Oh No! I hate taking stars away from a restaurant. Unfortunately, our last 2 visits were mediocre at best. Problems, problems, problems. I contemplated downgrading to 2 stars after our last visit but there are still a few redeeming qualities here. Here is the scoop on our last try: Slow service (our server was sweet but I think they were short staffed), incorrect orders and some less than desirable food and you have not so happy customers. For an example, I ordered the 2 egg combo with country potatoes & a biscuit. I received hash browns instead of country potatoes. When they corrected it, I wished I had stuck with my hash browns. Cold, overcooked potatoes that had some raw chopped onion and bell pepper pieces on top. WTH? It was really terrible. Out of our table of 6, none of us were that thrilled. Not to mention, all of our orders came out at different times. I'm not sure if I will give Black Bear another try or not. It needs to be consistent and it's losing me quick. It's been so good in the past. What happened? read more

OK I know.. chain chain chain.. but I love them for breakfast and there isn't one to terribly close to where we live so when I see one I beg to go for breakfast. :-) This visit to Redding we both had the country fried steak and eggs. OMG! The BEST chicken fried steak I've ever had! Perfectly crisp, the breading wasn't to thick and it was seasoned wonderfully! The gravy, Mmm!! Normally I hate the white gravy that comes with biscuits and gravy or with country fried steak at most restaurants because it lacks flavor and the proper consistency. This gravy was spot on in both respects creamy, flavorful oh my it was SOO good! We both ordered the biscuit for our "bread option" and wow it was huge, fluffy, buttery and TASTY. The service was friendly and efficient and I noticed that no one "stood around doing nothing" like many places I go to in my area. The day we went for this meal I died and went to breakfast heaven. I don't think I'll have another breakfast that compares until I return to this Black Bear. read more

I like the food at Black Bear, and I like about half of the servers. But I've got to say that when I took my kids there for breakfast and a cockroach crawled up the wall next to our table, I kind of lost my taste for the place. Updated 07/2/2012 Don't know what we were thinking, but we went back a year later thinking the place may have improved. My daughter and I were both served our drinks in filthy glasses. I mean lipstick stains and what looked like spaghetti sauce on it. Our food arrived after people who were sat after us and my daughter's strawberries arrived with mushrooms in them. We'll never go there again. read more

Black Bear, Black Bear Have you any food Yes, dear, yes, dear A huge platter full Pancakes for my grandma A burger for me And waffles for my little boy who needs something sweeeeetttt My grandma always takes me, my husband and our toddler to Black Bear Diner when we're in town. It's her fave, portions will keep you full on leftovers for a week, service is reliable and people watching is spectacular. read more

My server tonight was johnathon. I would give his service a 10 star rating if i could. He was friendly, efficient, gave me exactly what i ordered and all the extra sides etc. And he was like this with every table on a busy friday night. Excellent customer service. read more

I've been reading through the negative reviews of this place and scratching my head in the process... because I don't think we're talking about he same place! I've been going to this place for a good year and it's always been really good - the food is hot (yes, it is), the food is good (really), the staff is attentive and friendly. I think some of these negative reviews are from people expecting the same service/food you'd get for $80/plate meals or something... Black Bear is not that... it's a good, solid place to get a really filing, tasty meal. Not life changing, but really good. They are consistent in this, and the price is right. If you want pristinely clean air vents, and perfect food, you really need to pay more, peeps :-) read more

I never thought I would write a negative review of Black Bear, but after our last two visits there were decided to go elsewhere for breakfast yesterday morning. We went to the Savory Spoon and are glad we did. We have been eating here for years, but I feel the quality has dropped over the last year or so. They are always busy, which could be part of the problem, but still not an excuse. The last three times we ate there my hash brown were burnt on one side, so I had to scrape the good part off. The rest of the meal was fine, but not outstanding. We are trying other places in town to discover our new favorite place. read more

My wife and I had been wanting to go here ever since moving back from Missouri. Well we went. I wish we hadn't. The food was the worst I have ever eaten. I ordered the Grizz breakfast. The hash browns tasted like dirt, the eggs were over cooked, the bacon was mushy and the ham was dry. The pancakes were good. I will never eat there again. read more

Pretty much everything on this menu is a heart attack waiting to happen. Does that stop me from ordering biscuits and gravy with a side of thick cut grilled ham? I think not. It's diner food--or the kind of food you'd expect to eat if you were a lumberjack who worked all day long and only got to eat one meal a day. Black Bear is better and more reliable than most, with huge portions, large variety, and its very own gift shop. For those feeling wimpy (hey, it happens), they do have some 'healthier' options or smaller portioned plates on the menu. It's become a tradition for us to eat here whenever we're on the road. A little artery clogging food is ok once in a while, right? read more

On a busy Sunday morning our food was lukewarm and almost cold. Service was great though, but hindered by the cook line. Also why is there no Wi-Fi?? It s 2019. Geez. I do not recommend this place when it is busy. read more

This was a great place me and my boyfriend would go to quite often, until we found a big long black hair right on top of the cheese in his sandwich. Absolutely disgusting. read more

Black Bear Diner Redding - Diners Near Me - Redding, California

Best diner in Nor Cal I might be a little bias..lol come have a great Prime Rib dinner! 10oz only 15.99!! Plus soup or salad, and two dinner sides!! Great family diner read more

The BLT provided a generous serving of thick-cut bacon; but, as you can see from my pic, the bread was barely toasted. Think 30 seconds in a toaster. That's just weird, BBD. Knock it off. read more

I would like to say I absolutely love this chain as a whole... with like a bajillion stars. But this location SUCKS. This is a usual stop along the 400 mile drive to my brothers. In November, I ordered the chicken fried steak... the small one. They brought me out the large one, I said something and the waitress kind of gave me the... "oh well." well long story short, although tasting pretty good, I finished maybe half. They still insisted on charging me the $3 extra for ordering the large, even though I ordered the small. Finally after 10 minutes a manager came out and changed it. This last time I ordered corned beef and eggs breakfast. It was alright. But I asked for my country potatoes to be well done, I like em crispy! Yum! But I've come to expect that only about 1 our of 10 times will they actually cook them ANY differently. But in this case they were different... they were half raw. The watress was polite and came back and reordered them. This time they came back burnt, but I figured better half burnt then half raw. After she gave us a check she never returned, even though my wife clearly had half a plate of food left. I finally got up and went to the counter to get a box. I will definitely keep returning to the chain... but probably not this location. If you're traveling check out the Shasta City Location. It's great read more

For 2pm on a Sunday, the diner was pleasantly quiet and not slammed with customers like we had anticipated. Now I know why. It's not great. The few times I have been here, the service has been excruciatingly slow. Expected when it is busy, but not so much when it isn't. They were out of all beer except Corona, Bud Light and Coors Light. But this was found out only after the waiter had offered us a wide array of beers and had to come back not once, but twice, to tell us they were out of everything except Corona, Bud Light and Coors Light. The portions were huge and I definitely couldn't finish mine, great if you're hungry! Sadly I ordered a salad, which isn't something you can take home leftovers of, so it was a waste. What I think I am most disappointed in is when we ordered slices of pie to-go, we weren't told ahead of time that they are actually little pies. That's fine, in fact they were super cute! But two or more people could easily have shared each mini pie. Later, upon slicing it up, it was so disgusting I had to throw the whole thing out after just a couple bites. The crust tasted like paper, the chocolate was grainy, and the whipped cream had no taste -but left a nice waxy film in your mouth. So cute mini pie= $4.99 in the garbage. Total Bummer. read more

Prime rib was ehhhhhh. "Something" was wrong with it. I couldn't put my finger on it...just off. Texture or ...something. I eat alot of prime rib, rib steaks, and I cook prime rib. Just off. But that was a couple weeks ago. So I go in today for the roast beef open face from the Little bit less part of the menu. The Mashers were very good. Tri tip was over cooked. Gravy was ok, but really not home made. Think cafeteria. The gobbler was a good sand. Turkey, lettuce, tomato, cranberry sauce...filling. read more

This place is awesome - everyone is so friendly, even when the place is packed! We just had dinner and the restaurant was completely full - a HUGE group of over 30 had been seated, and still we had a great meal and great service. Shout out to Chuck!!! Thanks so much for great food and service every time we come in. read more

Just had to stop trying, the Redding Blackbear has gone down hill and is finally out of any of my list of Redding eateries, from the time I had cold gravy brought with my Thanksgiving dinner to the server choking my aunt out with a harden green avocado. To all the GMO processed foods they serve contributing to obesity and diabetes, while overlooking all the local certified organic farmers market growers we have in northern California. I will be making a healthy choice of never eating in the Redding Blackbear again. read more

All good. Parking was easy and close by. Huge pancake that could never be finished. Great bacon: thick and tasty and abundant Heather was very sweet to 90 y/o Mom read more

We stopped here twice during a road trip, around December, and the food was great. Didn't try any other meals but breakfast in particular is delicious and huge. It's served up hot and fast, with plenty of coffee...and the whole grain almond pancakes are to DIE for. Bit of a wait, but if you're in the area, don't miss it. read more

A place where you can go for breakfast lunch and dinner like a Denny's chain. They have a sovenir shop where you can buy bears. We got the special of Porkchops and eggs for $7.99 a very great deal. The fruit was very good. Service wise, it was okay as the people was busy. Overall, would go dine at another Black Bear Diner :) read more

My 2nd time at this location but I'm a veteran of the Black Bear. This ain't my 1st time at this rodeo! read more

Black Bear Diner Redding - When passing though Redding, eat here - Diners Near Me - Redding, California

When ever i get the need to go out for Breakfast, its here!!! 5 or 6 years in a row, # 1 spot in redding for breakfast, and it desrves to be. All made from scratch stuff, huge portions and chices for smaller one, good fair priced coffee and service that is a true pleasure to see in motion. Lunch and dinner is equally as good but my usage of the rest. if for Breakfast, and with guests to impress, they talk about it forever. read more

So genuinely friendly - amazing service from a restaurant of this style. You get plenty of good food, happy staff and the food is inexpensive. Many steps up from Denny's. read more

The black bear Diner's located all across California are definitely a upscale Denny's, that serves large portions, that is got a fun decor, that has a well-trained staff, and has just plain welcoming Comfort home food. So if you're lost and you want a standard try the Black Bear Diner. We've been happy with it in many cities and we're equally happy here. Thank you Black Bear Diner read more

I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with fries. The bacon was tasty enough, but the burger was overcooked nearly to the point of being inedible. Fries looked like they were going to properly crispy, but they were just a tad soggy/floppy. For the price, I would've rather gone elsewhere. I'll pass through Redding again, but I probably won't eat here. read more

Great service. The food was excellent. The waiters were very friendly. The waiters always made sure we were happy. Overall 10/10 the food was very filling. read more

Service was amazing food came in a good timely manner. Food was a 9/10 really filling but amazing! Definitely would come again! 10/10 would recommend!! read more

Every time I come to Redding I have at least 1 meal here. BIG portions, but I order off the little less lunch/dinner menu. Great service! The workers here are so attentive, down-to-earth and friendly. Food always fresh and the place is clean, I love the corn-muffins and dinner salads. This is no fuss eating, great prices with great service. read more

Yes! When I first went to the location in vegas I was in awe! Their pancakes were one of a kind and I definitely needed more ! Well I found one visiting my boyfriends parents and HAD to try it! The food was jus as good as I remembered it to be ! There was ~20 min wait to be seated on a Sunday morning! They were really busy!! *always a good sign though. Then the wait for the food was alittle longer ~40-45 min. But it's understandable! The waitress was always on top of it and very friendly. The ambiance was wonderful too, they have cute bear decor and very clean venue!!! The food is the big winner!!! I got the volcano... which was 3 buttermilk and sweet cream pancakes , over medium eggs, sausage and bacon! I asked if I can substitute the sausage for another bacon and egg and they kindly made the change. They enhanced my experience !!! the best pancakes ever!! Wowzaaa! Even my boyfriend helped me finish them and he isn't a pancake dude. He got the big foot- chicken fried steak with hashies and scrambled eggs! He loved it!! Big portion sizes, we were soooo satisfied!! Definitely coming back here again, again and again! Plus they have over 50 all over the states! Yvonne read more

This is a very good diner. The service is excellent, the steak and eggs were outstanding. What made the steak and eggs so good was the real steak, real as in a dinner steak, not something so thin that you always wonder why they ask you how you want it cooked, when you know they're back in the kitchen trying to get the Goodyear brand off of it, no this was a REAL steak. Good job. read more

My concerns with the Black Bear Diner is its facility. The dining room is completely inaccessible to anyone in a wheelchair, and very uncomfortable to everyone else. In the effort of increased revenue before safety or comfort, the management has crammed too many tables in too small a space. A mention to the manager on duty about the cramped conditions yielded little more than a weak assurance that the dining room was to ADA code, it was just set up differently on that day. Huh??!! Our table was bolted to the wall and so close to the table next to us that the backs of our chairs met. Very uncomfortable setting. The food was okay as one might expect from a diner. Nothing to spectacular, but certainly the high side of enjoyable. It was very nice to see they offer smaller portions - but don't be fooled - their smaller sized meals are actually fairly large, and the regular sized meals are ENORMOUS! If you don't plan on taking a hefty doggie bag home with you, look to the bottom of the menu for the more reasonably sized (and priced) options of your favorites. read more

Amazing road trip dinner stop. Super friendly staff and large portions for the price you pay. Food is also great. Would recommend

Great food and service. No problem with my special request, and with a smile Spencer was a great server...thank you for another yummy meal, Black Bear read more

Great Atmosphere! - Love the Bears Everywhere!; Good Food! - Mmmm! Delicious! -- My family and I was greeted as we entered, by a number of staff. All were very friendly! We read some of the stories/articles and they were great to browse before the food came. We didn't even know the prices till the bill came and were we surprised. What we expected to pay, wasn't what we paid. It was a pretty good deal for 4 people. Would definitely recommend to anyone! It wasn't that noisy at all. Some kids were there, but they were not that loud at all. Found out that there are a number of Black Bear Dinners in Cali and we look forward to trying the one in Yreka, Ca. That's where we live now. If their food and service is great in all their restaurants, we just can't wait! read more

Love BB Diner and this one was right on par! I had the California eggs benedict and it was delish! The hubby liked his food too and the service was great, as usual. The only drawback was that we had to sit at a table right next to the kitchen - smelly from dishes, eww. But it was a busy Sunday so we took what we could get - still they sat us quickly because we only had 2 people. Loved it and would go back again for more. read more

A co-worker and I stumbled upon this place while working up in Redding. For what we thought was going to be a mediocre meal, we were both delightfully surprised! I had the chicken fried steak the first visit and sausage patties the next. My co-worker went for the french toast and oatmeal! The biscuits were huge, light, and fluffy! Top off good food with fast friendly service and you have a recipe for return customers. We always had plans to return for lunch, but after both visits, we found ourselves still full to the brim from the wonderful breakfast hours earlier. Wish we would of had the chance to try one of their mini pie's! There looked to be about ten different kinds and they all looked amazing! I will definitely be returning to the Black Bear next time I am in or near the Redding area. read more

Amazing food! Huge portions. Love the ambiance. Service was wonderful. We will be back!!! We even bought our 10 year old a souvenir teddy bear for only $7. read more

Black Bear Diner Redding - Diners Near Me - Redding, California

This place is a great Redding diner & a must-see for those coming through Redding for the first time. I love their atmosphere is super cozy & the staff are very quick while also very friendly. Ranon really made our visit quick and comfy & happily got us whatever we needed! The food isn't the greatest nor consistent- my fiancé's bacon was almost uncooked while mine was nearly burnt but their portions are large & greatly priced. read more

The 2 stars are only for our amazing server. Although almost everything else was horrible, I could tell he kept genuinely trying to make it better and really cared. I truly appreciate that. But everything else? No. Just, no. Everything we ordered ranged from mediocre to gross. The meat loaf, kids' steak, ravioli, even kids' grilled cheese: all regretful or forgettable. Not a fan. Again, I know this is a chain, but chain restaurants can and should still be good. This is not. read more