Tried this place for dinner a couple nights ago... I have loved them for breakfast, so i assumed dinner would be a success. I have no complaints... My party started with the squash croquettes, very soft and delicate... We than had the octopus and calamari, very fresh and properly cooked... Our entrees consisted of their signature skirt steak, the Meli burger, the neopolitan sandwich and the reuben. We eat sandwiches everywhere, but this beef and corn beef sandwiches are some of the best I have ever had. What made the beef sandwich was the giardiniera, the corn beef was even better with their special secret sauce as our server informed us. She said the chef is pretty hush, hush, on what he puts in his sauces. We didnt mind because it will make us keep coming back for more giardiniera and secret sauce. What made the night perfect was the desserts... We opted for the bread pudding and carrot cake desserts. To put it mildly it was ORGASMIC, my girlfriends couldn't get enough. The pancakes had an amazing light texture, the carrot cake french toast was flavorful, and a perfect combination with the maple gelato they served with it. Great experience, Fantastic food, Breathtaking desserts... read more

2 Stars for my hot waitress Otheriwse, this place is awful. I never write these but after such a bad experience I had to warn people. First the owner (or manager? fat man with greasy hair!) is a pig. eyed my girl up and down and kept coming over and touching her arm and shoulder. she was so uncomfortable. next the food. so gross. i don't know who the dinner chef is but he needs to head back to school. my pasta was covered in oil, my sister has a cilantro allergy and told the waiter, only to get a dish covered in it and my girlfriend ordered a pasta dish that had 2 noodles and the rest was sauce and vegetables. not okay. on a personal note, showing off bottles of booze and then telling us we have to buy down the steeet was shady. do they have a partnership with the wine bar? they must because there was no reason to refuse to serve us when they had a full bar all in all i would never return and caution anyone else from going. if sexual harrasment and undercooked, un seasoned food is your thing then please go. otherwise avoid. read more

I have been a loyal Meli fan for years and must say that this location does not dissapoint. Went there on a Sunday and the place was jamming...There was about a ten minute wait which we did not mind. The place as i said was slammed but the it didnt seem to phase the staff. The bartender seemed to be reading while working which was a bit odd, but he must of had some time to kill. The food was AMAZING....I am guessing meli has been able to keep its consistency, or their chef is just that good. Speaking of chefs, those bread pudding pancakes are to die for...so soft tasteful and mouthwatering. Today we had the bread pudding pancakes, the biscuits and gravy (I have to say best i have had in years) and the breakfast burrito...What made this burrito was their salsa. It is not red like everywhere else, but a spicy green one... Our server was fantastic... Overall Meli is continuing its success.... Great job chef, and a shout out to the rest of the staff... See you again read more

Never again. I went to this restaurant for dinner a few nights ago and will NEVER return. To begin, the food was extremely greasy and covered in oil. I ordered a reueben sandwich that was dripping when I picked it up and my husband had the gnocchi which, after he ate about half of it, revealed a puddle of grease. When I told our server he said that "Chef Lee is the best cook" and said he couldn't do anything about it. Seriously!? Then I got the chance to meet the owner. I think his name was Yani? He was too busy yelling loudly at his manager and drinking at the bar to truly pay attention or for me to actually catch his name. An overweight Greek man, he seemed to hate all of his staff and was so disrespectful it was hard to not want to speak up. Then he went on a tirade about women and putting them in their place. My husband had to hold me down. To summarize: greasy, disgusting food and an owner who hates his staff and women. DO NOT EAT HERE. EVER!! read more

I really like the all-white table setting; the natural light; and the light fixtures.egg was cooked perfectly.it's swanky for breakfast;  i guess i like my midwestern breakfast hole in the walls.it seems like a super fancy place; but it's really just a great casual location of my still reigning champ of breakfast foods.our server was very inattentive and not very friendly.i have a problem the coffee was very good but the waitress only poured me one cup and did not really acknowledge that my cup was empty i guess she was too busy(it was not busy).they are located next door to the blake hotel and the interior is definitely very well appointed and a little more formal than the original location.food came out staggered which always leads to the polite "no; please start eating before your food gets cold" by the person still waiting.do not get the corn beef hash benedict.my girlfriends and i had a beautiful night out. read more

"Meli Cafe: where breakfast dreams come true... mostly. Picture this: berry crepes bursting with berries like it's a fruit explosion in your mouth. But then, the smoked salmon Benedict rolls in and... well, let's just say it needs a pep talk from Flavor Town. Poached eggs playing hide and seek under poached? Not the best game plan. But fear not, the breakfast sandwich swoops in to save the day, especially on rye bread. Kudos to the waitstaff though, they're like breakfast superheroes. Greek yogurt with nuts? Absolute perfection. Now, about those prices... yes, they're up there, but so are the portions. Sharing is caring here, folks. Meli Cafe: where hits and misses meet in a breakfast battleground, but the victories are worth it." read more

So the manager (who is easily 19-20) made it clear to me they do not have a liquor license and cannot serve but that we can bring in wine from the 7-11 down the street. So legal. However a full bar and others being served seem to discredit this. As did my 16 year old daughter ordering a vodka at the bar and being served by someone named Brody. So that was great.....greatly illegal Not that it matters given the blatant disrewgard for the law at this place but my well done steak was delivered medium with blood every where. Asking for a new one I was told the chef doesn't take orders back. So let's all hope he is sober and can read when you go in (which i highly caution against) read more

Overall, amazing food for, what I consider, a very good price! I've been here twice. I believe their menu changes day-to-day. My first experience was really great-- the hostess was very welcoming and explained the menu in great detail. It wasn't busy at all during my first brunch. The second time I visited for brunch I had pointed to a meal a passer-by had and the waiter order me the wrong meal. I don't hold it against her bc she offered to re-order but I didn't want to wait, so I was fine with what she accidentally ordered me and it tasted really great. Will definitely be visiting again. read more

This cafe is a real gem! The food tasted incredibly fresh and was cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of seasoning. What's even better is that it's all reasonably priced. The staff were also very friendly and welcoming, which always adds to the experience. I had the 10 oz steak with hash browns, and it was absolutely delicious. We also couldn't resist trying the creme brulee French toast, and wow - it was amazing! If you're in the area and looking for a fantastic spot for breakfast, I highly recommend checking this place out. read more

I was going to go with 4 stars, since the food was fairly solid, but then I realized the bill was a bit much and therefore it's a pretty bad value. Then, I compared this one to the Halsted location and realized the Halsted location was a much better value, better menu and equally as tasty. However, the reason I dropped this to two stars is because I looked at the dinner menu, which was plain to begin with, but when I saw an entree of gumbo priced at $29, I said wtf. No really, wtf are you smoking? read more

This place is amazing! Ari, is amazing and we ate here 6 times, lunch, breakfast, and late dinner, all with excellent service, consistently spot on food, and bar drinks including said pressed juices at a discounted price compared to hipster shitholes. Relatively stuck up clown free, and the eastern european waitresses make the place a fresh of unpretentious deliciousness, boo to the hipster American clowns who gave this place bad reviews for service, go eat at Ihop you suburb creatures! read more

My cousin was in town and she loves brunch so we decided to go to Meli Cafe. Although it was crowded on late Saturday morning, it was well worth the wait! First off, I loved the omelets selection and the mocha coffee was delicious! We shared sweet cobbler crepe as well and it was to die for! If you are a brunch fan like me or want a fun place to bring an out of town guest, Meli Cafe should be on your list!! read more

Delicious!! We ordered the breakfast tacos and the breakfast sandwich, both with hash browns. So much flavor!!! And the portions are HUGE. We sat outside and we it was just a lovely experience. Our server was pleasant and the busser was absolutely on top of the water refills. There are a ton of spots to eat breakfast in this area, but we're remembering Meli Cafe! We can't wait to come back. read more

Superior food, and abundant also.Very pleasant atmosphere and good service. I had the veggie omelet and coffee. Both were excellent, just the right mix of veggies and feta. And plenty of it, too. It comes with hash browns that were also excellent.Coffee was likewise a delight.It is not a cheap breakfast but if you are hungry it is a good value. read more

Very good spot for Sunday brunch with a huge selection on the menu. The service is good and the food, at least the Chicken and Waffles was very tasty! If you are in Chicago visiting or a full-time resident, give Meli Cafe a try!! read more

A great place to dine downtown, I love their breakfast specials. Love the prices, so affordable. The portions were pretty nice. Service is quite impersonal. The location is just perfect. read more

Terrible customer service at our table . I looked around to check and see if it was anyone else receiving the service I did and it wasn't . I will never visit here again . read more

I waited over 10 minutes in a restaurant that had a handful of people in it. Never got waited on. Only got the menu. Food is good here, but the service leaves you wanting. read more

Oh Em Gee!!!! Everything was delish! From the MudPuppy porter to the Chicken and Waffles, everything was unbelievably tasty. Definitely coming back. read more