This is such a cute dinner with delicious food and great customer service. Our server was so nice and helpful, special shoutout to marycate :))))))) read more

Black Bear Diner - 10/10 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

Bernie was SO friendly and amazing this morning - we came in as first time guests with our toddler. She made excellent recommendations to which we tried (Chicken Fried Steak & Blackberry Bear Claw French Toast) and they definitely lived up to the hype! The food was perfectly cooked, I especially liked the bacon thickness. I'll also add the fresh OJ was a nice touch and we will definitely be coming back to try more of their menu. The ambience was calm and welcoming, restaurant was very clean, and we saw bussers constantly on their feet making sure tables were tidy. Overall we had a wonderful experience and especially appreciated the tap to pay feature at the front to pay our bill. read more

We stopped by Big Bear Diner around 8 AM on a Thursday morning and stayed until about 9 AM. It was honestly such a cute, calm, and peaceful atmosphere. It was quiet enough that my husband and I could actually sit down, enjoy breakfast, and have a conversation without feeling rushed or overwhelmed by noise. The staff was also really friendly and honest, which we appreciated! I had the pancakes with bacon and sausage. The bacon and sausage were really good, but unfortunately I think my pancakes were a little undercooked. The middle still had that raw/play-dough-like texture rather than being completely fluffy and cooked through. Flavor-wise they weren't bad, but because of the texture I'd probably give my meal around a 6.5-7/10. My husband ordered the chicken fried steak and gave his entire plate an 8/10. He said when everything was eaten together, the flavors actually came together really well and the overall plate tasted GOOD. Individually, though, some of the components could've used a little more flavor or seasoning to really make them stand out. He was a little disappointed that the chicken fried steak seemed smaller than what he's gotten at other Big Bear Diner locations. The gravy had a good flavor profile, but on its own it felt like it was missing just a little something to fully bring it together. His hash brown was MASSIVE, although he wished it was a little more put together and crispy throughout. And the orange juice!! Each glass apparently contains up to 10 freshly squeezed oranges, and you could definitely tell it was fresh. That was such a nice touch to breakfast. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves! There are a few things food-wise that could use some tweaking, but between the peaceful atmosphere, friendly staff, fresh orange juice, and being able to actually enjoy a quiet breakfast together, it was still a really pleasant Thursday morning. Not perfect, but definitely a cozy little breakfast moment worth enjoying. read more

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I had a wonderful experience at Black Bear Diner! After waiting for the opening for so long, it was definitely worth the wait! Before you even step inside, the fun starts with the awesome wooden bears holding their playful signs out front. Once you walk through the doors, the cozy, woodsy cabin decor immediately makes you feel right at home! They had a cool jukebox and a small shop section if you want to buy some Black Bear Diner merchandise. I also loved how unique the menus are because they are designed just like an old-school newspaper. They even had some retro comics in the newspaper that made me and my friend feel nostalgic. Their menu was packed with a variety of homestyle food options to look through! Our server, Randy, was wonderful. He was nice, attentive, and took the time to answer all of our questions about the menu. The other staff members we encountered were lovely as well. As for the food, I got the Chicken Sausage Scramble on their "Less Breakfast" section. I liked this section because it still offers some breakfast classics, but with smaller portions if someone is in the mood for that. I swapped out the toast for a homemade biscuit and it was the best choice! It tasted so good and was a bonus to an already delicious meal. Their butter was cool and creamy and they also had a mini display of your choice of jelly, which I loved. I also ordered a side of fries that I split with my friend. If you want to enjoy incredible comfort food in a cozy, woodsy atmosphere, this place is a must-visit. I'm already looking forward to my next visit! read more

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This review is for the newly open location in Vista California off of Highway 78 and Melrose Drive I have to say service was great Caden was our server very pleasant for light respectful friendly and overall his customer service is top, also he has really good memory about what we ordered just by looking at our plate I order over easy eggs and hash browns the kitchen gave me Homestyle potatoes and Well Done eggs he noticed and he sent a side order of hash browns and a side order of three over easy eggs, coffee is bottomless but one caution orange juice is not even though it's in the same Corner of the menu so it kind of looks like implied that coffee and orange juice as bottomless so that does not apply to orange juice read more

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I had the chance to take my mom for brunch. There was no wait this time which worked in our favor having my elderly mom. But the place was still packed and people continued to enter the business even up until we left. We were seated at a booth. My mom was really happy to try the place. She liked the comfort of the place and the decor. She did cold even though we came from the heat outside. A sweater from the car took care of it. We both requested coffee since we didn't have our coffee yet. My food order was the Big Bacon Breakfast and mom ordered the Fish & Chips. My breakfast was good, I was happy with the large, thick bacon. Plenty enough to share with mom and had enough to take home too. Mom enjoyed her order, but chowed down her side of coleslaw first. I had to save room to try the Huckleberry Ice Cream. I really wanted to try the Huckleberry Pastry, but didn't have belly room for it. The ice cream was very tasty. I would order it again. Before ending this update, I just have to comment on another excellent staff, our server. What a ray of sunshine to the restaurant. Thank you Kerri D for your excellent service and your patience with my who is in the early stage of Alzheimer's. You will find me here again! read more

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Our server was Cayden. He was very nice, polite and checked back with us often. He was very proud having started off as a busser and promoted to server. This came about as I had asked how long he has been with Black Bear. My first time there and I had the "Little Less Dinner" Slow-cooked pot roast with onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, red potato, herbs, and spices. Topped with savory beef gravy and my side was garlic Parmesan toast and minestrone soup. All was delicious and filling! After hearing what others had to say (some good, some bad and some so-so) and read many Yelp reviews I would recommend just trying it out yourself. Everyone has different likes and dislikes when it comes to food and service. Just remember we can all have a great day and a not so great day. I'll be back again for breakfast next time! read more

Black Bear Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

The wait staff seemed incredibly under trained. They engaged with my table a lot, but it was often for superfluous things. They checked in constantly, like after we placed an order we were asked multiple times if we needed anything (nope, just the food we ordered please), if we'd been helped yet (yes, we have, thank you), then to tell us the waitress who took our order is leaving now but this new waitress will take great care of us (ok, great, thanks again). I asked for just one cornbread, making sure to repeat myself multiple times, and for some reason our waitress insisted on one EACH. So we ended up with two dry cornbread muffins in addition to our entrees. I usually don't care about service but the experience here was agitating. I came back another time for a takeout order and arrived earlier than the scheduled time. No problem, told the front counter my name and that I was waiting for my takeout. I stand there for at least 10-15 minutes listening to the high schoolers behind the counter talk about what they've eaten there, just chatting it up, before I'm like okay, it's now way past the estimated time and check in again. I'm asked for my name again and sheepishly handed a paper bag that's just been sitting on the back counter for who knows how long while they'd stood around chatting. Was it too naive of me to trust they would've remembered I was there for a takeout order? Apparently so. I'm all for being pals with your coworkers but it's not a great look when there are 3-5 employees behind the counter and I'm ignored as the only takeout order despite standing directly in front of them. The benches next to me were all empty that day so it's not as if they were in the middle of a rush. I must've had some real "ignore me" energy, I guess. So advice to potential customers, make sure you don't blindly trust here. The food's fine, pretty standard diner food, lots of butter. read more

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They are new. Kinks need to be worked out. I will definitely wait a bit before I return. One of the two meals was good. Tri tip sandwich ordered deluxe was a hit. The Cobb salad was NOT. Unsure the issue but it was not good. Hard to explain as it "looked" good. The waitress was nice but in a half empty restaurant it took over 15 minutes before we were even asked for our drink order..... read more

Black Bear Diner - Tri Tip Sandwich and Cobb Salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

It was my second time back here...wanted to give it another chance since Father's Day was a no-go. I ordered at open seating and it took forever. I spoke to the Manager. He attributed the slow service was due to the holiday so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I really looove the black bear theme...feel like I'm on a camping trip at a national park. This time, I can tell it wasn't that busy. Things were going smoothly until I noticed a lag and asked the waitress. She informed me that the server didn't accept my eggs from the kitchen because they were not done the way I requested. When I finally received my comfort food, everything was cold except for the eggs - not so comforting afterall. I thought my entire meal would be re-made. Anyhow on both visits, I had not sooo great experiences. The 2 stars are for the black bear theme and friendly staff. read more

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This place has been packed since they opened so we were pleasantly surprised to see a few open parking spaces when we decided to give it a try. Upon entering we were immediately greeted by a host and seated right away. The overall layout appears to be similar to the old Coco's but with upgrades to the Black Bear Diner style. There were two of us in my party and we ordered the Bruce's Meat Lover's Omelette without sausage, hashbrowns and toast and the second meal was the Hickory Smoked Ham Steak with hashbrowns and an english muffin. Both dishes came out in a reasonable time and were very hearty so no one was going away hungry. The omelette meal as a whole was good, the Smoked Ham Steak had a couple issues but they didn't ruin the meal. They ordered eggs over medium but they were definitely over easy. Barely cooked but we understand it can be tough to get the different levels just right. The second issue with the this dish was the english muffin. We expected it to toasted, with a little toasty color on it but it came out like it was barely warmed. Just a step above a untoasted/not warmed english muffin. The next time we'll ask that the english muffin actually be toasted and not just warmed. The final two items we took to go were the apple cobbler and the homemade chocolate cream pie. The apple cobbler was more of a mini apple pie vs a cobbler. The topping is different on a cobbler and this was had more of lattice look like one would do on an apple pie. I found the pie very tart, almost like they didn't put enough cinnamon/sugar in it. I ended up brushing it with melted butter and adding my own cinnamon/sugar on the crust before warming it up again. It helped cut the tartness. The chocolate cream pie was good. Overall a good experience and we will go back. read more

Black Bear Diner - Bruce's Meat Lover's Omelette without sausage - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

I have waited for this restaurant to open for so long!! Finally!! lol their decor was very cute. You get your money's worth! A lot of food for one person! Their food was great. No complaints here!! It's great for groups or just you and your date!!! read more

Black Bear Diner - Baked Potato (390 cal) Garlic Parmesan Toast (270 cal) House Salad (230-460 cal) Onion Rings (540 cal) Prime Rib (1130 cal) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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Finally got a chance to try out the new Black Bear Diner. Not quite sure what all the hype is about. Will start with the negatives and finish off with the pros. Staff need more training. The hostess needs to learn that she can't just say 15-20 minutes for everyone. We waited 30 minutes for our seats, and the people after us were waiting even longer. Our server was terrible. I don't recommend sitting in Nicole's section. Not sure if she just had an off day or not but she was constantly confused and forgot a lot. Food sizes although ample, were mid in taste. We ordered the Hobo omelet which the fries it came with were extremely overcooked and the cinnamon cakes. Pros: plenty of seating, and lots of seating available when waiting for your table. Orange juice was delicious although pricey. The eggs used in the omelet were good. It did not taste like an omelet with poured eggs, but tasted more like three whipped eggs. Plenty of ingredients in the omelet, and the different hot sauces available at the table were a nice touch. read more

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I had never been to a black bear diner, now I've been twice. My first visit was through an invite to the soft opening. It was well timed, the staff was very friendly and helpful and my party enjoyed our dishes. I got steak and eggs and they came with two massive biscuits. My friends got chicken fried steak and eggs and an omelette. We all liked our meals and all had food we took home. The portions are large! I returned yesterday with another friend who wanted to try it. There were a few people waiting outside. We were greeted kindly and put our name on the list. They said it would be a 20 minute wait so we sat on the benches inside. There were seats at the bar but we chose to wait for a table. It was interesting to watch the staff at work. They didn't stop moving. Cleaning the counters, the merchandise areas, the outside windows and restocking various items. The time went by quickly. Just after the 20 minute mark we got the text our table was ready. We approached the podium and were taken to our table. I sat in this room last time too. Bring a sweater if you get cold easy as it is colder on this side. We had looked at the menu prior to coming, but still, we had a hard time deciding. Our server was patient with us and came back a few times. There were several empty tables in the room the whole time we were there. Finally, we were ready to order and did so, our waitress was cheerful, answered our questions and disappeared with our order. The food definitely took longer this time. We were surprised at the wait. Eventually, our food came. We ordered pancakes/waffles, eggs, and bacon/sausage links (bear's choice). We didn't see the server for a while and we had to request butter as there was only one pat on the table. We also needed more syrup as the pancakes & waffle were a bit dry. The rest was really good and we managed to eat most of it. If you are expecting a gourmet experience, this is not for you. If you are expecting a rustic chain diner experience with large portions, then this spot will leave you fulfilled. I've enjoyed both my meals here and will be back. read more

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This place took over what used to be Coco's, which was empty for awhile. They finally opened and man, the wait! But I not only got lucky to find a parking spot, but there was also one spot open at the counter! Score! Otherwise, it's an hour wait! Quite a few items to choose from. I decided to get the Bear's Choice breakfast. You get to choose your plate. I did the french toast with scrambled eggs, pork sausage link, and bacon! Oh, and I got the freshly squeezed orange juice. Not necessarily by hand, but a machine. Nonetheless, it is freshly squeezed. I got my diner breakfast fix! I definitely want to try some other dishes! read more

Black Bear Diner - Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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I really love black bear diner. I think this place still needs to work out the kinks in it since it is new there were a few things wrong. The fries were way too salty and the glass of soda we had was extremely dirty. Other than that the food was good. It's still a very large portion that they give you. The ranch dressing is so good and the country gravy is also very good. I had a steak and it was seasoned very nicely. I would come back here but some of the other members of my family did not like it. The service was also very good. Our waitress was very nice. read more

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Classic breakfast joint....plenty of parking....friendly faces. I think this restaurant is a great place for families and friends gathering together. The service was great and quick. My California Omelet came with so much avocado!! A nice quick stop for brunch. read more

Black Bear Diner - Build your own with French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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I tried black bear diner today for the first time since I didn't see a long wait out front like it's been since it opened haha I tried the pot roast grilled cheese sandwich it had grilled onions & a horseradish sauce w/ au jus dipping sauce but my plate came out without the au jus unfortunately. We also tried the chicken fried steak & eggs plate and sweet cream pancakes everything was very tasty I especially loved the pancakes I would come back for those alone! read more

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Vista restaurant just opened in June. We arrived early Sunday morning around 7am. The restaurant only had a few customers. Kevin provided great service. He was kind and willing to assist. Superb service. We had a great breakfast with cinnamon roll French toast with ham and two eggs. One thing I love Black Bear. My eggs were prepared poached. Compliments to the chef! Loved my breakfast. By the time we left the parking lot was packed and the restaurant was full. Come one come all but arrive EARLY! Simple drive from San Diego. Give this place a try. Don't forget the biscuits!!! The vibe with the juke box was great. read more

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My husband and I went for lunch today. I ordered chicken avocado club. He ordered patty melt. We both got the house salads for our sides. With blue cheese dressing. First of all I love the fact that you serve the salads with a cold fork. We go to 4 and 5 star restaurants and they serve cold Salads with a cold fork. Bravo. 2nd. May I suggest they cut the leaves smaller. They are way too big and we have to cut the leaves ourselves. Other than that your salads are perfect. Blue cheese dressing is delicious. Now for the bad review on my salad. I was eating and then bit down on something very hard. Took it out of my mouth. Tasted like a coffee bean. I asked the server. She apologized and got me a new salad. She said that their coffee beans are stored next to where the salad is. Second salad was great, except for the too big leaves. I did take a picture of the salad With the bit down coffee bean. Now as far as the bottomless fresh squeezed orange juice. That is 100% miss advertising. Your manager at the time could Have taken off the charge for the second orange juice. She was arrogant and extremely patronizing to us. She shouldn't be a manager. Period. The server we had today took care of the issue and was so apologetic. But your manager from The orange juice incident was pathetic. So we decided to give black bear diner a chance today. The problem was taken care of professionally. Unlike the orange juice Incident. Also the placemats still state bottomless coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice. Customers need to know. I have left a message at corporate. If you want to make it better you can email me back. Thank you. Btw. The email you sent in your response to my first review doesn't work. I sent this to you in response. Might want to check your email if you want customers to reply to you because what you sent doesn't work. read more

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Would you give this to a customer? This is our second time going here. We tried to give the benefit of the doubt the first time, but Ultimately came up, disappointed the second. We've been a been to a couple blackbear diners up north and absolutely love them . Sadly, This location did not impress. read more

Black Bear Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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Quick delivery and great communication. Thanks Monica! If you have eaten at Black Bear at other locations, the food quality is consistent. Fresh, hearty, comforting. Two thumbs up! read more

We waited a LONG time for this location to open & finally stopped for lunch. Black Bear Diner's best food is their breakfasts. But we ordered lunch and it was good. My wife ordered the chicken taco salad which was huge but the chicken tasted packaged or pre-made. My club was good especially the bacon & fresh slices of avocado but the same chicken. The kiddo ordered the kid's mac & cheese which he enjoyed. The decor has black bears everywhere which we love. Service was attentive but the food took about 40mins to arrive (2pm late lunch). read more

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Probably a 3.5, but I'll give the benefit if the doubt since this is a new location. We showed at 6:50am and didn't leave until 8:15. Too long. The food was good, but it took about 45 minutes and a chicken fried steak and some pancakes. Our waitress was good, but it took over 10 minutes just to get our coffee. Nice place upgraded from an old Cocos. My only valid complaint is the breakfast food took way TOO LONG to come out. We'll be back, but with caution. read more

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The wait to be seated for two people was about 15 minutes. The place was pretty busy overall and the menu had lots of options, too many for me . Luckily Jennie knew exactly what to do after I told her the things I wanted! The food came out quickly and my coffee got filled up before I even realized I needed more. The portions were generous and the value was great. If your in the area give them a try just be prepared for a short wait. Oh we also took a blackberry cobbler to go and it didn't disappoint. read more

Black Bear Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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I was so looking forward for this diner to open up. We waited a long time for it. The first time I came here it wasn't the greatest experience. It was only a week open. But there was a lot of issues in that first visit. The biggest was a hair in our pastry and dirty dishes. The manager was very nice and she adjusted our bill on that visit. I figured that they just had to get everything worked out since they just opened. My visit today had the same issue as last time. Dirty dishes. I ordered a coffee and my coffee mug had lipstick still on it. Gross. The waiter gave me a new coffee, but when I looked up I saw him rinsing the mug out. I just wasn't sure if I got a new mug or he just wiped the lipstick off the old mug. I couldn't drink my coffee. I ordered an apple cobbler and I asked for plates to share. All 5 plate we got were all dirty. They took them back and we got new plates but the knives she gave us was dirty. She saw it right away and took it and gave us a new one. I just don't know what's going on with all the dirty dishes. That's just unacceptable. One dish ok. But multiple dishes at one time and utensils. Tells me something is wrong with their dish washer. There shouldn't be so many dirty dishes. Are they not rinsing the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? I'll be honest, I didn't finish my food. I just couldn't enjoy my breakfast. I won't be back to this restaurant. I honestly feel that management needs to do a better job in overseeing the details of everything in this restaurant. Starting with how the food is handled to the dishes being clean. Because if the staff is grabbing plates and their fingers are touching the food that's not ok. We got steak and eggs on our first visit here and there was a smudge of jam on the plate. Only 2 ways for that to get there, either the plate was dirty or the cook or servers fingers left the mark. Either way, it's not right. Hopefully this gets taken care of. read more

Black Bear Diner - Dirty plate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

I picked up a coconut cream pie to go. I was expecting a whole size pie instead they have a tiny personal size portion. Enough for 2 people. The disappointment was the pie crust. The cream part was rich as it should be but the crust was basically crumbs of graham cracker no consistency. Dry almost powdery graham cracker at the bottom. I was very sad, and glad that I didn't get a full size pie after all. I think black bear needs to work on the crust part of this pie. Like I said the cream part was perfect. read more

Black Bear Diner - Coconut cream pie - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

Black Bear has a lodge vibe. Super cute black bear decor abounds. Ray was very nice but not very attentive. I don't know if his section was too large or if we came at a busy time. We went on a Thursday evening around 5:20. There was no wait for a table and we sat right away. We ordered by 5:30 and our food arrived at about 6 PM. I had the small portion of the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese. My Mac was cold but the rest of the meal was warm. My husband had the Southern Scramble with spicy sausage. The sausage was not spicy but there was a ton of food. Portions are generous, so arrive with an appetite!! read more

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We had the best service at the Vista location. Nicole was over the top in everything she did for us. The decor is so cute, and yet still very comfortable. And the food was amazing, hot fresh and really delicious huge portions, you can definitely share. read more

Black Bear Diner - Lite Biscuit and gravy with sausage patty. It was delicious! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

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Absolutely in heaven that this place is open! Andres was an amazing server even with how crowded it was. My three girlfriends and myself came in around 9:45 to a 30/45 min wait. Totally fine, this place is worth it. I got the cinnamon roll French toast. Two of my gfs got the chicken fried steak. One with eggs and potatoes. The other with potatoes, biscuits and gravy and their famous corn bread. And my other gf got the build your own breakfast. We also got a couple meals to go along with their chocolate cream pie. Absolutely wonderful. Look forward to coming back again. read more

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Everyone liked the good, big portions, and the waitress was super friendly. It was loud though hard to hear anyone talk.

It's fun to have black bear diner in town. It's a reliable good breakfast place. We got decent service and the food is better than Denny's. read more

You can tell they went to great efforts getting the restaurant all decked out; both inside and out. The decor is really nice. We got seated right away and the server was pleasant. My coffee cup was never empty, the gravy (biscuits & gravy) was quite tasty, food portions were sufficient, and prices average. So why only one star? Well, here we go: We inquired if the biscuits & gravy actually had sausage, and the server affirmed. Well, when it got to the table, it was basically large biscuits with a thin coating of gravy (like syrup on a pancake) and if there was ANY sausage, it was microscopic pieces that you really couldn't tell was there. The potatoes were supposed to have onions & peppers, but also there was barely a few tiny pieces. Worse, a lot of the potatoes were burnt. Moving on to the omelet, I ordered the one with all the meats. Gotta say that it wasn't too bad being tender, juicy, and flavorful. But there was just one problem... it had no meat! I didn't realize it until I was mostly done because sometimes the ingredients aren't uniform, so you don't expect all of it to be throughout. But eventually I noticed it was meatless. My wife checked the tab just to make sure, and it was the correct meal. As you can see, what started off as a solid four is rapidly dwindling, but we aren't quite at the bottom yet. I brought the issue to the server's attention, and she said she would get the manager assuring that it would be resolved. So, we waited..... and waited... and waited. Finally, realizing no manager was going to show up, we paid the bill and left. read more

Emailed the owner last week as they advised in their response. We heard back and continue a dialogue. Asked for our phone number but the owner has not called us back. It has been 4 weeks now. So though it sounds good that they will contact you, it hasn't happened. read more

Black Bear Diner - Oil from omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

I came here when they first opened and by time I left the place was packed! The food was excellent and service was friendly and helpful too. Of course the ambiance was looking at all the knick-knacks and decor. read more

Went opening day, expected madness, and got madness haha. The wait was a little longer than expected, and service was pretty slow but that's also expected. The staff were doing their best though and super apologetic even though some of the guests at our table were pretty hangry (lol) but the food was actually pretty good and very picturesque I'd like to add. I actually love the interior cabin vibe a lot, there is decent amount of seating, and I haven't ever been to a black bear diner but would love to come back once this place gets in a groove. Parking was packed, hopefully once it's been open awhile it won't be so busy or hard to find a spot. read more

Black Bear Diner - Breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

We have gone 3 times. Each time was great for and service. Tonite I had the blackened salmon. 5 out of 5. The old ball and chain had the tri tip. Very impressed. read more

My husband and I came here during their soft opening event. Plenty of bear decor and a log cabin feel. We ordered the Bigfoot Chicken Fried Steak and Slow-Cooked Pot Roast. The Chicken Fried Steak was a hearty portion. I opted for the salad instead of soup which arrived first. A generous portion. Nice and crisp. I'm already filling up. Cornbread came out next but I didn't even get into that. I was still finishing the salad and saving room for the main course. My eyes grew big when the Chicken Fried Steak was dropped off. It was huge! (The server did say, "you won't leave here hungry.") My two sides were Country Red Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables. Corn was the Seasonal Vegetable. It was on the cob and I'm not a big fan only because I hate when it gets in my teeth. :B I shared it with my husband who made quick work of it. My husband said he didn't care too much for the Pot Roast. It wasn't good or bad. Only that he preferred his recipe. He said the flavors didn't quite marry. Aside from that, he loved his sides. Added a pat of butter and a little salt and pepper to the Creamy Grits. The Italian Green Beans were effing delicious. He ordered coffee and I had Huckleberry Lemonade. How often do you see huckleberry on the menu? We have our eyes on several other items for future visits. Glad to finally dine here. It took a long time for them to open! read more

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I was so excited when Black Bear Diner finally opened in Vista. I've been looking forward to trying it, especially because I've had great experiences at a Black Bear Diner in Utah. Unfortunately, my first visit was a huge disappointment. We stopped in just to try dessert and ended up buying three individual pies: banana cream, coconut cream, and blackberry cobbler. The biggest issue with all three was the crust. The coconut cream pie I ate was basically pudding with a little coconut sprinkled on top and whipped cream. The graham cracker crust completely fell apart and was nothing but crumbs. It was messy and didn't hold together at all. The banana cream pie had the same problem. The crust was falling apart, there were only a couple of banana slices in the custard, and the whipped cream tasted like canned whipped topping. It was very underwhelming. The blackberry cobbler, which I bought for my mom, was also disappointing. The crust was only on the top, and it was thick, overly sugary, and not what we expected from a cobbler. After spending money on three desserts, none of us enjoyed what we ordered. It was especially disappointing because we've all been waiting for this location to open and had high hopes based on previous experiences with the chain. I'm willing to give Black Bear Diner one more chance and plan to come back for breakfast, but based on this first visit, I'm not impressed. I sincerely hope the food quality is better than the desserts because this was not the experience I was expecting. read more

Black Bear Diner - Pie is horrible! Choose One Homemade Coconut Cream Pie (560 cal) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vista, California

5 stars 5 stars Opening week and the Vista location was packed, so a few hiccups were expected. We ordered the hot turkey sandwich and the California omelette. One dish initially came out cold, but the staff apologized right away and quickly replaced it with no issues. Everyone was very friendly, including the mascot, and you could tell the team was working hard despite how busy it was. The restaurant itself is very large with lots of bear-themed photos and décor throughout, plus outdoor seating which was a nice touch. It was definitely a little noisy inside, but completely understandable considering how busy they were for opening week. Food was good overall, especially the biscuits and gravy. Looking forward to coming back once things settle in and the staff gets more familiar with the menu. read more

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