I wish they wouldn't have shortened the menu. The service has and still is good. I will still eat at Mel's.

Messed up a good thing. Food declined since moving. Service is also not the friendliest or most efficient. The new building is the worst, you feel like you're eating inside of a gymnasium at a school dance or something. Also super loud. Used to be a staple but myself and everyone I know don't go anymore. Lots of other options in town. read more

Was in town for work and we saw this restaurant. The food was great and portions were great. The staff were awesome my coffee cup never got below half and the same for my water. It looked like it might have been a new building but it was extremely clean and you have to enjoy the wooden statue of an Indian Chief when walk in. They also have a bar area. read more

The new Mel's is better than ever! Although I typically only come on the weekends for "brunch", the menu has a lot of good home cooking options. The portions are worth the money! The veggie omelet with jalapeños is my go to with crispy bacon and perfectly cooked hash brown potatoes. The new bar was a great addition with bottomless mimosas in the weekend. The bartender suggested an orange-pineapple mimosa and now I can't get enough. The servers hustle, management checks on tables and what make Mel's a great employer is that I see the same people serving fir the last 4 years! Mel's is noisy with lots of happy chatter. The new expanded restaurant , bar and outdoor patio make it a great choice for good food with great friends, live music or to watch a game... read more

Mel's Country Cafe - Pineapple Mimosa - Cafes Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

The past two times we have been there have been bad. We had to wait about 20 minutes for our meal, just the two of us. The meal was flat-tasting and badly needed spices. But when they brought the food, you had to eat with your fingers because both times, they were out of or short on clean utensils. A fork is all we could get. I will add that we had to ask for napkins twice. After years of eating there, we will not be going back. All of this, plus the acoustics, is horrible. Very loud. So, the service and ambiance were poor. read more

What a great lil place and great food! Love little places like this, actually it's not as little as I thought going in. Lots of room in main dining area and then an additional bar area with tables and roll up doors for nice days! I'd totally come here again. I had the Spinach & Feta omelette, although it doesn't picture the best it tastes 10 times better than it looks (pictured). Very fresh and tasty. My sister had the standard bacon and eggs and also delish. I listen to a podcast "Mel Robbin's" and she shared that, to her there are 4 types of coffee shops. I wont give the whole story but this is a wonderful #2 coffee shop with excellent service, friendly staff, fresh breakfast and no grease which many breakfast foods can have. Definitely would come back again if I'm ever in Jeff City again for whatever reason. Such a treat, we had a Mel kind of a day. read more

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I have no idea why everyone thinks this restaurant is so good. It's probably the worst breakfast place in Jefferson City outside of McDonald's or maybe fast food. The food is basic all cooked in oil and margarine. No quality no care. Everything is pretty disgusting. It's all white red margarine, no butter no real ingredients. Everything is cheap as possible possible And very basic no flavor. I have no clue why anyone eats here. read more

So good! DELICIOUS! If I lived near here I would definitely be back! What an efficiently ran place! So busy and yet my coffee was always so full if I wanted it to be! Loved the place! We will have a MEL OF A WEEKEND after starting it here! #melrobbinspodcast read more

Mel's Country Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

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4 of us had breakfast. My hashbrowns weren't brown but tan, dry, hard, tasteless. Omelet was good. Toast obviously sat out for a long time. 20 minute wait then 20 minutes to be served. The team works well together but unless you catch a servers eye you can't get water or coffee refill as your waiter doesn't handle the drinks. Ambiance is nice. Low key place. read more

Well we thought we'd give Mel's a try and we weren't disappointed. Delicious, classic two eggs, sausage, breakfast potatoes and toast AMA the yoghurt parfait hit the spot! Great value for the money, and Aaron, our server was a sweetheart! Thanks, Mel's- we'll be back next time we're in Jeff City. read more

Been here a handful of times now since the move a few lots over (new digs) and they are some unassuming rock stars of the reliable diner community. Fast, friendly and articulate service staff can get you a simple breakfast or something more nuanced, and I've never had a bad meal here. By itself this would be a five star diner review, but they also have as a part of this new construction a separate area for live music, a bar and stage. Smaller for seating but great for outdoor/indoor digestion of an intimate live music act (1-6 members in a small group). Bar staff is still learning but the drinks are relatively inexpensive and everyone is nice as heck here. Looking forward to being back at this venue again soon to see how things evolve. 6(?) out of Five stars, and easily the best spot to visit in west JC. read more

New location; average food. Nice, new building with lots of room. The food was just okay- nothing special. Somewhat disappointing.

Stopped in and had a very good breakfast. Typical diner fare with breakfast and lunch items served all day, well, all day until they close at three I guess. Service was very good. My sweet tea was never empty and they have Franks hot sauce which is a bonus. read more

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Tried Mel's for the first time this morning. The people were friendly and the service was good. The hash browns were cold and so were the pancakes. The biscuits tasted like they were store bought as was the gravy. It was an ok experience and from the number of people in there I'm guessing others like the place. I don't think that we will return. read more

Great food and excellent service! A neighborhood gem! I will be back the next time I'm in town.

We had breakfast at Mel's this morning and it was delicious. I had biscuits and gravy...Biscuits were fluffy and delicious, sausage gravy definitely homemade and perfectly seasoned. My husband had chicken fried steak and said it was one of the best he had ever had! Staff was super friendly and kept our coffee cups filled. Definitely recommend this place. read more

I've recently moved to Jefferson City and have been told that Mel's is a community favorite. It was at their "new" location. New building right next door. Food was better than expected and service was good - my water stay filled, what more can you ask for? I will return and urge others to do so as well. read more

Good food and people that come around just to make sure your coffee and water stay full. We usually go for breakfast. Never had a bad visit in the past two years we go there. If there is a line, it is worth it to wait! Waitresses are all really nice. read more

Mel's Country Cafe - Pretzel sandwich, steak and eggs and country bowl - Cafes Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

When traveling, I always look for a diner instead of fast food. I was in Jefferson City, so I decided to try out Mel's Cafe. I'm so glad I made that choice - it had a great diner atmosphere. I had a wonderful meal of chop steak and mashed potatoes, which is one of my favorite comfort food dishes. For dessert, I had a slice of raisin pie - it was absolutely delicious. I'll definitely be back if I'm ever in the area again! read more

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Obviously, if you're local, you already know about Mel's. But we are from Minnesota, where we pride ourselves on friendliness -- read "Minnesota Nice"-- so you'd think that only a few cafes, if any, could possibly manage to exceed our expectations when it comes to friendly service. Well, guess what. Our recent experience at Mel's far outstripped ANY level of service we have received in our home state! Mel's is quite simply the best managed breakfast venue we've ever encountered. It's common knowledge that if your offer great service and good food at a fair price you should be able to succeed in the restaurant business. But not every owner can pull that off. Franchise establishments, especially, often fail to deliver on this simple formula. However, Mel's is not a franchise and the original owner, Mel, has succeeded where others have not. Now owned by his nephew, the tradition of great service that he established continues today. If you're on Yelp and looking for a place to have breakfast around Jeff City, go to Mel's. It's that simple. read more

First time here. This place is very busy! However, were seated and had our drinks with in 2 minutes of walking in. The waitress was super friendly and had suggestions of her favorites to share. Food came out super fast and hot. I had the Cuban sandwich. Very good!! Awesome experience! read more

Mel's Country Cafe - Toasted Ravioli - Cafes Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

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Perfect in every way! From the minute we were seated, attention was given to every detail. Our coffee cups were never more than half empty, same with our water. SO many choices for breakfast! The woman in charge(assumed to be the owner) was running a tight ship. In this time of pandemic and uncertainty she was more than adhering to guidelines for her customer's protection. The tables and chairs were being sanitized immediately after use, along with all of the condiments. The food was INCREDIBLE! The service was outstanding! We WILL be back! Come on in and support this local gem! You won't be sorry! read more

Mel's Country Cafe - Breakfast - Cafes Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

Best breakfast I've had in 20 years. I was starving and Izzy got us our food quickly and accurately. When you order the breakfast bowl, IMHO, the secret is to ask them to serve the crisp Hash Browns separately instead of letting them get soggy from the incredible sausage gravy poured on the biscuits. read more

Tried it again thinking newer, better. How they expect repeat customers is beyond me. Very generic, mediocre, food. Long wait for food and rude response when only asking why. Won't be back. read more

Went to their new building proceed to wait 25 minutes, which is fine. We finally sat down and ordered our food and many people that sat after us got their food before us. I understand trying to get to know a new building. But literally the waitress takes the order and delivers the food. They do not have to worry about any of the drinks because they have others that do that. She did not notice that we did not have our food and never checked on us the entire time. We spent an hour and a half at this restaurant on a Wednesday morning and they have a one page breakfast menu. Aggravated is an understatement. read more

We are from Ca. & were in Jefferson City, Mo. for a family service. I looked up in yelp for breakfast places & came upon Mel's. The service was great & the food was delicious. Very reasonably priced compared to what we're used to. I recommend it if you haven't been yet. read more

Always delicious food; great service; clean, COVID appropriate environment. Our favourite restaurant!

It had been quite a while since my wife ani I had been here and stopped in for breakfast at 830ish on Saturday morning. It absolutely blew my mind to see a couple of young girls who are not waitresses per se making the rounds and ensuring that coffee and water stayed topped off for every customer in the building. If you run out of a drink there, it is your fault because you get every single opportunity to get topped off. The service was great, the food was great, and the experience was fantastic. read more

First time getting Mel's. The food was bland, but generously portioned. We did take away, and they didn't provide napkins or utensils. No COVID precautions were being taken. I will skip in the future. read more

My daughter and I had lunch here one afternoon when it wasn't busy. It was good quality all the way around. The wait staff were taking good care of the older guests and did a good job with us as well. We wanted to stop for lunch at a later date, but it was a nice weather Friday about lunchtime and the line was out the door, so we went elsewhere. I recommend trying to go before or after the rush. read more

We stopped in here for pie one time on a trip through Missouri. The food looked good and the locals indicated they eat here regularly. But we were on a search for pie. I knew this was the place for us when I called to ask if they serve pie. Without hesitation the pleasant voice on the phone rattled off a list of pie that made me grin ear to ear. We made a "flight" of three varieties- boysenberry, strawberry rhubarb and rounding out the trifecta was pecan. I'm not certain the pecan was homemade but the boysenberry and strawberry rhubarb sure seemed like they were made that morning. Would I go back? In a minute and I'd bring all my friends too! read more

Mel's Country Cafe - Mmmmm.... Pie! - Cafes Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

This is fine for a quick pinch but I probably wouldn't visit again. The dining area has more of a cafeteria feel than a restaurant. The waitresses were very friendly and helpful. But it was like a rotating door with the waitresses one would ask if we wanted water and another would take the order and another would deliver the food. We went for lunch and it was really like an older person restaurant. You could tell the regulars because the waitresses would chat with the folks. It was daily clean though we were seated right next the the bathroom doors. I ordered a Philly cheese steak. It was okay. Food was hot but the meat was a little dry. The fries were the best part, crispy and tasty but didn't get a lot, unfortunately. Cheap and filling. I probably won't return but I can appreciate the kindness of the busy waitresses and admire their relationship with the elderly but food-wise I wasn't very impressed. read more

Mel's Country Cafe - Philly cheese steak sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

The food was great & so was the service!! We will be back! The prices were very reasonable & food was plentiful!

A real southern breakfast to include the hospitality. The food was plentiful, the coffee hot and the service was prompt.

The food is ok, however the waits are outrageous for what is pretty ordinary food. If you want to wait in line for basic breakfasts, go ahead, but when I want breakfast, I don't want to wait. read more

Mel's has the best service I think I've ever had from the entire staff. Excellent food as well!

I was meeting a friend for breakfast this past Saturday morning and was so excited about it . I ordered a veggie omelette , and had to pay extra for cheese and mushrooms. I ordered hash browns and toast as well. The hash browns looked and tasted 2 days old. And The Omelette was so thin it looked more like a crepe. It certainly wasn't a fluffy omelette . I won't be going back . It was such a disappointment. And the hostess was very rude! Although they did keep the coffee filled. It just seems like a diner for old people! I say that as a 64-year-old woman. If I could have I would have given this Diner a no-star rating. It was the worst. read more

Very disappointed! You really need to update your opening and closing times. We stopped here on a Tuesday, arriving at 2:55 pm and were told they were closing at 3:00 pm. The yelp app said they were open until 8:00 pm! We live in Mexico, Mo. read more

Great place for breakfast! Very homey, cute place to stop in with a group. Love the waffles and the coffee. Lots of options and really good prices. Friendly and fast service, this place is the epitome of a local mom and pop place. read more

This is one busy place and I've never had anything there that wasn't good. I'd advise not going unless you have something time to kill. The waitstaff are doing the best they can to serve so many folks so be nice to them. read more