Black Bear Diner Colorado Springs - Garden of the Gods

I love black Bear diner. I’ve been to the same one two times in Rancho Cucamonga, California. I was so excited to bring my daughter because she had never been. We ordered the tri-tip dinner The game was super salad and two side choices. We opted for the creamy grits onion rings, mashed potatoes with country gravy, and the cut hashbrowns. It also came with a corn muffin and butter. The salad was nice and crisp and delicious. The corn muffin was hot and the butter melted right away. I was so disappointed when the food came out we only received four pieces of tri-tip that were pan fried. The grits were watery, not creamy. We got a total of 4 1/2 onion rings and part of the thick cut hashbrowns were still frozen. Definitely not the experience I was going for we did call our waitress over. Elisia made everything right and I showed her pictures of my previous experience at the blackbear diner in California in Rancho Cucamonga. I went twice in one week out in California because the food was so delicious and my sister and I tried almost all the desserts and lots of the sandwiches. I was extremely disappointed. The portions were way off. The food did not taste the same, and the tri-tip was not cut from a tri-tip I’ve never had anybody ask me how I wanted my tri-tip. If I wanted it, medium, or medium rare, I’m used to it being cooked to perfection and just sliced the portions for the pricing were absolutely ridiculous and 4 1/2 onion rings. I can’t even believe that was served to us. I will include photos of what we got and what I have previously got as you can see as a chain restaurant this does not match up part of the standard of a chain restaurant as you can go to any location at any time and get the same quality and same dish very disappointed definitely will not be going back to this location. Can’t wait to go back to California to go to the Rancho Cucamonga location. I love the framing of this restaurant and they have the cutest little stuffed friends in the front. I was able to get the cutest little stuffed bear in her gingham outfit that they did not have in California so I was super stoked to find one. I was extremely disappointed when I was served my mashed potatoes and gravy because they did have sausage in the gravy. The other country gravy I get doesn’t have sausage gravy. It’s normally called sausage, gravy or country gravy. The other location I went to did not have any sausage in the gravy, which is great because I’m allergic to pork.

The food was good, however the tri tip dip meat was very chewy. The side salad was a good size and fresh. We have been here multiple times and service is not consistent. The menu offers many choices.

First time for us! Food options are many - something for everyone! And good portions for the price. Did you see the picture of the biscuit??!! GIANT, hot and fluffy and exactly what a biscuit should be and more! Good country/home cooking. Our waitress, Katie, was very friendly and attentive. She smiled and chatted, but never long enough to ignore her other tables. Dave, the manager took a few moments to welcome us and shoot the breeze. We watched him make the rounds of tables. Dave is a great manager, he supports all of his weight staff and helps get the food out. The desserts were awesome! No question we will return!

Aurora Location: Delicious food, nice people, clean place. The pancakes are amazing, flavor and texture. Colorado Springs-Garden of Gods Location Smaller than Aurora location but so nice. Food was amazing. Becca, the server, took care of us and made us feel welcome. Prices are affordable. Huge portions. I will definitely visit the Illinois’ location soon.

15.99$ for all you can eat fish, the portions are huge! Lovely service Kathy was an amazing server and incredibly patient and informative. Will definitely be back!

The breakfast is really good, I think they overload the sides a bit much but overall really great service and a really cute atmosphere. Came here twice during my stay and both times were great and food was hot and good!

Not only is the service here fantastic, the food delicious and served in good time and at a good price, but these guys serve FRESH orange juice!! Like what place does that?! Not only that but their clothing merch has articles that are 100% cotton!!! And the coffee is sooo good!! If I didn't live so far away I would ask for a job here so I could have their food every day! Awesome energy, awesome people, awesome food, worth every penny and tip. God bless you guys at Black Bear Diner!! <3 (Katy was our server, younger server with dark straight hair, she deserves a raise!!)

Hidden gem! Comfort food! Soooo good. Our family of six with 4 kids on New Years Eve, we thought we couldn't find a decent restaurant that wasn't packed. We were driving around and my husband saw it, and I'm so glad we found it. Arrived and was greated with a friendly smile and they sat us right away. From Nebraska and we love to eat at places we don't have in our location. Amazing country comfort food. Was a perfect place for our family of 6. Reasonable prices especially for the large amounts of food you receive. Great atmosphere with cute jukebox and other novelties. Had amazing homemade desserts, which the huckleberry ice cream was delicious. Food was great, atmosphere was amazing, and our friendly waitress Gianna, gave sensational service.

Interesting. While it's a chain restaurant, Black Bear Diner seems to be one of our new go-to restaurants. It can handle large parties of 100+ people (not me, someone else ... I have 25-ish people). They have an extensive menu. Prices are reasonable. Portions are generally huge. Thanks!

We went in for bunch on a Sunday morning. The place was busy, but we were still seated fairly quickly. We ordered omelettes, a kid's pancake, and a kid's chicken strips and fries. The omelettes were fine. They did seem a little bland and needed more seasoning but otherwise, they were good. I really liked the hashbrowns. I've never had this type of wide cut hashbrown before. They were crunchy and tasty. Unfortunately, the kid's pancake was quite dry and crumbly. We would've appreciated a more fluffy pancake. And the chicken and fries were decent. The breading on the chicken was good and the chicken and fries were cooked well. Overall, our experience was fair. The staff is really friendly and the inside is quaint with a homey feel. It's your typical diner breakfast type place. I wouldn't be opposed to returning and trying other items on the menu.

Hoping to find an old fashioned diner but was disappointed. They promise to great you quickly at hostess desk but they didn't. We elected to sit at counter to eliminate more wait. Hostess intercepted us and we told her we were going to sit at counter. Server asked fort our drink order and got it right away. Setting them down she asked if we were ready to place our order, we weren't. She said she 'd be back in a minute or two. A lot longer than that, for sure. Ordered our food, I requested a Shasta burger with no mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing. There were burgers with bacon on the menu but I don't think bacon was supposed to be one of them. I may have misread the menu. Cheeseburger showed up with bacon and Thousand Island but again, it took forever. Burger was good, I will give them that, fries were not special good or bad. We had gone to a different Black Bear years ago several times but we will not go to this one again.

My family chose to partake of the ease and convenience of the individual Thanksgiving meals again this year. It was our third time, and I believe we will do it again each year whenever our schedules work out. The food is good. The portions are large. There is a location fairly close to us for the convenience of picking up. The price each year has continued to go up. I get that. Costs of groceries continue to go up for all, and it has to be made up somehow. I fear that if the cost surpasses $30 a plate, we will have to give it up. A negative this year is that none of our orders received the green bean casserole. I was sad. I love green bean casserole. The dinner was missing something without it. Thank you to the staff. They are crazy busy on this day. Not sure how they can keep up with it all.

Service greeting was quick, friendly and genuine. Katherine took my drink order quickly while I decided want to eat. I chose a Salad and Med rare CA burger - cooked perfectly (only way to make it better is charbroiled). Restaurant was clean and I was seated quickly. Again Katherine did a superb job - friendly, talkative, checked on me regularly and helped me to order my food. Katherine

Maddy gave us top notch service for our late lunch. Our sandwiches were very good. Fries a were wimpy and need to be more crisp. Side Salad was generous. Sadly serving Pepsi products. Parking a bit tight if busy.

This was my first trip to the Black Bear Diner, it won't be my last. Besides the cute Diner feel with a small gift shop the food and the service were both very good. I like towel they told the history of the diner on the placemats. Reasonable prices, cute atmosphere, definitely will go back.

Good diners need good coffee. nice staff, and clean restrooms. They have that to supplement the amazing menu, and great food. Lots of choices, nice portions. Good job Black Bear staff

Oh my gosh, I love this place! It is decorated in such an adorable fashion. It's clean and cozy. The menu is extensive and the food is insanely delicious. It's like good homestyle cooking. They have breakfast lunch and dinner options that are amazing. Their portions are Very generous. Their prices are wonderfully affordable! And not to mention, the staff is always quite friendly and attentive!

The food was very good and the service excellent. The portion was enough for a meal the next day.

Service was great (thanks Maddi). Food was great. However, they stopped carrying Tabasco sauce. I may be picky, but I do prefer Tabasco on my eggs, and their hot sauces don't cut it. Seems like an odd hill to die on, but VI and IHOP, both just down the road still have my beloved Tabasco.

I love this chain and have been to several locations, usually when visiting in Texas. I looked at the rating on this one as it seemed to have lower ratings than other areas but I really wanted my "Black Bear" build-a-breakfast fix (gotta have those sweet cream pancakes, eggs and bacon) so rolled with it despite mediocre scores by others. So glad I did! My breakfast came out piping hot and quickly, the waitress was super friendly and checked on me a few times and sent me out with a refill on my drink. For me, this particular BBD lives up to the expectations and standards of all the other locations I've been to. Treat the staff well and they will reward and spread kindness too!

Pretty good price and good food, kinda like Denny's with a crackle barrel feel. Descent menu!!

Been going here for years today was the absolute worst food i have ever had the kitchen staff needs to get the shit together. Basic things like cooking an egg to the correct temperature. This being being said lesley our waitress was very kind. This was by far the worst food service weve ever had here period. They should be embarressed.

Did we make a mistake or what? Returning from out of town, very tired, hungry, decide need to eat before going home. We choose to go to another chain restaurant on the way into Colorado Springs because it is closest on arriving into Colorado Springs. We won't do that again. The closer nationally advertised chain restaurant was less than mediocre, spartan servings, service kept forgetting our orders, kept having to get up to ask for missing items, additional items... and we spent 1/3rd more for the privilege. Couple nights ago same thing. Except we take the extra minutes to go to the Garden of the Gods BB. First, they know us. Because we go kinda often. Servings aplenty. Comfortable settings. Always, always more than enough for a second meal. Meals are usually very satisfying. And for less $$$. For more of everything. We have running humor that always, they will forget something on our order. Always. But that's ok. We sail through it with humor because we expect it now. Gets solved. No worries. We get to have more light interaction with the folks there. So, BB is our Go To. Worth going the extra mile, or hour, for us.

Visited this place during our vacation to Colorado Springs. Went to the zoo, where we were given a coupon and we thought why not! So glad we did. The server was super enthusiastic. The food was a good price for serving sizes. The sides were a bit limited in my opinion, but not bad. Super cute restaurant with a diner feel. Loved that the menu had their origin story on it.

Went to Black Bear for lunch on a Monday. It was hopping! We were seated immediately. I ordered the tuna melt with a side salad. My daughter ordered the cub pancake. It was so cute and tasty! My tuna melt was good. I would pass on the salad next time. It was basically just ice berg lettuce. I thought everything was reasonably priced. Lots of parking in the lot. I would definitely come again and try a breakfast item!

Good food, generous portions, fair pricing. Everyone, from hostess to waitstaff to cashier, was friendly and helpful. If I lived here I would be a regular.

Loved the pancakes and bacon, bacon was really crunchy and crispy and the egg were good

Had the breakfast chicken fried steak, potatoes were crispy and raw at the same time they call them hash browns the chicken fried steak and the gravy had zero flavor the English muffin they gave me in the place of that huge biscuit that has no flavor didn't have any flavor either the service was great the tea is amazing the eggs were cooked properly other than that I'll never be going back there again young man at the counter asked me how my food was and I said I was disappointed and all I got was sorry to hear that totally bummed me out I was ready for that amazing chicken fried steak that I've had at the black bear so many times but not today so you lost my business forever.

I love diners and this one did not disappoint. A really cute spot. They have their own sourced coffee which was excellent. I had the crispy chicken Cobb salad and my husband had the roasted turkey & gravy. Plentiful portions, delightful service, reasonable prices! If I lived in Colorado Spings, I'd def go back if for no other reason than to try one of the amazing looking desserts. I did buy some coffee to take home though.

I used to work here and the food and service never fails. The servers are almost always attentive and great at keeping up with everything anyone needs. The music sets a nice vibe to any meal. The food never really changes - which is good! It means the cooks - all of them - know what they're doing! A nice family restaurant for any meal. My fave is the bear's choice!!

Love the atmosphere, the food is good and plentiful (comfort food), and the wait staff is super nice and responsive! Had a great breakfast with the family (visiting after the holidays). Best part is that I didn't have to cook or do the dishes!!!

Stopped in for lunch today and had the delightful experience of being taken care of by Xavier. Pleasant, courteous and conversational, he made our visit very nice! Food quality, portion size and temperature were all spot on!

Good breakfast Cheaper than expected with everyone rising prices. Their Choice breakfast was delicious, with huge biscuits and gravy. Kind servers and cool atmosphere. Thanks for the coupon too!

VERY disappointed with this place. We've been to the one in Houston and it was AMAZING! This location not so much. We stopped in for a cup of coffee and a bear claw. The bear claw was SO stale, we couldn't cut it with a fork and knife. We mentioned this to our server and he said they are supposed to be "crispy"! Danishes are supposed to be soft. NOT hard as a rock. It was unedible and our bill for 2 bear claws and 1 coffee was a little over $22. Shame on them for wasting our time and our money.

Great place to eat! So glad we got to stop by and enjoy breakfast/lunch! 10/10 from friendly reception to the food! Great portions and TASTY!!

We love the restaurant. First time here! The service was excellent. Lana was great! Good was awesome. We will be back!!!!!

I went it an 1pm on a Sunday... apparently right after a big rush so they were trying to "catch up" all the side work. They got me a coffee and took my order fairly quickly. BUT THEN after I drank the coffee, I had to sit at the counter for 15 minutes to get a refill. That was the first warning sign. THEN the food took forever even though the restaurant was no longer as busy as it had been. The food came and was probably good quality when it was made, but I'm guessing it sat for 10-15 after it was ready; it all came out luke warm. I literally wanted to ask them if they had a microwave they could put the plate into for 2 minutes to make it more edible. BUT I didn't. I usually go here about 8-10 times year. I won't be going back again for a long time. If ever. THERE are a lot of other places I can go to spend my money.

Solid breakfast, Debbie our waitress is the best. Great service and always has a smile on her face. They also serve alcohol which is a plus.

This was our first visit to the Black Bear Diner. We came at brunch on Sunday with another couple. I ordered the cobb salad with grilled chicken, which was huge! There are lots of nice chunks of blue cheese which I love! Lots of bacon! It was very delicious. My husband had a huge juicy burger, and it was only a single Patty. I can't imagine how they make a burger with three patties, but they do! My friend had the stuffed French toast that came with a side of fruit. Our waiter was super attentive and very helpful, and we highly recommend Ryan! It was a great experience and a great place to take a large group. Though very busy, we didn't have to wait too long to get a table. They also sell stuffed black bears that are so adorable!

This was so overrated and underwhelming. The service was so slow and the food was mostly bad. Classic eggs Benedict - the eggs were poached wrong and the sauce was grainy, not creamy and smooth like Benedict sauce should be. The hashbrowns were terrible. The flavor was just that of rancid oil. They were over cooked and dry. My family tried a variety of menus items too (tritrip and shrimp, Hobo omelet) and there food wasn't good either. Our server was so sweet and it really wasn't her fault that the kitchen wasn't able to handle the food. I don't understand messing up easy breakfast foods, but somehow they did. Too bad they won't get my business again.

The food was cold and took forever. Not sure why anyone would want to spend 20 plus dollars per person to eat htere

Food was good and way too much of it, but the service was horrible. If the waitress listened to our request the kids would have gotten pancakes the way they wanted. Just pancakes and syrup. That meant no nothing else no whipped cream. The taco salad sans shell was oversized and full of iceberg lettuce - the thick inner parts. The clam chowder was served hot and tasted good. It took 30 minutes to get our order. The waitress never came by to ask how everything was. We needed water for the kids and it took so long to get it we canceled the order. They finally came as we we standing up to go. I asked for a to go box and 15 minutes later she yelled across the room to see if we were ready for it. Why have waitresses? We'll never return here. How do they get nominated for any rewards??? Go to Trinity instead. It's right next door.

The food is always tasty and in abundance. Both my husband and I loved our breakfast. Our waiter was very friendly and polite, he checked on us often, and made us smile. The restaurant is clean and comfortable. The manager is constantly making sure everyone is happy.

Super cute, family owned, personable. Good ol' fashioned American diner. So bummed this place only has 3.5 stars !

Service was extremely slow and the food was awful I had the pot roast it was tough and likely sitting all day I couldn't eat it. My husband ordered the Volcano the pancakes were falling apart and the eggs were over cooked and dry. I do not think this was a one off as we were one of maybe 4 tables on a Saturday night. I wish there had been a review letting us know not to waste our time or money.

We had a late lunch at Black Bear, and it was so good! My husband and I didn't expect the amazingly fresh garden salad that we selected as a side. The tuna melt and my husband's country fried steak were also very good. We also appreciated the service from the initial greeting by the manager and our waitress. We highly recommend!

We were excited to try out this restaurant as it came recommended, but after waiting for more than 20 minutes to even get water, and when our waitress never came back to get our order, we left. There were maybe 4 other tables so it wasn't busy. Bummed.

The layout was delightful! The food... no so much. This place reminded us of Chotchkie's, the fictional restaurant from Office Space. The staff even wears wide suspenders as part of their uniform. However, when I mentioned to one of the waiters that he needed more "flair" he had no idea what I was talking about. Millennials... What are you going to do? Anyway, I optimistically ordered their Joe's Hobo Omelet, which from the description had the promise of being delicious. I mean, how can anything that contains smoked ham, link sausage & thick-cut smoked bacon (as if one animal can produce so many good things), jack cheese, cheddar cheese, spinach & onion. Unfortunately, they forgot to mention one additional, overpowering ingredient... grease. It was oozing oil. We won't be going back, despite the cheerful decor and pleasant, if somewhat clueless, staff.

With over 75 locations, Black Bear Diner has chosen not to respond to my review. This means, it's just fine with Management that kitchen staff work with fecal (poop) matter on their hands. Black Bear Diner management likes making their customers sick. Remember, I witnessed a kitchen staff person leave a toilet stall, barely rinse his hands and return to the kitchen. Would having soap dispensers being full in the mens room helped? Probably not. This is a systematic training issue.

Well, we have been sitting at our table for 30 minutes. We gave our drink and order after 20 minutes of waiting... and still no drinks. The lack of service at this location indicates a less-than-well-managed location. Training is obviously lacking. Folks 'working' walk around a lot, but multiple tables are wondering who is their server. They say they keep changing assignments but that lame excuse is just blowing smoke. We usually love the service and food at the chain across the country... but today's experience is rather sad. We think it is because of this location's management and the server who cannot handle more than one thing. It has now been 40 minutes. 3 of the 4 drinks just showed up. At least I was given 2 straws.

We stopped here for a late lunch and the food here was delicious! the portion sizes were big and the pricing was good! They offer breakfast all day, so I got the California style eggs benedict with country style potatoes and it was amazing! I also got a huckleberry shake to go - so yummy!!

Just had breakfast here and had Cory as the waiter. Such great service that I have not seen in a long time. Attentive, engaging, kind, responsive and just running hard for all his clients. Give this a try and ask for Cory. Ps- the food was top notch, cooked to perfection and served hot!

The Black Bear has a whole lot of everything you want in a classic, American-fare diner: pancakes, omelettes, burgers, sandwiches...all in hearty portions. I had "the grizz" two fluffy monster pancakes, three eggs, two thick bacons slices, two sausages, hash browns, a ham slice, and a partridge in a pear tree. I ran out of digestive capacity for it all. My son couldn't master his steak and eggs with a pancake side either. My wife puzzled for a while about to approach her towering bacon. Her burger was so-so. The facility was a bit tired and well-trodden, but full. And so were we when we left. 5* = incredible (rare) 4* = very good/ strong desire to return 3* = generally good experience 2* = poor/ no desire to return 1* = a particularly awful experience

Black Bear Diner is one of me and my husband's favorite places for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They have a wide variety of diner-style meals and a killer breakfast. For lunch they have amazing club sandwiches and a huge fried chicken salad that is delicious. We usually are here for breakfast where we get the "Bears Choice" plate that comes with eggs, your choice of meat, and either pancakes or French toast. Everything is cooked to order and your food comes out fast and fresh.

First time to this location. And first time to this restaurant in many many years. Went here on 4/2/23. We got there pretty early. 7am to be exact. There was maybe 2 other tables but actually I'm not sure. Our waitress was fantastic. Very attentive with refills and if we needed anything. Food was really good. Good size portions. Definitely recommend.

East coast traveler and 1st time at black bear diner. Saw diner and thought bet we'd get a good milkshake there and did not disappoint. Our waitress Elilisa was efficient and personable with a smile! Everything was just as we expected from a diner. Pot roast & milkshake perfect comfort food! Cashier, Abby, was also fun to chat with at check out. Was a good choice after long day of traveling

Went on Mother's Day with my mom and the restaurant's service, friendliness, food presentation, quality and taste was out of this world good! The new general manager David Tebbe (on name tag?) is clearly passionate about leading a happy and positive team. All his employees were so happy, helpful, and the service was absolutely excellent! There wasn't a better place to take my mom on Mother's Day!