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    The Original Mel's Diner

    3.4 (281 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

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    THE ORIGINAL MEL'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Dogs allowed

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    Grabbing dinner with friends.
    Steve C.

    Old fashioned diner feel with American Graffiti motif. American comfort food with decent portions. They were able to accommodate our party of ten on a Saturday afternoon. They don't do separate checks so be prepared.

    Barbara S.

    Boomtown has always been a stomping ground when heading to Reno/Tahoe to visit family. We stopped in Mel's for a quick lunch as we had dinner reservations at 7 for the rib cook off in Sparks. It wasn't busy yet had to wait approximately 10 minutes to be seated because "the server was playing catch up." It took another 15 minutes to get a drink order which was taken by a manager then another few for our server to come for food order. We ordered the sampler which came with a lot of yummy fries, 2 chicken wings which were cold and small, 3 tenders which had no taste with a thick coating of batter, cheese sticks that lacked any warmth at all without a melt and onion rings. The ambiance of Mel's is old time 50's with cute art and photos. Our experience was a little disappointing but most likely will pay another visit.

    Menu
    Juliane L.

    My husband and I came here to try their vegetarian burger, added onion rings. It was delicious. You can even play keno at the dinner table which is rare. The server was nice and got our order correct. The old diner atmosphere was neat. This was our first visit and we will be back.

    Patricia S.

    Stopped by Mel's to get some breakfast. My mom and I were seated pretty quick. The food was pretty good. The waiter that came and took our order was really nice. Will be stopping by on the next trip to Reno. Inside of Mel's was pretty nice.

    Asked for lightly scrambled and got hard scrambled eyes, asked for butter twice, got none,asked for missing butter and that took 10 mins.
    D D.

    We ordered room service thinking this was an amazing offer to our vacation stay, boy were we wrong. The food was luke warm, steak overcooked, bread burnt, the notes were not honored until we called to ask for the butter I stated in two notes, took ten minutes to bring up butter. We paid good money for what should of been a 20 dollar breakfast at best. During this vacation we have eaten at Mel's in Boomtown 3 times, this was so bad it has us considering not eating at Mel's again. Disappointed

    Yummy garlic fries!
    Karen F.

    This is our breakfast spot on our way home from Reno every time!! I usually get the blue burger which comes with onion straws and blue cheese crumbles with a side of buffalo sauce. Always yummy! The garlic fries are loaded with garlic and Parmesan cheese. Service is always good and some of the servers have been there forever! Definitely worth stopping in and getting a burger

    Seafood Combo
    Theresa B.

    We were seated and greeted promptly. Our server Patrick C was very hospitable and friendly. Checked on us often and kept coffee refilled. Food was great had California omelette and Husband had seafood combo plate. This is one of the things I love about Mel's breakfast lunch anytime. Restaurant was clean and busy as it was a Sunday morning on way home from Reno. Prices are good and food portions great. Will definitely be back

    10/10 chorizo skillet, and the service was awesome. Definitely coming back.

    10/10 Chorzia skillet, served with a perfectly seasoned and crispy potatoes, accompanied by salsa, sour cream, and fresh avocado. The service was attentive, prompt, and friendly, making the overall experience exceptional. Will be back soon :) Thank you!

    a juke box
    Ed S.

    Inside the Boomtown Casino, there's not many dining choices. The steakhouse is only open Wednesday-Saturday. So on a Tuesday evening, it was the "deli" or Mel's. Mel's menu was more varied, so we ordered off their menu. I went with the jalapeño burger, fries and a side salad. My wife went with a grilled Santa Fe chicken sandwich. Both sandwiches were surprisingly large, both sandwiches slightly overcooked. My burger bordered on well done. Nothing remotely pink. The fries were good and the side salad was standard fare with lettuce, cabbage, a cherry tomato and a few slices of cucumber. My disappointment comes from an order taker who didn't know which sandwiches were grilled or fried. And a kitchen who doesn't provide salt & pepper in "to go" orders. I even asked if salt & pepper was included and was assured they were. Sorry Mel's, that's just service 101.

    Chicken fried steak with Mel's potatoes, and biscuits & gravy

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    2 months ago

    We love the atmosphere and the food is always great here not to mention one of the best milkshakes I've ever had

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 months ago

    My server was awesome I think her name is Kayla or Katie Food was great and service.

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    9 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great place to stop and relax for a bit! The staff and food and great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Great food and excellent customer service with reasonable prices. Nice oldies atmosphere. Not loud.

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    Page 1 of 8

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    Chop 40

    Chop 40

    4.2
    (301 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    This is a cute little restaurant & bar out in Verdi, Nevada. It has both outdoor and indoor dining…read morewith a rustic and cozy atmosphere. This place is also family friendly as there were children dining here, but no specific children's menu. The waitress Lex was very sweet and provided excellent service. We came here for the weekend breakfast (keep in mind they are open at 8am) and both were delicious. The French toast was slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was topped with delicious fresh strawberries, blueberries, and powdered sugar. The country fried steak was cooked perfectly and served with a side of eggs,, toast, and house potatoes. The food was reasonably priced as well. It was a wonderful surprise and experience to get some sustenance after our morning hike.

    In a nutshell, terrible service unless they know you, overpriced terrible cocktails, and food that…read moresmelled good. See details below if you want to know the story. . . From the moment we walked through the door, we were treated as if we were inconveniencing them by asking for a table. We were totally agreeable and ok with a table or the bar. After about 10 minutes, we were directed to the bar where there was one seat for two of us and the gal with the green shirt that was from somewhere in South Carolina promised to get us another stool. We went to where we were shown to go. Another couple at the bar mentioned someone had taken the stool that belonged where we were. We ordered two drinks, Jameson on the rocks and a Grey Goose or Tito's Lemondrop. $14 for the lemondrop that couldn't have had a shot of vodka in it. I'm not sure it had any in it because it tasted like lemon juice and Cointreau. The single shot of Jameson on the rocks was $12.25. There were 3 local guys who appeared to be finishing up on the other side of the couple next to us that were standing and leaning on empty stools. I asked them if we could have one of the stools and one of the guys jokingly told me not to yell at him. We laughed and he said he was leaving anyway, but the bartender told him not to give us the stool. The bartender brought us our drinks and we patiently waited for a stool, but decided if we finished our drinks and hadn't received menus or a stool that we'd find a different spot. The food smelled good and the few people eating seemed to be enjoying it. After a bit longer we were asked if we wanted to move to a table when one came open. We should have said yes, but we were trying to be easy and agreeable as they seemed overwhelmed, even though there were two empty dirty tables and the three spots at the bar where the local guys were bullshitting and leaning on the back of the empty stools, so we said we would stay at the bar. We still had not been offered menus or the 2nd stool we were told was coming. After another short while, a couple at the end of the bar left and the bartender asked us if we wanted to move into those spots. We moved and ordered another Jameson on the rocks. We found a menu that another patron had left and decided we would order if asked before we finished our cocktails. The bartender gave us the 2nd Jameson on the rocks, but never asked us if we wanted to order even though she knew we came for dinner. We finished our drinks and asked the lady in the green shirt with South Carolina on it if we could have our bill because we had already been there more than 50 minutes while feeling like we may have never been asked what we wanted to eat. We finally got our bill of $38.50 for a terrible lemondrop and two shots of Jameson on the rocks. We left hangry and irritated that we never got to taste the food we were smelling. I've heard good things and had a nice Mother's Day there last year, but I won't go back unless I'm with a recognized local as they seemed to be the only patrons receiving food. Obviously, by the length of this review, that I'm very disappointed and hope the staff will take into account how they made good paying patrons feel. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time. If management cares enough to check the receipts, we were there 4/17/26 and left between 6:30 and 7pm.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Chainsaw Tacos - Tri-Tip
    Chainsaw Tacos - Tri-Tip
    American Classic Burger

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    American Classic Burger
    Pine Ridge Tavern

    Pine Ridge Tavern

    3.9
    (49 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    After hearing so much good things about the new joint in Sommerset, I decided it was time for me…read moreand my husband to try it... boy let me tell you my expectations were exceeded! I got the Chinese chicken salad and pizza and they were both superb! The chicken in the salad was not tough at all and the salad-to-dressing ratio was great (I find most places don't give enough dressing at all). And for my pizza, I can now confidently say that I get it AT LEAST 3 times a week!!! The dough is always cooked perfect and its never overcooked! My server Jay was so kind and I got my food fairly fast! I'm so happy that this place opened!

    I had some takeout food for my family last night, Saturday, and we were very disappointed. I…read moreordered the French dip sandwich with onion rings, my husband ordered chili, and my grandson ordered a cheese pizza. The French dip sandwich was salty, with very little meat, and the onion rings were burned almost black and also very salty, almost to the point of being unpalatable. My husband's chili was good. He said, "My grandson's cheese pizza looked good, but was like a hard, chewy piece of cardboard," and I tasted it, and I agree. They had been here once before for dinner, dine-in, about eight months ago, and I was pretty pleased. Not sure if the times are tough, or if they've had a change in style, but the food has really gone downhill. It's very sad to see if that's the case because it seems like any place that opens in the village at Somersett doesn't do very well. Who knows what the reason is. All I know is that I spent $60 on food that I ended up mostly throwing away because it was unpalatable. That's not good in this day and age.

    Photos
    Pine Ridge Tavern
    Philly Cheesesteak
    Philly Cheesesteak
    Coffee

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    Coffee
    Burger Me!

    Burger Me!

    3.8
    (736 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Drive-thru

    Burger Me never disappoints! The staff is always incredibly friendly, welcoming, and attentive…read morewhich makes the whole experience even better. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, making it a great spot whether you're grabbing a quick bite or hanging out with friends and family. The burgers are absolutely incredible and there are so many options beyond just beef like chicken, lamb, and more. The patty melt was pure perfection! Everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and cooked just right. If you're bringing your pup, don't skip the pup patties they're huge, juicy, and only $3.99! Such a fun bonus for dog owners. They also offer beer, wine, and seltzers which is a nice touch. And whatever you do, DO NOT leave without ordering the onion rings. Crispy, flavorful, and easily some of the best around. Highly recommend! They also really care about the community. This month they're doing a round up campaign for RennerVation Foundation to support their summer camps for foster youth and teen. What a great cause!

    Another nice walk with my friend and it ends with us going to a food place I've never even heard of…read morebefore. The interior was surprisingly small and simple with a small amount of wooden tables and nice benches and metal chairs. The booths were nice but I'm not a fan of metal chairs. I was quite surprised to see a small little arcade near the entrance with like 6 machines or something? I didn't play on any of them but it's really cool to see something like that there! I ordered a build your own burger with bacon and it was pretty good! The burger was nice and juicy and all of its toppings went on it very nicely! The fries were pretty good, leaning a little towards the plain side, but not bad at all. I also got a root beer float, and it was ok. The root beer they use was okay, far from bad but I personally wouldn't get it again. Overall, it was pretty good. Nothing to complain about, and decently priced as well. I'd say to give this place a try if you're in the area!

    Photos
    Turkey Burger with Avocado & Bacon and a side of regular Sweet Potato Fries
    Turkey Burger with Avocado & Bacon and a side of regular Sweet Potato Fries
    Southwest Turkey Burger & Sweet Potato Fries
    Southwest Turkey Burger & Sweet Potato Fries
    BBQ Bison Burger!!!

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    BBQ Bison Burger!!!
    Sierra Cafe

    Sierra Cafe

    3.3
    (70 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Stopped at Sierra Café in Reno before heading into Lake Tahoe and honestly... casino cafés kind of…read morehit when you need a little pre-road trip moment. The food was good, the stop was easy, and it was exactly what we needed before the drive. But the main character of the whole experience was our waitress, Elvia. She was such a sweetheart genuinely so kind and attentive without doing too much. Like, immediately good vibes. Cute little Reno stop. Would absolutely come back before another Tahoe trip.

    Walking in, we noticed this great little spot. It seemed like it was gonna be great for breakfast…read more We were seated quickly in our drinks were brought out quickly. The house this was very nice and our waitress showed up in no time .The menu had quite a bit of everything on it. It had a great choices for breakfast lunch and dinner all in one menu. My wife had what was called the four deuces pancakes, two sausage, two bacon eggs and she said it was all very good. I went with the chicken fried steak. I read a couple of reviews where they said their chicken fried steak was overcooked in things. Mine wasn't. Mine was very good. The gravy was good. I substituted the bread for a biscuit and upgraded for $1.99 and got the gravy. It was all super yummy. The bacon could've used some work from my wife's plate lol but other than that, everything was super good. The reason that I didn't give it a five star is because it was extremely pricey four dollars for a drink and $15 for a breakfast like this is quite high. If you're hungry and headed out of town, this is a place to stop or there's a couple other ones over by Boomtown Casino.

    Photos
    Booths at the front windows
    Booths at the front windows
    Sierra Cafe
    Total interior reboot and renovation

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    Total interior reboot and renovation

    The Original Mel's Diner - diners - Updated June 2026

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