Mel's Drive-in

Just like our home diner you can get it all here, large portions, fresh and tasty. Had the eggs and burger patties on slices of potato (think it’s a Sunrise Breakfast) and a bowl of fruit. Fine folks and large and clean.

The pancake was perfect. I loved the atmosphere inside so much. You could even pay 20 cents and pick a song to play next! So cool! The service was also very attentive. One con: They added cinnamon on my iced latte even tho I didn’t ask.. it was a weird combo

We had great meals and a great time. The waiter, Mark, was very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. He made the fabulous suggestion that we each order a plate, then share with each other. We did, and it was all very good and tasty.

We always make sure to stop by Mel's at least once each trip to Santa Monica. Never disappoints. Homemade corned beef hash and eggs my go-to. Highly recommend!!

Such a classic place. Loved the atmosphere and the juke boxes available at tables! Service and food was great. Awesome burgers, fries and milkshakes

ABSOLUTELY MUST GO. Best burger I’ve ever had, only topped by their milkshakes and wonderful service. The Lana del Rey shake is a must.

Brilliant diner with brilliant food. Came for breakfast. Had to return for lunch later during our trip. Huevos rancheros, pancakes, waffles, smash burgers were all superb. Do not miss the Omelette Sandwich special - wow!

We had a nice experience here at Mel's Drive In. It was very clean and comfortable. The service was great. The food was excellent. We've been to Mel's before in West Hollywood in the past.

We stopped in to Mel's for the first time on a recent trip to Santa Monica. The restaurant is conveniently located off the freeway with decent amount of parking in the back. This place is mainly all about ambiance! If you're looking for a nostalgic 50's diner, this is as authentic as it gets. Not a campy recreation but the real thing. There a juke box, counter seating, and the architecture is all from the era. The menu has all your standard diner fare. I opted for the slider trio with onion rings which was as amazing as it sounds. The three sliders were all delicious. There is your typical american cheese burger, a short rib slider that's juicy with horseradish sauce, and a turkey burger with goat cheese that's surprisingly rich and meaty. I little on the heavy side, but recommended if you're in the mood. Service, Ambiance, and food are all five stars.

Came here late at night with friends, and initially, the diner seemed a bit pricey. But when the food arrived, the large portions made it feel like a good deal. Food: I ordered the short rib grilled cheese--the meat was tender and flavorful, but the sandwich was pretty heavy, and I was ready to stop before I was even full. I also tried the apple pie with ice cream. It was decent, but nothing remarkable; I'd probably only order it again if I were really craving apple pie while there. My friends got Oreo shakes, which were delicious and generously sized, as well as the smash burgers, which they really enjoyed. The star, though, was surprisingly the chili cheese fries. For a few extra dollars, you can substitute them for regular fries, and it's totally worth it. They were perfectly seasoned and incredibly tasty! Ambiance: Classic diner vibes, and we loved the cozy, nostalgic feel. Service: Service was the one area that fell short. It took around 15 minutes for anyone to take our order, and we had a hard time getting the staff's attention even though we tried flagging them down. Given the number of people dining at 10 PM, they seemed understaffed. The waiters were doing their best, but management should definitely consider adding more staff during busy hours. Overall, great diner food and a fun atmosphere, but service could use some improvement.

Food: 5/5 Mel's has the perfect diner food by embracing a menu of burgers, shakes, and brunch classics. The smash burger was absolutely fantastic and the twisty fries are a better version of what you'd expect from Wendy's. Service: 5/5 Everything you'd want from a cozy diner. Quick and friendly service with some great recommendations for sides. Environment: 5/5 Classic diner tunes and booths. Also TONS of parking!

Solid 4! My husband was born and raised in the area so he was very nostalgic about it since he frequented this place during his youth. And it didn't disappoint! French toast was perfect. Pancakes were the best! Burgers and fries hit the spot. I ordered their corned beef and hash with grilled potatoes. It was memorable in the sense that it tasted very parsley-y. I guess it was either a bit more than usual or they just really love adding parsley in this dish. Also, the texture of the corned beef was throwing me off because it was cut into little pieces instead of chunks and/or shredded meat. I still ate it and I almost finished it (was getting full towards the end), but I wouldn't order it again. I'd definitely come back to try the other dishes. Free parking in the lot is always a plus for me. Sometimes it's even a motivator to try a place I've never been to! Staff was attentive and friendly in the right amount. I know this is an institution in the area, and the place has held up well over the yrs. If you've never been, you should try this place!

We love Mel's. It's the go-to when we just want comfort food and a cozy booth. There isn't a bad thing on the menu. Whenever we go, we look for our favorite server, Amy. She is the best. She is always running around handling everything like a pro, but always stops to chat and make us feel at home. I forgot the take a photo of the smash burger. But, I have to say, it is legit. I definitely suggest it. The chili is also quite good. One thing that makes this diner differ from other's is that they serve beer and wine. They always have good selections on tap. Bring some quarters so you can put some songs on the jukebox!

Finally tried the Mel's location in Santa Monica and I have to admit - it did not disappoint!! Coming from the east coast it can be hard to find a diner fix out here but Mel's is hard to beat. I've been to various other Mel's locations, mostly in the Bay Area, but hadn't ever tried this location despite living so close. I came with some friends who were all craving a great diner meal and we left fully satisfied. The espresso milkshake was heavenly. The tuna melt was delectable and perfectly toasted. The Mac & cheese was great, the potato salad hit the spot, and the pancakes were scrumptious! Our waitress was so accommodating of all of our modifications and hectic orders. She was so sweet. Our food came out quickly and everything was accurate and delicious. With a classic diner feel, seating both inside and outside, bright lights and ample room for big groups - Mel's is such a great place to go with friends at any time of day. Portion sizes are huge of course so we ended up taking a lot home. Will absolutely be back now that I know how up to par this location is!

Came here for dinner in Early February to scope out the idea of having a party here...Our Waiter was Mark.. Great guy...Friendly courteous and experienced with his job...We asked about having a party for my 95 year old mother in law and reserved a section of the restaurant for us and 15 guests and he was exclusively serving us all night...He was very accurate, friendly, patient and he did a phenomenal job all evening and never hesitated to take pictures for us...+ he help set up some special music for my mother in law for her special party ... Thanks again, Mark...Great job...We will be back...Bruce, Beth and of Course, Joyce.

First I wanna make it known that I've been to Mel's several times and have never had a bad experience until now. I was visiting with my mom and a family friend and we wanted to order Mel's for delivery through Chow Now my mom ordered a basic turkey burger my family friend ordered a sunset burger on sourdough and I ordered the southern fried chicken dinner. As soon as we got our food and opened everything up we immediately saw that my mom's turkey patty was burnt to the point where it was black and the sourdough bread on my family friend's sunset burger was also burnt a bit the center of the bread was black, I thought my chicken at least looked ok but as soon as I took a bite it didn't taste right either the oil that was used to cook it went bad or the chicken was overcooked. We were all extremely disappointed and upset that our dinner was pretty much ruined, whoever is in charge of the kitchen staff needs to have a chat with them about quality control because everything we ordered was extremely subpar and should not have been sent out for any customer.

Cute little diner for breakfast and many other options! Food was fine typical diner fare nothing too wild. Service was good and prices were pretty high but comes with the area. Love the retro feel of the place it was fun! Parking available in back!

Great service! We come to Mel's often! Tonight our server was Mark. He was outstanding! He remembered all our orders and checked up on us, making sure we had refills! Mark was professional, hard-working, and we enjoyed his sense of humor! He showed us how to use the Mel's app to get rewards each time we visit. Thank you for a great dining experience !!

This is an adorable retro diner close by the Santa Monica pier, right near the freeway. Totally feels like going back in time with the retro decor and classic oldies music. They have an extensive diner menu with plenty of options for breakfast, lunch, or dinner(and dessert). Their prices are pretty average. They offer mimosas for $5-$6. We ordered the Nutella French toast($20). It comes with fresh strawberries and bananas and a bunch of Nutella!! This was so delicious. 10/10 We also got the chili fries($16) and curly fries($7). Chili fries were more chili than fries I would say. Most of the fries got soggy, But still tastes delicious. 7/10 Curly fries were crispy, hot, and delicious. Service was fine. This will definitely be my new go-to after visiting Santa Monica pier.

Lana fans head down to Mel's for some delicious diner food. Whether you're feeling under the weather, and in need of some comfort food or just want a good home cooked feeling meal. Mel's is the place. I had the best tuna melt here it was perfect. I'm also in love with Lana Del Rey so it was so nice to be able to cue a lana song! I played say yes to heaven ofc. The Lana shake is amazing like they say it's a chocolate Oreo shake and it's so yummy. The service here is great employees are so kind & accommodating. Can't wait to come back!

I don't come to Santa Monica very often, today I came to visit a friend here and my friend recommended this restaurant. I was not disappointed. This restaurant is very delicious, the atmosphere is also good. I like that my table has a music player for me to listen to while I eat. The restaurant is clean, the service is good, the food is delicious. I will definitely come back again when I am in Santa Monica...

Me's Drive-in is a classic diner. This location stands out because of its high-ceiling and big panoramic windows. The interior almost looks modern: a vintage modern look. Valet parking is free on-site. We came here for pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and a side of hash browns. The food was typical diner breakfast food: nothing special or disappointing. Service was not great. We had to flag down our server many times for regular items like water refill, more napkins, hot sauce, bill, almost everything. Lol. I am glad I stopped by but don't expect great service and exceptional food. It's a typical diner experience with a small interior upgrade of high ceiling and nice big windows.

The location is right near the freeway which is great,the parking is very convenient and ample. We were seated right away and the server was very knowledgeable of the menu they mentioned they had different flavor mimosas, I tried all the flavors they were good tasty and not too strong my hamburger was good I would order my same meal again. I recommend this place.

Ambience and environment was very cool. Diner themed with jukeboxes at the table and throwback stuff around. The service was decent. The iced coffee was almost $5 and was bad. Should've passed on that. Eggs and waffles were average at best - kind of like what you get at a buffet at a hotel. My husband said his meatloaf sandwich was average. Prices were way high for what we got. But that said, it's got a lot of character and we are glad we stopped in for that reason.

Yum. We ordered sandwiches just to eat sonething other than sugar. Then we went crazy and had hot fudge sundaes. Really good, like the old fashioned soda fountains. Big scoops of vanilla ice cream and gobs of fudge with cherries and nuts. Ask Jasmine to make then. She's a pro.

Shakes, yes. Fries meh. Parmesan Special Fries, super meh. Tomato soup, pretty tasty and satisfying. Grilled cheese to go along with the tomato soup, pathetic. Gorgeous, fun vibe gets undercut with a lot of mediocrity. Service is sleepy. Do not be in a hurry in getting your bill. As nice as it is inside, the whole experience makes me want to miss the cool interior and just order shakes to go. Not sure if it's overconfidence, laziness, or just an overall gradual diminished quality. The fries kind of smelled like fish. There, I said it. I don't know how that is possible, but I can tell you they were not so good. We first ordered the parmesan fries as an appetizer, but our server didn't bother to point out that the grilled cheese/tomato soup actually comes with regular fries. Granted, regular fires with a weird smell. Neither fries are recommended. Two shakes, 1 special fries, one soup/sandwich w other fries = $50. Not returning anytime soon.

Great food, best Ruben I've ever had paired nicely with fries and a shake. Customer service was outstanding along with the decor. If in the area you've got to stop here.

We had already eaten dinner, and I wanted to stop by and see this place since it's been redone. We stopped in for coffee and pie. Service was friendly and efficient and she made a fresh pot of coffee, which was good. The pie on the other hand, was not good and was very obviously store bought. Great remodel of this delectable diner. I'll have to actually try food food next time.

Mel's is an upscale diner and it is always great. We stop there whenever we can. The food, service and prices are all great. This one is located on Lincoln Blvd., right before the 10 Freeway which takes you to the cost. It is large and there is rarely a wait. They have the best counter to sit at if you want of super comfortable booths. You are greeted when you come in and the service is so so good. We have never had a complaint and we have been there many times now. They have the best food. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner served all day and their desserts are out of this world. The place is so cute, it is right out of the 50's but ever so clean and modern. They also have cute merch. you might like. Out favorite is their burgers and my grandson loves their banana splits, but can never finish them. If you want some of the best comfort food in Santa Monica, you just must go there. Parking is free and easy in their lot.

What a cute place to be at. Needed a classic diner dinner and this hit the spot! The crew was so fast and kind, and the food was absolutely divine, I was gobbling it straight up.

Vibes were fantastic. Loved the 50s aesthetic. Was not crowded at all at noon on a Saturday. Got coffee with huevos rancheros with steak add on and it was delicious. They had 3 types of hot sauce at the table. Free valet parking too! 5/5

Mel's Diner is an interesting diner of sorts located at 1670 Lincoln Boulevard at the mouth of 10 Freeway exit/entrance. The place has been open for about 5-6 years, and this was the first time eating here. It has plenty of parking and they have comfortable booths, as well as a counter and good vibes with the ability to use the juke box selections at selected tables. The service was great as our waitress Veronica A. was quite nice and did a great job and was deserving of a good Tip. My problem was the quality of food and the cost. For starters, $6 for an Arnold Palmer? This is Ice Tea & Lemonade, no liquor. We ordered the Mushroom Burger ($22) and the Meat Loaf dinner ($24), 1 Chicken Soup Large ($9) which was cold and the noodles hard, and $9 for a Milk Shake. This was a late night dinner on a Monday and the bill was $78.01 with a $14.15 Tip or $92.16 with no liquor! $46 for a burger and meat loaf dinner? These prices are completely outrageous and my meal wasn't hot either as the gravy on the meal was sitting for sometime, but I was so hungry I ate it anyway as this place closes at 11:00 and sending it back or complaining was not a good idea. I hate feeling ripped off and that's how I felt. The atmosphere is fine and maybe I should have just ordered a sandwich, but I got the feeling the soup was no soup at all, but just some noodles and vegetables that was poured over with some hot water. I was looking forward to eating here as most places are closed by 9:00 PM on a Monday night, but this experience was just terrible in terms of what I ate and the price paid! I will say my guest liked the burger, but agreed that at $22 was at best, okay. I don't screw servers for bad food or high prices, but I doubt I will return. CANNOT RECOMMEND!

Greeted warmly by the security guard at the door. We were the first customers Sunday morning at 7am and had our choice to sit anywhere. Our coffee and drink orders came quickly as we continued to read their menu. Basically you can have anything on the menu, no matter what time of day or night. We opted to keep to the breakfast menu at the back. I ordered the eggs, hash browns & sausage. I asked to substitute a pancake instead of toast. My husband got the El Rancho breakfast burrito. He didn't care for the chorizo. Perhaps he should have requested a substitute of sausage instead. All in all it was a pleasant dining experience. Awesome atmosphere with cool 50's vibe. I'd come back if in the area.

Quality food, warm and welcoming service and a fun ambiance that makes a nice, higher end diner experience. This is seriously some of the best cherry pie a la mode I've had in LA. Definitely a lil pricier than most, but the quality of the food more than makes up for it. I come here for whenever I have a personal special occasion to celebrate and it hasn't disappointed once. Would recommend giving it a try if you've driven by the sign as many times as I have in the past.

Bottom-line : nostalgic atmosphere with an average burger for the price you pay. Let's get one thing out of the way: 18 dollars for a medium sized burger and fries is ridiculous. There are plenty of one-offs on the west side for about the same quality for more than a few dollars less. And yes, while everything in Los Angeles is kray kray expensive , Mel's is kinda at the top of the burger range. I ordered the famous Mel burger on a sesame bun, and my friend ordered the sunset burger . All came with fries. I ordered mine medium rare, and it came out slightly over cooked. In their defense, it's somewhat harder to get a burger done medium rare. A couple seconds, you're late to the game. Nothing wrong with it. Smaller in size to the sunset burger. That burger was $22. That's a tall order, but it was juicier and and more of a mouthful per each bite. Comes on sourdough, but customer can change it to a bun to dress it more burger like. I'd recommend the sunset burger if hungrier. For a better view, dine-in. Decor makes up for everything else in this place .

If you are looking for a retro diner feel and where Route 66 ends with large hearty portions look no further! It has your traditional jukeboxes on every other table, tall slopes ceilings and really liked the decor. I must say that dish of ham and cheese omelette was prob the best I've ever had. It's the ham they use and the hash brown was perfectly cooked too. Crisp on the outside and very soft in the middle. Couldn't ask for a more perfect breakfast. My nieces enjoyed their waffle and ate it so fast. My girl loved her bacon and one over easy egg. Next time I should have gotten her hash browns instead of the breakfast potatoes. Our waiter was very fast and efficient. Refilled my coffee (so good btw) many times and appreciated his fast service. Great place for breakfast in Santa Monica!

Second time eating here around 9:45ish. I made the same mistake last time getting a dinner. I ordered the turkey dinner and a side salad with Blue Cheese dressing. The side salad is huge. The blue cheese dressing was basically mayo with some chunks that did not taste like blue cheese. Just like last time, my food arrived Charley room temperature. The gravy was dry. I wonder if they were pre-plated and frozen and they heat it up. The turkey was very dry and the stuffing was dryer and crunchy. The dunner role was stale and not pleasant to eat. So twice in a row I had a barely hot old meal. That's two too many.

Was staying at the Hilton and wanted to eat breakfast away from the hotel. This was a short walk from the hotel. I liked the decor and the sloping ceiling. The food came out fast and it was delicious. My corned beef hash didn't taste like the can stuff and wasn't as greasy or heavy so I was happy. The omelet's are huge and has good quality ingredients.

Absolutely the best corn beef and hash with over medium egg and hash browns. The corn beef was the real deal, not out of the can. It was fresh not greasy and the hash browns were perfectly crispy. I didn't expect it but the best coffee! Service was great until more people entered the diner. It seemed like there were only two servers for the entire diner. One of our dishes came out super late. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place for breakfast.

Jane, please remember that you love the corned beef hash here. This is your favorite corned beef hash in the city. Stop forgetting and ordering something else

Valet parking is complimentary :) tips appreciated Vibes inside are very clean and nice. It's giving elevated ihop. Will be coming back again

Visiting from Hawaii and Mel's Drive-In was on our daughter's list of places she wanted to visit. We had a great experience, service was excellent, food was delicious, and we loved the ambiance. It's clean, had the retro but updated modern vibe. We will be back when we visit again.

Recommend when everywhere else is packed. Chicken and waffles was Juicy and the waffle was delicious with the cheese and green onions in the batter was different. Our server was very sweet and helped with making selections for our guests. The vibe was so relaxing and homey.

I always recommend Mel's for a great diner experience in Santa Monica. There are so few left that we really enjoy taking our daughter here for burgers and classic shakes. I love the roast beef grilled cheese, and their sweet potato fries. The servers are always friendly and the ambiance of the restaurant is fun with the jukebox and fish tank. Plan on continuing this family tradition for many years to come.

We tired this place 5x. We really wanted to like it but it's a no for us. This last time the food was cold & the has brown was so thick that the middle was soggy and not cooked. Won't be coming back.

Classic diner experience, with lots of LA history. And its not just show, the food is excellent. Highly recommend the grilled cheese brisket, and burgers. Fast and great service.

Mel's Diner is an LA staple. Probably one of the only legit diners in the LA region. The food is always tasty and extremely dependable with flavor. We love the house made chili! Trust and believe you will not be disappointed! Pair it was a house made grilled cheese sandwich and boom- party! My kids love the kids menu, and all children's meals are served in an old school classic car box. That's kinda cool, not gonna lie. A definite entertainer for the kiddos! The remainder of the menu is good. What a diner should be. Nothing five stars but definitely nothing that leaves you feeling sick or overwhelmed by lack of flavor or cheap products. The staff is very kind, and the restaurant itself is always clean. They have a private lot in the back with free parking, hard to ignore! Here's to fun experiences and Mel's delivers Yelpers! Cheers xx

I ordered Coffee, and Avacado Eggs Benedict with Fruit my server Alex quickly took my order My food was well prepared and tasty and delicious The service was excellent! The ambiance here is pleasant and low-key

3.4 stars Good - Amazing Good Old America Vibe of restored Santa Monica's vintage 1959 Penguin coffee shop - Jukebox with grate 60s-80s hits - Good classic diner menu options - Friendly staff - Easy Parking Not So Great - 1 star Fried Chicken - Food in general is 2 stars - Not consistent food taste

I absolutely love Mel's I've frequented it since its arrival in Santa Monica, there is ONE waitress that is so kind, attentive and good at what she does Amy , I've now only decided to actually eat when I see her working, recently I brought my sister from out of town to eat and our server Yazmin, completely ignored us for 15 minutes when I asked another server he told her we were waiting and she seemed very annoyed and unpleasant with us, dealing with Amy , yes she raised the bar high but the other servers typically do a good job , I've never had such a terrible experience at one of my favorite places to eat and bring friends and family, I've went so far as to tell ALL my Santa Monica locals to look for Amy's area if they stop and eat

Great food, great service, the ambience was very welcoming. Mark did an amazing job with his hospitality & great personality. Highly recommend

I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup and French fries and everything was phenomenal. The food came out quickly and the service was sincere! Great place to spend a relaxing time with friends and family!

My friend and I went here around lunchtime hoping for a nice brunch and we were pretty satisfied! This diner had a great ambience and aesthetic, with clean and nice booths, interesting pictures hung up, great lighting, and juke boxes at every other booth! Queueing up a song just takes a quarter. I got the french toast combo, which was decently yummy. Nothing mind blowing but eating it with the various jams (especially orange marmalade ) was great. The texture of french toast was soft/pillowy but still gave a good chew, the egg was quite sweet actually, and you can choose your meat. I was a little disappointed on the sausage, it was cut in half and spread out (like in the picture) so it looked like 2 sausages. I wish we got more sausage because the savory element was lacking in the combo. I also had part of my friend's waffle, which was pretty standard Pros: The ambience is nice, definitely nailed the diner feel. Free parking for customers of Mel's. Breakfast seems to be served all day. The service was good, and you could easily split the bill and pay right there with card or applypay. Cons: A little pricey for the portion, but I feel like you rlly are paying for the experience/ambience. Wish there was a bigger savory element for the combo. Overall I enjoyed my time here, and would've liked to try out some lunch sandwiches or burgers! I may come back to do so.

First time here and it was great!! The food was so delicious and Mark provided great customer service. He was so quick with taking our orders and was so sweet throughout our dine in experience. Very cute spot for a bite while also enjoying the classic dinner ambiance!!

This is one of FOUR ends to Route 66. The first is at 7th and Broadway in Los Angelas. The second is at the end of Santa Monica Blvd The third is Santa Monica Pier Then there's this one. Tbh, I haven't fully done research of which comes first... Anyway, the service was GREAT. I believe we met the owner or manager. This seems to be like the first location of Mels. They both claim that this is the only end of R66. There are a ton of pictures on the walls about when this place opened. And the fish tank shows different scenes from R66. All we got was the fudge cake with ice cream which was amazing. And my parents got a vanilla malt and added chocolate syrup.

Service is good food was fresh. This was my first time at Mel's and it didn't disappoint. Totally would recommend this place.

Stopping at Mel's is like stopping back in time and reliving scenes from grease or American graffiti! We stopped in with a group of 10 after a football game and there was no problem seating us within minutes. The menu has classics burgers and fries, meatloaf and fried chicken! With classic memorabilia throughout the restaurant you absolutely catch the nostalgia. Best part is the food matches the quality of the environment, everything cooked perfectly the fried chicken was crispy and herbaceous with a marinade full of fresh herbs that just pop with each bite! The French fries double fried and crispy! A must stop when you are craving good food and classic vibes!