Black Bear Diner

11981 S Strang Line Rd, Olathe, KS 66062 USA

(913) 355-1108

Category: Diner

Price: $$

Overall:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Value:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Service:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:B+(4.0/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A-(4.2/5.0 stars)
Black Bear Diner, Olathe, KS 02

Reuben Details

Sandwich Name: Reuben ($12.29)

Menu Description: Our own carved corned beef piled on grilled rye with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut & housemade Thousand Island dressing.

Included Side Items: French fries, made-to-order cole slaw, house salad or cup of soup

Black Bear Diner, Olathe, KS

Presentation: The sandwich was served on a china plate with an attractive checkerboard pattern around the edge. The sandwich was constructed with Swiss cheese on top of a slice of rye bread, and then a layer of the Thousand Island dressing. Atop the dressing were generous folds of corned beef, followed by a layer of sauerkraut beneath another layer of cheese and the top slice of rye bread. The sandwich was cut in half, and each slide was pierced with a toothpick having a colored frill. The sandwich was then rotated so the two halves spread across the plate.

Dimensions: 616 cm3 (14 cm x 11 cm x 4 cm)

Bulk-to-Cost Ratio: 50 cm3/dollar


Review -

Review Date: Oct 2, 2022, 11:03 AM

Liked: Tasty sauerkraut

Disliked: Ingredients didn't spread to the edges

Overall:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Value:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Atmosphere:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Service:A(4.5/5.0 stars)
Taste:B+(4.0/5.0 stars)
Presentation:A-(4.2/5.0 stars)

The Black Bear Diner had a pleasant and clean interior. We had to wait a few minutes before being seated because it was very popular at the time we stopped by on a Sunday morning. There is an extreme amount of theming in the restaurant with bear pictures, carved wood bears, etc., everywhere in the spacious dining room. There is a counter with seats along one side of the dining room, with the sounds of food being prepared in the kitchen and the clanging of utensils that wafts through the room.

Black Bear Diner, Olathe, KS 03

I ordered the Reuben sandwich with a side of their soup of the day, tomato. The sandwich arrived in 10 minutes, and the first thing I noticed was that the corned beef was in generous slices and tasted very tender. The Swiss cheese did its job well of holding the ingredients from sliding around. The biggest disappointment in the sandwich was that the sauerkraut and dressing, which tasted so awesome in the first bites of each half of the sandwich, didn't quite make it to the edges of the sandwich. Everything dried out as you got closer to the crust, where it was just corned beef and crust.

The sauerkraut and Thousand Island did combine pleasantly with the hearty-tasting corned beef. The bread was very good. It was a little crunchy, but not overly so. The sandwich could maybe have used a little more of the Thousand Island dressing, or else everything could have just been spread a little more fully throughout. The sauerkraut had a bit of a sweet tang to it, which worked well with the beef.

Overall it was a very good sandwich and I would recommend it.

The tomato soup that I had for my side item was very rich and delicious. It reminded me of a marinara sauce that you might dip breadsticks into, although it was creamier than that. The Black Bear Diner had so much good looking food on the menu, and I assume that all of their menu items would taste as good as the things that we ordered. It would take a while to get through all of the yummy looking things they offer.