Melt Shop

I’ve been here a few times and went today for a lunch splurge. The guy at the register was very friendly, as was the woman serving up the completed orders.
I had:
–Three cheese sandwich: it was an okay grilled cheese. for $ 7.81 I wanted more than okay!
–Tater tots: good, nice crisp and sprinkled cheese $ 2.99 though
–Oreo shake: very good taste! $ 4.80
It was a good lunch but I felt like I wasted $$ and stomach space on the sandwich. I’ll definitely be back for the shake when I’m in the mood.

Pretty terrible experience overall, and I didn’t even have a bite!!! Me and my coworker took a walk here because I’ve been wanting to try this for a while and it’s gotten decent reviews.
As soon as we walked up to the store front (window counter), I smelled the unmistakable aroma of weed. I thought it was my imagination because surely the workers inside could not be smoking in there. But when I turned around my coworker pointed out two guys with «Melt» shirts on smoking and the weed smell was intense.
Unfazed, I talked to the girl at the window who seemed less then interested in taking my order, and asked for a classic grilled cheese with bacon. She stared at me blankly and just continued to chew her tongue.
At this point I was confused as to why she didn’t take my order, then I looked over and saw the two guys who were smoking earlier walk over to her and she goes «one of you take this guy’s order». Even though I had given her the order already.
I walked away and went to another place.
Lexington Ave Melt Shop = 2 sweaty stoners and 1 chick that looks like she wants to take a bath with a toaster

I had the fried chicken melt and it wasn’t blow-​your-​mind amazing but it wasn’t horrible. I guess I was expecting something different. It was recommended by a friend who found it great. I guess it depends on the person.

Creative and not-​super-​heavy grilled cheese served out of a window in Midtown? I’m game.
I dropped by here with Miss Mimi T. (a fellow Unilocaler) one day when we were wandering around Midtown East trying to figure out where to grab a quick dinner, and she remembered off the top of her head that Melt Shop wasn’t too far away from where we were. It’s a bit hard to find if you’ve never been before; it’s on the northern side of 53^rd between 3^rd and Lex, and there’s an area where you can go down the stairs to a lower level (but still open/​outdoors) — that’s where Melt Shop is. As previous reviewers have noted, it isn’t really a restaurant — more like a to-​go window with some outdoor seating, so when the weather’s not cooperating, you’ll probably have to take your food for the road. Luckily, on the day of our visit, it was unseasonably warm and breezy.
I spent a few minutes waffling over the various options on their menu and decided on the Shroom grilled cheese — portobello, goat cheese, havarti, and parsley pesto atop multigrain bread, and Mimi went with the Maple Bacon. The Shroom was awesome — goat cheese was such a good call, and the parsley pesto complemented the rest of the ingredients perfectly. I also liked that it was a relatively flat sandwich and not oozing grease — a common problem I have with grilled cheese sandwiches is that they’re too oily/​greasy (which I’m fine with in terms of taste, but makes me think too much about calories). The fact that the sandwich was thin also made it much easier to eat.
My one gripe is that they don’t serve fountain sodas! I was really craving a Diet Coke that day, so this was a bummer. The shakes they had on offer looked amazing, but I wasn’t sure I could in good conscience down one of those along with my entire sandwich.

I tried here twice a year ago and have been wanting to go back since (they’re a bit far from me). Their sandwiches are really rich and fulfilling. Just what you’re looking for if you want a good grilled cheese :) Some of their cheeses are a bit too sharp, ask for a recommendation while you’re there just so you don’t over-​do it with the cheese. I’m going back again soon. This location in particular is just a stand in the wall spot so there’s outdoor seating in front of the shop. #Recommended :)

Wasn’t impressed by the prices really for a sandwich (about $ 7-​$ 9??) I ordered a Maple Bacon and cheese tater tots… but when i was ordering it, they seemed to be confused whether or not cheese tots were on their menu or not. Nonetheless, i saw it on their own website, so im pretty disappointed with that. When i received my food, the sandwich had too much of this ‘white cheese-​like’ filling which made me kind of nauseous. The cheese on the tots was a slice of processed cheese melted on. And they were cold.
If i HAD something good to say, it would be their own brand of Strawberry lemonade which was only 40 calories for 2 servings!
Too much money to waste on a place like this. Not going again.

Came here for a late lunch today because for some reason, I was really in the mood for some tater tots. Looking at all the great pictures on Unilocal that people posted, I decided that I had to give this place a try. I was expecting a huge line of people on a Friday night around 4pm, but I happened to be only one. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich, which consists of fried chicken, purple cabbage, cheese and with a special sauce. I also ordered a side of tater tots. My total came to be about $ 13. This particular Melt Shop is located «outside,» and so there are no seatings. But just right across from the shop, there is a open food court in which I went to eat my food. The food tasted very ordinary to me. it didn’t have that «wow» factor. I could not even tell that the fried chicken was fried, I wish it was more crisper. I like the fact that they sprinkle parmesan cheese on their tater tots, but they taste just «okay.» A bit crisper would of made them better. I also wish that they had a regular cheese dip, but they only have their own dipping sauce. I would of thought they had a cheese dip because hello, it’s called the «Melt Shop.» Overall, I thought this place was just okay. I think it’s a good place to go-​if you are on the go. I do also think it’s a bit over priced, especially for the quality of the sandwich. In which in my opinion… is not worth it! Nonetheless, even though I won’t be returning soon, I’m glad I gave this place a try!

3 hours for delivery out of their 8^th ave location. All they do is send a bag of chips and soup as a sorry. SMH
Delivery guy doesn’t say sorry and totally incompetent when trying to figure out a solution on the phone. Never again

So definitely didn’t realize that this place is basically a hole in the wall. Like it’s actually just a window in a wall in a pavilion so choosing to check it out on a VERY cold day wasn’t the BEST idea, but then again a hot sandwich on a cold day can’t ever be that bad.
I wanted to check this place out because they have gluten-​free bread and I loves me a good grilled cheese sandwich. It’s an added bonus that they have tots, which may be my favorite thing ever (ok so that’s an exaggeration, but still…). I’m pretty sure the tots are subject to cc in the fryer so celiac people beware!
I decided to go with the turkey club and an order of tots (which I, of course, drowned in sriracha #noregrets). I was VERY pleased with my sandwich. A lot of times gf bread at restaurants is small because it’s obviously more expensive than regular bread, but the gf bread at this place was the perfect size for a delicious sandwich. It was grilled to perfection and the ingredients were fresh and yummy. The tots were also good and the portion was nice.
I think my total bill ended up being around $ 15 which isn’t outrageous but not something I’m going to spend on a sandwich and tots every day. The food was good enough, though, that I’d be willing to splurge for a treat now and then. Next time, I’ll be sure to go when the weather is nice and I can sit at a table outside rather than eating it like a crazy person walking down the streets of NYC while my hands go numb.

Still incredibly good.. . but still notoriously slow. I usually have to wait 15+ minutes for my sandwich and tots. Yesterday, it was 20 minutes in the cold. They said it would be 4 – 5 minutes — turns out they were way off.
I very much appreciate that the sandwiches and tots are freshly prepared, but I think they the staff could make things move a bit more quickly and organized to get the food out in less time.

I know how much it costs to grill a cheese sandwich at home. And for $ 9 for a grilled cheese, this better either be the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever had or it better come with a song and dance after my meal. Low and behold, it failed to deliver either of these things. I followed the suggestions of other Unilocalers and ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich. Just as a side note, I don’t normally eat such heavy sandwiches, but it was a cold winter day, and I was craving for a hearty meal. Anyway, lots of friends recommended this place, and I decided, why not and tried it.
First off, this place is almost impossible to find. Just to let you know, the address on Unilocal directs you to an Au Bön Pain. For a second, I thought the Melt Shop was located inside of the Au Bön Pain. But when I called, I was told the Melt Shop was located in the basement of the Citi Corp building down the block. My friend and I were still lost wandering around the inside of the Citi Corp building. Finally, as we were walking out of the basement level, we saw the Melt Shop as a kiosk shop on the far side.
Anyway, my friend and I ordered our sandwiches and tater tots (which came out to be a total of $ 14 for one sandwich and a side of tater tots), and it took at least a good 10 min. (And, we were the only people there on the weekend). And because it’s an outside kiosk, we had to stand outside in the cold waiting for our numbers to be called. There were at least 3 people working in the kiosk. It’s ridiculous that it could take so long given the circumstances. This is definitely one of those places I would not consider returning to. I’ll make my own grilled cheese sandwiches at home, thank you very much!

I would rate Melt Shop 2.5÷5. I ordered the Truffle Melt, which is havarti, truffle oil, and arugula on sourdough, and tomato soup. After a long wait of around 15 minutes for my grilled cheese (note that it was less than 20 degrees on this cold January day so 15 minutes is a LONG time), I finally went back to the office to indulge. I mean a 15 minute wait must have meant they put extra care into my grilled cheese and it should taste like magic.
But to be frank, this grilled cheese was nothing special. I’ve made better grilled cheese at home with plastic wrapped, single sliced American cheese and white bread. The sandwich was dry, not even cheesy, with no hint of truffle oil. My tomato soup wasn’t horrible, but when I saw the employees behind the counter use pre-​packaged tomato, I was a little turned off. I guess I didn’t expect them to make the soup from scratch using fresh tomatoes, but it did bother me that I saw the product semi pre-​packaged.
Would I return? Probably not, however it seems like many folks really like this place based on the other Unilocal reviews so it’s possible you may have a better experience.

For a Unilocal foodie, I haven’t really had an appetite lately. Finally, on this day, I was starving! My boss got a classic and a couple of other coworkers got some things. I, myself, had a really freakin good Fried Chicken sandwich from here: Fried Chicken, Pepper Jack, Red Cabbage Slaw & Melt Sauce on Sourdough
We all got our food except the person who ordered the Big Skinny: Mozzarella, Grilled Mushrooms, Roasted Tomatoes, Red Peppers, Arugula & Sherry Vinaigrette on Sourdough Toast. We were like, «Good job ordering those veggies…» No, not really, we were nice, but I got mine way before her. I don’t know what was taking so long. Thank God it was a decently warm day, since you’re standing outside by the pick-​up window. My boss was thinking that his sandwich was going to be all soggy by the time he ate it. It probably was, but it is a melt anyway.
We all got tater tots too. My friend and I coulda shared them. My sandwich was pretty big so I was able to take home half with some spare tots. I ate it all for dinner, pre-​Santacon. I think it helped me survive the next day. I drank for 17 hours…

Ugh, Melt Shop is by far my favorite place to please my inner fat girl!
Everything I’ve had so far is delicious… deliciously greasy but amazing nontheless! From the Parmesan encrusted tator tots (LOVE TOTS!), to the truffle grilled cheese, to my absolute love — the BFC melt! Everything is gut-​busting amazing, and a must have when you’re feeling like a «treat yo-​self» day!

What do you get when you take the following food items and grill them between two slices of sourdough?
Perfectly fried chicken breast.
Creamy pepper jack and blue cheese spread.
Spicy buffalo sauce.
You get a crazy delicious sandwich. Sure, I’ve had chicken sandwiches before with buffalo sauce; maybe the chicken was even fried. But there was something about this sandwich, I don’t know specifically what did me in, but this meal has probably ruined all future buffalo chicken sandwiches for me. I’m serious. 4 stars alone for the sandwich.
The sandwich I loved.
But, alas, there were a few things I didn’t love.
Like the Shop Tots. I mean, the tots themselves were good, butttt what makes them «shop tots»? The parm cheese sprinkled over top? I kinda wish they were tossed around a little before being served… hot tots + melted parm cheese has the potential to be fantastic.
I also didn’t care for the price. After the sandwich + tots + a bottle of water (I curse myself for not bringing one and having to pay $ 2 for a silly Poland Springs bottle!) I was up to about $ 15. Ugh. I wish there was a lunch special here… or at any of the locations. The price won’t deter me from returning at some point but it won’t be a regular spot. Despite the crazy delicious buffalo sandwich!
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A couple additional notes–
— This location is outside! There are a bunch of tables but its not ideal if its a colder day.
— The day I went there was a sign saying «no cash, credit only.» Not sure if this is an everyday thing… so make sure you go prepared.

When you’re craving for a grilled cheese sandwich but not just any simple sandwich, Melt Shop can be a lifesaver. Definitely pricey for 2 pieces of bread and cheese but finding and ordering the right sandwich can be quite an awarding meal. The lines here can get a bit long and so will the wait, but it’s worth it. I recommend anything with chicken in it, oh and don’t forget the Shop Tots, tastes just like childhood.

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE. Melt Shop FTW!
Okay okay, I’ll be honest, I didn’t actually venture to this location, but they had a stand at the NYC Wine and Food Festival, and I may or may not have abused my privileges of getting unlimited grilled cheese samples. DAYYYYYYUUUUUMMMMM.
They were serving only one type of sandwich and it was a blend of cheddar and some other sharp cheese, maple syrup, and BACONNNNNNN. My goodness, it’s as if Jesus and Moses teamed up to create some heavenly (not-​kosher) concoction for us mere mortals to engage in the deadly sin of gluttony with.
Melt Shop, you are up to no-​good when it comes to waistline management and now I cannot wait to try more of your godly creations.

Stopped in for a quick lunch. I got the fried chicken sandwich, substituting the sauce for Dijon mustard. It was sooooo goood! This is a real sandwich; crispy chicken & crispy buttery bread. The slaw was delicious and the jack cheese gave it kick.
Service was quick, I came around 2pm so there was no line.
Def found a new lunch spot.

We had walked by a few Melt Shops around midtown and they peaked our interest. Artisanal grilled cheese shops are nothing new to LA, but most of them are overrated. Melt Shop prices were what we are used to, and they have tons of different menu items to choose from.
We actually Unilocaled to find the location closest to us, and this walk-​up window happened to be it. It was fairly easy to find from the street and we came after the lunch crowd, so there was no line. The wait was under 10 minutes, which passed quickly from people watching.
I got the buttermilk fried chicken and the bf made a custom sandwich. We split the tots because, yolo, right? The fried chicken was heavy but it was soooo damn good and the tater tots just made the whole meal even better. I’d rather return to one of their dine-​in spots, but I would definitely be back.

My most ideal meal is something simple. It can’t get any simple than a grilled cheese sandwich and some tater tots. I love grilled cheese and tater tots. Melt Shop is a walk up location so there is no seating, luckily for my friend and I we had our friends car waiting for us in the pouring rain. Pretty much made our friends car smell like grilled cheese and tater tots. A new car scent.
It took a while for us to decide what we wanted, but I eventually decided on the Age Cheddar and shop tots.
The Age Cheddar comes with maple glazed bacon. This is a great option to get. You can taste the sweetness and crispiness of the bacon, while the cheddar cheese is oozing and melting in my mouth. The sandwich was grilled perfectly. Delicious!!!
My friend ordered the Classic sandwich. Unfortunately they had ran out of American cheese, so my friend decided to get pepper jack cheese as a substitute. This sandwich was alright. A nice little kick to the sandwich. Classic grilled sandwich tastes better with regular American cheese.
The Shop Tots has some Parmesan cheese and chives sprinkled over it. It was crispy and not really greasy. SO GOOD and SO YUMMY!!! You can get some sauces with it for extra. Ketchup is free.
Great spot to grab something on the go. Orders will take about 7 – 10 minutes to prepare.