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    Mel Dog's Cafe

    4.1 (259 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Mel Dog's Cafe Photos

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    MEL DOG'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Mel Dog's Cafe

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    Inside bar counter with license plates hanging on the walls for decor
    Niro H.

    When you want to feel like a local and be treated like family, you should come here! It's been awhile since I've seen home style comfort where the staff would know you by name. They are cheerful, sarcastic, and have a lot of personality from walk ins to especially the locals. It's great to see! The breakfast plate I got was nice, home fries, roasted beef, and perfectly cooked eggs. Delicious and super filling. I didn't get to take a photo of their special soup. They only make it everyone in awhile, but they had a cheeseburger soup and omg I was in love! So much so, I even ordered a second one to go!

    French dip with freezer fries.
    Ann L.

    I waited a day just to digest my experience here. Pun intended. I can still say a day later - I just don't get it. With all of the great reviews I was expecting a pretty decent breakfast spot with some killer food and great service. Just not our experience. We were greeted and chose our spot. Menus were dropped. We've seen three different people at this point. Order taken and then the wait begins. There were 5 tables total in the place. Two have their food. Our food takes 30 minutes to arrive. The table after us is a 40 minute wait for food. Not what I expected at all. The food is freezer to fryer and I am doubting that anything is made in house. Also not what I expected for the reviews they are receiving. Definitely a been there done that experience for me and I am done.

    Farmers Omelet has Bacon mixed in!
    Parveen L.

    Hidden gem, because of its inconspicuous location. Off Waterman and Dino (commercial building) the name also makes me think hot dog. Staff is friendly with big smiles! Twin sisters run the place with a family atmosphere. Nice decor and super clean. The breakfast is classic American. Fresh food and great portions. I had the Farmers scramble with a pancake. I'm looking forward to going back for the same thing. My daughter had hash browns, eggs with biscuits and gravy, she enjoyed her meal too. Can't wait to go back!

    California Omelette-Military Style
    Ed S.

    Another place I use to go to Mel Dog's Cafe 9766 Waterman Rd, Ste B, Elk Grove, CA 95624. It has been years so today I decided to check it out. This restaurant is in an industrial complex so a bit hard to find. I walked into a pretty full restaurant being served by one server. It was about 8:15 AM and I thought this was going to be slow service. Not at all! I was seated, drinks delivered and order taken pretty quick. The server seemed to know everyone. She was obviously very experienced so I went with her suggestion of a California Omelette. At 9:00 AM other servers showed and started helping her. This omelette was made military style, very thin egg wrap with fresh ingredients. Another thing I liked was the large mug for my tea, which was refilled as needed with hot water. The potatoes, pancakes and everything else was spectacular. The Chef in the back obviously took great care in its preparation. The home made salsa was incredible. The ambience is a very clean, well laid out restaurant. They have nice tables and chairs that were properly spaced. The only negative thing I have to add are the huge portions they give. A great place for breakfast or lunch that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

    All Yum
    Bobbie R.

    First time here. I had the pancake breakfast. Saved 1 pancake & 1 bacon for breakfast tomorrow. Large portions. Great service. A homey dining room. Lots of parking. We will be back.

    California scramble with sausage instead of bacon
    Ray Y.

    Great place to walk and have breakfast after your car is being worked on down the street! Awesome California scramble that hits the spot!

    1) Breakfast omelette meal and 2) Chicken nuggets and fries.

    Fun oldies diner. Service is very friendly and attentive. The food was really good with large portions. Prices are reasonable. I will definitely be coming back.

    Biscuits and Biscuits & Gravy Platter

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    4 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    6 days ago

    Good place for a good meal. They need to pay attention to their restrooms cuz they're kinda gross.

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

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    30 days ago

    Hard to know as it is not open on Sunday or Monday. Please update hours in Yelp. Food and prices look amazing. Wish it was open.

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Parts of the restaurant was quite dark. Food was ok nothing special. Service is not bad. Won't be going back

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Food, service, and culture was great! Definitely recommend and im coming back! Love the ambiance.

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    6 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

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    9 months ago

    This place is always closed. They need to update yelps hours! 3rd time tryin to go and closed :(

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    The food, ambience and people were nice. We will go back, I just didn't like the portion size of the food.

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    8 months ago

    Your basic run-of-the-mill breakfast place. Nothing really stood out to me, except the boxed pancake mix flavor.

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

    Very busy spot. Obviously regulars. Service is good. Food can be better. Just too rushed. Ok for kids, good parking.

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    1 year ago

    Good food good service good ambience. I had a small meal. Will try more food soon! I love that breakfast is served all day!

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    1 year ago

    Great service and huge portions at affordable prices! Our server was very attentive, despite how jam packed they were.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    9 months ago

    The breakfast was amazing. You can't beat the prices they have. The staff is very friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

    Good food. Made fresh always Served hot not warm. great service. Owners are wonderful.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    Page 1 of 7

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    Boulevard Bistro

    Boulevard Bistro

    4.6
    (916 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Had dinner here.. always so delicious! Restaurant is quite small and reservation is highly…read morerecommended. For a Thursday evening they were still very busy. Service is always so amazing! The staff is super attentive and ready to fill your cups or take away any finished dishes. Tonight I had the plum salad. Sounded a little on the wild side but it was amazing! So sweet and refreshing I ate every bit of it! Loved it! For my entree I picked the braised short ribs .. it was so tender! I was put off by the blue cheese mash beneath it a bit but it's ok because the short rib was so delicious. For dessert I had the berry crumb cobbler. The cobbler came with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top. It was great! The berries were sweet and the crumb top was so buttery. Everything flowed deliciously. My husband had the filet mignon.. he said it was made medium rare just as he asked. And of course the crème brûlée is the reason why he keeps coming back lol My go to for fine dining in Elk Grove! Love the intimate scenery with great food!

    I made a reservation inquiry for my birthday at exactly 5:00 PM on Saturday, April 11, for a party…read moreof two. I was told the earliest available reservation was 7:45 PM. I then asked if there was any chance of being seated sooner as a walk-in, and Aubrey told me they had room for two at a table in the bar area. I specifically asked whether it was an actual table where we could comfortably order food, because I did not want to be stuck at some tiny corner setup where only one plate could fit. I also made it clear that it was my birthday and that I wanted something a little more formal and comfortable. I was told it would be in the front by the bar, not shoved in a corner, though it could be a little crowded if people were in the waiting area. When we arrived, the first issue was parking. For a first-time guest, parking was unnecessarily difficult to figure out, especially during a rainstorm. Since the restaurant is set up like a small house, it was not obvious where to park, and there was no clear sign letting us know there was parking around the back. Once we walked in, I immediately saw the table that had been described to us. It was right near the bar against the wall, and it was much smaller and more awkward than I had been led to believe. My girlfriend was wearing a dress, and because it was such a high table, it made it uncomfortable for her to sit naturally and comfortably. As soon as we sat down, I looked at the table and asked if we were really going to be able to order multiple items and eat comfortably there. I was told they would "pace it" and "make it work." That should have been the warning sign right there. We started with two ice waters, and even that nearly filled the table. They brought a pitcher and poured the water into the glasses. I asked for a separate cup of ice, and because there was so little room on the table, I had to ask the waiter to take the glass back and pour it for me so I would not spill everything. That is how cramped this setup was. We ordered the chicken breast special and a half dozen oysters. First came the garlic bread, and now we had bread, butter, two waters, silverware everywhere, and barely any room left. Then the oysters arrived, and everything had to be shifted around just to make it fit. At that point, the table had bread, oysters, hot sauce, waters, and multiple pieces of silverware for each guest, and it felt like one wrong move would send a glass to the floor. After we finished the oysters and bread, they cleared the table and brought out our entrée. We ordered the shareable chicken breast after I specifically asked whether it would be enough food for both of us. The waiter said it should be. In reality, it was about four small pieces of chicken once cut, three asparagus spears, and two very small scoops of mashed potatoes. For the price, it was honestly disappointing. I cannot remember the last time I paid that much at a nicer restaurant and still left hungry. What made it worse was that they knew it was my birthday and did absolutely nothing to acknowledge it. No small dessert, no candle, no gesture, nothing. Ironically, the only people who made the night feel special were another couple who had apparently been dining there for years. They overheard us mention it was my birthday and kindly bought us two sparkling wines. That was thoughtful, but it also added even more clutter to an already ridiculously tiny table. The service overall was underwhelming. We were barely checked on, and the whole experience felt awkward. The hostess kept staring at us throughout the meal, and at one point, she rolled her eyes when she went to take the Tabasco sauce, and we told her we still needed it for the chicken. For the prices Boulevard Bistro charges, I expected much better service, better communication, and a much more comfortable dining experience. Instead, the whole night felt misleading, cramped, and disappointing. I will not be coming back.

    Photos
    Elegantly Dining Area
    Elegantly Dining Area
    Deviled Eggs
    Deviled Eggs
    Boulevard Bistro

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    Mimi's Cafe

    Mimi's Cafe

    3.4
    (967 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    This is a fair review…read more Mimi's is definitely a cozy spot with excellent staff, but quality can be hit or miss. I've been dining at Mimi's Cafe for many years, and while it still holds a lot of cozy charm, it's definitely a mixed bag now vs. 15-20 yrs ago. It was 5 stars back then. The Positives... *Friendly Staff: The service here is consistently warm, welcoming, and accommodating. *Cozy Ambience: The restaurant provides a great, comfortable atmosphere that is particularly relaxing and ideal for older adults. Tbh I have an old soul with some social anxiety. So Mimi's became an instant fav in my 20s for the ambience alone. *Great Brunch Selections: The menu offers a fantastic variety that is perfect for breakfast or brunch. It's truly all about the brunch at Mimi's! I don't think they could ever mess up a pancake, waffle, or French toast. *The muffins: Their muffins are unbeatable! So delicious and fresh. The Downsides... *Bland Flavors: Certain classic menu items have become a bit bland and lack the rich, robust taste they had 15 to 20 years ago. *High Price Point: For the quality you receive, the prices feels a bit too high. Plus they have done away with the free bread and carrot cake baskets. Although I believe they may still give you free bread, but you'll have to ask. *Timing Affects Quality: The timing of your order matters immensely. If you order a breakfast item during evening hours, parts of it might arrive tasting old, hard, and reheated. Recommendation:It remains a wonderful place for breakfast and brunch.

    I've been in EG for 10yrs. Went to Mimi's in the Bay Area for breakfast and it was great. Came to…read morethe EG location for lunch by chance. We tried to go to Cattleman's for lunch and discovered they don't open till 4pm. So, we decided on Mimi's on the other side of the parking lot. There were 8 people total there for lunch when we arrived. We ordered; half chicken meal, French pot roast and the trio platter with chips, the artichoke dip, chicken wings, chicken quesadillas. Trio: Chips were terribly stale, artichoke dip looked old, old, old and tasted old too. Quesadilla lacked flavor. The wings were just okay. French pot roast- Over sauces so you can't taste anything else. Half Chicken- was so old and zero flavor. I was surprised they were not embarrassed to serve us that meal. The soda was completely FLAT. We tipped the server his 20%, not his fault the food was horrid. We will never return. They might be great at just breakfast, I don't know. We took the French pot roast home, rinsed off the sauce and fed it to our dog.

    Photos
    Mimi's Cafe
    Pumpkin Spice Muffins and Loaves, drizzled with a sweet icing.
    Pumpkin Spice Muffins and Loaves, drizzled with a sweet icing.
    Chilaquiles

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    Chilaquiles
    Jamie's Cafe

    Jamie's Cafe

    4.2
    (628 reviews)
    6.5 mi
    $$

    I came to Jamie's Cafe for Sunday brunch around lunchtime, and it was kind of busy, but the wait…read morewas not too long, about 15 to 20 minutes. The service was really fast, and the workers were friendly. They have really big portion sizes. I got the steak with eggs and a biscuit, and it was delicious. I even had enough left over to take home. It is also a pretty big space, which made it feel less crowded.

    Wait Time: 15 minutes (Sunday brunch)…read more Parking: Free with plenty of spaces in the shopping complex. Restroom: Bright and clean. Ambience: The space feels somewhat unfinished. Much of the interior consists of plain, single-color walls without much décor, giving it a blank and somewhat incomplete feel. Service: Friendly but slow and somewhat disorganized. * At check-in, the host added my name (Lin) to the waitlist and said I would receive a text when my table was ready. However, the notification arrived under a different name (Nancy), so I had to double-check whether the table was actually for us. * Our server was pleasant, but service felt scattered. She stopped by to check on us, but before we could respond, she walked over to another table and continued a conversation there. When she returned, she said she would bring water, even though we were already ready to order. It took a while for the water to arrive. * Later, we requested a water refill, which she acknowledged, but it appeared to be forgotten. The refill only came when we were getting ready to leave, at which point she apologized. Although it was a Sunday brunch service, the restaurant did not seem busy enough to fully explain the level of disorganization. Food: Breakfast is available all day. I recommend the Eggs Benedict (weekends only), which comes in several varieties: A. Bacon, spinach, and tomato Benedict B. Traditional ham Benedict C. Cali Benedict with avocado, tomatoes, and arugula D. Smoked Salmon Benedict The Club Sandwich also comes with a generous portion size. A nice convenience is that the restaurant allows split bills, and guests can pay individually through the Toast app.

    Photos
    They are all decorated for the season!
    They are all decorated for the season!
    Eggs bacon tater tots and a biscuit.
    Eggs bacon tater tots and a biscuit.
    Deep-Fried Strawberry French Toast Special

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    Deep-Fried Strawberry French Toast Special
    The Waffle Experience

    The Waffle Experience

    3.7
    (1.3k reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    A loooong week of work means Saturday waffles at Waffle Experience! Needed a break and what a…read morebetter way to do that than an iced coffee and a waffle combo breakfast - featuring 2 eggs, crispy bacon (I like mine extra crispy!), potatoes and a cream waffle! They also have a bar and can mimosas and other delicious drinks. Their menu has the typical breakfast benedicts and sweet waffles as well as savory herb waffles and even lunch fare - like burgers, BLTs, Crispy chicken sandwiches, and Ribeye sandwiches! Nice roomy seating area and a cute counter bar and patio seating, too.

    If you're reading this review, you're probably considering trying this place out. Do yourself a…read morefavor and DON'T! Came in with my family (party of 4) on a Sunday morning around 11am expecting it to be busy, which it was. We were told it was a 15 minute wait - no problem. After getting seated, by the hostess, it took 5 minutes for a server to come by touch our table, no waters, no name or introduction, just a simple "I'll be right with you guys." We were seated in the outside patio, no music, just quiet enough to hear every tables conversation. After taking our order, we asked for waters, which was dropped off to us almost 20 minutes later. After waiting almost 40 minutes, I got up and went inside to check the status of our order. I was told they were working on it and should be out in 5 mins. Food never came out after waiting almost an hour after being seated, so we decided to leave. I kindly told our waitress that we were leaving and asked if it was possible to speak with a manager in which I was told "we don't have a manager. The owner is here, but I doubt he will come talk to you right now since he is really busy." I'm all for supporting small businesses and I understand that coming in for Sunday brunch - it's going to be busy. But this was by far the worst "dining" experience ever. We will not be returning to this restaurant and neither should you. To make matters worse, the couple next to us also got up and left when we did due to the horrible customer service. Ran into the couple outside who told us that they left because they were too hungry to continue waiting and that the service was SLOW! Again, do yourself and your family a favor and DO NOT waste your time here! I would give 0 stars if I could.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    The Waffle Experience
    The Waffle Experience

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    Mel Dog's Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated July 2026

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