Black Bear Diner Boise - Entertainment Ave

I've been contemplating posting this because I couldn't decide if it was something I should just let go or if something needs to be said. I decided I would write about it because this behavior needs to be corrected & should NEVER happen again.

My family and I went to this location this past Sunday 08/25/24 for brunch. My mom & I arrived at about 9:30 am & were seated quickly. We were waiting for the rest of my family to come which included my brother, his wife, and their two kids.

We were greeted & served by Lucy, & she was wonderful. She was sweet & attentive & got our drinks right away. When my brother & his family joined us, she was still great. My sister-in-law is allergic to dairy products, & she asked for no cheese on her burger, but when it came out, there was cheese. However, Lucy was quick to take it back to the kitchen & bring her a new burger within seconds. I had requested no sausage for my dish, but I did get some pieces, which wasn't a big deal. I just gave them to my mom to eat, & didn't mention anything to Lucy. My brother's toast came buttered when on the menu it said it would come dry, but it didn't bother him either, so he also didn't mention it to Lucy. Everything was going well. We even shared some details of our life with her like how my brother used to work at this same location a couple of years ago while attending college. It held a lot of great memories, so that's one of the reasons we chose to dine there. Overall, we had such a nice time that I was shocked at what happened at the end.

Right before we left, my brother just wanted to let Lucy know what had happened with his toast & wanted to make sure she was aware of it in case someone did actually complain in the future. But the weirdest thing happened, & I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

Immediately Lucy's demeanor changed. It was like a flip switched & she became a completely different person. She became rude, defensive, & completely unprofessional. She was not willing to listen & became irritated & said, "I put dry toast." Then she very annoyedly asked, "How can I help resolve the situation?! What do you want me to do about it?!" My brother stood there confused because he wasn't asking her to do anything. He even reiterated that she did a great job & he wasn't bothered by it or complaining--he just wanted to let her know so that she could be aware of it next time. She told my brother, "I don't have time for this. You see I'm really busy; you see all the cooks are busy." She then ESCALATED the situation by saying, "I'm getting the manager. You all need to leave!" Excuse me, but whaaaatt??? We were all calm with her--my mom & I were literally just standing there. A young man with brown, curly hair came up & asked what was going on, followed by what I believe was the shift manager named Kailani. They were both nice & my brother explained what he was trying to tell Lucy. He even let them know he was not trying to get her in trouble; he was just trying to help her. Another server who knew my brother when he used to work there also came up & she was very understanding.

By this point, Lucy was completely agitated & said we all needed to take this up to the front. She was also saying things to me in passing like, "He has mental problems." I honestly couldn't understand why she was reacting this way. It was COMPLETELY DISRESPECTFUL and UNPROFESSIONAL. Imagine if someone was actually complaining to her? What would she have done then?

It was bizarre. I thought to just let it go, but there was absolutely no reason for how she treated my brother. Right before we left, I tried to let her know she had done nothing wrong, & I complimented her & said, "You were great, Lucy. Thank you." To which she snapped, "PLEASE LEAVE! PLEASE LEAVE!" My mother even tried as well & again Lucy said that my brother had mental problems. That was completely insulting, disrespectful, & uncalled for to say that.

Because of this poor experience, I will not recommend this location to anyone anymore & I would HIGHLY DISCOURAGE anyone to be served by Lucy.