I love this place. Could be bias though never ate there before 2 am. The staff does a good job at dealing with drunks. I get hit on every time I eat here. thats cool read more

Really, really good down home cooking comfort food. Excellent red beans & rice, crawfish fettuccine, and the brown gravy would be good on a flip-flop. read more

Great Home style food. Food is served hot and very quick. Great daily specials......

It's late, your buzz is wearing off and you're starved. Mel's is pretty much your only non-drive-through answer in Lafayette. The food is what you'd expect. Can't really go wrong with anything on the breakfast side of the menu. Late night entertainment provided by fellow patrons who had a couple more than they should have earlier that night. read more

The "diner" in the name says it all for this place. It conjures the image of the 1950's that everyone loves. The food is pretty good and is your usual diner menu. The real draw of this place is the ambience. You really get the pageantry and the quirkiness of the 50's diner. The staff is very friendly and attentive. All in all I recommend this place for a great time and a good meal. read more

Go here mostly for the atmosphere. I love the old school diner style and the friendly servers are great! The chicken strips were amazing. And the coffee was great too! read more

I've never eaten lunch or dinner at Mel's, but I eat breakfast there often. The food comes out fairly quickly and cooked as ordered...for instance, the over medium eggs are never runny and the crispy corned beef hash is invariably crispy. The coffee is decent, the servers are friendly and efficient, and so are the men who assist them. Prices are reasonable, and newspapers are always available to read while awaiting your food. read more

Was looking for a good breakfast place to take the Granddaughter out on a Sunday, this was close and well recommended. The place was plenty fine, but it seemed that a number of things just came up short. I ordered the Chefs Breakfast; eggs over easy, smoked sausage, home fries, a "worlds best" biscuit, and for good measure, since the biscuits were touted, a biscuit and gravy. The coffee was typical weak diner coffee, no big harm there, they were out of the home fries, so I was offered hash browns instead, again, nothing terrible. When I got the food, it looked good, eggs were well cooked, the sausage looked and tasted great, probably local, (Hey, as it should be in a great sausage region) but it was stone cold, and so easy to have it on the grill to reheat while the eggs are cooking. The hash browns were OK, pretty sure they were the rehydrated ones, not fresh. Biggest disappointment was the biscuit. Being from up North, I may not know my biscuits, but I was expecting a flaky, light, rolled and cut biscuit. What I got was a dense, quick bread type biscuit, obviously from a batter and poured into a cupcake type pan, though baked with butter or oil so the outside was brown and crispy, I normally think of this as a muffin, something I make with Bisquik. Overall, it was as the ranking says, "Meh, I've had better". Service was very good, the Grandaughter liked her french toast and commercial/frozen sausage patties. The fifties theme gives it some atmosphere, but it was all just "OK" read more

Went to Mel's this am w/ friends and we were sitting and talking this am about the events to come this year. Now, there were small tables open and large tables open and NO ONE waiting in line to be seated. The owner comes up to us and says that we had eaten and had been there "too long" and that he'd need the table for other "paying" customers. I could certainly understand if it was busy and people were waiting and no tables available.. not the case. I will NEVER step foot in this place again. The food was ok but not worth that kind of treatment. This was no where near close the "old diner" atmosphere that we enjoy to sit and eat and get a cup of coffee and take care of business. No thanks Mel's ... you're not worth it. read more

Friendliest staff that know how to handle me at 3:00 am. Love this place! You gotta get the wets. Fries with gravy hits the spot after a couple of drinks! read more

I would recommend the blue plate special any day of the week. They fill up quick around lunch so be patient

Typical" greasy spoon" diner. Pretty good after a night out on the town but not much more than that. Get them to grill your biscuits, you won't regret it. read more

I only give it one star because I had no choice. I have going to Mel's for several months because of having kitchen issues ... cooking for myself and my animals. Had gone there tonight with a friend. Unknowing he bought a drink in a styrofoam cup which was actually just ice, and a waitress (unclean, completely disrespectful, unprofessional, looked like an older drug addict) yelled at my friend AND grabbed it out of my friends hand without even explaining to him that he could not have a drink there which was unknowingly brought in, beside it was actually empty! I'm completely appalled and disgusted with the mannerisms of the employee at the establishment that I frequented so many times and spent so much money in!!! I instantly decided to leave I was actually told by her and her "friend" "good goodbye" this entire incident was completely uncalled for and absolutely unacceptable behavior for any employee to act in establishment that supposed be over 24 hours for people. I am not trailer park trash and that is how my friends and I were treated! What a disgrace, after all the times I have frequented this establishment!!! that now I will never go to that establishment ever again she should be fired!!! Not kidding if you want to contact me please call @ (862) 201-8269 read more

This is the most dirtiest diner I have ever went to. I would recommend everyone head to the Mel's diner in Broussard. The floor is dirty, the seats are full of crumbs and cockroaches. The food is good but would you eat at a place this dirty? read more

This place is really popular with the people when they go downtown. Funny thing is, I liked it when I was drunk as well. However, I sober visit proved to be different. My food was a bit cold and bland. Guess I'll need a few shots of whatever before I stumble in here again. read more

Every time I order a meal from any restaurant, I always repeat my order 2-3 times. I ordered takeout from Mel's--a plain cheeseburger and fries. I repeated the fact that my burger should only have meet cheese and bread two times. The person helping me assured me it would be as I ordered it. I get home with my food and open it, to discover the burger has pickles, lettuce, tomato, and mayo applied to it. I am highly allergic to mayo and cannot eat it. My food was useless. I guess that's why people of little-to-no intelligence work at places like this. Following simple directions is something a 3rd grade student can master. If you're hungry and choose this restaurant, expect to be disappointed. read more

Sad day when the Heinz 57 ketchup is the most flavorful thing on the table, especially when located in Cajun country. Pretty safe to say the staff/ownership have become complacent with this place. They simply feel they don't need to provide quality service and product due to their market. What a shame! read more

i would have given it a higher rating my only problem was that the "hot roast beef sandwich" that i ordered was cold, not just room temperature but cold, as well as the mashed potatoes. read more

Don't leave the table in the midst of your meal - when you get back the food will be gone! I went to the counter (2 steps away, for less than a minute, get change for the tip) and when I turned back my food and drink were gone. Food was great but I only got to eat half and paid full price! read more

excellent food with loads of choices, definitely something for everyone, including the super health conscience (like me). great setting however a bit chilly. i would have given it 5 stars except that the service to get food was exceptionally slow and therefore my food was cold when it arrived. when i left i saw a whole bunch of meals backed up waiting to be delivered to various tables so their food was undoubtedly going to be cold as well. maybe they need some more staff to deliver the food right away so people can enjoy a hot meal. read more