Mel’s Drive-In hits you with nostalgia before you even touch the door. The neon throws a glow onto the sidewalk that feels like a warm invitation from another era, and once you slide into a booth, the whole world shifts into that easy diner rhythm only a place with real history can pull off.
Burgers come out juicy and unapologetic, the milkshakes land thick enough to make you slow down, and the late-night breakfast somehow tastes like a tiny victory every single time. The crowd is a mix of families, night-shifters, and people looking for something simple done right, and the staff keeps the place moving with that effortless, old-school charm. Everything comes with this easy charm, that effortless “yeah, we’ve been doing this for decades” rhythm that makes you feel instantly at home.
Walking back into the Santa Monica night, you realize Mel’s didn’t just give you a meal, it gave you a reminder of how good the basics can be when a place actually cares. It reminded you why some traditions are worth keeping alive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Subh Nafas (leftoneslast)
Always love going to Mel’s for the vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Barnett Fischer
Update: new video! Mel's Double Smash Burger!
I had the BLT with potato salad, and my friend ordered the meatloaf dinner. Both were excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burger, Fries, Sandwich
Brian Markman
Great service for our out of town friends. They had never had Mel's and loved the shakes and food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria Casas
Great place
Muhammad Islam
Thy did not response me
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Joe P
The true end of trail for Route 66. Nostalgia home run.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
J Albers
If you’re in the area, it’s a must. Everything we ordered was delicious!
Overall a great experience with fantastic food! It's a classic diner style with booth seating with some tables having music selectors. The fresh toast was great and fluffy just like the pancakes. The Arnold Palmer was the perfect ratio which is different to get right. I like the frequent visits from Yasmin. She was a great waitress and knew the menu well which definitely helped me decide what to order. I highly recommend this place for the great American diner experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark Smith
Very enjoyable meal at a reasonable price. Great, fast service
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
David Chiabaudo
I just finished one of the worst breakfasts I've ever had. It was the corned beef hash with scrambled eggs and potatoes. The corned beef hash tasted awful. I ate one bite and couldn't eat any more. The eggs were kind of rubbery and the potatoes were fair. It was not cheap either. I ate here before and don't remember it being bad so maybe it was just the food choice.
Nice people , very frindly and fast service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great service good food at a decent price
Mel’s Drive-In hits you with nostalgia before you even touch the door. The neon throws a glow onto the sidewalk that feels like a warm invitation from another era, and once you slide into a booth, the whole world shifts into that easy diner rhythm only a place with real history can pull off.
Burgers come out juicy and unapologetic, the milkshakes land thick enough to make you slow down, and the late-night breakfast somehow tastes like a tiny victory every single time. The crowd is a mix of families, night-shifters, and people looking for something simple done right, and the staff keeps the place moving with that effortless, old-school charm. Everything comes with this easy charm, that effortless “yeah, we’ve been doing this for decades” rhythm that makes you feel instantly at home.
Walking back into the Santa Monica night, you realize Mel’s didn’t just give you a meal, it gave you a reminder of how good the basics can be when a place actually cares. It reminded you why some traditions are worth keeping alive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always love going to Mel’s for the vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Update: new video! Mel's Double Smash Burger!
I had the BLT with potato salad, and my friend ordered the meatloaf dinner. Both were excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burger, Fries, Sandwich
Great service for our out of town friends. They had never had Mel's and loved the shakes and food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place
Thy did not response me
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The true end of trail for Route 66. Nostalgia home run.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
If you’re in the area, it’s a must. Everything we ordered was delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent food & service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall a great experience with fantastic food! It's a classic diner style with booth seating with some tables having music selectors. The fresh toast was great and fluffy just like the pancakes. The Arnold Palmer was the perfect ratio which is different to get right. I like the frequent visits from Yasmin. She was a great waitress and knew the menu well which definitely helped me decide what to order. I highly recommend this place for the great American diner experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very enjoyable meal at a reasonable price. Great, fast service
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I just finished one of the worst breakfasts I've ever had. It was the corned beef hash with scrambled eggs and potatoes. The corned beef hash tasted awful. I ate one bite and couldn't eat any more. The eggs were kind of rubbery and the potatoes were fair. It was not cheap either. I ate here before and don't remember it being bad so maybe it was just the food choice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
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