Mel's Drive-In

06/02/09

Not so great anymore...

by unzipped at Citysearch

Mel's used to be a great spot to grab a burger--not so much these days. Burgers and sandwiches are lackluster and boring; most dishes have a distinctly assembly-line feel and the sides (fries, onion rings) are greasy and limp. Salads generally composed of about 1/2 fresh lettuce and 1/2 wilted and browning. Prices are a bit high for the quality of the food.

On the plus side, the service is fast and efficient. Overall, an OK place if nothing else is open--just don't expect to be thrilled with the food.

• Pros: Abundant parking; open late-night; great service
• Cons: Dull, lackluster food

03/02/08

Little kids like this place

by foodielover at Citysearch

This West Coast chain is a nice place to bring little kids. They get to have their meals served in paper convertible cars. Their malts and shakes (one of a few places to make coffee shakes, and now they have espresso malts/shakes) are really good, topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. The Caesar salad was soggy and practically 1/3 of the bowl was full of croutons, not lettuce. The dressing was too tangy for a Caesar. The vegetable soup of the day was good, spicy from the peppers. The jalapeno pepper grilled chicken was good. If you like cheeseburgers, they're pretty good here. The fries are ok. Tried the fried onion blossom in the past and it was horrible. Full of nauseating oil, practically inedible. The booths are fun and you can play old time music for 25 cents a play. This restaurant has been here for a long time now and the booths are wearing thin with tiny rips in the seats. Still a fun place to bring children.

• Pros: Large place for kids' birthday parties, booths & music, parking, good malts and shakes
• Cons: average food

07/30/06

Huge Salads, Comfort food

by justineelise at Citysearch

I love Mel's. They have a huge variety of food. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served all day. The food comes in huge portions and the price is more than reasonable. I love their giant ceasar salads and the appetizer plate with chicken strips, onion rings, and mozeralla sticks. It's a meal in itself. And with this location you can eat outside. It's great for families and adults who want to sing to the juke box.

• Pros: Huge food selection, affordable prices, breakfast served all day
• Cons: Can get crowded

06/26/06

Burgers are over-rated

by sfgrump at Citysearch

Save your time and money, go somewhere else. The waitstaff was friendly, but the food left me desiring something better. What a shame.

05/22/05

S.F. Burgers!

by jjwolfman at Citysearch

The "Sunset" burger at Mel's on Geary, cooked a perfect "RARE" everytime, is consistantly, the BEST burger I've had on the West Coast!!!!!!!!!!!!

What more can I say!!!???? I needs nothing more! JJ

• Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Affordable