My wife has ravioli with shrimp and cream sauce. I lasagna both were delicious. Will definitely return. Only complaint was better beer selection would be nice. Thanks for a great meal. read more

The Puttanesca is amazing- service is kind and thoughtful... food is wonderful! This is one of our favorite places to go

Quaint, simple, excellent service and outstanding Tapas. The Italian red wines by the glass were much better than expected. We were staying at the Courtyard and this restaurant is well worth enjoying dinner at! read more

I've only ordered to go during the pandemic - haven't dined inside, but this is amazing pasta! I've tried the carbonara, meat ravioli, and shrimp scampi--all were delicious but I think my favorite was the shrimp. My family has tried other dishes and we were all impressed. read more

A perfect night out! Delicious food, great service and sweet atmosphere. The spinach appetizer was spectacular and the lamb chops tender. We will definitely go again and again. read more

Pros: Owner was delightful. Food was ok. Ambiance was nice. Service was friendly and timely. Scallops really were great! Cons: A little pricey. Food was JUST ok. We took our friend here for her birthday last night because it's one of my other friend's favorite Italian restaurant. Everyone was smiling and helpful. The owner came out to speak with us. That alone makes me want to give them another star....However, I left feeling distinctly underwhelmed. My food was adequate but when I go out to eat, I expect something a little better than I would make. I even salt and peppered my food which I rarely do. Verdict: Go if you don't like complex tastes in your food or have simple taste buds. But if you're looking for a WOW dinner, you might want to pass. read more

Meelo's is an Italian restaurant with a lot of heart. The owner obviously loves what he does. The food was pretty good. Better than the average Italian fare, but I'm sensitive to mass-produced pasta and was a bit underwhelmed here. The seafood dish we had was excellent, though. I'd go back. It's not the best Italian in the world, but at this price point it's tough to beat. read more

Absolutely FABULOUS dinner here tonight! How have I never dined here before? Wonderful service, very friendly people. I went with my family, so I tasted a bit of everyone's food. All amazing. I had penne with cream sauce mushrooms and shrimp. My family had lasagna, pasta with Italian sausage, chicken Parmesan, tortellini bolognese, and pasta with broccoli and sun dried tomatoes. Every dish was out of this world. As if that weren't good enough, best tiramisu I've ever tasted! My new favorite Italian restaurant! It may be in a strip mall, but do not be fooled. I love downtown Durham restaurants, but sometimes it's so nice to park and walk right in. Cannot wait to go back!! read more

We knew there was gonna be a problem when the bread arrived. The Italian bread wasn't fully cooked through and the rolls were from Costco. The bread was also toasted to try and cook it through/cover up that it wasn't done. How do you put that in front of customer? The main dishes ranged from bad to mediocre. My father in law said his veal scallopini was okay and my husbands pasta, with its cheap Smithfield (or the like) sausage, was edible. The shrimp scampi sauce was gross and had a weird lemony-marjoram aftertaste. The chicken was bland. The bruschetta was the worst. Same undercooked Italian bread with rubbery old tomatoes on top. My garlicky shrimp appetizer was pretty tasty despite them using minced garlic from a jar. This is a restaurant with $25 dishes! Mince some real garlic for god's sake. Food took forever to come out and service was inattentive and bland. If you have tastebuds, trust me on this -- stay away. read more

Great atmosphere, I actually forgot that I was in the US for the time being. Food was delicious, just the right amount. Servers were attentive and not too much not too little, just perfect. read more

This was fresh, good Italian food! I especially enjoyed my Spanish salad (without the Gorgonzola cheese). Beautiful presentation-- very appealing! A pork medallions with balsamic reduction special received high praise as well. Pleasant ambiance and good service. read more

See all

This is some of the best Italian food I've ever had! I've only gotten pickup from them but it's always been prompt and a smooth experience. Highly recommend them, and their spaghetti bolognese is amazing. read more

Great little Italian restaurant run by Peruvians. What a nice restaurant, nothing ostentatious or fancy just good food. I had the spaghetti puttanesca with shrimp. A bit spicy but with capers, black olives and onions it was perfect. My daughter had the salmon with mash potatoes and vegetables. She loved it. We started with just garlic bread but it was nicely, buttery toasted and not swimming in butter. Like I said nice and simple. Some restaurants try to be too much too many ingredients. Italian should be single and taste good. This place does that. . read more

Delicious food and great service! The lasagna isn't on the menu but it's a definite must-try. SO good!!

Came here with the family of five and seated right away on a Friday night. We've never been here before but it looked busy and knew that was a good sign. Staff greeted us with a nice smile and pointed us to a very quaint table. We were served our drinks and warm bread pretty quickly. And they often asked us if we wanted more bread. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and it came out nicely portion with three large spicy meatballs. Staff regularly filled up our drinks and make sure everything was OK and asked how our dinner was at the end. Very polite and accommodating staff. Very quaint Italian cozy restaurant with reasonable prices. Even the bathroom was decorative and I love the family pictures on the walls. Two separate rooms made it more intimate. Outdoor seating as well with real candles lighted. Full bar available. read more

See all

I would give them zero stars if I could. I came here with a group of 10 for my mother's birthday. I just had an invasive surgery three days ago on my abdomen and I am still very nauseous and sore but wanted to put on my best face to celebrate with my family. Most food items make my stomach turn right now so I requested the chicken nuggets and fries from the kid's menu because it's the most bland thing they offer. They refused to serve me off the kid's menu stating their age requirement policy. I told them I just had surgery, so they said they would have to see a doctor's note. I told them I would love to show them my history of the past week on Duke My Chart, but I said that really isn't appropriate and an invasion of my privacy just to buy some chicken nuggets and fries. They still declined to allow me to order that item. RIDICULOUS AND UNACCEPTABLE. A doctor's note to order chicken nuggets???? read more

Lovely staff- very bland food. Wouldn't truly describe as Italian. Was really shocked by the good rating on yelp.

I was staying at the Marriott across the street and didn't won't to drive anywhere for dinner, which was a great decision. Atmosphere was in line with with Italian and had a nice, brisk crowd. Ordered the Chicken Parm and it didn't disappoint. Lightly breaded and baked over spaghetti with the right amount of sauce. Also enjoyed Tiramisu, very delicious. read more

Cute little Italian place with a cozy, warm atmosphere. Service was quick and efficient. While I didn't get tapas, I did get garlic cream penne pasta with a cream sauce and shrimp. Also I started with a Caesar salad. The food was fast to come out and tasted delicious. There was a surprising number of good sized shrimp which made me happy. Overall, I'd definitely be back. read more

Ate at this cute Italian Restaurant yesterday....Had the lasagna and it was definitely some real good Lasanga and the staff was friendly and the service was very good......Definitely will make it a point to come back to this restaurant which has a great atmosphere complete with music and all......Definitely worth checking out....... read more

This place is not horrible, but I wanted to lower the average score. It is like 2/5 stars. Not inedible or filthy, but I could have had the same quality Tilapia at a low-end chain restaurant and spent 5 dollars less on my entree. read more

I had the puttanesca spaghetti . I've never ordered spaghetti at a restaurant before. It's just always seemed weird to order it because I make really good spaghetti and couldn't imagine a restaurant (especially not a chain restaurant) doing it well. Well, Meelo's isn't a chain and the menu description was so tantalizing that I couldn't resist. The food wasn't a disappointment at all, it was very good actually. It was omgnomlicious .... But still goodmenough to go again and take a friend. I did meet the owner / manager or whatever he is. He was friendly and polite. I had just left Duke hospital, so I wasn't really in the chatting mood. I brought a book and read and ate for about an hour and a half. It was relaxing and they didn't mind or give me the impression that I had over stayed my welcome. The decor was whatever. Very old school with booths, tables and random pixs on the walls. One wall had a hand painted mural, so... At least they tried. The ceiling was horrid, so just don't look up haha. It was that ceiling wit all the little holes in it...if I remember correctly. The music was some italian or Spanish opera type music and was low and more of an ambient sound. I'd go again and support this local shop. read more

Because North Durham is sadly lacking in non-chain and non-country cooking restaurants (don't get me wrong, these restaurants serve a need and some tasty meals) I was pleasantly surprised to hear about a new place in the old Loehman's Plaza and was determined to check it out. What a find! The menu is a combination tapas and old world Italian without being overwhelming. The mom in-law and I decided on tapas- a great spicy beef & mushroom in a tomato cream sauce, yummy loaded mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach with cranberries and pancetta. I was a little disappointed with my octopus, not as flavorful as I would have liked. After eating too much bread there was no room for dessert so I now have the perfect excuse to return soon. Chef radiated such pride in his place it was hard not to like him. A big plus is the gift of one of his bread plates to MIL just because she admired it so. read more

I really really wanted to like Meelo. The place fit the bill for Italian Restaurants to fall in love with, however, I and the friends I dined with just didn't fall in love with the place. Meelo is one of those family owned, hole in the way, unassuming and definitely italian joints. There's a guy playing live music in the front, with old artwork, and a decidedly old school feel. The service is decent and the ambiance is lovely, so what could be wrong about this place? Well the problem is that there isn't anything wrong per se, but rather, there is not enough right. I had the italian sausage with penne, while my friend got the lasagna and another friend got the brocolli and sun dried tomato. Every pasta dish was adequate. It was definitely true Italian American fare. However, there was nothing that made me remember it and there just wasn't enough specialness. After the meal, my entire party sort echoed this idea. All in all, I can't say this place was bad. It might be the best Italian restaurant in Durham. However, don't get your hopes up and don't hype it too much. However, I would say it is worth a trip if you're in Durham and in the mood for Italian. read more

This may be the lowest quality of Italian food that my wife and I have eaten, and we are not food snobs by any means. Pros: Low price point. We were enthusiastically greeted as we walked inside. Decor and ambiance was nice. Our waitress was attentive and friendly, and offered us a free shot of limoncello at the end of the meal (possibly because earlier we sent back a glass of Pinot Noir) Cons: Bread was 3 cheap sourdough rolls that were microwaved and by the time they got to our table they were cold. Pinot Noir was so watered down and sugary that neither one of us could drink it. Everything was overcooked and bland...salmon, asparagus, meatballs, and spaghetti. Meatballs had no seasonings/herbs in them, and they tasted like they were made last week as did the salmon. It seems like there were a lot of corners cut in the food preparation in order to reduce their food costs. read more

Meelo's is a poorly decorated, unromantic Italian restaurant in a run-down shopping center that happens to have redicuously good food, an energetic and friendly owner / chef (Andre), and a clientele that tends to share a laugh with the next table over. The talapia special and lasagna are both great. The tiramasu is simply the best I've ever had. read more

Melo Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The family stopped at Meelo's on the eve of my son starting his first day at Duke. The restaurant came with high ratings, so we expected a lot. The family felt the food was about 7 of 10. The decor was disappointing and the music, well unlike a previous reviewer, we did not enjoy Dean Martin. It sounded like a wailing animal dying; it was definitely not Italian. The prices were reasonable, so I would recommend the place for a quick meal, just don't expect too much. read more

What a fantastic end to a long day of driving. We happened upon this little gem of a classic Italian bistro after reading reviews on YELP! The food is simple, fresh and absolutely delicious. You can taste the love in every bite that Chef Andre puts into his cooking. The service is excellent and Andre' himself is a delightful host. A must do when your in Durham. We will surely be back! read more

Previous positive comments were right on . Great choice. Homey with the owner coming out to greet folks. Great food.

Just moved to Durham from New Jersey, in my opinion the home of some of the best family owned italian restaurants. I was looking for a restaurant that was not corporate or fake Italian so when I saw Melo's I figure I'd give it a try. One of my better choices. The waitress was friendly, helpful and flexible due to a member of our party arriving late. The food was prepared well, not overwhelming that you couldn't eat it all and tasty! I had the tortellini bolognese and was very pleased with the amount of spices and seasoning. Another member of the party had the sausage and pasta; plenty of sausage but not overwhelming. All in all everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. Is it owned by real Italians? Don't know, don't care. The whole experience was quite enjoyable. read more

Walking into a restaurant and realizing youre going to be the youngest attendants is 99% of the time a really bad sign. Sorry to say it but old people's tastebuds arent generally the best and they usually frequent restaurants out of habit, not quality. My wife ordered wine(i think moscato) and when it arrived she sipped it and made a comment on how it tasted store bought and stated that the glass of it probably costs as much as the bottle would at a store. Wine people take that how you will, I dont drink wine so i have no opinion on it. We ordered garlic bread and what arrived was sliced french bread buttered or oiled with a heavy amount of crispy garlic powder on it.. This was strike 2, and at this point we contemplated paying for what we ordered and leaving. The menu was pretty small and it was all standard italian fare, what id really wanted was a meaty pasta, ravioli or tortellini. The waitress came over, read the specials and answered my prayers. I ordered a beef and veal tortellini with an italian sausage and vodka sauce and my wife ordered shrimp alfredo. Our food arrived and it was 'alright'. Considering I had gotten exactly what i wanted, i was satisfied with the tortellini. The vodka sauce was interesting but the sausage seemed store bought or something along those lines, althought it mightve been how it was cooked. My wife said her shrimp alfredo was good. Rounding off the meal we ordered tiramisu, I dont particularly like the coffee taste of it but this one tasted once again 'alright', although it seemed to follow the trend of the other parts of the meal in tasting store bought. Our bill totaled out at $60 and thats what lead this review to a 3 star rating. Considering what we ordered, we got enough to warrant that price tag but the quality did not facilitate it. I probably wont be coming back, but at least they have a following with the baby boomers. read more

This is a favourite spot for several of my friends, including one who eats here almost every day that Melo is open! The owner is very friendly, and the wait staff is friendly, also. I love the food here. It's a great place to have a lunch meeting or celebration, and it's also a great place to have a quiet dinner. Check out their specials; the other day, they had a nice lobster ravioli dish, and a few months ago (may have been longer than that) they had an awesome lamb shank special that was available in limited quantities. I haven't had a dish at Melo that I didn't like; they're all great! In the dessert department, you can't go wrong with their tiramisu. It is a great dining experience and I highly recommend Melo. read more

See all

Melo! Your food is still wonderful, but your service is going downhill. Not all of it, just your wait staff. The gentleman who seated me, and the people who brought my table bread and kept our water full were excellent. But the waitress? Awful. Let's start with the fact that the waitress did not tell us about the specials. She kept pushing to take our order. I asked for the specials. She had to pull out her pad and read them, and it was difficulty to understand her. I explained to the rest of the table most of what she said (I knew there was some kind of soup but I couldn't grasp what it was). I wanted a glass of sauvignon blanc. When I ordered it, the waitress had no idea what I was talking about. I thought it was me, that I had been unclear or hard to hear, and so said it again. She still had no idea. So I referenced the wine menu. I had to open up the wine menu and point at it so she could write it down. My date was torn between pasta and the steak (one of the specials). So he asked for her opinion. She basically had no opinion just saying the steak would be good and not offering up anymore help than that. Food came, but our waitress disappeared. Luckily, the food was wonderful. I had the chicken parm which is a large dish. That's why I ordered it. I was already planning to take half home. Our waitress returned when I was done and asked me if there had been a problem with my food since I had some left. Well, I had eaten half of it! I said there was no problem. I just needed a box. She returned with the box. Then she came back with the check. She did not offer us dessert. Too bad, because I would have gotten some to go. I just didn't feel like dealing with her anymore. Someone else picked up my check and took care of me from that point on. Love your food. Love the atmosphere. Just get some better service. read more

Good food and attentive service. Ordered lamb and the seasoning and flavor was on point. The daughter liked her Ravioli w Vodka sauce.

delicious!!! The food is 100% authentic and fresh. Will definitely go back. Cannot go wrong with any of the food that they offer. Be sure to make a reservation in advance! They are a hot spot. read more

Went here for a company dinner. You'll feel the Italian presence in the decor. They have a very good selection of food from Spaghetti meatballs to Lamb. Got the Lamb and Tapas Chicken, Cappucino and Brûlée for desert. Lamb was good Brûlée I'll try a different desert next time. They have a decent selection of wine and there's like a semi-private area. Waiters check on you regularly. I would come back. I would encourage you to try it. read more

Melo Trattoria - Verne Brûlée - Italian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Horrible went for lunch. Expected some good bread with olive oil & fresh ground pepper. Got a Costco Roll and imitation butter in a small packet. Owner verified it was fresh bread from Costco, said he couldn't afford to get good bread for lunch! Order Sausage & Pepper Penne OMG very limited sausage (sliced Hillshire Farms) with clear colored grease poured on top. Looked more like soup. One bite and couldn't believe how bad it was. Oh yea $14 Spoke to owner told him my concerns and I was choosing not to eat here. He said ok but made me pay for $2.29 for the 1/2 glass of tea I drank and said 'Nothing is free here' Avoid this penny pincher restaurant at all cost!!!!! read more

The care and devotion that the staff puts into the food and service here is exemplary. One feels less like a patron and more like family. We have been here multiple times and have yet to be disappointed in the food. The menu drips of authentic Italian cuisine and is so much more than the expected spaghetti and meatballs of most of the chain restaurants. Not to be missed: The oven-baked scallops tapas, the lamb lollipops, any of the stuffed pastas (add a char grilled Italian sausage you won't be disappointed), and the tiramisu (the ideal ending to a fantastic meal)! What the place lacks in ambiance it more than makes up for in quality food and an attentive staff. read more

I've been coming here for 3 years now and everything about Melo's has improved! They expanded their space and their menu has many excellent options, not just pasta. The lasagna special is always delicious, as are most of their specials. Ambience is European, a little loud when busy but also romantic. The service is very good and the owner likes to socialize with the customers. I enjoy coming here because it's independent and locally owned. Andiamo a mangiare! read more

I took six of my out of town relatives here on a very busy Saturday night. Everything was all set up when we arrived. Even though the restaurant was extremely busy we treated extremely well. The service was far above par. Now for the food: we all had different dishes and all were presented to perfection. My Greek salad had all the necessary items and the dressing wasn't overwhelming like it is in other restaurants. After I finished the salad I had their nightly special- lasagne. The portion was large but manageable. When I finished I looked around the table everyone's plate was clean, a sure sign that they loved their choice. I will definitely return to Melo in the very near future. I am so glad that there is an Italian restaurant in Durham the believes in the best quality for their food. Try this restaurant and you won't be disappointed. I read more