When an employee goes above their 'job description' they should be recognized. Sara was that employee the other night. She exceeded our expectations and was a tremendous help. Thank you Sara. Best regards, Carole read more

Getting seating for 2 wasn't bad today (12/26/25) even though many patrons were probably off this day after Christmas. The bad parts today: -the decaf coffee wasn't flavorful or strong enough. Two Chicks restaurant's coffee is much better. -the scrambled eggs were bad; not fluffy at all; perhaps made from a premixed mixture usually used for a bad omelette. -the blinds were in bad shape and was difficult for the employees to adequately adjust to keep the morning sun from our eyes. -the waitress asked if we wanted the small or large chicken-fried-steak order, but we saw only one version (large) which was fine with us. Perhaps she was thinking of a different meal item. -there could have been a bit more checking on us by the waitress to see if we needed anything else, but it was busy. We did have to ask for cream for our coffee. Don't worry, we still tipped well. Black Bear Diner used to be one of my favorites but there are many good restaurants for breakfast in the Reno-Sparks area and it may be a long time before I bother giving BBD another try even though they're in 14 states, with 69 locations just in California (it's largest number of locations in one state). read more

We came here from my sister's birthday. We have the best time they accommodated us with everything we needed bath friendly service. The food here is so authentic and delicious. We loved it! Everybody ordered. They only messed up one order. Not bad for the large party we had so if you want a nice birthday party come on in here. It was great. We loved it our waiter. We had two of them and they were all over us. Service was wonderful. Thank you so much! read more

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I visited on Friday and specifically asked for an item from the discounted menu; however, they brought me a large meal meant for two people and charged me double the price. After I had paid,--even though the restaurant was nearly empty--they seated me at a table rather than in the lounge area, insisting that I had to sit there. A short-haired, bespectacled woman in her 50s treated me very rudely. My advice to anyone planning to visit is to choose the Reno branch instead; they have a truly friendly and competent team there. That way, you won't have to put up with the aggressive behavior of the older women--aged 50-plus and suffering from menopausal issues--who work at this location. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

I had my usual Saturday morning breakfast routine at Black Bear. It's a well-loved chain with friendly staff and generous portions. What really sets this Black Bear apart is Yuri. I've had the pleasure of sitting in Yuri's section numerous times, and her warm smile is always as comforting as the food. Yuri is always there to chat with guests and double-check your order to make sure everything is perfect. Her attentiveness to customers is truly remarkable. To make sure you get a good spot, try to arrive early since the restaurant gets busy quickly. Come hungry and leave happy! If you get the chance, sit in Yuri's section and be prepared to be amazed! read more

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It had been a while since I've been here and it was just as good! All of the employees were very friendly and attentive. We had to wait maybe 2 minutes to be seated as the wait staff were all serving customers. I had the BLT with a side of fries. It came out fresh and tasted great. My favorite part was the smoky bacon and fresh green lettuce. Happy to have chosen this place for lunch today! read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - BLT - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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Stopped in for a late breakfast. Plenty of seating and no wait time. Great service by wait staff. Food had to go back due to being cold. Our server was quick to fix the problem. It wasn't too crowded and noise was low. Enjoyed the biscuits and gravy. The kids meal selection was great. I was glad the pricing was very comparable. I'd come back again. read more

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I had St. Patrick's Day dinner there and it was absolutely delicious...they gave you a huge amount and the chef said she used her grandpas recipe for the corned beef...very delicious, and tender...and so much for $16.99 and I got pie for dessert, which was outstanding too...I highly reccomend Black Bear Diner read more

As always food is great tasting, and service is great. I ordered Bigfoot chicken fried steak, scramBOWL, and bred pudding and all were spot on. The service was amazing too, very attentive . ( Thank you Nicolas) Also we were there around 8-9 am and it was not too crowded, not too loud just right. Music in the background playing at a good volume too. We are definitely satisfied and had a good breakfast on the road experience. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - ScramBOWL - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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Service was exceptional at our recent visit. I ordered the cinnamon roll French toast and it was delicious. The restaurant was clean overall and the service was attentive. I've eaten here a couple times and I have yet to be disappointed. If you enjoy breakfast and like cinnamon rolls, do try the cinnamon roll French toast. I had it with ham and eggs over medium and all was cooked very well. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - Cinnamon Roll French Toast, eggs over medium and ham. - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Went here for the day after thanksgiving. It was definitely packed, and they were slammed. They seemed to only have two people on staff, making things take way longer, but no fault of the staff themselves. They were very kind and professional. We did have an older member of our party who caused a bit of a stir in their own way, and to make up for it we tipped generously in her stead. The ambience is what you would normally get out of a black bear diner, save for the gift shop was unusually in the middle of the room, slightly off center to the first set of tables. The themed booth is really cute. The food is what you would expect from black bear as well as the portions, which I am surprised they handled things as well as they did for being the day that it was. All in all it's a cute place, a bit out of the way from my normal spots but definitely would go again if I'm on this side of town for breakfast. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

I had a great experience at Black Bear Diner overall--the food was delicious, the service at the table was friendly, and everything came out quickly. Up until the very end of the visit, I honestly would have rated it very highly. However, things took an unfortunate turn when I went to the register to pay. While checking out, I asked for a slice of cheesecake to go. The cashier opened the small fridge next to the register and used her bare hands to move the slice directly into a to-go box. Considering she had just been handling the register and taking payments, it really caught me off guard. I politely asked if she could grab a new slice using gloves. She went back to the kitchen and came back wearing a glove and boxed up another slice. The whole interaction felt uncomfortable, and it made me question the food-handling practices there. To be honest, I ended up throwing the cheesecake away afterward because I didn't feel confident about it anymore . read more

Where do I begin? Food was delicious and huge portions for the price. Yvette and Jessen are such beautiful souls. They were both so kind, the service was great and again the food is fantastic! The atmosphere was inviting and the decor is very in line with Black Bear. The whole place inside and out was very clean as well. Do yourself a favor and stop In to eat soon! Be sure to get something from their bakery case too! They make it all homemade and it's delicious! read more

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I haven't eaten in a Black Bear Diner since 2018 and it was in Reno and the food was not that good, bacon was old and the lettuce was brown. We were passing this Black Bear and decided to give it a try. Wow, what happened? These restaurants use to have the best chicken fried steak and maybe this is just an individual restaurant thing, but it was awful. It is no longer the big thick steak and heavy batter. This was 2 small thin paddies with a thin batter that I'm not sure was microwaved instead of fried. Maybe all of their chicken fried steak is now food service frozen? Yesterday, we were at the grocery store, and they had chicken fried steaks. So, we bought them and they looked exactly like what I got at Black Bear. We cooked it in the microwave and finished it in the air fryer, and they looked and tasted the same right down to the white gravy, which just like at Black Bear just barely covered the meat. My wife didn't finish her hamburger, mediocre at best. Won't go back. read more

One of the first restaurants I tried on a visit to Reno. I'm from Ohio where we have a lot of amazing diners and when I walked into black bear and was greeted by Kristin, I knew I was in the right place. She made us feel welcomed and gave us an amazing experience. The food was amazing as well! And I loved the cozy feel to the diner. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Had the pleasure of dinner with my wife here at the Black Bear Diner in Sparks on April 15th 2025. Sara took really good care of us, and the food was so good. We highly recommend the Chicken Nest and the Bacon Bleu Burger. The portions are generous and so tasty! The dessert case alone is reason enough to return every day!! The brownies and apple pie cobbler were fresh and perfectly delicious. Always a good visit at the Black Bear Diner. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - Black Bear Merch! - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Great bread pudding my wife's and I favorite and can't go wrong with the pot roast . Great service and value

I went to get my free birthday bear's "hoice and it was super yummy. Sweet cream pancakes, eggs, sausage, and bacon. It was all very good and the waitress was wonderful. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - Bear's choice pancakes, poached eggs bacon and sausage yummy - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

This is my second time ordering online at Black Bear Diner in Sparks, this time I ordered the Denver Omelette with hashbrowns, a side of three sausage links, and supposedly a side of cheesy eggs. I didn't even bother taking a picture of the sausage links and unappealing scrambled eggs. The omelette was terribly small and the hashbrowns were not crispy at all and completely soggy--dripping in grease. The service from the front of house staff was the most pleasurable out of this experience. If you hear an unhappy cook, cancel your order and go somewhere else for better food! read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - Denver Omelette - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

The coffee was good as was the food. I only gave 4 stars because I never had the chance to get the cup of water and coffee refilled. Maybe they were short of staff???? read more

1.5.24: I came in this morning to collect my free birthday breakfast. If you sign up, during your birthday they'll send an email for a free breakfast. The breakfast is the Hungry Bear's Choice 2 egg breakfast that comes with 2 pieces of meat and a sweet ( 2 pancakes, waffle, or French toast). I split up my meat and got 1 piece each of bacon and a sausage and decided on the waffle. I went with orange juice because they freshly squeeze their juice and it's semi-healthy for what I'm about to indulge in. My breakfast was very good. I ordered my eggs over medium and they were cooked perfectly. The sausage was plump and juicy, not overcooked or withered and my bacon had a perfect crisp. As for the waffle, it's one of my favs. It's big, thick, and fluffy and I love how they press the waffle--there's a square indentation in the middle that's perfect for catching syrup with every bite! The restaurant ambience wasn't too busy and I was seated right away. My server, Jessica, was great. She was smiling, friendly, and attentive. The cashier was really helpful too when showing me how to redeem my birthday breakfast. read more

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Honestly not sure I've experienced a more disorganized and flat out terrible experience. Bjs was closed so we stopped here. No wait, half the place was empty. 15 minutes to be greeted at the table. Another 10 for coffee. Another 15 to place an order. Order walked by us to a table that had been waiting 20 minutes to order. They explained it wasn't theirs so instead of coming by put table they took it back to the kitchen... came out 10 min later. Had to beg coffee refills. Finally got it after finishing our meals. Then the kids meal is supposed to come with ice cream, well she stops by drops the check off and walks away. I have to stop her to ask for the ice cream. Get the ice cream and ask for a spoon which leads to asking where the ones on the table went. Well we had 3 people, 2 napkins, 2 forks and one spoon. Never again. read more

Omg, this new chicken fried steak burrito is amazing. And reasonably priced. The service is good but a lil slow. Great family menu for all.. It's black bear, if you like the mountains you'll love the Black Bears ambiance... read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - Chicken Fried Steak burrito mmm mmm mmm - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

I have not visited this place in over 15 years so it was great to see that it was still standing. It was initially empty when I arrived at around 5 PM but shortly after people started flowing in so that made me a little more comfortable in my choice to go there I ended up getting steak and eggs, and my husband got chicken and waffles for the most part it was pretty good and I loved the grits. My eggs were cooked. Perfect. The steak was cooked. OK, but the cut of steak was not really to my liking. It was a bit lower quality of steak however I managed to make it through. The flavor was very good. I must say. I will not be ordering that again because I know they have so many other dishes that are good. I recommend going to this place as the portion sizes are large. The food is home cooked, and the service people were fabulous. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - Steak, eggs, and grits - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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I finally managed to visit this location when it was a slow morning! However, the service was not the best and did not see our server for a long time after receiving our food. The food itself isn't bad, it's a bit expensive for standard breakfast meal that doesn't offer much flavor. The best thing was the stuffed French toast, the strawberry cream cheese inside brought the whole dish together! But, this is a special and don't think it'll stay as a regular menu item. Unsure if I'd visit this location again. read more

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I cannot recommend this Black Bear to anyone. I am not sure what has gone down at this chain, as it used to be really good. However, this time my mom's tomato soup was ice cold and they forgot to put my order in. The waitress did what she could, and ultimately comped our meal because the "new cooks" in the kitchen lost the ticket in the system. However, it does not appear that management is fully training their staff as they should, since everyone seemed to be having issues. read more

The pancakes were nice and fluffy. The hot cocoa was perfect with whip cream. The bbq burger was huge and the fries were crunchy.

I was craving some pie, so I stopped in the get it to go. The service was great and quick. The display of pies looked very appetizing. I got the mixed berry, and it was good. I wish there was crust on the bottom. It just had the berry mix underneath a top crust within the tin. Not a lot of filling. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

This place is great! My family and I go here almost every Friday for dinner. We normally get Shauna as our waitress. She makes us feel welcomed, is attentive, makes us laugh, and helps out if any issue arises, overall making our experience amazing. The food has great variety and portions and we always have a great experience when we go here! read more

My son and I stopped by this morning and enjoyed ourselves! Marlee is a great waitress and took great care of us! The food was good, BUT wish the country potatoes were cooked longer! The restaurant looked great! Just wish it wouldn't cost us $38.00! read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - Flank steak and eggs - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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We used to go to BB all the time, but just almost stopped going because of other choices. I love their decor, although some might find it too cutesy. If you saw my house, you'd know I LOVE bears. Anyway, it was my birthday and I've been particularly sick this past week. My husband said he would pick up dinner if I ordered it. I got my usual, a scramble plate. Well, this was by far the worst food I've ever had here and probably every other place too. I'm so disappointed I can't even tell you. I specifically asked for NO ONIONS three times because I have a lifelong hatred of onions. I mistakenly said potatoes well done as well as the scramble. The potatoes were almost black and cooked in/covered in some kind of foul tasting grease. In contrast, I've had the same dish before cooked PERFECT and tasty, and another time with runny eggs (when I said well due to health concerns) and a dry, dry biscuit. I thought I'd try the sourdough this time, and it was not in any way shape or form sourdough; it was plain white bread. I'd bet on it. I ended up picking through the scramble until it was cold and even more unappetizing and gave my dog what didn't have onions in it and threw most of the potatoes away. What a disappointment, on my birthday, and being too sick to go out to have dinner. Seems like it depends on who the cook is and what kind of food quality is important to them. I'd be ashamed to serve a meal like that. read more

Dropped by Black Bear Diner (the Sparks location) last night to pick up dinner for myself. I called ahead to check if their prime rib was available since it was only 4:11 but the person who answered my call (Kyle) confirmed it was available; the lady who took over and took my order over the phone was very nice (wished I caught her name). By the time I drove to the location in Sparks, I was greeted warmly and I informed them that I had called ahead. They got my to-go order ready and I left with my food with very minimal wait time. When I got home, I noted how nicely my order was packed and organized; the prime rib was a fair size but a tad bit smaller than how it used to be (shrink-flation). The food tasted good but a bit blander than I like it so I had to add some seasonings. Overall, it was a positive experience but the final price ($40 including tip) was a bit on the high end just to spend on one meal. read more

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I was hungry for breakfast food, but it was after noon and Black Bear was one of the few still open. The place was quiet and not too busy. We were quickly seated and offered drinks. The service was fast! Not too long after we ordered, the food was coming out. The menu is so cute here because it's made like a newspaper. I felt like I was in the 1900's with the interior design (which is the feel Black Bear is going for)! I got the Stuffed Blackberry French Toast. The toast was soft. The blackberry was sweet. I do wish there was more powdered sugar on top. It came with a side of fruit. I was expecting a variety of fruit, but it was cantaloupe and honeydew with one slice of strawberry lol. It is a big portion for myself so it's a good dish to share. I was told the steak and eggs were cooked just right. I would come back here only if there was no breakfast place that's open. Overall, the environment was great, food was average, and service was exceptional! read more

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I have been at many Black Bear Diners in Nevada, Northern California and Oregon. Out of all the black bear diners I have been to, this one in Sparks Nevada has to have the worst service ever. Last time I was here, it took about an hour and a half to get a seat, get served and to finally get our check to go. Today it had been about 20 minutes waiting to be seated for two waitresses that were just standing around talking behind the counter to come and seat us. (Strangely, one waitress said she couldn't seat us even though she was not very busy. There must be some type of division of duties that is extremely inefficient.) But we were never seated, and we finally left. I'm so sorry to say that I probably won't be visiting this Black Bear diner again. I really hate giving bad reviews because generally I know the owners work really hard to have a good business. But this one has horrible representation with these servers. read more

We came here 10 minute wait to get seated not bad we waited 48 minutes for our food! 2 tables of pepole got there food before us even though they got seated later than us food was decent. The manager was nice enough to pay for our food.and it is pretty clean read more

Our son wanted to have breakfast at the black best dinner because he wanted to dine with the black bears, so we decided to go there today. We were sat promptly. Traffic was steady. As soon as we sat a waitress came over and took our drink order. As soon as she left a waiter came and said he was our server but that he was new and wanted to make sure we were his. I told him our drink order had already been taken. He indeed was our waiter. Very nice young man. Our drinks came out and he took our food order. I really was liking this place until he brought us our check but the food was not even out. Not sure what the intentions were but it really didn't feel right. My husband and I just looked at each other. Our food finally arrived. My omelet was perfect and my favorite were the strawberry stuffed French toast. They were stuffed with strawberry cream cheese filling. Super yummy! He offered us another coffee cup. That took a while to come. We also asked him for creamer which he said he would bring, coffee came but the creamer didn't. I don't all blame him, he is new and he will only learn with time. However small things like that should not be overlooked. I didn't drink my second cup of coffee which was a bummer, the first one was just perfect. We will be back again. I know this one was just a one off. read more

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ordered cinnamon roll French toast. It was tasteless. There was no drizzle of powdered icing to be on it and it didn't come with the fruit cup that it was supposed to have. It didn't taste like vanilla or anything basically was tasteless. I had to add my own cinnamon sugar, my own powdered sugar, and they forgot to include the syrup upset. It was dried out bread. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - My receipt as proof - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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Disappointed last night. Ordered the pot roast and it was extremely salty and was the scrapings of the bottom of the pan.

It was clearly pack as it was the day after Thanksgiving, however the waitresses were extremely rude and unfriendly when I asked for a cup of water. read more

I came here 2 weeks ago and was impressed with the Dr Praeger burger (I asked for the parmesan sourdough burger sub veg patty) anyone who eats veggie burgers from a restaurant knows they are taking a gamble on flavor and texture but this was fantastic. I loved our waitress too, she did a bang-up job even though we could tell they were under-staffed. Fast forward to today I went back for lunch (and was lucky enough to get the same waitress) I caught her name this time; CLAUDIA you are awesome! My Shasta Scramble was also awesome, as was the hot coffee that kept on coming. This is my comfort food go-to. read more

Black Bear Diner Sparks - Parmesan Sourdough Burger sub Dr Praeger patty. Chicken fried steak in the background. - American Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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