It was okay, coffee was a little cold service was a little slowbut it is super clean and the staff is super friendly.

We decided to give Mel's a try as it was connected to our hotel. Service was excellent (thank you, Delma V.) but the food was just average. We had the Elvis Scramble and the Country Fresh Eggs. It was convenient, however ... read more

Mel's Kitchen - Elvis Scramnle - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great customer service they were quick and on top of seating and serving us. Food was just okay for me, I didn't like the mushrooms. Maybe just preference. Pancakes were good. read more

Mel's Kitchen - Spinach omelet - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Place spelled like piss and the omelet looked undone 0/10 would not recommend. This place was so bad and the servers were so mean acting like they didn't understand what I was saying. read more

This place was decent. The scenery was great, and it felt good to be nostalgic about the old days, but the food was just average. Although the chilaquiles were good, they lacked a bit of spice. On the bright side, the milkshakes were amazing! The service was excellent. read more

Mel's Kitchen - *Chilaquiles - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wonderful place! Gggrrreat atmosphere! Ricardo is an AWESOME server! Thanks SOOO much! xoxo The Clarences read more

This place is lacking the decor of a Mel's diner. It just looks like a regular diner. Service is attentive and wonderful though. Patty melt is solid and menu offers the norm of a diner outing. I like their freshly squeezed OJ as a beverage. Convenient corner diner to grab something to eat while waiting for an appointment to the hospital across the street or being in this neighborhood and part of town. read more

I had the most bland and untasty fried chicken.I've ever had in my life. Absolutely no taste at all.What a waste of money

I'd rate Mel's Kitchen 3.5 stars. Three stars if you're basing it on just the food and four stars if you're in it for the cinematic history and early rock 'n' roll vibes. More on the cinema angle below. First the food and the rest of the experience. On my first visit, I thought the turkey burger was pretty good. And the hostess was even better. She highly recommended the burger and had the kind of dry sense of humor of the old-school waitresses from diners in days gone by. We were across the street from a hospital so I feel good about my healthy choice. LOL Second trip, I had a very efficient waiter. It was busy and he got from table to table very quickly. I ordered the waffle combo with turkey sausage and scrambled eggs for $17.50. It was yummy - the waffle was actually very good, crispy and light, if not spectacular. The eggs were average, as was the turkey sausage. But no hate. It's nice to get a good breakfast in a nostalgic joint. The coffee was good enough, too bad about the prepackaged creamer. Milk that doesn't go through that heat treatment just tastes so much better. The good thing about a diner menu like this is that there's something for everyone, kids included. And because it San Francisco, there's some relatively healthy options. Now let's talk about some history - classic American movies and rock 'n' roll - a lot of people write about the photos and nostalgia for a reason. Mel'sis completely tied in with the diner vibe of American Graffiti and the early rock 'n roll era and the walls hold plenty of stills from the 1973 breakout film by George Lucas. Why? Because Lucas shot the film at the actual carhop, Mel's Diner, located not far down the road on South Van Ness. If you don't know what a carhop is, I think it would be fun for you to look up! Anyway, Mel's became a chain grown by Mel's son. The lead actor, Ron Howard, became a huge TV star in Happy Days, the TV show based on the film, and then he went on to become an extremely talented director. Mel's Kitchen's relationship to the original is that it is part of the chain which was sold to the Fosters company. that's the history and that is how a good but not amazing diner gets a four-star review. read more

My daughter, mom & I came in on a Thursday around 3:30pm after being across the street at my doc office for over 2.5 hours, we had some time to kill waiting for my surgeon to get out of surgery and all of us were hungry.. decided to stop here for a bite to eat instead of the hospital cafeteria across the street. Walking in a lady was talking to a younger kid working at the bar I think she was training him. We asked, do we sit anywhere. She told us to sit at a certain table because the other 2 were dirty.. but I got a bad vibe from her. We sat, she dropped off 3 menus, we looked it over, she came back and asked if we were ready. Mom proceeded to order pancakes with eggs & bacon. My daughter got nuggies and fries of course. I ordered Texas chili (cup) & 1 slider. We also got water, hot chocolate & coke. The service.. was blah from the lady with long hair.. I assume she's owner or maybe just manager. She kept calling it "her kitchen" when I asked if for the slider they can add mayo & lettuce. She rudely says "No... not in my kitchen. No! We don't do that. You're making it difficult for my cook. We just keep it at what the menu says." I then started laughing because I thought she was joking.. cause like why couldn't I add something to my meal? But no.. she was dead serious. So I said.. okay never mind then. As is is fine! My mom enjoyed her pancakes, she didn't like her bacon. My daughter liked her fries, not so much the nuggets. They looked frozen and twice fried.. like they were nuggets from the night before. Some were super dark and oily looking, some really light. I didn't appreciate that. My chili was actually good! I really enjoyed it. She only gave me 1 pack of crackers.. I was scared to ask for more with all her attitude! Hot chocolate was not good.. coke had a lot of gas, which was great! Water was good.. wish she gave us ice water though? read more

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I really like this place because it tastes the way diner food should taste, everything properly flavored, no Californication of a diner, which I was always appreciative. How many things can you put matcha in? read more

Three of us went here for dinner last Sunday, July 13 after seeing a movie next door at Apple Cinemas. I had always been curious to eat here since it once was a Mel's Diner. It wasn't very busy and a waitress instructed us to sit anywhere as soon as we walked in. That's where the service stopped. We sat for the next 7 minutes without any acknowledgements or even offered any menus. Multiple walk-bys by the waitress who sat us without a "hello" or "I'll be right with you". We got up and left. I purposely don't like to torture myself when I'm hungry. We will not be back ever. read more

Our parents "treated us to brunch" and all of us loved the food, the seating,, ( &the location) Had a great waiter..really really fast service. Huge portions and really good. we will return. read more

Had a mixed experience in my stop at Mel's, and that's mostly my fault. The website link takes you to the main page for Mel's and so I was ready for that menu of food choices. Granted, the name (Mel's Kitchen) is different and so I shouldn't have been entirely surprised to find a different menu, but it was sort of a let down at first. Now, as it turns out, the food is quite good, and my fish & chips was actually delicious, so it made for a good meal, I wouldn't warn anyone away, just make sure you know this iteration of Mel's isn't what their website shows. Keep that in mind and you'll be fine. read more

Mel's Kitchen - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came in with my wife and infant to enjoy breakfast before a day on the town. Had to leave early. Never been treated with so much disrespect. The workers are lazy and inconsiderate. Take your business elsewhere, my opinion. read more

A classic 50's themed diner located in the heart of the city known for juicy burgers, crispy fries, and thick milkshakes. One of my late night go-to spots for a good Patty Melt, they also offer a variety of other dishes, including steaks, chicken, fish, and salads. They also have a full bar, so you can enjoy a drink with your meal. If you have enough room for dessert, the pies a la mode or hot fudge sundae are also very good options here. read more

We stayed at the Courtyard and ate her a couple times for breakfast and once for a late dinner. Everything was outstanding. Food and service. Will be back when. read more

Staff was cool but the food taste premade made to be honest. I had the chicken fried steak they were advertising. I just feel like I could have eaten somewhere better for the price I paid. read more

Felipe was a great server but we got charged 17 dollars for 2 glasses of cranberry juice ? And we got served old rough steak so unfortance that a server of that caliber has to work for such a Low quality establishment read more

Mel's Kitchen - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Attached to Courtyard Marriott on Van Ness. Was a great east place to have a quick bite after moving the kid into college. Really needed a drink and they have a full bar. Ordered a double Ketel One on the rocks and Antonia warned me that the single pour was 2oz and the wife says "he needs a double!" Antonia was great to interact with and funny back and forth. I had one each of the sliders and they were both great. One was small burger and one was short rib. Delicious. I was warned by Antonia that they were very small. They were small and were perfect for the late dinner. The wife had a Caesar salad with shrimp and enjoyed it. The next morning we had a little time so we decided to have breakfast at Mel's instead of searching around and since we enjoyed dinner, thought we would give it another try. I had their homemade corned beef hash, eggs, hash browns and rye toast. Perfectly cooked over medium eggs. Great homemade corned beef hash, something I really like and try in many restaurants. Now everyone knows that Libby's canned CBH is one of the best versions and homemade CBH is hard to pull off. Well, Mel's did it. Delicious. The wife had the french toast combo and ate it all up, so that is a good review without having to say anything more. See pictures for the breakfast. Go. Have fun. Eat Well. read more

Mel's Kitchen - Homemade corned beef hash and over medium eggs. Rye bread and hash browns. - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Maybe I'm clouded by nostalgia but I love this place. It's not the best burger joint but it's classic, and it's really good for a drive through place with a retro vibe (trust me I've had much worse). It's fun and a little kitschy in just the right ways read more

After a long day sitting in CPMC Van Ness, my mom, dad, and I wanted--nay, needed--some comfort food. We found Mel's Kitchen, a cute diner attached to a hotel located across the street. I loved the music (kind-of old-timey? Maybe 80s? I'm too young to know what year, but it felt like it took us back.) My dad ordered a chocolate shake (very large he said, and it included that milkshake metal cup thing so you got more!) and the burger, which he said was very good and filling. My mom's fried chicken was yummy she said but that was one small chicken! I swear, I have rarely seen such a small wing. I enjoyed my Elvis Scramble--the chorizo, green chili peppers, and cheese were delicious, and I enjoyed the accompanying sourdough toast. Service was attentive and props to them for checking vaccine cards and telling not one, but two groups to either order food to-go or go elsewhere. I'd never seen so many unvaccinated people turned away from indoor dining in SF! Will be back for the food, the music, the vibes, the service, and the strong conviction read more

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HORRIBLE. I'LL NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN. We ordered diet cokes, & were told they were out. We asked for any other diet soda, and were told they were out. The meals were awful. The hamburger buns were stale; the patties were tiny. When I ordered a hot fudge sundae, I was told they had no hot fudge. Cost for this lousy meal, with tip: $45!! Like I said: never again. read more

They have a great happy hour menu and $5 Mimosas All Day Every Day! After spending hours with my parents the hospital for appointments, I really needed a Mimosa. It was yummy. The menu has the typical diner dishes but with a lot more options and the food is of higher quality. There are healthy options like Grilled Salmon and Kale Salad. They even have a kids menu. The Buffalo Wings and French Dip were both tasty. The fries were cooked well. The service is really friendly and attentive. For what a diner is meant to be, they did an awesome job on delivering. read more

Mel's Kitchen - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Poor customer service There was about 5 tables with customers. Obviously not busy. Took them 40 mins to serve an avocado toast. Not only did they take forever, the avocado toast they served had egg shells on it. They served the rest of our food to the table with no utensils, tried to flag somebody down to request for some but the servers wouldn't even look our direction, walked to the back to request for utensils and they were busier chatting away than they were attending to the customers. FOR THE PRICE OF THEIR FOOD NOT WORTH IT. Customer service is ZERO. read more

The food was good and the service was excellent. Such a friendly staff. My partner and I went late morning and it was quiet. I'd definitely go again. read more

Mel's Kitchen - Apple Juice Organic Large Coffee *French Toast Combo *Huevos Rancheros - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had very bad stomachache and diarrhea shortly after eating here. The portion size is much smaller compared to other Mel's Kitchen locations. The hash brown was dry, stiff, and tasted like it had been reheated from the previous day or early morning. It makes me wonder if they're using old food and cutting portions to save costs. read more

Mel's Kitchen - Dry and stiff hash brown, not crispy, maybe from pervious night - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I ordered the penguin shake, little burger slider, and chicken with fries and coleslaw. I really enjoyed the shake and burger. The chicken was salty. The waitress was sarcastic and really brought out the San Francisco vibes. It was and updated beautiful diner with old timey pictures. read more

Mel's Kitchen - Fried chicken *Milk Shake *Milk Shake Side Fries coleslaw slider - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

What happened to this place? Walked to Mel's for lunch after 5 years again to be disappointed. Service has deteriorated from 5 years ago. What hasn't really in San Fran, actually? . Sat at the counter and ordered a bowl of chili and a cup of coffee. Chili arrived sloppy, spill marks on the side of the bowl. Coffee was old with that taste you get when the pot stays on the warmer too long. You know what I mean? Not sure what happened but it isn't the sme experience anymore. read more

In the city decided to try this place after the movies as they have upgraded to a full bar and look a little more fancy now. Only one waitress but it was 9:40 at night and she provided excellent customer service. I wanted to order their house cocktail which was a jack tar boy they were out of the purées so I settled for a pineapple mimosa it was ok nothing special but for $5 it will do. We ordered the short rib nachos they were good. Short rib slider was good also. Fries were fresh and crispy. Dessert was a red velvet cupcake. I would eat here again. Good food and restaurant and restroom were very clean. read more

Mel's Kitchen - Red velvet cupcake - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Initial service was quick. Coffee was delivered and orders taken quickly. After that, it took a while to get food. As in 15 minutes for two dishes and 25 minutes for the other two. The red-eye country gravy was good, and everyone's eggs were cooked well (one got poached, another scrambled and the other fried and all were good). The corned beef hash needed less onion and the hash needed more of a cook (they were rare). Service after food was delivered was slow. In fact, after waiting 10 minutes after we were done to get the check, I waited another 10 minutes and got up to pay since I didn't see anyone to hand the check to and nobody said I had to go up front to pay. When I got up front, three servers were just hanging out talking to one another not helping anyone. Location is convenient and selection of food is good with most of it being decent... just don't be in any kind of hurry at all. read more

Gourmet quinoa kale salad with. Fresh corn with grilled salmon with butter sauce California cuisine at its best. Gravy for lumpy mashed potatoes was made with red wine, not what I had in mind for gravy. A gourmet touch for some, but not for me. Server was excellent working tables by herself with a smile. My tea was refilled without asking. read more

This place has great ambiance especially in the evening with the glass windows and warm lighting. It's a beautiful place and quite convenient since we're staying at the Courtyard Marriot where it is attached to. The service was good and quick and the waitress had a good sense of humor. The food, on the other hand, was just average. I got the grilled cheese with tomato bisque and both could've used more seasoning. My friend got a chocolate banana malt and said that was delicious but her food wasn't great. She got chicken and waffles and said the chicken seemed like it was frozen and dry. Plus the syrup was overly sweet. The waffle had bacon and onion mixed into the batter, which was different and pretty good. Her child had the kid's pancake and it was so cute! The pancake was in the shape of a bear and a pretty decent size for a kids plate. The fruit was fresh. It was good place to try and if you like breakfast, they serve it all day. Plus, they are open until 11 PM. But, overall, for the price it wasn't necessarily my thing. read more

Mel's Kitchen - Kid's pancake - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Really cute diner style restaurant with full service bar. Server Antonia was a gem. Witty, friendly and running her butt off doing EVERYTHING. serving, bartending, being a bouncer!!!. Please, Mel's kitchen. Give her a raise. Food was yummy. Served hot and fresh. Kitchen staff also amazing. Served food FAST and was quick to buS tables. We joked with Antonia about visiting us near Yosemite but I definitely would have her over to see the deer. Thanks again. read more

I've been to Mel's for a few times. It's clean. Lots of seating. I work a block away so it's convenient that's why I've visited a couple of times. The food is okay. Medicare. I've had mostly their sandwiches. Service has varied. I've had those grill cheese and tomato soup. A place to grab a quick bite in a pitch. read more

Terriable! I orderd a Hamburger and a shake for my mom who was in the hospital next door. The frys wer ICE COLD and the burger was extremly dried out. They were not busy and there was no excuse! I called to complain and the guy on the phone told me to bring it back and they would make me another one. I told them that I was not going to wait for another order and walk all the way back there. They charged $35 for one rotten burger. They should have at least offered to credit my card. We had to throw the whole order away. Place is way over prised that the food is terriable. read more

Went here after my son was admitted at the hospital and didn't want toneat hospital food. I would've gotten better service at the hospital. Walked in with my husband and we were able to sit anywhere. We sat down and I noticed there was only 2 other tables being used. First thing first is our waitress gave off major racist vibes and I'm not for all that. I would've said something to her directly, but its 2025 and people are crazy. A black man came in and our waitresses mood went straight to annoyed and judging him. He asked for a water with lime and a slider, she responded with "why not the full sandwich?" He responded back with "the slider is $6.00 and fine." She brought him over a small plastic cup with water no ice. When my husband and I ordered I was brought a big glass of ice water. Why the difference? He asked her for ice and she told the person behind the bar to get him ice again it was put in a small plastic and just handed to him. That's not it either, at the end of our meal an older white lady walked in and was trying to make small talk to the same waitress and she kept brushing her off and the lady mentioned a night with music in the restaurant and Antonia put her hand up and said "you can go sit down." The older lady went and sat at the table and wasn't talked to again, three older men came in and Antonia knew them and sat them took there order, another man walked in and she sat and took his order all while the older lady just waited. I get this is san francisco and I know the homeless community is very and judging people by the way they look or the color of there skin or age isn't right. She needs to be talked to and know that the way she represents the resturant is not okay. I will 100% not be a Mels Customer ever again. On our personal and food experience: We got our menus and our waitress, Antonia, came over and asked if we were ready, off the bat kinda rude. We were ready and honestly was going to leave cause I didn't care for the tension in that place and really nothing on the menu sounded good. We ended up ordering cause like I said didn't want hospital food. Our food came out and my french toast was burnt, I asked for it to be remade, nicely, and her response was "umm probably not cause it will most likely come back the same way, do you want pancakes or a waffle instead?" I'm sorry I've been to a lot of breakfast resturants and never had my french toast burt and taste the way it did, I mean the cook can make it to where it's not not burnt. Order the waffle, regret it cause it tasted like box plain crap. Next time I will stick to the hospital food. read more

Antonia! She waited on us tonight and we were so happy! The conversation was incredible, the food was good, and the atmosphere was so fun. We loved chatting with her and her hospitality was amazing! Even with a room full of customers she made sure we were taken care of. Can't wait to come back and see her. read more

Repeat customer, I grabbed lunch twice while visiting my healthcare professionals next door. First time I ordered a grilled cheese combo with a Short Rib slider and second time I ordered the Patty Melt with fries. My first experience of carry out was nothing short of wonderful and delicious, the grilled cheese was perfectly toasted to cheesy goodness and tomato soup is thick and seasoned; dipping is an absolute must. The slider you must have warm, don't be like me and mess it all up with a cold first bite, I just wish this order came with another small wonder. However, my second carry out experience was not as expected. As I arrived on time my order was being prepared, hot fries and hot melty patty? This was what I was expecting but was unfortunately met with crunch dry fries and a less than desired patty melt. It's lunch time and I'm on a time crunch so I won't turn away from my meal but I would've preferred to eat anything else. Despite my meals being a hit or miss, the staff were always polite and courteous, every single waiter who saw me asked if I had been helped. read more

As a bougie "foodie" type of person, I have been pleasantly surprised every time I've stopped here (for convenience) for a meal. The fried chicken is fabulous (but don't substitute mashed potatoes for fries as they'll put beef gravy on it) but my personal favorite is the short rib nachos on the appetizer menu. SOOOO good I'm still thinking about them the next day. And surprisingly affordable. A full bar too. What's not to like??? read more