Mel’s Diner

Had to update my review, food quality has really gone downhill over the past year or so! Such a shame.

There last night with friends. Waited for some time to get in. But there was 14 of us and had to be split in two tables. Not a problem. A VERY popular and always crowded place. I can see why. Very generous portions at very reasonable prices. A very varied menu with daily specials. Give it a try. Despite some things I read here, I found it to be very comfortable, wait staff very professional and courteous and the manager or owner stops by to ask how it’s going. There are two prime rib sizes…12 and 14ozs. Take the larger, for the price ($ 15.99) and better as a thicker slice. Salad was the usual nice size. Not rushed here and everyone (14pp) was happy with their meals. We were there on a Tuesday night when the evenings special was Fried Buttermilk Chicken which again was a very nice portion, but I opted for another fave of theirs… the prime rib. Even though it wasn’t as pink on the outside as I would have liked, it was «perfectly» cooked to my liking, medium rare! Enjoy going back in time with these prices!

Wasn’t all that great.
The waitress didn’t know how to multitask.
She only came by to take our order & give us the bill. Maybe she had a rough morning.
The omelette sucked, only one slice of American she was melted on top of it, but I did enjoy the potatoes as they had a wonderful flavor.

Service was just okay. Food was nothing special. Both of us had burgers. Mine not really cooked as requested and falling apart. May come back and try something else because the menu was interesting.

Courteous service, hearty portions, great value. Pork chops were juicy and perfectly grilled. My only negative is a vague funky stale odor upon entering, maybe from the old carpeting, which I wish they’d replace, maybe do a little updating, but still, I definitely recommend as a classic comfort diner.

Excellent service! It was entertaining to sit at the bar to watch the cooks and servers. If you have long legs, beware. It’s a tight fit as you are not able to move the seats.
All of the food, which was being delivered to the patrons, looked amazing. My chicken soup did not disappoint.
My fish with key lime sauce was amazing. It was very tender, had an excellent flavor plus one small bone.
The servers joked with the regulars which was fun to watch. Overall, great place for a good, non-​fancy meal.

Ate at the Mel’s in Bonita last week and was less than impressed. We decided to try this Mel’s last night and the difference was like night and day. Jennifer took very good care of us and the food was superb. We had the Left Coast Chicken and Mel’s Catch (blackened) – both were very tasty and we didn’t have to wait forever until we were served. And the key lime pie was to die for. We’ll be back for sure.
And we did return for another terrific meal. Victoria was our server and she was great. Excellent food again. So glad we didn’t give up on Mel’s after the disaster in Bonita. Best food and atmosphere on our entire vacation!

We’ve been coming to Mel’s for years but I had to review today’s visit. Had Teresa as a waitress…
Dumber than dirt!!! Asked for half a cup of coffee and whole milk. She filled coffee to the brim tiny drop of milk. Honey, sweetie, meandering, eating her food behind the waitress station!
Waited forever for eggs and a burger!
Will come again… Never at her station!

One of the highlights of Naples– biscuits are to die for. Great family diner experience. Good all American comfort yummy food. Staff is very nice and menu variety is amazing. Super economic prices. We go every time we are in Naples. Lots of repeating customers. At the peak times there is a wait which means everything is fresh. Menu says that ingredients are locally sourced

They’ve added healthier options but still not my cup of tea kind of place.
I come to keep peace with my hubby, an all American Midwesterner eater
Basically meat and potato guy
He loves Denny’s so you know he loves Mels
Good thing they give teachers discounts

Being a former NYer who moved to Florida several years ago I have come upon many restaurants here that call themselves a ‘diner’ expecting something close to what I was used to in NY or NJ — never found that until now!
For selection, quality and especially value Mel’s can’t be beat. My husband had the «all you can eat fish fry» that he really enjoyed to the tune of two or three plates all for just $ 9.99 and came with fries and coleslaw. I had an open faced turkey sandwich with real mashed potatoes and homemade gravy. Large portion especially for just $ 7.99 and really delicious. Service was excellent; our waitress was named Barbara and she routinely asked us if everything was alright and if we wanted anything else. She was very pleasant and is a very hard worker.
I love key lime pie so I got a piece to go. Another great value at $ 2.99 and it was a large slice. Best of all it was delicious. So very creamy.
I highly recommend Mel’s. We were just visiting in the area but I see they have other locations.
Glad we found this place on Unilocal.Definitely will go again. Enjoy!

Great food and great service. They have a an awesome breakfast and the lunch options has something for everyone. Kids menu is priced great and they don’t skimp on portions. I’ve been there 3 times in the last month and have not been disappointed.

Good fast service and food. Got prime rib. It was a bargain at $ 14.99 for 16 oz (1lb). Don’t expect a $ 30 meal but food is good and doesn’t break the bank. I’m giving 4 star overall. I am sure they cater to s lot of older/​retirees. I find they love these inexpensive good value restaurants.

This place has great waitresses great food and great prices a real nice setting to sit down and enjoy a meal

Restaurant typiquement américain, tant au niveau du décor que de la nourriture.
Les serveurs sont souriants et aimables. Le service est assez rapide, des petits gateaux sont donnés en guise d’apéritif pour patienter.
Les boissons (type sodas) sont vraiment énormes et à volonté !!
Nous avons degusté des salades césars (bien garnies en poulet et croutons, une sauce parfaitement dosée) et des burgers (gros steak et bonnes frites maison). Les plats sont copieux et gouteux.
Nous avons payé 62 $ (pourboires inclus) pour 5 personnes. Un bon rapport qualité-​prix !
Ce restaurant est idéal pour un bon repas américain en famille !

Every time we come to Naples, Florida Mel’s Diner is a must! Today we stopped in for a hardy all American breakfast. The food was plentiful, good and affordable. The only thing was that there was a confusion with the omelets and we had to wait extra long for the correct order. My favorite qas the Belgian Waffle which I had with chocolate chips sprinkle over it. All in all I was happy with the service!

5 ladies, all different cravings… And the staff put up with us! Amazing place!
All fresh things except their veggie melody. Burger was amazing. Mashed potatoes were delicious. Biscuits were amazing. Shake was also good. Anna was our waitress and she was so sweet and funny.

Mel’s diner is quick and classic. Best diner in Florida. The staff is friendly and efficient. Phenomenal values for what you order. Good brunch options and great coffee. Very very casual but a fun experience!

It was hard for me to decide on 3 or 4 stars. This is your basic old-​school «diner». A nice-​sized menu gives you plenty of options. Many of the locals rave about Mel’s. This was my second time there — once many years ago, and once just recently. Both times my experience was decent.
The food is solid. This time I had the prime rib — just to treat myself. It was a nice cut — not overly fatty, and it tasted good. Not great, but good. The sides of baked potato and salad were on the spot. Service was good. We didn’t have the friendliest waiter, but he got the job done accurately and efficiently and he wasn’t rude or anything.
What puts this place past 3 stars is the selection on the menu as well as the old-​time diner atmosphere. The menu has everything from big dinners (prime rib, ribs, etc) to patty melts to open-​faced sandwiches and beyond. If you can’t find something to eat here, well, you should be able to find something.
The atmosphere is cool — lots of the old 60’s style memorabilia and music. It’s pleasant to sit around and soak it in. Our wait to be seated was quoted at 20 minutes (which felt low compared to all the people waiting), but was more like 5. If that. So kudos to their efficiency.
For me, this isn’t an «ohmygod» place to rave about, but it is a solid standby for a good meal at a reasonable price. I keep hearing the burgers are great — I must try one before I head home!

Cute little spot. We ordered the greek salad with grilled salmon and it was huge! We ended up splitting the huge portion and being somewhat full already because we also ate a small playe of ceasar salad before hand.
We also got the strip steak to split and it was also just as big and came with mashed potatoes and gravy (Awsome) the value was great and you get your moneys worth. Strip steak unfortuantly was very bland and tasteless and didnt really seem like a strip. Staff is awsome and very polite, id visit again.

It was our 5^th Day in Naples and after going to Church we came here for a late breakfast. We walked in to see how long it would be for a table and she said 15 minutes so waited outside and everyone gets a rod with a name on it like (mine was Roy Rogers) to hold to while your waiting for your table.
We were then taken to our table and saw stuff like Old Characters (like Betty Boop), Easter stuff and a Giant Street Light. We were sat in the back.
What we got was simple, Suzy got French Toast, Grandma got Scramble Eggs both with sides of Fresh Fruit and I had Eggs Benedict (There’s nothing better than taking your knife and breaking through that to see the yolk flow like Lava from a Volcano) and we washed it all down with a tall glass of Orange Juice. Atmosphere is relaxing, our waitress was nice. I enjoyed myself, Suzy sure knows a nice place to go for Breakfast !!!