Mel's Diner — Restaurant in Phoenix

I visited the Mel’s Diner located at 1747 Grand Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. Most people probably know that the outside of this restaurant was used in the television show, Alice, which aired from 1976 until 1985. When we walked in, there was a party of three waiting to be seated. While there were several people standing behind the counter, the party waited for a while until someone else finally seated them. My party of two waited a bit longer until the same person seated us. It seemed like a long wait, since someone behind the counter could have seated us, but in reality, I think we were only standing there about two minutes. Our server was pleasant and professional, and took our beverage order. We looked over the menu and found that the prices were competitive with other breakfast diners. When our server returned with our beverages, she took our food order. I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and my friend ordered a plate with biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon and sausage. While we waited, we enjoyed listening to Classic Rock being played in the background at what old people would find to be a reasonable volume. For my tastes, it could have been louder and still allowed patrons to have a normal conversation. Our food was prepared reasonably quickly and my Chicken Fried Steak meal included hash browns, eggs and toast. My friend ordered his eggs over-easy, but he received them scrambled instead. He did receive the bacon portion of the meal, but the link sausage was missing. He opted not to complain about the discrepancies in his order. The food was good but we both agreed that the gravy tasted like it was poured from a 55 gallon drum; not freshly made from scratch. In hindsight, I set my expectations too high for this restaurant due to its history. With that said, the food was decent, the ambience was nice and I’d be willing to return to eat there again if I’m in the...

Yes, it's the same Mel's Diner from the 70s sitcom "Alice." They really play up the theme, too. Lots of TV show memorabilia decorate the restaurant! Standard diner fare. It's open for breakfast and lunch from 6 am until 3 pm, but I recommend going for breakfast and taking out-of-town guests who still remember the show...yes they serve grits, too! I didn't order them this time. Instead I purchase one of their omelettes. Very tasty and very filling. Prices are modest

Very friendly and helpful wait staff. Know what I really liked? If you'll remember on the TV show everyone was white. Well here you can see the REAL Phoenix and the truly cultural diverse city that it is. That's a strength.

Now... while you're there, don't be afraid to say "kiss my grits" just like Flo the waitress. They hear it several times in one day. However, I decided to do something different. Instead to show my appreciation for the meal and service I sang the theme from Alice "New Girl In Town." The chefs came out to listen and everyone in the restaurant applauded! That's one marked off my bucket list lol of course we left a generous tip, too!. I hope to come back soon.

While in that neighborhood, I also recommend driving down historic Grand Avenue and checking out the various murals....

I recently visited the famous Mel's Diner, and while it wasn't a terrible experience, it left a lot to be desired. The food was just okay—not bad, but nothing special either. The orange juice had a strange taste, which was a bit off-putting, but on the bright side, the coffee was excellent. The service was friendly, and the staff were welcoming, which I appreciated.

One thing that stood out, unfortunately, was the overall condition of the diner. Given its fame, I was expecting a clean and somewhat updated place. Instead, it felt outdated, and I couldn’t tell if that was intentional or just neglect. While I get the nostalgic charm of an old-style diner, it’s possible to have that vibe while keeping things fresh and clean. For instance, the coffee mugs displayed on the wall are a nice touch, but they clearly hadn’t been cleaned in a while.

Ultimately, I’m glad I can finally say I’ve been to Mel’s Diner, but I don’t see myself returning anytime soon. For now, I’ll leave it at this: they can...