Black Bear Diner Salinas — Restaurant in Salinas

Julian was an attentive and caring server, working with a cook who is not either, and an inept, lazy supervisor who has few customer service skills.

I have had your taco salad in various locations and have enjoyed it very much, especially at the Gilroy location, where we are frequent visitors.

Such was not the case tonight in Salinas. First, the cook messed up the order, which our server Julian caught before he served it. I asked for grilled chicken but he put on crispy chicken. It took awhile for the fix, while my husband enjoyed his burrito. Julian eventually gave me the original salad, so I wouldn’t have to wait any longer and asked for a side of the grilled chicken, which I finally got. That was the only thing truly edible on the plate, save for the avocado. The beans were really cold, the lettuce was turning brown, not fresh, the tomatoes were green and the cheese was tasteless bordering on dry. I picked out the chicken and avocado, dumped the rest and attempted to eat the taco shell. I always look forward to breaking it up and eating it like flour chips. It’s usually crisp and tasty. Unfortunately, this shell was stale. This salad was an epic fail! This relatively new location has really gone down hill and I will never return. I’ve given it more than three chances.

I asked to speak to a manager and got a man who made it clear he’s not a manager but is a supervisor. He stood there with a bored expression while I reported my concerns. He never apologized, nor did he offer an alternative to the salad. After waiting for an expected response that never came, I asked him to take it off the bill. He said ok and gave me a new receipt.

My husband paid, ordering a dessert to go, making sure to leave the server a 15% tip for the original order, as we deemed the problems not his responsibility. When I perused the receipt before making this review, I noted the cashier Anthony, showed his name as server instead of Julian. And gave us the merchant copy of the receipt. Will this impact your accounting and/or inventory and ordering? Total fail in food and management. The server also informed us that the screen the cook sees simply says “chicken” so the Spanish-speaking cook made a guess on the type of chicken to serve.

I hope this review is helpful in its detail. I’m amazed this restaurant is still in business. By the way, I was not the only dissatisfied customer this evening. Please make sure Julian gets my $4.50 tip. He...

I would give no stars if I could, I went in there with my fiancé for a nice dinner we ordered the fried chicken and chicken fried steak, we for it with salad and mashed potatoes and green beans, the waitress was extremely rude, when she brought our salads out she gave us our plates and a tomato flys off my fiancé grabs it and she laughs and walks away, after eating our salads she brings out our main order I cut in to the chicken it was raw and cold my fiancé was irritated and I told the waitress ma’am my chicken is raw and cold she takes it (not even asking if I wanted something else and leaves) comes back with the same chicken that was put in a deep fryer, I looked at it an said oh no no I don’t want the same one, can I just order something else, she says in a fake voice “of course” and I ordered, as I was sitting there I observing I seen and I kid you not a waitress drop a to go box on the ground and pick it can up and put it on the counter and then use it, after my meal comes and by then I was over it, my fiancé says Baby let me handle this, she walks up and I am with her, she asked for the ticket, they charged us for 3 meals, I couldn’t contain myself, I work in management, I said may I please speak with a manager and the lady said “it’s her the waitress and I’m going to walk away” I said that’s your manager? They all said yes, I couldn’t hold back I said and I quote “this is the worst display of unorganized management I have seem, I was served raw chicken, I seen someone drop a to go box on the ground and reuse it, this play is not up to health code, I need your DMs number this is by no means even remotely expectable, the rude waitress “Manager” says here a card, my fiancée steps in an tells her you are rude she laughed, we looked at the cashier and my fiancée said we’re not paying this and said come on Baby let’s go, DO NOT EAT HERE unless you like rude people and service like...

Very good breakfast! What stood out to me as I ate the bar I watch how Ben who I believe to be the manager work with all your employees.

He was so enthusiastic and kind with all of them as well as the patrons.

He spoke so encouraging to his servers and kitchen staff. He would comment on how the great the food looked and its presentation!

Ben had a few new younger servers and would coach them with the best directions I’ve seen in a long time!

I’m a retired Commander with 34 years experience in law enforcement and the military.Throughout my career I had to supervise individuals at different levels of responsibility.

I’ve seen great and poor ways to supervise and encourage individuals!

Ben is one of the great examples I have seen in a longtime where both senior and younger employees responding in such a positive way!

The shift was extremely busy and the screens were full of orders, but he made it look easy! Those orders got cleared very quickly with the servers shuffling around each other like bees entering the hive. Communications between all was so very smooth and filled with joyful employees!

If you wondering this was the first time I had ever met Ben, but I had to shake his hand and tell him how great of a boss he was.

It was a great place to spend a morning after attending Compass Church here in Salinas, CA!

Your place was a Blessing to enter and have a meal.

God’s Blessings on your Staff and Business.

Respectfully Archie Warren Monterey...