Black Bear Diner - Downey

There wasnt a wait to be seated the food was delicious but the service was slow so idk if it was our waitress because I noticed she was doing other things and the tables got empty.

I absolutely love the portion sizes and the food here. Everything is so fresh, and there's plenty to enjoy. I really enjoy going to Black Bear Diner!

I was very pleased with how quickly we were seated and served, especially considering they were understaffed. Our food was fresh, hot, and delicious. I'll definitely be returning!

**THE FOOD:** The meal I had recently was one of the saddest I’ve encountered in a long time. My dad and I decided to visit this location, and I ordered the BIGFOOT Country Fried Steak with three eggs, hash browns, and two biscuits, while he chose the meatloaf with onion rings, cornbread, and two stuffed baked potatoes. Sure, it was a sizable order, but when I dined at the Monterey Bay location, they handled similar orders effortlessly. Since both restaurants operate under the same name, there should be a standard they adhere to. The wait time for our food reflected the unfortunate state of the meals we received. My hash browns were burnt beyond recognition, and my country-fried steak was rock-hard, making it difficult even for the knife to cut through it. The gravy atop the steak was bizarre; it resembled gelatin, which I had never encountered before. I literally had to break it apart to even get a spoonful! Who would have thought I’d struggle to scoop my gravy? My dad’s meal wasn't much better, as his bacon bits looked more like chips due to overcooking. Although his meatloaf tasted decent, it didn't resemble traditional meatloaf in appearance. Now, the biscuits were another story entirely. Biscuits should be soft and enjoyable with butter or gravy, but what I received was as hard as a brick! I honestly felt I could have damaged my teeth trying to eat them. I attempted to salvage the situation by making a sandwich with my eggs, butter, and hash browns, but the biscuit remained as unyielding as ever. The only highlights of our meals were the eggs on my plate and the cornbread and onion rings on my dad's. **THE BAD:** The service left much to be desired. It seemed the staff was inattentive to our needs during our visit. At one point, an elderly waitress delivered our food and then abruptly left without saying anything. About 30-45 seconds later, she realized she hadn't provided us with utensils to eat with. I've never experienced that before! The workers appeared disinterested, lounging around the front counter while dirty tables were strewn about. There were plates left behind that lingered for nearly 30 minutes before anyone thought to clean them up, and it took the actual manager to step in and handle the situation himself. It doesn't make sense that he has to do more work than his staff. If that's the example being set, it’s no wonder the others are not following suit. **OVERALL:** This place either needs a more effective manager or better staff. Whatever the issues are, improvements are crucial. I didn’t check the bathrooms, but given how the staff was behaving, I wouldn’t be shocked if they were in poor condition too. I recommend avoiding this location until they make some significant changes, as it clearly requires a lot of work to get back on track.

Fantastic service and generous portions that are enough to share! My wife and I absolutely love this restaurant. I make it a point to try something different each visit, and everything I've had has been delicious.