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Mel's Diner

3.2 (58 reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Mel's Diner Photos

Business Info

MEL'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Mel's Diner

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Reviews With Photos

Alison M.

I came to Kitchener to meet a friend visiting from out of the country but where to go and what was nearby. Mel's Diner - perfect! Friendly attentive waitress and OMG crazy good burgers and rings. I did find the price was on the rich side. Two burgers with rings, a Pepsi and a milk with tip just shy of $60. Not looking the the cost the overall experience was a good one. For sure the cost would keep it from being a regular haunt if I were local.

the interior of a diner
Aswin V.

Good breakfast at a decent price. Their breakfast potatoes are tasty and the coffee does the job it's intended to do! The amount of food is borderline heavy. Not sure what sausages they serve; those could have been better. I like the old school charm of the diner, and the servers wearing dresses to suit the style.

a paper bag with a drawing on it
Ann C.

We are in the midst of the Covid-19 quarantine. This afternoon my husband, daughter and I were in the mood for milkshakes. We ordered them from Mel's because their's are always great. They came within 15 minutes and were delicious as usual, but the really lovely surprise was the how the cups and bags were decorated by the staff! The extra, personal touch really made us smile. (And don't we all need to smile these days!). Thank you Mel's Diner!!

Storefront on Opening Day.... Great to See that Mel's Diner sign lit up!
Vincent P.

The Legend is Back! After a tragic fire destroyed the original Mel's Diner by the University of Waterloo, the new location is now open at Westmount and Ottawa. A number of my favourite Mel's dishes are back, including The Skillet and The Hungry Mel for breakfast (I changed my order many times before I made my final selection)... The food tastes great (like it did before), and the service was fast (even as the "Open" sign was switched on at 6 am on Opening Day) both of which made Mel's a destination for young and old. The new location is fabulous and really manages to capture the look and feel of the previous location, as well as the nostalgic nature of the diner concept, right down to the old-fashioned jukebox at the end of the restaurant (former patrons of the Campus Court Mel's Diner will note the return of James Dean and Marlon Brando in posters on the back wall). We've missed you, Mel's Diner, you were there back in the day when I went to University and we would have all-night study sessions, when I was working all night until the break of dawn for start-up companies, and even later as I met with friends for breakfast before heading out for the day. As Mel's Diner starts its new chapter, it is good to see that the old traditions still continue... By the way, there is a breakfast special (2 eggs, bacon or sausage, homefries and toast for $3.99 before 11 am and $4.99 after 11 am) that's not on the menu, it's a great deal!

Fried chicken and waffle Benedict, waffle was ok, not enough hollandais sauce
Christina C.

The quality of the food seems to have been decreasing over time. With so many new restaurants opening in the near area, the diner is less and less attractive. I do believe that they're over charging for the amount of food served, will probably still come back sometimes for the eggs Benedict, but probably will not be trying anything else on the menu.

Morning flower at Mel's Diner
Brad R.

It was nice watching the sun rise above the trees while I sipped on my coffee. It made me think about how my parents must have done so in a diner like this back in the 50's. I was served by a very attentive and pleasant waitress named Sherry who tended to me with a great personality that would have fit in back in the day just right! The food is good, coffee medium strength and they give you a Dubble Bubble (classic) gum with the bill which is always a nice touch in a diner. All and all, I'd recommend those who are looking either for a blast from the past or to see what things were in a simpler time (apart from wanting great food of course).

Apple cinnamon waffle
Melanie J.

My first ever visit to Mel's diner today and the visit was better than expected. We were in time for breakfast so we both got the breakfast special for about $5 each which comes with eggs,hash browns, toast and bacon/sausage or ham. Nothing to special about it, but their apple cinnamon waffle is to die for, had a major waffle craving and it fixed me right up !

Inside of restaurant

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

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5 years ago

Small portions. Nice decor. Not a diner because of small portions. Do not feel I got my money worth

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14 years ago

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13 years ago

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6 years ago

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13 years ago

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

They have the best diner food here ! Cute themed 50s place that they've translated even onto their patio. Definitely a must try in KW !

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7 years ago

This is an absolutely awesome place to eat. The feeling is nostalgic the food is amazing oh, and the staff is wonderful

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12 years ago

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14 years ago

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9 years ago

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12 years ago

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8 years ago

Great food and great service. Staff are friendly and fast, amazing little diner atmosphere. Food has always been delicious!

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10 years ago

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12 years ago

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14 years ago

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11 years ago

Great price, great food, good service. I had the Eggs Manhattan. The steak was cooked very good and the Hollandaise sauce was delicious.

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9 years ago

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Page 1 of 2

Review Highlights - Mel's Diner

I always get the Hungry Mel from the all-day breakfast menu.

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People searched for Breakfast & Brunch 262 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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The Works

The Works

(24 reviews)

$$

The Works in Kitchener just opened! It's awesome! (I wasn't so crazy about my ground turkey burger)…read morebut apparently the elk and beef burgers tasted amazing! They have lots of different topping combinations, variety of meats (even veggie burgers), selection of buns and sides! The staff there is super friendly and efficient! The milk shakes are awesome too! I will definitely go there again!

Read the reviews, saw the postings... what can go wrong.... well let me tell you…read more Service was non-existent... there was only 1 other table in the whole restaurant and service was NON existent!!! Strike one... The food... the onion ring tower was... warm... doughy and seemed to be something frozen that was pre-packaged and someone forgot to read the instructions how to warm up and re-assemble... the kobe style wagyu burger had no taste... way over cooked and the bbq sauce was a little too much... as for the bun itself... kinda stale. The poutine... it appears the "too much" theme continues... the bbq brisket poutine comes with 2 different "gravies" the super vinegary brisket sauce and the brown gravy that had little to no taste... I should have just stuck to the regular fries and called it a day. The shake was proclaimed to be made from real ice cream... which I believe but "really cheap" ice cream to be exact... I should have taken my $50.00 gone to the keg and get a real meal with appetizers. Entree and dessert with change than an over glorified reheated frozen dinner... pass and save your money and aggravation.. piss poor service (non-existent) along with an over rated frozen TV dinner

Mel's Diner - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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