Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Mel's Blueplate Express

    4.6 (76 reviews)
    Closed • Closed
    Updated 3 months ago

    Mel's Blueplate Express Photos

    Business Info

    MEL'S BLUEPLATE EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    More like Mel's Blueplate Express

    Recommended Reviews - Mel's Blueplate Express

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Well I deleted the burger picture by accident but it was huge! We both could not finish it! Here's the inside.
    bec s.

    After reading such good reviews here we tried it. My husband took one bite out of the cheeseburger and said "this is really good!" I thought the same. Loved the crinkle fries too. We were skeptical about eating in a gas station but turned out great. The ladies working super nice too. We went at 1:30. No crowd then.

    Drinks
    Rachel Macie H.

    A DIY Local Spot hidden inside a gas station you just know that screams what's good and let me say it totally was in just that way! So coming here in the evening I was kinda bummed because they were out of almost every thing I asked for but it wasn't their fault as this place gets slammed by the locals to the point of where the people working know them by name which just shows at that point how much of a locals spot this really is. With that said I went with the patty melt as they had it and I was just all for it at that point and let me say that was a good idea as this really was one one of the best patty melts I've ever had as the bread was perfectly crispy the meat was tasty the cheese was gooey the onions were scrumptious and that special sauce was the kicker to tie the whole thing together as it was just a really good burger like if I lived here I'm sure I'd be back to get that every so often! My fries were extra crispy just the way I like them they were also out of those onion rings but the fries definitely made up for it being seasoned and extra crispy! It's also a convenience store inside so they have all kinda Random things to buy so I got a Gatorade as well just because that sounded good and yeah let's just say this was a good choice to come here! Overall super yummy small little spot that's packing lots of good stuff into a gas station so do yourself a favor and come here to fill your tank you'll be happy you did!

    This food here is delicious and tastes home cooked. It's inside of a gas station so it's kind of interesting to be able to eat in the gas station itself. You can get drinks and other things from the cooler and shelves while you wait and it is worth the wait. We had the fried seafood basket and it was really good! Come here if you want a homestyle meal at a reasonable price!

    Mac and cheese, fries, cheeseburger with grilled pineapple and fried egg added
    Heather M.

    Amazing! I love any burger joint that has awesome add-on options and Mel's sure has them! It's so damn good. The mac and cheese is simple and delicious, and the seasoning on the fries is great. It was all ready right when I walked in to pick it up. Perfect timing. The staff is super sweet! It always makes me feel even better about supporting local when you see how genuinely appreciative the workers are. They're in the Valero gas station and prove once again that gas stations in Texas are not to be missed. Go give them a try!

    Cheese burger and onion rings
    Rachel F.

    This place was so great! The burger and onion rings were done so well and my husband loved his shrimp po boy! Love me a good hole in the wall gas station find and this one did not disappoint.

    Cheese burger
    Stephanie W.

    Have you ever eaten inside a gas station that wasn't buccees? Yea, neither had I but I will certainly be going back!! Mel's is hands down the absolute best burger on the island!! The patties are handmade so they're nice and thick and full of flavor, topped with sliced white onion, pickles, tomato, lettuce, mustard & mayo (chefs kiss!). Perfection! The onion rings sell out all the time so if you want them, call ahead and ask. They're hand-battered and sooooo good! Now the fries. Oh the fries. When they're seasoned they're divine!... but sometimes they don't season them so check the bag before you sit down to devour them.

    5-23-2025 menu

    See all

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of bec s.
    0
    168
    102

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amanda D.
    138
    16
    30

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Such a surprise . So good and friendly . We took out a delicious burger and the buffalo chicken sandwich. Great value and great food.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    The best burger on the island! Don't make any plans for afterwards, nap will be needed.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Friendly service. Good food. Always pleasant times at Mel's. Burgers, chicken, shrimp, pork chops, fries, onion rings

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy T.
    3
    28
    1

    1 year ago

    It's in a gas station, but omg it was great! I would definitely recommend it to everyone that visits

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    The staff was so friendly and helpful. Everything was hot and delicious. The onion rings were perfection.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rachel F.
    19
    42
    18

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Great food and friendly service. Don't let the fact that it's also a gas station fool you. Great food!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alan S.
    786
    1930
    1750

    3 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Vibes? Immaculate!! Decor? Non existent. Service?1hundred (got called hunny ) Food? High key needed more salt.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 1
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joe B.
    0
    33
    13

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of RG A.
    7
    41
    4

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kim L.
    0
    39
    17

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J M.
    0
    3
    5

    1 year ago

    The best little hidden gem the food is so delicious and always fresh! The staff are the sweetest and great customer service

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Mel's Blueplate Express

    Is this the same as Mel's Blue Plate Diner? My husband and I ate there 8 years ago and I'm headed back to Galveston and was looking to eat there again, but I don't remember it being in a gas station.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Seafood 727 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Jimmy's on the Pier - Fish Tacos

    Jimmy's on the Pier

    3.5(1.2k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    •$$

    I wanted to eat on the water, and there aren't that many places to do that, enter Jimmy's…read more You go through the gift shop and upstairs, where the atmosphere changes. You're up in the breeze, ten degrees cooler than the stagnant, oven heat below. The place is nothing fancy, but you're there for the breeze and the water view and that's what you get I got blackened a fish taco and a chicken fajita taco, both good. The slaw on the taco could have been much better with more lime, less mayo? Not sure what was in it honestly, but citrus would have made it even better. I had a couple of bites of the burger, it was good. The wings were a special, not usually on the menu, wouldn't recommend those, there was an odd flavor. The pretzel bites weren't a big hit either. The service was friendly and attentive. I would come back here for a drink and an appetizer to enjoy the view.

    Entirely mediocre. Nothing tasted especially fresh, but nothing tasted especially bad either…read more Service was incredibly slow. I have the fish and chips. I ordered a house salad appetizer. The salad was wilted. It's clear they make them earlier and leave them laying about. The fish was squishy. It tasted good, oddly given how squishy it was, but the texture was just not pleasant. The chips, French fries, were sad. It was a bed of those kind of breaded french fries but they too weren't fresh. The server was nice, but it took forever for the food. The only thing this restaurant has going for it is the ambiance. On a reasonably cool breezy evening, it's a nice view of the beach.

    Photos
    Jimmy's on the Pier - Ocean views with margarita

    Ocean views with margarita

    Jimmy's on the Pier - Beet salad

    Beet salad

    Jimmy's on the Pier - Jimmy's

    See all

    Jimmy's

    Shark Shack Beach Bar & Grill - Grilled Shrimp over Fettuccine Alfredo!

    Shark Shack Beach Bar & Grill

    4.5(1.3k reviews)
    4.2 mi
    •$$

    Shrimp tacos are the best. We have always had great service. Love its located right on the strand.read more

    Cutting across Texas to New Orleans, I knew we would be skimming the shore of the Gulf of Mexico…read more Shut up. My review, I can call it what I want. That being said, it had been some time since I've gotten some proper fish-n-chips. I had to remedy that. Especially since the BBQ fiasco the other day, I was going to go on a hunger strike, but once I made the sign, I got potato chip fingers on it and started to eat it. So, I decided to fight fire with fire, and figured I would eat myself happy again. Which I'm never mad about. Sometimes I make myself angry just so I can eat myself happy. And now, the rest of the story. I have learned that I enjoy Cod fish for my fish-n-chips. And I think also Haddock. I am not a fisher nor a fish. So it's hard for me to say. But I know Cod is one for sure. I also sometimes have baby mouth and am afraid of new things. I do know I love my fish battered and deep fried. I also know that Shark Shack had good reviews for their fish, so, that was all I needed to hear. Plus, it was a perfect little eatery with bar seating, table seating, and gifts! So you can bet your bottom dollar tomorrow I ordered the English fish-n-chips. Boy oh boy. Just like how Britain colonized all those countries back when it was the cool thing to do, these fish and chips colonized my taste buds. Respectfully. This plate came with FIVE logs of fish. FIVE! Maybe they were tubes of fish? Honestly, I don't care what shape they came in, they looked perfectly crunchy and perfectly brown and perfectly fish. The super cool extra bonus? These fish came with CRISPIES! I've only ever seen crisps with fish from Long John Silvers, whose fish is probably as far from Cod or Haddock as legally possible. I actually think one of my pieces of fish from there had shoelaces. Didn't matter. Still ate it. Respectfully. (If you aren't privileged enough to know what fish crispies are, there little batter pieces that fry or fall off the fish as they cook. Basically little crumblies. If you make a wish over a fork of them and get the forkful in your mouth without dropping any, your wish will come true). Homemade tartar sauce was good, but there was a certain flavor profile that I wasn't a fan of. It was still good to use on the fish rods, it just tasted a little too much out of the tartar sauce field for me. The meal was wrapped up nice and tight with lovely square-cut fries. Perfect doneness. Perfect Ketchup vessel. I could just stare at a pile of them all night. Mostly because I'm weird. Perfect Fish Capsules: 12/10 Ideal Fry Sticks: 12/10 Times I Would Re-visit: Infinite

    Photos
    Shark Shack Beach Bar & Grill - Top Rated Seafood & Burgers in Galveston's Downtown, just 1 Block from the Cruise Ships!

    Top Rated Seafood & Burgers in Galveston's Downtown, just 1 Block from the Cruise Ships!

    Shark Shack Beach Bar & Grill - Redfish Tacos!
"Famous for Fish Tacos!"

    Redfish Tacos! "Famous for Fish Tacos!"

    Shark Shack Beach Bar & Grill - Blackened Fish tacos

    See all

    Blackened Fish tacos

    Shuck’s Tavern & Oyster Bar - Bluepoint Oysters

    Shuck’s Tavern & Oyster Bar

    4.7(224 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    We had an early lunch here. The place isn't huge, so…read moreseating did fill up pretty quickly after we got here. Our waiter was super friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes and oysters. I always appreciate when staff is excited about specific plates. The trip was dynamite. The sauce was TOO GOOD. Like, we wanted to drink what was left. 5 stars just for that. My wife loved the oysters. The lobster roll had quite a bit of lobster in it. Super buttery and filling. Solid fries. This was a very pleasant stop on our trip.

    It's been more than a day or two since we've been to Shucks. Not because we don't like them, but…read morebecause the costs of living, eating, and breathing in our town, and I expect all over this land, seem to be going one way, and that is up. Our lunch was absolutely delicious. Here's the rundown: 1 appetizer of ahi tuna won-ton, 2 raw oyster samplers, 2 Galveston Island Brewing blondes, 1 dirty gin martini with blue cheese stuffed olives, and one to-go bottle of Cat Five hot sauce. I am not a huge fan of tuna, but this ahi/poke style of tuna with actual umami flavor elevates a mild sushi gateway fish to something yummy. The oysters were a delight. Shucks has a color coded system in place to help you identify which oysters are which, but my tired old eyes can't seem to make their system work. I did have two favorite kinds but could not tell you what they were. No matter, they were all superior - and small like east coast/ Canadian bivalves are. Dan's beer was tasty and swillable and my martini was appropriately dirty. We got the hot sauce because you can never have enough condiments and cats were referenced in its name. Our server was friendly and efficient. Interesting to me, I was mildly making fun of their music selection and soon after it changed. Coincidence? Dunno, but I appreciated the change to Motown! Bottom line. So, so enjoyable and something we don't do too often these days. It was an expensive meal, but worth the splurge.

    Photos
    Shuck’s Tavern & Oyster Bar - Restaurant

    Restaurant

    Shuck’s Tavern & Oyster Bar - Bloody Mary

    Bloody Mary

    Shuck’s Tavern & Oyster Bar - Street view from the outdoor tables which are dog friendly.

    See all

    Street view from the outdoor tables which are dog friendly.

    Cooper’s Landing - Seafood Gumbo

    Cooper’s Landing

    4.0(277 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    •$$

    May 16, 2026 I've…read moreordered here many times thru door dash and every time it's fantastic! Ahi tuna for the first time (fresh and tasty) and my usual, bang bang shrimp

    8.6.26 (Really should be ZERO STARS!)…read more My family came here for dinner. We "were" excited because it was close to where we were staying and the parking lot was packed several times when we drove by. When we drove up 2 employees were coming from under the building having a smoke break laughing and giggling. They walked upstairs and we never saw them again. When we walked in there were only 2 tables with customers, no bartender, no hostess at the stand, no employees anywhere so we just stood there waiting. After 5 minutes someone appears and sits us at a table 5 steps away from where we had been standing. (Also, you know when you walk into a restaurant you expect it to smell like good food or at least like food....well this place did not smell like any food at all) (This made me nervous) We needed to use the diaper changing station in the women's restroom well, it was in a bathroom stall and the door was locked. We did not know if someone was using the stall or if it was out of order. We knocked and knocked and no one answered. We came out and asked our server (who appeared after we had been sitting there for 15 minutes!) if it was out of order or what. She said she was not sure and had to go ask her manager. She disappear. Came back for our drink order and we asked what she found out what the restroom - oh she forgot to ask. She laughed and left again to go ask. W H A T! Also it was a Thursday evening and they are suppose to have some kind of steak special on Thursdays but we ask her what was the price and she said, "we don't really know the price", "It will be somewhere around $40-$50 or something like that." (Rolling my eyes) At this point we had been there for 25 minutes and no drinks, still waiting on the answer if the bathroom is out of order so we can use the changing station, no food has come out of the kitchen to the other customers or no real price for the steaks. I said we have to go, this place is a shipwreck and we did not want to go down with it without food! --------- I don't expect this place to be in business when we go back to Galveston.

    Photos
    Cooper’s Landing - Dining room

    Dining room

    Cooper’s Landing - Gulf Coast Crab Cakes

    Gulf Coast Crab Cakes

    Cooper’s Landing - Dry martini during social hour

    See all

    Dry martini during social hour

    Pirate Island Bar And Grill - JC's Pirate Roll.

    Pirate Island Bar And Grill

    4.7(148 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    •$$

    I came here for two things, the novelty of a pirate themed bar and Vietnamese coffee, however I…read morefound it to offer so much more! The food was astronomical, mark my words BEST PHO ON THE ISLAND, there I said it. The Pirate Seafood pho with chicken was dynamic with a flavor that I kept coming back for. It was like that scene in Ratatouille where the critic Anton Ego is at a loss for words. If there's one thing I know about Phos they usually take 3+ limes and a dollop of sriracha to make it taste right...but this? Perfect as is. Needs not a touch of anything more. My only regret not getting here sooner. Spike the owner, a loving man who cares about atmosphere, personalized service and taking care of your needs. He provided service as if you were sitting at the dinning room table of his own house. Show Spike and Pirate Island Bar & Grill some love, it's beachfront, quiet, and has a seat there just waiting for you.

    This, as other Yelpers have noted, is not a fast food establishment. Everything is made to order…read moreand fresh. So, if you step in and it's a full house settle in and enjoy the experience! I eat here on a regular basis, Spike makes an amazing margarita with fresh squeezed juice. The pirate rolls, wings, Pad Thai with Grilled Pork (I prefer level 3 spicy because habenero keeps me humble), Banh Mi Sandwich and Vermicelli bowls are all on regular rotation. See you at the bar-but not on Tuesday, because they are closed.

    Photos
    Pirate Island Bar And Grill - At least the TVs are cool

    At least the TVs are cool

    Pirate Island Bar And Grill - Banh mi with grilled pork

    Banh mi with grilled pork

    Pirate Island Bar And Grill - Huge big screens everywhere!

    See all

    Huge big screens everywhere!

    Mel's Blueplate Express - seafood - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...