Great service from Robin who provided great entertainment and help with my choices. So glad I stopped in for a burger and fries. Extra props to the solid 80s soundtrack in the place. read more

The atmosphere is fun old style diner, and it was overall clean inside. The servers were kind and quick. The actual diner is great. The food is BAD. I ordered a sausage breakfast burrito. The sausage was little chunked school lunch sausage that tasted horrible, like not correct. They were all throughout the burrito, so for $16 it wasn't even worth finishing. The house potatoes were WET! I don't even understand this one- they were so soggy and there was literal water on my plate. They were completely inedible. My husband got some bacon so crisped that it was completely black and hard. $40 total for really bad tasting breakfast. read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - Breakfast Burrito with sausage chunks - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I moved to a spot really close to Mel's and I have ordered take away from here about 6 times in the last few months. Every single time it's ready in moments and I get a text that the order is ready. Absolutely love this because I can order walk over grab the food and get home before the heat from the onion rings turns to steam. Sandwiches are solid and fries are good. Pro tip: add green chiles and grilled onions to your sandwich. Both are an excellent combo on a BLT or French dip or anything really. Service is solid too and they can get busy at peak hours so know that when you go. Astute observation from a guy who eats out a lot? A soda pop cannot be $4 and change. Stop it. read more

While trying to decide where to go for breakfast/lunch on Saturday, Mel's popped up on my Yelp search. I hadn't been to Mel's in years - I'm talking at least 10! The interior is obviously decorated to feel like an old school diner complete with sign filled walls and mini Jukeboxes on the tables. There are plenty of booths and tables to sit at and the interior seemed fairly clean. We arrived a little after 11am and were immediately greeted and seated. Our drink orders were taken shortly after as well. Their menu is big, but not overwhelming and they also offer breakfast all day. We ordered the Kids Waffle that came with Scrambled Eggs and Bacon, the 6oz Steak and Eggs with a Biscuit and Gravy on the side and one of the Melburgers (I can't remember the actual name) with a side of Chili Cheese Fries. All of the food was lacking salt which was weird -- even the eggs and hamburger meat. It all had potential, but just not sure why they don't season anything. Luckily they offer salt and pepper on the table that helps, but it ruined the burger and fries. Overall, I enjoyed my meal, but my husband was disappointed. Staff was hustling around and our server Robin was very friendly and personable. I would have given 3 stars based off the food, but I added 1 star for the service. Maybe we'll come back again and ask for them to season the food next time! read more

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Mel's is a cool spot! The food whether breakfast or lunch is always good!! Love the options to still be able to use the little Jukeboxes on the table and enjoy good music while we eat! Also, I've never had bad service here. Always kind, quick and efficient! read more

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Service was good and place inside looked nice inside. However, The food was underwhelming. I thought i lost my taste buds all of a sudden. Had the turkey club and each bite got worse and worse. Meat was so bland. Only flavor was from the mayonnaise. Even the bacon had no taste and was rubbery. I will not be returning. How do you mess up a turkey club? read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

A Vegetarian's Delight at Mel's Diner Norma was our driver and she made our visit the best. What a fantastic breakfast! I recently stopped by Mel's Diner and was thoroughly impressed. I ordered the vegetarian omelette, and it was absolutely delicious fluffy, loaded with fresh veggies, and perfectly cooked. The oatmeal was also top-notch and a great complement to the meal. Beyond the great food, the service was truly excellent. The staff were all friendly and attentive, making sure everything was just right without being overbearing. It's clear they take pride in their work. If you're looking for a reliable spot with great food and even better service, Mel's Diner is a must-try, especially if you're a fan of a good vegetarian omelette! read more

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Fun place for a group evening out with teens. Our server, Jennifer, took great care of our large group. We stayed for a long time and would definitely go back. read more

Just finished a late dinner at Mel's and had the best experience! Used to go here all the time as a kid and it refreshing to see that they've kept the place up so well!! Jennifer our server was amazing, very attentive and friendly and even complimented us on our jukebox choices! Love this place will be coming back! read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - Mel Classic Melburger & chicken Chicken Tenderloin Strips - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

By far the best place to get an ice cream sundae in the Sacramento area is any one of the Original Mel's. Generous scoops of delicious ice cream topped with gooey syrups dripping down the sides and topped with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top! Can't beat the price! We have had them on fair Oaks, in Auburn, in Placerville, in Roseville and they are consistently the best! read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

Instantly comforting. True to the chain, the vibe is 50's diner. Most welcoming staff today, my first visit to this location. I like the menu has the right variety of things so anyone can find something they are happy what without going through a novel of a menu. Had the egg-white omelet with potatoes which was a fair amount and filling. Tasty and texture were good. Each parking in the lot. Location is off a major street so also easy to get to. In the same parking lot with a hotel so business should continue to be good. I want to come back more regularly. read more

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The food and atmosphere is great!! Our server Robin did an amazing job making sure everything is good and checking up on us. I recommend the bacon and cheddar Mel burger! Would definitely come back read more

We were real excited to see that a Mel's was in the same lot as the hotel we were staying at, and had a fantastic time eating here! The food was great, and service here was so social and joyful. When we first came in, the ambiance was very relax for a Monday, but this place can get filled with folks on the weekend! Thank you for such a great meal! Shout out to Robin for being so awesome!! read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - A wall inside the Original Mel's Diner, ordained with images and items of a beloved era. - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Was familiar with Mel's about 10 years ago, the place went definitely down a few notchescsince then. The jukeboxes are not operational any more. The chicken sandwich was just a low quality breaded chicken slapped on an uninspiring bun. The chili looked weird. However I was happy the onions and tomatoes were super fresh. I had there the worse decaf. I have ever tasted, bar none. read more

Mels was a great stop on our visit to Sacramento! There are so many food and dessert options! We got breakfast and really enjoyed it. The service was excellent and the decor was fun and retro. We plan to go back a different time for milkshakes. read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - Hot Chocolate - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

Great spot for breakfast. Always plenty of parking at this location. Old school vibe with great overhead music. The food is fresh and consistent. No fancy sprinkles or flowers, just good solid food. My go to is the egg special with a sausage patty, potatoes and toast. They also have delicious French toast. Great service always. Kid friendly! read more

Friendly diner with lots of memorabilia. The service is great and the food is served fresh and hot.

Lumpy mashed potatoes are on the menu here " Raw" smothered in gravy! The Cooks never prepare to the order! Started coming here 15 years ago, was great has now turned horrible! Waitresses are always having to apologize for the cooks.. Still a CLEAN AMERICAN DINER FOR NOW!! HOPEFULLY!! read more

Fries were good unfortunately that was it. Ordered a club sandwich. What little bacon it had was undercooked and flavorless. Worse was the complete lack of mayonnaise. The others in my party were similarly underwhelmed. Service was just adequate. read more

What an amazing experience my daughter and I had on Friday, September 26, 2025. We haven't been out to eat in a while and decided to have a breakfast meal. So, we went there and our waitresses name was Karla. Karla was awesome!!!! The cook(s) made our food to perfection. The only thing I wasn't happy about was that I didn't have enough money to give her a GREAT tip!!! She definitely deserved it!! Thanks again!! read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - Oreo cookie shake - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

Wanted to say thank you so much Miss Jennifer my husband my son and myself came to have dinner. It was amazing. The fries was super amazing. The clam Chiowder was great. The wings was amazing. The fries most definitely thank you for amazing customer service you made sure we had refills we had. I had a spoon. There's plenty of napkins on there were napkins on the table. Extra ranches in dis appreciate everything thank you for your bubbly personality we appreciate it manager supervisor and other coworkers pay attention to Jennifer and the other young lady that was up there that took our order. Thank you so much. It's changed so much here we used to come here a long time ago and it was kind of sassy but it changed. I see it's under a new management I think and a better crew keep it that way you guys are you guys stand out and make the business so much better my name is Andrea. I used to live in the area, but I moved away but just wanted to say thank you and keep up the awesome work. See you guys again soon. read more

I ordered the fish and chips to go with a side of mashed potatoes. When I got home and looked at the food I was very annoyed they threw the fish on top of my mashed potatoes. I actually placed paper napkins underneath the fish myself but the fish was soggy and tasted bland. The milkshake was really good but this is my first and last time at Mels read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

Food was exactly what we expected. The service was the best we've gotten in the past few dinners we been too. The waitress was excellent she continued to check on us and to make sure we were satisfied. It was the best Mel's we have ever been to. read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - San Francisco skillet, country fried steak with eggs and a kids chicken tenders. - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

If you're going to charge $17 for fish and chips with a couple pieces of shrimp thrown in; it should be fresh and beer battered. Not out of a swanson box. Same went for my wife's hot wings. It's a real bummer that Twin Peaks shut down next door because I'm sure they had real fish and chips and fresh wings not from a box and probably for less.....service was great. food and price were awful. read more

Had some time between an appt and reporting for work this morning so decided to hang at Mel's. The server was incredibly friendly! Was the food the best ever? No, but it was hot and came quickly. It was pretty much as expected. The restaurant is clean and had a steady flow of visitors. Lots of LE folks stopped by to pick up food and use the facilities. They all seemed to know the server, so I think they are regular. That's was kind of nice actually. read more

Mel's is always a 5 out of 5. The food is very bland but you don't go for the food, you go for the atmosphere. The servers are always so personable and talkative and it's always such a good experience to eat at Mel's. The food may be generic, but nothing else is. Especially if you're there for the dessert. read more

This food was amazing... very clean. Spoke with the owner for a little bit, very hard worker and great guy!!!

Let me tell you people this was the worst place the worst service coldest food I have ever been to visit. I would rather go to Denny's and I'm really not that big of a fan of Denny's but at least their food is hot and good read more

This is my two cents on this original original Mel's diner food, quantity and quality.. It was delivered by Uber eats and a quick and timely manner . I ordered a chicken fried steak and the spaghetti and meatball dinner . There was also buy one get one free milkshakes . The shakes were pretty good, but mostly whipped up air with ice cream... one shake would cost you eight dollars.. I don't know what idiot thought that chunky mashed potatoes and french fries would go with a dinner of a chicken fried steak .. The mashed potatoes had big chunks and they were barely cooked properly .. and then to have french fries instead of a vegetable like green beans. What a big moron.. Plus, the chicken fried steak was cooked so much that it was too dried out to actually enjoy or eat . The meatballs and spaghetti really sucked ... you could have bought frozen meatballs open a jar from Walmart make your own pasta and you would've had a better meal.... I will not recommend for you to go here for comfort food that's for sure. It really sucked. . read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - Chicken Fried Steak - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Dirty. Food tasted old. Soda flat. Poor service. 4.2 stars must be friends or employees. Never would go back. One in Roseville CA 10X better. read more

Horrible quality food for the price of $60 hash brown was burnt as you can see in the picture and not warm at all. If you want to go to Mel's go to the one on J st definitely way better quality food read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - Burnt hash browns - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

Nostalgic atmosphere, it brings you back in time. We came in for dessert and it was enough to share with your partner. Service was excellent, quick and attentive. read more

We had a 90th birthday party here with 31 people and the restaurant did an amazing job. They were able to seat us all together in a separate area and gave us time to socialize a little before ordering food. The meals were delicious and the service was great. The manager, Jennifer, was very accommodating and provided excellent service, even bringing in the dessert with a candle at just the right time. Everyone ordered off the regular menu, and we were surprised at how reasonable the price was in the end. I would definitely recommend this place for a family gathering and will come again. read more

I cannot believe I just paid $15 before tax for a "Belgian Waffle" that in fact is a pancake in the shape of a waffle! read more

Great food, great service and love the nostalgia. Went to breakfast with family and we stayed a long time but they did not mind.

I always wonder who gets the green lettuce. Well today it was me! First time at Mel's and had the best hamburger with crisp green lettuce. onion rings were crunchy and well seasoned, didn't need to add anything. Service by Dennis friendly, making it an enjoyable quick lunch read more

Always liked Original Mels for a good diner experience . Breakfast is always good . However the burger I got here was AWFUL. It was a Tuesday mid afternoon quiet time for business I get it . The waitress was nice enough but our burgers were cooked rare . and fries could of been cooked more as well. Such a disappointment read more

Best breakfast in town even if that's ice cream ! These ladies enjoyed some banana splits at 8am when it was already 90* out and some gentleman had some cfs and steak breakfast featuring the best chef in town Felipe, adding love into all his food it's always fast and perfect! read more

The Original Mels - Howe Ave - Chicken-Fried Steak & 2 Eggs 6 oz. New York Steak & 2 Eggs - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Dissatisfied with the overall experience. From a multi personality menu to the lacking disclosure of the cost of a simple cup of coffee. A staff member who seemed impatient and judgmental when my wife inquired about what was included with a meal. (Hint. The menu is not very clear) after a rather simple order, it would have been nice to have staff return to the table just to even ask if everything was ok. Then, let's finish off with the bill being wrong. I clearly ordered a single cup of coffee. Only one cup was on the table yet you tried to charge me for two cups. Hmmm, probably not returning to this place. read more

Just has an awesome experience at Mel's. Thank you Carla for the absolute best experience! Your professional and warm demeanor. Honestly, I can't remember a time when we had such great service. The food was very good as well. I had the egg and diced ham breakfast and my wife had scrambled eggs and bacon. Both cooked very well and the potatoes were very yummy! Way to go Mel's. And thanks again Carla! read more