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    The Original Mels

    4.5 (31 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order The Original Mels Takeout or Delivery

    The Original Mels Photos

    THE ORIGINAL MELS ATMOSPHERE

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    Priscilla F.

    From the moment you walk in, you feel like you're in the 50's. They have a jukebox and all the shakes you could even think to order. We didn't have one of those though. Maybe next time. We love coming to Mel's because their food is fantastic! It's grilled the perfection and they are so nice when you come up to order. My husband and I wound up coming in like 30 minutes before closing and they were just delightful in greeting us and making us feel welcomed even though we were in there so late. They even offered to stay open later for us to dine in. We didn't want to do that to them so we opted for takeaway. We both had their San Francisco sandwich with a fried egg (I got sweet potato fries and the hubby got tater tots). It was exactly what we needed after a long day of driving. That food was comforting beyond reason and we were two happy campers when we got back to the truck and enjoyed our meal. It's hands down my favorite sandwich, but we are going back again sometime to get those shakes!

    Jukebox
    Laura S.

    This place was so good! It was fun for the kids with the table side jukebox's, robot servers and it had lots of great decor to look at. The staff was Friendly and food was delicious. We had Philly cheese steak sandwich, chicken sandwich, kids breakfast, steak and eggs and the meatball sub! We left nothing on the plates! Thanks again!

    My awesome lunch today, on a holiday weekend great restaurant definitely five stars!!!!

    Everything, I'm trying to replenish protein. I'm trying to eat a good food. I'm literally at a truckstop in my opinion is truly the only actual restaurant in Dunningan, California is Mel's, food is awesome

    Crispy Chicken Sandwich w/ Fries
    Eric S.

    Mel's Diner and The Cheese Steak Shop have been open for about three weeks now. Every time I've gone in, I've been met with smiles and a happy greeting. I've had a few burgers, a chicken sandwich, and one of the cheese steaks. This Mel's is not like the regular sit-down and order Mel's. You order at the counter at this Mel's Diner, and then the server brings out your food when it's ready. The drinks are self-service, except for the sports drinks. The burgers are pretty decent; so far, they have been cooked to perfection. The chicken sandwich is probably one of the best I've had in a long time The fires and tots are good. Make sure you get some ranch dressing for your fires. You won't regret it. As for the cheesesteak, I have only tried the Pizza Steak. Different but good. It tasted just like a pizza sandwich. The Club Sandwich was fresh and big enough for a second meal. I want to try more of their cheesesteaks and maybe a milkshake soon. Till Next Time :)

    There were hardly any places to sit because they were all dirty like this

    Visited this establishment for the first time today and didn't really pay attention to the details of the dining area. I placed an order for the 10 oz ribeye breakfast with over easy eggs medium rare steak and subbed broccoli for the potatoes. As soon as I turned around to find a place to sit I realized the HUGE mistake I had just made. Every single booth in the entire restaurant was dirty and had heaps of dishes and trash on top. I scrounged around and found a table that I had to wipe down with napkins and water and took a seat. My order took about 15 minutes to come out and when it did, one glance and I noticed everything about it was wrong. I took it up to the register and mentioned it to the cashier (Faith). Faith showed 0 signs of emotion, no apologies, no empathy, not a single care in the world. Her reaction immediately changed my mind and instead of having it remade I asked for a refund. She then went to the back and struggled for 10-15 mins to be able to produce a receipt showing that the transaction was voided and the ticket amount had been refunded back to my card. Dirty restaurant, horrible customer service, and even worse food. 1/5 stars don't waste your time here

    Express Cheeseburger
    Tish M.

    This is the "express cheese burger" under their Express Menu. This area is surrounded by drive thru, there's a Taco Bell, Starbucks, Wendy's, and BK and then there's this overpriced gem. Since I was in a hurry, I ordered off the express menu, advertised as being fast. Maybe it is if you're the only one here by unfortunately for me, I arrived after a group of 5-6 so the cook prioritized those regular meals, not on the express menu first so I got my meal an express 25 minutes later. For the price, I could have received more beef patty elsewhere. If you're in a hurry, you'll end up losing money waiting on them here. 2 stars for the curly fries and ranch.

    Dunnigan CA
    Marie B.

    There I was, in the middle of what seemed like nowhere - Dunnigan, CA. One might stop on road trip. Two low tier motels, gas station, and a Mel's Diner! Never eaten at one but sure love history. Chose the Dbl Cheeseburger with Tater Tots to share. Glad I asked about burger size as I only ordered a dbl after gal told me the patties were just 2oz each. I loved that it wasn't the oversized burger too many places serve now. Maybe that's part of the plan... classic portions from the 50-60's era?! Loved the bun, which was toasted nicely and looked like it had an egg wash or something that made it almost translucent... really light but not at all soggy. Cheese melted beautifully and the burger was so Easy To Hold and Eat. We both thoroughly enjoyed the Pink Lemonade too; not sugary and Very Refreshing. Tots excellent and I saved 1/2 which were just fine nuked a bit the next morning. Prices a throwback to 50's also, low in comparison to anywhere I've eaten in a couple years. Highly recommended

    Peggy H.

    Super clean, excellent food, friendly staff I'll be sure to come back. It looks like stepping back in time with all the fun things hanging around.

    Inside dinning

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    6 months ago

    Stopped in for a quick dinner. Great food and service. Clean and fast. Delicious chocolate Malt topped the visit

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food, great service. The staff are friendly and helpful. Tried many items on the menu, so far everything is good.

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    11 months ago

    Delicious food and wonderful service. Classic Mel's atmosphere as well, love the 50s design.

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    1 year ago

    Food was mediocre. Cashier was nice and friendly. Probably won't stop again. The cheese steaks were blah and not cheap.

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    If you're driving out from Woodland or heading to Cache Creek, this is an easy stop right off 505…read moreand definitely worth it. Road Trip Bar & Grill has a real, down to earth feel the second you walk in. Nothing forced, just a solid spot with character. The tribute area really stood out to me. You can tell it actually means something and wasn't just put up for looks. It adds a lot to the overall experience. The food is what brings you back. Everything tastes fresh, like it was made with care. And those jalapeños... I still think about them. Fresh, good heat, and they make everything better. It's one of those places you're glad you stopped at and end up wanting to come back to.

    We have lived in the area for many years. And have stopped in to get a bite at Road Trip Bar and…read moreGrill periodically. The services was generally ok but not always. The food was usually why we came back. We enjoyed the theme of the place but found if you were not a regular, some of the staff ignored you as a customer. We accepted those shortcomings as we liked the place overall, but... On December 6, 2025, my spouse and I decided to grab some lunch there. It was fairly busy, but got a table right away. Our server was a woman we had dealt with before. She was usually attentive and kind. We placed our orders and were watching some college football on the big screens. After about 20 minutes, our server said she was going on break and our food would be out soon. After several more minutes a chunky blonde server brought my wife's food out and said mine was on its way. My wife noticed her fries were cold but her sandwich was fine. My sandwich and fries arrived a few moments later. It appeared to have over toasted bread on top. I turned the sandwich over and the bread on the underside was completely burnt. I had to wait several minutes for the chunky blonde server to get her attention, as she was deep in conversation with what were probably regulars across the room. When I finally got her attention, I told her that I could not eat the sandwich as the bread was charred. I showed the burnt bread to her. She made no comment, but took my meal to the kitchen and came back to say I could wait for the cook to make another sandwich. I told her that my wife was almost done with her meal and I didn't want to wait another one to be made, as it had been over a half hour since we had ordered. After my wife had finished her lunch (yes she offered to share) our original server came back aware of the issues and apologized for the problems. Her comment was, "that sandwich should have never left the kitchen." She said she had taken the cost of my meal off the bill and left it for us to pay. We made our payment for my wife's food and tipped for that. We never made a big deal about the issue, but I just didn't want to eat burnt food. On our way out, the chunky blonde server and what appeared to be the cook stood by the entrance to the kitchen looking at us. She was apparently eating the burnt sandwich. They both laughed and she said thanks for the free food, it is great. We did not respond and continued out the door. We were definitely angry and disgusted by the behavior, but glad we did not have them make more food. We will never be back to the Road Trip Bar and Grill again!

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