Black Bear Diner Gilroy — Restaurant in Gilroy

UPDATE#4 April 2025: I was passing through Gilroy again last month, and I stopped to use another Comp Meal coupon. Meal and service was VERY good. Thanks again, Marlen.

UPDATE#3 April 2024: I was passing through Gilroy last week, and so I stopped by to use one of the Comp Meal coupons. Marlen was there, we had a nice talk, and the burger I ordered was hot enough to melt the cheese! The cole slaw was also very good. UPDATE#2: Marlen the Owner called me last week, saying that she had not heard about my complaint. Corporate didn't notify her very quickly. She and I had a nice chat, and she sent me two Comp Meal coupons and said she would talk to the staff about why there was only one server working on a Friday at lunch time. Also why the food was so bad.

Thanks, Marlen! I'll let you know how it goes the next time UPDATE: OK it's been a week since I emailed the Gilroy franchise directly. No reply after the obvious robo-reponse last week. I guess the Gilroy franchise doesn't care much about replying directly to negative customer reviews. I'll try emailing Corporate Customer Service and see if they do any better. How do you serve a cheeseburger so cold that the cheese isn't melted? How do you send out a "Tortilla Crusted Tilapia" so soggy that there is no "crust"? Not that busy on a Friday at lunch time? I should've known why.

This Black Bear used to be very good, something has really changed for the WORSE.

Update: it looks like they have a Robo Response that is sent out within minutes of them getting a review, good or bad, any location of the Black Bear chain of restaurants....

Dear Black Bear Management,

My family and I have been regular patrons of your Morgan Hill location for quite some time, typically dining there once or twice a month, most often in the late afternoons, and occasionally in the mornings. Over the years, we have always felt welcomed and comfortable, and have never witnessed or experienced any form of racism or discrimination—towards employees, guests, or members of the Latino/Hispanic community.

In light of a recent review shared by Laura Gomez, we were genuinely surprised and saddened. The statements made in the review do not reflect the environment we have come to know and appreciate at your establishment. In particular, the individual pictured and mentioned has always appeared to conduct himself with professionalism and respect. While anyone can have a challenging day, labeling someone as racist based on limited context is a serious accusation—one that demands care, investigation, and fairness.

We kindly encourage anyone reading such reviews to speak directly with your team to understand the full picture before passing judgment. Public accusations of this nature can have lasting consequences—not only for individuals who may be wrongly portrayed, but also for the business as a whole. Moreover, such claims can affect the credibility of the reviewer and contribute to unnecessary division within our community.

We stand by the respectful, inclusive experience we’ve had at Black Bear and hope that others will seek truth and clarity before drawing conclusions.

Warm regards,

The Maslenko...

My friends and family went to Black Bear Diner on June 14 to celebrate my daughters 10th birthday. There were 10 of us, and we were having breakfast. The server was amazing, it was a great experience. UNTIL- my daughter received 2 cards for her birthday, one had $60 in it, one had $25 dollars in it. She left them on the table on accident and we left. Not more than 10 minutes later, she realized that she had left them, and we called the restaurant. The Manager told me that they found the cards, but unfortunately, there was no money in it. I emphasized that we had looked everywhere, the money was left in the cards on the table. She told me that she trusted her staff, that they would never take anything that wasn't theirs.

I even went there in person, and my 10 year old pleaded with them, to no avail. She is inconsolable. It's sad that people are dishonest, and it has ruined one of our favorite breakfast places.

10/6/12- UPDATE: Marlen, the Manager of Black Bear Diner had offered to have my family back to the Black Bear Diner for a free meal to make up for the missing money at my daughter birthday, which I though was very gracious. I called her today to set up the meal for this evening, and she told me: "Sorry, that's no longer an option. You went out of your way to hurt us by posting that Yelp review". And she hung up on me! Seriously, hung up on me!

So beware people, not only do they employ thieves, they are rude, and unable to weather a factual assessment of their establishment.

Shame on you Black Bear! Shame on you Marlen for being so...