We weren't staying at the lodge, but went to Black Bear for breakfast. It is buffet style with limited options, but the options they had were delicious! The pancakes had crispy griddle edges and were light and fluffy, the bacon was thick and cooked perfectly, and the biscuits were flaky and buttery. It was a little overpriced, but considering the limited options and remote location it was probably fair market for the area. The staff were great - they were short staffed due to the holiday week (Thanksgiving) but were helpful with requests and quite friendly. The mural in the dining room told an excellent history of Fort Davis, and the view through the big windows made for a gorgeous experience. The ambiance is truly next level! read more

Black Bear Restaurant - The only pic we got - from the parking lot. - American Near Me - Fort Davis, Texas

I can't believe this place currently has 2.7 stars! Go try it and get those ratings up! If you are from or even visiting the area you know there are not a whole lot of options for open restaurants on Sunday. We went in for Mother's Day this year, and I am so happy we did. The view and drive are always phenomenal. The food was hot, fresh, and delicious. There were several hot food options as well as a salad bar. Our server was kind and attentive. All of the staff were friendly. I think the dining area may have been updated recently. It was tidy and welcoming. Thanks for a wonderful Mother's Day Black Bear! read more

Food was amazing an service was even better!!!! Such a special place! Sweetest manager!!! 10\10 would recommend!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!

This place has the best salad bar in Jeff Davis County. Staff is very helpful. Price is right.

The staff was awesome and the food was great. The remodel of the restaurant looks great.

A very poor showing for their initial reopening week. They were closed for renovations to the hotel for two years. We used to love their breakfast pancakes with a unique syrup so we tried their first Sunday lunch buffet. The Cod and Chicken fried steak were hockey puck well done while the vegetable saute mix was good but the carrots were almost raw. I hope the management will take this to heart and improve. read more

Over priced, mediocre food, so so service. Went because it was convenient to hotel but would be well worth driving further to find a decent place to eat. read more

We absolutely love the Indian Lodge and have been coming here for many years. The Black Bear restaurant is a great space in a great location but unfortunately the food produced here is unappetizing and equivalent to what you'd get in a cheap frozen dinner but at the price of something homemade. We visited for lunch today around 11am. There were no other customers in the restaurant. We waited by the door and finally someone came to the front and told us it was buffet because he had limited staff. We said that was fine. The menu was chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, hot dogs, fries, and a salad bar. Everything on the buffet was the cheapest quality imaginable. The chicken fried steak was a frozen puck type of patty, the mashed potatoes were instant but reconstituted with too much water thus flavorless. The gravy was watered down too as was the ranch dressing on the salad bar. It really is disappointing and we wish someone could take that restaurant over and offer a quality meal, even with a limited menu, that would be a better reflection of such a beautiful hotel and it's natural surroundings. While I highly recommend staying at the Indian Lodge, I cannot recommend the restaurant. read more

Not your typical restaurant but served a great burger! Our party also had the wrap and a grilled cheese. Probably the best meal we've had in the Ft Davis area! Definite place to go when in the area. read more

Black Bear Restaurant - Lunch menu - American Near Me - Fort Davis, Texas

My wife and I visited this iconic place for Sunday Brunch... the food was okay, but the choices were very slim and really no breakfast items beside a donut. But perhaps the worst part was the service... our waitress spent the entire time we were there on her phone. She never cleared dishes or checked on us one time. No refills of drinks....nothing. In fact she appeared to be the only one in the place pulling her weight. In speaking with the other server on the way out, we kind of got the "Oh Well" treatment. Don't waste your money here! read more

The Indian Lodge, where the black bear restaurant is located, is gorgeous. Part of the experience is to walk around the lodge. There are many areas to sit with beautiful views. The mountains are visible everywhere. The restaurant itself , its not what it once was. I remember coming here as a child to some of the best enchiladas I've ever had. On Sunday they have a Buffet today it was Mexican food. It consisted of two entrées, rice, beans, tortillas, Teeny tiny sopapillas, a salad bar which had no salad greens, and about three desserts and some soup. It was OK. But nothing to write home about. The staff was attentive and friendly. They did make our girls something off of the menu as the Mexican food was too spicy for them. My kids really enjoyed the fountains, swings, looking at the swimming pool, and the common areas. We would highly recommend the restaurant in conjunction with the lodge. read more

Went here for a birthday dinner and it was a sad food affair. The rib eye steak was fatty and came with over cooked sides of squash and sweet potatoes. The staff is the only thing that saves this restaurant. The food is pretty bad and overpriced. read more

I have eaten at Black Bear numerous times while camping at the Davis Mountains State Park, staying at the Indian Lodge, and "just because" since we bought property two years ago and then moved to Fort Davis. Out of all of my meals, I have to say that the CCC Chicken Sandwich, grilled, is my favorite. I order it pretty exclusively now, unless we go on a buffet day (the Mexican buffet was really good - enchiladas, beans, rice, etc) but I have enjoyed the soup and salad bar and the BLT in the past. It's not a fussy restaurant - it's part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife program. For folks that complain about service in Fort Davis, you have NO CLUE how hard it is for businesses to hire people - Fort Davis is a very small town. I think Black Bear does a terrific job and am happy to have them as a place to eat. read more

Let me say up front that I'm writing a review of Christmas dinner at the Black Bear. And that meal was 5-star all the way. On other occasions, your mileage may vary. But I seriously doubt it. The staff (and volunteers) went all out for the big day. Served buffet style for $24/person, the scene was magical. Roast beef, pork tenderloin, AND turkey. Side dishes like Grandma made. (The cornbread dressing tasted just like my grandma's.) And desserts to swoon over! All homemade, not from a can or frozen. On top of all that glorious food, the professionals at the Black Bear Restaurant were on hand everywhere freshening up drinks, busing tables, greeting old friends, and smiling to warm every heart. The price per person would have been 50% higher in almost any other place. Yes there was a wait. They may have been the only restaurant open west of the Pecos on Christmas Day. But the time was well spent noshing on hors d'oeuvres (included in the buffet and served downstairs in a waiting area) and chatting with fellow diners-to-be. If you couldn't be with family for the holidays, this just might be the next best thing. We'll definitely try another meal at the Black Bear while we're in the area. read more

This place needs new management....pretty easy to figure why they had so few customers....a 'buffet' with hard, dry eggs isn't very appealing...the space is nice; the food not so much.... read more

We spent the weekend at the Indian Lodge and ate a breakfast and lunch at the Black Bear. Due to Covid they only offer takeout and close at 3PM. Both meals we had were freshly prepared and excellent. My husband and I had the Country breakfast which we both enjoyed. For lunch I had a grilled cheese sandwich and soup and my husband had the chicken wrap, also very good. read more

Ordered the catfish it was good. I subbed wild rice for fries which was good. My girlfriend had the eggplant parm said it was good. It came with cabbage which was good. The broccoli cheese soup wasn't good, but then again we don't really eat it in the first place. The waitress was the best customer service in Texas I've had so far! Tables really wide so I recommend sitting on the same side as your girl. read more

The Black Bear is a restaurant located in the Indian Lodge. It is basic. We went to the Sunday Buffet. The buffet was very limited with one main entrée, a small salad bar, a few side dishes, and choice of two desserts. When we went it was pot roast with carrots, potatoes, and celery. It was good. However, they will make kids something else. We got grilled cheese for our kids and they got it ready super fast! The patrons and the staff were very friendly and kind to our children. Prices were reasonable. We will go back. read more

My grandparents and I had breakfast here and it was very difficult for my grandmother to get to the restaurant due to so many steps. She has terrible knees and we had to go up three sets to reach the restaurant. The food was pretty good...bacon a little too crispy and I wasn't a fan of the hash browns (potatoes). I will say I absolutely LOVED the syrup they make for the pancakes. That was my favorite part. Overall it was okay. read more

Went up for breakfast because we heard they offer gf bread. Hash browns are safe. Menu is typical breakfast menu. I had the egg sandwich (on regular bread) and it was delicious. read more

Not much effort put forward from the servers. I ordered the cheeseburger, it was just average. French fries were good, nothing spectacular. Price was good, only $6.50. Overall, wasn't impressed, just an average place to eat. read more

I would eat somewhere else. The food is lacking in taste and the service is poor. I had the pork chops and they tasted like leather with salt. The morning breakfast was cancelled and the cook prepared a buffet which included what looked like warmed up frozen food from Safeway. The staff seemed untrained and lacking in the basics of running a restaurant. We really like the lodge for the Black Bear really needs a redo. read more

Not much to brag about - food so-so and much more expensive than expected. We had a single meal here and decided we wouldn't be back...

My review for the Black Bear Restaurant. The wait staff was super friendly despite being understaffed and their fryer going down, so no fried food of any kind, which caused some people to leave. We stayed and ate there anyway. My wife really enjoyed the green beans and mashed potatoes . I would recommend the hamburger, would have been nice to have some French fries but some things are out of our control, and a little understanding goes a long way. Overall, I would return to the Black Bear Restaurant again and give it another try. read more

Do yourself a favor and skip this place for dinner. Both our dinners were served with cold potatoes and carrots. Bones in fish. Not s real quality experience for us. read more

I would only recommend if you have a large group of kids or people that just want traditional meat and beans type of food. Good for a group of senior citizens or Boy Scouts read more

We walked in, they said "take any seat." We sat at a table not yet bussed as we're all empty tables. Finally after probably 15 minutes someone came out to bus tables. Bussed all the dirty tables--that had no one sitting at them. Obviously not out table. I called out table to the attention of the busser who, not all that nicely, took off the dirty dishes. Meanwhile several people had come in since we did, got waited on, etc. while we sat another 30-45 minutes to get waiting upon. Terrible Service--totally understaffed! But they had no method of serving people anywhere like the order in which they arrived! We should have left. Then the below average salad bar which was out of several items. The service was less than one-star, the food two-stars at best! read more

Best meal and service on our trip so far. The burger was delicious and our waitress could not have been nicer. Super experience!

Amazing food, which surprised me since this is a state park. I've had the fried catfish many times, and it's among the best I've ever had. The sides (green beans and potatoes, last time I went) are extremely well-prepared. It's rare that I love green beans, but I love their green beans. read more

I've eaten here three times over the last 36 years. I must be a slow learner. The food and the service continues to decline. If you find yourself hungry in Fort Davis and can't eat at one of the decent places, stop at the local convenience store and buy yourself a Coke and package of Twinkies. read more

Had a menu in the hotel but when we arrived it was an "occasional buffet"-no ordering. The buffet turned out to be pretty good and salad was very delicious. Next morning, looked at menu and headed down to order oddly enough to to find the "occasional buffet" again! Lol no big deal but it was not very fresh or freshly cooked. It was more or less a La Quinta hotel breakfast bar. Not very tasty and coffee was poor. Also customer service in Fort Davis does not seem to be top priority, people aren't the friendliest. read more

I've eaten at the Black Bear 3 times in the last 6 weeks: the prime rib on Christmas eve day was superb, the Asian buffet several weeks ago was great, and last Sunday's buffet was so-so. The new chef Robert is doing creative things and all us 'locals' are glad to see this much-loved restaurant coming back into its own. Nice service and good, basic food with some interesting improvements. read more

Breakfast was a buffet and the food looked like it was what a buffet should look like, tired,old and not what I wanted. Indian lodge is a crazy good place. The hotel is a must but the food is worth driving to ft. Davis and not there. Come on. How hard is it to cook an egg, make a biscuit, fry some bacon? No we want to put it in under lamps. We had coffee and left. read more

At 5:30 pm, the salad bar was dirty and not replenished from lunch. The catfish had been fried in old oil and the cornmeal had back burned corn meal on it. The roasted potatoes were soaking in oils and running on the plate. The corn was served with too much water that completely soaked the catfish. read more

I've stayed at Indian Lodge 3 times and it is always a wonderful time, EXCEPT for the dining experience at Black Bear. The decor of the restaurant is very institutional, like eating in a nursing home, a jarring contrast to the warm rustic atmosphere of the rest of the lodge. The food is an odd mix of downhome cooking and basic Italian, but done really poorly, making a lot of use of frozen Sysco-like food. The last time we ate there the rolls, which were obviously not homemade, were stale. The service was slow and incompetent. It's unfortunate, because one really wants a cozy lodge atmosphere with good, satisfying food to go with the rest of the lodge. Look to the restaurant at Mather Lodge in Arkansas's Petit Jean State Park for an example of what Black Bear should be like. read more

What a disappointment! We couldn't order off the menu as it was buffet only. No big deal you think. The chicken fried steak was compressed frozen patties that had a strange taste. The baked chicken with spinach & feta cheese looked more appealing and tasted pretty good if you found a bite that wasn't dried out. Steamed broccoli & cauliflower were cooked to death. Salad bar was ok. Desserts were the star! I had a berry cobbler which was really good C & W had pecan pie-like home made, Z had coconut pie while B got the last chocolate pie. Both were winners. The real shock was when I went to pay. My bill for buffet & tea ( no refill offered) was $16. All of us had eaten there before but are of the same opinion, it will be a long time before we try again. read more

Ate here before going to star party at Observatory. I pictured something different for Black Bear restaurant at Indian lodge. The reality was like a Dennys or Golden Corral type low priced chain. Atmosphere=1 star For this type of place, the food was okay. 3 stars for the food. I appreciate that they let me order a patty melt even though that was on the luch menu and it was after 4. The party melt was good. Others in our group had: Fried shrimp. . Very large and the batter was good; chicken fried steak...very large and the same crunchy/ not greasy batter. Rib-eyes..Okay for this type place. But not great as one would get in a steak restaurant. Servers were polite and helpful . Salad bar was your average chain type salad bar. potato of the day and veggie of the day were tasty and well spiced FYI: NO ALCOHOL served. We probably won't return. Surely there are more interesting places to eat in fort Davis. read more

The dinner was definitely 4 stars on Friday June 3rd when we arrived from New Mexico around 7pm. The fish was really good and the dill tartar sauce complimented it well. The chicken fried chicken was nice and moist while being crispy on the outside covered in a tasty cream gravy. Our meal also included a trip to the salad bar and there was a hearty soup full of flavor with large noodles. Compliments to the chef. While dining we noticed in their menu what entrees were available for breakfast and lunch so we planned to meet there for our next morning meal. Now for the disappointing part....hence the lower rating of 3. When we arrived Saturday morning, the wait staff said sorry but breakfast and lunch were being served "buffet only". What a bummer. They should not put out a menu at dinner that shows wonderful breakfast and lunch entrees to then have guests arrive at these meals and be greeted by a steam table and an apology. If you only use a menu for dinner service during certain times then have a separate menu. At breakfast buffet the quiche was flavorful and moist. With not much else for breakfast between the Lodge and our early morning return trip to New Mexico we returned again Sunday for the breakfast buffet. This time there was no bacon, but instead two types of sausage (picture in your mind Jimmy Dean finger sized sausage links and round patties). They at least prepared some fresh soft scrambled eggs to replenish the dried out ones in buffet table when we asked. read more

the staff is wonderful and the food is pretty good, not gourmet but good. Angelica is awesome! the grilled catfish was really good.

This is a review for the black bear restaurant at the Indian lodge in the davis mountains state park. Based on the glowing reviews for this restaurant, we made a point to eat at the black bear the only day it would be open on our two night stay - Sunday. Reason for the two star review: mediocre to poor quality food on a buffet that was way overpriced ~$12 per person. We should have asked the price and investigated the buffet offerings prior to deciding to stay, but alas, we did not. Instead we ate a goopy chicken casserole and soggy chicken quesadillas on their "Mexican Buffet." Also offered were pinto beans and rice, spinach salad, and a mixer green salad which we did not try. For dessert they had a variety of pre-made low quality pies, green (pistachio?) pudding, and mint brownies. The service was polite and sufficient, that is honestly the only reason I've given two stars. That and the fact that it was my own fault for staying to eat. I have read reviews of people eating burgers and off of a menu, so maybe other nights are better. read more