Melrose Restaurant

I usually love diners, but this was particularly underwhelming. I’ve had better eggs and hashbrowns at Waffle House, and certainly better coffee. Fruit was a measly portion of unripe melon.
The server was also moody and inattentive– for example, when we asked for cream for the coffee she started digging through the butter dish, as if we hadn’t checked thoroughly enough. Overall it made for a really uncomfortable experience.
I should note that we were on the diner side, by the window. There seems to be a full restaurant for dinner and lunch as well, and I can’t speak to that food. I definitely wouldn’t go back to try it though.

Nice place, looks simple but food is delicious. I had salmon omelette and banana nut pancake. All of my friends liked it as well. If you sit by the window — it’s a great spot for people watching!

A decent Greek feta omelet and awesome banana nut pancakes. Not too loud and this place is great for people-​watching.

Sadly Melrose is no longer 24 hours, and the menu is very limited. Waitstaff is very friendly, and the décor is nice for a diner. It’s great for sitting outside, and you can BYOB, make some mimosas and it makes for a pleasant, inexpensive brunch. I recommend the California omelet, yum!

This place is closed
Sucks, we were looking forward to it.

The food is surprisingly decent, and the waiters/​waitresses are friendly. I am so bummed that they’re no longer open 24 hours.

Classic diner, icon in the neighborhood. Melrose has a special place in my heart.

It’s a good place to come to after a fun night out and that’s about it! I do like staff though! They’re very friendly! Oh and I enjoy the jelly bean jar by the cash wrap. (So cute!)

As far as a first impression went, Melrose blew it right away. I had the Unilocal app open as we took our seat and experienced mild regret that I had just been seated at a three-​star diner, and as I set my phone aside the manager who was seating us told me to put away my phone. Wait, what was that? a superiority complex? Generational resistance towards technology? Whatever the reason, I respect disconnecting from phones during a meal, but I don’t appreciate being told what to do as the first thing I hear upon entering a place.
To make a long rant short, we ordered a late lunch. One person I was with was told 20 minutes after ordering that they couldn’t make her meal because they were out of an ingredient, which then led to the other two hot meals for the table sitting in plain sight at the kitchen and growing cold. I ordered a taco salad that definitely used Sloppy Joe meat for ground beef, garnish style lettuce that is typically meat for plate décor, and a moldy tasting tortilla shell that tasted like it had been collecting dust in a moist cabinet for two years. Our waiter, while kind, made bizarre comments throughout our time spent there and mostly I was just eager to leave once we had the check.
Taking the check to the register, the manager asked me how I’d like to tip and I gave a number reflective of the service we had received, although it was by no means an insulting tip. He immediately asked me why my tip was so low and implied that I couldn’t do mental math, and when I informed him I was unhappy with the service and unlikely to return he told me that I was in the minority thinking so. Judging by other Unilocal reviews, I would argue against that statement, but at least I had an answer to my earlier question: definitely a superiority complex.

This is a great diner spot! It’s open 24 hours and is BYOB… I have come here at least 20 or 25 times in the last six months or so. Every time, I have had a solid experience.
Their specials are always good, but I highly recommend getting one of the following items:
— Their pancakes, which are buttery and soft and DELICIOUS.
— Their meatball sub, which has scrambled/​fried eggs and spinach on it.
— Their hummus plate is surprisingly good.
— If you’re in the mood for dessert, their dessert selection is always rotating. I’ve had their pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, and apple pie. All fantastic.
— My boyf has ordered the Corn Flake French Toast and highly recommends.
Overall, if you’re looking for a chill, casual place in Lakeview that is open ²⁴⁄₇ and has FANTASTIC staff, then this is your place! It’s nice to have this reliable diner in the area.

SECOND TIME EATING THERE AND I DONT RECOMMEND TO EAT IN THIS RESTAURANT FOOD IS NOT FRESH!!!
I went there this morning to eat breakfast and it was very bad. I ordered a southern skillet and was very gross, tasteless and the presentation of the food was not good at all! Also very very greasy and nothing was fresh, I can tasted it right away!
Then I ordered just a simple scramble eggs, bacon, fruit and toast will jelly. Even worse! The eggs weren’t fresh! Or they are making it with old olive oil or spoiled butter. The jelly tasted old and the fruit was getting rotten. bacon re heated .
I couldn’t finished it. The good thing is that the waitress was very nice and understanding. Very nice woman, very nice people but food is horrible.

So our new place is in the midst of a really wonderful neighborhood, with very little you could possibly ask for and not find. Pretty cool stuff. This 24-​hour diner is about a two minute walk from our front door. They have coconut french toast and you can bring your own alcohol. Does it get any better than this?
I prefer to wait to review a place til I have been there several times, but I’ll make an exception here, cause it’s a diner and it’s pretty awesome and I know I will be back, so I can update as needed.
The place was hoppin’ when we came in. It was Saturday morning, we had just unloaded the truck so I could move into the apartment, and my brother was with us. We were seated pretty much immediately and service was quick and courteous. The woman serving us was a little older, and very sweet. She answered my questions and when I asked for recommendations, I believed her answers. This place doesn’t really need to upsell, they are volume. My brother jokingly said «thanks, mom» when she offered him something, I don’t recall what. She thought that was pretty funny and was generally a fun server.
The food was good — my man got some special pancakes they had, don’t recall what, but they looked delightful. Everyone was happy with their food and we had a good time while we were there. (Oh — my brother was bummed they didn’t have root beer — he’s kindof a fanatic…)
No one rushed us, we sat and chatted a bit, and when we were ready to pay, we waited up front. Some moron ahead of us held up the line over some $ 2 error — get over it, dude. He was a massive jerk, so we tried to be extra nice to the chick at the counter once he finally left.
Fun place, I’d recommend it. I look forward to going back with a bottle of wine and a relaxing meal — it’ll be epic!

Very rarely i update my views to a lower star
But today was just the worst experience ever
Just don’t go on friday morning, the young girl in the front, whom i think is the hostess, has no idea what she’s doing. There are 5 booth open and she decided to seat me by a chair by the washroom. I had to ask for a booth which she then moved me even closer to the washroom. Then she just went on to chat with a waiting staff. I sat there for 10 mins, no one even looked at my table. There are at least 3 waiting staff in sight doing nothing. One was playing with the calculator. One was just painting the table. Another one was waiting a table in the front. There’s probably 6 – 7 waiting staff there. One was obviously busy talking to the young girl laughing away. Then when i finally got up to leave because no one even bothered to look at this table she was happily saying bye. Not even a bother in the world. Can’t help but to think she’s either very ignorant or racist against chinese people. To think i actually got up and traveled there for breakfast and was exciting while i was heading there was just a big joke. I left my old view below so you can see the contrast.
I really like their short stack…
Their banana nut pancake is not that great but their plain pancakes are amazing
Their sweet and sour cabbage soup looked really good… But it was too sweet too sour and had a fly in it so… Theres never ordering that again
Their Mediterranean cod was salllllllltyyyyy
I took one bite… And i couldnt even try another lol like… Fish usually taste like nothing lol i dont know if i should be impressed or disappointed lol
I like their omelettes too tho lol so i guess i really should just stick to only eating breakfast here lol

I was never a huge fan of the Melrose. They renovated, updated the menu, and i am still not a fan. They are just missing something, which I am pretty sure is quality and service. The food is hit or miss, but usually miss. The prices are nothing crazy, but have been getting higher.
Not too happy with the way they tried to go more ‘upscale,’ cutting most of the cheaper menu items off, and adding ‘buckwheat’ pancakes. I don’t even know what those are! Plus, they no longer serve intelligentsia coffee, which is my favorite.
It is open 24 hours a day, so that is a big plus. But if it is regular hours, I am walking a few blocks south to hit up Stella’s. I will still probably come here if it is 3 AM, and I am drunk or hungry.

Dropped in here late one night with a friend after walking the neighborhood and needing a bite to eat and some coffee and a place to chat. There were a few other folks in the diner despite the late hour and the weeknight, so I figured that was a good sign.
The food was quite good! I had coconut french toast and crisp bacon. Perfect. Not too sweet, but just right. And the coffee was amazingly good too.
The waiter was a little distracted it seemed, and not very attentive. But not bad either, and the food came out fast. We sat and chatted for an hour or more, drinking coffee, just like you want to do in a diner. As we left, we chatted with the host a bit, who turned out to be the owner. Super nice! And told us a lot about the history of the place and the neighborhood. Having just moved to Chicago, he was so welcoming and really made me want to come back.
The best diner food I have had? No. But a long, long way from the worst too. I definitely want to try this place again, and at a busier time to see how it stands up. I have high hopes.

I used to go here many years ago after long nights out. Their food is exactly how I remember it — below average. They were pretty busy today but we got seated right away. Our server didn’t approach us for a long time which was frustrating. It seemed like she had a ton of tables but still. We had to continually ask for things like bread, silverware, water, the basics. I had an omelette with toast and hash browns. I was not impressed at all. It was a definite disappointment. I don’t think I will be returning to this restaurant. If I have good food, I can usually overlook the service but the food was not good so it’s a no go for me!

While visiting chicago for a weekend, this diner was along the street as my hotel and I had been there years ago… the place has definitely given itself a major makeover. The inside looks great now.
The vegetarian eggs benedict was an amazing dish. They have done an amazing job with the flavors and I will be back to order it again.
I had fruit with my meal… which lacked in freshness. I still ate all of the fruit pieces in the tiny cup, but the melon was almost sour.
I was seated quickly but the service was somewhat slow and uninviting. She took my order fairly quickly but she never asked if I needed anything else when she delivered the food (I wanted a hot chocolate). She was also not very friendly (she never said thank you or acknowledged my own thank yous to her when she gave me food or water) She also let me sit for a very long time (never cleared the platr and it took 15 additional minutes to bring my bill) after I was clearly finished with the food… I was in no rush, but sitting with dirty dishes is never fun. She took the one star away.
Recommended.

This is a really rough review to write, especially since I’ve gone here quite a few times, almost enough to think of myself as a ‘semi-​regular’.
I live less than 150 feet away, so I’ll find myself walking into Melrose for a late night skillet and coffee. Coffee is good, I’ve always really liked the meat skillet, and overall they’re very nice about refilling coffee and letting you stay for awhile. It’s a nice place to unwind after a long day.
The food was very good this time around, and the waitress was nice, but the place seems to be going a little downhill recently. I had gotten a considerable amount of money on a ‘Melrose Gift Certificate’, and was planning to spend it on my meal. Nope, the older woman behind the counter (who is a wonderfully nice person) insisted that she didn’t know how to do it. After I insisted that I’d wait for someone who could accept my gift certificate (which had been purchased from Melrose less than a week prior) she basically said ‘no’, and that I’d have to pay by card or cash. What’s the point in getting a $ 100 Melrose gift certificate if you’re not even going to be allowed to use it?
I want this place to continue to be the nice, neighborhood diner that I can hang out in late at night. Now, I don’t really even want to go anymore. I’ve really enjoyed taking my family here in the past for a quick bite close to home, but why bother if this sort of stuff continues? Overall the place is wonderful and the employees have been fantastic in the past, but service has slipped. C’mon Melrose, figure it out.

I used to come here years ago, when the inside looked like 1975, and the menu had a thousand items to choose from. I could come here in the middle of the night, and order breakfast, Mexican food, pasta. They literally had everything. The only problem with this is that nothing stood out as being truly wonderful. Still, it’s a neighborhood staple. The wait staff is so kind and friendly.
I came here with my husband and son this weekend to have breakfast. I was surprised to find the place looking brand new, with gorgeous, modern décor. The place still had the same feel-​good atmosphere, I found the menu was much shorter and more concise. The prices had gone up a bit, which was kind of a bummer. It makes sense though, considering the place has been completely made over.
Would have loved to leave a five star review, but the food was still pretty unremarkable. It’s not bad, by any means. But it is lacking in flavor.
There is a lot to love about this place. You’ll always feel welcome and at home here. The outdoor seating is very quaint and comfortable. You’ll want to come back, for sure.

It has been 30 or so years since my last visit, happy to see you there.
Friendly staff and good food,

Un endroit à recommander à tous les français qui viennent à Chicago. Ambiance agréable dans un décors des années 70. Ouvert 24h sur 24 et situé dans un quartier original (le quartier gay de chicago), le Melrose est un endroit sympa où la nourriture est bonne et pas chère. Mention spécial au california burger