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    Mel's Downtown

    4.4 (25 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican, Pizza, Diners
    Open 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Mel's Downtown Photos

    MEL'S DOWNTOWN ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Malibu Chicken dinner also included a great bowl of soup.
    Anthony U.

    The first thing I saw upon entering was an old bust of Elvis in the corner. Shortly after I sat down I was talking to a local and it turned out this guy was both the town school bus driver AND the postal delivery person. Yes, welcome to super rural Indiana. With that said I decided to not judge too harshly on the mismatched tables and chairs or the poor choice of displayed "art". I had the Malibu Chicken dinner with fries and soup. The Twice Baked Potato soup was possibly the best soup I've had in the last few years. Large firm potato cubes, a selection of veggies, and enough cut up bacon to equal it's own sandwich. The chicken was solid as well with a juicy boneless breast, ham off the bone, and an ample amount of mozzarella cheese melted on top. The Italian Beef sandwich came with a bowl of a jus and the fries were meaty and crispy. Another winning meal. The only negatives here are CASH ONLY sales and a very tiny single bathroom. But again, it's a small diner in a small rural town and these weren't big issues. If you're driving past on 114 then make the three block drive north to downtown Morocco and eat at Mel's!!

    Best Burger around!
    Griffin B.

    The food here is spectacular. They have a wide range of food and for a small price you get A LOT of food. As an appetizer I suggest you get their Garlic Dots. The pizza for a main dish is great and the burgers are the best around. Small place in a small town, so you can only use cash or local check, which is the only downside.

    Perch, fries and slaw
    Elaine K.

    Skin on fries, perch, bluegill, homemade slaw. What's not to like? Our server couldn't have been more pleasant. She only works at Mel's on Fridays, but truly made our stop a pleasure. Hoosier hospitality at its best!

    This was a spontaneous stop on our way home from Chicago and wow are we glad we came! Great service, and even more delicious food! I got a 1/2 pound bacon cheeseburger with onion straws and my husband got a double bacon cheeseburger and curly fries and cheese. We traded burgers because I prefer thinner, crispy edged patties. It's a massive meal, neither one of us finished and we got a box to take home. When we are in the area again, we will without a doubt be back! Thanks Mel!

    The best Italian Beef I've ever had, besides my Mom's.  And cheese curds, of course.

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    15 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Awesome food. First time there today. Nice kind people. Prices great. Big portions. Definitely will go back to try pizza. JULY 13 2024​​

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Garlic cheese curds are to die for. Chicago style pizza is great as well. So far so good. We'll be back

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Absolutely yummy! And friendly service! Nice place to dine in or take out. I would recommend this restaurant to all!

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    13 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Mel's Downtown

    Review Highlights - Mel's Downtown

    The Italian Beef sandwich came with a bowl of a jus and the fries were meaty and crispy.

    $6.59 Italian Beef

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    Farmhouse Restaurant - Brisket Chilli

    Farmhouse Restaurant

    3.6(450 reviews)
    10.1 mi
    $$

    We flew off the highway to see what this farm complex was all about. It's an impressive set up with…read morea variety of spots to explore for a break from driving. Service was good and attentive. I noticed the comments about high prices, and for the area, I bet that is true. We found the prices comparable to large cities. The smoked brisket chili doesn't taste smoky, but the meat is tender and the chili flavorful. The charcuterie was good, and we loved the apple chutney. The space is open and airy. It's a very family friendly place with the bar and bourbon tasting room toward the back.

    Stopped here for a break and lunch while passing through Indiana. The Farmhouse Restaurant menu…read moresaid they offer a "quick & casual lunch" and well, they weren't lying about the casual part... We ordered two lunches, both the 1/2 grilled cheese and soup. One with tomato soup and the other with chili. We also ordered the *special* $5 egg salad sandwich. The grilled cheese came out as some cheese microwaved between a soft burger bun. Really disappointing and crappy. The chili and soup were okay. The egg salad sandwich was very basic and lacking flavor, served on classic white bread. It was also a weird dining setup, it felt like we were eating in a giant and deserted beer hall. Total transparency: we both expected more from one of the nation's largest dairy farms. We also thought the food would be a little cleaner, like a farm-to-table experience and less processed, but it tasted like food we could get at a gas station. My husband was disappointed with the ice cream selection at the milk bar, he was hoping for more of a variety other than the basic strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, etc. We also needed to get DEF for our truck from the Fair Oaks BP and my husband called it "highway robbery" for the cost we paid. He said it was 2 or 3 times what he normally pays. In summary, a total tourist trap with crappy lunch food. I also didn't know about their animal abuse case from 2019 until after we left. And the allegations about neglect and improper slaughter in 2023. Gross and sad.

    Photos
    Farmhouse Restaurant
    Farmhouse Restaurant - Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

    Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

    Farmhouse Restaurant

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    Mt Hood Pizza & Grill - Window sign.

    Mt Hood Pizza & Grill

    4.0(38 reviews)
    15.5 mi
    $$

    This is one of the few lunch spots that I was able to find in Rensselaer. It is a local owned…read morebusiness that has been going for about 6 years. It is in an old building and may look closed when you are driving up. There is not official parking for the restaurant that I saw. There is a few spots that you can park that are between it and the park that it is next to, but nothing is marked off. The guy that was working there also happened to be the owner. The restaurant has an indoor dining area and a patio area. The owner was very friendly and very welcoming. He gave me the history of the the restaurant. It roots are in Oregon and he kept the name when he moved the business back to his home town of Rensselaer. The restaurant has a Purdue and Elvis theme, with decorations all over the place. And there is an extra room off to the side where I believe they host special events or may open up if they are busy. They have a menu that consists of pizza, calzones, salads and subs. I decided to do with the philly steak and cheese. It was prepared fresh and was ready in about 8 minutes. It was ok. It was not the best philly I have had and I would not travel miles to get it, but it was decent. The fries were good. I recommend coming here for superior and friendly service, and good food.

    I asked for pepperoni well done and I got this... I have high standards when it comes to pizza…read more This ain't it... try again fellas.

    Photos
    Mt Hood Pizza & Grill - Top half of menu.

    Top half of menu.

    Mt Hood Pizza & Grill - Bottom half of menu.

    Bottom half of menu.

    Mt Hood Pizza & Grill - Entrance.

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    Entrance.

    Mel's Downtown - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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