A solid choice for breakfast steps from the University of Waterloo. This place tends to be full on weekends. Excellent with dietary requirements. Clean. I enjoyed the cinnamon bun pancake and appreciate that you can choose how many given they are sweet. I got one with added raspberries and a side of turkey sausage. We were a group of four and all were happy with what they got. read more

Like an old skool diner with jukebox and big red pleather booth tables. Small. Very popular brunch spot for Waterloo and Laurier students. Service is quick. Food is decent. read more

Mel's Diner - Chicken and waffle Benny. Chicken tenders. Big Mel. French toast. Eggs. Sausage. Cinnamon French toast. - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Not worth the cost. The seating is way too squished in the centre of the restaurant to the point where you cannot move into your seat without hitting someone. Ordered the Turkey Hot Dinner which came with very few slices of turkey, underseasoned mashed potatoes, and mushy bread. read more

The chicken and waffles was a super good choice for me. The green onions were also a nice touch that added something different! I loved it read more

Mel's Diner - Exactly what I needed for brunch. The waiter was extremely helpful and the food came out quickly. - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Mels has been with us since 1st year Today we wanted to try something new so we chose something different from our usual orders Buffalo Chicken Poutine This one was our favorite out of the two. It had ranch on it and combined with the buffalo chicken was really good. It was a little bit spicy but it gave a nice kick to the poutine. They also gave a lot and we had to take some home! Chicken Waffle Benny This one had lots of sauce on the eggs and waffle. It tasted a little salty and sweet. For those who prefer their eggs more cooked, it might not be for you. Overall a great combo dish read more

Mel's Diner - Buffalo Chicken Poutine - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

My rating is 3.5 stars. I seem to visit University Plaza whenever I am in Waterloo. I appear to be eating my way here! For the longest time, I have walked by Mel's Diner, but it always seems extremely busy. There are often folks waiting just inside the doors. On a Sunday at 3 pm, I needed lunch. There wasn't a lineup. I decided to go in. I was promptly seated in a small booth. You get a feel that you are in a 50's or 60's diner. My server was all decked out in clothes from the past. I ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce, which came with garlic bread. I didn't get a spoon. It would have been nice to be able to twirl my spaghetti without having it fly all over the place. However, I tried my best to be neat and was fine. The spaghetti hit the spot. It was yummy and done right. It came with garlic bread. It's not really garlic bread. It's more like buttered bread with a faint hint of garlic. Perhaps I am an extreme garlic person who wants to have everyone pass out when I talk to them after having garlic bread, but it tasted like regular toast to me. As regular toast, it was good. I was still hungry. I ordered the carrot cake. It came quickly. The cake was moist. The icing was sweeter than I had anticipated. I kept the cream on the plate, as it's not my thing. Prices are decent. I am glad that they cater to university student. You can eat great and not break the bank. The washroom has a locker that indicates that Mel was here. Fun! The washroom was clean. I'm glad that I finally ate here. I'd come back here again and try more items off the menu. (272) read more

See all

Great diner at the University plaza. The prices are fair for the student budget and the food portion sizes are generous. I love coming here to order their steak dishes, because not only you get a large piece of great tasting steak, but it only costs under $20. The eggs benedict with steak is always my go to when I need to de-stress from school. My friend always wanted to try the Godfather burger, which is a gigantic 3lb burger that will cost you $40. But if you're able to finish eating it in 30 mins by yourself then you don't have a pay a cent and you get a t-shirt with it. However, you cannot pack any of it home if you don't finish within the allotted time and you're not allowed to share it with a friend. Hence it is why we never made up our mind to be up for the challenge. The restaurant is definitely really busy all the time, especially during the weekend brunch hours. In terms of service it can be hit or miss, I find that the university student waitresses tend to be a lot friendlier and will come check up on us more often. read more

Mel's Diner - Chicken and waffle - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

It was quiet and a decent vibe. I enjoyed my brunch and the decor. If I went to school around the area I would hang out here. read more

Mel's Diner - a plate of waffles on a table - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Mel's has kinda upped their game. I've had a few not so great experiences but it seems they're trying a little harder. I know it's the standard student food spot but there's still room to improve. I was anticipating a wait on a Saturday morning and called ahead to check availability. They said the dining room was full but tables are available on the patio (a roped off section of the parking lot with picnic tables and cute lights) but there were a lot of bees. She said I could join the wait list online but didn't bother since I was right around the corner. We waited maybe 5 min for a booth which wasn't bad. While the table was being cleaned the hostess offered us a table that would have been too small for our party size that still had dirty dishes on it so we politely declined and waited for the booth. They have a new menu which features vegan and gluten free options! I opted for the Mel's favourite and asked for the fried tomatoes instead of meat. I double checked with my waitress that I could still get home fries and she said yes. Despite that, I still ended up with tomatoes and beans instead of home fries. Similarly, my dad ordered French toast and ended up with pancakes. Instead of putting the correct plates down and grabbing the French toast, she brought all 3 plates back to the kitchen and then returned with the French toast. Our waitress seemed apologetic about the mistakes for both of our meals so we just brushed it off. Mel's is still as busy as I remember it and very inconsistent for food and service. read more

Mel's Diner - Chicken fingers and fries (where's the coleslaw?) - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Super busy all-day breakfast diner in Waterloo. I ordered the coconut french toast, which was recommended as one of the popular options. It was really good, and not overly sweet. The interior has a 60s diner feel to it, and the table comes with fun trivia cards. We came around 11 and the place was packed! We waited about 30 minutes to be seated. We had great service from our waitress, but the host at the front was rude to us, which is the reason for the rating I am giving. A few of our party left the line to go to a nearby store, and when we got to the front of the line to be seated, the host said that he would give our table away if our party wasn't together in the next 2 minutes. I don't understand the issue with seating a couple of us and waiting for the rest of our party to come soon afterwards. Verdict: the portions and food were both decent, so I still recommend checking this place out! The service is just what fell short for me during this visit. read more

Mel's Diner - Coconut french toast - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Cheap food, friendly staff, and definitely a go-to stop as it's walking distance from both universities! Went here to start off Home Coming with friends to grab a quick meal and it was packed! It's a relatively small restaurant that fills up quickly on weekends and special theme days but it's worth it. Food is cheap and they have all the staples of good breakfast foods that are served all day, as well as lunch meals that they start serving after 11 AM. My usual order is the Bang Bang Chicken with a basket of fries and it's a great amount of food for about $15. The chicken is super crispy and the fries are one of my faves compared to most restaurants. I also tried the Poutine recently which is a pretty good sized portion for just $7. The atmosphere of the restaurant is definitely an old diner type vibe. There's a jukebox, along with tons of old pictures on the wall. Check it out if you're in town, and definitely try a milkshake! read more

Mel's Diner - Poutine - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Liked the Service and the food. Thanks Nikki for being a prompt and courteous server. Turkey burger was juicy and tasty, so was the soup of the day. read more

Mel's Diner - a glass of soda and a glass of water - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Either the quality of their food has decreased or I've been to too many better brunch places in comparison to Mel's. Their home fries are gross and the value you get out of what you pay for anything that's not Mel's Favourite is very low. Plus the service isn't that great and the food usually takes awhile. Not sure if she's still there, but there is one black haired waitress who always looked mad/meh haha. read more

This is place is famous among waterloo students there probably isn't a single person around who hasn't heard of Mel's diner. I've been going here for roughly 3 years now and in terms of service it's always been a pleasant experience. On my most recent visit I ordered a Mel's classic along with cinnamon French toast.in terms of the Mel's classic I got two eggs fries and toast which wasn't anything spectacular however the cinnamon French toast was amazing! I can't believe how good it tasted it was just so flavourful. Overall this is a good place for brunch but tbh if you're just going to get the typical eggs and toast your better off making it at home as it is much cheaper. But for specialty breakfast and lunch this place is perfect just kind of pricey. read more

Mel's Diner - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Did they change management within the past year...? Mel's has always been slightly above mediocre at best. I find myself coming back from time to time because of the convenient location being a UW student and craving breakfast foods at night. It's pretty hard to screw up scrambled eggs and bacon... or so I thought. I really don't have high expectations for breakfast diners like these. But I do expect the eggs to be fresh. I got the Mel's favourite and the eggs were DISGUSTING. They were grainy (?!?!!), HARD, overcooked, and definitely reheated... I have never experienced this at Mel's or ANY place that serves eggs in a restaurant. To be honest, I'm not even sure if they were 100% real eggs. It wouldn't surprise me if they came from a carton or were powdered eggs. Needless to say, won't be coming back especially with the price hike. I'd probably have a higher utility eating breakfast at Burger King in the same plaza. read more

Mel's Diner - If you zoom, you might even be able to tell how grainy and weird the texture of the eggs are. - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Came here with a few friends for breakfast since I was visiting Waterloo for the weekend. Super cute place with nice decor. Place was relatively busy on a Saturday morning around 10am so I would say to get there earlier. Food was pretty good but nothing special. I ordered the buttermilk pancakes with strawberries and not too heavy which was nice. I also tried the cinnamon roll pancakes. Really good but super sweet. Overall, it's a cute place to go for breakfast/brunch and would return! read more

See all

Came to Mel's on a Saturday morning for breakfast. There is always a line-up every time I come here, so expect a bit of wait time. I ordered the Mel's breakfast special ($5.99 on weekends) which is not on the menu! It's the best bang for your buck, and comes with toast, potatoes, 2 eggs, and your choice of meat (sausage, ham, bacon...). Everything on the dish was pretty standard and nothing out of the ordinary. My sunny-side up eggs could've been fried a bit longer, and the potatoes were room temperature when served. I got rye toast which costs $0.50 extra, but tasted pretty good with butter. Service was extremely slow! It took at least 15 minutes after we were seated for the waitress to come around to us to even take our drinks order. Our food also took a long time to come out after we finally ordered. Would come back for the special if I wanted a sit-down breakfast meal in a restaurant close to the Waterloo campus. read more

Mel's Diner - Mel's breakfast special - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Tldr: Breakfast/brunch joint, medium price range, good service, would recommend. Mel's is a decent place for getting your brekkie needs. They offer a wide selection of all-day breakfast/brunch staples including waffles, pancakes, benedicts, skillets, and even burgers. On my last visit i was able to try their chicken and waffles and the florentine benedict. The waffles were solid, but the chicken tenders just alright. Flavour-wise the chicken was not bad, but the pieces were relatively small and it was a tad dry. I would just stick to ordering the waffles next time. The florentine benedict on the other hand was great. It was beautifully creamy, cheesy, and savory all at the same time. The home fries were a great side to accompany the dish as well. The service here is not bad. Waiters are pretty polite, and you get your food relatively fast depending on what you order. Though there was one time when i came with my buddy on Monday to get their burgers (Burgers are at a discounted price on Monday), our food did not arrive even after 25-30min. Not too sure what happened in the kitchen because the wait is never usually this long. They were very apologetic when we followed up with our order, and they actually gave the meal for free for both of us (Had to take a pic of the receipt). This shows that they do care about their customers and their experience at the restaurant. Prices here are at a medium range. I think the value for each dish varies as the portions vary. For example, i probably wouldn't get the chicken and waffles for ($11.99 for one waffle and 3 small chicken tenders), but i would get the hungry Mel at around the same price point ($12.99 for 2 slices of toast, 2 eggs, sausage/bacon, home fries, and pancakes) Their burgers are pretty good too but a little on the pricier end on a regular day. I would suggest coming on Monday for a discounted price. This place is packed on weekends so come earlier if you don't want to wait that long. Would recommend! read more

See all

It's Mel's. Good home style dinner with all the usual dishes you would expect- all day breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, and milkshakes. It's reliable, not amazing food but doesn't stop you from coming back. Been here a number of times from dates, dinner with friends and hangover brunch. Mel's special is great (not on the menu) for a cheap and classic breakfast. Milkshakes are perfect, not too thick that you can actually drink it as it's served to you. Last time I came I got the bang bang chicken and it was just as expected and what I wanted. Service here is good too. Takes your order and serves your food pretty quick. Tap to pay is also such a blessing to pay your bill in a larger group. Last time I went though the server accidentally forgot to punch in our order since we changed tables, but rushed out food out in minutes and gave our milkshakes on the house. You know she really cared about fixing her slip up and giving us the best experience possible. On a side note this is a great photo spot inside and out. Retro decor and neon really does the trick. Get a cute milkshake shot inside or pose outside the windows with the booths for an edgy Riverdale vibe. read more

Mel's Diner - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Had a mediocre experience here a couple of weekend's a go. I came to Waterloo to visit my friends, and we sat down for a quick meal at Mel's before heading off to a friend meet up. As expected, it was pretty busy for a Saturday night, so we had to wait a few minutes before we were seated. This establishment is definitely a Waterloo staple - if you're in the area and you've never tried it, I recommend you do so. The decor is very old school and set the vibe for the diner. The food was quite tasty as well. I ordered the Jerry Lee Burger paired with a Caesar Salad ($11.99). The serving size was expected for the price, and it filled me up quickly. Although there were no complaints with the food, our party was extremely disappointed in their service. A few minutes after we placed the order for our food, we called the waiters again asking to add milkshakes to our order. She said to select what we wanted, and that she would come back to place the orders. After we finished eating, she had yet to come back, despite us calling her many times. In the end, we decided it wasn't worth it to get the milkshakes anymore as we had already finished the meal and were preparing to leave. The waiter did not even apologize for forgetting about us and proceeded to hand us our bills (which she split incorrectly). I'd consider coming back here if I am in the area again, but I'd likely just go to another place. read more

Mel's Diner - Jerry Lee Burger - $11.99 - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

The food portions are huge! I am always full (and stuffed) by the end of my meal! The bottomless coffee is a favourite because there's endless refills! The staff are generally really nice as well! Can have long waits on a busy day but generally a pretty good place to dine in. However, having been here for 4 years.... The food is quite bland most of the time. I have ordered blue plate dishes like the fish and chips, Sheppard's pie (I think im remembering this right, or it was a meatloaf dish) , and one of the sandwiches before; and found them soggy, grainy, and flavourless. I remember the Sheppard's pie had mashed potatoes and they were literally lumps with a gritty/grainy texture. I have also found their French toast (and coconut French toast) to be flavourless and relied on maple syrup to bring any taste--however, that got overly sweet really easily. The cinnamon roll pancakes are a must try but be warned, they get really sweet, real fast! Nonetheless, very good if you want a sweet cheat day. Also, the prices are okay at best. The food portions are large so it makes sense but the dessert portions do not. $7 for a piece of pie that size is absurd. The portion was small and there wasn't any variation. I used to come here all the time and not care how much I spent on the coconut cream pie because it was my ABSOLUTE favourite pie from Mel's. However, few months back I was told they no longer make these homemade pies because they weren't selling well (shame, the crusts of the pie were really well done). I found this to be the fault of their menu. It was hard to tell what pies they used to have. I guess now, they only have the apple pie. In my opinion, the pie was not worth it for that price point. It was not overly amazing and was quite disappointed. read more

See all

Rating Mel's 3 stars in terms of the food & service. Nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. The only diner that's located close to the university. Usually breakfast is pretty much the only reason why I come here in the first place - *SECRET MENU ALERT* $5.99 breakfast that comes with two eggs, toast, potatoes, and either sausage/bacon (pretty worth it imo... but apparently it's not so 'secret') I've tried their burgers and they were mediocre, usually never comes out warm enough. Although I'll give it to them for their portioning size, which is enough to get anyone satisfied. Service was standard - the waitress takes your order, brings out the food, brings the bill. Although I would appreciate a friendly gesture once in a while. By the time we had finished eating and I was trying to head out the door, she stood in my way knowing I was there and continued to finish grabbing utensils and whatnot before getting out of my way. I would assume it was waitress etiquette to step aside and then resume, but it didn't bother me too much. A simple apology would've been appropriate however. Either way, considering that there are very few breakfast places in Waterloo, Mel's is probably your best bet in terms of variation & portioning... and getting breakfast. They have an entire breakfast menu including eggs benedict, omelettes, waffles & pancakes! read more

Mel's Diner - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Let me run you down my night. I arrived at 11:17pm. Party of one, late night munchies, yafeel? I get seated immediately, far back corner. I look at the menu for 2 minutes. I know what I want to order already. 15 minute wait. Waiter comes to take my order. Finally. "Jerry Lee Burger with Onion Rings please." Done, easy. Check my phone: 11:37pm. Damn, this is taking longer than I hoped. 11:57pm, still no food. I'm typing this at 11:57 pm and there's still no food. Look, Mels has good food (not amazing, but good). Good atmosphere, really retro, reminds me of The Jetsons. But never on earth have I seen such slow service in my entire life. Holy hell. The burger came at 12:03am. It was pretty good. I like their onion rings, and the portion is large. Just, I was hoping to be home by 11:50... Okay, after eating, I've decided to reconsider. Mels deserves a 3/5, 2 is definitely too low. There's nothing wrong with the food - it's actually quite good. Large portions, reasonable prices, sometimes a bit greasy, but tasty. I've tried most of their blue plate dishes, and they're all decent, the Fish n Chips stand out (mostly cuz I like it). Their onion rings are absolutely delicious, and really generous in portions. Their burgers are really big, and made to order, so ask for medium rare. The slow service thing is a real issue though. Once, 5 of my friends and I came to Mels before a math quiz, with 1.5 hours to spare. Most of us had to leave before the food arrived, leaving the rest to pay/pack it up. I understand that burgers made to order can be slow, but sometimes it's really unacceptable. Servers are generally nice, but have messed up orders and sides before. Oh, as I'm writing this, I've been waiting 15 minutes for my bill... This place is often packed, especially for breakfast on weekends. Call in, or take out. When I first arrived, I was told there was a secret menu item called the Mels Special, 5.99 for eggs, sausage/bacon/ham, and toast. But, it's not a secret at all, it's clearly listed in the menu as "Mels Favorite". I think some butthole made that up to impress girls or something. read more

Mel's Diner - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Not a fan of this place... Everytime I come here we have to wait to be seated for around 30 mins... Not because there aren't any spots but because no server approaches us. I just had lunch there and ordered the Huevos Rancheros. It was very soggy ... There was about 10 pounds of beans in there and the texture was not very appetizing. I couldn't eat most of it and the server never came to ask how the food was. Overall terrible service and the food is usually okay-ish... Would not recommend read more

Mel's Diner - Strawberry and banana waffle! - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Went with one other person for Sunday morning breakfast. I had heard such great things about this place and they offer a 10% check in discount for yelp users so I was very excited! I had the eggs benedict and it was mediocre (its pretty hard to make something bad when it is smothered in hollandaise sauce). The person I went with had pancakes and asked for Oreo crumble in them. The staff was very accommodating and they even made it the daily special! Overall the food was good! With Mel's what you are really going for is the environment. This 50's diner has great decor and service and at the end of your meal you get bubble gum which I thought was a great touch! Our server had never heard of yelp or the yelp discount but he gave it to us anyways. And I would definitley suggest Mel's to anyone! read more

See all

The classic must eat place as a Waterloo student, yet the prices are ridiculous compared to other eateries around the area. I've eaten here 4 times, and at best the place is mediocre. Cons: -Small portions for absurd prices. A reuben sandwich with fries costs 14.99... -Their burgers are pitiful, and tastes bland -Coleslaw looked like it was a few days old -Brunch on weekends is bombarded with post hangover students (expect 30-40 minute waitlines for brunch) Pros: -Fries are decent -Good place to hang with friends -Milkshakes are fantastic Overall, spend your money elsewhere. I've only came several times because of social outings; there are much better burger joints in Waterloo. read more

Mel's Diner - Burger + Milkshake ~$20 - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Mel's Diner is back... I've been waiting for the restaurant to reopen in the original location (my friend Karl actually has a picture of the group of us, myself included, waiting in line for the place to open at 7 a.m. on opening day... but I digress...) after the fire two years ago. It was cold, and it was rainy, but it was well worth the wait! The restaurant looks great and the food is a good as ever. I ordered the breakfast special, and it is as good as I remember: two eggs, sausage or bacon, homefries and toast. I loved it so much that I went back on opening day for dinner... which as "dee-lish" - One of my faviourites is the Skillet. I have got to mention that the service here is fantastic. The folks who work here must really like the place. Welcome back, Mel's Diner, looking forward to many more visits to come! read more

See all

Just ok diner food at best. Perhaps they caterer to a crowd that values loud 90s music being played beyond the speakers sonic ability or they are all tone deaf and has a similar affliction in their taste buds. I'm clueless who would a be a regular customer and why. read more

A favorite among the university crowd. I'm not a fan. I've been here multiple times and this time I decided to write a review. I'd gotten the "Healthy Life." It didn't seem all that healthy to me. Not really sure what I paid for was actually worth my money, it seemed quite plain and simple. And the tomatoes they'd been using were terrible. On top of that, I'd ordered orange juice. Expecting freshly squeezed orange juice, I drink a "from concentrate" glass of Oasis orange juice which I'd seen the waitress pouring for us. No. Just no. And charging us $3 for it? Nah b. Other times I've gone, it seemed alright. A typical 60's diner setting. If you're actually considering weekend brunch at Mel's, you might to consider coming early, to avoid the rush. Other than that, the place itself isn't all that fantastic. In comparison to other places in the proximity, this place is alright. I'd only go here if I'm in absolute need of greasy food. read more

Mel's Diner - The Healthy Choice - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

This place is a super cute diner that really gives you a taste of history. With its big booths and windows and wait staff dressed super fun it's hard to not like this place. The food is decent and a solid breakfast, in no way did it go above and beyond but that's not what I was expecting. Would give it a 4 if it was a little cheaper just for the quality of the food. read more

My husband and I have eaten here twice. He ordered a burger on a gluten-free bun twice. My first time I had chicken and waffles and the second time I built my own burger with chipotle mayo, Tex-Mex cheese, and avocado. Beef patties appear to be handmade. The sweet potato fries are the best I've ever had! read more

I have been going to Mel's for 10 years. It has always been my to go place for comfort food...which is why it is so regrettable to see them at their current state and for me to have to write this review. For the past 3 times I visited the University Ave. location, the food has been wrong in some way... One time the Sheppard's pie was lukewarm, another time I was served fridge cold Pecan pie... Last time, my garlic bread still has cold solid margarine on it. Adding insult, when it was sent back to the kitchen, it took like 10 minutes... only for them to be returned with one burnt and the other barely touched. It is not normally like me to give a bad review... and if it was any other place, I would only be too happy to stay quiet and let them run themselves out of business. But Mel's is a fixture at UW... The 50s atmosphere is warm and cozy... the waiting staff are among some of the friendliest people you will find (anywhere)... I hope students will go there for many years to come... So god sake, please get it together!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Mel's Diner - Toast came with cold solid margarine... took ~10 minutes to come back with one burnt and one untouched... wasn't even busy at the time... - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I feel a little bad giving it a 3 star because I really enjoyed the overall experience of the place. The service would probably inch it up to 3.5, but I feel 4 stars isn't what this place deserved. Upon entry, my party of 2 was ignored for the first 10 minutes. Mind you, there were no seats available so we would've waited anyway, though I would've appreciated if we were acknowledged when we entered. When we finally got a seat, service was swift and efficient, with Kayla being an energetic and funny waitress. I ordered the French Skillet with whole wheat toast and sunny side up eggs (I hate scrambled). The order arrived in about 15 minutes; about right for a diner like this. The food was decent, but not what I'd call "out of this world". The eggs and toast were good, however the skillet itself seemed to lack something. There wasn't as much cheese as I wanted and the chicken didn't have a lot of meat. The fries were good, aside from one piece that was burnt. Arrived at 7:45pm, out by 9:00pm. I'll probably come back to try out their breakfast, but in terms of expectations this place fell a little short for me. read more

food is good wifi does not work may need some kind of fly catcher as there is patio attached read more

Mel's is just a local diner that serves all day breakfast and some home style dinner. It has some old school decor and fits the theme of a diner. It's always extremely busy during weekday nights and weekend mornings where it can take a while to be seated. I went on a Thursday night and the restaurant was packed. I do think the restaurant is a bit understaffed because it took around 10 minutes to notice us and seat us. When seated, we weren't given any menus and it was back to being unnoticed. So we waited 20 minutes again until we got up and got the menus ourselves. Finally our server came to us and got our orders. Food was relatively quick, less than 20 minutes. Most things on the menu are about $15 and there isn't anything that particularly stands out. It's all pretty much eggs and bacon, pancakes, or burgers. They do have spaghetti and lasanga though which I'm not too keen on trying. One thing I do like though is that they use paper straws. Other than that, it's just a semi long wait time for mediocre diner food. 1.5/5 read more

Mel's Diner - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Are there mid May 2014. Pretty good food as out of our party of 3, 2 had a breakfast item & the 3rd had poutine & shake. I had pancakes with strawberries & they were great as they make their own pancakes - this really shows with a great taste. Other breakfast item was a banana French toast - that was tasty too. Would go back again and try some other stuff but breakfast items are worth trying for sure. Only issue was our server dropped a glass of wine while handing our bill to us. Glass broke & hit a leg. Should have handed bill to is & them took these drinks to out her table. Overall good meal! read more

See all

Mel's Diner offers classic diner food at a reasonable cost. A great staple for a Canadian students breakfast. The early bird special provides a lot of value to the poor student populace. Busy on weekends and the only breakfast place open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Specials at Mel's Diner should not be overlooked. Occasionally, the special of the day provides a unique treat. Burger special mondays are good for the best around the university and good value too. I am going to miss the girls who work there. read more

See all

Mel's is one of those restaurants that I check up on from time to time because I really want to like it. I can say that last visit was a definite step up from before. I went during their off-hours, a bit before most people grab dinner, so they were fairly empty. The food came out much faster than expected; although still on the slower side, it's looking up from the half hour waits. I also noticed that a lot more people showed up for classic car night, which was a treat to see. The new waitress there was very cheery and welcoming. It was incredibly refreshing, because she actually gave a shit. She played the biggest role in the improved experience, and she's the main reason I'm bumping up Mel's from one star to three. read more

Mel's Diner - Love Me Tenders - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Its good! I love the environment there! And it's a great place to go for us students! read more

Mel's Diner - Diners Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Mels is a best place to get comfort food. They serve all day breakfasts and a great variety of diner foods such as burgers, milkshakes etc. For breakfast lovers like myself, I would highly recommend the Hungry Mel. for 12 bucks it comes with 2 eggs, bacon sausage AND ham (yes that's right. You get all three, you don't have to pick only one!), homefries, toast and a choice of pancakes or french toast. What's great about it is that you get to have salty food and sweets all in one meal! Their portions are also huge, so the prices are reasonable. They open till past midnight on Saturdays too (not sure about Sunday) and it's great if you crave some comfort food at 2am in the morning after going clubbing or drinking. One thing I do not like about Mels though is their speed of service. They only have 2 waitresses in the whole restaurant and if the restaurant if packed, it will take quite a while just for them to take your order. read more

See all