I was visiting friends and they took me out for breakfast on 02/14/26. This is a chain 50's type dinner. They are famous due to its iconic appearances in pop culture, primarily the classic movie American Graffiti (immortalizing its 1950s drive-in vibe) and the 1970s TV show Alice (creating the "Kiss my grits" catchphrase), cementing its status as a nostalgic American landmark with multiple locations and theme park presence. Lots of memorabilia and they even have small jukeboxes on each table. Stepping into the Original Mel's was like stepping back in time. The menu has lots of choices, from full breakfast items to complete dinners. I opted for breakfast. I order the Wolfman (shoutout to Wolfman Jack, American disc jockey). My breakfast consisted of two eggs (cooked to order), hash browns, two pancakes, warm syrup, two strips of bacon, slice of breakfast ham and one sausage patty. Breakfast was good but my only complaint would be that my pancakes were rubbery (basically I needed a knife to cut it). I would eat here again. Our service was on point and efficient. Restaurant was clean as were the restrooms. Plenty of parking. The ambiance was casual and it was a bit loud. read more

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Wow! Service was over the top amazing! Breakfast was perfect! I was super hungry after a long run so I ordered a milkshake, blueberry pam ale and eggs and bacon. It was all prepared perfectly and served with a smile. My food server was lovely! I must incorporate Mel's into my rotation regularly! read more

Lauren at The Original's Mel's in Auburn is a fantastic server! Everything on our order was exactly as we asked and hot!!! The restaurant was nice and cool on a hot day and the restaurant is clean. The meals are made with quality ingredients! Definitely worth a try! read more

The Original Mels - Lauren @ The Originals Mel's Diner is the best ever!!!! Our food was exactly as we ordered and everything was delicious and served hot!!! - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

Such a nostalgic and delicious place to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This retro-diner went all out with their 1950's themed black & white checker decor: booths to bar stools, jute boxes at each table, and HWY 49 attire. We were greeted with smiles, the staff were attentive, the food was served quickly and was delicious. We went for the classics: bacon cheeseburger with curly fries, chicken tenders with fries, and chicken club sandwich with tater tots. Can't wait to try one of their ice cream floats next visit. read more

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Went in for a late breakfast. I was seated fairly quick. Caitlyn was my server. She was friendly and quick to take my order. The food came out FAST. I ate just a regular two egg breakfast. A plate full of good food and a drink for under 20$ is not bad. Caitlyn was on top of everything and she was pretty busy. The manager, staff ,everyone is always happy here. I appreciate this little diner. read more

Sadly very mediocre food. This is for the Auburn, CA location. Restaurant was busy on Saturday night. Friendly but slow service, despite plenty of staffing. Long wait for food. What i got was stale STONE cold OLD beef on my sandwich (pictured) Obviously sitting around for awhile & reheated. No flavor , completely dried out. Most likely microwaved, because it had one or two hot spots. I let our server know and she was cool. Took it back. Offered to remake or get me something else instead. My friend already was eating his dinner and I had to wait another long period of time for something else which was HEAVILY processed , compressed fake frozen beef. The only thing that was somewhat ok, was the french fries. Had a little seasoned salt dished a little luke warm. But by this point after driving four hours. I ate it. Huge letdown. Mel's diner used to be one of our favorites, but steadily went downhill , after pandemic. It's been a favorite of ours for decades I've even been to both locations in San Francisco, CA. Mels kitchen and mels diner which were fantastic and fresh sourdough. This place definitely needs a huge renovation with management, and food supply. I could've walked to the Bel-Air Raleys nearby, and cooked way better food myself. This place could be such a success if they didn't cut corners read more

The Original Mels - Mels auburn - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

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For 21 dollars for French dip and frys .. barely got any French frys.. French dip was super dry all it had was bread and meat this is terrible spent way to much.. will never go there again read more

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Great honorarium to American Graffiti. The food was very good and so was the staff. I was lucky to be there for the car show. This is a great piece of Americana. read more

While in Auburn, we stopped at Mel's for an early (4pm) dinner. Conveniently enough, their daily specials start at 4pm. I do love the inside of the restaurant as it's very, "American Graffiti" like. Our waitress was very friendly but had to take a break right when we were looking for to-go boxes and we spent several minutes trying to flag down the only other server. I had a shrimp, cod (like fish & chips) and chicken strips combination plate that came with fries. The shrimp and fish with fries completely filled me up and I brought the chicken strips home. It was good, but obviously not their specialty. Wife had an open face meatloaf sandwich with vegetables. Again, not exactly their specialty but I tasted it, and it was good. It was also a very large portion, and she brought at least half of it home. I typically get the San Francisco Burger which is served on sourdough bread. Next time I'll stick with one of their staples and my absolute favorite menu item. read more

Lisa was one of the best servers I have ever had. Helpful , great with my son . My sister in law was having a hard time turn her night into an amazing night . Will come again food was great. Everything came out fast. Lisa made the environment. Amazing made us feel really comfortable would recommend. read more

The Original Mels - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

Mels is a solid consistent stop with THE BEST strawberry pancake I've ever had. Served by Tiffany... One of the best servers I've ever had. You keep up your joy, Tiffany! Great service! read more

Came in about 3 PM on a Friday afternoon and it was totally dead in the restaurant. Ordered a San Francisco burger and fries. Took about 20 minutes to get my food despite the fact that there was no one in the restaurant. Minus one star. Also, I was not asked how I would like my burger cooked and it came out about medium well. Minus one star. Burger was OK but not spectacular. Service was good, people were friendly, restaurant was clean. read more

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I have visited this location many times while visiting friends, but until recently, I had not encountered staff members as disrespectful as I did today. Sheryl, the cashier who usually works at the register, behaved unfriendly--she walked past and, upon noticing me looking her way to request creamer, she blatantly rolled her eyes dismissively. I chose not to cause a scene but told our friendly waitress that I preferred not to interact with Sheryl, especially during the busy Saturday rush, to avoid escalating the situation and making things difficult for her. This incident has significantly tarnished my previously positive impression of this charming spot, which I trusted for a good meal away from home. The experience has overshadowed the otherwise good service and quality food we have enjoyed here. I expect management to address this matter promptly, as a more welcoming environment benefits both customers and staff. They should consider assigning certain staff members to roles that DO NOT involve direct customer interaction to prevent such incidents in the future. read more

Rude white trash server with an attitude problem. I was polite and simply asked for water to go with my breakfast. Woman with long blonde hair wearing work out Lululemon style pants. Gave me an attitude and refused to give me water, by her mannerisms I seriously think that she was on meth or something. read more

This is my kind of place. The food is very good which being a vegetarian is hard to find sometimes. My husband really likes a couple of their dishes, but most of all a great hamburger with a malt of course. I love their vegetarian hamburger smothered in grilled onions. Ymmm. And occasionally I will be naughty and have a malt as well. The staff is great. They start with greeting you with a wonderful smile and a welcome. The service is friendly, quick and accommodating. And of course the ambiance takes me back to those fun years of growing up. Thank you to Tony, and all of his staff. You are the greatest. read more

The Original Mels - They also have some wonderful car shows - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

Well, this will be our last visit to The Original Mel's Auburn. They have been failing since the owner isn't there as much. The new "Manager" appears to overwhelmed with his position and undertrained. We just witnesses him, not only argue with a customer.....who by the way, had a legitimate concern....but suggest that they "Go somewhere else to eat next time"! MEL'S OWNER ~ You may want to regain control of your restaurant before you loose more loyal customers! Seriously consider firing your egoistical manager, or give him some much needed training on Customer Service & Relations! He needs to learn some courtesy and control his temper when dealing with customers who have a legitimate complaint or concern. read more

Can I just start off with how amazing this Original Mel's is!? Oh, and I need to mention, there are family recipes special to this location that I need to try on my next visit! We walked in after 9pm, and although Mel's would close by 10, we were welcomed by Sam. After seating us, he let us know our server, Jenna, would be with us shortly. As we looked over the menu, trying to decide on what to eat, we had a chance to get excited about the mini jukebox on the table. There were 100's of songs to choose from. It was brightly lit inside with antique looking frames, signs, and posters on the wall. There was plenty of seating available at booths and tables. After Jenna came by and took our order, we picked our songs on the mini jukebox at the table. Only after paying can you pick the option to have the music play at your table. I believe it's $.50 for one song, $1 for 3 songs, and $2 for 7 songs When our my Steak Sandwich with the loaded fries and Club Sandwich with Onion Rings arrived, they looked picture perfect. My boyfriend did taste great, but my steak sandwich was unfortunately overcooked. Jenna went to get Sam (turns out, Sam is the manager! ) and although it was even closer to closing, they put in an order for me off a crispy chicken tender sandwich... it was recommended. However, I did wish I got it the regular way. We boxes everything up to take home and after Sam found out I was not going to eat the chicken sandwich, my boyfriend was and I was just going to finish the other half of his Sandwich, he just took the meal off. We chatted about how this Original Mel's is a franchise and that there are specialties on their menu. We absolutely enjoyed our dining experience! The Original Mel's crew were friendly and welcoming and that makes the perfect dining experience when you can enjoy and look forward to the employee's shopping back by and chatting with you! I can not wait to come in and try their ribs, meatloaf, spaghetti, and lasagna! From what I hear... those are family recipes! read more

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The food was mediocre as was the service. The place looks nice though. Over cooked the Breakfeast Steak and Patty Melt. The fries were very salty. Forgot the toast and never refilled the coffee. Heavy on the grease too. Too bad. Was really looking forward to it. read more

When visiting my parents, we like go to Mel's. I had the Cheesesteak Sandwich. It was very good, but I wish it just had a little more cheese on it. The curly fries were crispy and tasty. The 50's diner feel is always fun. The kids enjoyed getting their kids meal in a paper 57 Chevy car that they could take home as a toy. Selah, our waitress was great. She was attentive and patient while our little ones were a bit indecisive. read more

The Original Mels - Philly Cheesesteak. This is after I are one half already. - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

2026 now and my girl Tiffany at the original Mel in Auburn California ! I left in August 2025 and I'm flying back February 10 and I will be at Mels in Auburn seeing my girl tiff who's been the sweetest waitress she's been there since that place is open and let me tell you that girl she's the greatest I compared to all the other waitresses and she's number one thanks tiff I'll see you on the 11th for my steak and eggs. I can't wait. read more

Such a charming little diner! From the moment we walked in, we felt so welcomed. Lauren was incredibly kind and attentive, she made the whole experience even more enjoyable. The food was absolutely delicious, comforting, and made with care. If you're looking for a cozy spot with great service and tasty bites, this place is a must-visit. Can't wait to come back! read more

The burgers TO GO we orders were very good! -crispy , crunchy onion rings -burgers delicious -to go packaging good -team taking our order over the phone and going the extra mile to write each persons on the outside of boxes- excellent! -good and fair pricing - will be back/ check out daily specials. read more

One of your employees made a disrespectful remark toward me during our visit. I didn't escalate it, but it crossed a line. I won't be coming back. read more

We had miss lisa as our server and man she deserves a raise!!!! Best service ever and she is so sweet!!! Quick, efficient and very personable!!!! Thank you for making my date night even better!!! read more

Food was terrible. Breakfast was cold and bacon was rubbery. There was a specific waitress that used the F word while speaking with a fireman who was there to eat. She was loud enough that we corks heard her across the restaurant. She eventually sat down with him and started eating off his plate. Once he left she walked around and did nothing but says 'I'm starving!' Very unprofessional! Lots of elderly people waiting on the wait staff who were huddle at the counter chatting away. We walked up to pay our bill. No one was at the register. I looked over and the waitress's were still chatting at the counter! Finally one of the waitresses that was working came over to check us out and seat the 4 people waiting for a table. If you have a tolerance for unprofessional people then this is your place. Otherwise I'd advise you to find another place for a meal. read more

My son and I stopped here for lunch after a hike. We were greeted with a friendly smile and seated right away. Wow! They had lots of yummy choices on their menu. Waitress was very friendly. Saw we needed some time to choose what to eat. She actually didn't come back for a while. Maybe they were short staffed. Eventually ordered and food came. We were happy with our food and how it taste. The long wait for our waitress and our food won't deter us from stopping by again if we are in the area. And, as always, I love the decor at Mel's. read more

The Original Mels - Veggie burger with a side of fruit - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

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Showed up before 11 am to get the breakfast special. There was nobody to help us at that time and it wasn't until after 11:01 am where somebody assisted us. They initially didn't want to give us the breakfast special so we had to get a manager to still offer it to us. However, once we sat down, the server was rude and didn't offer us water when we requested it. We did not end up drinking anything our whole meal! read more

What an expensive mistake. Ordered the $10.99 special cheeseburger and fries. I was served basically a McDonald's small cheeseburger with too many onions and lettuce Fries were lukewarm and tiny pieces of fries. For a Diner type restaurant, they need to give Diner quality food. $4 for an ice tea, I basically spent $19 for McDonald's quality food. Mels needs to serve better food... read more

You go to Mel's for the atmosphere and the service, the food is ok at best and probably better at other restaurants.

The Original Mel's Diner, located in Auburn, CA, is the Auburn link in the small chain of 22 retro diners, located in Northern California and Nevada. Like most other Mel's locations, the Auburn location is a franchise, serving "old school," fine diner cuisine, in a 1950's style dining room, with all the classics of the period. What's not to love about Mel's? As you enter Mel's, you'll note the restaurant is decorated for the season, as Christmas decorations are everywhere, which mix well with the "old school" diner theme of the restaurant's decor. Patriotism is alive and well at Mel's, as there are American Flags everywhere. I simply adore the "funky," retro decor, and the diner atmosphere! I arrived shortly after the 0700 morning opening, and the restaurant was lightly seated. Today's chain of 22 Original Mel's Diner traces it's roots back to 1947, when "Mel's Diner" was founded in San Francisco. The 1973 George Lucas movie classic, "American Graffiti" was filmed at Mel's Diner, located on South Van Ness St. in San Francisco, as the Auburn Mel's, along with the rest of the links in the chain, celebrate the occasion. If you're a fan of the movie, along with classic cars and "dragging the main," you'll love the atmosphere at Original Mel's Diner, in Auburn. The dining room is divided into several sections, each separated by a low partition. I'm standing in a section that's portitioned off from the main dining room, and is almost like a separate section, but it affords a great view into the main dining room. The walls are decorated with countless period photos, posters, neon signs and clocks, and most tables include a juke box remote. There are several television monitors - did they have hi-def television in 1963? - that were tuned to football. The partitions, along with the period decor make the dining room seem very cluttered and busy, but it's all in good taste, attractive and very nostalgic. If you're a "child of the 1960's" like I am, between the decor and the amazing diner "comfort food," you'll be right at home. From the "Eggs By The #s" section of the breakfast menu, I went with "Two Eggs Any Style," with "Mel's Potatoes" and a side of "Biscuits and Gravy." It was difficult to make a choice between hash browns and "Mel's Potatoes," but I ended up going with "Mel's Potatoes," as they are unique to Mel's and hash browns are all pretty much the same. Mel's potatoes would make a meal by themselves, as they are simply DELICIOUS! Mel's potatoes are diced, red potatoes, grilled to a beautiful golden brown on the outside, with just the right amount of "crisp," yet are white and tender on the outside. They're seasoned by what the restaurant calls "Mel's Special Seasoning Salt," and topped with grilled white and green onion. What an amazing potato creation! "Mel's Potatoes" will make your day! During future visits to Mel's Original Diner, I will always go with "Mel's Potatoes." If you're one of those who don't care for onions, just tell your server and your potatoes will arrive bare. Caveat: I HIGHLY recommend Mel's onions, as they add a "third dimension" of flavor to the delicious potatoes. Original Mel's Diner doesn't skimp on the biscuits, as my breakfast included two delicious, freshly baked biscuits, covered in fantastic sausage gravy, garnished with bits of parsley. The biscuits were a little different than your average diner's as they weren't quite as light and fluffy as most, but, at least in my opinion, the consistence and texture was perfect for my tastes. They had onion them - which I could taste - which was unlike any other diner biscuit that I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy! Simply amazing and flavorful... The biscuits were covered with Mel's thick, rich sausage gravy, which was garnished with parsley flakes which made for enhanced taste and a beautiful presentation. Mel's gravy is simply delicious! Mel gives you the choice to have your eggs fried your way, and I chose sunnyside up, and my two fried eggs arrived perfectly fried, as ordered, sunnyside up. Two perfectly fried eggs, Mel's amazing potatoes, along with two biscuits covered in gravy... I dare you to find a better breakfast than I enjoyed today at The Original Mel's Diner, located in Auburn, CA. When you're in the Auburn area, and you're crusin' for fine, retro, classic American diner cuisine, in a friendly, fun "American Graffiti" atmosphere, you'll find everything a "foodie" could dream of at Original Mel's Diner, located in Auburn, CA. Five stars go their way for delicious diner cuisine, friendly staff and a wonderful "retro" dining atmosphere. read more

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We were a party of 12 which 5 were kids. They helped us out and were very patient. Great place to come to after a hike ! I got the chicken burger with Buffalo sauce. The fries hit the spot! read more

The Original Mels - Chicken burger with Buffalo Sauce - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

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My husband and I came in for lunch and we wanted oatmeal. The oatmeal was extremely watery The bowl is not filled up and it was okay. I ordered sourdough toast and they gave me white bread and the bread was barely toasted and when my husband and I got our toast it was cold. read more

The service was good. I had a turkey sandwich and it had sooo much lettuce and very little turkey once you took all the lettuce off. One half had a half of tomatoe. read more

The Original Mels - The lettuce for one sandwich. - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

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I used to go to Mels all the time and the atmosphere was so fun and the food was always good. Over the past year it's gone down hill fast! I've seen staff hit other team members and yell at one another! The food has also been letting my family down. Tonight I ordered desert to go for my husband and when I opened the container there was a purple hair in the ice cream! I saw an older woman with purple hair working so I can only assume it came from her. I wish this restaurant was still as good and friendly as it used to be. read more

The Original Mels - Purple hair in ice cream. - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

My first time going to Mel's. I will definitely be back. I came in for breakfast and the food was just how I ordered it. And delicious!! The service was outstanding! Olivia, and Lauren were beautiful and amazing. I highly recommend Mel's. I am already looking forward to my next visit. read more

Covid-19 dining Came here for brunch on a Saturday, we arrived around 10:30a checked in with the hostess inside and we were led outdoors under a huge tent. Indoor dining was an option too, I guess, since we saw folks dining inside. Oh yeah, well, Placer County was removed from the monitoring list as of 4 days ago. I had the chicken-fried steak & 2 eggs while hubby had a classic breakfast with bacon and eggs. Delicious classic American breakfast food... We had a young waiter who checked on us often without being too attentive. Although the air quality in Auburn wasn't too bad from the Bay Area wildfires the owner brought out fans to air the patio. He also followed up with us after our waiter brought us our food... but we were already complete with the condiments we needed. Service is consistently pleasant here. In and out in 45 mins. Review #0678 updated read more

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The food here was good - similar to Denny's or any chain breakfast-oriented restaurant. The food was more expensive than you'd expect for the quality & quantity of regular breakfast comfort food. The service was great and we liked the 50's theme ambience. I'd give it a 3.5 if Yelp allowed half stars, but I couldn't give it a 4.0. read more

I would have always thought that this place, the Original Mel's on "historic" California 49, which traverses the Gold Country, would remain a constant, in both its food and its service. Mind you, it's still okay. I don't know which "Original Mel's" location was the very first, or the original, but I first became acquainted with this chain at the Roseville location on Douglas Blvd., which I think could easily double as "Sarah Palin Blvd." Whenever I've driven on it, she comes to mind. (You have to know Roseville.) But it was the loss leader steak and eggs that they had up on a banner outside that location - when everything in the Central Valley was cheaper -that got me to go in. No one is going to sell you steak and eggs for that price anymore! I came in to order what I ate the last time I was here. It was the meat loaf platter. There was something about the recipe that last time, and which a manager type had told me about, that was very flavorful, but didn't seem to be there this last time. The meal tasted "flatter," for lack of a better word. However, the portion size was good. The other thing was that the table service was sort of perfunctory. They weren't even that crowded, since it was mid-afternoon. I'm not going to pin it on someone being a millennial, because we've all had those "Flo"-type servers from TV sitcom "Alice," which took place at a fictitious Mel's Diner in Phoenix, and who bordered on brusque. In this case, the service was sort of indifferent, while the service by the hostess and the cashier were more amicable. So, I finished my meal, added a tip that was closer to the "standard" amount, got the receipt, and left, thinking that what I ordered tasted like a platter from any garden variety diner. read more

The Original Mels - This was meat loaf, mashed potatoes, vegetables, gravy with mushrooms, and corn bread. It was the only photo I took on this visit. - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

Unfortunately today was a bad day at Mel's. Our server Christie had a bad attitude and was rude. Our food was cold because it sat in the counter for 15 minutes. Other customers were served and got their food even after they were seated after us. Don't get Christie as a server that's the truth read more

Had a yummy quick lunch here during my travels. It's a typical eatery with a ton of items on the menu. Anyone can find something too munch on. The food was diner good. The service was a bit brash and not the most welcoming but it was very efficient so I take that: Fast, over slow and nice - any day. Easy parking and good pricing. read more

The Original Mels - Mushroom pastrami with coleslaw. Too much meat but overall good flavoring. - Diners Near Me - Auburn, California

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