I came to dine in with my family for the first time and the service was great. We had an extremely friendly server and the food was really good. We ordered mimosas and steak. I was surprised with how tasty the food was, being that it's a large restaurant chain. My credit goes to the cooks and giving a sh** about the quality. I work as a sous chef, so I know how it goes lol. read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - Steak and eggs - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

Went here on February 25th 45 minutes before closing. We were seated and given menus. After waiting for 15 minutes without as much as an acknowledgment that we were there, we got up and left. Never have we been treated so rudely at a restaurant. We will definitely never try one of your diners and will recommend to everyone we know not to eat there. The lack of service and acknowledgment certainly didn't live up to the description on the menu and yes I read it all since we waited so long for service that never came. read more

I will never eat here again. Black Bear is known for home cooked meals, I have eaten here for years. Last year I had the turkey Thanksgiving dinner, and it was so good. They served turkey breast. But this year they served pressed cold cut turkey! I ordered online the family dinner for Christmas eve. Brought it to my friends to enjoy. I wasn't upset when I picked up the bag to see one of the gravy's came open and was all over my car. But when we saw the turkey, it was a horrible surprise to see they downgraded to pressed turkey. Honestly it ruined the entire meal. I added muffin's and pie so my order was quite expensive. Had I known before I brought it all the way back to Aromas, I would not have accepted that meal. To make it even worse, I sent a complaint letter and left a review on google. The owner responded asking me to email with my phone number and where I got it, so that someone can contact me directly. After a few days I got an email apology and was told someone would reach out to me. Well, today is New Years eve and I have heard nothing. Black Bear has gone downhill with quality of food and customer service. read more

I saw the place when I was driving to the hotel to check-in. I was craving steak so made the trek there after checking in. I ordered the New York steak, medium rare with chicken noodle soup, Italian beans, and red skin mashed potatoes. The soup came out first with cornbread. The soup was actually tasty but the pieces of chicken looked like processed meat. The cornbread was good but fell apart when I tried to eat it. So putting the butter on was pretty much impossible. The steak came next and was cooked well. The beans were way overcooked so very soft. The potatoes were good with gravy. read more

If you eat in house, then the food is better, but if you order to go, it leaves a lot to be desired. I ordered the pot roast with the Parmesan bread, they slapped my Parmesan bread on top of the gravy, so it was soggy. The pot roast wasn't as flavorful as it has been in the past, and they forgot to add the Bearclaw to the order yet charged me 8.99. This is the second time that the carry-on order has been subpar so I won't be returning. read more

Well we really love this location and it saddens me to have to give a not so good rating. There was only one waiter. So my husband had to go up to the counter to get for coffee and then had to go up and ask for Creamer and then he had to go and ask for butter for the biscuits. My food was OK I had the rib eye dinner and for $20 I would think it would be really good. I asked for it medium and it came out very dry. So for the 1st time I put steak sauce on my meat which I never do but this unfortunately was very dry. Next time I'll ask for it rare. My husband had a Joe scramble. It was kind of bland and needed salt and hot sauce. I guess in a nutshell I would have to say that our entire meal with the exception of the Caesar salad & green beans with bacon were bland. But our server was very nice he just could not have any time to attend to us so it really wasn't his fault. We went to a restaurant so that we can be served in that have to serve ourself. But we will not hold this against black bear diner because we have had too many good experiences with you. Will just go at a different time. Thumbs up for a great staff of friendly people. read more

See all

First time here today, our wait time is 25-30 minutes, we stayed since my friend and her kids eats here often, our 30mins wait prolonged go an hour but the upsetting fact is that they seat groups that arrived after us, so I have to asked them TWICE if we already have a table. Everything on our order was messed up! Our meats were as hard as rubber, they put onions to a NO ONIOn burger that we order, worst the steak knife that they gave me has a paper sticked on it, i tried taking it off but it won't. Worst experience ever, worst customer service, food not worth the price and wait! Not recommending this and def won't be dining there again! read more

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

Amazing breakfast. Such a large variety and great tasting food. The portions are huge and the service was awesome. Definitely my new go to breakfast staple. read more

Service was good our waiter was nice but we had waited about an hour for a table for 2 food tasted eh I tried the black bear diner in Fremont and it was better after only finishing half I was in and out the bathroom all day and was super nauseous wouldn't go back it is currently the next day and I still feel terrible disappointed read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - Chicken Avocado Club (970-1130 cals.)Sweet Potato Fries (880 cals.)Creamy Vanilla Iced Cold Brew (340 cals.) - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

We came an hour before closing and Fred had a smile on his face and gave us great service, even when he got 5 tables at once. Fred is fabulous!!!! The food was large portions and i'd was delicious. I'd return read more

got the Bigfoot breakfast and it was bomb! large portion and very filling will definitely be coming back.. the baby bear hot sauce was an excellent addition to the dish .. my daughter got the happy face pancakes.. she said it was delicious read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - bigfoot chicken fried steak and eggs with country potatoes - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

what Happened to customer service? I don't eat eggs and they have always substituted 2 pieces of bacon for the eggs. Now all of a sudden either they won't do it or extra charge to. The price have gone up and food quality has gone down. ain't also depends on which manager is on. My husband and i use to go there a few times a month it's getting less and less. Sad its just as good any! read more

Never been disappointed! My favs are the Crispy Chicken Cob and the to die for Prime Rib. So yummy. read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - Kids Happy Cup Cake, Mini Volcano and Crispy Cob Salad. - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

My husband and I enjoyed our breakfast on Sunday. We were very fortunate to have had Liza as our waitress. She was courteous, friendly and very professional; awesome customer service. The food was delicious and was served nice and warm on a timely manner. The environment was great . We will make sure to dine more often with the Bears and ask for Liza. Thank you....... read more

I had breakfast on a weekday , zero wait time . Our waitress was extremely friendly and checked on us multiple times . I had the 2 eggs choice with the bacon . The bacon is delicious, I like the thickness of it . However , I wish the hash browns were a bit crispier . But I would definitely recommend, awesome service and good food . read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - 4 Slices of Thick-Cut Smoked Bacon (320 cals.) Strip-Cut Hash Browns (380 cals.) Toast or English Muffin (360/460 cals.) - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

Man, I use to love coming here but the last two times we've been here was a complete nightmare. Tonight we walked in at 6:45pm​ and we were addressed by a girl saying "she'd be right with us" but then makes a comment to another girl working there.. "this one's going to be fun" as we're standing there with our two toddlers. The disrespect and unprofessionalism is absurd. Not only did we wait 10 mins to be seated but nobody addressed us after she made that comment, so we walked out and went to another establishment. The staff at Black Bear are beyond rude, classless, and 100% unprofessional. I'd rather make the drive to Monterey. Get it together Salinas staff. Do better. read more

What a delightful experience! My boyfriend and I came in for breakfast early Saturday morning and were greeted and seated instantly by our very friendly server Ed. He took our order right away and we had our meal within 5-10 minutes! The pumpkin pancakes were equally festive and delicious. High praise to the cooks in the back! The manager, Anthony and the other server Dante were extremely helpful and made our experience very positive. The overall atmosphere of the diner created by these three charming gentlemen absolutely made my day! I cannot recommend this restaurant enough! My only regret is that I wasn't more hungry coming in so I could finish those ginormous, tasty pancakes. Thank you Black Bear Diner!! read more

Solid diner food and I always receive great customer service. I once was running late for pick up and it was a few minutes after closing. The staff were willing to wait those few minutes so I could get my order. Thank you so much! read more

Well, came in post hike, on a sunday brunch time... found a seat at the bar right away (thank goodness) I had the biscuit and gravy plate with the eggs (scrambled of course), and bacon. Topped of with coffee and water. First of all, for a chain restaurant the gravy is really good- it ain't cracker barrel, but hey- welcome to the west coast. The Biscuits are HUGE!!!!!! Certainly something to write home about. The service was great, and I even got a to go cup of coffee. A wonderful pit stop on the way back from Pinicles for sure! read more

Savanna was super friendly and provided amazing service and the service was fast , food tasted amazing Will definitely return read more

This was our firs time at this Black Bear and Service and food were both excellent. We had to wait 15 minutes to be seated but once we were the waiter was right there and after the order was taken the food came out quickly, hot and delicious as well as more than we could consume. We will return soon!!! read more

First timing going here. Went at 10AM on a Saturday and the crowd to get seated was already quite big. We were told the wait would be 30 min, and we ended up getting called in a little before that time frame. There was some seating in the lobby while we waited nearly 30 min. Our server was nice and friendly. Menus were interesting as they were printed on what looked like a newspaper. Selection was massive. Really lots to choose from and ways to customize a breakfast. For the price, portion sizes were HUGE. My husband and I easily split one of the bigger breakfast plates and still couldn't finish every bite. They were nice enough to bring out two plates for us with the portion already split, so that was nice. Pancakes were yummy. I felt like my eggs were slightly undercooked for how I had asked them to prepare it but nothing too bad. Ham and bacon were also good. The coffee was just how I like it, not burnt tasting. Overall for the price and the portion size, it's a good place to check out if you're craving a big breakfast. Definitely a good place to go if going with family. read more

I advise not to go on weekends wait time 1 hour not sure if the food is that good and the staff care less to smile.

Love this location! Lisa and Bre were awesome as always!!!!! These ladies know how to handle business!! Love the nails ladies!!!

AMAZING EVERYTHING! Sat down super fast, food came out pipping hot and with speed! now let's talk about our waiter, ED. This is an amazing man! Great service, fast, friendly and a great sense of humor! I wish I could vote for him for best server of the year! He even helped the other servers and was so nice in doing so...Ed, sir, you are amazing! read more

Although the food was good, portions were generous and wait wasn't too long, the last two times we've been here there was a HAIR in the food. I can't bring myself to visit a third time. Sorry, not sorry. Hair in my food is where I draw the line. read more

Stooped in on 8-6-21. Was seated immediately. Prompt service and food. Large parties were getting food fast. Well staffed and attentive. Brianna was a dynamic hostess and made my stay eventful. Such a refreshing experience in these times. I'm not from the area, but familiar with the Diner. read more

My wife and I came in in Saturday morning, got seated in less then 5 minutes. Lisa sat us got our drinks and not even ten minutes later on a very busy Saturday morning our food was served to us hot and fresh. If you haven't came to eat here I recommend you stop by and ask for Lisa, she is a great server and her nails are to die for. read more

Good good snd we had an excellent waiter Fred!! If you go, you'll enjoy the food, snd request Fred as your server, so you'll be sure to enjoy the service as well as the good!! read more

Great place to go for a Burger I ordered the Grilled parmesan sourdough burger. It was a really nice change. Husband tried the Western BBQ Burger with bacon. .. Also a side salad. The Bleu Cheese dressing is super yummy. Fresh greens too. Didn't taste like bagged silage like many restaurants serve lately. Service is good. Staff is friendly and welcoming. We had 3 different people serving us. read more

I am speechless. I just fell in love. Everything was amazing. The building. The service. The food. Everything! I have never been here before but I am so glad I stopped by for breakfast. So wish I had one on the east coast. read more

See all

It was my hubbys first tim there & didn't end with a good impression. Waited for our food for almost 45 mins on a slow afternoon & received my protein burger & my hubbys omelette. On his country potatoes were over cooked & on my food their was a HAIR!! the server didn't come by to ask if every thing was ok until I had finished my burger. which later that day made me have an upset stomach. She was busy talking to her other go workers... then she camed & asked if everything was ok & I told her there was a hair in my fruit. She asked me to repeat my self 3 times I guess she wanted everyone to hear or something. read more

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

See all

Food was really good! Not trashy and greasy diner food. We went here for brunch on a Sunday, took about 30 minutes to get seated. But the staff and waiters were extremely kind and helpful. Very good atmosphere. read more

Love this place !!!Specially for your customer service is Fabulous .I will like to give a special thanks to ED he is alway vary polite and professional love his attention to details .Keep up the good work !!! read more

Absolutely slammed but great. I think it was a weekend morning and I went in to see how long the wait would be. Luckily, there was room at the counter, so we sneaked in and had a lovely meal. Even though the place was busy, our food came out hot and our server was very attentive. How can you go wrong at Black Bear? read more

Excellent food. The Huckleberry milkshake was great and the portions certainly live up to the idea of eat like a bear, better come hungry. read more

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

See all

Came here on a Thursday mid morning. Greeted immediately by hostess. Tables weren't bussed but hey, they're busy. Waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Waitress was on top of her game. Loved it. Food came out within 15 minutes. Delicious food. Above average diner breakfast. Great presentation. Didn't leave feeling overly stuffed with grease. I really appreciate that! Food ordered: 1) CFS with Country Potatoes and English Muffin and 2) NY Steak with Hash Browns and English Muffins read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - Top: NY steak Bottom: Country Fried Steak - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

After a long first day of scuba diving certification, you can bet yourself that everyone was starving. Black Bear Diner sits on the property of the Lauren Inn in Salinas, the hotel my family and I were staying at for our dive weekend, and conveniently satisfied our big appetites. This place is a great alternative to the typical Denny's or Carrow's that are so abundant at so many motel/inns, and the entire feel of the restaurant completely exceeds the original diner feel. The entire ambiance and environment of the restaurant resembles that of a country diner. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=6OFUKtE5HThGWAKS4RN4yQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=HcQ1BdtVaU_qcSgHASuyHQ Everything was properly decorated in bear motif--from the wallpaper, curtains, napkins, and water cups--very cute. The menu was also made of newspaper, and really made you feel like you were actual reading the paper. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=CrRy-wSextUnwS9upyE84A http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=W2vXKkWfjVbmA0d-GIIjwg http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=cfBhhTIJ2guLK9YA6w1_eQ We dined here twice for dinner during the dive weekend, and both servers we had were very friendly, and definitely helped us out with their extensive menu. They quickly warned us that the entree's were very big. And they weren't kidding. We took their advise, and shared a few things among our large group. On our first visit, my sister and I shared their famous Chicken Fried Steak. We mentioned we were sharing, and our servers on both days very graciously split the plates for us. When our entree's came out, I couldn't even tell it was already split--they were still very big. We also ordered the Meat Loaf. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=NVVA9aGU_6Ab64IfpeIg1Q http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=IoNe_F5IG4M3Axx3BwLaVg (Both of these dishes are half sizes) Each of the meals start off with a side salad or a cup of soup. Our first day had the Chicken Noodle Soup. Eh...salty and warm...should've been hotter. Needless to say on our second day, we ordered the side salad which was much more substantial for what we ordered. I enjoyed the Chicken Fried Steak very much. It was perfectly crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside and had a nice lumpy gravy that topped the steak and mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes was perfectly thick and chunky with potato pieces. The Meatloaf had chopped onions and carrots, but could've used a bit more flavor when prepared, needed some more flavoring from either ketchup or worcestershire sauce, something. In addition to some good food, they also have a very cute Bear Store selling everything from black bear slippers, sweatshirts, tee-shirts, BBQ Sauce, mugs etc. I was so tempted to buy a pair of black bear slippers! So cute. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=JyWLTXbNnBsKp3J7uEAG7Q http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zp5L3ZKWqWp-Im-Kega59w?select=ApUhxpuPpm2tWxeHNcY3dA Overall Black Bear Diner was a very convenient option for my starving family after a day of scuba diving. Their portion sizes are huge, and they have a very extensive variety on the menu. You will have no problems finding something that will catch your eye. Great place to eat after a long day. read more

See all

Waited a little over 5 mins to be seated. They were pretty busy for a Sunday night as they are open pretty late for a Sunday. We were seated at this interesting booth towards the front - I say interesting because it's facing towards the best people watching view. lol. Our waitress was super friendly, her name was Esis (I think that's what it said on her name tag) I ordered the Sourdough Melt without the ham which was sourdough bread grilled golden with a garlic Parmesan cheese crust, Swiss cheese, tomato and dijon mustard. It usually comes with ham but I asked for it without. My order came with ham but they removed it since they forgot about it. Food was good because I was STARVING. lol. read more

Black Bear Diner Salinas - Sourdough Melt with no ham. - Diners Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

Black bear, you got to be kidding, the food is like crazy filling , tasty , looking good. You order on the phone for pick up. Super polite . To say they give large portions is an understatement. Even the kids meal will feed a full-size adult. No I don't suggest it. The kids mac & cheese was basically easy Mac, and a side of fruit. The small portion of chicken fried steak was more than enough. I even had leftovers. Try and keep room for dessert. Even though I always forget to the pies are delicious. A good place to come , if your hungry and want to good meal. read more