Stopped in for a bite and left more than satisfied--comfort food done right always delivers. But this review isn't truly about the food... it's about Bradley. Bradley radiates warmth, positivity, and professionalism. From the very first interaction, he made every guest feel genuinely seen and valued. He moved gracefully from table to table, effortlessly keeping everyone informed and at ease, even during busy moments. That level of awareness, kindness, and confidence is rare. This is not just someone doing a good job--this is someone with natural leadership and star power. Bradley would SHINE in any role, and any establishment would be lucky to have him. Management would be wise to promote him quickly and hold onto him tightly--he's the kind of person guests remember, talk about, and come back for. read more

WELP! Within the last seven days, we went to Black Bear twice at the Salinas location. I ordered New York strip and eggs Medium rare. Well, when the plate hit the table, the steak was obviously well done. There was no problem. Sending the steak back. However, when I got my second steak to the table, it was not a New York strip. It was a sirloin. During the time that I was waiting for my food to show up, there was a Hispanic gentlemen yelling at the top of his lungs at the cooks to get his order out. I thought this was a little unprofessional and extremely loud. Let's fast forward to today. Giving the restaurant. A second chance went back in. Ordered New York strip again with eggs and guess what? The New York strip was more like a medium well. And again we found ourselves with the same server yelling across the hot plate to the servers. The top of his lungs is what it felt like. I always give a trying a second chance after a first mistake that obviously whoever is on steaks in the morning, does not know how to cook a steak. This is something that needs to be improved, especially after the first time when I ordered a new strip and ended up with the Sirloin. Hopefully management looks into this and pays attention to the floor and makes these corrections. I will give it a couple of weeks then go back to see if any improvements have been made. If so, I will update my Star rating. If not, I will then do the opposite. read more

The good. Our server Bradley was so nice, quick and had great attention to detail. Our food came out quick and waa delicious. The bad - I bought a chocolate pie, ans on my second bite I bit into a metal split ring that was in the pie, most likely from the machine used to make the pie. Thankfully I wasnt hurt. Ans the manager and Bradley were so apologetic, they took the dessert off my ticket and gave me 10% off. I was definitely much more careful eating the second pie. Honestly, not sure of I'll be back to this location - it was unsettling read more

I ordered my meal through DoorDash, and the bag should have had butter and syrup since my order slip indicated so, but they didn't include either. The pancakes weren't as good as they should be. Considering the prices and fees paid on the app. If you're looking for breakfast, you might want to go somewhere else. Black Bear isn't the place. That's probably going to be my last order from Black Bear. read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - My order says it should have butter and maple syrup - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

Great place for a great meal. While living here I was eating here all the time. Friendly greeter Great wait staff. And highly trained cooks do an outstanding job here. I really love eating here. read more

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When I walked in there was no one there to seat me, I had to wait and it wasn't even busy. This is an awful place to have your lunch. The steak and egg for $13.99 was awful. The steak was tough and the potatoes were not cooked crispy hash brown as I requested. The creepy waiter took it back and gave me a plate of hash browns worst. It looked liked he threw the potatoes on the grill fried it and threw it back on the plate. I gave him a tip which he deserves hahaha. You dog! read more

I've been to a Black Bear in the Bay Area and this Salinas location can't compare. I put my name down on a list and they mentioned it'll be a 45 min-1 hour wait. After 45 minutes, I checked back in and they were able to get us a table. They didn't call our names and there were plenty of tables available that time. Therefore they just completely forgot because we would've been waiting longer for no reason if I didn't ask. The menu has less options and the portions are smaller. The pot roast melt was $20+ and it came with a spoonful size amount of meat. Very disappointing! Fish and chips also was a small amount of 3 tiny fried fish fillets. The blackened salmon tasted like hospital food. I would recommend just getting breakfast here as the breakfast food was the only thing that came out good. Don't waste your time or money here.... Everything on the picture came out to $100, never again! read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - Fish and Chips Pot Roast Melt Blackened Salmon - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

Came in on a Monday morning with my mom and it was pretty busy but the wait wasn't horrible. I got the Ruben Sandwich with extra sauerkraut. It was pretty good and they even gave me a little extra on the side. That was really cool of them and I really appreciated it. Still (at least personally), I don't know that looking at it the thought would be "wow! That's a lot of sauerkraut!" (I told them to put more on after looking at it and having that thought lol). I would've put more on if I had been making it for myself. The fries were solid. My mom got the Chili, I forgot to take a picture of it but it had some nice sprinklings of stuff on top which made it look pretty. She did think it could be spicier, but there's hot sauces on the table so that helped. A few more gluten free options would make her happy though. Our server was nice and attentive. read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - Ruben - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

The lack of service sank this BBD's review. The servers were doing everything, except their jobs. 45 minutes into the experience, no drinks had arrived and had no food delivered to the table. They did talk on speakerphone with another co-worker that wasn't working and giggled with each other at the register. Never once checked in on the table after taking the drink and food orders. It was a slow Thursday afternoon at 2pm. Only 3 tables in our servers section and all 3 of the tables guests had to flag her down just to get service. The Floor was dirty and clearly needed a cleaning. Another task our server could've been doing instead of gossiping with co-workers at the register area. Won't ever be returning due to horrible, non-existent service. read more

We were on the road and hungry for something good. Thus, we chose Black Bear Diner and we weren't disappointed. The diner is in a good location in Salinas with lots of parking. Our service was great. She was friendly, helpful and efficient. All the employees seemed happy and had smiles on their faces. The restaurant was about half-way full but tables cleared off and clean. We were lucky to be sat by a window. My husband had to order their kid-friendly strawberry waffle. I ordered the open-faced turkey sandwich. That sandwich I had previously orde red at other Black Bear Diners. This one had too much pepper on it but I could wipe most of it off. Otherwise, it was good. We checked out at the front register. I think it might have been the manager taking our money. He was okay, not over friendly and was a little too busy with others we were never asked if we wanted a receipt before he walked off. read more

Food is great after blood test Service 15 to 20 minute wait for to go, recommended to dine in. Music nice to listen to. It was a rainy day made it feel like it was good "to go" have meal to take home. Lights and natural light was bright enough. Crowded lobby area, no benches outside for bigger groups. read more

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Hadn't been here for years. Quality sure has gone down hill. Ordered Patty Melt not on rye bread but on white. Too much onion over powered the melt. Burger was cooked perfectly they use no seasoning. My other half ordered bacon cheese burger, also seasoning and very weird the chopped the bacon into small pieces. The cook had his wife and baby in kitchen. Very odd.. The service was great but extremely cold in restaurant. Won't be back, sorry you didn't earm my business. read more

Alfredo has been a great server to us, he is always welcoming and works very hard. Thank you, Alfredo! Black Bear has been our go-to for many years, it is our favorite breakfast place in Salinas. With prices continuing to rise, everywhere, Black Bear continues to be pretty consistent with their portion sizes. Two things that have changed is their bacon and their skirt steak. The bacon use to be thicker and bigger. We use to order the skirt steak every time, but since it changed we no longer order it, because we don't like the new skirt steak and it is very disappointing. Thank you Black Bear and all your employees for such an enjoyable experience over the years! read more

My family and I are regulars at Black Bear, so we're there pretty often. This past Wednesday was the first time we were served by Bradley, and he was fantastic. He was incredibly attentive, thorough, and patient with our family throughout the entire meal. Bradley checked in at all the right times, made sure everything was perfect, and had such a friendly and professional attitude. Even though we come here regularly and have always had good experiences, Bradley really stood out and made our visit extra enjoyable. Great service like that doesn't go unnoticed. We hope to see him again on our next visit! read more

Service great at counter. Food not so good. Eggs were too runny I ordered over medium, hash browns were not real hash browns and were tasteless and undercooked, I ordered crispy. Top crispy the rest undercooked . Patty sausage was undercooked with gristle sitting in a pool of liquid. Toast was good. Over 20 dollars with tip. Ate less than 30%. Hope I don't get sick from the bite of undercooked sausage. read more

Lovely lunch here for Mother's Day. They were packed to the rafters, yet the wait wasn't long to get seated, and once we were, the service was terrific. Our server, Isaac, did a fantastic job, balancing plates and multitasking, all with a great sense of humor and attention to detail. read more

Disappointed that they advertise liver and onions but actually don't serve it. Had to settle for the turkey dinner. Turkey was partially fried not roasted. Wasn't worth $19.99, more like a $14.99 plate. read more

The Food was perfect everything was delicious Staff was great , constantly checking on us , restaurant was clean and organized Greeted and seated quickly!! read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - Western Western BBQ Burger with Homemade Crispy Onions* OUR Biggest - The GRIZZ - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

Bad service was very slow we want different table she see no is second time we not came back anymore .. manager need more attention he don't do anything he just ignoring. poor service...to Not use word welcome... read more

Service started off very disappointing when we showed up, had to remind them we were waiting because I thought they had forgotten about us. But once we were finally seated our server took forever to come back around to take our order that's when Isaac came around to help us since he noticed we had been waiting for a while. He was super attentive and very friendly which made our experience there way more enjoyable with the quality service he provided. read more

The Food was amazing as always, the ambiance is cozy and Issac the server was on point and did a fantastic job.

We love the black Bear diner. Their food is always delicious and prompt. The service is only on time and friendly.

At Black Bear Diner After My Angiogram I'm Dying For My Coffee Had To Fast For My Procedure And Couldn't Have My Coffee So Way Overdue...!! I Am Going To Have The Chorizo Breakfast Burrito And My Fiancée Ordered The Chilaquiles Breakfast. It's So COLD In Here Especially After My Procedure..!! Quickly Brought Our Food. read more

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Food was amazing as always. Service was horrible. Unfortunately the server we had chose to purposely take his time, mess up on an order just because he doesn't like my bf from past events. So next time "Mo" Moses wants to be rude I'll definitely bring it to a managers attention, because I was still nice enough to not even get a manager involved but next time this happens I definitely will. I love coming here to eat and I'm not gonna let one employee ruin it for me. read more

I hadn't planned on a review for Black Bear but we had such good service from Issac that I decided to write one. Issac this one's for you! Not only is the food a good deal, portions are huge and you will leave satisfied. Comfort food is the best description for the food here. Meatloaf, Country fried steak, burgers all consistently done well. Today's service was excellent thanks to Isaac, attentive and friendly. We will return, hopefully to make it to dessert one day. read more

The food is awesome and service is great will definitely continue to recommend. Thank you to our host Alexandra read more

Great portions and nice ambiance. The milk hake was delicious and the staff are kind. Ham steak is delicious. read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - The grizzly and the volcano - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

Dropped by early on a holiday day off, I was craving some Chicken Fried Steak. We were sat, server was nice and attentive, took our order quickly. We ordered the Big Chicken fried steak, and a sweet cream waffle. The server let us know the CFS comes with your choice of biscuit or toast or we could sub it for the waffle instead (for an upcharge) which was fine with us. (We weren't going to eat the toast anyway) The food came out hot, the CFS lacks seasoning (not their fault I imagine it's frozen patty) and the waffle needs help. It wasn't crispy outside, a little soggy and the butter they provide is not it. It's straight from the fridge so it's hard and hard to spread. You need a whipped butter or just something better. Also, the restaurant is COLD. Very cold. Try not to sit by a vent like we did. The food got cold in no time. Staff was pleasant and they had a nice set up for "Grads" for photo ops (for the Insta) celebrations as you walked in which I thought was very nice. read more

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Berania was a very friendly waitress. She did an awesome job waiting on us. We had the best service when we went there to eat dinner. When you have good food and excellent waiters and waitresses it makes it so much more enjoyable to wanna return and enjoy another meal. Thank you again to Berania for your kindness and friendliness, and we hope to have you again sometime when we dine there again. read more

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We came in on New Year's Day, and Bradley K was our waiter -- hands down the best service I've ever had at Black Bear Diner. He was incredibly friendly, attentive, and on top of everything despite how busy the holiday was. I've eaten here many times over the years, and Bradley truly stood out. He made sure we were taken care of the entire time and did it all with a great attitude. Outstanding job -- he's a huge asset to this location. We'll definitely be hoping to have him again!! read more

I told myself after the first time here I would t come back... well unfortunately the did. The service here is horrible, the waitress never asked if we wanted water again, asked 3 times for ranch, had to get up and go to the counter for the jalapeños we asked for another 3 times! The food is substandard and the service NOT GOOD. Get rid of the skinny girl with a braid in her hair!! She is the worst! read more

This was my second time eating at Black Bear Diner and it won't be my last. When I walked in I already had my mind set on trying a burger. However, when I went to wash my hands I saw a table getting served 3 big plates of country fried steak and I immediately changed my mind about my own meal. It looked yummy, so that's what I decided to order. And boy, am I glad I did! Not only was the food delicious, our server, Berta, was a real gem! She went above and beyond to accommodate us. She had a quick and easy smile, she was very personable, wasn't afraid to strike up a conversation while still taking care of business. She anticipated our needs before we even knew what we were going to need. Next time we go, we will ask to be seated in her section. read more

I loved their biscuits and gravy, however the biscuits have gotten tougher and tougher over time. The biscuits used to be soft, fluffy, and flakey. They taste stale and re-heated now. U have to use some pressure on the fork to cut into it. They don't use as much gravy as they used to either. Disappointing to say the least. read more

Great service tonight, Nov. 16, 2026, by your waiter/server Issac. He was very friendly and accommodating. Tonight's dinner was delivered to us in the quickest time ever! read more

Just finished dinner, service was exceptional!! Our waiter Issac was on top of it!! Service was great did not have to wait on drinks or anything very nice guy , food was excellent I had the skirt steak cooked to my liking hats off to the chef !!! read more

They forgot to add the biscuit to the omelette we ordered and definitely checked biscuit for. They've done this several times. Also the chicken sausage should be labeled differently. The old sausage was chicken and apple and the new one is spicer. I didn't hate it but wouldn't have ordered if told it was like that. They need to check the to go orders better and make sure the customers get what they wanted. Sausage I can handle but forgetting a whole item explicitly stated with butter and jam preferences is poor service. read more

Alex is the best. She's served us a couple times. Last time we had a large party of 10, quick, prompt, attentive, and so so sweet. I hope she's recognized for being an amazing server and a great customer service provider . 10/10 service from her. Ben manager was cool too, he charged us at the end. And sat us. Thank you for your service team. read more

The food was so delicious and Issac. Was friendly and helpful, the restaurant was clean and inviting. Great place for breakfast

we come here regularly and food is always great. Our server Maria is excellent! She's quick and super sweet. Always making sure we're doing good. We love coming here for breakfast read more

We were so pleased with this Black Bear Diner! Our breakfast was delicious and the server very attentive. We have recommended this spot to others. It is conveniently located and easily accessible from Highway 101. read more