The music was TOO PUNISHINGLY LOUD. The food was barely adequate. There was an additional, unexplained surcharge added to the bill. There were few people in the place. Very few. The place was inhabited by music. Did I mention it was TOO LOUD?? Was the blasting music music supposed to entertain?? I was with a friend. My friend had a cheeseburger. I had pasta with pesto for $11. The waiter was quick to ask, "with chicken?" I hadn't seen chicken on the menu as part of the meal but he slipped the question and perhaps I was distracted by the music (it was TOO DAMN LOUD) so I said "yes" and my "yes" cost me $7 dollars extra. The pasta was spinach pasta (perhaps that way they can put less green pesto on the pasta (there wasn't that much pesto on the green pasta). The spinach pasta wasn't hot, was room temperature (must have been prepared ahead of time). A sliced hard-boiled egg sat on the side of the plate. Halved cherry tomatoes were strewn about but they weren't ripe (don't bother adding cherry tomatoes to a meal -- halved or whole -- if they aren't ripe). The $7 added chicken was perfunctory: white meat, not luscious, not tasty, not particularly moist, laying on top of the, but not part of, the pasta (probably prepared ahead of time). The waiter never refilled our water glasses, never revisited us except to bring a check. None of these things made the music seem less loud. We might have stayed a bit longer after the meal the music was just too punishingly loud and I had up up with it for as long as I could. My bill for the $11 pasta with pesto and $7 added chicken came to $20.52. In addition to the food there was an additional fee called "HOGM" -- it is NOT explained anywhere on the bill. NOT ANYWHERE. I had to look it up online. It is a fee for the staff's health insurance. As I'm already pay over $1,500 each month for my own health insurance, I'd appreciate being told ahead of time when I'm paying for other folks' health insurance (or at least EXPLAIN IT on the damned bill). What Mels DOES disclosed on the bill is an offer of 15% off my bill if I write a YELP review and show it to them (I guess Mels knows it's so bad that it must pay its patrons a kickback for YELP reviews -- is that even legal)???Yeah, sure -- I'll go back to Mels tomorrow and show them this review. read more

Where do I begin? Don't go there looking for the Mel's you know and love. They have less than half the items on their menu they used to. Quality has gone down while prices have gone up. All my food was overcooked but that could be partly because it was sitting under a heat lamp at the kitchen for about 10 minutes before my waiter brought it to me. I heard someone else complaining about all the old favorites being off the menu. All the manager said was that those favorites will show up occasionally as a special. On top of all that they slapped a tourist tax on me. Their slogan should not be "where the locals meet" it should be"where tourist eat" some of the other mel's that haven't changed their format will get my business from now on. read more

Ordered a breakfast burrito and instead of sour cream, they put mayo on it. When I let them know, they insisted that it was sour cream. Finally went back to the kitchen and realized the chef(?) made a mistake. To their credit, they did make me a new burrito with sour cream. In the end, they charged me full price and I was left feeling sick. read more

We had breakfast here both days in the city. Good food, nice atmosphere, and great service from Primo! He was a friendly, efficient server!!! read more

So yummy! The menu had so many great options, even for vegetarians! The service and staff was great and cocktails were yummy! Recommend the sutter break! read more

Had to have tests done at the Van Ness campus of CPMC do while we had to wait in between tests we went there to eat. Very over priced for the amount & quality of the food. Our breakfast was very bland in taste & oily we left over 1/2 of it. This place shouldn't carry the name of Mel's there is no comparison to Mel's. If you value your wallet & stomach dont go there.Our waitress was very very good. read more

Popped in here after my Dr. visit at the new CPMC on VanNess. Didn't know it was related to "Mel's Drive In," it looks beautiful inside, an upscale diner vibe, brass-looking finish, bar stools, big plasma tv's and bar with high stools, and gorgeous polished wood tables with banquet style seating. My husband and I were starving and ordered a bunch of stuff to share: spinach pesto pasta salad with tomatoes and egg; chicken noodle soup, Southern Fried chicken entree with fries; meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, veggies. Mixed berry pie and coffee. The service was excellent, warm, friendly, courteous. But the food awful. Wouldn't eat it if they offered it free. Hell, couldn't eat it if they paid me. I'm not sure how I choked it down, likely cuz I was desperate, we'd already sat down, and I needed to take meds on a full stomach. Not one thing was remotely edible, which is very odd because the ingredients are fresh. That's not the problem. The issue is the cooking technique. Sloppy, flavorless, no spicing, e.g. the pesto pasta was grainy, gritty, not smooth. The chicken noodle soup seemed to have water, pure water for broth--if there was any "chicken" flavor or any chicken in that bowl, I couldn't have dug it out with a microscope. The meatloaf was exactly that: a loaf of meat, a hunk with not much going for it. The potatoes, were they out a box? Again, no actual potato flavor. The fried chicken was not terrible; it was the best thing we ate, relatively speaking. The pie didn't have the crust for why we order "pie," Instead of the flaky delish crust, it was more of a crumble. If I'd wanted this style of baked product, I would've specified "fruit crumble." When will people ever learn that a "crumble" and "pie" are not synonymous? The coffee, notwithstanding that they'd just made a fresh pot, was bitter and acidic, and not in a good way. I hate to whine, but it was just such an egregiously bad meal, and the prices were not cheap, they were "sit-down" restaurant prices. When I think of the hundreds of places in S.F. we could've gone to for that same price point ... I could weep. I joked to my husband that if we'd walked across the street, Tommy's Joynt likely would've been better. Hard to believe, but true. Btw., if I was at the hospital in the morning (or any time) and wanted breakfast, I have the sense that they do a mean breakfast, which they have the decency to serve throughout the day. Any diner who does this has a soft place in my heart, which is the reason I'm not giving it one star :-) read more

Came in thinking it was Mel's diner, which is good in it's own right, but found this place to be a wonderful surprise. The food was top notch and the interior is beautiful. I had the fried egg sandwich, and it was delicious. I would not hesitate to recommend Mel's Kitchen to anyone. Really glad we stopped in. read more

This place it became a favorite place for my wife and I to have brunch on Sunday or any other day of the week since they have remodeled this place it is naice also the quality of the food it performs like 100 % a really recommended for any breakfast lunch or dinner read more

Very clean, I had sliders and a beer with a shot of Svedka vodka all for $21. The servers and bar tender are very nice. You can't take liquor to go but you can take a can of beer to you're hotel room. The sliders are great and the fries are crispy. I will definitely come back to this diner again in the future, seems like a great lunch spot if you are hanging out with friends or family. read more

Came in on a Saturday afternoon, around 1300. The restaurant was not to busy, and we were seated right away. Ordered a cappuccino and The burger, medium. Both of which arrived in a timely manner. The cappuccino tasted great, with a strong smooth taste. The burger, although slightly closer to medium well, was still very juicy and had some great grill marks and flavor. The server was very friendly and attentive as well. The food was great and the restaurant had a very welcoming atmosphere. read more

Excellent breakfast, lunch, diner. Some local beers on tap. Clean with good food and fun staff.

Pretentious, overstated with an air of mannerlessness.. No longer edging on the side of playfulness but teetering more towards the bourgeois. Ostentatious in a flat boring sort of way, with a hint of over-the-top single mindedness toward a delusion of grandeur. A hamburger is still a hamburger....upping your game with wall to ceiling, dark formica does in no way assume that the burger is better...Im not buying... read more

When will restaurants learn that saying "Just one?" when a single person walks in is highly offensive. Then taking you to a tiny child-sized table altho it's mid-afternoon and there are big empty booths all over the place. Burger & fries were OK but the menu is tiny -- about 6 lunch entrees and you can't get an omelette at 3 pm. The old Mel's was tacky but the menu was huge and breakfast was served all day. I won't be going back. Too many restaurants in SF with better burgers and a better attitude. read more

Mel's burger was delicious! Husband had breakfast for dinner. Both very good. Highly recommended.

Came in for a quick dinner after having to go to the hospital across the street. The service was great, food was prepared quickly and the price was worth the value. I would recommend this restaurant if you are in the neighborhood! read more

We were staying next door at The Opal Hotel and didn't have much time before our daughter's graduation so we walked next door to Mel's Kitchen. It was moderately busy for a Saturday morning. It seemed they were understaffed as it seemed only one waiter was waiting tables- taking orders, running food out, clearing tables. It did take awhile before our waiter came to the table, however, once our order was in, drinks and food came out fairly quickly. He came by often to check on us. The food was ok but not great. Definitely expensive for what you get. My daughter ordered the acai smoothie. She asked for it without the banana. She took one sip and said it was gross. I tried it and I wouldn't say it was gross but it didn't have much flavor. No sweetness or tartness. I ordered the Jr Avocado Toast. It was quite small for $9. It was too wasn't flavorful either. My husband's dish seemed the best. He ordered 3 eggs with bacon and hash browns. He had quite a bit of bacon and the portion of hash towns was large as well. The coffee was very good. We did get a 10% discount bc we stayed at the hotel next door. You can also get 10% off by checking in on Yelp. With so many other breakfast places in the city, we'll pass Mel's Kitchen next time. read more

Good food and good service. The construction noises are a bit of a bummer but healthy food is a plus!

Super yummy dinner, they even have Impossible Burgers! C'mon, how amazing is that?! This location is great, it's newly remodeled and even has a full-service bar. The restaurant is totally retro, but, perfectly new. Great menu, delicious choices and our server, LORENZO, was awesome! read more

We had a lovely lunch, the service was good and there were several vegetarian options. Almond milk available! We had the veggie sandwich and the tuna salad. We will be back! read more

I stayed at the Courtyard, which is connected to Mel's Kitchen. Doesn't look like much from the outside, but food is awesome, and staff is both friendly and efficient. I ordered a dinner salad on my first visit, so easy enough, but this dinner salad was so delicious with varied fresh vegetables. Very good! Showed up the next morning for breakfast - same awesome experience! The specialty omelet is fabulous - ham, avocado - yummy! And fresh-squeezed orange juice. I'll definitely come back on my next visit to the area. read more

Really nice place to get drinks after work. My colleagues and I work nearby and were looking for a place to get drinks after work, and we walked into Mel's. Really glad we did! The food was really good and the drinks were great, will definitely come again. read more

Decided to try the redesigned Mel's and it was a pleasant experience overall. The menu has been paired down - he had the Impossible Burger with cheese and a side of fries. The burger was delicious, although the $4 add-on for the fries ($2) and the cheese ($2) is a *little* nickel and dimey on top of the high-ish base price, in my opinion. I had the ahi poke salad (also very tasty, although on the small size for an entree). Shared a slice of mixed-berry pie w/a scoop of vanilla iced cream for dessert, also very good. Food came out quickly, service was good and the atmosphere too - other patrons were chatting low-volume which is a big plus. That's just luck, but the quiet, comfy, warm atmosphere did keep us at our table an extra 20 minutes longer since the server wasn't chasing us out of there and we were just enjoying it. Enough time to consider ordering more food had we not had plans afterwards! I'll definitely return - curious to see if the ambiance can live up to this first visit. read more

Wow, Cocktails at Mels, Great Atmosphere really enjoyed there new menu. I'll be back..

THIS IS NOT MELS DINER. You have been warned. This place took a hipster remolded not too long ago, and it is jarring to say the least. I went here after seeing a movie at the AMC. The interior does look nice and clean with a full bar. The waitstaff were courteous and kind, and sat us right away. Nice place by the window, looking at the street, away from the sun. Their bathrooms have coded locks, but don't seem to be maintained often. The menu is concerning, not many items, and other dishes that you would't associate with a Mel's Diner. I was still able to order a black and white shake, and burger. I ordered my burger medium rare, with cheese. The burger itself was tasty, the fries were crispy but not that hot. The shake was sweet and didn't disappoint in that category. The meal was a bit pricier than I imagined, but I guess it's trying to compete with other SF restaurants. The reason I'm giving this place only two stars was that shortly after, I had to visit my bathroom three times in a row. I will not go into further detail. Also very strange music selection. It contained mostly rap music, with the all the cursing. If I was in a night club it would make more sense, but this was just awkward. read more

Mel' kitchen had the best bloody Mary's. Biodegradable straws, food was great! Service was the best! Thanks to Delma and crew!

Mels Drive In and Kithcen has always been a favorite for me since I was a kid. They have the best burgers and entrees and the portion sizes are perfect to get full. Definitely would recommend to anyone willing to try it out! Amazing comfort food! read more

Our first breakfast in San Francisco and we were not disappointed. We were seated quickly by the friendly attentive staff. we had an amazing breakfast we both chose the sunrise breakfast which was delicious. Rounded off with multiple top ups of good coffee. Thank you to the staff. read more

Delicious breakfast, some of the best hash browns I've ever had. Good customer service too.

Awesome staff ! Super accommodating to our large group ! Primo and Ricardo are top notch in hospitality and service ! Quick and easy service ! read more

Really good breakfast. A bit pricey for breakfast, but you get a lot of food. Next time I think we'll split. Service was excellent. This is a good old fashion diner. read more

I miss their Philly Sandwich, I went there 2 weeks ago, and the waiter told me they don't have it on menu. Ordered hamburger, it was fine, could be better. read more

We had a delicious breakfast with top class service! And he best of all SO kid friendly staff! Try it!

Had the French toast combo and trust me folks it did not disappoint my server Delma was the best would definitely recommend!

My partner and I wanted a nice quiet place to have good food for dinner. Reasonably priced and Stephanie our waitress ( potential lead waitress ) was so lovely. I felt cared for and made sure we were well taken care of throughout our experience. Great way to end our Sunday afternoon. read more

This place is great! Good service and pretty solid lunch special. Really enjoyed to the classic atmosphere the diner had. They even had charging ports underneath the bar counter top! Luis was my server and did a fantastic job. read more

Mel's brought back memories of the 60's visiting with my folks. Spaghetti and meatballs is just how mama made. Beautiful clean restaurant!