Groovy day Yelpers! So, I recently visited Melba's and had a mixed experience. I have eaten here many times before and the food is always extraordinary. What stood out (in a not-so-great way) was the red velvet cake. It tasted more like lemon cake, which was a surprise and a bit of a letdown for anyone expecting the classic, rich flavor that red velvet is known for. That said, the rest of the experience was exemplary. The ox tails were on point as was the ginger honey salmon and the Mac n cheese. The ambiance was cool, and the overall vibe made it a nice place to hang out. If you are here to celebrate a birthday, the whole dining room is invited to join in Stevie Wonder style (as if there was any other way?! ). In any case, I'm sure this was a fluke. Either way Melba's is still a solid soul food spot if you are in Harlem. read more

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2nd time dining here . We just left the taping of the Tamron Hall show and we were starving. We arrived at the right time as we were seated right away. My friends ordered the crab cakes and I ordered the Southern Fried chicken. Everyone enjoyed their meals but I was disappointed with the Creamy Mac & Cheese. I found it to be very dry and not creamy nor cheesey. Overall the food was served hot and we enjoyed our meals. read more

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Meh. The food was just ok and the dining areas are tight and uncomfortable. I ordered the catfish, mac, and the sauteed spinach. Everything was average, but the crazy part was the frozen spinach with the water at the bottom of the bowl. A mess. And then the ceiling fans were making my food cold. It was very disappointing. read more

Sunday brunch with a strawberry Hennessy, chicken and waffles, deviled eggs, spring rolls, a free portion of short-rib and more. Great experience. Awesome service. Need to go back and try their desserts. And their hot sauce. read more

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Yall, I don't have a picture or NOTHING. A friend recommended this spot and OMG. The catfish nuggets!! I could barely keep my eyes open because they were so delicious. The Mac & Cheese, oxtails, southern chicken sandwich, and baby the egg rolls? My God toDAY. So lovey and smooth and comforting. Or waiter Brian was phenomenal, kind and a fantastic mixologist. Vibes were lovely, each song was the one. read more

Melba's food, ingredients & seasoning is what u plan for visiting NYC. The restaurant is always happy, joyous in celebrating any event or when you're in town. The drinks & appetizers are always on point - refreshing & tasty plates of southern food. The entrees has outstanding combinations and you can't leave w/o ordering extras for later. We visit couple of time each trip for brunch, lunch & dinner(unch). We ordered the fried crispy wings, country catfish & waffles. Superb seasoning & the eggnog waffles melt on your tongue. U can't visit without tasting their down home veggies- Mac& cheese, low country collards, yams & mash taters. Of course, 2nd visit that week was for the oxtails, fried shrimp & jumbo lump crab cakes! I'm from DC, her seafood dishes swim up to your plate. Melba was there during brunch and she's the nicest person who reminds u of when owners were just like old friends. One of the best restaurants in the World, bar none! read more

Melba's Restaurant - Charleston Fried Shrimp - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

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We had a Friday night reservation for dinner. The venue has both indoor and outdoor seating. We sat inside to cool down from the summer heat. Inside we were promptly given ice cold water. For drinks, I ordered Frose & Pina Colada. My friend ordered a mocktail mango driven. The mocktail was nicely done. I would order another Frose from this place. It was really refreshing and tasty. For dinner, we both got the fried chicken. For sides my friend ordered mac & cheese. I opted for sweet potatoes. It was nice as we got to try alittle bit of both. I enjoyed my wings. They were fried perfectly. The sides were a nice compliment to the chicken. We were full but wanted to taste the carrot cake. We ordered the cake to go and it was nicely packaged. The cake was a nice treat when we returned to my friend's home. All in all a very good dining experience. Prices were competitive. read more

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I was so hoping that the food would be good. The deviled eggs were a little rubbery. The fish had no seasoning. The greens had sugar in them and the Mac and cheese was blah! The service was ok. I expected the ambiance to be a little better but..... read more

Melba's Restaurant - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

I can't be objective, when it comes to Melb'a Restaurant; NOT‼ Yes, Melba is a personal friend I met years ago when she worked at her Aunt Silvia's Restaurant. Her gifted talent was only brewing and now; it has simmered into something incredibly delicious. Melb'a food, that's filled with so much love, TLC and joy, should be enjoyed by many. As a child, I grew up on 114th Street and Manhattan Avenue & it's so cool to see Melb'a Restaurant (on 8th Avenue / now Frederick Douglas Blvd.) as a signature presence of Community Renewal for the better of Harlem after gentrification. Melb'a scrumptious food, in every morsel you taste, eat or savor; will satisfy your palates. read more

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We had a 7 pm reservation and arrived before time. There was a line formed outside the restaurant and we inquired at the host stand whether it was for walk-ups or reservations and we didn't get a definitive answer but were advised to stand in line. Later they did ask for our party name and we did get seated before the people ahead of us in line. When our server Ole (sp) came to the table she immediately told us that the kitchen was experiencing technical difficulties and therefore it could take a while before our order came out. She was as efficient as possible however quickly telling us her favorites and recommendations before leaving us with some time to review the menu and make our selections. We ordered and got our drinks about 5-10 mins later but then it took over an hour for our entire party of five to get our food. We watched as three tables that arrived and ordered after us got their food before we all had ours. I emphasize before our entire party because four people received food -two of which weren't complete because they were missing sides and the final person had another 10 mins before their food and the remaining dishes came to the table. To her credit our server did apologize and also gave us three slices of cake on the house. All of which were good, my favorite being the coconut pineapple cake. Everyone liked their food. The spring rolls were not like anything I ever tasted and had I not wanted to enjoy the rest of my food, I would have eat more. Side note that they say there are four spring rolls but it is really two cut in half. I had the A$AP yams, catfish (great sauce), mac n cheese and collards. The collards were delicious. I could get a pot of them! If you are from the south, skip the sweet tea. It was pretty weak and I found myself immediately removing as much ice as possible to avoid it diluting more. Finally I love great black art and the restaurant is filled with it so it gives you something to enjoy besides the company. Patio area also looks great for nice weather. One of our companions said he comes here often and the food was always good and the service we experienced was an anomaly so I'd give it another go-especially for the collards. read more

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I have been wanting to try Melba's Restaurant, for some time now as I've heard mixed reviews but wanted to give a try for myself and had the opportunity to with my partner. Melba's serves up comfort food classics like fried chicken and waffles, catfish, short ribs and began options as well. Here are some of the highlights: * The cheese in the mac n cheese was devoured by my partner as well had the Jamaican oxtails and ASAP Yams * The vibe hear gives Family Sunday brunch and the place is very busy so sometimes hard to get a table if you don't have a reservation. * I enjoyed their salmon, collared green and ASAP Yams, ate some there and devoured the rest at home, as it was perfection. * We enjoyed our service there as well,as our server was busy and sometimes things took longer than expected but we understood and appreciated the ambiance and attentiveness. Wouls definitely come again! read more

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Im not quick to give 5 stars, but this place deserves more stars if I could give them more! We found our way into Harlem, explored the city and a few parks and said let's find a place for a late lunch and cold drinks. Upon arriving we were greeted by a super friendly host and our waiter was even nicer. It was obvious we were tourists but that didn't deter from receiving amazing service. We shared a friend chicken sandwich (amazing crispy batter and moist juicy chicken that was fresh from the fryer) and a plate of the sweet potatoes! I splurged on a sweet tea and it was better than my Maw Maw would make me a child when I visited her in New Orleans. My waiter even offered a refill to go! I'll be making my way back here to lunch again when I'm in NYC! read more

Melba's Restaurant - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

This place is perfect for any occasion. The food is made to perfection. The service was professional. The space is fitting to the theme of the neighborhood and those who come to visit. Pass by whenever you are in town. Worth every penny and delicious bite. read more

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Service is excellent! Our server is quick, efficient, and attentive. The host is adorable. The bbq short rib was delicious. The yams were perfect and the collard greens are my favorite!!! The rum punch is one of the main reasons I come to Melba's. MUST HAVE! My cousins loved their chicken sandwich and fried catfish so no complaints at all. read more

Melba's Restaurant - BBQ Braised Beef Short Rib - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

I was in town and was recommended this place. I had a reservation and was late and was still accommodated. They have indoor and outdoor seating. We were seated inside. It was pretty packed. The service was slow at first but everything made up for it. Our waiter was so nice and she really knew the menu and had great recommendations. To drink we had a rum punch it was strong. We started off with the spring rolls and they were so fire ! No exaggerating everyone was ordering them. Id fly in just for these. I had the catfish which was okay. It wasnt bad but nothing to rave about. The waffle was chef's kiss. Now the greens and mac were made to perfection. I want to go back and try the seabass. The atmosphere is very inviting and loud but in a good way. Id definitely be back. read more

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Now this is my third time at Melba's. Granted I have not been here in about three years. I immediately ordered the wings because I remembered how much I loved them in the past. The waiter suggested I go with the regular wings but I insisted on going with what I know. Well honey those dry rubs were really dry and under seasoned. I sent them back and ordered regular wings which were crunch and tasted better. Now the mac and cheese was also dry but our wonderful waiter went and got me a fresh order. It looked better. I added oxtail gravy to it and that made it sing in my mouth. The collard greens were seasoned well, so no complaints there. The best thing I ate was the desserts. Those cakes were DELICIOUS!!! I think maybe Melba's should be a bakery. I'm judy saying, y'all. read more

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Now let me start off by saying I love New York it was my first time visiting and from the food to the bars everything was amazing! Melba's did not disappoint their drinks were good & the food AMAZING!!! The catfish was freaking delicious the collard greens TOOOOO GOOD & the sauce & garlic mashed potatoes was just amazing I need it again LMAO. If I could find something like this in the bay I would be there religiously. read more

Melba's Restaurant - Fried catfish - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

This was our first time visiting, and we will definitely go back in the future. We walked to Melba's before the Apollo Amateur Night. The service was amazing, and the food was amazing, too. I definitely wished I had the collard greens instead of the mashed. The atmosphere was great and cozy. I tried the sangria, and it was wonderful. read more

Melba's Restaurant - Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Tres Mac & Cheese Country Catfish - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

Everything was delicious. I made all the right choices with my menu choices. The short ribs, the catfish, the waffles, and asap yams were all some of the best soul food I've had in my life. Ambiance, vibe, customer service, and overall experience was incredible. I will definitely be back. If you love soul food, black culture, and good scenery this is the place for you. read more

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Go! I don't know why Melba's sat on my list for years before I made a reservation! Now I'm mad at myself for missing out all this time! Food was amazing! Service was friendly and lightning quick! Can't wait to go back. read more

Melba's Restaurant - Honey-Ginger Baked Salmon - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

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Listen I've been wanting to get back to Melba's since the last time I was there several years ago. Now I've done it and it's just as tasty as I remember. The food was hot and fresh. I did delivery this time and it still was hot and fresh. Only fish and chicken this time. It was late so I passed on the sweets read more

Melba's Restaurant - Melba's delivery bag - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

10/10 loved the greens spring rolls were my personal favorite and the music definitely set the tone for my night. I had a solo date here last week and I can't wait to go back just to redo it with my girls. I felt like I was at my aunts house having some delicious soul food with a side of R&b! read more

Melba's Restaurant - Melba's Melba's Spring Rolls - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

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I went back today and they had my oxtails. I also had peas and rice with collard greens. The food is absolutely delicious.

Delicious food, fun atmosphere. Service is a little hit or miss. Came here on a Saturday evening without a reservation. Approaching the hostess counter, there were three people behind the counter but we were told to wait until ultimately another person, who I assume was the main hostess, came out to greet us. I understand different roles at a restaurant, but the three women weren't doing anything, so it felt weird that they weren't pitching in to help cover responsibilities... Anyways, the hostess said they were completely booked at the moment and took our name down for the waitlist. She said it would probably be 15 minutes, but officially the wait time was an hour (I suppose to make sure no one got mad). We left, went to buy some wine, and sure enough, 15 minutes later received a message that a table was ready. We sat in the outside dining area, which is super cute. Our waitress was friendly, although I think may have been slightly overloaded with tables. All in all, no complaints about service during the meal. Foodwise, for three people we decided to split several dishes family style: - Catfish Strips: delicious! The seasoning on the strips was to die for and it was fried to perfection. Would definitely reorder. - Fried Chicken with waffles: got the 3 wings, which were perfect to split between 3 people. The waffle was pretty tasty and fluffy, chicken well-fried. Solid choice. - Oxtails with mac and cheese and yams: The oxtails for the most part were very tender and tasty, although there were a couple that were tough so I can see how other reviews are mixed. The mac and cheese was so good! Yams would be a pass in the future to me, nothing to write home about. - Collard greens: if you want greens, they aren't a bad option. However, they're nothing extraordinary. I also tried their homemade sweet tea-- as someone who grew up in the south, it hit the spot. Overall, definitely a great spot to get some southern comfort. Definitely order the catfish strips-- as far as mains go, my hunch is you probably can't go wrong. read more

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I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Brian for his hospitality and his attentiveness and responsiveness while my husband and I dined at your restaurant.Thank you Brian . It helped us end our weekend getaway on a good note. read more

I write my reviews as a person that doesn't want anything but kind courteous, prompt service without attitude, do that, I'm giving a positive review and rating. That being said, Melba's was delicious, I loved my meal, and my kids loved their as well, and my daughter is usually a very picky 12 year old. I had the catfish with rice and pass and collard greens. My kids had chicken and baby back ribs. They raved about the Mac Cheese. I'm visiting from Los Angeles Melba's was a highlight! I recommend Melba's read more

Melba's Restaurant - Catfish peas and rice collard greens - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

The ambiance never fails. The Rum Punch needs some fixing. The short ribs are not the same. They could have been more tender. The catfish was good. read more

We came in on a Friday afternoon after not being able to get in another restaurant. They seated us promptly, and they also were courteous. We ordered fried chicken and oxtails. My sides were yams and greens. The food came out in literally 2mins. I can appreciate that! It was fresh and hot. I didn't try the chicken, but my guy said it was just ok, and he's a chicken head! Eats chicken 10xs a week! Seriously. I had the oxtail meal, which wasn't good. It was little oxtails with tough meat. Drowned in gravy/sauce that wasn't good. I didn't like the hot sauce it was like a spicy thick tarter ketchup type of sauce. I didn't eat it. Wrapped it to go. The greens and yams weren't all that. I wouldn't go back. And I'd say try them for yourself. read more

Melba's Restaurant - Oxtail slop - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

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Food - chicken and waffles was really good. The eggnog in the waffles thru me off for a sec but it was really good. Chicken was okay. Next time, I would get the wings with the waffles. Oxtails were really good. Got rice and Mac n cheese as 2 sides. Mac n cheese was SUPER cheesy. Service - good, no complaints. Food came out really fast. Ambiance - was good, no complaints. Played good music in the background. Def will go back if I visit NYC again. read more

This place creates community through good food. Quality produce, good flavor combinations, affordable prices, and welcoming staff. Outstanding staff conduct. Everything on the menu is carefully planned. I'm completely loyal to Melba's Restaurant. read more

The food was incredible and the service was top tier! Thank you to my gracious and kind server Kenny. He was awesome. I will definitely recommend! read more

I dont typically go for soul food often these days because the weight keeps on climbing, but I am happy that I finally got to try out this harlem staple and I would not mind going back Food: 9/10: It was juicy, the waffle didnt taste like egg nog but it was still delicious. The mac was everything I needed it to be. Overall some solid food. Drinks: 8/10 superrr strong which is good no complaints there, but overall it was too overpowering and you couldnt taste much of anything else. Service 6/10: considering there was barely any people there at the time we arrived service is extremelyyyyy slow my goodness. Our waiter was a sweetheart but seems like she was by herself running around table to table Ambiance: 6/10: This is not a place you go for the aesthetic if you're looking for a birthday restaurant etc, you go there to get your belly full and keep it pushing. But you will not be disappointed! read more

Melba's Restaurant - Lunch - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

Very lively atmosphere. Visited a friend who lives up in Harlem and he took me here for lunch. Definitely would go back. Tried and would recommend the catfish app, turkey meatloaf, mac & cheese, and spinach. Spinach wasn't anything special but it was prepared well and the Mac & cheese was so so good. Usually not a meatloaf fan but I really enjoyed the it with the bbq sauce they top it with. Also tried the strawberry cocktail (I think with bourbon)-- normally not a fan of dark liquor but the server recommended it, so I gave it a try. Was very refreshing. Service was a LITTLE slow/inattentive but it was also super busy, so didn't really negatively impact the experience. Plus food came out quickly for how busy it was. Would definitely go back!! My friend said he would rank the food higher than Sylvia's (another soul food place in harlem) BUT thought it was a bit overpriced. But overall he was a fan, too. read more

One of the best meals ever. Where to begin? Super friendly staff & fantastic service even when the place was packed for new year's eve. The beet, arugula & cheese & pumpkin seed salad was perfection. The signature fried catfish & eggnog waffle was a pescetarian's dream new year's feast. The desserts...that coconut lemon cake. That red velvet cake. Thank goodness new year's resolutions start tomorrow. Chef's kiss! read more

Great experience !!! The food was awesome, but the best part was the staff and service !!! Made us feel like Kings and Queens. The music was a bit loud, but I'm old read more

Loved Melba's! I stopped by for dinner with my uncle while visiting in town. I got the vegan mushroom pot pie and candied yams. It was both healthy and filling, and the candied yams were amazing!! read more

Melba's Restaurant - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

I was in Harlem all day and my friends, and I wanted to get some soul food. What better place to go than Melba's. Neither of us have been there, so we decided to give it a try. We arrived close to 4pm. That was the perfect time. No wait, and there were only 2 ppl inside. There were some customers eating outside, but it was much cooler indoors. The place was clean, and the music was at a tolerable level with some good R&B playing in the background. We were in the front of the restaurant near the windows, and the tables were kind of close together, but because it wasn't crowded it was not that bad. We looked at the menu and made our selections right away. Our server, Brian, was on it. He overheard us talking about what we wanted, he made recommendations, and the next thing we knew all of our food was out on the table HOT and READY. We had the catfish sandwich with fries, Charleston fried shrimp, collard greens, and Mac and cheese. Brian recommended the carrot cake and the yellow cake with chocolate icing. The catfish was hot and flavorful. The bun was fresh. The Mac and cheese was creamy and cheesy. It had a nice texture. I was skeptical of the collard greens because I have only ever eaten my mom's and grandmom's greens. Now listen y'all, the collards greens didn't taste like my mama's, but they were really good. They had a good taste, not gritty. Let's talk about the carrot cake. It was moist and warm. I could taste all the flavors. The butter cream icing was PERFECTION. You gotta get that when you go. My friend said the vanilla cake was very good as well. I finally know what all the hype was about. Melba's is the real deal!!!! read more

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The service was a bit lackluster. There was a problem with their paying machine with my credit card. The waitress that was helping us was kinda rude! The food was pretty good, except for the yams being too sweet! read more

Let's start. I made my reservation on opendoor - got to the restaurant and they said they didn't have it. No problem the manager got us in. We were seated before everyone arrived which was nice. The ordering felt very hectic and I felt like we were rushed. We had to ask for water and straws. The wait staff continually reached over our food to pass plates/utensils etc. Now to the food. Incredible. Everything was seasoned well, the portions are amazing and the menu is creative. Although I ordered yams and not greens I was satisfied with my meal. I'd come back again I wasn't put out by the wait staff but I wish my first experience was amazing. read more

Melba's Restaurant - Fried chicken, Mac and cheese and collard greens - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

I've heard so much about this restaurant. I avoided coming here for so long because I wanted to sit down and enjoy my time. Unfortunately, my experience was not good. My girlfriend and I visited on Memorial Day. It was late in the afternoon , and there was a 15 minute wait time at the door. The place wasn't packed, but it was very loud. The inside was dark, and the tables were small. To our left was a very irritable group who kept asking for their food. That should have been a clear warning, but we stayed. After the table to our left flagged down a waitress, she came over to us to take our drink and food order. She told us that their POS system was down. She wrote down our order on our napkin. After an hour, we still didn't have our drinks. We didn't even have water. The table that was already there when we were seated was still waiting for their food. And, then a new waiter came and asked us for our order. Our original waiter never submitted our order, and we were ready for leave if it weren't for our second waiter. She was diligent and our appetizers and drinks started to roll out. Unfortunately, the food wasn't nearly as good as I hoped. There was no way that I could turn the experience around. I ordered the signature chicken with a side of potato salad and mash potatoes. The chicken was crispy, but I don't have anything else good to say about it. Both the potato salad were good but not spectacular. Overall, it was a bad experience. But, I don't think the experience is reflective of the restaurant. I'd like to think it was a bad night. I'll be back to check read more

Melba's Restaurant - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

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