A short distance away from Lombard Street, I encountered a family of tourists who appeared lost and had backpacks on, which reassured me that I was headed in the right direction. This restaurant is also a popular choice among celebrities such as Andrew Wiggins, Al Pacino, Adam Sandler, Paul McCartney, Wiz Khalifa, and Guy Fieri, and it even made an appearance in a music video by Snoop Dogg. However, the Mel’s with the glowing blue sign on Lombard Street is not the original one. The original Mel’s opened in 1947 on South Van Ness Avenue and gained fame from being featured in George Lucas’ film “American Graffiti,” but it closed down in the 1970s. The Lombard Street location is actually the first restaurant to open in the chain’s revival in 1985.
Although this Mel’s doesn’t have a historical origin dating back to the 1950s, it certainly has the appearance of one. Inside, customers sit at the counter on green vinyl swivel chairs and enjoy milkshakes topped with cherries. Old-fashioned jukeboxes play songs by Johnny Cash and Jackie Wilson. The servers take orders dressed in retro soda jerk outfits complete with paper hats. One wall displays large black-and-white historic photos from the opening of the original Mel’s in 1947, while in the booth where I sat, there was a framed photo of George Lucas at Mel’s on the set of “American Graffiti” in 1973. Although Mel’s is no longer a drive-in, they briefly brought back carhop service in 2020 as a COVID-19 precaution.
Despite being a popular tourist spot in San Francisco, this Mel’s lacks any noticeable regional characteristics. It embodies a strong sense of Americana without any specific ties to its location. In fact, with the numerous Fourth of July decorations still hanging up a month after the holiday, I felt as though I had been transported to a more conservative part of the country.
Mel’s is famous for being one of the few late-night options in San Francisco, as it stays open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. However, we visited for lunch, or rather, brunch. Even though it was past noon, I insisted on ordering from the breakfast menu. But before that, we treated ourselves to milkshakes. Intrigued by the “Lana Del Rey Shake,” I ordered one—a chocolate shake blended with Oreo crumbles for $9. My colleague opted for an espresso shake priced at $9.25. Both shakes arrived with whipped cream and a festive maraschino cherry on top. They were thick and incredibly enjoyable, and I nearly finished mine before our food arrived.
Mel’s menu offers a wide selection of American comfort food, although it is not as extensive as that of the Cheesecake Factory. If you’re craving lunch, they have a variety of sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, fish and chips, fried chicken, salads, and soup. The breakfast menu, available all day, includes omelets, buttermilk pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and even avocado toast.
I decided on a veggie omelet priced at $17.60, while my colleague chose the “famous Melburger” served with fries for $18.50. During this busy lunch hour, it seemed most people were opting for burgers. My omelet arrived filled with spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, scallions, and tomatoes. The eggs had the perfect fluffy texture you would expect from a diner omelet, although the vegetables were slightly soggy and could have used more seasoning. Thankfully, the table was filled with condiments, so I added salt and Tapatio to enhance the flavor. The omelet came with a choice of toast, grilled potatoes, or hash browns, and I highly recommend the hash browns as they were perfectly crispy.
My colleague enjoyed his burger, but we both agreed that it was good diner food without being particularly remarkable. However, if I were to come here at 1 a.m. after a night of bar hopping, I would probably think it was the best meal I had ever eaten.
The prices for each dish were slightly higher compared to other diners in the city, but that is to be expected since this is a tourist destination. Our total bill, including an additional side of coleslaw, came to $66.25 before tip. The service was a bit brusque, with no one checking on us throughout our meal, but it wasn’t terrible.
If you’re craving a nostalgic atmosphere of neon lights and jukebox tunes from the 1950s, Mel’s Drive-In provides it in abundance. And if nothing else, make sure to try their milkshakes—the Lana Del Rey Shake definitely won me over.