What an awesome classic place to dine! My friends and I to Mel's Drive-In on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood for a late lunch/early dinner. The restaurant is nostalgia with a modern kick to it. Tons of booths and tables to sit in. There's a sign that says please seat yourself. The servers and staff have a cool retro wardrobe and fun hats. Our server was friendly and very quick! We ordered our drinks and food. She gave us a quarter for the mini jukebox. Yes, three booths have mini jukeboxes boxes! So cool. Our food arrived and was very delicious. We had classic American cuisine: sandwiches, fries and one friend even had breakfast for their meal! Before leaving my friend wanted a milkshake and he got it to go. It came in a cool to go cup with a lid. There are a few food items I definitely want go back and eat! read more

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The service is absolutely terrible. We got one silverware for party of 3, had to keep looking for our server to get refill on our drinks, we asked for no seasoning on fries, that didn't happen. The food is good, but the service and how they' seat customers with lack of cleaning the tables prior to seating is below minimum standards. No excuses for failure to provide subpar service for an infamous location. read more

This is a classic diner. Do NOT expect fancy food. I had a burger with fries. Instead of a bun it came like patty melt in sourdough. It was a lot of food. My daughter had the melted cheese sandwich which came with a cup of tomato soup. It is a good value for the price and hit the spot. Mel's is open 24 hours, but we were there around 6:30 pm on June 4th. Service is friendly and efficient. read more

Diner food, quick attentive service and great options. This location offers parking in the back as well as street parking. They sell Merchandise and do special events from time to time. This location is a tourist destination but there's usually a table available. They also have a variety of milks which I appreciate. read more

Mel's Drive-In - High protein breakfast - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

Mel's is the quintessential American diner. Housed in a classic 1950s "googie" architecture building, it's a great place to get comfort food in a cool environment. There's also outdoor seating so you can sit on the famous Sunset strip (and watch traffic and billboards). The food is uniformly excellent, but not inexpensive (this is an upscale diner). Breakfast is always available and their pancakes are especially good! The service is friendly, attentive, efficient, and the servers have real personality! There's FREE valet parking in the back ( a pleasant surprise in LA). It's also one of the rare restaurants that's open late, Thursday and Friday it's open till 3:00 a.m. And it's 24 hours a day over the weekend. Tourists and locals alike enjoy this old fashioned slice of Americana. You probably will, too! read more

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I'm kicking this popsicle stand (LA)! So, i'm going on a hobo tour of hanging out with all my friends before I go. Mel's diner was the perfect place to enjoy breakfast with them. Arrived around 10am and was surprised by how available it was to find a table. Totally amazing for peak brunch hours. You're able to seat yourself, so we walked right in and grabbed a seat. My friends got pancakes + waffles while I was craving something meatier...so I opted for the patty melt. Everything was incredible! It was great hanging with the girls, having a nice cup of coffee, eating some yummy food, and enjoying the fun morning at Mel's. read more

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Came here on a Sunday morning and shout out to the cooks the food was really good but unfortunately we got a service that was horrible our waitress name was Gabriela, she forgot my husband's drink twice. He ordered coffee and water and never got it. Thankfully one of the male Hispanic waitress was very kind and offered water, napkins and more coffee. Which made our experiences better.After we asked for the check Gabriela came and she placed down the pay tablet aggressively and passively after we paid The valet people were also very rude and left our windows down leaving our car unprotected. Never coming back they need to change the services and valet read more

Mel's Drive-In - Sirloin Steak and Eggs - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

My Boy's and I made the hour and some change drive here from Rancho Cucamonga. My Son Greg loves 50's diners so it was a must try for us. I will get the negatives completely out of the way first. Please be aware of the crook parking attendant outside in the parking lot. I told him I was dining in the restaurant and asked him if this is the only restaurant parking. He said you can park anywhere you want I said well that's the restaurant so I would like to park here. He said OK it's $20. Which I thought well we've already driven an hour and a half and it was very busy in the surrounding areas so I'll just pay the $20. Inside it was clean and there's a complete different ambience than there is outside. Everyone seems happy to be there including 99.8% of the employees. We were seated in a cute little booth. Our serve server was Jimmy. He was absolutely delightful. I asked my son if he wanted a shake and he said no so I had a shake and the boys had cokes. When we were ordering our food, we did ask for our burgers to be extra well done and Jimmy said "all our burgers are well done, They are thin smash burgers". I cannot eat pink. I usually refuse to eat pink. Unfortunately, both of our burgers were pink on the inside but charred pretty good on the outside so my son Geoffrey and I both did not finish ours but we ate most of it. I didn't want to send it back because everything else was going so well. My shake was the best shake. I've had in my entire life. I order shakes everywhere I go & typically my son Gregory does as well. I let him have the remainder of my shake that was in the metal cup and he knew he needed to order one too. So he ordered one after he finished his meal and Jimmy brought us drinks to go. I've made shakes at home that haven't been better than this and I too am also a chef. Hands-down, this was the best shake I've had in my almost 50 years and although I won't be back to this location because the surrounding area was not my vibe. My son's will probably come back when they're grown and remember this place. As my son Gregory is a professional skateboarder. He said the best most amazing skate place set behind the restaurant, but he didn't bring his board so we didn't go. I will try one of the other locations. Overall, besides the pink burger and the parking attendant that argued & cursed at me outside after my meal when I attempted to get my parking ticket validated which he refused.... we still had the best time ever. Jimmy was wonderful and we asked for a lot of things for the table and each time he came by, He always had a smile! Jimmy thank you so much. Be prepared to spend almost $200 with gratuity and parking. For My Boy's to have a memory it was priceless! read more

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One of the best late night diners in my opinion! Always great service, food comes out fast and they have all the diner classics. I love the retro decors and ambiance, the details really make it! Their pancakes are perfect and if you visit you have to get a milkshake (they always give the extra leftover shake in another cup). The prices might seem a bit high but it's nothing out of the ordinary for LA. Will be back when I'm in the area and craving a late night bite! read more

Mel's Drive-In - Lana Del Rey Shake - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

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Mel's Poem Milkshakes that make u feel 7 years old again Everlasting classic 50s diner aesthetic Love the staff, sweet even at like 1 AM Short rib grilled cheese w/ soup is reliable af read more

Mel's Drive-In - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

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I usually come here late at night since they have extended hours at this location! The service is really good. Everyone is friendly and attentive. Their shakes are the best. Always thick and satisfying. Definitely the highlight for me. Parking is the only downside. The lot in front is paid only, so keep that in mind before you go. Solid spot if you're craving something classic! read more

The the lost Americana grilled cheese sandwich. Paired it with a pineapple mimosa. The restaurant had a collab with machine gun Kelly for a day for his new album. The sandwich had turkey on Texas toast. Staff was friendly. Sadly the coffee cup merch was sold out. They offered free valet parking which was a nice bonus read more

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Excellent food and big portions. Service is great. Easy to park. I really enjoyed all the food read more

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if you are ever catching a show at the comedy store and looking for food after, go to mel's dinner. the service is great every time we come to this place. the banana split was jaw dropping (i mean look at the picture). the fries are good. the entire menu is to die for. plus you may never know who you will run into. read more

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What a fun experience! Pro-tip, their valet is free when you dine in! Wish I would have known but luckily we were able to find meter parking directly in front. Janet was our waitress and she was truly the best! Another pro-trip, get a mimosa with that burger, because why not!? We ordered the Sunset Burger and fries, which was perfect even to share. They are not lying with the 1/2 lb angus ground beed. Glad we shared too as we were able to also try out an appetizer. The place itself is fun, iconic to Hollywood, and perhaps the best one to check out if you are going to go to a Mel's Drive-In. Follow their ig page as they have pop ups, currently on their menu is Skims collab as their flagship is next door. I once saw country dancing event too on their ig! If you need a diner fix with a classic 50s twist, this is the place. Thank you to the manager too who was super helpful on our Hollywood sight seeing adventure. This was a perfect lunch spot to start our day. read more

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There are too few fun, retro places to grab a bite, 24/7 in LA and Mel's on Sunset is one of them. And it's a drive-in with easy valet parking. Wish it were still a drive-thru, or at one time, were there servers on skates? Bringing that back would be a great draw. We just wanted a quick cup of coffee and to check out the menu for vegetarian choices, of which there are many -- vegan, not as much but possible. It was clean and cheerful, with the old table juke boxes (yay! says this East Coast Boomer) and efficient, friendly service (shout out to Jamie). Customers choose the music and create an upbeat, lively atmosphere. Glad to know that Mel's is in the heart of WeHo, whenever we want it. Next time we are going to grab a booth, pay for some tunes and figure out which of the great breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices would be the best. Mel's definitely has game! read more

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Among the other three locations, this seems to be the most touristy restaurants among them. The food was okay, but the menus were torn and could have been reprinted to better read what they were serving. It seems many Hollywood celebrities have dined here, but probably for for dinner, as breakfast was a bust for celebrity sightings. The food was so-so, and the service was just normal. If you were looking for celebrities, the early mornings might not be the best time, as it seemed there were only about five patrons when we arrived... read more

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Cute restaurant, lots to see. Food was good I got a breakfast burrito, can't remember the name, Santa fe maybe? Service was fair, would have gotten a five star if we didn't see a crawly little critter on the counter. They were quick to remove it. read more

Mel's Drive-In - Cute Jukebox - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

Fast service, typical diner food. Breakfast burrito was ok but needed salt. The cilantro lime crema is what gave it its flavor. Regular breakfast items were fine. read more

I came here for the skin and Mel's drive in pop up. I ended up getting the burger and fries with a brownie and root beer float. The food was very good. I would get the fries again and the brownie was delicious. Our waitress was really nice and she had pretty pink nails to match her pink lipstick. Everyone was looking super dressed up and super cute for this pop , we seeing Kim Kardashian's friends, we seen different celebrities & different influencers! It was such a fun experience! read more

Mel's Drive-In - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

PARKING: they offer complimentary valet parking! FOOD: The food Is mediocre at best, and they're on the pricier side. The waffle combo is ~$18 which comes with only 1 egg and 1 sausage or bacon. It's a little sad to look at tbh. My boyfriend ordered the short rib grilled cheese which was more worth it. AMBIANCE: The restaurant is a seat-yourself ordeal. It follows a "traditional" diner set up which is a cool concept. However, our waitress was so swamped with everyone else, she rarely came to check on us. We often found ourselves flagging her down for water, coffee, and even to order. read more

Mel's Drive-In - Waffle combo (~$18) - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

Super great nostalgia spot! Excellent staff! Food looked a bit on the expensive side, but the milkshakes were phenomenal! I had a great time! read more

we waited for 45 minutes to have someone to take order! They helped other people around us! They just completely ignored our group! They took forever to bring us our bill so we got up to go pay but instead they all stared us down cause they thought we were going to dine and dash truly unacceptable! read more

This is as iconic as a diner can get: vinyl seats, neon led lights, old school coin-powered jukeboxes. They offer both no-frills American staples like burgers but also big plates that center something like salmon. My smashburger was pretty solid but the fries were something else. Thin and crispy but not shoestring. Only note is ranch as a default dip is wild. read more

Mel's Drive-In - Smash burger - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

We've been going there for many years and always great service! We have had birthdays there, date nights, whatever. This year we went for lunch for our daughter's birthday. As always great service and great food. Our server was Gabrielle B. And she was awesome and friendly and right in task. We normally see Gabino, he was there and came over and greeted us like old friends. Always a great place and we love it!!!! One of our most favorite places. Good food, clean and excellent service and just fun to be there. If I could I'd give 100 score and then some. read more

Mel's Drive-In - My husband, daughter and I out front of Mel's. - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

Complementary valet parking review: 12/19/25 11am I had some friends visiting LA for the first time and asked to go to Mel's Drive in. I turned into the parking lot and saw a car in front of me talking to valet and then driving forward towards a parking space, so I continued forward to look for my own parking, when suddenly the valet guy waved me down. Confused, I stopped, rolled the window down and said, "is this valet parking?" He then yelled, "you can read the sign.. can't you?" Pointed to the cone with the sign, waved his hand towards the exit and walked away. I was dumbfounded by his response and tone, I couldn't believe my question would warrant such a response. I saw a parking spot and just parked the car. I believe in reciprocal respect. So I went up to the valet podium and in Spanish told the chubby short Latino parking attendant to calm his attitude as I was only asking a question. He then proceeded to say I was going to run him over which was a complete lie! After an exchange of lovely Spanish words I walked away and went into Mel's (swear, it be your own people sometimes) Being a party of 7, we sat towards the back of the restaurant with my car in plain view. I then see the valet attendant go up to my car and take a picture of my rear license plate. I was scared that he would try to get my car towed so I asked our waitress (who provided awesome services throughout our visit) if the restaurant was connected with the valet and she said "yes, it's complimentary!" I then explained everything that happened, she apologized for the experience I had with valet and said she would inform her manager. Moral of the story: read the sign and as women speak up for yourself and never let mediocre men with performative authority disrespect you! read more

Mel's Drive-In - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

Drove to find a diner close to midnight. The food was a disappointment (chicken wings, Parmesan fries and sandwich) did have the taste and was bland. read more

I ate at this restaurant one night with a former lover around December of last year. We ordered a cup of chicken noodle soup and shared a delicious apple pie. The encounter was pleasant because the last time he had dinner with me was over three years ago. In other words, it was nice for us to reconnect after so long. Regarding the diner, I strongly enjoyed the music and decor of it. They played lovely Oldies tunes, which reminded me a lot of the music my parents would listen to at home growing up. The servers catered to our needs, and were nice toward us. In sum, I would totally recommend this food spot to anyone for its service, ambiance, and variety. Satisfaction guaranteed. :) read more

Socia ,Thank you so much for taking care of my food order for me . I wasn't your customer but you literally dropped everything to make sure I had the right cheese on my fries . Thank you sweetheart, more restaurants need servers like you . read more

Food: 4/5 Finally got around to trying this iconic LA staple! I got the burger + fries and it tasted like the classic diner meal! The perfect place to hit after the bars. Nothing crazy amazing but the perfect amount of satisfying. + the Lana del Rey shake was amazing and you get so much for the price. Service: 5/5 Workers were quick and friendly even though we were there super late! + there's security Ambiance: 5/5 The perfect retro diner vibe. Jukeboxes, classic cubby style tables, and you can even play music at your table for just 50 cents. read more

Mel's Drive-In - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

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This place has a classic diner feel and it's open 24 hours, which is a plus. The food was okay but definitely overpriced. I ordered a patty melt and a shake, and my total was around $40 pretty steep for food that was mid. The shakes were really good though, and honestly the main reason I'd come back. Other than that, there are plenty of diners with more filling food at better prices. read more

This spot is like rewatching American Graffiti.In fact George Lucas stuff is everywhere. The former Ben Franks of youth.That place was a former A list hangout and frankly it remains so today This spot like Highland serves all the traditional breakfast lunch and dinner but with excellent results and no price gouging Even vegan options. This spot has the nostalgia but both are excellent.Definitely a destination spot read more

Late night eats. After the clubs is Mel's. Easy night getting in, ordering and getting outs Had to try the meatloaf. Not bad. Taste is there except the meatloaf kept falling out of the sando. I think the sando should have been melty like grilled except I don't know how the lettuce would have held up. Had a side of cole slaw which was good - crunch and not too much of that mayonnaise or vinegar. Place is clean, server was doing a great job of suggesting those milkshakes! Didn't have quarters on me to try out the jukebox. Valley parking in the lot only. We found parking across the way on the street . Easy. I'll need to come Back for the those spiked milkshakes :) read more

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You can't go wrong with this iconic spot right on the sunset strip. Typical diner menu with all the breakfast, burgers, and shakes you'd expect! The uniquely old Hollywood vibe will get you there. The friendly service and decent prices will keep you going back. Adjacent lot parking available. read more

If you love a 50's Happy Days-style restaurant in the chic neighborhood of West Hollywood, and enjoy people watching, Mel's Diner is perfect for you! While working for the City of West Hollywood, this was my go to spot for lunch to enjoy a great burger or grilled cheese sandwich and greasy fries. It has a fun & upbeat atmosphere, and on occasion you'll see a celeb or two. It's in a very walkable location close to some great shopping at Sunset Plaza. The outdoor seating near the sidewalk makes for great entertainment as you watch the parade of people walking by. Sharing a photo of Mel's Drive-In that I took while working on the Sunset Plaza renovation project! read more

Mel's Drive-In - My shot of Mel's Drive-In at dusk. - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California

I kept hearing about this place growing up so thought I needed to try it after living in LA for so long. It's very retro 50's diner vibes with jukeboxes at every table. I came for lunch and had the loaded short rib fries that come with gravy and cheese. They have happy hour from 2-6 I believe, on weekdays so 20% off apps and drinks. It was a little slow when I went but I could totally see it getting busy on weekends as it's in such a prime location. read more

We've eaten here two days in a row! Love it! Had the Hollywood burger yesterday and the chicken fried chicken and eggs today and both were delicious! Bonus, get a pineapple sundae, it's magical! read more

Sorry to have to write this 1 star experience. I ordered online and went to pick up the order. This was on a Sunday. I get the restaurant is busy, but not one staff member went up front by the cash register to acknowledge me. I looked around and the staff had tunnel vision. I'm a pretty chill person, and in retrospect I should've shouted at someone to come to the register, because I was standing there for a solid 8 minutes. A short woman wearing a sweatshirt top came up to me, flustered from the brunch scene and I gave her my name and told her I'm picking up my order. She leaves and never comes back. I see her running around like a headless chicken. Lol. Never to return with my order. By this time, I'm standing by the register for a total of 16 minutes, and I am irritated. I walk to the kitchen where there's counter seats and my take out order was sitting there for quite some time. The chicken pesto sandwich was slimy and had a gross red bell pepper in it, the cole slaw was okay. This take out experience was disappointing because I'm a regular customer. I don't think I will consider this Mel's location for another lunch break. I definitely will not refer my clients to this restaurant. ​ read more

Came here for a late night meal with a friend. We both got melts. She got a turkey melt and I got a short rib melt. It was delicious and the food came out quickly. The place is charming. read more

Consistently fast, incredibly delicious, and always reliable. I have never had a bad meal here--everything is fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. The service is quick and friendly, which makes the experience even better. And the milkshakes? Absolutely amazing--some of the best around. This place never disappoints and is hands-down one of my favorite go-to spots. read more

Mel's Drive-In - Mels Patty Melt - American Near Me - West Hollywood, California