CASH ONLY little gem near melrose highlands. It's a family owned place with wonderful, nice owners. It's a small space but the hearts of the owners are large. You'll be greeted and seated with warmth. The menu has all the classic brunch spots. I got the eggs, hash and home style potatoes. Everything was made on the spot. The owners knew pretty much everyone there by name, so you know it's a spot people come back. I'll definitely be back. Thank you Pam! read more

Ernie's Lunch - American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

What an absolute find this place was! A little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's easy to miss. Extremely friendly service with unbeatable prices! Menu fairly limited, but they offer a good amount of specials and you can find pretty much anything you would at most breakfast places. Got a biscuit breakfast sandwich that was on special. Came with home fries and ordered a side of bacon as well. Food came out quick and everything was delicious. Staff seemed to know every customer there or that came in for takeout. I need to become a regular here and cannot wait to come back! read more

What a great find. The restaurant isn't much to look at but the food was very good and the prices were like 10 years ago. The staff was very good and I theoughly enjoyed my breakfast for Lunch read more

The breakfast was delicious and very reasonably priced. The staff was welcoming, and the food was served very quickly. Our kids loved it!

Wow - what an amazing find. Atmosphere: 5-star Food: 5-star Service: 5-star Across the board, this place hits every mark for being an amazing diner. The atmosphere is warm and cozy and really well taken care of - it's been around since before World War Two! And there are still a couple patrons who visit the shop who've been going there since they were teens in the late 1930's! The food is fresh and made with high quality ingredients. And they make it all right on the grill right behind the bar in the diner - you can see the how intentionally and thoughtfully they make every meal. I honestly can't recommend this place enough, the family that owns it all works there and they along with the customers are all the friendliest folks around! read more

Ernie's Lunch - Really cozy interior, everything is really clean, and they decorated for Christmas! - American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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I have eaten at Ernie`s since before 1982, when I was a Melrose townie. Ernie`s is one of the best kept secrets north of Boston. With its counter running down the length of the store, Ernie`s could have been in a railroad car classic diner, right out of Norman Rockwell. Full of character, charm and history. Up until a while ago, they`d have leg of lamb with mint jelly for the daily lunch special. The food is basic and honest. Pam`s soups are homemade with love. read more

Pam and Jared have the best breakfast in town! Always a great spot to enjoy breakfast! The muffins are downright delicious too!

5/5 stars Awesome small, local little spot in Melrose. Staff is super friendly, and food is great! read more

Great breakfasts...love their homefries, prices really reasonable...Eggs cooked perfect

Love the food here all the time. Family run establishment and are always on happy to serve delicious food.

We took a one stop "flight" from Boston, "layover" at Ernie's Lunch on the way to Salem. The "flight staff" were awesome and treated us like Ernie's family. My special menu choice "AerLingus" was a baked potato filled with ham, broccoli, scrambled eggs, topped with a cheese sauce. Amazing food, great staff, yelp helped us make a great choice. The best stop we made our whole week in the Boston area. They took Halloween to a new high. Please see my meal and the staff pics I posted. read more

Ernie's Lunch - The "AerLingus" special. - American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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Very welcoming. Just two of us, but we were greeted and got a table right away. The menu isn't overwhelming but full of some breakfast classics and there are daily specials. Prices are also incredibly reasonable. We got out of there for about $20. There is seating for just over 20 people so you've probably got to hit the timing just right and compete with the regulars. They seemed to know just about everyone else by name, but if you go back for the good food often enough, it makes sense. read more

TACKY AMBIANCE - POOR FOOD - POOR SERVICE Although all 17 reviews thus far have been very positive (no 3-star, 2-star, or 1-star reviews), my GF and I had a poor experience which I relate below. 1. AMBIANCE - 2 STARS - Ernie's isn't at all quaint or charming. It has tacky things on the walls, and it's dark, depressing, and exceedingly cramped. It seats only 20 people, comprised of 12 people seated at tables and 8 people seated at the very tight counter. In the table area, all of the tables are only 24 inches square, which provides far too little room to put food. There are only 3 tables for 2 people, and 3 tables abutting each other to seat a party of 6 people. Honestly, it's really much more of a place to get food to go, not a good place to sit and dine. Indeed, this area is very uncomfortable, especially when other people come in just too order lunch to go. When this occurs, the commotion disturbs the peace of all the 12 seated patrons. At the counter, the passageway behind the rotating stools is so narrow that you have to squeeze by sideways if you need to use the restroom. 2. OVERALL FOOD QUALITY - 2 STARS - I ate a Corned Beef Hash Omelet, Home Fries, and buttered Wheat Toast. HASH OMELET - 1 STAR - The egg that enveloped the Hash tasted good, but the Hash itself tasted horrible and was inedible. Pam, the Waitress/Owner, freely admitted that the Hash wasn't home-made, and I strongly suspect it came directly from a can, very similar to something made by Hormel. After just one bite, I scraped it away and ate nothing but the egg. HOME FRIES - 2.5 STARS - Soft and tasteless. The potatoes had been diced small, cooked soft inside and out (I'd have preferred a crispy outside) , but were almost tasteless. They had obviously been fried in tasteless Wesson Oil instead of a tasty oil such as bacon fat, no seasoning had been applied to the exterior, and no tasty additions like onions had been included. WHEAT TOAST - 3.5 STARS - Standard fare bread. Nothing fancy or whole grain. 3. WAITRESS SERVICE - 2 STARS - Pam is definitely a nice woman with a nice personality, and I know she means well. However, her level of service needs to improve. Pam placed my GF's pancake on my side of the cramped table, instead of on my GF's side. I believe that Pam did this because it was a convenient open spot. However, Pam could have easily spent a few seconds to rearrange the table slightly to make room for my GF's pancake on her own side. Instead, she left this task to us, which is more like a disservice than a service. Also, when Pam brought us our first glasses of water, they came with ice. That was good. However, when Pam brought us our second glasses of water, they came with no ice. Instead, she asked us if we wanted ice by saying, "you don't need ice, do ya?" which was anything but the right thing to say or do. read more

The very best breakfast around, prepared by the most wonderful people. We are regulars at Ernie's - it's exactly what you are looking for at breakfast time. They have been doing a great job during COVID with preparing everything safely for takeout without compromising quality. Highly recommend - and get a grilled muffin! read more

BEST BREAKFAST IN TOWN!!! I have never been to Ernie's before and I googled it because it was close to where I was dropping off a passenger as I'm a taxi driver for a taxi company in the North shore area I was hungry this morning and thought let's just try a new place the staff was phenomenal they gave me utensils so I could eat she asked me everything that I needed before and didn't miss a beat and the cook he was fantastic made my food exactly how I wanted it and it tasted like nothing I have had before it was very home cooked made to order and great feeling well worth the price was not outrageous it was a great find this place is a wonderful treasure thank you very much you upset my morning off right I did call and let the staff know how wonderful they were and how pleasant the workers were and the cook was phenomenal the food was fantastic and I will be back when I'm in this area thank you again for a wonderful breakfast I had bacon an omelet with mushrooms swiss cheese and tomatoes and it came with the home fries and I got an English muffin grilled and it was just great read more

We found Ernie's this past weekend while driving around with YELP! open. It was the best find we have made in a long time. From the people to the food, everything was absolutely fantastic. I can't wait to go back!!!! read more

I lived in Melrose in the 90's and since moved away to Maine but will I will always go out of my way to stop in to have breakfast or lunch at this little hidden gem on my way to Boston. Unbelievably tasty food cooked to perfection for a very reasonable price. Eggs Benny with a side of pancakes is my favorite. Think "Cheers Bar" but with eggs & pancakes. Very friendly and everyone's make to feel very welcome. They are closed Sundays. read more

Love this place. My husband and I stopped in on our way to Maine. The hash and eggs benny were AMAZEBALLS! Everyone, even the regulars were so freaking nice! Such an amazing Neighborhood feel to the place. And wouldn't you know, we went because my husbands name is Ernie and we thought it would be a novelty, but we ended up meeting some amazing people and eating an amazing breakfast. Did I say the hash was AMAZING?!? Oh...and don't forget to have a muffin read more

It was a very cozy and all the staffs were super kind. I had a St . Patrick day special menu: baked potato with egg+ham+melted cheese on top. Was pretty good- one thing everyone should be aware is that this place does not accept credit card. Only CASH! Be prepared :) read more

Ernie's Lunch - Ernie's pre-st.patrick's day - American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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Now this is a breakfast joint! I can't say enough about Pam (the owner) and all her crew! I've had most of the stuff on the menu and its all great! I'm definitely a breakfast guy and have been to almost every place in my area. By far Ernie's is the best! You get a REAL mug for your coffee, a good portion of food and the best cornbread anywhere! Pam goes the extra mile and decorates for holidays, has "Guess the # of jelly beans " contests, and the staff wear full costumes for Halloween! And if you happen to like Mustangs, you just found your home away from home! read more

Consistently good food, friendly service, and great value. Can't be beat for traditional diner-style breakfast. A great old-school spot for locals and newcomers alike. read more

Best breakfast around. Excellent service and great coffee! Real family atmosphere. Pam is wonderful as hostess/owner/server.

Great place for breakfast and lunch . My cousin and I had a Cheeseburger club and a BLT. We both got sides of home fries. The servers were very friendly and accommodating. Coffee refills were aplenty. The BLT was on point and came as a club. Fresh ingredients and just the right amount of bacon. The home-fries were perfect also. We had a really nice convo with the cook after eating and will definitely be back again. read more

Great, friendly service. Neighborhood classic. Accommodating for special dietary needs. Highly recommend. read more

Ernie's Lunch - American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

My wife and I love this place. We're moving to Missouri in a couple of weeks, and we have spent a surprising amount of time discussing the diner-related consequences of our decision. Ernie's is probably the thing I'll miss most about the Boston area when I leave. The food, for one thing, is excellent, and exactly what I want when I go out for breakfast. It's simple stuff, made well by people who have been doing this for a long time. If you're there for the first time, try the Eggs Benedict. Pam, who runs the place, makes the Hollandaise herself, and it's way better than the stuff they serve at the obnoxiously crowded breakfast places of Cambridge and Somerville. Pam makes her own muffins, too, and if you get there before they're all gone you can have it warmed up on the grill. But the food isn't why Ernie's is so special. The family that owns and operates this place (& their seemingly endless number of honorary family members) are some of the kindest, most welcoming people I have ever met. They've created something really rare: a business that genuinely exists to serve its community. Everyone who walks in the door at Ernie's is treated with respect, and just sitting at the counter you can watch little acts of kindness play out. They know almost everyone's name, usual order, and personal history, and Pam is fond of treating regular customers to breakfast when it's a special occasion. They reach out to the seniors who live nearby, cooking Thanksgiving dinner and keeping prices low enough for people on fixed incomes. So it's also not surprising that the service here is awesome, even if you haven't already learned everyone's names. Everyone is very attentive, and if anything isn't how you asked for it (this has never happened to me, by the way) they are very eager to make things right. They are totally accommodating of special orders, to the point that some customers have invented unofficial menu items. And it's pretty amazing that they're able to be so warm and engaging with customers given how hard they work, and for how many hours before the first diner shows up. In short: Ernie's is a comfortable, inexpensive, friendly and unpretentious diner, and if you like eggs and nice people you should check it out. --- POSTSCRIPT: I hate to even give this guy more attention, but I want to respond to Jeff S' review of Ernie's. I won't even speculate on his motives, but the unfairness is astonishing. I have no connection to Ernie's other than eating there all the time, but it really angers me that someone would smear them like this. He criticizes the wheat toast for not being multi-grain toast (which Ernie's also offers); he criticizes Pam for asking whether he wants more ice; he criticizes the building for not being large enough for him. Please don't be fooled by this nonsense. read more

Ernie's is great because the food is all fresh, and made from scratch. Pam makes muffins every day (usually blueberry or corn), and the omelets always start with fresh ingredients like baby spinach wilted on the grill. The grill is not kept as scorching hot as in some places, which means your eggs are tender, not tough, and the pancakes have time to rise. Plus they're great about making you exactly what you want - 1 pancake, 1 egg, no toast, is all fine. So you're only charged for what you plan on eating. My kids love to sit on the stools at the counter! Open Wed - Saturday read more

My husband and I stopped in here after some house hunting, and are determined to make it our go-to if we end up moving to Melrose. The staff was the friendliest, and the food was really inexpensive. I don't know the woman's name who waited on us (and who I assume is also the owner), but she was an angel. I asked if they had any fruit, and she said she had apples, asked if Gala apples were alright, and even offered to cut it up for me. We overheard her telling another patron that she cooked meals for 100 people on Thanksgiving and delivered the meals to their homes. Who does that?! This woman does, apparently - which in my book is reason enough to eat here. Oh, and my grilled cheese and bacon was delicious :) read more

We've lived in Melrose over three years now and we finally were able to check our Ernie's for breakfast on a recent Saturday. What a "hidden jewel" this place is. The services friendly and super-efficient, we were well-tended to by Mary, our waitress. I felt like we had walked into a "Cheers-esque" breakfast place as everyone in there seemed to know one another and what was going on in each other's lives. The coofee was great, I had YUMMY pancakes and my hubby had a delicious omelette. While the seating is limited, I'd be willing to stand a while to wait for an open stool at the counter or a table - we'll be back to Ernie's for sure! read more

this is by far the best breakfast i have ever had in my life. Its classic and simple. the atmosphere is always a constant friendly one with welcoming conversation and great food. I call Ernies The diamond in the rough, because despite its small size its filled with infinite goodness and it feels like home. I will continue to visit for the rest of my life with friends :) read more

I have a sneaking suspicion they wouldn't want to condone this but...I believe i may have skipped a total of a week's worth of school during high school going to breakfast at this place. It is so frickin cheap and homey and just awesome. The ONLY reason i didn't give it the last star is because there is such limited seating in there that at times we had to go elsewhere to play hooky...well just goin into school late. Thanks guys! read more

I don't think that we will ever receive such kind treatment anywhere else. The best customer service ever. They notice that we are vegetarian so they make sure that they use different clean oven to cook our food separately. Speechless read more

I loved the place,amazing breakfast for an amazing price!!!!!!The lady behind the counter was so warm an inviting that I could not give this place a bad review,great place for breakfast and will go there again. read more

Got the special turkey reuben, no real pieces of turkey it was cold cuts and they don't have fries. I will try a breakfast next time and hope that's their forte. read more

If a classic diner breakfast is what you're after, then this is your place! From the kitcsh Americana decor to the simple and super-affordable menu, Ernie's is the place for All-American eats. My recent trip to Ernie's was actually 15 years in the making. My husband grew up in Melrose and ever since he started bringing me home he's been talking about taking me to Ernie's. He finally delivered two weeks ago, when we drove there after a redeye flight. We sat at the table in the window. My husband says the place hasn't changed, which seems obvious. It was as if we had arrived by time machine. We were the only patrons under 50, but it was awesome to hear locals greet each other, discuss current events, and gripe about young people and respect in today's world. As a die-hard veggie, I was happy to see the menu wasn't as antiquated as the establishment. I had the Special of the Day, a spinach and cheese omelette stuffed full of vibrant greens that were perfectly cooked. The home fries were just so-so, but we both cleaned our plates. Glad I finally got to try Ernie's, and hope I don't have to wait another 15 years to go back. Though I'm sure I'll find it exactly as it was. read more

I've been here twice now and both times the food was great! I love the home fries, they are perfectly seasoned. The prices are too good to beat too! I wish they were open more so I could eat there more often but for now Saturday mornings will do. This place is a hidden gem and is my new Saturday morning routine. read more

This is a very nice and simple diner. The variety is large for such a small place, the waitresses are friendly, and it has a nice home feel to it. If you don't mind small places, this is the place to go. read more

I really wanted to give Ernie's 5 stars, but I just can't because the home fries lacked any sort of flavor. The restaurant itself is great, the staff is friendly and you can tell that it's frequented by lots of locals. My omelette was delicious and the prices can't be beat. I will probably try Ernie's again for lunch because the menu looked great, hopefully their lunch can get me to that 5th star! read more

Ernie's is a hidden gem. It's a cute little diner located by the railroad tracks in Melrose. The prices are extremely affordable, and portions are pretty big. The staff there knows most of the customers that come in in the morning, it makes you feel like a local!!!! One thing before you go, they only take cashso hit up the bank or an ATM first. read more

Absolute perfection. I have never tasted better breakfast. Never been here for lunch. I really wish they were open in Sundays though. Beyond a five star rating. read more

Want to feel like you're dining with with family then stop by here. Very local feel. Simple sandwiches and breakfast foods, done right. Service is extremely friendly, expect to get to know them if you come in. Prices are ridiculously low, almost felt guilty (just tip more) read more