, with high-back booth seating and some tables. Of course there is bar seating for individual diners. What makes this chain a little different is that they market chain-related souvenirs like they are collectibles or something. A separate part of these diners is devoted to bear-related bling. read more

I was informed that this was the best place in town for breakfast, so when I was done with business I drove on over after check-out at the hotel. I am pretty familiar with Black Bear diners in general. This one was much like the rest. Not bad, not great, just an average place to fill your belly. Service was just fine, our orders came out the way we wanted, and our coffee never ran out. My French Toast did not have cinnamon in the batter - a personal pet peeve of mine. Who doesn't put cinnamon in the batter?? But, it was not soggy and the serving was nice and large. So, I dealt. My fiance ordered his usual - Country Fried Steak. He says it was not the best he's ever had, but it was ok. After researching a bit further into alternative breakfast locations and discovering there really are none - we may just stick with the Bear if we're back this way again. read more

Really poor service and the food is horrific. Weird that a chain doesn't provide the same quality of food from one to another. This was probably the worst Black Bear Diner I have ever been to. If you are in Madras Oregon, skip the Black Bear Diner! The fries weren't cooked all the way and the Tri Trip was poorly seasoned Roast Beef. read more

Great place to eat in Madras! The owner has a heart of gold and treats house employees awesome, and always supports the community! Great food, huge portions, you will not be disappointed! read more

Thought we'd go for a sure thing, since every other Black Bear Diner we have ever eaten at was good food, good service. NO. While the service was what you would expect for a franchise restaurant on a major thoroughfare (read: average), their food supplier or their cook could use a little talking to. I ordered my perennial favorite: Eggs Benedict. Basically, I tend to judge a restaurant on how well they do this fairly easy dish. Suffice it to say, I will not be back. And where the heck did they get their hash browns? Those were without a doubt the most disgusting thing I have eaten in many moons. Seriously, they tasted like they were made from green potatoes. My throat burned for the rest of the day and I had to pop so many digestive enzymes just to get my stomach to quit hurting. And I only took about 3 bites before realizing what was wrong. That has got to be an issue with the food supplier. Change your sign. You are giving Black Bear Diner franchise a black eye. read more

Recommendation: get the cinnamon roll and bring your eating pants-- elastic waist bands are a must. Our waitress was awesome and offered great suggestions! This is should be your last meal before hibernation! read more

I love this place we have come here too many times to count. The food is bomb! great food.Nice portions. the bathroom is clean. the decor is cute. The staff is nice. I always leave tips for these workers. I have a pet peeve on refills on my beverages and they are on top of it. read more

Great spot for breakfast. The service Is excellent and they keep the place spotless. Coffee is good and stronger than most diners. By that I mean it is robust and flavorful. The corn beef hash is delicious. Hash browns were tasty though I would have preferred that they were browned. read more

We stayed in Madras for a few days while visiting family on Lake Billy Chinook. There are not a lot of options for food, especially breakfast, in Madras. Black bear it was. The food was surprisingly good. definitely a step above Denny's. The owner was our waiter a few of our visits. He was very friendly and everything came out pretty fast. I will continue to eat here when ever family makes me go to Eastern Oregon. Or Central Oregon as my wife calls it. Side note. growing up in Oregon I always considered everything east of mount hood Eastern Oregon. She came from California and argues that it is "central". She is wrong. I love her, but she is wrong. Black Bear, however, is right! read more

Driving north on Highway 97, I'd generated an appetite by 2:30PM and looked for a good option for lunch. Having eaten at other Black Bear Diners, I was pleased to see one in Madras. We were greeted, seated promptly, and our server was attentive and pleasant. I ordered a turkey club sandwich with a side of potato salad for my (overdue) lunch. My friend ordered a pancake breakfast. Our portions were more than adequate, the food was reasonably priced, and we both commented that our choices were well prepared. Fully refueled, we rolled north to I-84 and west to Portland. If you're northbound, passing through Madras and have had enough of fast-food grease-burgers, press on and visit the Black Bear Diner on your left. read more

I had my doubts about the place but after trying the bean soup I knew we found a special place with large portions. The sweet tea was perfect not too sweet. The meatloaf was very good and the corn muffin was a nice compliment to the meal. I have a feeling we will be back for breakfast this week read more

See all

I was a bit concerned being their a diner, but I was very surprised. I ordered trout pecan crusted and it tasted so fresh, almost to fresh. The bean and ham soup tasted so good, this is truly homemade, the corn bread ohhhh so good. If you miss home cooked food you must come here. Real food. read more

See all

This was my first time at a Black Bear Diner, even though I've passed a million of them on road trips. We stopped in as a pit stop on our way to Bend in December... We had to deal with driving slowly in snow and needed some food to continue! So happy we stopped here, it was just what we needed. Now, I LOVE breakfast foods, especially savory, but when we came in it was dinner time, so I wasn't sure if we could order breakfast. But one of the first things our server said to us was, "And you know we serve breakfast all day, right?" Big smile on my face after hearing that. I got some sausage and egg combo with toast, while my boyfriend got a breakfast combo with ham, if I remember correctly. The ham was good--not too salty, tough, or chewy, but tender. A pleasant surprise. Overall, the food wasn't anything spectacular, but when you have a breakfast fix and you've been driving forever, it's a good place to stop. This place isn't pricey either, the staff were friendly, and it was just what we wanted. Would love to stop by here again if we go over Mt. Hood again. read more