Melo’s Italian Ristorante

We went here for the first time on recommendation of friends and the «Florida Times» which had a great review last week. We found the prices quite high for the quality of the food. The service was not good and several of the waitstaff (including ours) smelled like they had been smoking and not cigarettes. The bread was supermarket Italian quality, the salad had fresh ingredients of a few lettuce leaves, 2 cucumber slices and a tomato wedge with «balsamic vinaigrette» which was not made with olive oil. The «Parmesan» was the box variety in a shaker. The 4 main dishes we had, after over an hour wait for them, were not as good as Olive Garden — and that’s not a high bar to meet. The ladies’ room could stand a good cleaning. The staff milled around but did not appear happy or friendly. If the price were l/​2 of what they charge and the strange service gone… it would probably be ok.
I asked if the gnocchi was homemade and the waitress went to the kitchen and came back and said «no» — I did appreciate the honesty. I had eggplant parmesan, with pasta on the plate also and it was $ 18.95. Pasta arrabiatta was $ 16.95. Most dishes with meat/​fish were about $ 23 and up. The desserts in the refrigerator case at the bar all looked standard Sysco products. We realized on the way out that there had been «specials» on the blackboard at the entrance and our waitress neglected to mention them to us — maybe they would have been worthwhile. The food wasn’t bad, it just was not worth what it cost. The chain Olive Garden locations have much more pleasant atmosphere, happy, attentive staff and management, much more for your money food, at half the price — if you want this type of American-​Italian food. I can’t figure out why the prices are so high and the management is so poor. We visited at about 6:30 on a Wednesday night. The photos shown in this listing do look accurate.

Our waitress was poorly trained for the amount of gratuity that was added into the check. The service we received was subpar and took 2 ½ hrs to get out of the restaurant. When you spend that much on a meal the experience should be more than it was.

Went there Saturday night, for the first time ever, at about 6 PM. First thing I noticed was an empty parking lot! When we went inside there was one other couple in the main dining room. Okay … they get a later crowd. Opted to eat in the lounge. An overwhelming stench of bleach water hit me like a hammer! Dirty mop water? Bar sink water? While our waitress was more than friendly, the entire staff seemed more preoccupied with getting «side work» done than waiting on us efficiently! While the bartender was there … doing said side work … our waitress had to make my drink! My guest ordered spring water so there was no delay there! When I ordered a drink refill … and remember my table in the lounge was about 10 feet from the bar itself … the bartender did make that one but the waitress ignored picking it up. I did hear another waitress hollar … yes HOLLAR … «Hey XXX, your damned drink is sitting here.» As we were the ONLY ones sitting in the lounge and that was her station, she wasn’t busy! The food, however, was OUTSTANDING! and ticket time was about 20 minutes, not bad. The prices, on the other hand, were way out of whack for the food and the area. Dinner for two, 2 cocktails, 2 coffees at the end and a pastry… $ 110 pre tip!!! Have eaten at better Italian restaurants in Little Italy in NY City, San Francisco and Boston for less!

Excellent restaurant! Server Karen was friendly, knowledgeable and professional. The food was delicious and well prepared. Presentation was well done. I would eat here in a heartbeat.

Still amazing! Melo came to say hello… only bc I’m a dork. I first came here bc the name melo and im so happy that the food keeps me coming back! Thank goodness I’ve had the opportunity to visit melo again. The veal marsala is just as fantastic as it remember

Finally I found a Real Italian restaurant Was very authentic, bread is baked in house which is excellent. Started with a portablelIa mushroom stuffed with crabmeat. For my Main Course I ordered chicken parmigiana that was cooked to perfection. My spouse had a blackened grouper and scallops which she really enjoyed. They also have a great wine selection. Portions are very generous, service was great. We will defiantly be making Melos part of weekly routine. I would defiantly recommend this place if you looking for authentic Italian food!

r server was hasty and uppity at first. You could tell he was stressed or overwhelmed as he rushed around. The bread is served w balsamic/​olive oil upon request. House salad (included) is served w creamy Italian or balsamic only. The bruschetta was served on the house bread with a wonderful garlicky tomato topping and served aside black olives and cubed parmesan romano cheese. I ordered the chicken piccata. It was perfect and served with a side of angel hair. I Love the intense lemon but it was a little too bright for my dinner mate. He ordered the eggplant rollatini and was not overly impressed. My other dinner mate ordered sausage and meatball parmigiana which was exactly how you would expect it. A couple of meatballs a piece of sausage, some pasta and red sauce with mozzarella on top. She enjoyed it very much. All in all the meal was enjoyable and the ambiance was nice. The entrees run around $ 20 a piece.

I have been here in the past and decided to get some takeout. I ordered lasagna it came with bread and salad. The lasagna was 2 slices and not the traditional square you would expect however it was mostly pasta, not much cheese and the sauce was burnt like it had been in the pot a long time. I think I got the last of everything left.
Oh and I asked about the desserts and they buy them from a distributor.
It is hard to find true home made Italian food around here. I wish this was not the case.

Authentic and fresh. Sauces are made fresh daily. Bread is amazing and fresh. We’ve tried multiple other Italian restaurants beachside… this is the way to go!

Elegant Italian restaurant with great lasagna and chicken parm. The soups are consistently delicious, too. My only caveat would be that the service is rather slow, so it’s best to come when you’re not in a rush.

The restaurant was way too loud. The food was good, the service was passable, but the noise level was over the top loud. We took my mother for her 77^th birthday and she couldn’t even speak because she couldn’t hear a thing. The waitress not very good. I just wanted a Caesar salad and an entre and she insisted I had to have my salad with the salad course after the appetizer before the entre. It took me some negotiating to get my salad as and appetizer… Very odd. I would not go here again.

Best fine Italian dining beachside, without a doubt. A slow, relaxed dining experience is what you should expect at Melo’s, true Italian style. You don’t rush fine food, and Melo’s does it best. Excellent service and superb food.

This happens way to often, think about this, if you had a peanut allergy, the chef would make sure his food did not contain Nuts. My wife, has celiac, Melo’s said, gluten free pasta. Have way through her meal she noticed spaghetti in her penne, she gets very sick when she eats gluten. This is not acceptable, we will not be back.

Went for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. After relocating from the north we have been trying to find restaurants we would return to. (Not many in this area)
Melo’s is definitely one we will take visitors to. The atmosphere was understated classic Italian-​American, and the service was friendly & efficient.
We had one fish special, blackened mahi-​mahi w/​scallops & grilled new york strip steak w/​grilled shrimp.
The strip steak was nicely grilled, rare, and the shrimp were large and well grilled; still juicy.
The mahi-​mahi was lightly blackened and moist, but the best part of this plate were the perfectly seared scallops; still moist & lightly pink inside.
As stated before, our waiter and the bus person were efficient & friendly, and made the evening very pleasant.
We will return.

I went here once, and I will never go again. The food was decent, but not worth the price. I ordered the eggplant parmargiana and honestly it was incredibly similar to Olive Garden’s eggplant parmargiana. However, the thing that ruined my experience was the awkward atmosphere. The waiters, when not busy, all stood against the wall and I felt like we were being watched the entire meal.
Absolutely do not go here for a first date. It might ruin your chances for a second one.

On balance, Melo’s is a decent choice, with hit or miss dishes. While it doesn’t impress, it’s an acceptable choice.
Hits:
— Minestrone soup — great vegetables, a tad salty but still very good.
— Veal parmigiana — a large portion and above average.
— Veal piccata — perfect amount of lemon.
Misses:
— Mussels fra diavolo — the sauce was not at all spicy and too oily.
— Fettucini alfredo — sauce was watery, and far too much of it on the plate.
We had very good service from Alice. But there was obviously confusion in the kitchen — we waited a long time between soup/​salad course and entrée, and when entrees did come out, the entrée for one member of our party was forgotten. And it took a while to come out after we raised the issue.

I absoloutly love melos my all time favorie dish is the fettuchini chicken alfredo mmmmmm yum the best ive ever had keep up the great taste in your food melos :-)

One of my favorite local places to go. Upscale Italian décor, music, great food and personal greeting by Melos wife Lisa. Always escorted to my table by her. Melos brings warmth and class to my dinner table. The staff are also pleasant! Mussels fra diavalo are one of my favorite dishes! I have been coming here since 1995 and the food and service is still consistent ! Must try!

Not impressed. I kept hearing about this place from my family. This is where the stars go when they play in Melbourne. Right. All I can say is that I can sum this place up in three lines:
1. Menu way too big.
2. Portions way too big.
3. Mediocre food.
Ok so am I hating or what? No not really but coming from the big city what I think is that this place survives simply because there is a lack of better choices or competition in Melbourne. Sorry but this town is lacking food options of real quality. Its all chains etc. I had the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. Bland chicken and runny (and bland) sauce lacking any hint of Parmesan cheese or seasoning. I was a little surprised when told the sauces were made to order save marinara. Personally not impressed. Portion way too big, noodles cut way too big and chicken bland and sliced. Don’t know that it was cooked because it tasted reheated. Personally I prefer to cut my own chicken and I have worked on enough lines to suspect this chicken was not cooked to order. Also I was charged close to four bucks extra for a disgrace of a Caesar salad. Watery and stale croutons.
Another thing I noticed is how over staffed they were. With a server per table and a busser I had to wonder half the time where our server was. The place was mostly empty btw and I sat with an empty wine glass for close to 20 minutes. In Seattle this place would have a «for lease» or «closed» sign by now but I guess in Melbourne his is considered acceptable.
So let me sum up this experience for anyone who is thinking of coming here:
They dont make their own pasta for much of anything (lasagna, fettuccini and I think canneloni). Food doesn’t really taste made to order either. Need a better prep cook and a new chef. Come to think of it I don’t think they have a chef to begin with. Seasoning is bland at best.
Sauces: Man oh man please put some seasoning. I have worked in enough Italian restaurants to know that sauces are going to need time to develop. This includes Alfredo in particular. Just bland and watery.
Effort: There is just a lack of love here. Its like everyone is going through the motions. I dont really blame the workers here. They are handicapped by a ridiculous menu for the location and volume. Something more sensible is what this place needs. Also smaller portions. If you are sending half of each plate home with the diner you are losing a lot of money. This is just stupid with regards to food costs.
So lets sum it up. Would I recommend this to someone who wants real or good Italian food? No. You will probably get better food at Olive Garden sad as that is.

An all-​time favorite for me while growing up in this small town. The service has always been great and the food is delicious Italian food! However, we always get the same 3 dishes and then try a new dish in my family of 4.
Our favorites are:
Gnocchi Gorgonzola (best gnocchi I’ve had)
Cavatelli with broccoli (best flavor),
And penne arrabiata
My only complaints are that we ordered new appetizers last night and didn’t really love them– artichoke hearts stuffed with crab meat (kinda picky about artichoke hearts though) and the escargot.
Definitely a must visit whenever I come into town. Oh and they don’t take american express.