Patrons fill the dining area, while a Black Bear Diner waitress delivers waters.

It would be my inclination, in reviewing Central Oregon’s Black Bear Diners, to be as unbearably cute as the restaurants themselves.

Chain saw-carved bears stand outside the diners, welcoming guests who have followed paw prints from the parking area. Large stuffed bears, presumably adult and child, sit at the counter wearing Santa hats for the Christmas season. Murals and artistic details and even window dressings repeat the black-bear theme within the lodge-style main dining room. Near the entrances, gift shops sell all manner of black-bear memorabilia.

One must paws — er, pause — to consider that bear is prominent everywhere but as a food item on the menu.

This is the theme at every Black Bear Diner, from Phoenix, Ariz., to Federal Way, Wash. There are 40 in all, six of them in Oregon. Founded in 1995, the company is still headquartered in its original Mount Shasta, Calif., location.

All three Black Bears in Central Oregon — in Bend, Redmond and Madras — are under the same private ownership. Decor is virtually identical. I paid both of my dining-review visits to the Bend store.

Breakfast at the Bear

I prefer the morning meal at Black Bear to later in the day. It’s not the best in town, but it’s sufficiently tasty and filling.

On a recent visit, I tried a small stack (two) of the restaurant’s seven-grain almond-granola pancakes. They weren’t overly grainy, but the nutty flavor made them very tasty. They rapidly soaked in butter and syrup, however, so any health benefits were quickly negated.

Two small eggs, served over easy, were perfectly cooked. Two long strips of bacon, however, were as fatty as they were crunchy.

My dining companion ordered corned beef hash with two eggs. She was delighted that the meat was prepared in-house according to a Black Bear recipe, but she was disappointed that it was very fatty and stringy, not cut into chunks as she had hoped. Still, it was all meat, with no potatoes blended into the hash.

The potatoes, instead, came on the side, along with a dinner roll and two small poached eggs. “These certainly aren’t the ‘extra large’ variety,” my friend quipped.

Service was pleasant enough, but it was forgetful. No one greeted us when we arrived. I twice asked for a box for my leftover pancakes, and our server twice forgot; when I asked a different server, I got my take-home box immediately.

Disappointing dinner

My companion was not at all pleased with her evening meal at Black Bear.

She looked at a list of 11 “Good Old-Fashioned Comfort Dinners” and settled on the “Old Fashioned Meat Loaf.” “We make this fresh every day,” the menu boasted. “It’s one of our top sellers, from our own recipe.”

But when my friend had eaten what she could of her meal — meat and mashed potatoes with brown gravy, a green-bean casserole and garlic bread — her stomach was growling. “The bread has the most flavor of anything on the plate,” she complained.

The meat loaf was made with ground beef and pork, some onions and carrots, and breading to fill. But there was no seasoning of note to bring out its flavor. The potatoes were very ordinary, and the beans were, frankly, an embarrassment. They were overcooked and baked with an excess amount of country gravy better suited to a chicken-fried steak.

I had somewhat better luck with my dinner of soup and salad.

The soup of the day, our server promised, was a sausage-and-turkey gumbo. There was turkey aplenty, but, unfortunately, no sausage to go with the onions, tomatoes, celery and carrots. Technically, I think, a gumbo should include bell peppers and okra; this was more of a vegetable stew with a peppery flavor. Kudos, though — it did taste good.

My main course was a grilled Southwestern steak salad. Three modest slices of char-grilled tri-tip were laid on a bed of green leaf lettuce with diced tomatoes and onions, shredded cheddar and Jack cheeses, and crumbled tortilla strips. The ingredients were fresh, but the kitchen failed to toss it with the “special ancho-cilantro ranch dressing” that the menu had promised.

“You mean they forgot the dressing?” exclaimed our server. She quickly returned with a cup of the dressing, which I enjoyed but didn’t find as spicy as I might have expected.

Elvis was crooning in the background: “Let me be your teddy bear.” A sign on a wall declared “Almost Bearadise.”

Unless I have friends with young children in tow, I probably won’t return to the Black Bear any time soon.

SMALL BITES

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant has begun accepting applications for staff at its new store on the north side of Bend. The restaurant has announced plans to open for business on Jan. 18. Founded in 1982, Olive Garden has some 700 restaurants across the United States, including four others in western Oregon. 63459 N. U.S. Highway 97, Bend; 312-4760 or www.olivegarden.com.

A quiet closure to report on Bend’s west side: Hurricane’s A Whirlwind of Desserts (133 S.W. Century Drive, Suite 204), which won a strong following for its cakes and pies, breakfast pastries and brown-bag lunches, is no longer open.

RECENT REVIEWS

Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza (B+): This full-service, casual-dining restaurant and sports bar has a menu that includes a variety of pastas and entrees, but come for the superb gourmet pizza and a crispy salad. The room is bright and spacious; service is excellent and prices are moderate. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 61276 Hwy. 97 S., Bend; 541-647-5050, www.bostons.com.

Pita Pit (B): Perhaps best known for serving healthy food into the wee hours of weekend mornings, this franchise operation also offers budget-priced breakfasts and lunches. Its pita-bread sandwiches are stuffed with a variety of meats and fresh vegetables. Open 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. 806 N.W. Brooks St., Bend; 541-389-7482, www.pitapitusa .com.

Scoots Bar and Grill (B+): Neither the building nor the menu is glamorous, but the half-pound burgers are some of the best in Central Oregon, and the Texas-style chili will warm you on a cold winter’s day. This is basically a bar, however, that attracts a local clientele with its pool room and karaoke machine. 11 a.m. to close every day. 175 N. Larch St., Sisters; 541-549-1588, www .scootsbarandgrill.com.

Sage Cafe & Coffee House (A-): Now nearly seven years old, the first business in Bend’s NorthWest Crossing neighborhood is going strong. Atmosphere is pleasant, counter service fast and friendly, egg dishes and freshly made sandwiches are outstanding. Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. 2762 N.W. Crossing Drive, Bend; 541-382-6740.

Black Bear Diner

Location: 1465 N.E. Third St., Bend; also 429 N.W. Cedar Ave., Redmond, and 237 S.W. Fourth St., Madras

Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Dinner served from 4 p.m.

Price range: Breakfast $4.99 to $11.49, lunch $4.69 to $10.49, dinner $9.99 to $15.99

Credit cards: American Express, MasterCard, Visa

Children’s menu: Yes

Vegetarian menu: Limited choices include the Shasta scramble and a vegetarian burger

Alcoholic beverages: Beer and wine

Outdoor seating: No

Reservations: Groups only

Contact: 541-312-8327 (Bend), 541-548-5969 (Redmond), 541-475-6632 (Madras) or www.blackbeardiner.com

Scorecard

OVERALL: B-

Food: B-. Not generally terrible, but definitely mediocre and far from gourmet.

Service: B-. Friendly but forgetful, from salad dressing to take-home boxes.

Atmosphere: B+. Everywhere you look, there are bears and more bears. Kids love it.

Value: B. Prices are higher than quality calls for.

Next week: Bend coffee brewers

Visit www.bendbulletin.com /restaurants for readers’ ratings of more than 150 Central Oregon restaurants.