On Walkabout At: The Black Bear Diner In Colorado Springs

When I first moved to Colorado Springs the first restaurant that was recommended to me by people I knew was the Black Bear Diner located near the Citadel Shopping Mall on Academy Street:

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According to the Black Bear Diner’s website the restaurant is in fact a chain that had its beginnings in California:

In 1861 a gold prospector by the name of Sisson fell in love with Strawberry Valley – a quaint mountain meadow at the foot of Mt. Shasta in far northern California. He opened an inn near the town now called Mt. Shasta City. This inn overlooked the wild berry patches nearby that were frequented by both black bears and people alike. Tired travelers soon became aware of Sisson’s fabulous hospitality and the inn became a well-known stopover. Large portions of quality food in an interesting and friendly atmosphere became the standard that people expected on their visits.

In 1995, Bob and Laurie Manley, along with their partner Bruce Dean, opened the first Black Bear Diner on the site of the old strawberry patches near Mt. Shasta. They were determined to rekindle the level of hospitality that was lavished upon early guests to Strawberry Valley. The menu, service and decor were designed to remind the guest of a time when life was a little more simple, and service and quality were the cornerstones of business. The owners feel great satisfaction that after one hundred years, the black bears again look over Strawberry Valley.

Although the family of restaurants called Black Bear Diner has grown from the single location at Mt. Shasta, to over 50 restaurants in the Western United States, each restaurant is still dedicated to the same simple concepts that made the original inn at Strawberry Valley famous.  [Black Bear Diner website]

Everyone I talked to that had eaten there raved about how good the breakfasts were there, so it didn’t take my wife and I long before we decided to go check it out.  The place was easy to find considering that there is a huge wooden bear located in the front of the diner:

My little 2 year old absolutely loves bears and so now every time we go to the Black Bear she has to spend some time playing with the wooden bears outside:

Since we visited the Black Bear on a Saturday morning we found out how popular this place is.  The waiting area was very crowded as people waited to be seated.  We ultimately ended up waiting for 20 minutes to get a table so that is a lesson we learned about visiting the Black Bear during the morning rush hour on the weekend.  As we were eventually seated I looked around and thought that the inside of the diner just like the outside was tastefully decorated with various bear stuffed animals, pictures, and artwork:

My daughter just absolutely loves going here because of all the bears.  The menu also had a bear theme to many of their items and the breakfast I decided to order was the The Grizz.  This breakfast included pancakes, bacon, ham, eggs, and hashbrowns:

It is a huge breakfast but it was absolutely outstanding and I had enough food to share with my 2 year old.  I also had a cup of coffee with m breakfast and the coffee they brew there is outstanding as well.  I’m not sure what they brew but it definitely has a distinct taste to it that makes it stand out from other restaurant coffees.

My wife had French Toast the first time we ate there which she liked as well:

Since first eating at the Black Bear we eat there pretty regularly for breakfast.  Instead of eating the Hungry Bear I usually settle for the Volcano Breakfast that is a bit smaller and instead of the buttermilk pancakes I get the healthier granola cakes instead:

I really like how they offer a healthier alternative to the pancakes which is just another example of small details that make this restaurant stand out in my opinion.  We have also gone to the diner to have lunch a few times but I don’t find the lunch to be as good as their breakfast.  I had a hamburger there before which was average as well as a steak that I really wasn’t that impressed with:

We will probably try some of their other lunch menu items in the future and maybe those will be better.

Overall I find the Black Bear Diner to be similar to a Denny’s but with a nicer restaurant that has an alpine bear theme to them.  I found the food to also be better than Denny’s just because it is not as salty.  For the quality of food served here I found the menu prices to also be very reasonable.    Finally the service here is top notch which just adds to the great family atmosphere this place has.  So for anyone looking for a good family breakfast in Colorado Springs this is a place I highly recommend.

Has anyone else eaten at the Black Bear Diner?  Please leave a comment and let readers know what you think of the place.