Black Bear Diner

Critic's Review

Sign up for the Black Bear mailing list and you get a free meal; this was my free meal.

They have a huge parking lot shared with some businesses that don't seem to have many employees working in house. You'll be greeted by some wooden bears on your way in.

Shortly after 9am, there was nobody up front. No hostess; nobody.

Eventually a server wearing a mask under his nose showed me to a table. Other servers weren't wearing masks, so why bother if you're not going to wear it properly?

They have private label Ketchup and hot sauce; so you might think twice about ordering something you'd put kitchup on. Nothing is ever as good as Heinz.

Service started out well as coffee and a menu were promptly delivered. The cup has a black bear on it. Get it?

You only get the standard breakfast with no potatoes for your free meal (you pay for the coffee); I ordered eggs with sausage and rye toast.

I'd describe the music here as "nostalgic"; Eddy Arnold, Bobby Fuller, Bobby Rydell. Kind of unusual.

The food came out in 12 minutes.

The wilted lettuce and orange slice fit with the music. But everything was here; butter packet on the plate.

The toast didn't really taste like rye bread; it was kind of strange. The eggs where fine and they have good sausage links.

While my server checked on me and offered coffee refills several times, the good service ended as I was finishing up. She was gabbing with regulars and was completely oblivious that I was sitting with an empty plate and cup for 11 minutes waiting for my check.

She mistakenly put "birthday meal", which apparently is a $10 credit rather than the free meal, but it was straightened out at the register when they scanned the bar code on the email I'd received.

Conclusion

Black bear is a pretty standard "diner" type restaurant serving pedestrian food. The "Bear's Choice" that they offer as the introduction to the place isn't really what I wanted; a $10 credit would allow me to get what I wanted.