Mel's Drive-In

Solid food. The experience starts on a positive with free parking available so you have options. We were seated immediately upon entering and found the service to be very good. As you can imagine, the setting is very casual, with a 50s / 60s feel to it. The menu is fairly wide for American diner tastes. The drinks and sandwiches are all good and filling. And for what you get, the prices are reasonable. Our meals included Mel’s French dip with fries, a patty melt with fries, a Melburger with potato salad, a smash burger with onion rings, a turkey burger with fries, and a Route 66 burger. We all left stuffed.

I liked that we were quickly seated, our order was taken within 10 mins of being seated. The food did take a little while to come out. I think I had my expectations a bit high based on the reviews because I was disappointed. The pancakes weren’t all that. I’ve definitely had better at other places. We ordered a bagel with cream cheese and the cream had mold in it… the waiter changed it for a new one, but did leave me thinking how disgusting it would had been to have eaten it without seeing it.

Service was exceptionally friendly, even for 10pm at night (they’re open until 11, which makes it one of the few places in SF to get table service after 9pm on a weekday). The diner has a classic 1950’s feel, and every part is committed to the bit (but in a way that makes it charming, not tacky). The burgers were good, albeit verrrry greasy (remember the “committed-to-the-bit” above? That includes the greasy spoon). The fries were very plentiful, but they lost their appeal with their heat. Best to eat them quickly! Is this a show-stopping restaurant? Perhaps not, but it’s got all the right parts for a family dinner out or a late night made-to-order burger.

amazing place to it breakfast//brunch//lunch//dinner! the place makes you feel like you went back in the 60s love it!! we had the bluffing vegan milkshake which was really delicious and light, we also had the original burger which was really tasty and we had the apple pie which was divine, and all of this at a very good price! we’ll sure be back there!

Worst service and food we have ever experienced in San Francisco. We got our toast after we finished our food. Everything was burnt, and over cooked. The avocado was not ripe, and the cottage cheese was sour.

We went here for late night eats after a show. It's perfect for that experience. Free parking in the lot outside (a rarity in SF). Clean environment. Comfortable booths. Fun old-fashioned quarter jukeboxes at the table. Gracious customer service. A big menu with a lot of options - the kind of food you'd expect at a diner including breakfast all day. The food was a bit on the expensive side - $20 for a burger - and some dishes were good while others were meh. The milkshakes were good and you get the generous extra serving left in the metal cup. It's an old-fashioned diner experience. Good for families and late night eats.

I loved the classic feel of the dinner. We got there around 530 on a Monday holiday and there were only a couple people there. So we got a seat really quick. They also have outside dining if preferred. It has its own small parking lot which is great for San Francisco. The server did a great job and the food was awesome. We were sceptical when reading the reviews, but we went anyway and did not regret it. I got the hot turkey sandwich and my wife got the BLT. I loved the mashed potatoes with the chunky bits of potato in them. The gravy was groovy and the veggies on the side were fantastic. A plate I would get again. My wife's BLT had a lot of bacon and avocado. Her French fries were crisp and had a great crunch to them. Again, a great place to eat when sight seeing.

Wonderful! The food reminded me of my native Ukrainian cuisine: stew, fried meat, mashed potatoes! This is how I cook myself. It would also be divine to make the vegetables pickled! Very cozy atmosphere, clean, quiet, staff in good uniform. The waiter is very charming. Everything is exactly like in American cinema. I recommend.

Service was exceptionally friendly, even for 10pm at night (they're open until 11, which makes it one of the few places in SF to get table service after 9pm on a weekday). The diner has a classic 1950's feel, and every part is committed to the bit (but in a way that makes it charming, not tacky). The burgers were good, albeit verrrry greasy (remember the "committed-to-the-bit" above? That includes the greasy spoon). The fries were very plentiful, but they lost their appeal with their heat. Best to eat them quickly! Is this a show-stopping restaurant? Perhaps not, but it's got all the right parts for a family dinner out or a late night made-to-order burger.

What can I say? Mel's Diner is an old standby for late nights in San Francisco. We should all be familiar with Mel's by now--an old-timey diner with an extensive menu of breakfast options and burgers. This location was clutch after a weekend at Outside Lands. The restaurant was clean, and the staff was friendly. Even though it was late at night and somewhat busy, we still got our food quickly. Everything was delicious. I had the classic burger with a cup of chili, and I couldn't resist getting a milkshake, enjoying the ice cream straight out of the cold tin cup. This place delivered solid eats late at night in a clean environment with friendly service. Thanks, Mel's! Oh and check in on Yelp! for a milkshake coupon!

Old school vibey diner. Open until midnight, I ordered the Smashburger and my friend ordered The Famous Melburger. We got an oreo milkshake to share together. It's what you'd expect from a diner burger, very delicious, flavorful and juicy and the cheese is melted to perfection. The fries are good too! They give you mustard on the side. The milkshakes here are SO GOOD. Classic made with real ice cream, thick, with real oreo chunks blended inside!! I have to agree from the menu, they definitely have the best milkshakes "in town". They ended up giving us the cup they blended the milkshake in, so we got extra for free. So good. On the pricier side but worth it for the experience and tasty food. Will be returning.

We have gone to Mel's a number of times, including this week, and it is always excellent. The servers are so helpful and professional and the food is great. We always get the Reuben sandwich with coleslaw, and a side of onion rings. This time we also tried Short Rib Nachos They were delicious! Mel's is a wonderful diner, and we are so lucky to have it. Highly recommended!

I didn't realize this place was so expensive. I don't know if they raised the prices, but I swear it's more expensive than the last time I've been. And I've been quite a few times. That being said, the food was nothing crazy. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't mind blowing or honestly worth the price tag. I got the huevos rancheros with a side of fruit, and it was pretty underwhelming. I asked for soft poached eggs and they just gave me completely hard boiled eggs. The fruit was cold and sweet, so I did enjoy that. My boyfriend got a burger with a side salad. The salad was pretty basic, and the burger had an oddly excessive amount of lettuce. I didn't try either, but he seemed to enjoy it a reasonable amount. Mel's is a classic spot for a cute diner vibe, but the prices really got me. I'm not sure if I'll be back, there's definitely cheaper diners in the city with better food.

Your classic diner spot. The decor and seating inside make you feel like you've time traveled, I love it! They have thin fries and milkshakes, perfect for a late night snack. The music players on the bar counter don't work don't let it eat your quarter.

I had another one of my cravings for chicken and waffles. I had been to the other Mel's down the way and enjoyed it so I figured I'd try the other location. THIS location is the one with all the cars that park along side it, whereas the first has a square lot with a guard. The presentation was fine but the chicken was lacking meat, I.e., a whole lot of bread crust but not much chicken. Remember, the waffle will have bacon and cheddar inside of it. For $18.70 I can't really get behind this chicken and waffles here. If there were more meat on the bones. I'll have to try the other location again to see if that's consistent. $28.40 for chicken and waffles and an OK ($6). I'd pass if you're not just quickly stopping thru. But the local fkn here is clean, the staff was friendly, and I just can't get enough of the classic diner feel.

Solid food. The experience starts on a positive with free parking available so you have options. We were seated immediately upon entering and found the service to be very good. As you can imagine, the setting is very casual, with a 50s / 60s feel to it. The menu is fairly wide for American diner tastes. The drinks and sandwiches are all good and filling. And for what you get, the prices are reasonable. Our meals included Mel's French dip with fries, a patty melt with fries, a Melburger with potato salad, a smash burger with onion rings, a turkey burger with fries, and a Route 66 burger. We all left stuffed.

Ordered from here many times usually they give me my food in a to-go box with ketchup and other sauces and a fork. Went in today, the person behind the register was super rude, gave me my food in a brown bag. And when I came back and asked for a Togo box he dumped my food and gave me attitude for no reason. NEVER COMING BACK EVER AGAIN!!

Got to use our promo for checking in last time and got $3.99 taken off. We were able to come here on a weekday and ordered our shakes at the counter with the host.

The prices here are crazy, and the food isn't very good. $30 for fries and a shake--might as well be going to a 5 star restaurant at that point. 0 stars

A whole American diner experience! As someone who had only watched American diners on TV and never had the experience, it was super fun to go here. I was too taken by the entire experience! I got the strawberry milkshake, buttermilk pancakes, and the orange mimosa. The milkshake was definitely the best I've ever had - it was light, frothy, creamy, and so so good. The buttermilk pancakes came in a huge stack and were very difficult to finish! They were light and sweet. The mimosa, however, was a miss. It lacked flavour and definitely didn't compare to the milkshake at all. The service was quick, and we sat at the counter for the full experience. Watched fresh coffee being brewed and the smell wafting through the diner. There are little jukeboxes everywhere for you to request a song of your choice and vibe with. A very quintessential American diner experience but definitely very pricey. For something as basic as buttermilk pancakes and milkshake, it was overpriced. Would go back for the food/milkshake but only if I'm willing to overspend.

Overpriced and the quality of food has gone down. I ordered a Cobb salad and it was almost $20. I thought it would be a good size salad for that price but in fact it was lacking in flavor and ingredients. I've had better salads for a lot cheaper I was just pressed for time and limited choices around me.

This place is exactly what you'd expect. I had the Reuben and a banana milkshake and they both hit the spot 10/10. The service was kinda slow considering the restaurant wasn't very busy but not terrible. The ambiance was the spitting image of that diner you're imagining, though the bathroom needed to be cleaned and the urinal was missing a privacy partition - you could see where the partition used to be because there were screw holes in the wall. I think it got ripped out. Tbh I would willingly go back for a milkshake, and I would recommend my friends to go too.

You are never too old to enjoy a milkshake. Sometimes you want to sit at the counter and enjoy the drive in ambiance of MELS .... It kind of takes you back the American Graffiti or Happy Days with the Cunninghams. Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah.

Very disappointed with most recent experience. The place is filthy- and obviously so. One thing that always impressed me at Mel's was the cleanliness. It kind of went hand in hand with the 50s/60s nostalgia. That's all gone now. Even the menus had grease and build up on them. The mini jukebox was filthy. The place looked beat up and tired. It really bugged me because we have so many memories of going there since i was small - and bring my kids there with their friends, etc. And while there are friendly servers on staff, in general the people working there seemed to not give a Sh**. Lethargic and complacent - I bet no one does anything extra and I bet that comes from the managers too. I think a little extra elbow grease for several weeks and the whole place could be cleaned up and the shop righted. But I'm betting it won't happen. The food was ok - not special but portions were large and the taste was good - though the hasbrowns were half assed and mostly over done poorly. Lots of offers for coffee refills - 2 of 3 servers were friendly. I hope they can up their game because it's no longer an option for us until I hear they have cleaned up.

Food : 7.0/10 Service : 8.5/10 Ambiance: 8.5/10 Price for what you get : 6.5/10 It's fine. I did get a spagetti one time where it's one half warm and one half cold. But in general, it's fine.

Saw the chilaquiles on the menu so I had to try it. It wasn't bad, but definitely didn't hit the "chilaquiles" mark. The fried chicken and waffle had all dark meat, so it wasn't ideal for us. The restaurant was nice & staff was amazing! I'd be back but old for normal diner items.

Came here for lunch, super cute and definitely gives old-school vibes. The staff are absolutely adorable, so sweet. I ordered the caesar salad, was so delicious and perfectly dressed. The crouton was crunchy and light, a good crunch with the salad. Also ordered the french toast, and it came with sausage, bacon and eggs. The french toast was fluffy and the maple syrup was warm. The last thing I ordered was sweet potato fries, definitely a good choice but I would say it's a bit costly for what it is. Overall a great experience!

Just went to Mel's Drive-In a few minutes ago and wanted to redeem the birthday reward in the Mel's Drove in App. The manager in blue asked me to click the button that says redeem and I did and it had a bar code to redeem for a reward. Then he said he can't scan it. And said he didn't know what the birthday reward was for. So I googled it up and it was supposed to be for a key like pie. When when I showed him, he said I have to have so much points in the app to get that (not sure why he would say that as it's a free birthday reward on my birthday). So I said read the bottom where it says free on your birthday. And then he goes and say "we don't have key like pie so I can't give it to you". He didn't even offer up somehting else for the birthday reward. So ice cream, no pie. What's the point of having this Mel's Deive in app, that's making me order more food to get points. And when I want to redeem a free birthday reward, the manager refuses to give me anything. I'm deleting the mela drive in app and not going to eat at Mel's Drove in again. This is absolutely redicilous.

It was late and we didn't have very many options, since most of the other restaurants were closed at 9pm. We stopped in here for a late dinner. The restaurant was a little busy. There were quite a few people seated. They seated us right away. I didn't feel like having the dinner items on the menu. I opted for some breakfast. I ordered an omelette with some hashbrowns and sourdough toast. My husband ordered some French toast. My breakfast was pretty good this time. The time I was here before, the food was bad, did not eat much of it. The food was actually edible time around, but greasy. You can actually see the puddle of oil on my dish. LOL. The service was mediocre. You can't expect much from a change diner. He took our order, but disappeared for the rest of the time we were there. This place is a hit or miss. Food was bad the previous time of visit and this time it was pretty good. It's opened late night so not very many options when you're visiting out of town.

Go here with little brother when ever he visits he loves Mel's drive so I take him to this one because it's closest to my spot. The food is good and service is great. They keep the place clean and there is always parking.

This is my go to place when everything else is closed hahah. There were quite a few people here tonight but still room for more. We sat in the back. they still have partitions up for COVID if you are worried. I guess it could keep your distance even more from the crazy night people haha. I got the french toast and it was good. It only had one egg? I was hoping for two but oh well. When you are hungry it doesn't matter. My wife got an omelet but it was hella greasy. She only ate 3/4 of it. The hash browns were on point. This place always works out when I need it so no worries. Service is not that bad either.

It's been years since I've come to Mel's. Use to come to this specific location at least once a week for my lunch when I use to work in the area. The tuna melt is just as delicious as I remembered! Amazing service, fresh hot food, thick sweet milkshakes and a comfortable setting. Love this place.

Service is cool, good atmosphere. Prices are a joke. I can get two coneys, fries and a pop for $11 in Michigan. They're charging $17.5 for a coney.

Went for lunch and was not greeting at door. So I just looked at cook and said can I just take any seat and he said YES. I took a seat and about 5 mins later was asked what I wanted to order. Ordered a BLT with fries that was delivered from a different waiter. There were not a lot people in the restaurant so I don't know why I received poor service. I was never asked if my meal was fine or if wanted more to drink. This was the worst BLT I have eaten. There are a lot of better restaurant in the area. Pass on Mel's

All the food at this restaurant is horrible including this chicken. I also purchased some soup there it was watery and nasty chicken noodle soup. Then I also ordered a chicken pot pie. That wasn't even good so I don't recommend this restaurant to no one. All the food is nasty. I looked at reviews. They even said the pancakes taste like rubber, but it's up to you. Just don't say that I didn't warn you is not because I'm just trying to give a bad review about this restaurant. It really is horrible.

I loooooved the strawberry lemonade The food was fire I got a tuna melt with curly fries, i do wish i would've taken a photo before my f**a** devoured it.

Forgot how yummy their milkshakes were. We ordered the strawberry milkshake and Oreo milkshake with our cheeseburgers. We came for their 75th anniversary after work. There was an amazing deal going on. 75% off burgers and their egg and bacon, potato option. It was busy during dinner time and about an hour wait. So my bf and I decided to order to go. A much better option. By the time our to-go was ready our name was called. The burger itself was yummy. Bun perfectly soft and held the burger together. The cheese burger came with lettuce, tomato, pickles and red onion. All in all a great burger.

The quality of the service is decent at best and the prices are insane! The food is okay. This establishment has gone down the hole

it's definitely the diner experience. We got a vegan milkshake + cookies & cream, and regular / sweet potato fries. The food was okay. The milkshakes were 2.5/5. It's gotten pricy over the years and even with a groupon, I don't believe it's worth coming back. Staff was friendly.

Such cute retro diner vibes! I love a good Americana moment. The food took a while to all come out, but it was soul-satisfying (comfort food was especially needed after watching the horror movie Smile), especially the onion rings. Hack: if you're looking at the famous Melburger, just get the $12.99 special burger combo instead - it's the same (my friend got the former and I the latter and we compared)!

Fun spot. Lots to enjoy with kids and family. Great milkshakes, delicious breakfast and lunches.

If you like just plain boring diner food then this is the place for you. Had to try a not so generous bowl of "Deddie's Homemade Texas CHILI," i.e. "Mel's Family Recipe." What a joke. The ground beef was totally WRETCHED, cooked to DEATH, crumbling and tastless. At the get-go I asked for extra cheese and onions but only received measly amounts of both. Even the saltines from a sealed pouch were soggie. DDD has never done an episode at Mel's nor will they ever. This place is ALL SHOW and NO GO. I always say if you want to get a good feel for a diner's food then try the CHILI. No CHILI, then don't eat there. Read and heed all the other one star reviews, there are too many and they are all quite negative. While I was waiting, one guy at the counter up and left after just two bites of a perfectly good looking Denver omlette meal. I could tell he was not happy. Thought he might have gone to the restroom, but no he was gone. Such a waste of good food. People are starving everywhere, it's criminal. The CHILI I was served was likely a cheap generic from a can. You can't make CHILI this bad even if you try, I mean c'mon it's just CHILI, how difficult can it be to make, and make right. Unfortunately I realize time is $ and it seems no one wants to spend the time or the $ anymore in order to minimze their costs. Unfortunately SF food has been and still is in a slow death spiral because of, rising costs of ingredients, labor, rent and other. So many fine SF eateries are going or have gone under as a result, VERY SAD!

Soggy fries. Filling burgers that have that mystery meat taste. Top-tier milkshakes, nonetheless. Jukeboxes only play music in the restaurant speakers, not the jukeboxes themselves...

They never miss! Burgers are a 10/10 you can't compare to any fast food joints for sure! They have the best onion rings too, they are actually out of it a lot so consider yore lucky if it's available lol The staff there has always been nice & attentive! However SUNNY is my favorite! He makes us feel so welcomed and at home when dining at this Geary location!

Visiting the kid, who is in college nearby, so we met up with the kid's roommate's parents. They suggested Mel's Drive-In and it was easy to get to from where we were staying. Incidentally, Mel's Kitchen is attached to our hotel and is owned by the same people. See my review of Mel's Kitchen, as we have eaten there several times and have loved it. On to breakfast at Mel's Drive-In. We showed up around 10am on a Sunday and I did expect a larger crowd but we were shown to a table of 6 very quickly. Once all seated, the restaurant got busier and busier while we were eating. Immediately the wife ordered hot, black coffee and the bottomless mimosa for $5. How could you not. Well, I could not since I don't like orange juice or champagne. I ordered my version of coffee = diet cola. After some mulling around the menu and having a good time chatting with the roommate's parents, we ordered breakfast. There were a lot of choices and I sometimes get into a panic, as so many of them sound good. I panic because everyone else seems to make up their minds so quickly. Get hold of yourself, man! OK, panic over and I ordered the Elvis Scramble. (but did I really want the homemade corned beef hash or the two eggs over easy with ham??? Yikes!). The wife and the kid ordered french toast combos. My choice was a good one. I really enjoyed the Elvis Scramble and the chorizo was really great. I would recommend to anyone. In hindsight, I would add jalapenos to the scramble for a bit of extra kick. Also in hindsight, I would not have ordered the rye toast, I would have ordered corn tortillas. My wife was surprised that I had not ordered the tortillas and she was right as I was a dummy for not doing that. Funny thing was that in many of the reviews they spoke about enormous portions, and my portion was a good one, but not enormous. I kinda laughed when the server set it down since the plate was much smaller than I had envisioned. I am not complaining at all, it was plenty of food, but the expectation based on reviews was there. The wife and the kid liked their stuff and we walked away with full stomachs after some great food. The server (I always kick myself when I forget names especially if good) was very friendly and attentive. No order mistakes and he kept the wife's mimosa full to the brim. Almost had to wheel her back to the hotel. Just kidding! Menu pictures attached, but I failed to do the very simple Yelp review task of taking pictures of the food. Oh, well. Go and see the food for yourself! Go. Eat Well. Have Fun!

The smash burger fries soda combo is such a huge DEAL! Currently it's $13.25 We ordered two. One of them we opted with fries and the other with a side salad. And for the drink, I got the iced tea no sugar, and my Hb didn't want any sodas, so he just drank water. It's okay, we don't mind paying, the deal is still excellent value. Taste: Freshly made, hot, and scrumptious. The smash burgers comes with cheese, double smashed patties, and with a slight char. So, so, so, so good! Highly recommend. Great friendly service from everyone. Has outdoor seating also, and pet friendly. Total for 2 smash burger combo deals + local fees + tax + 20%tips =$35.67

Ordered the Elvis scrabble. Suppose to be 3 large eggs seems more like 2 with has brown and toast on the side and price was $20 total. That's at least minimum 50% profit plus gave 15% tip. Restaurant getting too greedy these days. Services wasn't even good. Took over 10 minute just to come to table and water never got refilled. Won't be coming back

Ordered the smash burger (comes with fries and a drink-I chose Root Beer). My bf ordered the Sunset burger with twisty fries and an Orange Freeze (wasn't on the menu). The smash burger was good, it reminded me of a smaller Big Mac (no bun in the middle). The patties were juicy and the fries were crisp. My bf enjoyed his burger. The twisty fries were crisp and nicely seasoned. The Orange Freeze tasted like an orange creamsicle. You are given the extra of the milkshake so it is the equivalent to 2 drinks!

I love Mel's! And so does my family. They have great breakfasts, but this is about the dinner we had tonight. First, this place is so nostalgic, & cute. Very comfortable sitting, & relaxing. Tonight I had the short ribs dinner with mashed potatoes & gravy. The vegetables were freshly cooked & not frozen. But, the ribs, gravy, & potatoes were so delicious. Next time I'm going to get the short rib sandwich. Someone near us got that & it looked really good. My hubby got the Turkey dinner with all the fixings. And a strawberry shake. I had a vanilla shake. Their shakes are amazing. Anyway, my hubby loved his dinner. Said everything really hit the spot & was delicious. All their food is so good. And their hamburgers , fries, onion rings etc... are on point. The guy waiting on us was really nice & very attentive. Just a great place to get delicious food, & just relax.

Nostalgia at its finest. I remember the long ago days in my much younger years when Mel's was the late night place to be. We were recently in the area and decided to take the kids to experience a place we used to hangout as teens. Mel's looked just as I remembered, booth seating with jukeboxes at some of the tables. The decor and furniture are probably older than me! Service was good. Food was average. I wanted the experience of eating what I loved at Mel's so asked for an order of wet fries (fries with gravy). It is no longer on the menu, but you can still order it. This is not a place I'll frequent anymore but it is definitely a nice visit down memory lane! Parking is available in its own lot.

Definetly don't go there for their pancakes . They may have other items in their menu that are good quality. Overpriced

I bought a Groupon for $20 worth of food (I think I paid $11) It expired today, and while I wasn't really in the mood for it - I hate to waste money. It was a holiday Monday around 2:30pm and it was pretty empty. The reviews for here are not very good, so I thought I should stick with what diners do best, a burger. There is a big sign outside about new smashed burgers (they are not on the menu.) I sat at the counter and my sweet waiter Diego was very efficient, I asked if the regular Mel's burger is better. He said to go for the smashed, so I did. It was a really good smash burger, crispy edges, nice melty american cheese, and shredded lettuce. The fries were plentiful and thin and crispy. Again - I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the meal. UGH, though - to use the Group you have to have spent $20+ - my order was only $17, so I had to figure out what to buy to get me to $20 (they wouldn't just call it $20 and send me on my way ...Nope... I HAD to order something else- we tried a soda and we tried a kid's shake, eventually we settled on a cup of chicken noodle soup to go settling my bill at $22. The soup is in my fridge for tomorrow's lunch.

Worst pancakes I have ever had in my life the management and cooks need to be force fed with these tough as tire pancakes couldn't even cut them with a fork. They need to update there recipe. The Thanksgiving dinner was excellent moist turkey and yams were perfect.

I wanted early Turkey before Thanksgiving and decided getting the Turkey plate at Mel's Drive -In. The plate came with stuffing , mash potatoes and gravy along with vegetables . I found the Turkey plate to be good and worth a try. Thanksgiving came early.

Here's the difference between taking your two year-old and your 14 year-old to Mel's Drive In: When they're two, you're grateful they let your toddler keep his ball on the counter next to him and give him a cup of chocolate milk with a secure lid on it. Lunch is served in a cute little cardboard car they can play with. When they're 14, they become a cash machine for Mel's: They "joke" they'd like to order two entrees plus a milkshake. "I'd really like another shake ha ha". It's not a joke. Mel's satisfies, they do American comfort food right and in particular the Route 66 burger which is the finest tasting burger I've ever had. At $19.50, it's pricey but trust me: It's huge, savory, juicy and delicious, worth it. French dip, omelettes, shakes, chicken pot pie, braised short rib dinner or fried chicken- Mel's has it all. Throw your diet out the window and do like Warren Zevon told you, "Enjoy every sandwich".

I was just wandering around SF and happened to come across Mel's. Thought it was super cool they'd been open so long and thought I'd grab some lunch! Service, food, quality & shakes were all great!! We enjoyed the vintage take. The only negative we had was our table's radio didn't work! No complaints here!

Mel's is solid but not spectacular. It's decent on staples like burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and fresh fries. But tend to skimp on the other sandwiches and other sides. 2-3 spoonfuls of potato salad. A handful of coleslaw. Really? When you wind up paying $25-$30/person? At these price points, it has to be some combination of quality and quantity. Not enough so my family will avoid Mel's, a shame since we've been going for 25+ years...and the service and people are nice.