This place is really bad. Even the best food here is mediocre and the worst is straight up gross. Service is fine I guess. No one is friendly but they check on you a lot. Restaurant itself is whatever. It's not the cleanest but it's similar to other diners I've been to. Just can't recommend not eating here enough. Truly go anywhere else and you will have a better meal. read more

Stopped here for lunch on our way to Tahoe, sat quickly, food was fast and yummy! Our server was lovely and attentive. Thanks so much!

Came here for the first time and I received excellent service, that will make me come back for sure. Food was hot and tasty also. But most of all I was really pleased with there service from Mallory she was so outgoing and fast with her service. read more

7/16/2018: Mel's is literally down the street from Farm Table Restaurant when I discovered FT was disappointingly closed after 3:00 PM on Mondays! Anyway, I drove my car into Mel's Parking lot, I approached the cashier counter requesting if, I may sit at a table: The waitress arrived a minute later, handed the Mel's menu, and I ordered the 10-ounces of prime rib, two sides-lumpy mashed potatoes with gravy and a tossed salad, Sprite, and cornbread. FYI: This is the second time I've ordered the 10-ounces of prime rib, two sides, Sprite, and cornbread. This time, I ordered the prime rib RARE and the Chef cooked the prime rib medium-rare . . . *****Helpful tip ordering prime rib due to last time which was about three months ago: I ordered prime rib medium-rare, it was cooked well-done, and worse-the meat was like hard cardboard STIFF . . . I mean it was like rigor mortis! Geez~Really, Chef Dude-You should KNOW the difference between medium-rare and well-done! Anyway, I'm pleased with the Chef who prepared my prime rib the way I like eating it this time-7/16/2018, the waitress was prompt serving me, and the overall service was great so, I tipped the waitress and waitstaff well. Thanks, everyone~I inhaled the prime rib! read more

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We came here to celebrate a friend's grandsons 50th Birthday. It was perfect from beginning to end. Our server was wonderful, she took our orders & went off to start a fresh pot of coffee for me. B-day guy had a chili burger/cottage cheese, friend had the 5 piece shrimp w/cole slaw & I had the "Rocken Ribeye".my steak was tender as could possibly be cooked to perfection (MR). Everyone at the table was thoroughly satisfied w/their meal. The server brought Oreo cookie ice cream w/caramel sauce for breakfast-day guy. There was happy music playing & 3 TVS if you prefer watching a game or ? while eating they have it. We all just really nice time today. read more

Great place! Excellent service, food, ambiance! Excellent eggs Benedict .. fun memorabilia on all the walls.. American Graffiti photos.

This is still a good stop if you're headed up and down the 50 from the Sacramento area. The bathrooms are clean and the service is friendly. It's typical diner food, burgers and shakes as well as a choice of salads. It is a full menu. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and my friend had a cobb salad with fried chicken strips. My burger was good, standard bacon cheeseburger and fries. My friend was surprised the fried chicken strips looked like fried coated animal crackers ... her words not mine! It tasted fine though. I'm still a fan of the place and I'd stop here again. I'd have to say it's probably your best choice over the other chain restaurants here in Placerville. read more

The Original Mels - Cobb Salad - American Near Me - Placerville, California

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Milkshakes milkshakes milkshakes! I also have to have a. Vanilla milkshake with a marshmallow swirl and hot fudge. The fish and chips are delicious also. Happy staff. read more

Best dinner to stop at, friendly staff, good food, fast service, very relaxed and nice

I hadn't been to a Mel's Diner in years and I must say it's like I remembered. This location had new seat cushions and booths which added to the experience. I was seated fast even though the place was busy. I had the rib eye steak and eggs which was perfect. I had asked the waitress to have the hash browns crispy and sure enough they were. My waitress, Amanda, was beyond nice and took the time to greet me. She said I'll put your order in before I do that crowd. Mel's was always a great place for a good breakfast and they didn't let me down.... Bravo to Mel's of Placerville! read more

The food here is always delicious! The staff is extremely friendly. They are very quick to get the food out. The burgers are handmade and delicious. The salads are huge and filling. The sandwiches are amazing. Breakfast is a must. All the breakfast is delicious!! I especially love the California benedict. Another favorite is the french dip. There is nothing you cant order that is delicious. They can get extremely busy when it is tourist season so expect to wait. Other then that it is a great food and amazing service. read more

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Great 50s diner experience with huge portions and fun music playing. Comfort food at its best and unlimited refills on drinks. Parking is easy and safe. Right off the highway and there are electric chargers here too! read more

Ate here multiple times while in CA. Every time the food was good, service was quick and friendly. The atmosphere is really cute. read more

The Original Mels - Scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and Mozzarella Sticks - American Near Me - Placerville, California

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I came for breakfast with my mom, brother and sister in law. It was very busy. Hard to find parking. We were seated right away. Our waitress was Pamela. She was wonderful....very attentive and a great friendly personality. We j9ked with her a lot. I ordered the chicken strips. Got all the sauces...the honey mustard and ranch soooo...good. It was tender and yummy...they give you 5 good size pieces. The fries crispy. My mom ordered the california omlet I believe and really liked it a lot. My brother the lumber jack breakfast. It comes with pancakes..sausage...bacon...ham...he really enjoyed it. We would go back for sure. Great food...clean...wonderful waitress... read more

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The food was great and the service was really friendly! Great they stay open later to for a small town.

FOOD IS BAD. My wife and I ate there last night and the burger she had she could only choke down a 1/4 of it she didn't even want to bring the rest home that's how bad it was. I had the chicken fried steak it wasn't very good but i brought home and just had it for brunch not a good reheat item but it went down. I have no plans to go back there. read more

Sweeties pies was was over an hour wait so we decided to try this place. Food was ehhhh. My pancakes were bland and had a weird after taste. Our server was sweet and attentive. No wonder there was no wait. read more

What a disappointing salad. I paid $18 bucks for a crispy chicken salad...a good diner must have (like chicken fried steak) for delivery. It was mostly lettuce. I called the location to request no egg, the line was busy and continued to be. Very little chicken. Called again to talk to the manager an hour later. Line still busy. Better food/salad/grilled cheese/service at The Brick not too far away. Skip Mel's. read more

Wow, this place got SO much better! Now one of the cleanest diners in town. Fast, friendly service, great for kids, and good food at a fair price. We'll be back! read more

This place, Original Mels, used to be great, but something has changed drastically!!! JUst ordered steak and eggs from the Placerville restaurant, and everything was so over salted it was inedible.....couldn't even give it to my dog!!!! TERRIBLE!!!!! What the heck is going on there????? I've lived here over 30 years and USED TO go to Mels frequently. No more until they get a new cook!!! read more

If you understand this is like a diner then this is very good by diner standards. It's a nice stop in Placerville if you're coming back from skiing or just staying in the town for some event. I get up here a couple of times a year on average. Some of the entrees I've had and enjoyed: Eggs Benedict: B plus Caesar Salad with Chicken: B Club Sandwich: B to B plus Hotcakes: B Other things . . . SERVICE: B to B plus SETTING: B minus to B read more

The Original Mels - Chicken Caesar Salad at Original Mel's and better than it looks. - American Near Me - Placerville, California

My husband and I use to love this place but it keeps getting more skimpy and expensive every time we come here. I just ordered a club sandwich (14.99) and subbed sweet potato fries (3.77) and added avocado (2.49). Next thing I knew what use to be under $10 was $23! Now I KNOW that we are in trouble. Get ready....Jesus IS coming....and HE is not a little baby lamb either! It will be terrifying for All who rejected HiM. Good luck with that! read more

Friendly service, clean diner, great food. Today when I walked in Mel's I was greeted warmly by Pamela and sat in a booth with my niece and two young boys. Hulises was my server and he's young and full of energy, he's also got a great smile and he's courteous. I am picky and have food mods and he nailed them. The manager is friendly, the cooks are friendly, I never have a bad meal when Jorge is cooking. Very pleased with my visit today, hit the spot. read more

We love coming to Mel's for breakfast! The daily breakfast specials are a great deal. Favorite breakfast menu item is the breakfast burrito with gravy. SO GOOD! Katelyn is a great waitress!! Always smiling and always so helpful. read more

I began my Mels Drive In experience in 1953. I did not yet have a driver licence...yet but 'hung out ' with friends that did. Favorite way of winding up a cruise night was at Mels Drive In in BERKELEY. 1954 I got my licence and what a good feeling to drive in in MY own cool car! 5 stars for the memories. read more

What can I say Mels , is Mels. Great diner food and excellent service. It doesn't matter what city you are in. This restaurant keeps a standard for their work. read more

The Original Mels - American Near Me - Placerville, California

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After a long hard day of work, I ordered Mels pick up, server was super nice over the phone, food was ready when I showed up! Without asking, I was told the side of ranch and extra Italian dressing I asked for over the phone was in the bag! Im forgetful so I thought that was awesome, great service, and again super nice! I get home and was pleasantly surprised with the presentation, and the food was great, what more can you ask for read more

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It was great food! From the service to the food. Everyone Loved their dish. Breakfast was 5 star! Thee San Francisco burger was a hit for my husband I was in the mood for breakfast The wolfman jack was plenty, probably could feed 2. The service was friendly and we were seated quickly- kid friendly They had crayons & coloring ppr them along with their own kids menu. Love this place. It's just West of Lake Tahoe coming down from the mountains. read more

Our server was Jessie and she was amazing. My husband is celiac and she was so precise and went out of her way to make sure his potatoes were cooked in a separate pan and checked the ingredients on the hollandaise sauce to make sure it did not have gluten. I can't tell how many times servers in restaurants are usually not going to go the extra distance to make sure allergens are not in food. Jessie definitely made the effort for us and we are grateful. Anyone with celiac knows how severe it can be to have cross contamination in food. She was so sweet and helpful. She's a great employee of this diner. Thank you so much. read more

The Original Mels - American Near Me - Placerville, California

My son in law, grandsons stopped Saturday afternoon for lunch. We waited over one half hour for our meal. I have never had to wait this long before I never found why. The food was cold. My son-in-law had to ask for his salad. My grandson had to ask for his milkshake. I must USA oxygen so I have a portable I carry when I am away from a source to keep it charged, we were in there that my battery used all the electric power. read more

I have been a patron of Mels for decades now. The 50's setting inspired diner has various locations in the Bay Area (and one that i know of in Reno that we go to when we are there) - all that I have visited have always had a nice casual atmosphere, good service and good food. Whether for Breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack, it's one of my go to places. They also offer a veterans discount and have a frequent diner reward program that we take advantage of. I highly recommend it! read more

On our way back from Tahoe we stopped by Old Hangtown and ate breakfast here. Service was fast and good. Food was delicious. My boyfriend loooved the chorizo skillet scramble that came with biscuits in gravy. Chef salad was good too. The only thing was that they sat us right next to the bathroom when there were seats in the main area. Other than that good experience. read more

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The milkshakes and chicken strips and curly fries are awesome! I was helped by Priscilla and Delaney, they were so kind and quick to help me out with my order. They deserve a raise and all the tips!! how can you beat the setting of the restaurant, such a great vibe. Makes you feel like you're on the set of the movie Grease! read more

Stopped for Hot fudge brownie dessert in old Town. Service was just ok a little "Sassy" Service. Wasn't busy by took awhile to take our order at walk up counter. Clean and very cute retro diner. Did not eat food, only had dessert. read more

The Original Mels - American Near Me - Placerville, California

Visiting from Coarsegold. Hulises was our server, he took great care of us. Great food and atmosphere!! Family friendly. Loved listening to all the OLDIES! Thanks Huey!! read more

We went there this evening and have to give a special shout out to Jessica, our fabulous waitress! She was very attentive and made our 2 daughters night by blowing up balloons and playing with them in between helping customers. She truly went above and beyond! Food was great, environment was fun and restaurant was clean. read more

Our meals were less than satisfactory. Pretty sure all those teenagers were stoned. Nobody could comprehend any words. Classic scenario of the blind leading the blind. You've been warned. Avoid this restaurant. read more

If I could give a negative star I would. Normally I love everywhere in Placerville to eat. But this experience was the worst. They have teenagers "working" at the front just standing there and laughing and not wiping down tables, not cleaning not working. This is a place of WORK. You don't just stand there. And let me tell you about the FLIES why the hell are there so many damn flies and no one is doing anything about them. A fly went into my father in laws soda he killed three more. We asked to be moved because of the flies and they were literally everywhere. The table we moved to was not cleaned off and there was lettuce from the previous customers. I was born and raised in Placerville and I have never had a bad thing to say about Mels until today. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER read more

Staff and customers are not friendly toward families with special needs children. Our family travels through Placerville an average of once a month. The downtown is cute with some free parking and many local shops and eateries. Based on the large parking lot, menu with several kid friendly options, booths to accommodate larger families, and reasonable-ish prices- Mel's has been a favorite stop for my family of 6. Unfortunately this last visit will be our last. We had already been driving in the car for about 3 hours straight, so prior to going to the restaurant, we were sure to get all the kids out and walk up and down the full extent of the downtown so they could get some of their wiggles out. Our older boys had a friend with them, so there was one additional child with us this trip and they were all excited to have their friend with them join us for lunch. At Mel's, we were seated in the large, corner booth where our family is usually sat. Our server was very friendly, patient, and reassuring. We were given kids menus and crayons for the little kids to play with. Unfortunately, despite the music playing in the restaurant, there is an incredible echo. Shortly after placing our orders, the OTHER server in the restaurant (dark blond hair in a ponytail) SHOUTS ACROSS THE DINING room to us: "there are other families here trying to enjoy their meals!" Really?! Was the point to embarrass us and ensure everyone in the restaurant heard her scolding us? If a quiet ambiance was desired, why not walk over and give us the reminder in a way that didn't include maximum public shaming and embarrassment? There are a number of ways this server could have asked us to be more quiet without being loud herself and drawing maximum attention to our family's struggles. She could have walked over to our table and made her request in a volume and tone that would have achieved her goal without embarrassing my family. If one of her tables had complained, she could have blamed it on them, or perhaps even the echo of the building. There is a multitude of gracious and polite ways in which she could have asked us to lower our volume that did not mortify my husband and I. Was there a quieter or more private area of the restaurant she could have offered to seat my family or any other patron who may or may not have been inconvenienced by the noisy chatter of my family? Two of my children have diagnoses; the one with ADHD is particularly stressful to take out for meals, and the one with ODD is difficult during all travel. Proper conduct in all situations is something that we have to constantly work on with our children. We try our to pick kid- friendly restaurants, bring activities and electronics, and go at times that are not prime lunch or dinner times (such as this 3pm lunch stop). Our server continued to be pleasant during the meal. At one point, the server who shouted across the restaurant for my family to be quiet, was shouting other communications to our server across the restaurant. Not sure why she felt her shouting was excusable and not also distracting "to other families trying to enjoy their meals." Either way, my husband and I made every effort to shush our kids any time they seemed to be getting a little loud enjoying themselves, laughing, or having fun. We did not enjoy our meal and could not wait to leave and never return. As we left, no one thanked us or wished us a good day. No one, not even our server, attempted to apologize for the awkward and embarrassing exchange. At the time of our departure, none of the other families dining had been there when my kids were being loud- so the ponytailed server could have apologized to us for the awkward exchange and said she was just doing it to keep her own table happy. Who knows! The opportunities for service recovery were potentially endless! I was a server for a number of years- I get it. But I would have NEVER been so awful to another server's table and jeopardized the continued patronage of my employer. Hopefully, the server with the ponytail receives some training on courtesy, customer service, HOW TO USE AN INSIDE VOICE (heck, maybe she could have demonstrated the use of her own inside voice for my apparently noisy kids), and service recovery. read more

Ordered a rueben with crispy garlic fries. The sandwich arrived with strands of sauerkraut, tasteless. Fries were floppy. The waitress answer to the lack of sauerkraut wash to bring a small side of sauerkraut. read more