Black Bear Diner Secret Menu Guide 2026
Quick answer: Black Bear Diner has no official secret menu, but a set of well-known off-menu items like the Elvis Waffle, PB&J French Toast, the Lumberjack platter, the Messy Bear and the Monte Cristo sandwich are widely available. Order them by describing each dish to your server instead of using the name, and expect prices to match regular menu items.
Honestly, I went into this expecting a proper hidden menu. Most big chains have one, right? But here’s the thing about the Black Bear Diner secret menu: it isn’t a printed list the chain hands out. It’s a collection of customer-created orders that servers have been making for years, and the good news is the kitchen knows exactly how to build them. The Black Bear Diner menu already has the build-your-own Bear’s Choice breakfast, which is basically the engine that powers every secret menu hack on this list.
So what actually counts as secret here? Anything not printed on the menu that regulars keep ordering. Here’s the full guide.
What Is on the Black Bear Diner Secret Menu?
The Black Bear Diner secret menu is an unofficial list of off-menu items built from regular menu ingredients. The most popular ones are the Elvis Waffle (peanut butter, banana and bacon on a waffle), PB&J French Toast, the giant Lumberjack breakfast platter, the Messy Bear (chili over mac and cheese), the Monte Cristo sandwich, the Chicken Fried Steak sandwich, the Red Velvet Cheesecake Shake and the Maple Bacon Waffle Sundae.
The Breakfast Secret Menu Items
| Secret Item | What It Is | Typical Price |
|---|---|---|
| Elvis Waffle | Sweet cream waffle topped with peanut butter, banana slices, crispy bacon and maple syrup | ~$11–12 |
| PB&J French Toast | Thick-cut French toast stuffed with peanut butter and jelly, dusted with powdered sugar | ~$9–10 |
| The Lumberjack | A monster platter: 4 eggs, 4 bacon strips, 4 sausage links, a ham steak, pancakes and hash browns. Made for sharing | ~$16–19 |
| Stuffed French Toast | French toast stuffed with cream cheese and your choice of fruit compote | ~$12 |
The Elvis Waffle is the star. Peanut butter plus bacon plus banana sounds wrong until you try it, and then it makes perfect sense. Sweet, salty, creamy, crispy. If you only try one item on this list, make it this one.
The Lunch and Dinner Hacks
Dinner time is when the kitchen gets creative, because you’ve got chili, mac and cheese, burgers and fried chicken all in play at once. The Messy Bear is the move on a cold day: creamy mac and cheese with a ladle of the diner’s red chili on top. The Monte Cristo is ham, turkey and Swiss on egg-battered bread, deep-fried golden, with raspberry jam on the side. And if you love the BIGFOOT chicken fried steak but want it handheld, ask for it as a sandwich on a toasted bun with spicy ranch.
Burgers deserve their own mention, because customizing them is basically a Black Bear Diner sport. Add a fried egg. Ask for caramelized onions. Hatch chilies, grilled pineapple, teriyaki glaze, these are all in the kitchen and the staff will stack them on a burger without blinking. That’s how regulars turn a standard burger into something that tastes twice as expensive.
The Secret Desserts and Shakes
Dessert is where the Black Bear Diner secret menu really shines. Two items keep showing up in diner reports: the Red Velvet Cheesecake Shake, vanilla ice cream blended with chunks of red velvet cheesecake and topped with whipped cream, and the Maple Bacon Waffle Sundae, a warm waffle under vanilla ice cream with crispy bacon crumbles and a maple syrup drizzle. The sundae typically runs around $9.99, right in line with the diner’s regular dessert prices.
How Do You Order Off the Black Bear Diner Secret Menu?
You order Black Bear Diner secret menu items by describing the dish to your server, not by saying the name. Saying “I’ll have the Messy Bear” usually gets a blank look, because servers don’t know the internet nicknames. Describe the build instead. Instead of “the Elvis Waffle,” say: “Could I get a waffle with peanut butter, banana and bacon on top?” That works every time. Servers at Black Bear Diner handle custom orders all day, so this kind of request is completely normal to them.
A few more tips I picked up. Ask about employee favorites. Servers and cooks all have their own off-menu combos, and most love talking about them. Use the Bear’s Choice. The build-your-own Bear’s Choice breakfast lets you mix proteins, sides and styles freely, and it’s priced like a regular breakfast. Check your location’s specials. Black Bear Diner locations are franchised, so flexibility varies. Some run regional twists, like green chili-smothered breakfast burritos in Arizona and New Mexico, or salmon benedict in the Pacific Northwest.
What Does the Black Bear Diner Secret Menu Cost?
Black Bear Diner secret menu prices match regular menu prices. Because every secret item is assembled from ingredients the kitchen already stocks, diners report being charged normal combo or customization prices, with no secret-menu markup. A customized waffle or burger costs about what the equivalent printed item costs, usually in the $9 to $14 range for breakfast items and $12 to $18 for lunch and dinner builds.
That said, watch two things. First, stacking lots of add-ons on a burger or skillet can nudge the price up item by item, so ask how an add-on is priced if you’re loading one up. Second, prices vary by location since Black Bear Diner is franchised. The numbers here are typical across locations, but your diner sets its own.
Are There Regional or Seasonal Black Bear Diner Secret Menu Items?
Yes. Black Bear Diner runs regional specialties and seasonal specials that function as local secret menus. Regional items include Cajun jambalaya pasta, green chili-smothered dishes in the Southwest, and salmon benedict in the Pacific Northwest. Seasonal specials include pumpkin pancakes in the fall and red and green holiday shakes in winter. Ask your server what’s cooking that isn’t on the menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Black Bear Diner have an official secret menu?
No. Black Bear Diner does not publish an official secret menu. The “secret menu” is a collection of customer-created orders and customization hacks that servers regularly make using standard menu ingredients. That actually works in your favor, since the kitchen can build almost anything.
How do I order the Black Bear Diner secret menu Elvis waffle?
Ask for a waffle topped with peanut butter, banana slices, bacon and maple syrup. Don’t just say “the Elvis Waffle,” most servers don’t know the nickname, but they’ll happily build the dish from your description.
Are Black Bear Diner secret menu prices higher?
No. Secret menu items are priced like regular menu items, because they’re assembled from the same ingredients. Breakfast builds typically run $9 to $14 and dinner builds $12 to $18, though prices vary slightly by franchise location.
Can I get secret menu items at every Black Bear Diner location?
Usually, yes, but it depends on the kitchen. Black Bear Diner locations are independently owned franchises, so availability of specific customizations and regional specials varies. When in doubt, ask your server what’s possible.
Prices last verified: October 17, 2026. For the official source of truth on menu items and pricing, see the Black Bear Diner official website.
