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The Original Mel's Diner

3.3 (289 reviews)
Open • Open 24 hours

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THE ORIGINAL MEL'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Touristy
Moderate noise
Good for kids

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Bigger than it looks and for $9.99 you can share with ease!
Rick P.

Always loving Mel's. For me, Reno/Verdi location is my favorite. Bigger place with 2 or 3 times the memorabilia than any other. You walk out of this Mel's and it lands you DIRECTLY in front of Boomtown's William Hill sports book, inside the Boomtown Hotel Casino. Yeah man, my favorite Mel's. I was just interrupted from writing this review as a waiter requested all guest sing happy birthday to someone. A 1st for us at Mel's. I get down with Mel's breakfast. Denver, Mel's potatoes, sourdough, and DC. You've got the proper condiments, and a sweet selection of jams. Tonight, we ate elsewhere but came here for a banana split. $9.99 got us a giant one. It was way more than we could eat. As diners go, Mel's is always a lock. Our visit was exceptional. We'll definitely be back for the fantastic service and all the rest!

Grabbing dinner with friends.
Steve C.

Old fashioned diner feel with American Graffiti motif. American comfort food with decent portions. They were able to accommodate our party of ten on a Saturday afternoon. They don't do separate checks so be prepared.

Barbara S.

Boomtown has always been a stomping ground when heading to Reno/Tahoe to visit family. We stopped in Mel's for a quick lunch as we had dinner reservations at 7 for the rib cook off in Sparks. It wasn't busy yet had to wait approximately 10 minutes to be seated because "the server was playing catch up." It took another 15 minutes to get a drink order which was taken by a manager then another few for our server to come for food order. We ordered the sampler which came with a lot of yummy fries, 2 chicken wings which were cold and small, 3 tenders which had no taste with a thick coating of batter, cheese sticks that lacked any warmth at all without a melt and onion rings. The ambiance of Mel's is old time 50's with cute art and photos. Our experience was a little disappointing but most likely will pay another visit.

Menu
Juliane L.

My husband and I came here to try their vegetarian burger, added onion rings. It was delicious. You can even play keno at the dinner table which is rare. The server was nice and got our order correct. The old diner atmosphere was neat. This was our first visit and we will be back.

Patricia S.

Stopped by Mel's to get some breakfast. My mom and I were seated pretty quick. The food was pretty good. The waiter that came and took our order was really nice. Will be stopping by on the next trip to Reno. Inside of Mel's was pretty nice.

Asked for lightly scrambled and got hard scrambled eyes, asked for butter twice, got none,asked for missing butter and that took 10 mins.

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1 year ago

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7 months ago

We love the atmosphere and the food is always great here not to mention one of the best milkshakes I've ever had

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3 months ago

Good food had a real milk shake was wonderful. Service was quick and friendly. The ambiance is old time rock and roll visuals.

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8 months ago

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8 months ago

My server was awesome I think her name is Kayla or Katie Food was great and service.

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2 years ago

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Sasquatch Tavern and Grill - Rib eye sandwich with grilled onions and mushrooms

Sasquatch Tavern and Grill

4.5(562 reviews)
1.5 mi
•$$

I was doing a little scenic drive through Verdi, on my way to Donner Memorial State Park when I…read moredecided to check out some restaurants on Yelp. I found some restaurants that were rated highly on Yelp so I decided to go to Sasquatch Tavern and Grill. I ordered the English Fish & Chips to go. The meal included some delicious cold slaw. I had a little picnic with my little dog, Charlie at The California State Park of Donner Memorial and I was amazed at how delicious and authentically traditional & prepared the Old English battered fish with Old English Chips (French Fried Potatoes with Vinegar) tasted! I grew up in San Francisco and trust and believe, I have enjoyed many different cultures of authentic cuisines. This Tavern & Grill really impressed me! The service was very cordial, efficient and friendly, a few different people engaged with me about places to go see, in Verdi, such as parks and about the historic town of Verdi. I hope that my review will help others to discover a hidden gem in a small, beautiful town, nestled in the foothills of The Sierra Nevada Mountains! Bon Appétit!

Sasquatch Tavern is such a gem! Parking right outside, plus the patio is open for summer, which…read moremakes it such a fun spot to hang out. The drinks are STRONG, and the food portions are absolutely massive especially considering how reasonable the prices are! We were so excited to celebrate my husband's birthday here, and the staff went above and beyond to make it special. And you HAVE to love the decor it's quirky, fun, and totally fits the "come as you are" vibe. They also serve breakfast, so you can easily make this a morning stop or come by later for drinks and a big meal. Great drinks, huge portions, reasonable prices, welcoming staff, and an atmosphere that doesn't take itself too seriously. Definitely a place we'll be back to!

Photos
Sasquatch Tavern and Grill - They have gaming

They have gaming

Sasquatch Tavern and Grill - Sasquatch burger

Sasquatch burger

Sasquatch Tavern and Grill

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Gold Ranch - Turkey Swiss with a variety of veges

Gold Ranch

3.2(120 reviews)
2.1 mi
•$$

I stopped here on my way out of town, as I often do. It's convenient, because it's literally right…read morenext to the freeway, and depending on the way you are going, it is either the very first, or the very last stop in Nevada. It is a great place. It's got a decent casino with slots, but no table games, it has a great convenience store with pretty much anything you would need, for food, you have a sit down restaurant, a Jack-in-the-Box for a quick bite, and there's also port of subs. They make excellent sandwiches. All of the employees I've ever dealt with here were very friendly. It doesn't have a hotel, but it does an RV park, and they also sell California lottery tickets here. This is a very popular place for locals, when there's a big jackpot. They don't have to drive up the hill to Truckee anymore. The lottery building is in the very back corner of the property, and when you walk in, you're in Nevada, but when you buy your tickets, you are in California. That's how they can get away with it. The gas station here is the best. The gas pumps have plenty of room, so you can even pull a trailer through. Plus, the gas prices are very comparable to what you would pay in town. You would think being the first or last stop in the state, as well as being right next to the freeway, they would jack up the prices, but they don't. You can also charge up your EV here. They have 16 Tesla superchargers, and you can also use them for non-Tesla vehicles. You may need an adapter. Do the research to find out for sure. This is just a great all-around stop.

A beautiful clear day to dine in the cafe at Gold Ranch. The panoramic windows have a beautiful…read moreview of the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west and Peavine Mountain to the northeast. The pictures don't show how light and The Sierra Club sandwich was excellent. Our, server, Elvia, was friendly and attentive. Her husband is a chef in the kitchen. He is an outstanding chef! This is a nice place for a good meal.

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Gold Ranch - 9/24/24 FYI

9/24/24 FYI

Gold Ranch - Rib eye

Rib eye

Gold Ranch - 9/24/24 Promotions

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9/24/24 Promotions

The Original Mel's Diner - diners - Updated October 2026

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