Mel’s Drive-In

Once upon a time, I used to like Mels. this one by far the worst! We came for dinner, they weren’t busy, but service sucks. The waitress, i think her name was Roxann (Hispanic girl) didn’t put the «R» in her name, but she did put the «R» in RUDE. The very little time she did check on our table. they were more like drive by’s. as we were talking asking for something she was walking. like could u let me finish? I had to ask the guy cleaning the tables for a few things. we were seated with 2 menu’s. HELLO we are a party of 5? But anyway. I could go on. what put the cherry on my sunday was when it was time to pay. again they were not busy. we walk up to pay. she takes the ticket from my hand. I have my money ready to pay. but when other people walk in. she walks away to seat the other party. not once, but twice. could u finish this transaction first? Also, u dont need to snatch. two words CUSTOMER SERVICE. learn it! As far as food goes, you are better off going across the street to Tommy’s joint! I’ve been to this Mels several times. we will not be going back…

Came in at like 10pm, kind of slow service. Got milkshakes and shared a burger. The fries were pretty burnt. Overall it was okay and I appreciated the fact that it’s open pretty late.

So I came here on New Year’s Day with my girls — so there were a total of four of us. We were seated fairly quickly, but that’s the only compliment I can give this place.
Yes, it was NY day so I assumed this place was packed. When we got there (it was like 10AM-​ish), it was still kind of empty. We thought that it would be quick to get our drinks and food, eat, pay and leave. We all had a long night before, so we really weren’t expecting to wait forever to get our orders in. Unfortunately, we did end up waiting for a while to get service. The waitress looked like she hated life while she was serving us specifically. She seemed great with every other table she was waiting on so I just didn’t know what it was that we did that pissed her off. It was so early in the morning and I just wanted to eat so I just waved it off.
Once we finally got our drinks, one of the cups was too close to the edge of the table and gravity took it down. It spilled all over the table and the floor. The waitress saw it happen, but waited a good 10 minutes before coming to check on us. We asked for napkins to clean up the mess, and she literally only gave us ONE napkin! She laid a towelette on the floor to soak up the water… And she never came back to serve us. Up until we got our check.
Here’s the thing, I know for most restaurants it’s a party of 8 or more where they charge 15% gratuity automatically. We were a party of four. When we went to pay our check, this waitress decided to TIP herself 18%! WHAT?! Who does that?! She didn’t even deserve 15%! Com’on guys, we’ve all had bad days, we’ve all been there before. And I get it, if we, as a table, had been rowdy and annoying, then she had all the right to hate us. But we literally walked in, say down, said good morning to her, and that was that.
I have never been a waitress, but I am extremely experienced in customer service. I’ve dealt with the worst kind of people, but I stayed cool and calm. I don’t even get tips for what I do, and I still treat everyone with the upmost respect. I don’t know, maybe she was just having a horrible day.
On a side note, the food here was decent. Not the best diner I’ve been to, but at least I got to eat.
I don’t know if I’d recommend this place or come out here again. It was just really convenient and walking distance from where we were originally at. Maybe one day I’ll be back but I don’t know how soon that’ll be.

This is the first time my wife and I had come to San Francisco and Mel’s was attached to our hotel. We ate there at least 6 times only due to the convenience. The wasn’t terrible but for the price you would have thought it would have been better. The service for all 6 times was very slow. The staff was pleasant but that doesn’t make up for the long wait times to order and pay for our food.

I came here yesterday (January 9^th, 2016) for dinner. The only reason why I decided to give it a try is because it is connected to the Opal Hotel. Since it was connected, I decided to check it out since they have «San Francisco’s thickest milkshake».
The food here was not as bad as I thought but it was actually pretty expensive. Here’s my review…
Pros–
–The service was fast! I ordered my food and everything came out in less than 10 minutes.
— The diner closes very late (around 2 AM) so it’s good to eat here if you are staying at the Opal. You do not need to come outside of the Opal to come here. There’s a door in the Opal that leads straight to the restaurant.
— The food here is pretty good here despite the pricing for the food here though.
— The people here were very friendly and nice. Came often to our table to ask how the food was.
Cons–
— Very expensive for a diner. I ate spaghetti and meatball and mash potatoes. My boyfriend ordered a Grass fed beef cheeseburger and also a Soda float. The total came to almost $ 70.00!
— I ordered the buffalo wings here and it was way too burnt! Half of the wings were burnt so much that I had a hard time trying to eat it! Not to mention the wings were small and it cost $ 13.00!

I came here to eat dinner for a night to try out their food. I lived at the hotel that is literally connected to the diner. So I ordered an order of Buffalo Wings for appetizer, a Spaghetti with Meatball, a Lumpy Mash Potatoes and a ¼ pound Cali Grass Fed Burger. The food here is pretty good and it is really filling. My bill came out to be just before $ 60 including gratuity of 15%. The only real complaint that I had was that the Buffalo wings were way too small and it was deep friend for way to long. I tasted for of the flour used to fry the wings more than the meat itself. But aside from that, the food was great. The burger was good, the pasta was cooked well, the mash potatoes looked excellent. The gravy that they used actually looked a but like chocolate sauce and the mash potato’s looked like Ice Cream! The other thing about the food is sort of needs to be fixed is possibly the meatballs. I feel like the meatballs are a bit on the softer side than it should be.
Overall, I would come back. But only for their shakes and burgers. They were truly the best.

Found an hair in the quinoa kale salad. Felt filthy and disgusted and just left without even trying a bite. This place is a No-​Go.

Breakfast at Mel’s followed by a matinée @ the AMC Van Ness next door has become our new Christmas tradition. While most folks are unwrapping gifts with family by the chimney, me and my Xmas Orphan posse are enjoying bacon & eggs in one of SF’s most iconic diners.
Is Mel’s the best brunch place in town. Hell no! Not by a long shot. But on Christmas Day (and every day, for that matter), their hard-​working kitchen is open for business. And believe me, the restaurant is packed all day long! Don’t be surprised if you have to wait a few minutes for a table to open up.
If you’ve seen American Graffiti, you’ll be familiar with the 50s era diner décor/​ambiance. You sit in pleather booths, while noshing on burgers & fries and sipping cherry Coke. No need to reinvent the wheel here, especially since the wheel ain’t broke.
The food is quintessential greasy spoon grub. You can’t go wrong with any of the breakfast dishes and burger/​sandwich options. I always stick with the basic two eggs (over-​easy) with hash browns, bacon strips, and a side of English muffins. Throw in a cup of coffee and you’re looking at a $ 10-​$ 11 meal.
Service is always quick and efficient. These servers work just as hard (if not harder) than anyone at the high-​end restaurants. So if you do come in on a holiday or late at night, be sure to tip well. These guys certainly deserve it.

Terrible, horribly jaw dropping customer service. My friends I arrived 1 and a half hours before closing had plenty of time to eat and order, but the rude waitress immediately greeted us with a «we are about to close the kitchen so what can I get you?» we ordered and the entire time we were uncomfortable. Every time she came by she only came by to remind us that the kitchen was closing. She never came to ask if we needed anything more. I understand that everyone has bad days. I also understand if the customers were rude it’d be a natural response to be rude back, but my friends and I were very respectful and were only looking to have a hearty meal. All in all to say she ruined our experience!!!
I had an avacado burger it was delicious, the food was great but the customer service killed the entire experience, I wish I had taken it to go.

Sometimes you go to a restaurant and there is one item that stands above all the rest, and it becomes a ‘regular.’ When I am craving a Tuna Melt, this Mel’s location on Van Ness is the first restaurant to come to mind, and I have been eating here for years. Maybe it’s the perfectly toasted rye bread. Perhaps it is the inclusion of celery and pickles. Or is it the perfectly layered cheese? In any case, I have had tuna melts all over the country and few can stand up to the taste of a Mel’s tuna melt. Oh, and the fries aren’t too shabby either.

I visited this place a few weeks ago while my husband and I were in The City attending a show at the Regency down the block. I passed by this place thinking we should try it out so we came in after the show.
I love the old diner feel to this place. You don’t see a lot of that anymore, so the décor was really nice to see. The bathrooms could’ve used a little bit of work, but the toilets were functional and clean, especially it being in a San Francisco restaurant. I ordered the stragonaff (sp?) and my husband ordered the salmon. The meat that was in the stragonaff was super tender! And the noodles were cooked perfectly. The only difference was it wasn’t worth paying $ 16 for. It was good food, but not special.
Also the salmon my husband got was good, but looked bland. He had to season it a bit just to get the flavor going. But he loved the rice pilaf because that was packed with flavor.
This is more of a «try once» kind of place. I wouldn’t make it a habit to go out of my way to come here. But it was a pleasant experience.

I’ve tried several Mel’s around the city and am always satisfied. The menu has lots of great options and the food is pretty darn good. The service can be hit or miss, but I’ve always had good service. The worst part about this location is, being in the tenderloin, it attracts the worst customers. At night there is often beggars outside the entrance and during the day disgruntled customers often get in a tizzy about their to-​go order not having enough bags.
Great chicken and waffles, great turkey dinner, great fried-​egg sandwich, great menu, great prices.

Sucks ass. Next time I have an urge to come here, I will just buy a can of Hormel Chili instead

There was a time when I used to like the foods Mels makes! Now they got SLOW service that just left me sitting there for nearly 10 minutes. So I waited and waited hoping for someone to come serve me but I could of just went to the kitchen in the back and told them to make it for me. In reality I just couldn’t take it so I left the place and told that front desk person «way to go with your service» but apparently she didn’t hear me and she didn’t care because that was the same lady that didn’t escort me to my table so she told me to go sit at either one. I was like, «fine.» What the hell is happening to you Mel’s?
Luckily after I left from slow-​Mels I then went to Dennys and it was the bomb!

Terribly horribly slow service. Waited for 15mins and requested service twice, still nothing. On the third time we were told «we will get service when it’s our turn»
Well, eff you. Your servers got no tip from my party of 5, and I am going to make sure no one I know ever comes to any Mel’s location ever again.

Come on… this pace has earned more than just a few stars so I’m giving them all five, which they deserve.
Great diner food with delightful staff 24 hours a day. Went here again today and it’s decorated for Halloween and has so much life and personality. This time, I ordered the burger and a vanilla shake. Both new to me and did not disappoint.
Are you seeking a last night spot with great food. You’ve found it!

When we lived on Gough & Sac, the AMC Van Ness was our regular movie-​watching spot. This Mel’s Drive-​In is a convenient 150 feet away, yet we only visited it twice due to mediocre food and being in relatively close proximity to plenty of other better tasting options.
I like diners and know not to expect gourmet food from one. Grease, cheese, and fat are what I’ve come to expect from them, but our burgers have arrived slightly on the dry side and our fries were a touch too soggy.
The food might have tasted better had I been intoxicated, but alas… I was starving and sober.
Open until 4AM on Friday & Saturday or 1−2AM on Sundays and weekdays.

It’s a diner. In San Francisco. I would NOT expect much going in. Upscale this is not. It’s your typical greasy diner open 24 hours so a lot of strange people are going to make their way here.
I got the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits tasted a bit stale, it was weird. Not my favorite dish.
The fries are okay (a little soggy).
Our waiter was actually nice and patient (I guess you kind of have to be at 2AM).

Mel’s is adjacent to our hotel — «The Opal of San Francisco.»
Just an old fashion, yet classy, and relaxing dinner. I was in the mood for breakfast food in the afternoon hours.
Basically ordered my usual — scrambled eggs with toast and home fries. I was fairly satisfied with the food.
My friend ordered their chocolate shake and didn’t quite enjoy it.

This place is nothing special. Since I was unable to make my reservations to Wayfare Tavern due to cluster you know what on the Bay Bridge, we decided to hit a spot close to the Nutcracker.
I got a 15 dollar burger, but it really tasted like a 7 dollar burger. It was very bland and was something you would get out of Burger King. Not bad per say, but not worth the price by a longshot.
I guess this is also some kind of super famous franchise as they sell T-​shirts and other souvenirs I’ve heard of Mel’s, but never realized it was this huge that they wold sell stuff. There are much better diners in the Bay Area and cheaper.
Really wished I had crossed the street and went to Tommy’s Joynt across the street. Not bad, but nothing special and not worth the price of admission.

Zurück in die 50ties? Hier geht’s superflott. Ich war zweimal zum frühstücken dort. Einmal Buttermilk Pancakes und einmal das 3-​egg Omelette mit Ham und Cheese. Sehr gutes Essen mit tollem Flair.

Our top American Brunch lokation. Feeling that time stand stil!

Amerikanische Diner haben was, typische Atmosphäre und leckere Burger-​Gerichte. Dieser Diner lebt allerdings nur von Touristen und seinem Status als Filmkulisse (American Graffity). Wir, 3 Personen, hatten jeweils zwei normale Burger und einen Fischburger. Von der Menge für einen Diner doch relativ dürftig und preismäßig auch recht hoch. Pommes hätte man extra zahlen müssen, was ich von anderen Dinern nicht kenne. Die normalen Burger waren ok, der Fischburger hat mich jetzt wirklich nicht vom Hocker gehauen. Für mich eher Massenabfertigung für Touristen. Außerdem war der Laden auch viel zu grell ausgeleuchtet.

Endlich der Bericht von meinem heißgeliebten Mels Diner in San Francisco. Hier stimmt einfach alles:
Die Ausstattung, die männliche Bedienung trägt selbstverständlich Anzug, Fliege und ein Schiffchen auf dem Kopf und natürlich die typisch amerikanischen Speisen alles was das Herz begehrt.
Deshalb nehme ich mal heute ganz frank und frei einen San Francisco Hot Dog (ich weiß, sollte man vorrangig in Dänemark essen). Gespannt und neugierig warte ich auf das, was da kommen würde. Zunächst wird aber ein Glas Eiswasser serviert. Damit fülle ich lieber nicht meinen Magen, ich weiß ja, wie groß die Portion in etwa ausfallen wird.
Lieber nippe ich an meinem Vanilla-​Shake, ganz stilecht mit Sahne und einer Cocktailkirsche obendrauf. Der Shaker, ebenfalls noch auf dem Tisch platziert, beschert noch einen zusätzlichen Trunk, ganz einfach, weil nicht alles ins Glas gepasst hat.
Während ich so warte, finde ich noch ein paar 25 Cent-​Stücke in meinem Geldbeutel, die ich in die Musikbox, die an der Wand neben jedem Tisch angebracht ist, werfe. Die laufende Hintergrundmusik setzt aus, und MEIN gewählter Titel (natürlich Elvis) beschallt im wahrsten Sinne das Diner. Hihi, was für ein Spaß!!
Und da kommt er, der Heiße Hund! Zwischen getoastetem Ciabatta finde ich eine gegrillte Wurst, umgeben von geschmolzenem Käse, Bacon, Zwiebeln, Tomaten und Remouladensauce.
Mhhh, schön fettig und lecker. Als würde es diese Zutaten nicht schon immer zum Frühstück geben :-)
Man sagt, Käse schließt den Magen, aber den hatte ich ja schon den Käse
Deshalb soll es noch etwas Süßes sein: Hot Apple Pie with Cinnamon Sauce. Vorausschauend bringt die Bedienung gleich 2 Gabeln.
Hach, das Leben kann so schön sein.
Unbedingt besuchen!