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    The Original Mels

    4.6 (27 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

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    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!

    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 :)

    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
    Curtis C.

    Great hospitality, the breakfast was good. Super clean fast service. Looks like a great place for burgers and shakes will def have to try

    Menu for Mel's

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    3 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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    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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    8 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 in Woodland and want a place that actually feels like home, go to Corabella's Restaurant…read more This is a true family owned and operated spot, and you can feel it the second you walk in. It's not just about the food, it's the way they treat people. Warm, genuine, and consistent every time. The food is exactly what you want it to be. Fresh, flavorful, and made with care. You can tell there's pride behind every dish, not just going through the motions. It's the kind of place where you sit down, relax, and actually enjoy the experience. What stands out most is the heart behind it. Family businesses like this are the backbone of a community, and Corabella's represents that the right way. They've built something real, and it shows in the service, the food, and the atmosphere. Places like this are getting harder to find, which is why it's important to support them. If you're looking for good food, great people, and a place that feels authentic, this is it.

    After visiting our daughter's church in this small town we had lunch here. The reviews were great…read moreand we love us a great breakfast & brunch spot. It did not disappoint. The vibe was very family oriented. We got seated in less than 10mins. Crazy enough it should have felt like it was a busy atmosphere because as we headed to our table it was packed. We knew the front besides the bar area was full so it surprised us as we turned the corner that the restraunt was pretty full. The waitress was so sweet and on top of her game with the drink and refills. I noticed she was the same with her tables near us. The food came out quick as it should, it's breakfast lol. We left bellies full ready for a Sunday nap but really we will go walk it off downtown hahaha. If you're in town, it is worth the visit and prices are just right! Bonus: Clean bathrooms always tell me they care about their staff and guests! And it was clean

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    My wife and I came here for a date night. In the reservation, my wife asked for them to put a rose…read moreon the table. The host told us they didn't have any roses but came out with a little bouquet! For the dinner part, we were expecting a little more. The complimentary cornbread wasn't great in our opinions, but I'm sure others may like it. It's clearly homemade and comes with 3 different butters to put on top. We ordered the Salmon and Smashburger and they were both definitely over priced for what it tasted like. The salmon didn't have a lot of seasoning so it sort of tasted like something we'd give our cat. The sweet potato's on that dish were also not the best. The smashburger, in my opinion, would've tasted better if I got it from In N Out across the street. The entire burger just tasted like meat..no seasoning and there was maybe a drop of their aioli on the burger so all in all it just wasn't the best. I would've had a better experience at In N Out. We also ordered the Wagyu meatballs and never received them. We thought it was taking a minute to cook but all we got instead was the check..he didn't even ask us if we wanted dessert. We had wanted to check out their dessert menu and possibly get their strawberry shortcake but I guess that wasn't in the cards for us. We also ordered a cocktail and mocktail. My wife's mocktail (Kava Mule) was great! My cocktail (Horchata Mai Tai) was genuinely the strongest drink I've ever had. The flavor was nice if you could get past the amount of Bacardi they poured in there. Every drink I took felt like I was taking a shot. So with all that being said, unfortunately we won't be returning to Rancher's Daughter. Between the bland and expensive food, the forgotten about meatballs, the check rushed to our table, and the drinks..it's just the not the place for us.

    Beautiful hotel and restaurant. We visited for the first time on Thanksgiving, which also happened…read moreto be my husband's birthday. The food was so disappointing. We really had high hopes but were let down. We shared the complimentary corn bread, the arancini, and the hummus crudite. I had the turkey Thanksgiving dinner plate and my husband had the tri tip Thanksgiving plate. The starters were okay - cornbread was a very light texture and the butters that came with it weren't that good. The arancini was fine, just nothing too special but didn't come out very hot. The hummus didn't taste like much and came with a ton of bell peppers, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and some pita. The turkey dinner was not good. The mashed potatoes and the turkey were okay. The root vegetable medley was not good and the stuffing was terrible, it was so mushy and weird. The gravy on the mashed potatoes already had a film over it like it had been sitting out for a while and was not hot at all. I also got an espresso martini that was not good. My husband got the horchata Mai tai - he liked it. My husband said the tri tip was okay but overall the plate was disappointing. They also mentioned on the phone that they would give us a complimentary dessert for my husband's birthday but never brought anything out. Trying to give them the benefit of the doubt that it was a busy night and might give them another chance with their regular menu entrees but I don't have high hopes.

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    They tried. But I just don't feel it measured up…read more We had the burrata, beet salad, bucatini tomato sauce and the branzino. The burrata lacked any taste whatsoever. Knowing that it should be a mild creamy, buttery, delicate flavor, I was left searching for ANY flavor as we worked our way through it. Nothing. Beet salad wasn't bad. But again the flavor came from the overly seasoned salad dressing and no real flavor from the beets. The bucatini tomato sauce was atrocious. We had to send it back because it had no guanciale flavor, far too much watery tomato sauce and overdone bucatini. It was more like pasta soup with soggy pasta than any pasta dish I've ever made or had. When you have two pastas on the menu, they should be highlights, not afterthoughts. So glad I didn't try the carbonara which I love, and hope to find great variations everywhere I go. The branzino was pan fried, tender and somewhat juicy. Again, lacking in the flavor profile with it's pairing on the plate. We came because of this establishment's claim of celebrating seasonal ingredients. We assumed there was a level of freshness and flavor consistent with fresh off the vine procurement. We did not taste evidence of this. The prices here are Sonoma'ish. The quality of food that we had was diner like. The service was attentive and apologetic and much appreciated. But the kitchen let down their counterparts in the service area and we come for the food first.

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    The Original Mels - burgers - Updated May 2026

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