Black Bear Diner Menu Prices

Founded almost thirty years ago, Black Bear Diner is an American restaurant chain specialized in serving “old-fashioned” and homestyle comfort foods, including baked goods made on-site, burgers, shakes, and salads. However, they focus more on a breakfast-style menu and at certain locations sell alcohol as well.

People keep coming back to the Black Bear Diner for the combination of bear-size meals, delicious food, quirky décor, and affordable prices. In the table below you will find their latest menu prices, so you can get an idea about how much you should budget for the Black Bear Diner experience.

Brand history

Black Bear Diner was founded by Laurie and Bob Manley and Bruce Dean. They opened their first restaurant in 1995, in Mount Shasta, California.

Black Bear Diner started franchising in 2002 and in 2017 opened its 100^th location, which was named by NRN a “disruptor” in family dining.

This company is very involved in community causes and donates to the Valley’s Children’s Hospital a certain percentage of the restaurant’s sales income.

Also, over time they received many awards such as the Fastest Growing Chain in 2018 and The Top Food Franchise in 2019.

Currently, the company is based in Redding, California, and has more than 140 locations in 14 U.S. states, including California, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Nevada, and others.

Our review

Black Bear Diner restaurants can be easily recognized by their rustic motif décor with over-the-top bear paraphernalia. You will find a 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) black bear carving made by artist Ray Schulz at every Black Bear Diner location. The artists Colleen Mitchell-Veyna and Gary and Steve Fitzgerald created additional artwork and murals for each location.

The pattern of the Black Bear Diner menu is pretty similar to the old newspaper “The Black Bear Gazette”.

The restaurant’s best seller product is the Bigfoot Chicken Fried Steak Meal which contains deep-fried, breaded, tender beef which is smothered with their special gravy. This costs around $18. Some other homestyle diners include the Slow-Cooked Pot Roast, the Chicken Parmesan, the Housemade Meatloaf, and the Dijon-Crusted Salmon. Each of these costs anywhere between $17 and $20.

Breakfast is served all day long at the Black Bear Diner and includes items such as Cinnamon Apple French Toast Sticks, Cubs’ Strawberry Waffle, Cubs’ Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Huevos Rancheros, California Omelette, Chorizo Scramble, Vegetarian Omelette, and many more, at prices that start at around $6 and go up to $13.

They even have a “Fit & Focused” section with meals that have less than 500 calories for those who are very careful with their diet. The options would include the Fit & Focused Veggie Delite Omelette, the Fit & Focused Chicken Apple Sausage Scramble, and the Fit & Focused Acapulco Scramble. You will have to get around $13 out of your pocket for one of these.

One of the benefits offered by this restaurant to their customers is a free meal for their birthday. You will receive a free birthday coupon once you sign up for The Black Bear Diner e-mail list.

Also, the customer service is outstanding. Each staff member, from servers to hostesses is very accommodating and knowledgeable, succeeding to meet each client’s needs.

Black Bear Diner FAQs

At what time does Black Bear Diner open?

Most Black Bear Diner restaurants open are 11:00 a.m. Monday through Sunday. However, it may vary from one location to another. So, you should visit the restaurant’s official website to see which are the opening hours of the location you are interested in.

At what time does Black Bear Diner close?

In general, Black Bear Diner closes at 09:30 p.m. Sunday through Saturday, and at 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. But again, it depends on the location and the day of the week. You should check this information by visiting the restaurant’s official website.

How many Black Bear Diner locations are there?

There are 143 Black Bear Diner locations across 14 U.S. states, according to the restaurant’s official website.

Who owns Black Bear Diner?

The Black Bear Diner business is owned by Bruce Dean.

Does Black Bear Diner make their own ketchup?

Yes, Black Bear Diner makes their own ketchup and hot sauces.

When was Black Bear Diner founded?

Black Bear Diner was founded 28 years ago, in 1995, in Mount Shasta, California.

Which are the main competitors of Black Bear Diner?

Black Bear Diner’s main competitors include Denny’s, IHOP, and Cracker Barrel.