Mel's Southern Diner

Great location and awesome burgers! Also the staff is very cool and down to earth.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I wanted a burger soooo bad, but I can never turn away chicken fried steak! It was so tender that u could cut it with a fork. I love these little places with great food. Real close to hotsprings, and u know u wanna go there! ??

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Terrible service, not worth the aggravation

Closed!

You don’t come here for the atmosphere, you come here for the home cooked style food. Things aren’t always perfect but then again this isn’t a chain we are talking about here. The meat slicer was down the other day so I had to change my order which gave me the opportunity to try something different and in the end I was as satisfied as I would have been with my original order. Lunch time can get busy, just be patient! I promise it’s worth it. Haven’t tried breakfast but as I am working in this area over the next few weeks, that is on my list.

Vegetarian options: They have meat free salads

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Onion Rings, Country Fried Steak Orchicken, Turkey Club Sandwich

You won't find Flo here but, you will find large portions for your money! We have been to this diner a few times and each time has been a good experience. If you are in the area, give them a shot.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’m very disappointed the cook complained about breakfast was over and mumbled about cooking it I had no idea breakfast was over 10 min ago I will never go back

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Other than the dining room being a bit small, it's an amazing place. Mel is back there cooking too! And their biscuits are monstrous!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

This place has the best burger in Garland County. And ask about their daily specials I haven't had a bad meal from this place yet.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cheeseburger Deluxe, Country Fried Steak Orchicken

Mels Southern Diner is a cozy and friendly mom and pop place that serves classic American fare. I ordered the double jalapeno jack burger with tots and a drink, which cost me $16.69. The burger was juicy and tender, with a generous amount of cheese and jalapenos. The tots were crispy and hot, and the drink was refreshing. However, I felt that the food was lacking in flavor and seasoning. The burger could have used some more sauce, spices, or herbs to make it more exciting. The tots were bland and needed some salt or ketchup. The drink was just a regular soda, nothing special. Overall, the food was okay, but not memorable. I would recommend Mels Diner for a quick and casual meal, but not for a gourmet experience.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 4

Ordered plate lunches was told they do not do these on weekend so I ordered cheeseburger and Ruben then older lady came to window and informed me they didn't serve these either so I asked what they did serve she slamed the menu told me the didn't serve anything and slammed the window very rude and hateful will never use this location again

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 1

Riding through the area, we decided to stop for lunch at a local haunt. It was between this place or Mr. Whiskers down the street as we had a soccer game nearby. After deciding on Mels because they had all day breakfast, we made our way to the restaurant to arrive around noon -- 2 hours before their posted closing time.Entering the teenincy dining room, the first thought was 'is this place even open?'. The AC wasn't working and there weren't any other people in the restaurant. Oh well. The server came out and said all they had on the menu that day were burgers. Bleh. I can get a burger anywhere. But, we were here and I didn't feel like getting everyone loaded back up to go down the street so we made the best of it.I ordered the patty melt, my wife and daughter and her friend each ordered a cheeseburger -- in my wife's case, a double. The burgers came out and were of decent size. The flavor is about what you would expect from a greasy dive like this. My patty melt was anything but. It was more like a grilled cheese burger. To me, a patty melt is a patty in between two slices of rye bread with swiss and grilled onions. No more, no less. What I got was a small patty between two pieces of white bread with melted cheese and a few onions on it. It wasn't bad, just not a patty melt, and for $12.50, it was seriously lacking. I could have gone to whataburger and gotten a $12.50 patty melt that is not a patty melt, but I digress.Midway through our meal, around 12:45, they decided to close the restaurant. No big deal, I suppose, but the advert out on the street even said open until 2. At no time were we told they were closing early or short staffed, so we just assume this is the way they do things here. As I was cashing out, I noticed they charge extra for credit card transactions. 50 cents for tickets < $16; $3.50 for tickets higher than that. Be warned. Also know that this place is itty bitty. I mean, it's about as big as an apartment kitchen. They do have outside tables and a walkup window, so I guess most of their business is done togo.So I give them 3 stars all around. The service was average -- nothing spectacular. The food was ok for what it was; and the atmosphere, well. Not quite what I expected and since the AC was out on a hot day like today, I have to take some points in that category. Will I try them again in the future? I doubt it. Maybe if I'm in the area, its early morning and they are guaranteed to have breakfast then maybe I would, but even then, would I be able to find a place to sit?

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

Best place in the world. And the bestest cook ever , ? Mel sure can make it taste bubs light

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuit, Cheeseburger Deluxe, Reuben Sandwich, French Dip Sandwich, Country Fried Steak Orchicken, Onion Rings, Gril Ed or Smothered Chops

I really like sunny side up eggs, but almost no one can cook them right. But Mel's were PERFECT. Friendly service. Great food. Don't let the outside looks fool you, this is some really good breakfast! Not a huge menu, but what they do have is done right. Will definitely be back for lunch.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

THE best burger in hot springs!! Very reasonable prices! I have been about 3 times in the past month and have not had a bad experience yet.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5