I'd rate Mel's Kitchen 3.5 stars. Three stars if you're basing it on just the food and four stars if you're in it for the cinematic history and early rock 'n' roll vibes. More on the cinema angle below. First the food and the rest of the experience. On my first visit, I thought the turkey burger was pretty good. And the hostess was even better. She highly recommended the burger and had the kind of dry sense of humor of the old-school waitresses from diners in days gone by. We were across the street from a hospital so I feel good about my healthy choice. LOLSecond trip, I had a very efficient waiter. It was busy and he got from table to table very quickly. I ordered the waffle combo with turkey sausage and scrambled eggs for $17.50. It was yummy - the waffle was actually very good, crispy and light, if not spectacular. The eggs were average, as was the turkey sausage. But no hate. It's nice to get a good breakfast in a nostalgic joint. The coffee was good enough, too bad about the prepackaged creamer. Milk that doesn't go through that heat treatment just tastes so much better.The good thing about a diner menu like this is that there's something for everyone, kids included. And because it San Francisco, there's some relatively healthy options.Now let's talk about some history - classic American movies and rock 'n' roll - a lot of people write about the photos and nostalgia for a reason. Mel'sis completely tied in with the diner vibe of American Graffiti and the early rock 'n roll era and the walls hold plenty of stills from the 1973 breakout film by George Lucas. Why? Because Lucas shot the film at the actual carhop, Mel's Diner, located not far down the road on South Van Ness. If you don't know what a carhop is, I think it would be fun for you to look up! Anyway, Mel's became a chain grown by Mel's son. The lead actor, Ron Howard, became a huge TV star in Happy Days, the TV show based on the film, and then he went on to become an extremely talented director. Mel's Kitchen's relationship to the original is that it is part of the chain which was sold to the Fosters company. that's the history and that is how a good but not amazing diner gets a four-star review.
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"My parents have been coming here since they were kids and have brought me over the years as well. It's good to see Bill's has retained the same quality and gives you that classic American diner experience without the kitsch. We especially love their milkshakes.I forgot about this place until we were watching a video on youtube about the top 3 burger joints in SF. CLassic Spot love Bills"
"Delicious place. My friend brought us here, and it's worth coming. Very nice customer service and they are fast to get your food.I had the loroco omelet and casamiento"
