Okay so our usual spot is Third Alarm Diner but they were down for maintenance Mel's is a Sanford, Maine staple the food was cooked absolutely perfectly and the Homemade Honey Oat bread is some of the best I've ever had in my life staff is very friendly and it's generally quiet with the sound of small talk in the background from the old timers there for coffee I'm not knocking Mel's at all it is definitely delicious food but I'm disappointed I paid significantly more than I would at Third Alarm diner and the servings of Bacon And home-fries was significantly smaller I would go there in the future again only if third alarm wasn't closed again only getting 4 stars cause of the price and portioning read more

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Food was great, quick to order, arrive and a great value ! Service was excellent ! Would definitely recommend read more

It's very small in there. It's a tight squeeze. Staff is friendly. the wallpaper and atmosphere is outdated. It needs a little sprucing up. The food itself is OK. It's something you could make at home. Would I go back there? Maybe... read more

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Ate here for the first time a few days ago, and while the ambience definitely leaves much to be desired, the food and service were spot on! The location is small, so if you go at a busy time, expect to wait, and to do so outside because there isn't enough space indoors. It's very loud being that it's always crowded and very small, so if I went back I would be inclined to order takeout and sit in the car or bring it home. That wouldn't dissuade me, though, because the pancakes I had were probably the best I've ever tasted and the person we were with enjoyed his cheeseburger and onion rings as well. You have to walk in with your expectations in the right place, but if you just want a good meal at a good price served by friendly staff, you'll enjoy it! read more

Mel's is a must for breakfast in Sanford or any of the surrounding areas. When we camp at bunganut- Mel's for breakfast, when we stay with friends or family in Sanford- Mel's for breakfast. They have two locations but we always prefer the one off of route 4, not Main Street. The service is always spot on, they have a great selection of multiple items. They have pancakes, omelets, specials by the day and week, they have great coffee and they have a muffin of the day. Their food is never bad. Never. They place is painted to look like you're sitting in a raspberry patch on a lake in the mountains. It's beautiful work, done very well. It's cozy and pleasant. I never leave hungry, angry, or displeased. I will recommend them over and over. They are amazing. The fact that they have multiple choices in things like hash browns.... Top tier. They are a smaller place, so there is usually a wait. It's worth it. Always. Check them out !!! PSA: they are not wheelchair accessible, unfortunately but the one on Main Street is! read more

Mel's Raspberry Patch - New American Near Me - Sanford, Maine

Small place but best pancakes I've had. I also got strawberry and whipped cream on top. Omelette was excellent as well. Service was top notch even as crowded as it was. read more

Having moved to Sanford a few years ago, I had consistently drove by Mel's Raspberry Patch and had put it in my mental list of places to try. One Saturday morning, my partner and I decided that we wanted breakfast, and we figured we would try out Mel's. For starters, the venue is VERY small. There are only about 9 tables, which explains the typical wait of people outside of the establishment come 10am. We were early, so we were able to snag a table right away. Our waitress was very friendly and offered us coffee. Looking around, it was clear that the establishment has it's consistent recurring regulars. Looking at the menu, it has you traditional breakfast staples at a very low price. Options included pancakes, benedicts, french toast, etc. As a heads up, they do not serve any alcohol, so if you are looking for mimosas or bloodies, this is not your place. I ended up ordering a benedict with homefries. There was a good amount of food, especially for the price, however, my hollandaise sauce was broken leaving a grainy texture, and the homefries were lacking flavor/seasoning. If you are looking for a quick, cheap, and alcohol-free breakfast, Mel's is your spot to go. For me, it just missed the mark. read more

Mel's Raspberry Patch - Roberto's Benedict - New American Near Me - Sanford, Maine

Came in on a busy Sunday brunch rush Busy inside. We sat at the counter. Ordered Coffee Minestrone Soup w a Grilled.Cheese Pancake. French toast Some fried potatoes Eggs Grapefruit Juice We.were served quickly Nice atmosphere Waitresses were nice and quick on their feet. Hard workers read more

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I cam in today to order to go and when I sat down they asked me what I wanted to eat so I told them exactly what I wanted. The lady don't even write my order down I tipped her good too, and when I got home to share the food with my wife I opened my food and nothing was made right. Not even close the only thing they got right was the pancakes. read more

Friendly, fast service and delicious home style breakfasts. Recently upgraded floor and bar stools improving aesthetics of this little gem. read more

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Mel's raspberry patch is always a great breakfast restaurant, always fast service with great energy. Common breakfast foods that are good and well priced. The inside of the restaurant moves fast, people are in and out and it can get crowded it's not a big space but it's very home welcoming. Always love coming here. read more

Not for me. Big sign saying you have to eat and be out basically in an hour. Had the homemade hash ate a little ( shouldn't have) sick to my stomach now. Won't be going back, nether should you. read more

There are TWO Mel's Raspberry Patch Restaurants. One in Springvale by the Vet Center and another on Route 4/Alfred Rd. I choose to dine at Alfred Rd only. The food is priced great, amazing portions, I have yet to walk away hungry. I prefer breakfast always. When you arrive there is almost always a wait - because they are amazing. The staff is often busy, not too busy to get to know you and become a household name. The walls are painted so life like the doors are hard to see. It is really beautiful. I suggest parking either by backing in or ensure you know how to get up and go when you pull out. read more

Visited Mel's yesterday at 620am the woman working was amazing running around greeting everyone! Everyone there at that time was an old timer and regular, and she knew them all! It was like I was in her kitchen! Coffee was hot and fresh and the breakfast was amazing. Homemade bread for toast! read more

I've been there numerous times in South Sanford and they also have one in Sanford and Springdale line. Both places are a great place for the whole family, great place for kids at all ages. They have a great breakfast and lunch choices. read more

We went here today and the food was good but the service was terrible. some family said they were before us even though my friend had put her name in before they got there. so we went in and the staff was arguing with each other about seating us first. so the whole place was looking at us as though we did something wrong. They brought that other family in and waited on them first. They got their food long before we did, and even left before we were served. it was obvious to me that we were treated as if we did something wrong. I'll never go back to this place again and will make sure to tell others how badly the staff behaved. read more

The breakfast is one of the best around! Clean and neat environment, small inside but tables are evenly placed without crowding.

Good tasting home cooked feeling. Get the French toast. It's the best I have ever had!

Absolutely delicious and very accommodating. My server overheard my dilemma about ordering with food restrictions and came to my table to let me know they offer gluten free. Oh. My. Gosh. I can have breakfast goods again! read more

Usually eat breakfast here but decided to try their lunch. Just as good as their breakfast. I got the Reuben on honey oat bread with fries. So yummy and filling. One sandwich and I have a meal for two days. The staff is always pleasant and working very hard. Will be there again! read more

Mel's Raspberry Patch - Rueben on honey oat bread with fries - New American Near Me - Sanford, Maine

Great place I've eaten there many times. I'm looking forward to go back. A good thing is it's right down the street.

Good food, good service, very small and busy for breakfast! Close early at 2:00pm! The property in Alfred is more consistent than the Sanford/Springdale one, which isn't open that often read more

I like going g to mels for breakfast and lunch. The food is always good. The staff always friendly. It feels like a home style dinner.

The breakfast is always good. I have not tried any of the lunch menu. Service is pretty good, try and be patient as sometimes there's two waitresses at best, that I have seen. Inside is nothing to write home about, it's a diner style restaurant with maybe 20 tables. Prices are reasonable and there is plenty of parking. Support small businesses! read more

Blueberry Pancakes are my favorite. I only order one they're that big!! Muffins are great also !!!

Delicious, friendly, popular. We love going there (but there can be a wait as seating is limited) and getting takeout from there. Try one of their homemade muffins or bread, but be warned-- the pancakes are massive!! read more

What a wonderful and cute little place! Uniquely decorated, cheerful staff, fast service, and best of all deliciously cooked food. As a kick off to a long weekend getaway, we enjoy hitting up a breakfast place along the way to break up the ride. In exploring Yelp's breakfast options, this place came up as an excellent choice. We arrived around 11:30 on a Saturday and had no problem getting seated promptly. Our server said they had been slammed that morning so beware they can get busy. We had drinks and menus delivered promptly and the moment we both shut out menus our waitress slid over to take our order. With Belgium waffles, pumpkin pancakes, and kielbasa on the special menu I had a hard choice to make but finally decided on good ol' kielbasa to go along with my two over easy eggs and hash. Mike got his usual egg beaters omelette with any veggie available in it. We both got their homemade cinnamon bread. All items came out quickly and hot. The kielbasa was amazing and loved that is was well done and my husband enjoyed his omelette, but remarked it was light on the veggies. We both agreed the bread was tasty without butter or any topping. We entered the contest for a free breakfast since we defiantly want to return again. read more

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I'm totally a breakfast person and Mel's hit the spot! It's a super cozy dine in restaurant that offers amazing home cooked food! I got a blueberry muffin to start, that was outstanding! Then the omelette I ordered and the eggs and homemade toast my boyfriend ordered were brought out, looking fantastic! The home fries were so deliciously seasoned and I really can't stress how amazing their homemade bread was! Our waitress was extremely nice and everything was done so quick. Would absolutely recommend to anyone that wants some amazing food at a decent price with good service! read more

To be completely honest; the food is nothing special. This diner serves classic breakfast and lunch options, nothing to be impressed over. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed every meal I've had but don't go looking for a unique food experience. That being said, the bread and pastry/dessert selection is nothing to skim over, lot's of choices. What makes this place a 5 star for me is the service. Within days of two out of staters, the staff had accepted us as one of their own. Warm, open and honest. No games, no frills; real people with real stories and experiences. If you're in the area, go in with a warm heart and a smile; you'll get the same in return. read more

This little jewel of a restaurant can't be beat. Visiting from San Antonio for two weeks, we are at Mel's on four different mornings. Consistent great taste, consistent kind service. The wait staff remembered us and treated us as locals. They have awesome baked goods to eat in the spot or take with for a snack. We look forward to returning to Maine next year to visit Kandi & the rest of the crew. p.s. the home made cornbeef hash read more

Stopped in today for the first time, (on Father's Day.) The wait staff handled the Father's Day rush amazingly well. They all were hustling, yet were very friendly, and took extra time to make us feel welcome. I ordered the Patch Sampler. The pancakes were delicious. Light, fluffy, and extremely large, I couldn't finish them, which is unusual for me. The sausage links were tasty, along with the bacon, but the bacon was a bit thin. No problems with the scrambled eggs. The coffee was good, and fresh. There were pleanty of creamers, and sweetners at the table, along with catsup, pancake syrup, and assorted jelly and jams. If Mel's can do this good a job on a busy Father's Day, they should handle the rest of the week outstanding! We will be back. read more

This place is so good that my wife didn't want me to leave a review as to keep it a secret. We came in on a Saturday for breakfast, and the small dining room was definitely packed. We were lucky to grab a table right away in spite of the rush. They really had a good selection of table sizes so that no chairs were left open. I had the eggs Benedict with deep fried home fries, and my wife and friend each had eggs with homemade sourdough toast. I was hoping to snag a slice of their sourdough to soak up my hollandaise, but the bread was too good for them to even think of sharing with little ol' me. Next time I'll be sure to order up my own plate of toast! I really enjoyed the wait staff and how quick and friendly they all were to each and every table (it was easy to watch because of the small dining room). read more

Had a good breakfast here on a Sunday morning. We got a table right away. The waitresses are very nice and attentive. The menu is pretty extensive two egg specials to lobster eggs Benedict. They have home made muffins and home made bread. Make sure you order some for your toast! I ordered two eggs over easy, grilled breakfast potatoes, corned beef hash, and home made raisin toast. It was a lot of food and all of it was good. The potatoes were cooked perfect and not mushy. My eggs were over easy just right. Huge order of corned beef hash, I took half to go. The coffee was good and refilled often. We took a few muffins to go to have later. My husband said they were awesome. This place is open for lunch and dinner. Next time I'm in Sanford I'm coming back for pie! read more

Mel's Raspberry Patch - Eggs, bacon, potatoes, raisin toast and corned beef hash - New American Near Me - Sanford, Maine

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The only reason it's not getting 5 stars is because not EVERYTHING I had there was perfect (don't get the side of spinach, for example). And it's certainly a family run place, and just from sitting there, I think I know a little too much about the family that I didn't need to know. However, this is my FAVORITE place in the area, and I go repeatedly. I would go for every meal if I could, and eat my way through the menu. They are SO good about food allergies, and they have a massive gluten free menu. And I don't know what they do to the GF muffins, but they're seriously addicting. I've had the reuben, which was greasy goodness, just like a real reuben. I had the special lobster benedict with GF english muffins and it was crazy good. I've enjoyed the hash. The pumpkin GF pancake (oh, they made it special, shhh, I didn't tell you that). And pretty much everything has been great. There's no health food. They have no idea what a vegetable is. That saddens me. But I love it. And I'm excited for their new 2nd location too. read more

Mel's Raspberry Patch - Gluten free reuben. Omg, so good. W/coleslaw. - New American Near Me - Sanford, Maine

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The best homemade HUGE pancakes,blueberry-raspberry-can get one,two or three!But can you finish,did I say Hugh? Don't forget your yummy muffin read more

DO NOT GO HERE!! DO NOT GO HERE!! Terrible service and horrible food. My pancake was dry and chewy, the apples were cold and flavorless, and the bacon was overdone and burnt. Also, the waitress had a major attitude problem and didn't come to check on us more than once. The room is very crowded and loud as well. My family and I couldn't hear a word we were trying to say to each other. Oh, and if you plan to not tip because the food and service were bad, the waitress will start an argument with you in front of everybody! Eat here at your own risk! Edit: THE WAITRESS STOLE MY MONEY! As I said, I didn't leave a tip, so she took it upon herself to write a $5 tip on my credit card! Be careful if you have the fat white waitress who's about 250 lbs. Be prepared when you call the owner to get your money back because she is extremely rude and will argue with you. Didn't even care her employee did this. read more

Friendly service. Fabulous food. Love, love, love the pastrami sandwich. Yes, I will be back. read more

Thought instead of going to the all day breakfast that we would visit this small place that always looks busy. When we first walked in we were told to sit anywhere. The only tables available were ones right in the door so it was cold ever time the door opened. My husband order a soda and realizes there are no refills allowed. The large size was quite pricey (2.25) and it was the size of a can soda. The large kids drink was in a regular cup which was shocking cause we expected a kids cup for the price. The size of the pancakes were great but they tasted very starchy and were not cooked in the middle, so if you like eating batter you will like this place. It took a long time to get our food. A table who came in after us got their breakfast right away. The place is so small that you could here the older men sitting at the bar swearing and having disagreements which I found inappropriate when there are younger kids sitting at our table. Total bill at the end was high for three people at breakfast.... I will not return here again read more

This is one of the best features about my beloved town. I grew up eating here all the time, so this place is close to my heart. Food is excellent and the workers are so kind. Anyone who travels to Maine for summers and what not, I would gladly recommend this spot for food! read more

Good lobster eggs Benedict and raspberry pancakes. Quaint, very good wait staff. Suggestion - If you have raspberry in your name and your going to serve a fruit cup, I would throw a few in there. read more