Melly Mell's Catering

Tried Melly Mells for the first time from their food truck. It was absolutely delicious and so comforting.The greens were perfect! Great seasoning. Mac and cheese was my favorite, perfect ratio of cheese/noodle. I also loved the mini corn bread!Staff were very kind and wonderful to talk to. Can't wait to come back or maybe utilize their catering!!

Attended an event at Madison college celebrating black women and Melly Mell's was there. Absolutely everything was delicious and I love the bite size take on the classics. This was my first time eating their food and I will absolutely be back for more!

Today's lunch at Melly's is among the top two meals I've had since moving to Madison. The food is so good, it had to be more than a recipe that made it; nothing but pure wisdom could have produced the 6-7 items we had off the menu so perfectly tender, crispy, juicy, tart, bitter, and sweet. The chicken is available everyday, and was made to order. It came out crispy, piping hot, and seasoned with a bit of sour and salt. I recommend pairing it with the baked beans and potato salad, or whatever Melly recommends. Can't choose which side? They're all delicious. The mixed greens and mac n cheese alongside the rib tips - Thursdays special - were like taking part in a little bit of Americana. The walls are filled with family photos, which is as homey as one can get. The comfort of good food and family vibes feels good for my belly.

We came here on a Thursday night hungry for some delicious chicken we've been hearing about.Just do a GPS navigation from Yelp and it'll get you there. It's located in the basement of the Genesis Enterprise center, follow the restaurant signs and it'll get you to the parking lot. We ordered the 2 pc White Meat Chicken Special $8 (Wednesday night special now served as a daily special) with green beans and fried onions & potato, Thursday Baby Back Rib Special $7 with yams and Mac & Cheese, 2 corn muffins, Peach cobbler $3, and Banana Pudding $3.Melly's daughter graciously took our to go orders, and even gave us dessert samples to try. Very friendly service, as others said, it's like being in the kitchen of Melly's home.Our wait didn't seem long since we just chatted with Melly and her daughter. They have been catering for 7 years and have been in their current location for 3.For such a small establishment, they have more sides and dessert items than any chain I know! Melly's daughter informed us everything is homemade and made from scratch. And you can tell. The chicken had deep, complex flavors throughout the meat, not just in the breading. The green beans had a garlicky flavor and the fried onions and potato were amazing! The ribs had the perfect tang to the sauce, and the meat was tender. The yams were like a dessert themselves - sweet! The Mac & Cheese had the right ratio of noodles and cheese, not smothered, but not skimpy either. The corn muffins were so soft, they crumbled to our forks! A crumbly, honey delight!Save some room for the encore that is dessert! Get the peach cobbler when available, and heat it up - it's the best! The banana budding was equally remarkable.For the price of these morsels, skip KFC and come straight to Melly Mell's!

Fantastic food made to order, but tricky to find, and not a fast lunch. Plan on getting the peach cobbler to go.The focus here is on the food. Mell's fried chicken is incredible, with or without waffles. Her biscuits and gravy is amazing. I've not had better catfish in Madison. Her cobblers are out of this world when fresh, and well worth picking up even once they're in the fridge.The food can be somewhat inconsistent, depending on who is working in the kitchen. Sometimes the black eyed peas are better than I've ever had elsewhere; sometimes they're unremarkable.Beverage choices are limited to water and canned soda.You'd do well to call your order in if you're looking for a lunch in under an hour, especially if you're going with a group of more than four.

Melly Mel makes arguably the best fried chicken in Madison. If you are a "foodie" get here. Talk to Mel. Order again. Talk some more. Try everything. It is the experience that you want. That's what we did and it was great.If you're not a foodie stay away. You won't like it because the location is far away. The signage is propped against a wall if it's even out on display at all. The decor is weird and unmatched. The music selection might be a little too 90s for you.

Come for the fried chicken, but stay for the dessert!Melly Mel's may be hard to find, but it's soooooo worth the effort. Once you locate the poorly marked entrance and descend a long flight of stairs covered with threadworm grey carpet, the welcoming aromas of the kitchen will guide you the rest of the way. Despite the unassuming exterior, the interior of the basement restaurant is spacious, clean and well lighted. The eclectic décor and mismatched tables and chairs create a homey vibe for those who venture in.The highlight of any trip to Melly Mel's is when owner / chef Carmell "Mell" Jackson pays a visit to your table. Even if you're in the sourest of moods when you enter the restaurants, your conversation with the effervescent Mell will brighten your day.What you need to know:* The fried chicken is the star attraction at Melly Mels. The meat is juicy and far more delectable than any $7 plate of chicken has any right to be. The coating is has a wonderful crunch, not greasy at all. Best of all, it is served piping hot - there are no heat lamps at Melly Mel's - everything is made to order. With a little hot sauce sprinkled on top, eating this fried chicken was a near life-altering event...* There is an extensive breakfast menu. It has the usual fare (eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, etc.) as well as chicken and waffles.* The lunch deals are a fantastic bargain. For $7, you get a generous main course, two sides and a drink.* The sides were hit or miss for me. I loved the cornbread muffin and the fried potatoes and onions. The black-eyed peas and rice & gravy not so much. The yams and the mac and cheese ordered by my dining companions looked promising.* If you are looking for a quick meal, this is not the place to go. Because of the made to order nature of the food and the volume of carry out orders, give yourself a good hour and a half for lunch.My last piece of advice: DO NOT LEAVE UNTIL YOU ORDER DESSERT. I love, love, love, love, love, love the desserts at Melly Mells. On my first visit, I had the strawberry cake with a smooth cream cheese frosting. My second visit featured a lemon pound cake. Both were out of the oven fresh and both were Oh.So.Delicious. 'nuf said. Just get the dessert, trust me.

I got take out from Melly Mel's and IT WAS SO DELICIOUS that I am already planning my next meal from there.Thanks so much to all the yelpers that convinced me to try this place because I never would've heard of it. I also never would've found it if someone hadn't posted that it's located in the basement of Genesis something (go through the side doors). I have to admit that when I got to the address, I thought I was in the wrong place or that someone was playing a cruel prank on me.I ordered chicken and waffles, which were ready by the time I arrived. The woman who worked there was soooo friendly and nice, which always makes ya like a place a little more.I was full of anticipation during the car ride home because the food smelled so so so amazing. It tasted even better. The chicken (came in wings btw, which I wasn't expecting so if you want thighs with your waffle specify that on the phone) was so perfectly cooked and seasoned. I can't even describe it but it's on my short list for best chicken wings/fried chicken I've ever had. Can't wait to go back and try the non-wing fried chicken to see if it's just as amazing. The macaroni and cheese was also really yummy.I'll be back :)

Been here twice-- gotta try something besides the greens and yams as far as sides go, but they're so good I got them each time... The fried chicken is nothing short of perfect and I don't think I've had better anywhere else. My only concern is the speed of the service-- I have no problem waiting for good food, but if you're trying to make it in and out over your lunch hour and have to get back to work it might be tight (Mel acknowledged and apologized for this last time as they were slammed with take-out orders). I think they cater and I would definitely give them a try for that if the opportunity presents. I think between Melly Mell's and JB's on Park (also worth going to!), I'd say Melly's had an edge on the food (and more seating) but JB's is more convenient (location and speed).

Other reviewers say that the chicken was the best they'd ever had.My friend, a vegetarian, was swiping the bones from my plate to gnaw on, and we ended up ordering an extra basket to share after we'd finished our meal.If that's not good food, I don't know what is.