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Categories: American (New), American (Traditional) [Edit]
1394 N Main StChili's® Grill & Bar is as bold and flavorful as the food it serves. The energetic, fun atmosphere makes it the perfect spot for a... more »
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3.75
Ahh Mels! One of the bummers about this spot is the parking situation. This spot is also kind of small compared to the ones in SF. Luckily the lack of parking is because there is Broadway Plaza and a movie theater all fairly close by. Nothng like getting some diner food before a movie date and some old school 50s-60s tunes! Open late on Fridays and Saturdays! Food, portion sizes, and service are all fair and reasonable. Plus one star for breakfast being served all day!
What time is it again? Oh it's brunch o'clock......at 7p.m. Hey, breakfast for dinner is like how pink is the new black....it's fashionable...okay that might be stretching it, but eating an omelette for dinner is totally acceptable so get over it;)
Came here the other night with a couple of friends that were in it for the diner icecream. While it's no big secret I am a big fan of dessert, I am not one to skip a meal. So, I perused the menu and settled on a skillet; baked baby red potatoes with onions below a mixture of egg whites, ham and bell peppers. This came with my choice of toast, which I tried to swap for fruit, but got denied, so a dry english muffin accompanied my eggy concoction.
All in all, it was pretty good for a dineresque meal. It wasn't too greasy, the ingredients seemed fresh enough and the potato mixture was tasty. And...I did get a shell in my mouth which says to me that they use real eggs as opposed to the kind that comes in the carton.
So all in all this place is A-OK. It would get to 4 stars w/ me if:
***they accomodated my swapping: I get this isn't as easy as my friend's request to swap a scoop of vanilla for a scoop of chocolate, but if I want fruit instead of toast, charge me a dollar extra so I can have what I want
***Premium ingredients: the ingredients are okay but if you had ingredients like sundried tomatoes or feta you'd rival Ruggies
One time after a friend of mine had a baby at a nearby hospital, her family and I retreated to Mel's after hours of waiting for her to pop that thing out.
I had one of the most amazing tuna melts I had ever had along with a delicious chocolate milkshake and a side salad with blue cheese dressing. And then I got one of the most violent cases of diarrhea I have ever had. It was the first time in my adult life that I ever felt that it might be okay to shit myself. At the time I lived in Dublin and the feeling of an on coming anal explosion hit me half way home from Walnut Creek to Dublin. I can happily inform you that I made it to the safety of my toilet in the privacy of my own home and my panties stayed smudge free.
TMI? Hah, good. Well, Mel's would have gotten 4 stars from me but the explosive diarrhea that left my anus burning for at least an hour brings them down to 3 stars. I now live in the city and probably walk by 3 Mel's restaurants a day. I want so badly to go in and eat a yummy tuna melt and sip on a creamy milk shake but my butthole's nightmarish flashbacks just won't let me.
Part of the dining experience, even if it is just a diner, is the service. My husband and I had a hankering for a piece of pie on the way home from a show tonight so we decided to stop at Mel's. When we got inside there were two tables - one with four people who had just finished eating and one with a single man. There were two servers and one other patron having coffee at the counter.
We sat down and waited for a server...and waited...and waited. Meanwhile the only two servers were polar opposites of each other. One server was working hard and the other was hardly working. Unfortunately we got the server who was hardly working. After waiting over 10 minutes and watching two parties get seated and orders being taken by the other server, I asked our server if we could order.
She was only dancing behind the counter and talking to a few girls who were previously sitting at the booth by us so I didn't think I was being rude to her. Apparently she wasn't happy with my question because she came to our table and said, "You have to be patient, there's only one of me" in a very snotty tone. We ordered our pie and the server left.
She went over and cut the pie and put it in the microwave. We went back to our conversation not realizing that we had started waiting...again. The pie sat in the microwave until the cook put it in the window. Then the other server saw it, put ice cream on it and ran it out to one of her tables. Meanwhile, our hostile server was making milk shakes for her friends who came in while we were waiting. She never even acknowledged us after our initial interaction.
After waiting a while longer and seeing new booths getting seated we decided to leave. So, be forewarned that late at night you should not sit in the section with the mean brunette server. You will leave with an empty stomach and not a morsel to review.
Was pulled in by the $5.99 NY Steak and Eggs banner. It was the smallest NY Steak I have seen in a long time-but wotta ya expect for $5.99. I ordered it rare, and it came out medium-not fatal, but this is a diner I guess, not Morton's.
The home-fries were off-tasting (old/re-used, freezer burned?) or perhaps the oil was rancid and needed to be changed. The biscuit was gummy. My Sunny Side up eggs were not fully cooked (raw albumin around the yolk) with no browned edges.
I was dining at the counter and the waitress was totally useless and ignored me. An older gentleman (maybe the actual owner) helped me after he saw me pleading for coffee-so he actually saved this review from a one-star. The hostess was nice, but the service from the responsible waitress was MIA.
I recall the food and service being better in the past, but it could be a figment of my imagination. I would have to be very hungry and lazy to eat at Mel's again any time soon.
Mel's is always a fun place to go. The turkey platter is YUM.
BAD - Parking is horrible. Don't try to cheat the paid parking lots, they have little parking trolls that check
Back again. Ready to eat!
Since today was a Friday and I was doing my version of Super Hero at work, I decided Eggs Benedict was a treat I'd enjoy. Makes me feel special! When I ordered it, I was asked if I wanted with ham, avocado, or a third option my brain neglected to remember. Really, it has to be Canadian bacon to be legit, but I went with the closest option, ham. It was ok for me. the ham was a slice light you'd get with your eggs and hashbrowns. It make the magical combo be off a notch or two. Mel's breakfast potatoes are pretty good and can be a nice change.
The food was 3.5 today. The service was really good today. 4.5.
I went back and had the #4 for breakfast. Everything was very good. The service was up to par as… Read more »
Written in the SF Chronicle on 8/28/09 -
http://www.sfgate.com/...
Earlier this week I received an email from Jared Rivera, a public relations rep for many popular restaurants, alerting me to his blog about Mel's offer to entice reviews on Yelp.
Rivera called the Mel's strategy a "virtual bribe," noting that the restaurant currently has a 2.5 (out of 5 star) rating. As you can see from the red box on the coupon pictured at left, the restaurant offered a 20 percent discount to those bringing in a review they've written about Mel's on Yelp.
In the comments section of Rivera's blog, three posters wrote they had no problem with the ethics of the discount because it doesn't specify that the review has to be good. However, I wonder how many people would have the nerve to bring in a bad review and ask for a discount.
Here is my two cents as the Yelper . .. I will never eat at Mels again because rather than impoving their food, they have asked people to give them unearend reviews. I don't think that is good PR, I think it is a death wish for a business.
You know what I love. A good old fashioned diner burger and fries. And this comes close. They have the decor to put you in the frame of mind- as chain as it is, and a darn tasty burger to boot. Yeah, I like this place.
BONUS: The kids meals come in a little cardboard car thing which Cinzia & Reno cling to for hours.
I've never quite figured out if the table-top juke box selector really works.
Parking = street, in a busy WC shopping area. Bring quarters.
Imagine this- it's a beautiful morning. You finally venture out, craving some sweet breakfast food, something French, perhaps.
You go to Crepes a Go Go, which has a sign saying they've moved. You then go to where they say they have moved to, and it doesn't really exist.
So you end up at Mel's. There are worse places to end up (like the gutter, in an ambulance, or in any number of ex-boyfriend's beds...) but Mel's isn't bad.
We got sat right away, and quickly got our diner coffee. I still wanted breakfast and threw eating healthy into the wind, so I got the strawberry french toast with a side of bacon. He got some pastrami sandwich thing with chili cheese fries...apparently neither of us got the caloric content memo.
The service was adequate, the food nothing special.
Why the 3 stars? Because I can't be blown away by this place...and when the check came, the pen didn't work to sign the credit card slip and it took us forever to get a new one.
Mel's was the last stop on my son's post-toe tour before we all headed home. So with the car safely parked at the Broadway Garage, and with cards (Target) and Teddy Bear (Build A Bear) in hand, we headed in for dinner.
First of all, the wait person was very nice to my son and you could tell she was comfortable around children. Her language was also sprinkled with words like "Sweetie", "Honey", etc. It was either that or the lemonade refills and the huge bacon cheeseburger that kept him engaged and happy.
I also liked the diner motif, even though I thought that the seating was a bit on the tight side. Maybe I'm wider than someone I know?
I opted for a burger with blue cheese. The burger (especially the bread) was very good, as were the fries. Gayle had an equally tasty French Dip and a salad. It was a good meal and a fitting coda to our early evening in Walnut Creek.
Decent food. Good service. Good price.
I cannot believe I just paid $9 for a pile of leaves. Literally.
Alrighty. I go here a lot. Its easy dining. You can sit wherever you want, there is always seating… Read more »
went here this past sunday.
got to be honest, but was super excited to eat at a diner. seems like there's less and less American diners these days, particularly in California.
place gets 5 stars for the ambiance and feel of a classic American diner. i ordered the chicken fried steak (breakfast platter) that came with eggs and delicious potatoes. the potatoes were simply done with onions, bacon, salt and pepper but were crispy and very tasty. also got biscuits and gravy with the dish, which were moist and delicious. the chicken friend steak itself was underseasoned. but again a fun great place to eat!
Seriously fantastic diner food. Yeah, it's not gourmet, but it's better than 90% of the diners out there. I've always had good service, they're open late (although it seems the hours are always changing), and I know I'm not the only one with a constant craving for their grilled cheese. I don't recommend getting the chocolate shake (too syrupy for my taste) but all the other shakes are yummy. The chicken strips are really good and the sausage sandwich is kinda awesome even without cheese on it.
I basically come here when I want a dairy overload but even if I'm not in the mood for a tummy ache I can always find something to tickle my taste buds. Yay for Mel's!
I have to give this place a decent review. Living right upstairs from it for a year made me have some sort of special affinity to it.
While I could smell the french fry grease from my bedroom window (ick), I still can't help but dig on fried foods.
Kinda lame it's not 24 hours a day all week long (only on the weekends!), but if it was, then there would have been more foot traffic right outside my building in the middle of the night all week long. So it worked out.
Bomb milkshakes, get it malted!
My hubby and I went here to grab some breakfast, and had nice, if very standard fare to start our day with.
The place looked clean to me, so I was comfortable right away. There were no sticky jam prints on the table, or crumbs on the seat. The hostess was a friendly young lady, and our waitress was nice, also.
Coffee was decent, actually, strong enough for me. Water glasses were large. I ordered the corned beef hash & scrambled eggs, which comes with toast and a side of fresh fruit. The fruit was sweet and delicious... even the pineapple was fresh and not out of a can! It was yummy! The corned beef hash wasn't at all what I expected. It's real corned beef, chipped up and fried with bell peppers. I'm used to it only with onions and potatoes. Bell peppers don't agree with me, plus I don't like the flavor. So I picked around them on my plate. The hashed browns were pretty good, but they had a pile of raw green onions on top, which I also don't like. I only like green onions cooked. I know, I'm weird. But I don't like raw onion breath! We were going to Tiffany's afterwards!!
My husband got the eggs benedict with sausage patty in lieu of the Canadian bacon. He liked it and ate it all, plus finished my toast. He's pretty easy, though, most of the time. He's a real stickler when it comes to biscuits & gravy! (Didn't try theirs this time.)
All in all we've had better food for less money at many other places. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't that great.
Great for a late (or early) breakfast after a long night of drinking.
Good home-cooked meals. I LOVE their turkey dish - it's Thanksgiving any time of the year! I also hear their meatloaf is good. Refills are always quick, and free. Milkshakes are creamy and delicious.
While it often looks busy, I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table. I also like that they welcome dogs in their outdoor eating area.
Sometimes the service is slow, but I'm usually in a "causal mood" when dining there and don't mind.
Excellent place to eat after too much alcohol consumption. Fun crowd too.
Om nom nom nom.
I'd noticed that over the years I've been avoiding Mel's because it seemed to be getting dirtier and dirtier. Well, I recently found out that the place changed hands and that the new owner (the same guy who owns Hubcap's - another diner down the block) had cleaned the place up. I came here for lunch with my coworkers and the owner happened to be in and when I mentioned how much cleaner the place looked he said how he had spent a bunch of money (I won't divulge the amount here, but think 5 figures) to clean the place up and replace some of the equipment. I'm happy to say that this is now a nice clean diner.
Even though it looks like it's been here for ages, this location has only been open since the late 90's and the older Mel's drive-in from the 50's closed in the 60's and was ultimately replaced by a Sizzler which in turn was replaced by a Fuddruckers (up on Main across from Target). So the 50's-diner look is really just a faux 50's-diner look, but that's ok, and to be honest this is one of the few places where I won't bitch about the fakeness because Mel's has always been this way, even if not at this location.
So how's the food? Good, honest, and probably unhealthy American diner food. They have a good selection of hamburgers and hot sandwiches plus a limited menu of "blue plate specials" such as meatloaf and the like. The food is good but a little bit pricey and nothing spectacular.
I am not what you'd call one of those anti-chain-restaurant food snobs.
Indeed, the paparazzi have snapped me ducking into a Fuddrucker's, Outback Steakhouse and even Rain Forest Cafe on more than one occasion.
So it is without shame that I recommend Mel's Diner in Walnut Creek. On a recent Saturday, my two-year-old and I had a delightful al fresco luncheon that included a bowl of chili, cornbread, iced tea, and a kiddie hot dog and fries served in an adorable little green Edsel made entirely out of cardboard.
For kids, this place is PERFECT!
Oh and by the way Mel's is on the free trolley line if you are inclined to take the grand tour of downtown Walnut Creek.
Ahhh.. the primary haunt of my high school years. I could tell you all kinds of stories about the adventures my friends and I had in, around, and involving this landmark Walnut Creek eatery (OK, landmark? Maybe not, but cut me some slack. I'm getting nostalgic).
Although the prices have slowly climbed over the years, the food is still greasy and good. I would recommend the grilled cheese. Under 6 bucks and you get a great sandwich on sourdough with, count em, three kinds of cheese. Pair that with a chocolate milkshake and I'm in heaven. Burgers are great as well-- try the big bopper-- and you'll have a hard time moving afterward.
One tip-- Make sure to check the parking lot directly behind Mel's on Cypress. While all the signs say its parking for employees and residents only, I've never seen a tow truck get called back there.
Only been here twice and I dont think ill ever come back. The place is pretty chill same as you would expect it in any other Mel's dine in.
Love this place. Blue chz burger and curley fries are reallyyyyyyyy good. Nice fun musice. Overall great food, good prices. Staff is very nice and attentive. check out the dessert menu. will be back.
I love going here for lunch. I love their new bleu burger. All the waitresses are really nice and sweet. They will also help you find a easy place to seat if you have a stroller with you
Mel's never disappoints. Late-night Saturday or brunch on Sundays - Mel's doesn't miss on the basic munchie/hangover/carb-binge necessities. Their egg's benedict is fantastic, not gourmet, mind you, but it comes with TON of potatoes and I can never finish it all. I don't care for the malts here as much as Hubcabs, but that's probably more a matter of taste (I think one uses powdered malt and one uses a liquid mixture so the consistency is different). The seating, small though it may be, always seems to magically make room for one more group - probably due to the waitstaff haulin' ass and being on their game. The American Graffiti memorabilia is fun to look at (anyone remember Ron Howard looking so YOUNG?) and props for having table jukeboxes!
What a cute little Mel's this is. I mean compared to the ones located in the mean streets of S.F., haha...like Mission St. and Van Ness.
Thank God there was something to eat late at night, after having gone to a couple of bars. Food is consistent in every Mel's, mediocre. But I still love the fact that you can get a banana split and a burger past midnight, and it always does the trick.
Oh, and I love their mashed potatoes...taste like they came right out of the box!
Open late.
Their Zesty Chicken Wings do have zest.
Service was fast and courteous.
Finally a place that serves pancakes! Actually they call them hotcakes here. And they're good! I got the strawberry kind. I thought they would be mixed into the batter but instead Mel's Diner drizzles strawberry puree with chunks of strawberries (obviously not fresh but still delightful) over the hotcakes. I got three cups of hot syrup and a scoop of butter to go along with it. And definitely go for the whip cream on your hotcakes. It adds an extra dimension (some call it extra fat and calories I call it more flavor).
The breakfast menu is kinda limited but they do have the main staples and by main staples I mean eggs, eggs, and more eggs. Omelettes, scrambled, sunnyside up, the choice is yours. For the non egg lovers like me there's not much to choose from but I will vouch for the hotcakes that they are really good. There are no breakfast sides on the menu but the waitress said I can have anything I wanted so I got two slices of bacon (no PETA "Go Vegetarian" dvd will ever divert me from getting my meat on). I also cleaned up the breakfast potatoes my friend wouldn't touch. Oh my god, the breakfast potatoes here are soooooooo good. They've got season salt, garlic, and green onions on them. The burnt parts were the tastiest. Also the potatoes were cubed and pretty soft. It was really tasty.
Mel's is a great place to relax on a Sunday morning. They've got outdoor seating and its a dog friendly place. It's kitchy with the whole blast from the past diner thing and the service here is really great (smiles and all). If you're a regular, they already know what you want. It's fast too. We were in and out of here in less than an hour.
I go here when I'm in town. The standard Mel's makes good and filling food at pretty good prices. Where this one fails is the attitude I have to deal with. More so than other Mel's I go to. Also, seating is very limited and parking is limited to street parking which adds to the difficulty.
Ride a motorcycle to Mels!
I love breakfast. Why? Cause you never know what you're going to get for lunch or dinner!
As a breakfast place, I was pretty pleased with Mel's. The wait staff were attentive and friendly.
Their breakfast prices were a little on the high side, but I'm starting to realize that's par for the course here on the West Coast. They have a daily rotating breakfast special as well as a $4.99 steak and eggs special every day. For the kids, there are three kids' breakfast specials to choose from for around $3.99.
So how was the food? Pretty typical diner fare, as expected. The eggs were a little heavy (do they cook them in butter?) Steak came perfectly well done as requested, but was a little fatty.
Orange juice could have been better, as it was a little watery.
The coffee was better than expected.
Better than the SF version -- but that could be because we have an owner of this local eatery that actually gives a *bleep* about their customers.
Love the .25 players on the table -- great to drop in on a rainy day -- and the staff seem be genuinely interested in making decent tips -- so they try a little harder than some of the other places.
Bonus: this location on Main Street has a little patio area that is great in the summer months.
I pretty much dislike Mels.
I've ordered biscuits and gravy only to be served some sort of cheese dish and upon complaint I was told yes...it was gravy (Ummm no). The menu's are falling apart and my silverware on the last visit was dirty/dusty on the napkin from being dropped on the floor. Ick.
The help is usually pretty good, but the food is often times really bad.
Have no where to go downtown?
I'd say make a stop at Original Mel's and grab a simple bite to eat.
Chili Fries with onions and extra cheese, dip in ketchup/tabasco and your stomach will be asking for more.
Malt shakes are recommended if you aren't concerned about your caloric intake. Every girl or guy needs to indulge sometimes =]
I don't know why the hell I still keep coming here. I always only order the same thing which is the patty melt (hold the tomatoes) with fries. It's not even that good, greasy as heck, and for $7 I've had better.
I'm not much of a breakfast person so I've never really had their breakfast here but my sister ordered the waffles and it was hard and not that great. My boyfriend had the steak and eggs and it was just measly. I guess we go here because we can walk here from my apartment if we're craving late night food but on the weekends it's only open until 3am when it used to be open 24 hours.
****
I do have to say that their cornbread with lightly salted butter is quite yummy if they warm it up right.
The stay open late which is always a good thing. This location is pretty small but they serve you pretty fast to keep you coming and going at a fast rate. This is definitely a good place to go if you've had a lot to drink. The prices are pretty reasonable too. Oh and they serve breakfast all day long which makes me happy because sometimes eating breakfast at a late hour is better than eating one in the morning.
I've eaten at Mel's a few times, and it's always awesome! I usually just get the Melburger with cheese. It always hits the spot. Their milkshakes are also pretty much the best thing ever. OK, maybe not, but pretty damn close. The servers are always really nice, and it just feels like one of those dive places that I always love.
Without going into detail, I spent most of my morning seeing doctors and having blood drawn. Told not to eat until everything was done aka fasting like Ghandi for two days!! I was starving and made a beeline to Mels for a real breakfast. Sitting in the back with my book for a couple of minutes before the waitress came over, I relaxed and considered my choices. There are so many! I ordered 2 eggs, sausage, rye toast, potatos with no onions and lots and lots of coffee. Before I could finish 5 pages of my book (and I am a fast reader), the server came with my breakfast. The eggs were scrambled just the way I like them, not wet, not dry. The sausage patty was hot and the toast was perfect. 40 minutes later, I was very full and satisfied. A generous tip and breakfast was 15 bucks. Some would say it was a little steep, but, the service, the quality of food and having a booth to myself to relax made it all worth it.
I always come here a few times a month with my wife an daughter. We love this place. They have great apple pie! The only downside was when I said no onions on my potatoes and they brought be onions. I can live with that. They have great customer service and great food.
Good place for burgers, patty melts, breakfast, and quick service.
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: American (Traditional)
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: American (Traditional)
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: Fast Food
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: American (Traditional)
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: Barbeque
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