I've been going to Mel Dog's Cafe for years now, from being a young adult to now bringing my kiddo, it's one of those places that just sticks with you. They've been part of the community for over 20 years, and it really feels like it when you walk in. It's comfortable, familiar, and full of little details like all the license plates on the walls that give it that local, lived in feel. My go tos are the California or the Linguica Scramble, and they never miss. It's the kind of breakfast you keep coming back for because you already know it's going to hit. One thing to know is it can get busy, especially during peak times, but that's kind of part of the deal with a spot that's been loved this long. Helpful tip: If you want to avoid a wait, try going earlier rather than later because it definitely fills up. I do wish they stayed open later, but overall it's one of those hidden gems that's been a part of my routine for years and now gets to be part of my kid's memories too. read more

When you want to feel like a local and be treated like family, you should come here! It's been awhile since I've seen home style comfort where the staff would know you by name. They are cheerful, sarcastic, and have a lot of personality from walk ins to especially the locals. It's great to see! The breakfast plate I got was nice, home fries, roasted beef, and perfectly cooked eggs. Delicious and super filling. I didn't get to take a photo of their special soup. They only make it everyone in awhile, but they had a cheeseburger soup and omg I was in love! So much so, I even ordered a second one to go! read more

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I waited a day just to digest my experience here. Pun intended. I can still say a day later - I just don't get it. With all of the great reviews I was expecting a pretty decent breakfast spot with some killer food and great service. Just not our experience. We were greeted and chose our spot. Menus were dropped. We've seen three different people at this point. Order taken and then the wait begins. There were 5 tables total in the place. Two have their food. Our food takes 30 minutes to arrive. The table after us is a 40 minute wait for food. Not what I expected at all. The food is freezer to fryer and I am doubting that anything is made in house. Also not what I expected for the reviews they are receiving. Definitely a been there done that experience for me and I am done. read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - French dip with freezer fries. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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Good place for a good meal. They need to pay attention to their restrooms cuz they're kinda gross.

Staff provided friendly service and provided large portions of delicious breakfast items. Thank you Mel Dog's staff, I look forward to my next visit. read more

I'm not a pancake person, but at Mel Dogs' I am!!! This is one of my favorites in Elk Grove. It's family owned and ran. I always get seared pretty quick, and they're all really friendly!!! The cool business card tiles on the ceiling is cool. Hope to have one of mine up there one day (LOL). NGL, it's been a while since I've been, but I was in the area waiting for some work to be done, so why not? I'm so glad I did. Be back soon y'all read more

Came here twice so far. The food and service aren't bad overall. It definitely feels like a locals only diner with the customers mostly being regular locals from the surrounding area. They make some good burgers and egg scrambles. I also enjoy their home fries. I'm not sure if this was a mistake on the cashier's part or if they charge extra for card paying customers but my charged total was a dollar more than what was on their handwritten receipt. This didn't happen when I first came and paid cash so I'm assuming they charge an extra dollar for card transitions which isn't stated anywhere on the menu or at the register. One other thing I noticed that didn't really bother my but just looked a bit strange was seeing my server walking around and doing everything (taking orders, bringing out dishes and condiments, etc) while holding a child (I'm guessing it was a friend's or relative's kid because someone came in later and took the child). I might be back in the future but I'm closer to other breakfast places that stay open later during the day and also don't charge extra for card transactions. This place was still decent though. read more

I am a fan of their veggie scramble with pepper plant sauce, thats what I usually get. I like to eat it in the restaurant as they seem to give you more eggs as compared to when ordered on phone. The restaurant is clean and they have decorated it with license plates which is very unique. I feel like their service is okay, you will get what you ordered with a smile or not. Their staff is moody. If they are happy they will smile and talk, if they are not happy, they will give you the food and be on their way. read more

Hard to know as it is not open on Sunday or Monday. Please update hours in Yelp. Food and prices look amazing. Wish it was open.

Hidden gem, because of its inconspicuous location. Off Waterman and Dino (commercial building) the name also makes me think hot dog. Staff is friendly with big smiles! Twin sisters run the place with a family atmosphere. Nice decor and super clean. The breakfast is classic American. Fresh food and great portions. I had the Farmers scramble with a pancake. I'm looking forward to going back for the same thing. My daughter had hash browns, eggs with biscuits and gravy, she enjoyed her meal too. Can't wait to go back! read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - Farmers Omelet has Bacon mixed in! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Another place I use to go to Mel Dog's Cafe 9766 Waterman Rd, Ste B, Elk Grove, CA 95624. It has been years so today I decided to check it out. This restaurant is in an industrial complex so a bit hard to find. I walked into a pretty full restaurant being served by one server. It was about 8:15 AM and I thought this was going to be slow service. Not at all! I was seated, drinks delivered and order taken pretty quick. The server seemed to know everyone. She was obviously very experienced so I went with her suggestion of a California Omelette. At 9:00 AM other servers showed and started helping her. This omelette was made military style, very thin egg wrap with fresh ingredients. Another thing I liked was the large mug for my tea, which was refilled as needed with hot water. The potatoes, pancakes and everything else was spectacular. The Chef in the back obviously took great care in its preparation. The home made salsa was incredible. The ambience is a very clean, well laid out restaurant. They have nice tables and chairs that were properly spaced. The only negative thing I have to add are the huge portions they give. A great place for breakfast or lunch that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - California Omelette-Military Style - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Parts of the restaurant was quite dark. Food was ok nothing special. Service is not bad. Won't be going back

Food, service, and culture was great! Definitely recommend and im coming back! Love the ambiance.

Happened to find this little place , being from out of the area. Had a wonderful breakfast! Really good comfort food, great friendly service, very willing to work with my food preferences, cute decor great to support a small business. read more

First time here. I had the pancake breakfast. Saved 1 pancake & 1 bacon for breakfast tomorrow. Large portions. Great service. A homey dining room. Lots of parking. We will be back. read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - All Yum - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Great place to walk and have breakfast after your car is being worked on down the street! Awesome California scramble that hits the spot! read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - California scramble with sausage instead of bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

The food was great. We enjoyed the layed back atmosphere. We enjoyed our visit and discussions. Recommend as a replacement to Chick's in Stockton for meeting ole friends. read more

This place is always closed. They need to update yelps hours! 3rd time tryin to go and closed :(

Great customer service with a smile & friendly service from the time you walk in, get seated, then place your order. You can tell it's family owned and the workers there have been there for a while and they seem to have the regular customers coming in & of course some new ones. Located in a plaza, so parking is not an issue but, if it didn't say cafe on it, you would probably miss the place. Happy we stopped in to enjoy the yummy dishes & good o'l employees who seem to love their job, their on top of refills when you run low & always coming to your table to check in & make sure everything is all right. Food is good & worth the money your spend. read more

Fun oldies diner. Service is very friendly and attentive. The food was really good with large portions. Prices are reasonable. I will definitely be coming back. read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - 1) Breakfast omelette meal and 2) Chicken nuggets and fries. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Was recommended by a friend. Ordered B & G with hash browns & chicken apple sausage. Service was good. Unfortunately, the sausage was incredibly tough & dry, as if it was reheated from the day before. This was disappointing. read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - Biscuits and Biscuits & Gravy Platter - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Local food joint with a nice menu selection and attentive service. The decor is right up my alley with various signs and license plates hanging on the walls and behind the counter. Prices were good and food was average. Felt the portions were on the smaller side and the roast beef sandwich was a lighter on meat than what I like, but had good flavoring. Seemed popular with the locals. read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - Side salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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Wait time before being seated: 15 mins (10:15-10:30 on a Saturday). It helped that a party of 6 and a party of 3 left after waiting a while. Food- Great! We got the 1) Machaca burrito and 2) Pancakes with a side of eggs, home potatoes. Each meal was delicious & big enough for 2 meals. Ambiance- clean, bright, diner casual, family friendly. Just tables, no booths. Service- it was quite busy so not overly attentive but very friendly nonetheless. Food came out fast but it took a little while to order, get a box, get the check, etc. You take the check to the counter to pay. Heads up: the prices on Yelp and on their website are very outdated. The prices are actually comparable to any other brunch spot , i.e. $15-16 per brunch plate. There's a 3.99% tax on a credit card transaction and a 3.99% discount for cash. Bonus: 3 minute drive away from Black Swan Trail / Powerline Trail AND a Starbucks. This is a winning combo in my book!! read more

Great breakfast and lunch! Close by to me ! Stop in for a quick lunch! The girls are so friendly and love their customers! Lots of senior citizens sit down and have a great lunch or breakfast! 10+ here! read more

The food, ambience and people were nice. We will go back, I just didn't like the portion size of the food.

Your basic run-of-the-mill breakfast place. Nothing really stood out to me, except the boxed pancake mix flavor.

I can't believe I have lived in Elk Grove for nearly 7 years and have never tried Mel Dog's Cafe. WHAT A FIND! I was hungry, couldn't decide what I wanted, where I wanted to go but knew it was either breakfast or grilled sandwich or burger. The place was packed when I arrived around noon. There was about a 10 minutes wait. Then just before I was seated, the place cleared out. Marnette was my wait person. Friendly, cordial, professional and made suggestions per my request. All the meals coming out of the kitchen looked amazing and generous portions. So many options to choose from. I ordered the grilled turkey, bacon sandwich with grilled Parmesan bread, no tomatoes and fries. O M G this is the all time best grilled turkey sandwich I've ever had! Hot, fresh, tasty, huge portion, absolutely delicious. Funky, divey, diner feel and decorations. Cool advertisements on ceiling which look like huge business cards, license plates everywhere many personalized ones. Feels good, people seem happy who work there, great customer service by all and the customers seem to be enjoying themselves too. I can't wait to go back and try other items. Thanks again for your exceptional customer service Marnette! read more

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Food is amazing and the service is top-notch. A small little quaint cafe that has a old-school charm read more

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Very busy spot. Obviously regulars. Service is good. Food can be better. Just too rushed. Ok for kids, good parking.

Good food good service good ambience. I had a small meal. Will try more food soon! I love that breakfast is served all day!

Great service and huge portions at affordable prices! Our server was very attentive, despite how jam packed they were.

Such a unique atmosphere to dine at! From the outside, it didn't look like much, but enter into a place with tons of amusing decor to roam your eye's through. No walls were untouched with art. The ceiling is made up of business cards. Walked into a house full of seniors enjoying their lunch. It was such an wholesome environment. Restroom was so clean it looked untouched. Food is very homestyle. French toasts were very interesting, reminded me of a pancake-toast hybrid. Food was good. Pricing is very reasonable. Service was spectacular! Looks like a family owned and operated business. Give this place a try, it's a green light from me. read more

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The breakfast was amazing. You can't beat the prices they have. The staff is very friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Was sat outside and left there for too long. Ended up leaving. It was very sunny with no shade. Although we choose to sit outside because it was first available, the time left sitting in the sun with no water was a bit much. Will try again another day. read more

We came to the restaurant about 10 minutes before closing (I know that's quite annoying), and they still welcomed us in the restaurant and gave us time to look at the menu. The food is pretty good, and I would definitely come back for some good breakfast for reasonable pricing. read more

Good food. Made fresh always Served hot not warm. great service. Owners are wonderful.

Had a great pre Birthday celebration at Mel Dogs..super service, friendly, patient & great care today with our party of 10.. love this place.. read more

Mel Dog's Cafe - Pre birthday celebration with family.. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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Yes! I went there over the weekend because they serve breakfast and lunch at the restaurant. I saw a lot of license plates and others on the wall inside. My sister had a pancake combo, my mom got clubs and potato salad, and me and my dad had burgers. This restaurant opens from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays and they're closed from Sundays to Mondays. read more

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Been to Mel Dogs a few times now and it has become my favorite spot for breakfast in Elk Grove. Great food, good portions, fair prices and friendly staff. The place also has a great old school diner feel. The Devore is cool and if you look up when you're seated you can see all the cool business card ceiling tiles. read more

Very disappointed. Waited 20 min and multiple family came afterwards and orders taken without us been acknowledged. Walked out and went to stagecoach. Got treated with respect and great food. Will never go or recommend Mel Dogs to anyone read more