Mels Diner

This used to be one of my family’s breakfast spots, until today when there was a moth in my coffee. I am deathly afraid of moths. I called the gal over that was working the counter since I didn’t see our waiter. She said «oh», brought my cup back to the kitchen and brought me another cup of coffee. I said «oh no, I don’t want anything. I’m done». «Sorry» she said. The guy that poured our coffee also checked us out. Everything okay? He asked. I said «nope, there was a moth in my coffee». He replied «what? you’re kidding!» It would’ve been nice if the manager talked to me or if they comped our meal since we are regulars. I replied, «that’s too bad since we like this place but we’re never coming back.» Nice staff, but make sure you know what you are eating and drinking if you go here.

My sister used to work here so i’d stop in and eat. The food is good, definitely a diner but is way better than Denny’s or iHop plus the atmosphere is much more fun. It’s a solid meal and you won’t regret it.

Came here late at night as an alternative to Applebee’s, and I must say, I am pleasantly surprised! I ordered the prime rib steak, 8-​ounce, which came with a side salad & cornbread, and my choice of 2 sides. The food is delicious! It surpassed my expectations and I have to say — the cornbread with honey and butter was to die for! The steak was perfect! The customer service is great and the environment/​atmosphere is fantastic. It has a 1950s vibe to it, which is pretty cool, and the clientele was surprisingly diverse which is a plus!
Overall, great food joint. The food is reasonably priced and best of all, it opens ²⁴⁄₇. I highly recommend!

Eduardo is a great server!
We weren’t going to come back to this Mel’s, but it was on the way where we were going. We came in at 2:30 pm on Friday the 8^th. Not a busy time but still customers in and out.
My friend ordered the chicken wings were okay and a little spicy but he prefers that.
I had the chicken fajita salad and was pleasantly surprised at the portion and taste. I prefer more guacamole and sour cream but didn’t want to pay for the extra. Two tubs of salsa was perfect.

Mel’s is a themed restaurant after American Graffiti. They are a typical diner with a cool atmosphere. There food is typical diner food nothing special but not bad at all. 24 hours a day with breakfast served all day. I especially like all the cool neon signs. Lots of TV’s but not one playing the American Graffiti movie. Might be a legal issue with it but a real no brainer for these restaurants! A little noisy but to be expected in such an atmosphere. I would recommend for those who like or love the classic movie. Also great deserts.

Not too happy with this place. I work nights and have my dinner picked up by a driver and it seems every time i get a take out order from here something is missing or done wrong. Finally today I had enouph and decided to call them back and complain about my «bacon cheddar burger «. There was supposed to be thousand island dressing on it and it was missing. So i have a completely dry, flat burger with only a grease stain where sauce should be. I wouldn’t have minded if they put mayo instead but nothing? So i called not once but 3 times only to be hung up on after about a million rings. So i spent money on a dry, over cooked burger and didn’t even eat it or get reimbursement. On the plus side my drivers food i baught for him was fine…

Seriously, just don’t.
After 15 minutes of waiting for a server to acknowledge our table despite their attention to tables that had come in after, we finally flagged down a waitress who came to take our order 5 minutes later. Our «waitress» (with any training she may earn the title) was neither friendly nor professional while taking our orders. 10 minutes later the waters came.
Our food hasn’t come out yet but I can’t imagine any part of our experience getting better with time.

The two stars are for the décor. I love the old American style diners and always expect that the food would be good… but that’s not what happened.
1. Our server was a jerk, it was our first time there and we were also waiting on two other friends to arrive. He continuously checked up on us, which isn’t bad, but I had told him it would take us some time because it was our first time AND we were unsure of what we wanted. He got quite annoyed. When we were ready I raised my hand and he watched me, looked annoyed, and asked a different server to go to our table. I literally watched him do this. The new server was great though, very friendly and sweet girl.
2. My mushroom burger was completely soaked that when I picked it up the bottom bun was spongy and falling apart.
Will maybe give it another chance but for now this is it!

Pros: It’s almost like Mel’s Drive-​in but not. Open 24 hours.
Cons: Really slow service (during the midnight shift at least). I’ve had better food.
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EXPERIENCE
The signage of Original Mel’s caught our eyes as we drove by on the freeway. It struck us oddly cause it looked like a Mel’s Drive-​in but then again wasn’t. Turns out long story short similar but different companies (Wikipedia entry if you care for the short history:
)
We arrived a little past midnight and they were crowded. Took almost 15 – 20 minutes before we even got to place our orders.
From order to food on the table though was good as it was about 10 minutes. Regrettably they mixed up the order a bit. I asked for medium-​rare while my girlfriend stated nothing (which according to their menu default is medium-​well). Somehow that got mixed around.
Food was decent but I’ve definitely had better at the Mel’s Drive-​in in San Francisco.
WHAT I HAD
Mozzarella sticks: Not impressed. They were under cooked or just plain sub par. The types you bite into and the whole solid stick of cheese comes out with it. Disappointing when their presentation sprinkling shredded mozzarella cheese on it had my hopes up.
Chili MelFries (aka Chili Cheese Fries): Actually pretty good. Though could have used more chili. Basically had the equivalent of just larger than one tablespoon on the plate of fries.
Deuce Coupe: I suppose I can’t really truly gauge this one. I ordered medium-​rare but instead got medium-​well if not well. Not usually ordering such, it felt very burned and charred to me. I feel it would have had potential if my order was correct. Not bad enough that I wouldn’t give it a try again if I ever happen to be in the neighborhood

Great late night bite after the drinks got you buzzing. Choosing between breakfast and dinner makes you a winner. Courteous servers and late night security makes sure nothing pops off. Burgers are good but the buns were a little funny looking. On a positive note the radios at the table work!

I was pretty disappointed with Mel’s last night. Our server was very friendly, but there was just too many mishaps and a real lack on the quality of food that left a bad taste in my mouth (I’m sure no one on Unilocal has ever used that pun before).
The hot pastrami sandwich I ordered was ok to the taste, but the pastrami to bun ratio was crazy… it was pretty much a hot bun sandwich not a hot pastrami sandwich. The other thing is that it was supposed to come with fries but it didn’t. I informed our server who said they would have to make more fries. So it wasn’t until after I finished my hot bun sandwich that I got some fries. They were fresh which was nice, but I would have liked then with my meal and of course because they came out after the fact, they didn’t come with the ranch I requested.
A friend who was with me had a dish with some onion rings which we’re burnt to the poi t of being black. This is a review based on my experience, but it just shows the lack of attention put on the food… and Mel’s is not inexpensive in my opinion… I would hope to expect more out of Mel’s then like Denny’s, but maybe I’m wrong?

We made the mistake of coming here after a late New Years Eve Concert. It was super packed and busy full of ratchet scantily clad kids. Luckily we got a table before a huge rush of people walked through the door.
We got seated and got drinks. I was starving after the concert but because of how busy it was i knew it would be a while before we got food. We probably waited 40 minutes to get our orders taken. But that was only after my boyfriend had flagged down a waitress. I knew I should have just paid for our drinks and left. But I was super hungry at that point.
Another 30 minutes later we finally got our food and it was less than average. The philly cheese steak sandwich was gross. The bread was super soggy and fires were meh. The meat had good flavor though but it wasn’t enough to save the sandwich. My boyfriends breakfast was worse than a McDonald’s big platter. The eggs looked like they had been sitting there since yesterday. The pancakes were a sloppy mess.
All in all it was pretty crappy. The service was off. The food was shit. I should have probably gone to a drive through or Denny’s where I know what to expect. I don’t see myself coming back here at all.

A solid upgrade from Denny’s for those super late night noms when every other place is closed. The breakfast burrito and milkshakes were both well done albeit pricey for what they are. Service was forgetful and sluggish, but the waitresses got the job done with some reminding.
Plus, can’t help but appreciate the eclectic crowd that comes in during the early AM hours…

Came here with some friends after a night of dancing. Surprisingly it was not packed and was seated right away. Everyone ordered their food and food came out right away, but except mine! I guess the server forgot to put in my order. I was getting tired watching everyone eat. Ended up picking off other people’s plate. I ordered a Monte Cristo. Not the healthiest choice, but its actually good. I barely touched my food, because I was full eating off other ppl. Packed it to go. Food is cool depending what u order. Service could be better.

What a great waiter
Is 6:30 am
And nothing but smiles
Wish all waiter had the same problem :)
Smile goes a longgggggg longggg way
The name of the waiter is Alan amazing waiter
To the owner
Keep Alan he is a great asset to you company

Mel’s– This used to be a cool place to go as it had a 50’s theme. Now, it’s just a diner that replaced another down the street and it’s loud. The volume has improved and we were able to hear each other so that is an improvement from when they first opened.
There was plenty of parking in there private lot. That made me happy as I wanted to go to Starbucks first, but there was no parking.
Nice bathrooms inside and you don’t have to use a key to get in.
Service was good. They guy was very pleasant and talked highly of the salads as I was ordering one. And it was good. I got the crispy chicken salad with bacon, tomatoes, and cheese. It was huge. The lettuce had enough crispy pieces, but there were a couple of those old nasty slimy ones. I hate seeing those as they had them to you. It did think it was a bit over priced and the other things on the menu.
End the end it worked out well. I got something semi healthy and light and my friend got a Denver omelet. We will be back as its local and convenient.

Came here after a lonnnnnnnnnng day at the fair and though it was almost 11pm on a Thursday, it was very busy! To me, it was a reminder that Sacramento stays up a lot later than we do in Santa Rosa. :)
Our group of 6 tired friends each ordered something different and everyone liked their meals. I saw everything from The Hangover to burgers to my Sunrise Sandwich. Coffee was hot and fresh, service was friendly and fast, prices were a welcome break after having been at the $$ state fair.

Over the past year, I’ve ordered breakfast takeout from Mel’s about 3 or 4 times, on those weekend days I can barely drag myself out of bed but am craving eggs benedict and just not in the mood for the whole brunch extravaganza. I actually like the California Benedict the best — instead of ham, it includes bacon, and they also add tomato and avocado. It comes with fresh fruit and potatoes — and it’s very tasty. My order is always ready on time and the service at the counter is typically very friendly. Prices are reasonable for diner food and for the large portions.
Glancing over their menu, there are a few other things I’d like to try on one of those other days that I just don’t feel like cooking!

Nice place to have breakfast, all day long ²⁴⁄₇.
We went to this location when it was Lyon diner restaurant and now it’s Mel’s Diner.
Our fav is 6 oz New York steak with eggs Mon — Fri from midnight until 11 AM only $ 6.29 + tax
Our steak always juicy and tender, we had our medium.

This place is super cute! Simple, but cute. My dad has been raving about this place for the longest time, so we finally got to try it. Surprisingly, my sisters and I tried the Mel’s (now Mike’s) in EG LONG time ago. And, I’m pretty sure I’ve tried it once after I went clubbing one time. I’m not sure.
Anyways, this is a pretty decent sized restaurant, maybe 70 people capacity. We were greeted and then seated at the big booth in the back. Sadly, we didn’t get a jukebox at the table. Maybe because it’s only for the smaller tables. Oh well, they still played good songs.
I ordered the Denver omlette with a muffin and hashbrowns. To MY understanding, I thought it meant a muffin, like blueberry or poppyseed because on the menu, it just says «muffin». But when the muffin came, it was an ENGLISH muffin. It was deceiving. The omlette was huge! It took up more than half of the plate! Along with the hashbrowns taking the other half. The omlette was filling. It had huge chunks of ham and VERY cheesy. Maybe next time, I’ll ask for little or no cheese. The hashbrowns were crispy, but I think the potatoes tasted better, which my sister got. Also, on the menu, it says «biscuit and gravy» but when my sister got her meal, it just came with a biscuit. Where’s the gravy? It’s actually a good thing it didn’t come with it because she didn’t want the gravy after all.
The food is decent, but the menu is deceiving. Muffins are ENGLISH muffins. Biscuits and gravy is just a biscuit. For the price you pay, at least for the steaks and omlettes, they’re worth it. Cheap and large portions. Wish the large table had a jukebox as well… The service was okay. He didn’t wow us. He smiled when he greeted us then his energy just lowered from there. Keep up your energy and your customers will feel it too! Other than that, place has decent food, huge portions, cheap price. Come here when you’re drunk or have a hangover. They’re open 24hrs.