Mela Urban Bistro

Ohhhhhhhh, Mela, you're like that nice looking guy/gal that once you get to know 'em, you discover that looks aren't everything... YES, the dining area is nice (I like the artwork/decor) and on a Tuesday at 8pm we were their only diners, but I kept wishing we had more "late night" dining options here in Springfield (or that I had just invited my friends to over to my place for dinner)I think I/we were supposed to be more impressed by the menu than we actually were. My side salad was just a pile of not very fresh-looking iceberg lettuce and some random veggie shreds with TOO MUCH "house made" cucumber dressing. Get the dressing on the side, if you're having the salad... My dining companions both got the NY strip entree, which they both said needed more seasoning (taste?) and they appeared to have to cut half of each of their steaks off, due to the meat just being too fatty. Along with my side salad, I ordered the Indian "style" flat bread (sorry, can't remember the name) from the appetizer/shareable menu. It was good, but (apparently...) not all that memorable.You could do worse than Mela, here in Springfield (or elsewhere) but you should also be able to do MUCH better...

Awesome green tomato sliders and warm kettle chips with blue cheese sauce!! Top that with great service.

I have been staying at the Courtyard by Marriott this week while I am working in Springfield, OH this week. Mela Urban Bistro is their restaurant and since I don't like to go out after a long day, Mela Urban Bistro is your typical hotel restaurant. It is decorated in a moderate style and is comfortable. They have a bar with a decent selection of alcohol. My first night here, I wasn't that hungry so I ordered a side salad and the chicken satay skewers.The salad was your basic iceberg lettuce, diced tomato, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing. Not bad but not blow your socks off. The skewers on the other hand were a huge disappointment. The chicken was cooked well but they were were supposed to be bourbon brown sugar glazed. They weren't glazed. I found out later that the chicken is marinated in a bourbon brown sugar concoction and not actually glazed. I mentioned this fact to the staff who is going to forward my thoughts on to the chef.I was actually going to rate Mela Urban Bistro lower just based on the salad and chicken satay but dinner tonight saved them from 2 stars.Tonight is my last night in the area and I felt like a burger. The only choices around seemed to be the same old boring choices I have close to home so I thought I'd give Mela another chance. Tonight, I order a bacon cheddar burger with potato wedges. I also order a local brew from Mother Stewart's Brewery here in Springfield. It's a grapefruit IPA aptly named Disco Dancer. More on the beer in a bit. I ordered my burger medium and it cam out medium so no frozen, precooked patties here. The cheddar cheese was nicely melted over the burger patty and they threw four slices of bacon on top. Lettuce and tomato were on the side. The b urger was cooked well and the potato wedges were pretty good. Overall, a nice save from the previous night. The IPA was excellent! It wasn't too heavy. It was light, crisp, and smooth. I would have a Disco Dancer IPA again. After I was finished with me meal, I decided on a Hendricks and tonic. I a gin connoisseur and Hendricks is one of my mainstream favorites. The best part about mu gin & tonic was the price! At $7.00, I could throw back quite a few!Overall, tonight's dinner redeemed my opinion of Mela Urban Bistro. It isn't the best around but is a decent place for a meal if you are staying at the Courtyard. The staff is very friendly and make you feel welcome. I will stop in again the next time I in the area.

Fish taco bowls were my absolute favorite & the service was quick and attentive even though the woman working was by herself. She's fast! Happy we came here.

Stopped by on the morning of 9/27/19, at around 6:15am. The buffet was stocked with many options, BUT WHAT REALLY SOLD ME was the service! I was greeted right away. The tables were set, and clean. The cold plates made my scrambled eggs cold quickly, so I asked one of the waitstaff if they could microwave my plate (I don't like to waste food), and she not only microwaved my food, she offered to have fresh eggs scrambled just for me. I accepted the offer and continued on. The two gals working today, were kind, professional, and courteous. Send my thanks to the cook too!

ELA ELA ELA, Eatin dinner over at MELA ELA ELA STEA STEA STEA STEAAAAAKErr mah gerrrrrrd you guys... if you are looking for a dinner spot in Springfield open past 8 pm on a Monday, good news, your search has ended. If you didn't have to walk through the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott, past the sundries, through the lobby bar, past the newsstand with local attraction flyers to get to the hostess podium, you'd never know this place was in a hotel. The dining area is so clean, the old lady at the table next to me dropped a BBQ chicken wing (highly recommend) on the floor and picked it back up to continue eating it all in 1 fluid motion that would make you believe she was 20 years younger. The charismatic art that hugs the inviting walls tells a story of floral enchantment making you feel like you are walking through a garden that resides in Tim Burtons creative cerebellum. The wine list is the perfect length. Robust but not boastful. It can take to to the farthest reaches of the globe with the pop of a cork. The food. Oh..... the food. No matter the mood you are in, you will find a culinary dance partner on the white plate sitting in front of you. I suggest the Filet which was seared to a warm pink center and accompanied with potato's that would make Idaho your favorite state in the big 50. The salmon was a fresh as when a bear mouth hugs it out of a babbling brook on a cool fall day. If you find yourself driving along I-70 between Dayton and Columbus, possibly listening to some smooth jazz, and you feel the sudden desire to treat yourself (you deserve it) to a first class meal. Set the cruise to a comfortable 8mph over the speed limit and get here. Tell them ya boy Nick sent you.

Sigh...I would love to love this place. It's local, close to my house and they need the business. The reason locals don't come here is obvious. I ordered a dirty vodka martini and it came with blue cheese stuffed olives that were nasty. The blue cheese wasn't staying in the olive so soon it became bleu cheese flavored vodka. It was obviously so gross. Betty Jo actually put it in the POS that way so the bartender made it. The other person in the group ordered an Old Fashioned. Instead of coming in the typical rocks glass it came in a martini glass. It was not made well and the garnish was bad. Again Betty Jo had entered it as a martini. They just need a decent bartender and staff that knows what cocktails are rather than only knowing how to just serve beer. Last week we went for a wine tasting that was out on the patio; which faces directly west with no useable shade cover. There are umbrellas but they are not placed appropriately so worthless. There were 20-25 people out on the patio for the wine tasting from 6-8 pm. At 8 pm when the wine tasting was over the staff couldn't close up quick enough. They were slam, bam, pay your tab, we're outta here. It was unbelievable how quickly they closed up shop and left 20 some people by themselves. We were willing and wanting to stay and drink but with that level of service we just left. So sad that service here is that oblivious to customers.

Good food, nice service. We ordered room service. They were friendly and fast. Good money for value. Online menu was out of date but they happily took the time to read it out to us. Everything was really tasty.

Stayed three nights at the Courtyard Marriott in Springfield, OH. Ate two dinners at Mela Urban Bistro. Service: Betty Jo and Debbie are two of the kindest most attentive wait staff we've encountered in our travels. Pleasant and so accommodating in terms of special requests. The decor is gorgeous. Hand blown huge glass pieces on the beautiful paneling. Chairs are modern and very comfortable. Table tops are a lovely white marble stone. Menu is varied and upscale. Food is Delicious. Filet minion was fresh v frozen and excellent. Chili was very good. Wedge fries-very crispy exterior/soft interior. This place is a treasure. When we come back to visit our collegiate, we'll be back. We highly recommend. Thank you Chef's, Betty Jo, and Debbie!!

Best restaurant in town!! Filet mignon is my favorite very clean atmosphere fresh homemade soups made daily also. Delicious