We stay at Black Bear a couple times a year but that may be changing. This last time was absolutely horrible. Our two room "suite" was disgusting the only reason we stayed and almost didn't was the kids were really looking forward to the pool and arcade. It started out us getting there an hour before check in and them saying about another 45 minutes.....no problem at all we'll go eat at the buffet! So we went back at 4pm (check in time) and it wasn't ready so I asked what's the point of a check in time and was told they have until 6 to clean the room......anyone ever hear of this?
So we finally got to our room around 430 with no apologies. When we got there we didn't take our shoes off because the carpeting looked like it had blood stains on it and was filthy....we sat there and debated about leaving but didn't. So we made the most of our laying towels around to walk on I brought clorox wipes to sanatize remotes but ended up doing counter tops...toilet seat and door handles as well. We went to pull out the sofa bed for my teenager and we couldn't believe the stain the size of a basketball and dirt so we folded it up and called for a cot and another remote because we had one for two tvs. The cot came and I went to make up the bed and there were cigarette holes all over it....for my non smoking son to use in our non smoking room we had a blanket in our car he used.
We got through the night and went too swim the next morning the pool was a mess from the night before, candy and garbage all over the floor and big chunks of hair in the pool, we left with our screaming toddler because he wanted to swim. Worse time ever and we were really looking forward to a little get away. Really disappointing.

Blackbear is one of our favorites, seafood buffet is the best in minnesota, bar none

Waiting in line for an hour for some authentic Northern MN foods, I discover, after paying, that there are no vegetarian dinner entrees-- only side items here and there like mashed potatoes and fruits. Upon being seated, we wait around confused while nobody tells us what to do and have to flag down a server. Then, the dirty plates are removed from our table so infrequently, that I return to my seat with 3 nasty dishes which I subsequently put on the floor for lack of another place to eat. The staff then asks me not to stack my dishes on the floor because it's a tripping hazard. I then wait for fifteen minutes afterward to speak with a supervisor who isn't around and fortunately get a refund when she shows up.

Commentary: It's not that hard for a buffet to cater to vegetarians. First, don't put meat in the only Pasta Salad offering. If you offer two soups, make one Vegetarian-- perhaps that Chicken Wild Rice offering could have been Vegetable Wild Rice. I've seen other buffets do a great job with vegetarian food in the following: Build-your-own pasta bars, pizza bars, Mexican Food bars, stir-fry bars (with chef on hand), etc. For authentic Minnesota, what about Minnesota grown foods like Sweet Corn? Or beets? Or breads?

Oh yes, and don't let me forget that they have a preferred gambler's line in which people are cutting in front of the other customers who are waiting patiently for an hour to get in. Really, it doesn't feel very good when others get preferential treatment and you're waiting in a smoky line to eat some under-cooked side items like the under-done green beans. The plus side? The squash was pretty good at Black Bear.

It wasn't worth the hour wait though.