Black Bear Diner Woodland — Restaurant in Woodland

Absolutely the worst service and experience. We go at 745pm on a Friday night - mom wanted clam chowder and it was the soup of the day. So we order online, show up and the waitress tells us there’s no soup left since it’s so late and just added and extra order of fries to replace it. I understand it being out, but we didn’t want fries so she added a salad that was wanted as the replacement. Not a big deal. Totally understand that happens. Leave and drive the 15 minutes to get back home and start looking through our bag. Several items not there. We paid over $80 for this meal and we have items missing. Our tri tip dip au jus had maybe 1/5 of the cup full - honestly looked like they were the bottom of others used cups and they just poured it in there. If you added then together, they wouldn’t even be half of the cup for one. Then missing our corn bread muffins as well. Our fries were cold and soggy to top it off. It’s frustrating because we go there for the soup, don’t have it and then pay over $80 for a terrible experience with subpar food at the end of the day. I try to call the location because just wanted to see if we could get something fixed… they weren’t too busy when I was there and it seemed like the kitchen was just cleaning as they were waiting since it was slow and it’s now 815ish (they don’t close until 10), so figured it would be an easy discussion to fix things. Instead, the phone rings over and over. We called from 3 different phones, maybe 6 times each over the next hour and not one call was picked up. Obviously seemed like they didn’t want to answer anymore calls for potential orders. So couldn’t even try to fix it or at least have the discussion. I end up sending in their satisfaction survey/complaint thing from online and figured I’d hear back from someone to try to fix it. Exactly 2 weeks later and nothing.. not one word. Paid all that money for a terrible experience. Again, I understand running out of things, especially a popular item on a Friday.. but blatantly ignoring the calls and forgetting some things of our food is what’s tragic. And seems like no urgent rush to try to help. I’ve already posted on Facebook to all of my friends to never go to the Black Bear Diner in woodland (which is a shame because we were about to have a friends birthday dinner of 12 of us there) - but wanted to make sure to send in a review here as well. Really unfortunate because it would have been our Friday night staple just for the clam chowder. Wish things were better since there aren’t many restaurants in woodland but I couldn’t just sit on the fact we had a terrible experience and not one thing was...

Re: your request: I won't publish my info, but I will explain here: I want to say up front that I understand most places are VERY understaffed and that good help is hard to find these days. I know you cant help that. But my problem is with what could be helped.

I got to the restaurant around mid afternoon, as I was traveling from up north. There was no greeter. I waited around five minutes before a male employee exited the women's restroom (he had been stocking or cleaning it) and asked me if I came in with someone. I said, "No, I'm waiting to be seated." He took me to a table, then returned after a few minutes to see what I wanted to drink. Then he promptly returned with the water I requested. The restaurant was not crowded but there was only ONE waitress/server in the entire place. She was busy but not rushed...as I said, it was a light crowd. After about 10 minutes, she finally came and took my order. She was friendly and pleasant. I ordered what I thought would be quik, as I needed to get to my destination before dark. I ordered a BLT with avacado and sweet potato fries. After around 30 minutes, I stopped her as she was passing my table and nicely asked how much longer it might be for my food. She explained the obvious that she can't serve the food before the cooks make it, and expressed that they were slow less than satisfactory. I then heard here go to the kitchen and ask about my BLT. A few minutes later I heard her say, "This needs avacado." A few minutes later, she brought the plate to my table. The sandwich only had 2 overcooked, dry pieces of MOSTLY fat "bacon", one slice of tomato and one small piece of lettuce on it, and the fries were mostly short remnants and VERY burned. I thanked her without comment. After all, the quality of the food was not her fault. I ate enough to take the edge off my hunger because I had been driving all day and was hungry and didn't have time to go anywhere else. She brought my check and as I exited my booth, I reached down for one last drink of water and saw the glass from a different angle and noticed for the first time that one side of the inside of the glass was very dirty with that black, peppery-looking junk that you get in many dishwashers. Ewww! All told, I was there for approx o e entire hour and because of that, I arrived late to my destination. I travel up and down California and have been to Black Bear diners from Bakersfield to Redding. I must day that this one in Woodland is the WORST one I've ever been to. P.S. the Black Bear Diner in Bakersfield is the best one,...

Was quoted 30 minutes and it took 2 hour and 20 just to get a table.

Then 15 minutes to have our orders taken.

We never received the water we asked for. Some of guests in our party didn't want drinks but water.

Then 1 hour later I asked about our order they lost part of order so they were guessing what we wanted.

They don't carry any mustard yellow or any type. What restaurant does that.

It was our first time there recommend by many but now I figure that was maybe a joke. I was there with three elderly adults over 75 and 3 adults and one teenager to celebrate Father's Day and graduation from UC DAVIS and a birthday.

Our sever took our original order and then we had to ask 2 different staff for water for the elderly guests and two table settings.

I actually want up to the counter and spoke to the manager and asked nicely for the mustard, water and silverware. His respond was mustard? And we had to put two tables together to fit you in. We we're not the only large party we had 7 and they had a party of 9 that came in about 39 minutes after us and got served before us. And the ladies room we're out of to in one stall and toilet covers in another. For all the advertising you see on tv you would think they would have standards. Very Disappointed in over all experience. I would not recommend eating there. To...