The blueberry pancakes were incredible (and enormous). The service was great.. friendly, attentive- all the things that make a great meal out. My one disappointment was the scrambled eggs being overcooked but I'd definitely come back.

Decent breakfast and lunch although on multiple occasions I have had hairs in my food. Once a manager saw very clearly that I wasn't eating my food and instead of approaching me herself, she told a very busy server to check on us. It took a while to get a hairless sandwich. Good pies and milkshakes!

MEH.... what I've tired there isn't really worth the prices . The staff is nice .I feel for them with all the late night drunken morons they get . But the food is just ok. Milkshakes are good .

Went to Mel's Diner based on the Yelp rating...started off with pickle spears and while they were tasty they came without the sauce that was noted on the menu. Service was friendly but we had to ask for cutlery and the main meal was mediocre at best. The food was cold and bland...the roast beef sandwich au jus...the jus tasted like someone opened a can of beef broth. Perhaps our expectations... more

Great price, great food, good service. I had the Eggs Manhattan. The steak was cooked very good and the Hollandaise sauce was delicious.

Breakfast deals are amazing

I came here for lunch but I ordered their all day breakfast and it was amazing!
I got the Eggs Combo that came with: 2 eggs, sausage, home fries, toast and two pancakes for only $9.99!! I honestly think this is a great deal for so much food and it was very delicious too. It was not greasy which was... more

Good, just a little slow

Have always had good meals here, and the serving staff are excellent. Only issue is that the kitchen never seems to be able to handle anything more than a half full restaurant. I'm a patient type, but can understand how it might annoy some.

Nothing Fancy but enjoyed the food

My wife, mother and I went for lunch on my wife's birthday. I had the daily special which was a burger for $4 and my wife had fish and chips and mother a chicken wrap. My burger for a frozen patty was very good and moist and the toppings were fresh. Wife's fish and chip order was huge with two... more

Lunch at Mels

Was not what I expected, I asked the waitress if the burgers are home made, I was told they were and when I received my Bogart burger, it was a frozen patty, not want I wanted not what I like, very disappointed in that, don't think I will return because they lied to me about the food and didn't like... more

Woke up at 4pm and realize that you need breakfast? No problem, Mel's Diner serves all day breakfast for cheap! Get a mound full of food for ~$10, yum and that's exactly what I did. Eggs, bacon, rye bread, jam, cottage cheese, chili cheese fries, milkshakes, they have the full assortment of breakfast items and your traditional diner fare. Check in on Yelp using the Yelp app and get 10% off!
... more

Fun atmosphere, Food Ok

Been here a few times for a casual dinner. Loved the hotdogs! But I would say food and service is about average... I don't understand why so many say it is terrible.... I have been to way worse! We will be back I am sure. (Love the 50's atmosphere and jukebox oldies... finishing with double bubble gum!)

good food once again! love the music and atmosphere! friendly staff always make for an enjoyable breakfast

Eating out at Mel's

It is a diner whose atmosphere plays.Oldies songs and their are numerous posters
from old movies like African Queen,Easy Rider,etc and actors/actresses from the past like Marilyn
Monroe,Katherine Hepburn,etc.The staff are friendly and the food is very good.The prices aren't
bad either.

I went to this place twice in a two week period. The service was very friendly, however that is where the positive ends. Each time I received my food i was very disappointed. It looked like the food was just tossed on the plate with no care, my bread for my beef dip came so soggy it fell apart before i could dip it. I didn't eat my food and no one asked why when they took a full plate away. My... more

Not Overly Impressed

Mel's Diner(s), both in Waterloo and Kitchener, have had rave reviews for their good food and large portions. So, when friends of ours asked my wife and I to join them for lunch at Mel's in Kitchener, we were definitely looking forward to the experience. Unfortunately, we came away feeling quite disappointed. The service was very slow even though the... more

Nostalgia on a budget

Mel's is a throw back to the 50s and 60s. Old tunes on the speaker system. Red and Chrome booth decor. Chrome tables and chairs and all the old menu fare.
Staff and service were friendly and efficient. No long waits for food coming from kitchen.
Pleasant experience all around and no big surprises with the tab.
Excellent breakfast anf... more

bad service and problematic food

I have been to Mel's Diner in Waterloo many times. The food was OK, and the service was not good. However, today when I went there with my girlfriend, I was shocked by the food that they made. The french toasts taste bitter - yes, bitter. I have never tasted a bitter french toast before. When I told the waitress... more

great late night meal joint

Right & Wrong

My hubby and I visited Mel's recently for the fist time.
What they got right: the decor and service were great. The bacon was crispy and flavourful, the rye toast seemed to be a better quality than I've eaten at other breakfast places. My eggs had a deep yellow almost orange colour which made me speculate that they might be... more

Quality/Quantity poor/ Server flippant/Service slow

Ordered a Bogart burger, well done, arrived burned. Sent it back, new burger is served without the bacon and cheese, not what I ordered. My son ordered the breakfast with bacon, egg and waffles, eggs were not what he asked for, only two half slices of bacon on plate. When we questioned the price on the second burger, one of... more

Excellent breakfast spot

Wait staff are always friendly and the food is consistently great. They have a great breakfast and plenty of food. Value for money is amazing. Very good burgers as well.

Not impressed

The best thing about this place is the 50s diner decor and the oldies playing on the jukebox. The food was just ok. The service was not good. It took awhile for the food to arrive. My son ordered a Mel's original burger and was served a Bogart burger instead. He picked the bacon off and ate the rest (and... more

very dissapointed in "breakfast

My date and I went to this diner for their "all day breakfast" after finding that our "regular" breakfast restaurant was closed for "Canada Day".
We were seated promptly after being cheerfully greeted by a very attentive hostess. Our waitress, Kelly, soon arrived at our table to take our drink order of coffee and water. This was promptly served and... more

very disappointed

Took friends there in summer. Ordered club house sandwich. The only piece of chicken in the sandwich was the size of a loonie and was OVER cooked. All four of us were very unhappy with condition of our meals. Won't ever go back

Will NOT be going back

Went for breakfast - we were seated quickly. Food came and was not warm.... how can you do eggs wrong? When the waitress came to ask how things were we mentioned that the eggs we cold (below lukewarm temp) and the peameal bacon was cold as well - if they were lukewarm it would have been ok, but they were... more

It was absolutely horrible

First off the decor in the restaurant is 50's style which was the only good thing about the place. Service was poor! Cold food, carrots were rotten had to be sent back! Couldn't chew the meat, something was wrong with it. Coffe cold! Waiter blew his nose on a napkin at the bar in front of customers and then served... more

Mixed reviews

Have been to Mel's Diner in Kitchener a couple of different times for breakfast & dinner. The food is okay, but not especially memorable or different from other neighbourhood eateries in the area.
Heads up: My recent visit was on a Saturday. The menu seemed a little pricey for breakfast so I asked if there was a breakfast special. There... more

Swell Mel's

Mel's has a simple decor reminiscent of the 1950s, days of car hops and juke boxes. The décor is not fully fleshed out though but it may be because the restaurant is so large for a diner that all the décor is spread out. A bit on the plain side for some I expect. Great place to go due to... more

Terrible burgers

I would expect a place that probably specializes in burgers to at least keep them from getting dry. Paid way to much for what i recieved although my daughter loved the milkshakes

Mels Diner *no good

Apparently, they are open for business again in Waterloo. Don't go! Really just poor quality food served at high prices. Always disappointing.

reminds me of the Rock and Roll era

Food was good, the help were helpful and interesting. Looked very clean and well cared for. I was with a group of ladies some using walkers or canes to get around. We had called and told them about our problems and were placed in a convenient area close to bathrooms and away from stairs.

Interesting idea, standard food a little bit overpriced

Designed to be a throwback to the late 50s and early 60s rock n roll cafe / milkshake bar the design is more outstanding than the food. Well designed with touches of an era gone by with the old juke box and black and white photos on the wall even though a few are a bit too modern. Tables and... more

Great service. Got coffee and pop shortly after ordering and our lunch hardly too any time to make. Serving size is very good relative to price and their fries are wonderful. Friendly staff and great atmosphere! A must try if you like diners.

Came with a group of 20. They were very nice and were very attentive to our group. Delicious strawberry milkshakes - if you split with a friend, they serve them in 2 separate mini glasses (adorable!) Very decent quality all day breakfast (large portions). Their burgers are huge.

Overall had a great time here.

Disappointed

overpriced, very small portions. Service was good, however the price was too much for the portion size received.

oh no, its badddd

I brought my son out for a treat the other night. We waited at least a half hour for a burger and a hotdog. When the food arrived, it looked like it had been sitting for just as long. The xtra cheese I paid $1.00 for had completely melted from sitting on the heat of the pattie, and then had... more

It's not iconic or special

Took my family to Mel's Diner. No better than the previous location. They actually microwave some of their food. There is absolutely nothing on the menu, the average person couldn't make at home. It was bland, ordinary, cold, and disappointing. Anyone who is "excited" they are back, should explain this. Would NOT return. Maybe its ok for students having breakfast,... more

C@!p

We ate at Mel's when they first opened and it was c@!p.A few months later we thought we would give them a try again what a mistake that was it was no better than are first visit .The service is lousy and slow and staff are very rud too the customers.When you finally get your food after a long wait... more

Good and not so good

Went in on Sunday around 10am was lined up, so we had about a 20 min wait. Was seated and gave our coffee/drink order to the server, it took 13 minutes for the coffees to arrive. Getting a second cup was very difficult. They were busy but seemed to be well-staffed, why it took that long is a question for... more

50's environment, great service, amazing breakfast

We were visiting family and decided to stop in for an early lunch. Unfortunately they didn't start serving lunch until 11:30 so we opted for breakfast. Great choice! The make your own omelets were delicious and filled with fresh ingredients, the breakfast burrito was overstuffed and Mel's breakfast, chosen by two of our party was too large to finish but... more

Not good enough

Felt like the place was being run by teenagers - could see them going for smoke breaks which is very unappetizing. The food doesn't seem like it's freshly made (maybe from the frozen boxed meat store next door). My shep's pie was served unevenly hot - assume it was microwaved. Side salad was room temp not cold.
Very disappointing. Lots... more

Haven't been to the Mel's that burnt down, but went to this one a couple of days ago and it was quite nice :)

I got the veggie skillet. The only improvement I would recommend is having Tabasco sauce available at the table. That stuff goes really well with home fries.

should have looked at the reviews first

Sorry Mel your food is c@!p !
My wife and i just had dinner there and will never go back!
I had the chicken tenders. there small and frozen from zhers not worth $ 11'99.
Mel go up the street to Firesides. see how chicken tenders should look and tast !!
My wife had the beef dip.looked great but thats... more

Worst Dining Experience Ever

I visited Mel's Diner at Westmount and Ottawa on June 3/2012 at about 12:15PM and had the worst restaurant experience of my life.
I understand if I visit Mel's Diner on a weekend, it will be very busy and somewhat understaffed as a result of a full restaurant. However, what I did not expect is for our waitress to forget... more

Food was good but service took forever.Not my favorite

Never again

Took family there for dinner. Liver was chewy- full of tough stringy ? Two orders both poor quality.
Meatloaf was cold and had to be sent back to kitchen. Came back hot,but dry and little flavor.
Other two meals were not finished. Quantity, but not quality.
$ 81 for 5 entries, 1 order onion rings and 2 pops- also one... more

What's with all the rave

All the rave about this place has left me still wondering what all that hoopla is all about? Two words: very disappinting. From the moment we got sat to receiving our meal, it ook 45 mins. I ordered liver and onions and it was very thin, small and extremely bland. The place was sparse and no reason to have taken... more

Mel's Diner

They just opened this week in Kitchener and i must say it was terrible and i dont think we will be back.We spent too hours there for lunch??.The food was all sent back twice because it was all wrong.Food was just so so,it was very small portions at very high prices.This place has a long way to go to get... more

The Legend is Back! After a tragic fire destroyed the original Mel's Diner by the University of Waterloo, the new location is now open at Westmount and Ottawa. A number of my favourite Mel's dishes are back, including The Skillet and The Hungry Mel for breakfast (I changed my order many times before I made my final selection)... The food tastes great (like it did before), and the service was... more