Black Bear Diner Monterey — Restaurant in Monterey

Today was the day my fiance were supposed to be married..Due to unforseen circumstances we couldn't do it as planned...so we took our teenage daughter with us on vacation to Carmel, Monterey and spent the third day at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Today started off with breakfast at Black Bear Diner. It's our favorite place for breakfast in Sparks, NV so we figured we'd give the Seaside/Monterey location a try..and we are so glad we did. We had such a wonderful meal to start off our day, and although we didn't think it was possible, our meal and the whole experience with so good that we finished our day back at Black Bear Diner for dinner. We'd never had any other meal at any of the BB Diner locations except breakfast, so while looking at the menu this morning we saw some menu items we'd really like to try. After a nice day at the Boardwalk we we're back. My daughter had the Western BBQ Burger, my lady had the Fish and Chip Dinner while I had the Tri Tip Dip Sandwich. Each of us were so glad we'd picked our meal choices after the first bite. Our meals were cooked to perfection and delivered by our server Leo. He was such a personable and attentive young man who really cared about going the extra mile to make us feel welcome and take care of our every need. After our meal the Manager (Gabriel)came by to check that we were satisfied with our meal, and said..I know you guys, weren't you here earlier today. My family and I were all smiling and said that yes, we were here for breakfast. We chatted for a bit and let him personally know how satisfied we were with Everything at his location, and that we had a new yearly vacation destination as well as our new place to eat while visiting the area. We had no idea that all meals could be as good as breakfast at Black Bear Diner, but our whole experience there showed us that everyone, from the Manager and all his staff give there all to give every customer a great experience at there location. The food is Really that good...the restaurant clean and all the staff personable and professional. We seriously will be back to your location and recommend their Diner to all who want a great dining experience. Thanks...

1-Star Review

Dear Black Bear Owners and Management Team,

I recently took my family to the Monterey Black Bear Diner for breakfast, expecting a welcoming and clean environment to enjoy a meal together. Unfortunately, our experience was far from that.

As a father, cleanliness is extremely important to me, especially when dining out with my children. However, I was absolutely disgusted by the state of this restaurant. I accidentally dropped my keys and, to my horror, the carpet was sticky and filthy. This prompted me to look around more closely, and what I saw was unacceptable—crumbs scattered under and around our table, and floors that clearly had not been swept or vacuumed. It was evident that the staff does not make any effort to maintain carpet cleanliness while guests are dining.

This level of neglect made it impossible for my family to enjoy our meal. It is clear that the facility is not being properly cared for, and based on what I witnessed, I have serious concerns about the overall hygiene of carpet cleaning and sanitation of this restaurant.

I will never give Black Bear Diner my business again. A restaurant that does not prioritize cleanliness—especially in a family-friendly environment—is not a place I can support or recommend. I sincerely hope management takes these concerns seriously because no paying customer should have to experience this level of disregard for basic upkeep.

Follow-Up Update – 02/20/2025

I have reached out to the Black Bear team via email 3 DAYS AGO, as listed below, and have yet to receive any response. The lack of communication and follow-through is highly unprofessional. I expect a timely resolution and will continue to follow up...

This review is for Maria, the most energetic waitress I’ve seen since I am living in the US for the last 14 years. My husband and I were traveling along the West Coast from WA to CA and spent two nights in Monterey. When one is not from CA and isn’t used to the prices, it hurts the wallet a little bit going out to eat. This place was a good pick though. It was a Friday night on 2nd June 2023 when we decided to give it a try in this restaurant. From the moment Maria greeted us with a big smile on her face, I was able to release my stress. I felt so much positive energy coming from her, it was awesome. Although she had many customers she always came back with a smile. I watched her all the time and was impressed how efficiently she handled every single job. Her friendliness was natural, different from employees who are smiling at you in hope to receive a great tip. No, Maria’s positive energy was infectious. I was thinking all the time, that if I had a business, doesn’t matter what kind of business and where in the US it would be, I would try to hire her for a top position and pay for her move. She would be a great value for any company. @ Maria, if you read this, I am the lady who told you that I would hire you if I had a business. Know your value! Keep your positive energy going, you have a great impact on people. Extremely seldom I write a review like this, just because usually I have no reason to leave one like this. But this time, even after 6 weeks, I didn’t want to miss to send my message to an incredible person, who earned every little bit of...