The waitress we had was the best part. We ordered the special of Meatloaf dinner. The meatloaf was far from being warm, green beans and mashed potatoes/gravy were ok. I would recommend not to order water for your drink, it has a horrible taste. When we mentioned it to the cashier she said we weren't the first people to mention the water. I would rate it below average at best. read more

Food was meh. Hamburgers looked and tasted like they'd been cooked earlier and held in a warming tray. Reminded me of grocery store catering. Singing was loud and not great. We're not really sure why this place is popular. Would not recommend. read more

The service was top notch and the food was very good. I had patty melt, hubs had roast beef and both were gigantic serving sizes. Topped off with a scoop of yummy ice cream which was too much for the two of us to finish. The waiters take turns singing every 15 minutes or so and are all very talented. Tip - you can put your name on the list and walk around and shop while you wait read more

This is a great place to eat and the service was wonderful. The singing servers take requests as well. The dessert menu can be over the top, but this is also worth it!!!! read more

What can I say about this place? The portions were insane. Huge veggie burger, even larger root beer float. I had to practically be rolled out of here. Our waitress, Grace, was very friendly and had a great voice. Really cool diner. Reminded me of an old place in Beverly Hills I used to go to growing up. The only suggestion I might make is to have the waitresses put their music up on streaming sites. I don't think people listen to CDs that much anymore. read more

So it was just ok for me. I'm going to give them 4 stars because the burger/fries/onion rings were really good but our server acted like she would have rather been shoveling coal in the pits of hell than serving us. I tried the "kill em with kindness" method and she wasn't having any of it. The singing was entertaining though. I think it's a cool place to visit but she kind of killed the vibe for our dinner. read more

Mel's Hard Luck Diner - Diners Near Me - Branson, Missouri

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Great lunch here yesterday after some shopping! Andrea was our singing server and even when it got busy, she kept us liquid and made the experience enjoyable. Food was really good!! A Reuben and a patty melt were had and we both enjoyed our lunches. The singing servers did a great job performing too! Sorry no pics. We were hungry and entertained! read more

Singers are very talented. A lot of them also appear in the shows. Our waitress, Sarah Jones, was in Winter Wonderland. We enjoyed hearing her sing here and at the show. Delicious gluten free bun. read more

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The food was amazing and the service was great! The singing from the servers was great and such a good experience! read more

My friends and I came Monday night for ice cream and the singing. Both were excellent. We came back for lunch and our server was fab!! We dropped back by after our show got ice cream. Downhill!! Our server, tho nice, was rather ditsy, forgetting several things.It was FREEZING, but we had already ordered ice cream.mind you, we all brought in jackets or sweaters.I complained to the manager about it being miserable cold so that it ruined our experience. She replied the temp was 73 and we should not have ordered ice cream. I said, "oh no, 'ma'am, it definitely was not 73". She replied "are you calling me a liar? I told her she was being rude and she needed to check their thermostat as it was not 73. I left with a very bad taste in my mouth. That female manager needs her chain yanked as she knows nothing about customer service!! read more

Been here before and it was fun. This time however the manager staff was rude and impossible to work with. If you have a big group don't bother even if you're willing to split up, they're not willing to work with you. Two parties of 10 and more left because they were giving tables away to parties of seven and nine who came in at least 15 minutes after. Even the wonderful singers can't make up for a "managers" lack of customer service. read more

Great entertaining environment and food! Great family atmosphere. Not a bad price for the fun!

Food was no better than drive thru meals. Nice singing but music was so loud we couldn't talk to people at our own table. $20 burgers/hotdogs/chicken strips. Ice cream good according to my dinner companions. Ambiance is retro & a Mashup of 50's, 60's. Like every other diner in America. read more

May 28, 2024 - The 4 of us stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. There was plenty of close parking. Upon entering we were promptly greeted and given a choice of tables. We started with an order of fried green beans. They were fabulous! Two of us shared a Romero Ruben. It was great!! The fried catfish was nothing special, but the grilled cheese with ham and bacon was wonderful. It was so surprising how well the waitstaff sang!!! It wasn't something that we expected. Rachel, thanks for your service and wow you rocked the Alanis Morrisette "Isn't Ironic" song! We look forward to returning. read more

Saw restaurants like this on TikTok and needed to go LOVED IT SM it was fun eating food and listening to the waitresses sing...mid food but you don't just go here for the food read more

Five stars for the memories we made here and will remember for a long time. Mel's Hard Luck Diner is known for their singing servers! We had such a great time with the entertainment during our meal as the waiters and waitresses took turns walking around the diner and singing their songs. Each one walked around as they sang and pretty much all came over to serenade our kids and interact with each one. My two year old looked forward to giving each singer a fist bump as they passed by our table. I was surprised how frequent the songs were (I feel like there was only a few minutes in between each singer) and we enjoyed the music and interaction while we ate. The food was decent diner food, nothing that incredibly stood out. But the focus for us was the entertainment. It was super fun when it was our own server's time to sing and came to sit at our table to sing to our kids for a few seconds. The whole family loved coming here and felt like we had front rows to our personal show. read more

Mel's Hard Luck Diner - Catfish - Diners Near Me - Branson, Missouri

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The restaurant has a very cool concept where the waiters and waitresses switch off singing and go around the restaurant to serenade each customer. The food is more like the added bonus, but I wouldn't say the main highlight. The decor is cool and brings you back to the old school diner days, which is awesome. Foodwise, I got the pot roast, which was surprisingly tender despite being pretty thick chunks. We also got the catfish, which was decent. Most things are fried, so I wouldn't say there's much healthier foods, but it's a fun place to bring your family. You can even buy the waiters/waitresses studio recorded cds if you liked their music, which is a nice touch and great way for them to get their names out there. Fun experience overall! read more

If I could this place a zero star I would. The food was disgusting. The quality was so poor. The meat was fake, soy burgers. The spaghetti sauce was out of a can. The chili was out of a can. The fudge was out of a bottle. The ice cream was cheap. There was nothing real in any of our meals. The check was outrageous for the poor quality we were served. $150 for garbage that i wouldnt feed to my dogs . We told the guy when we checked out and his response was "why are you telling me?" So disappointed. Don't waste your money on this garbage. The music was great. read more

We loved this place. They performed multiple songs while we dined there. Different staff sang and entertained guests. There was one older gentleman who sang bass who just killed it. He was so good. Everyone was constantly moving and always involved. Great atmosphere. The kids loved their dessert, and our sandwiches were great. I got the patty melt, and my husband got the Philly. Both great diner meals. Totally recommend. We will return. Loved the memorabilia all over. read more

Mel's Hard Luck Diner - Diners Near Me - Branson, Missouri

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First time in Branson and we were looking for a kid friendly place to take our gang. I read up on the reviews so I was already prepared for a wait but luckily when we got there, there was literally no line! Ok, i have no idea how anyone could have one negative thing to say here. This was PERFECT for kids. You get food and entertainment, our server Karen (i think that was her name? The main one) was so so good! Even though It was nearly closing time, you wouldn't think It was. Everyone was in a great mood, food was good and fast! Definitely a must go too especially if you have kids. Loved It! read more

Mel's Hard Luck Diner - Diners Near Me - Branson, Missouri

A great fun place to eat and be entertained. Singing was very good. We celebrated a birthday there waitress sang happy birthday and brought an ice cream. Everyone really applauded the entertainment. The dinner is decorated very cool. read more

We love music and I love to sing so it was a givin that we were comin here.. Our server Caitlin was wonderful and her voice is amazin. She was very attentive, made suggestions, offered appetizers and dessert. Everyone who sang while we were there-were great. I got the Mels Way grilled cheese, onion rings and chili. All were very good.. He had the smoke gets in your eyes burger and fries-that was good.. We will come back!! read more

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Ambiance was great! Super neat little cafe with fun decor. It all goes downhill after that The entertainment was ok. I wasn't expecting superstar singing or service and wasn't disappointed. I was pretty disappointed with the food. It was not good and came out cold. read more

We have been coming here for over twenty years every time we visit Branson. Portions are huge and the atmosphere is so fun. The staff sing (most are in professional shows in addition to working there) and the talent is fantastic. It is a bit loud for people sensitive to noise, but our crowd loves it. This visit; we chose to get dessert only since we always eat meals and don't have enough room. We've tried about everything on the menu and it is all amazing. read more

Mel's Hard Luck Diner - Chocolate Nachos - Diners Near Me - Branson, Missouri

So today is ice cream day so I am told!! If you are on vacation and you want to have some fun this diner has sing ing waitresses and waiters! Eclectic music from country to gospel to pop to oldies! A lot of the food seemed to be prepared ahead of time. But the onion rings came out fresh and hot! Other stuff was just lukewarm! We decided to have dessert and I had 2 giant scoops of vanilla and orange sherbet! It's very busy! Suggest you get there when it opens at 11 or else you will find yourself waiting! Food was just ok but so much fun we gave it 4 stars! read more

Mel's Hard Luck Diner - Say Cheese Cheesecake smothered with strawberries and whipped cream! Truly dietetic! Life is short! Eat dessert first! - Diners Near Me - Branson, Missouri

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The atmosphere was great but they are busy some people were rushed as hell The staff was great the desserts were great The waitresses were great singers too read more

Our family was in Branson for a wedding and made a stop at Mel's Hard Luck Diner. Our 18 month old granddaughter loved the music, as she as "shaking it" throughout our visit. She was especially enamored with our server, Chad. He was great! He came by and sang to her a couple times. All the singers had her doing her little dancing. Definitely worth the trip. read more

Very cool place, but not so cool during COVID times. There is absolutely no social distancing whatsoever. We're packed into the diner like sardines. Even so, we had about a 25-minute wait. That was fine, since you can walk around the Grand Village Shops while you wait. Once served, the food is very good. I would recommend the High Rollin' Beef and the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, both of which I'm told are popular items. Loved the 1950s theme and the singing servers (who are really amazing), but again, just not ideal during a pandemic. *visited 3/27/21 read more

Mel's Hard Luck Diner - High Rollin' Beef ($13), Pork Tenderloin Sandwich ($11) - Diners Near Me - Branson, Missouri

Waited over an hour for a large group seating. But that is somewhat expected. The food was good. Not really outstanding or unique but it was good. I take that back they had real mashed potatoes. That was pretty awesome. The milkshake was a good choice. I was a little disappointed when the servers were dressed in regular street clothes. The regulars we went with said it's straight out of the 1950s. The singing servers is a novel concept. The sound system can certainly be loud. We did like seeing the couple dancing in the pack corner by their table on our way out the door. read more

Our first time here. Only came for ice cream. Did not disappoint! They are very generous with their scoops. The one scoop could be shared. Loved the staff and they sing throughout the service. Would recommend! read more

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I've eaten here before and loved it. This time? Let's just say I felt like the cute, funny girl at the dance--noticed just long enough to be ignored. It took a while to get a waiter, and once they dropped off the food, they basically ghosted us. The only refill we got came with the check, like a pity sip on the way out. No smiles, no real engagement. The music? Not as many songs as before, and the vibe felt more like "it's my turn at the mic" than "let's light up the room." Still a decent experience--but not the fun, memorable night I was hoping to relive. read more

I have nothing bad to say here. We had a party of 7 and while everyone had different opinions of the food, I enjoyed it. I had a party melt and it was filling. The taste was good, the size was good. The singers were all mostly good too. I'd go back. read more

The food was a 3 but the entertainment was a 5 so it came out 4! Hubby's chicken fried steak tasted a little off and the mashed potatoes were pasty. Mr food also was not memorable but our server was entertaining with a beautiful voice. Now, the turtle sundae was outstanding and the two of us could barely finish it! read more

The atmosphere was neat. Food was pretty bland and felt precooked. Definitely not worth the 85 bucks we spent. read more

They seemed tired of tourists, the atmosphere is great the singing was ok, the food ranged from ok to poor. Desert looked enormous but we didn't have any. We had cheesesteak and burgers a chicken salad poppers the poppers and salad were a mistake. read more

Singing waitstaff, that's fun. It's a gimmick to cover up that the food isn't that great. In fact the waitress took down my order wrong and blamed me for it. Service is slow, because they are singing. Usually crazy busy but we went around 7ish and had no wait got seated right away. Ice cream was good! Definitely go for ice cream read more

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Great friendly And Service and delicious food in a timely manner. Thank you very much much

Service terrible. Food cold. Music way to loud. Expensive. There are more comfortable places.

I did a map find for food and came across positive yelp reviews so we decided to try it. I can guarantee we will go again before we leave Branson. Staff was attentive and very clearly love their jobs. The singing was out of this world. Price was affordable especially for the amount of food you got. We were full for much longer than expected! read more

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The food good, could have been seasoned more, but to be fair, our family is from SW Louisiana, so we are always expecting a lot of seasoning, lol. The wait staff sing, serenading the customers, while eating, which was a surprise for us as we just chose to eat there after going to the aquarium, next door. The portions are a LOT, so if you aren't starving, you may want to share! I would recommend them and the wait staff really do a great job singing to the customers!! Loved the experience!! read more