Lillian W.
Yelp
Updating my review. Apparently it's been over 7 years since my last review. I've been dining here plenty of times since then. Not sure what's the story on why Faye's name is no longer on the building's signage. But the food and service is the same. Yummy American diner fare served up by a welcoming well synched wait team in Jackson, CA.
The dining room gets loud and crowded at peak time. And it's not particularly large. There are booths along the walls and the rest are tables in the center. The neighboring tables were in arms reach of each other. Hubs and I sat at a table at the end, so wait staff and customers buzzed to the right and left of us. Distracting for sure. Hubs hated that. I didn't mind it as much as him, but that's only because I was focused on my meal. Zoning out the world as I ate. So we vowed not to dine there being peak times and avoid that table.
My favorite menu items are the fried chicken, hamburgers, Chef salad, and the prime rib. The fried chicken plate is 4 pieces of fried chicken with cole slaw, fries, and Texas toast $17.50. The chicken is fried to a crisp crunch exterior, moist interior. Delicious. The Texas toast is buttery divine. They have a pretty large burger selection. Classic diner burgers and fries done right. You can substitute other sides for the fries. The coleslaw and potato salad do not particularly wow me though.
Now let's talk about the prime rib. $36.95. It's only served on Friday and Saturday after 4 pm. It's not the best ever prime rib but way better than several of the steakhouses in El Dorado Hills. It's served with a salad, baked potato, vegetables, and a roll. The salad was served chilled cold, the bowl and contents. Great on a hot day. The roll I got on my last recent visit was a pretzel roll. Mmm. The prime rib was a nice substantial size. They seasoned the sides giving it a crust. Flavorful. The meat was tender. But unlikely to be a prime cut so probably a choice or select. Nothing wrong with that especially if it's cooked right which they do. It was served with au jus, horseradish and sour cream. The au jus was flavorful. The side of veggies reminded me of the frozen medley mix, not fresh. But did I mention it's a diner.
Another tidbit was that they have Tesla chargers in the parking lot.
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In the rural foothills town of Jackson, CA, is a local family owned restaurant... Mel & Faye's Diner. It is right on Highway 88.
They have been a mainstay of the community for quite a long time. But lets be real, So overup front is a walk up ice cream counter window with an outdoor seating area. Inside is the main restaurant dining room. So this place does serve an eclectic bunch of patrons.