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Verdi, NV

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The Original Mel's Diner

3.3 (289 reviews)
Open • Open 24 hours

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Live Current wait: under 5 minutes

The Original Mel's Diner Reservations

Order The Original Mel's Diner Takeout or Delivery

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THE ORIGINAL MEL'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

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

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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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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

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

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The Original Mel's Diner Reviews in Other Languages

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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

Squeeze In - The Manly Morris Meal. Yummy

Squeeze In

4.0(847 reviews)
5.7 mi•Northwest Reno
•$$

Had been meaning to visit for a while, and now I wish I'd gone sooner! Located in the Las Brisas…read morePavilions Plaza, there's somewhat limited parking depending on the time of day, but didn't have trouble finding a spot and walking over. The Squeeze In's eclectic vibe greets you at the door. It's a little more spacious inside than you might think, and there's lot of interesting things to read and look at as you order. Notably, all the walls have handwritten notes from prior guests, giving you a sense of the community and the restaurant's history. Seating is pretty comfortable and well spaced. But the real star of the show is the food. This is a top-notch breakfast location. A really great and extensive menu (note the numerous protein options, including chicken, Canadian bacon, chorizo, turkey sausage, as well as tofu, vegan breakfast sausage, and more!). I felt a teensy bit awkward ordering the "Manly Mike," but I do like to try how a place makes their biscuits and sausage. This one had a strong sausage component but a slightly thinner sauce than I prefer, and the biscuits were fresh but also a tad on the thin side. The meal itself was very generously portioned, the rye toast excellent, the ham tasty, and the potatoes absolutely perfect (dry, crispy, and not greasy). This place is 100% going on the breakfast/brunch rotation. Highly recommend!

My bestie took me to brunch after a hard week. Eden was our server, she was friendly and gave us…read moreour space to catch up. My pancakes were a bit burnt, but fortunately I ordered them Jack Johnson style otherwise they would have been inedible. I hate to waste food, so I didn't ask for new ones. These pancakes are my go-to for me here. Hubby frequently brought me to dine-in at the Squeeze in Sparks for these pancakes during my last pregnancy; I had to have them weekly. My girlfriend had their garden party, she loved her meal. Besides my burnt pancakes, everything else was fine. We are no strangers to the Squeeze in and have visited all locations with our without our kiddos and other halves. We'll be back again and hoping next time my pancakes will be on the less burnt side.

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Squeeze In
Squeeze In
Squeeze In - Outside sitting

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Outside sitting

Westside Cafe & Coffee Company - Breakfast Burrito

Westside Cafe & Coffee Company

4.1(196 reviews)
5.3 mi•Northwest Reno
•$$

We absolutely LOVE Westside Cafe and have been going there pretty much daily for years!! We have…read morealso sent dozens of family and friends there for breakfasts, lunches, coffee dates and special family occasions, and the reports are ALWAYS raving reviews!! The restaurant is very clean and the food is always fresh, delicious and expertly prepared. The wide variety of scrumptious items offered on their menu provides something special for literally everyone's tastes. Although their in-house service is very timely, they never make you feel rushed to clear a table and readily welcome you to linger and visit for as long as you'd like, which we truly enjoy. They are also very family friendly and can accommodate pretty large groups. I would be very remiss not to mention that their lattes are second to none-always prepared nice and hot like we like them and their coffee is excellent!! The staff is particularly friendly and accommodating, and they efficiently and expertly handle a wide variety of DoorDash/Uber eats business, which always seems to be ready to go when the delivery people arrive. It is a very clean, casual, and convivial environment and I very highly recommend Westside Cafe to anyone and everyone!! Definitely five stars!!!!!

Can't really find a fault with this hole-in-the-wall-ish breakfast and lunch place. The food is…read moregood! Lots of Benedicts and omelets on the menu, and everything we've had here is tasty and thoughtfully made. They occasionally have creative seasons additions to the menu, but the old standbys, like their huevos rancheros and their coffee drinks, are solid and consistent. Service and atmosphere are chill and pleasant; light holiday music in the background adds to the vibe without being intrusive. It feels somewhat like you've stepped back in time here, in a good way. You could be put off by the dated interior and concrete floors, but I think it adds to the charm. This was one of the first sit-down places we came to when we were first checking out Reno, and we've continued to come back ever since.

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Westside Cafe & Coffee Company - Interior seating

Interior seating

Westside Cafe & Coffee Company - Breakfast Combo - zero seasoning on the eggs and unappetizing

Breakfast Combo - zero seasoning on the eggs and unappetizing

Westside Cafe & Coffee Company - Entrance

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Entrance

Madein Food & Drink Collective - Squid ink pasta

Madein Food & Drink Collective

4.5(165 reviews)
5.6 mi•Northwest Reno
•$$

I visited Madein for the first time after reading about them in Edible Reno-Tahoe magazine, and I'm…read moreso glad I finally stopped in! I went for lunch and tried their 2 for $20 special, choosing the chilled celery soup and the Alpine sandwich. Both were delicious and full of flavor. My only suggestion for next time would be to ask them not to toast the focaccia. It was a little too hard to bite into, but aside from that, the sandwich was excellent. I also had the chance to try one of their meatballs with their house-made marinara sauce, and it was delicious. One of the things I really enjoyed about Madein is that almost everything on the menu is made in-house, with some ingredients sourced fresh from local producers. You can really taste the care that goes into the food. The service was wonderful as well. My server, Seirra, was very friendly and attentive. The owner, Shawn, was kind enough to come by and say hello and even walked me through some of the dinner specials. I also had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Marsha, who works there and was equally warm and welcoming. Overall, I had a great first experience at Madein and would definitely come back to try more of the menu--especially dinner!

The food could improve vastly! I've been here a couple of times but have yet to be impressed…read more Recently, my husband and I split the hamachi carpaccio. It was not great, which is something I never want to say with raw fish. The other entrees were okay. And then my husband came home and threw up that night - he was absolutely fine before and after. Moreover, at first the atmosphere was nice, we were the only people in the front of the restaurant. The waitress was fairly attentive. Then a large group came - pretty sure they were "influencers" of some sort as they all had cameras, taking pics of the food, and the chef came out and fawned over them. Only problem was that we were still there and were basically ignored the rest of the night. And why did the "influencer's" food look tastier and more presentable than ours? We both ordered the same dish, but there's looked much more appetizing than ours. (Can't remember what it was.) And they probably didn't have to go home and vomit.

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Madein Food & Drink Collective - Nice looking interior of this new restaurant.

Nice looking interior of this new restaurant.

Madein Food & Drink Collective - Crab linguine

Crab linguine

Madein Food & Drink Collective - Lobster risotto

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Lobster risotto

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

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