A little loud but only because this place is hopping! Great food and served HOT. Quick turnover so you don't wait forever.

We have lots of fun when we go here. The waitress staff is always excellent. Fun time interacting with them. Food is good. Prices are a little high for breakfast.

Good, food reasonable prices, but the place can get crowded

I’m going to be 100% honest with this review. The way they treated me was totally unfair…. For other restaurants!!! These people just blessed me. I have been here more than a handful of times but today’s food just hit on a different level. It was like the hand of God was the shaking the skillet with the chef on this one. The photo I posted with this looks like my camera fell in grease but can’t deny the food looks CRAZY GOOD

It was my first time going. I really enjoyed the place. Food was actually pretty good as well. I'll be back if I'm in town

On my way to Mels Original Diner, and just coming back from the Barlows Bank Rice flats out there in Mallardville, where Skeeter Timticket and some little Weasel in bicycle shorts were trying to tell me where to set up this year's duck blinds. Well, it took about 5 seconds to straighten those two out, and even made that little Weasel cry so hard he had to go sit in the Skeeter's truck. It sure is a pleasure to walk into such a welcoming place like Mels Original Diner, everything about the place says welcome home. 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆

I had a very tasty burger here last night. Second time visiting this place while in Vacaville.

Not being from around here, a buddy of mine brought me to Mel's. The service was awesome, and the food mirrored the service. It was pretty busy at 0900 but we were still seated quickly and it didn't seem to subtract from the experience. Good food.

This is a restaurant with a strong western style. There are exquisite decorations and nice music. As for the meal, I will come to taste it next time.

+1

Great interiors, fast service and great food. Greaaaat food. Loved the pancakes and the fries.

Sharon was awesome at the Nut Tree location in Vacaville. Sold us on a mimosa flight which is an awesome new idea. Foods always great!

Amazing diner!!! Patio dining, great waitressing! Thank you for the nice lunch.

Friendly staff, very polite, expedient service (even on the fly), not like Texas Roadhouse (fairfield ca) where we waited forty minutes for a burger and pulled pork. Mel's Diner is way different. No wait time between our food order and them bring it to us (normal wait time) . At Mel's you get what you ordered and it's on time ❤️ .

Perfect stop off the freeway, cool decor, nice people.

Has the 1960s vibe and atmosphere. Good food. Each table has coin operated music box vending machine. Kids had fun.

Mel's in Vacaville always has the best quality diner food. We frequent them often and have only had bad service twice. Once just after Covid and once with a new server. We love the food. Always good and special requests honored.

Brings back memories

The food was great and the staff was friendly.

+3

Excellent food and service, not too busy and love the 50's decor

Food is very good. They have jukeboxs by the table great old songs, and memorable old pictures & items.

Customer service is excellent! Workers are super friendly and helpful in recommending good dishes. Great portion sizes. Food is excellent!!! My kids loved the atmosphere and how their food was served. Would definitely be coming back

Awesome diner! Tons of decor everywhere you look. Our waitress was running everything solo and did an amazing job. The food was great and the portions are massive! Breakfast was fantastic, need to try out some other options.

Food A+, service A, atmosphere C. Food was awesome. The waiter was tired and had a long day but I gave him an A because he muddled through it at 10pm at night. Poor guy. Atmosphere looks like it needs an update or heavy cleaning. Would I recommend? Heck yeah. I still like the place.

Hadn't been here in a long time. My mom was in town and suggested we go. I dont remember it being as good as it was before, but it has been some time. 2 items on the menu I never pass up anywhere is a buffalo bleu burger and a mushroom Swiss burger. Mel's has both. Got the buffalo bleu and was not disappointed. I tried my mom's caramel shake, and that too was great.

Best Burger in town . Nice and quiet . Friendly staff. Food prepared just right

Restaurant was very nice and clean, has a 50s style theme that takes you back in time while you enjoy your delicious food! BE overwhelmed by the menu as you take in the array of scrumptious options available to you.

Excellent wholesome meals; I will be returning for secondsies.

I LOVE MELs ...a very comfortable and kicked backed place to enjoy the atmosphere, ambiance, music and past memories ... staff is ALWAYS on POINT! GOOD OLE'DAZE FOOD MENU and milkshakes 😉

Adorable atmosphere, friendly service by all and a super pro server, Sharon, Who knows the menu well and was able to get us exactly what we wanted! Sitting in her section, we could hear her taking great care of everyone around us!

A fun place to get good food at a reasonable price. My friend and I shared a breakfast burrito which was fantastic and we got the house potatoes, which were especially good. Sometimes house potatoes are huge chunks and these were not they were delicious Serve with fresh green onions. We also had a banana shake, which had chunks of banana in it, which I loved! Our server with A young woman named Caitlin And she was on it! She checked back with us a few times, saw me looking around and came over to get me hot sauce, refilled our soda and was just readily available. she was also very pleasant, it's hard to find good servers these days, and she was a great one!

I came here with my family of 4, my two kids love it here for the music and balloons. I got the buffalo bleu cheese burger with garlic fries which was amazing! We also got the sampler appetizer which of you get it, unless you are sharing its more than enough for a meal on its own! Our watress was great and the atmosphere is top notch! There are little juke boxes at the table so you can enjoy your own music as well. Overall i thouroughpy enjoyed myself and the price wasnt bad at all for the amount of food we got. Will definitely recommend and go back!

+1

Outstanding service! They had a NY steak and eggs special. It was very impressive. I didn't expect a perfect medium rare steak. Very tender. Eggs perfect too. Waitress was spot on with the coffee! Great place!

The dishes were delicious and the mimosas too, the lady who served us was super friendly, it was the first time I was there and it is already one of my favorites.

+6

Very welcoming the unity almong the crew is what truly stands out the most to me. Every worker greets us and makes us feel very comfortable. Love it here

So glad we picked Mel's. We've never tried this place for as long as we've been visiting Vacaville but I was craving for a good burger. First off, love the old classic diner look. We were greeted right when we walked in and as we were being seated we were asked if we wanted something to drink. Our server then came right after and took our order. I ordered their classic melburger w/ cheese and my husband ordered the bacon & cheddar melburger w/ onion rings. And, wow did this place deliver. When I took that first bite all that burger juice just dripped all over my fingers I knew my burger was not going to disappoint. Also, my fries were perfectly crunchy, not a single fry was soggy. Loved it!! Overall, service was great, food was delicious and place was clean and welcoming. Will definitely be eating here again! Thank you for providing good quality food and service.

Food was good! Fresh and a nice variety on the menu. Breakfast and burgers served all day. Portions of some items were plump! Wait staff was super nice and very helpful. Restaurant was busy and full of families.

This is a great place to come. It's open 24 hours. The service is very good. The food is great and they have a variety of foods you can eat. It's a San Francisco icon here in a little town of Vacaville

Such a fun place to come for dinner. The chicken fried steak was crispy and the gravy was good.

Bethany Hyatt

Got a booth seat, my favorite spot, excellent waitress who made us laugh. Chili cheese fries were delicious, perfect for 3 people to easily share . Thank you for a wonderful meal experience

Myron Perish

Great atmosphere, my waitress Areceli was awesome, the ribeye was perfect. The price extremely reasonable! I recommend this for a cozy romantic first date type of outing.

Diana Hurst

They were busy because dinner time but we didnt have to wait long at all. We got our food piping hot! So very yummy!

Mr. Davis

Had an overall great experience at Mel's. Service was very nice, our server Brie was very nice to us, and the vibe was nice. It was a very busy day and servers were flying around all over the place. Meal was hot and delicious. Would definitely dine in to Mel's Diner again.

Mouzilla

Me and my brothers went here for lunch and it was so good. Been difficult to find good places around the area, but this place was fantastic! Food was delicious and made quickly. Waitress was super friendly. Loved the 50's decor and style.

Nick Schenck

Mel’s Original Diner in Vacaville is everything you want in an old-school diner — friendly service, hearty portions, and that nostalgic vibe that takes you back in time. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a warm smile and seated quickly. The retro decor is fun without feeling forced, and the whole place just feels welcoming.

Tabetha Newman

I found out about Mel's (when I lived on the east coast) from The Final Girl movie and honestly they didn't disappoint. Great food best shakes around and sweethearts for staff. Can't beat this place. It's my favorite place to escape to.

Anthony Echarte

Gotta love some Mel's Diner. I had the country skillet which was soooo good. Really good portion for the price. Our waitress was very friendly, and waited on our party in a very timely and helpful manner. Who doesn't love the 50's style diner atmosphere?? Fun place to come for the kids as they love to pick out songs on the table jukebox.

Jody Walker

Great food, service is hot or miss and a bit noisy but worth it... Vacaville, Fairfield or Placerville.

MJ L

Really great experience here. Needed to get in and out quick. Great food and really excellent service. Our waiter was super friendly and very efficient. It was busy in there but I did indeed get in and out quick. I’ve been to a few Mel’s but This Mel’s takes the cake!

+1

Michael St. Denis

Driving home late, went in at 10:30 a half hour before they closed. Staff were still very nice, got our order and food to us quickly while they were starting to close up. Did not rush us and were friendly. Can't ask for much more late on a Sunday.

+1

The Malt was great. Service was alright, atmosphere was busy but not overwhelming. Surprisingly, the French toast sucked. I was expecting way better. It was super dry. And their gravy is not home made. I don't know why I thought I wouldn't be. Wishful thinking I guess.

Great classic diner food. Fun kids meals. Enjoyable for the whole family. Good prices.

I usually get takeout - use their website to order, not one of the delivery apps. My favorites are consistently good. I find the curly fries much better than the regular fries.

The food was great. Portions were enough. Service was also good. Just as you would expect a dinner to be.

There is a lot of Hollywood nostalgia which transports diners to the past icons of television. The food was nothing spectacular, but it was OK. Service was OK, but doesn't stand above any other diner. Atmosphere was good. Did not have any strawberry ice cream even though strawberry shapes and malts were on the menu. How do you run out of ice cream in a diner?

Came through here on 4/1/2018 at 7pm, Easter sunday. My fiance ordered a grilled cheese and fried zucchini, and a glass of wine. I ordered a chef salad and a soda. The waitress was very friendly, the food was fast, and very tasty. The zucchini was fresh cut and deep fried, delicious. The chef salad was great, it came with american cheese which I thought was a little strange but it was great. The menu is huge with a vast amount of options, including a "coke freeze" which is coke blended with ice cream, very interesting and good looking. This diner was a great stop on our way back to santa cruz!

American breakfast in Vacaville; good service; tasted okay nothing special.

+1

The food was good, but the service was very slow. It took longer than usual to have our drink order brought. There seemed to o my be two older waitresses, trying to tend to the entire restaurant. The decor was neat to look at while we waited and waited.

Before SF became such a cesspool I used to go to Mel’s on Lombardi pretty regularly. I am so happy there’s a Mel’s in a safer area.

Me and the wife came in pretty late, around 8pm. The lady serving us was very kind. Food was just fine. Love the atmosphere.

First time here, it’s got great vibe with the nostalgic pictures, decor and music. Unfortunately it appears to need a good dusting and wipe down. I got the open face turkey sandwich, came with dressing, REAL redskin mash potatoes that were fantastic, broccoli that was cooked great and seasoned well, a small cranberry sauce. The gravy was good, tasted like they added herbs to a jar/mix gravy, definitely acceptable. My service was minimal though. After I got my food they didn’t check back and when I was done I had to keep looking around for the server because I needed a togo box. I noticed the table next to me was looking for server also, they eventually waved her over. It happens servers get busy but she simply wasn’t out in the dining room for quite some time. Then as I was paying my check at the counter the hostess asked me if I left a tip on the table. I replied no, she then instructed me how to do it in the pin pad. I believe her intention was to be helpful, however, it’s none of her business how a customer tips. And for the record, I tipped 15% even though I got 10% service. I loved the food and like what I saw on menu. Maybe I’ll do take out next time

Mel’s is a typical diner food restaurant, but the atmosphere is great for the kids. The food is actually pretty decent and they always serve the kids dishes in the cute little paper cars that my daughter loves. And they do give you a pretty big portion of food. Definitely is a good family friendly quick eats!

Was there on a Sunday morning.. food was good, But they were so busy the service was a little slow. Butt the servers were nice

Food wasn’t bad at all. Service was good. We enjoyed our meal. It was a nice breakfast. We would go again.

Nice breakfast in a fun 50s dinner atmosphere. Staff is friendly, restaurant is clean and comfortable. Food is just OK. Ordered my eggs over hard and got simi-scrambled that were cooked in old oil. Coffee is normal cheep coffee. The other up side is that all the old men, many veterans eat here. I always enjoy seeing old men getting together and telling tall tails.

This old-style diner is near the Outlets and the food is very nice. Salads are huge and crispy, the gourmet chicken burger and BLT are perfectly yummy, and almost every booth has a mini jukebox; bring plenty of quarters. It's also great for really huge and creamy milkshakes. Downside was that our server took our orders, brought them to us, and we didn't see her again until we were finished with our meal. No checkup, no soda refill, and it was not at all busy. Hope the service is better on my family's next visit.

Great food, good service.. Great old fashioned diner! My blue cheese burger was so good I forgot to take pictures of it.

Went to Mel's today for a mtg. I had the number 5 and I enjoyed it. Great food, and I really enjoyed our server.

Burgers was fresh, tasty but so big and little overpriced ., we left some portion on the plates. I thought that would be much better if they offer different portions, I would prefer smaller burgers with better price. I believe I would more often visit this place if they have that option

bootlegger2750

Been eating here for years now, always a good dining experience for the most part. Huge menu of items, food usually very good and the service has always been great, especially Kaitlyn, our favorite server there. I'm only giving a 4 star rating due to the older lady with the face mask working there. Many times when we're seated towards the far side of the restaurant near the "bussing station " she will very loudly crash and bang the dirty dishes seemingly deliberately as if she has an attitude and doesn't want to be there. It obviously disrupts the other patrons in the area to the point of ruining our dining experience. Today I actually had to report her loud and disruptive behavior to the cashiers who admitted other customers have complained about her also. We still love this place for breakfast yet we certainly need more breakfast places here in Vacaville.

Mike Brown

Food very good staff great. Chris had Bacon and eggs and I had the country skillet. Her egggs were cooked perfectly. My country skillet was was very good. Scrambled eggs with sausage the cheese over hash browns. Our server Nina was very polite and efficient. It fun to step back to mels

B

Relaxing place that has breakfast all day! I been meaning to go here and five review for a while but I think at it's price point and service, they are wonderful! The plates and food are filling and way better than most restaurants

Alvin Convento

Needed lunch but was craving breakfast. This was the perfect place to go. Host and server were great and food was good. We had the steak/eggs and chicken fried steak. Gravy on the chicken fried steak wasn’t salty. Potatoes were very good. The restaurant was clean and they play diner type music.

+2

Let me review for you!

Great 50's diner, all the designs were represented perfectly. The food was good, not the best, but simple American food. I like that you can request songs from your dining room tables and Boothes. Daniela was our waitress, she was ok. Overall, a good atmosphere for casual dining, it's worth coming.

+2

I have always enjoyed the food at Mel's in Vacaville, CA but not tonight. I ordered the turkey dinner, and don't recommend it. The turkey atop the dressing was smothered in a heavy layer of gravy. The potatoes were cooked but not mashed, also covered in heavy gravy. The steamed broccoli was barely cooked and nearly raw. The cornbread was good. I won't order this meal again.

I eat here because my family from out of town likes it, it's okay though. Service is always friendly, and they never miss an opportunity to refill your coffee. The breakfast is hit or miss on fresh bacon or sausage, but they can cook the eggs to order, so that's good.

I go to the Mel's regularly. Today, I ordered the Patty Melt with sweet potato fries. The patty melt was good as usual. The sweet potato fries were a hot mess. They were under cooked, not crispy! This has never happened before. It was about 3:00 pm, today. They were not busy?Will think 🤔 twice about going to Mel's again.

Food not bad, we were sailing all day and we were starving. We were pretty excited to get our dinner. Food was ok but it was 135.00 for six of us not adding in the tip yet. I thought that was a little hi for a dinner 🍽.

Hey! They have beer! Food is ok...its what you would expect from a Dennys or a IHOP But with beer! Awesome hang over food ! And you can have a 🍺. My kids really enjoyed it but for me food was a bit greasy but my beer was good. Oh and they have beer!

+6

This review is for The Original Mel's Diner in Vacaville, CA. I usually go to the one in Fairfield and will likely return to that one in the future. The food (Hangover #1) was great, but the atmosphere was less than desirable since the customer in the booth next to mine was playing a video his cell phone at an elevated volume. Give it a rest, dude! This could have been avoided had the FOH staff asked him to respect the other customers or, barring that, not seated all customers in adjacent booths (there were plenty of open booths). The Fairfield location avoids this by allowing customers to pick any open seat.

Food was ok, about what was expected. Our server was inattentive, we had to flag him down for coffee refills, he seemed more focused on larger tables. Walked with purpose, but not focused on guests.

Sam Dolan (Spamhammer13)

Please fix your mens TP dispenser. ; ( no TP sucks. Food was ok. Service not so good. Table was dirty.

The food was good the service was good. Our meal was $60.12. when we went to pay the total came out to be $74.64 which means they added a 20% plus tip without telling us. On top of that they ask you at the register how much you want to leave as a tip. I'm not typing 20/30 or 40% for a meal at mel's.

My BLT sandwich was horrible!!! Bacon taste like beef jerky & way overcooked, the French fries were really good, unfortunately I wont be returning to eat there, Black Bear Diner is the place, I should've gone there, Their BLT's are delicious

NJC CHEW

We've been dining here since they opened this location and have seen it go through ups and downs in quality, but lately there hasn't seemed to be any ups in sight. The only positive was our first server Cellias, she was attentive and focused on improving the customer's experience. Unfortunately the rest of the servers were inattentive and prioritized chatting with each other and the chefs over paying attention to the customers. The food wasn't much better unfortunately, the turkey sandwich we ordered with toasted bread had toasted cheese on the bread and the cheesesteak sandwich was one of the saddest I've seen; very soggy and unmelted cheese, worst of all was the inclusion of American cheese. Another thing was the eggs we got with a breakfast dish were very small, this is a nitpick and they may have no control over the size of the eggs they receive so feel free to ignore it, I just felt it should be mentioned.

M Ne

We patron many of the mels diners. In fact as a kid growing up in Salinas, I remember the drive in on south main street. For the most part, the times we have visited Mel's has been great. Especially the ones located in Verdi Nevada and in Sacramento, but we had some major problems with quality and service in Vacaville California. First we asked to be seated in a half both table, with a movable table. I'm sure the waitress observed my wife was disabled and could not walk or navigate well. The greeter sat is at a half booth table, that was far back in the back of the restaurant. In addition, the table could not be moved. Consequently we moved ourselves to the front booth tables. The greeter and the server, who seemed to be in charge were annoyed by this, and we waited 15 minutes for them to even get drinks started. When she finally took our order, it was another 30 minutes till we got our food. When the food arrived it was absolutely terrible. First I ordered broccoli instead of fries and my wife ordered the blt with avocado. I can see cutting back on portions, but there was a smear not a slice of avocado on my wife's order as for the broccoli it looked like it was just a small leaf. The server never once after delivery of the food checked on us. To say the least, we left no tip and still hungry. We did point out these issues with the manager but she seemed interested.

One of the ladies that works upfront handled money, never changed her Gloves I ask her to change them she got very rude with me and slung her gloves off then started putting butter on the toast with her bare hands, which is just disgusting. I really hope they get this under control as the reason It’s been so long since I’ve been there in the past I was hoping that it would change. I end up throw my food away. I should’ve asked for a refund. Didn’t even wanna deal with hassle.. They need to be trained on money handling as well as food preparation all over again you should’ve seen her Gloves look like she had been changing Oil that’s how dirty they were and she wants to handle someone’s food. The health department should definitely check into this place

Very loud music, people come there to eat in a peaceful atmosphere and enjoy their food in a calm place,, it is not a store for shopping, it is a restaurant! Some servants are rude.

Well, wasnt expecting paying $15 for a BLT. In San Francisco most BLTs at that size cost roughly under $10. I understand this is not where i live at but times have definitely changed. Probably wont be spending that much again. I needed something to eat asap so i had to.

The server was good and very apologetic for how everything else was but the food was awful, it was dirty, my mug had lipstick on it, and it came out to $40 for two people. Not worth it in my opinion.

Dawn Molina

Went to Mel’s Vacaville this evening to have what I thought would be a nice family dinner only to receive ZERO customer service or acknowledgment from any staff member (3 waitresses) for over 10+ min after the hostess sat us at our table and went back to the counter to continue talking with her friend. See attached picture for reference since I didn’t get their names since we were never actually waited on. These two employees sat at the counter and NEVER helped the one waitress that was actually working to serve the entire front half of the restaurant that was quite busy for 9pm. In fact, when myself and my family got up to leave the lady pictured in the glasses asked “where are you going, you’re leaving?” When I responded with “Yes, because nobody has acknowledged us or come to wait on us since we were seated over 10 min ago.” Her reply was “well your waitress was just busy making drinks for another table.” I said, “that would have been helpful information to know when we were seated and might have made all the difference in avoiding our terrible experience.” I do NOT recommend going to this restaurant on Sunday evenings if these two are working because as you can see by the picture below they care more about sitting down on the job watching videos on their phone rather than providing customer service to their customers. After my family left they went right back to this position and continued to let the other waitress struggle.