Melvin's Public House — Restaurant in Heber

I typically enjoy trying new dive bars, but unfortunately, this place didn't leave a great impression. Upon arriving, we weren’t greeted with any warmth—just a quick, “ID’s? I’ll be right with you.” No welcome, no pleasantries. I get it’s a bar in Utah, but that’s not how you should welcome guests spending money at your establishment. My friend ordered a beer they didn’t carry (a Miller Lite). While being handed the menu, the bartender (Stevie J) immediately shot her down rudely, telling her they didn’t have it instead of offering an equivalent they did carry. When she jokingly said, “You don’t have that beer? I’m leaving,” Stevie J, the bartender, didn’t take it well, completely missing the humor. Instead, he made a dismissive comment about all light beers tasting the same. When she finally settled on a different beer, a Stella, he remarked, “Oh, from light to skunk?”

Stevie J seemed more interested in chatting with the waitress and the locals at the service end of the bar than interacting with us or the other customers around us, barely checking in. We were never his priority and were never even offered water. It all just felt like a strange experience. I’ve never been to a bar where the bartender didn’t want customers, but apparently, there is a first time for everything.

The vibe was just off from the very beginning. Stevie J seemed almost annoyed that newcomers were in on a football Sunday night. He gave off some very unwelcoming energy. On the plus side, he said he’s been there for 6 1/2 years, so perhaps we caught him on an off night? It felt like he was just there for his regulars, which is unfortunate for anyone who showed up that night, like us.

If you’re not one of them locals, don’t expect excellent service.

I wouldn’t recommend sitting at the bar unless you’re a local or prepared for a pretty...

We came to try the order by the pound chicken wings. Ended up getting the garlic parmesan & sweet thai. Wings had good crispy texture

Garlic Parmesan: used a grated parmesan dry rub that all collected at the bottom of the basket. The wings had no flavor without it. They need to be tossed in butter first so the cheese will stay

Sweet Thai: sticky sauce & good flavor with a little kick of heat at the end

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich: good size crispy chicken filet and soft bun. Thick serving of thin sliced ham as well. Really good!

Onion Rings: crispy texture but didn't enjoy them. Had a sour unpleasant taste. Not sure if it was the beer in the batter or something else

Poutine Fries: thin sliced steak fries were delish! Loved the brown gravy with an extra kick of pepper. Crispy cheese curds were heaven as well. My only critique is it needed an extra sprinkle of cheese under the gravy

Chicken Strips: crispy and good size. Would order again

Our waitress wasn't very attentive. We had to ask for silverware and straws and each time didn't receive enough. She was no where to be found most of our visit. Other employees brought the food and took the check. When we left, we saw her hanging out with others in the employee area behind the restaurant.

Overall happy with my visit, would recommend to others. Glad there was family friendly seating for those of...

Updating review: Melvin’s is one of a kind, a really special place. Stevie the bartender is our absolute favorite, he is always friendly, on top of our order and we love chatting sports with him. The first time we went there it was like we had been there a million times, being treated like we’d all been longtime friends. People at the bar can be jerks sometimes, and they act entitled a lot, but Stevie handles it like a pro. We even started ordering what we call Stevie Wings because he recommend some of the best sauce crosses. He knows our beer order every time, we don’t even have to say the name of it because he already knows what we want. If we don’t go to the bar we hope to get Steph as our waitress, she’s amazing. We customize our orders and it always comes out delicious. We always feel really taken care of here and after a long ass week of work it’s nice to be able to hop over here and be in a comfortable atmosphere with some really cool people. There’s not many bars/restaurants like this place, like I said, it’s...