The Black Bear Diner is a curious mish-mash, and looks exactly like someone couldn't be bothered to completely redo an absolutely terrible idea. Everything has a bear motif built in, but clearly someone has gone through the trouble of amusing themselves with it. The signs are either shaped like bears or are decorated with bears, at least one sign near the window has a bear with a mohawk, and there are statues of bears everywhere-- which seem to have been randomly dressed up in various hats, wits, ties, glasses, you name it. The chipped coffee cups have bear paw stencils, though occasionally you get a bear paw with painted nails or with a peace sign. The paper place-mats are edged with "fun bear facts," and the middle have advertisements for local businesses...and most have hand-written reviews like, 'terrible bathrooms' or 'dope wallpaper.'
The booths are aging, patched vinyl on seats, bright an obvious against their older, faded counterparts, and the wooden tables were carefully repolished but NOT repaired, so every nick, dent, and scratch gleams. Along the back wall there's a formica bar with padded stools, so people can sit and watch the waitstaff deliver food promptly and generally with zero pep. The food, at least, is surprisingly and consistently good (except the omelettes), considering the price and environs. The music is eclectic, based entirely on the owner's preference and only a bribe will have the genre changed. The restrooms are locked, the keys - each attached to a foot-long plastic fish - available on staff sufferance.