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| Image Courtesy of Black Bear Diner via Wikimapia. |
The other day I was wondering around Monterey on foot, looking for sustenance after 4 hours of waiting around at the local DMV for a driver's license. I was starved and thus delighted to stumble across a restaurant that looked so invitingly clean!
This charming little theme designer is actually anything but little. Large enough to be an Olive Garden or TGI Friday's, this place is ready to accommodate large, very hungry crowds. The decor is warm and pleasant, laying on the bear theme thickly with carved signs on the walls, cabin-like decor and great exposed wooden beams. One trap that themed/ chain restaurants can always fall into easily is that of culinary mediocrity. Sometimes the theme is the focus, and not the food. This restaurant walked the thin line between the two extremes. The food was good, but not great.
I ordered the hot roast beef sandwich; one of my favorite diner classics composed of bread, mashed potatoes and roast beef all piled high and smothered in gravy. Lets remember that this is a diner, not your grandma's kitchen or a charming, pricy cafe. Everything was of good quality, though the gravy was sadly not from scratch. That said, the portions are HUGE, and after 4 hours at the DMV, the huge platter (it was much too large to be called a plate) of food was more than welcome. Would I order it again? No. But only because I couldn't stop eyeing the amazing looking burgers that the nearby kitchen kept churning out.
On to the staff. They were delightful! My waitress seemed to be one of those rare creatures that enjoys, and therefore excels at table-side service. She was humming as she deftly served tables, and regularly topped off my iced tea with a big smile on her face. The addition of Bing Crosby crooning in the background made the whole experience a pleasant and peaceful one.
I can't wait to come back and try breakfast, which is served all day.
On a side note, I have an odd quirk when I'm at restaurants; I scrutinize the floor a little more than necessary. The places that have carpeted floors can be quite telling. The cleanliness tells you a lot about a restaurant: How old is it? How stained? Was it cleaned up after the morning rush? The carpet here was very clean, most likely newer and showed little of the soil that comes with having just served a large morning crowd. What does this tell me? That the management cares. That cleanliness standards will most likely be kept up throughout the rest of the place as well. Sitting at the bar counter and stealing glances at the kitchen, you could see that this was the case.
The details:
Cleanliness: Very clean.
Service: Perfect.
Price: Great value for huge portions.
Military Discount: Yes.
Worth it? Absolutely!
If you would like to see more reviews of this restaurant, check out Trip Advisor.
How about you? Have you eaten anywhere great lately that you think I should try?
