81539 US Hwy 111
Indio, CA 92201
We stopped at Sloan's after a long day driving and were hoping for a decent dinner. What we received far exceeded our expectations.
We had hardly been seated when our waitress arrived with menus and offering to take drink orders. Not only were the drinks brought quickly, but were refilled as often as necessary during our meal.
The menu is large and looks extremely appetizing. I especially appreciated the creativity in their dishes. Instead of the same tired items that one finds on most menus, they have added spices, or ingredients to liven them up.
I chose the special of the night, which was a beef stroganoff made with prime rib. Companion ordered the pork chop which came with two sides.
In due course, a large plate appeared that was filled to the top with my stroganoff. Instead of mixing the sour cream into the gravy, they chose to put he gravy and meat on top of the noodles, and then placed a large dollop of sour cream as the crown. As crazy as it may sound, the meat was real prime rib, cut into good sized chunks, and plenty of it. I enjoyed the sour cream as an accompaniment to the dish instead of having the whole dish swimming in it.
Companion had a nice pork chop, with homemade garlic bread, mashed potatoes, and corn.
Portions are very large, and good sanitation was very apparent. Food was seasoned perfectly, and service was quick and always with a smile.
While I may have gained a pound eating this meal, it was well worth it. Highly recommended.
5 Stars
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Black Bear Diner #1 - Mt. Shasta
We were passing through Shasta, California and the opportunity to eat at Black Bear Diner number one was presented. With the wait for a table, I decided to avail myself of the restroom. There are two, and they are both unisex. The previous user was a man, and he left his calling card all over the floor and on the seat. I was forced to clean up with a paper towel from the dispenser, but the trash can was overflowing, and I had to add to the pile on the floor.
On exiting, our table was ready and we were seated at a sixtop instead of a normal table. Drinks were ordered, and the waitress brought the wrong drinks. She said she could not remember what was ordered for drinks, so she just brought what she thought might have been ordered.
Next, main courses were ordered. I ordered a patty melt with coleslaw, and companion ordered a small steak with mashed potatoes and green beans.
The patty melt was brought out after an interminable wait and not only was the bread burnt but so was the patty. There was absolutely not one drop of seasoning on the patty melt. As for the coleslaw it had no dressing on it. The waitress finally brought out a dish of a sweet pink substance she called dressing. I also asked for some mayonnaise to make the dressing more palatable. In all the years I have done tastings, (more than 17) I have never before had coleslaw with a pink dressing on it. Essentially my meal was almost inedible. When the waitress was asked about the lack of seasoning, she retorted that some customers don't like seasoning, so they don't use any anymore!
As for companions steak, it was left unfinished because it was dry and overcooked and once again had absolutely not one drop of seasoning on it. Companions mashed potatoes were literally dumped on the plate and smothered in a gravy that was supposed to be beef flavored but created many doubts. It was gelatinous and did not look at all appetizing. The green beans were flaccid and dark green having been sitting I'm sure, in a pot for hours.
Service was extraordinarily slow by any standard. As far as sanitation goes, companions silverware appeared to have been used by someone else first, and had to be replaced twice because the replacement was also dirty.
I have evaluated many Black Bear Diners and most of them have been given either three or four stars. For this one I can only give a rating of one star. Perhaps it is time to close down Black Bear number one and turn it into a museum or something else. The food here is not on par with any other black bear I have ever eaten in. I cannot recommend people eat in this establishment.
On exiting, our table was ready and we were seated at a sixtop instead of a normal table. Drinks were ordered, and the waitress brought the wrong drinks. She said she could not remember what was ordered for drinks, so she just brought what she thought might have been ordered.
Next, main courses were ordered. I ordered a patty melt with coleslaw, and companion ordered a small steak with mashed potatoes and green beans.
The patty melt was brought out after an interminable wait and not only was the bread burnt but so was the patty. There was absolutely not one drop of seasoning on the patty melt. As for the coleslaw it had no dressing on it. The waitress finally brought out a dish of a sweet pink substance she called dressing. I also asked for some mayonnaise to make the dressing more palatable. In all the years I have done tastings, (more than 17) I have never before had coleslaw with a pink dressing on it. Essentially my meal was almost inedible. When the waitress was asked about the lack of seasoning, she retorted that some customers don't like seasoning, so they don't use any anymore!
As for companions steak, it was left unfinished because it was dry and overcooked and once again had absolutely not one drop of seasoning on it. Companions mashed potatoes were literally dumped on the plate and smothered in a gravy that was supposed to be beef flavored but created many doubts. It was gelatinous and did not look at all appetizing. The green beans were flaccid and dark green having been sitting I'm sure, in a pot for hours.
Service was extraordinarily slow by any standard. As far as sanitation goes, companions silverware appeared to have been used by someone else first, and had to be replaced twice because the replacement was also dirty.
I have evaluated many Black Bear Diners and most of them have been given either three or four stars. For this one I can only give a rating of one star. Perhaps it is time to close down Black Bear number one and turn it into a museum or something else. The food here is not on par with any other black bear I have ever eaten in. I cannot recommend people eat in this establishment.
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