ORIGINAL MELS DINER

15011 Hesperian Blvd, San Leandro, CA 94578
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We went to Original Mels Diner because that night, we were going to see Christmas lights, and also, it was new so we wanted to check it out. Mels Diner was new to the area.

THE FACTS

We didn’t make any reservations that I knew of…but it was new so they wrote our names down on a clipboard and then when it was our turn they called us in.

The neighborhood was good, and it’s near Bayfair Center and my aunt’s house, so we went there afterwards. The parking was okay, although we didn’t really go there at a good time to judge – it was raining, and the restaurant was new.

There was a greeter. The welcome was pretty nice. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was – 50’s! All of the decor was 1950’s style. The walls were crowded with posters, and I liked that there was sort of a sense of history to it – it was like we traveled back in time.

We were brought to our seats by a waiter.

The wait was considerably short, compared to some other restaurants we’ve been to. But we were talking and looking at all the decorations, so I couldn’t tell. I also liked that they gave you the menus while you were waiting, to keep you distracted.

The atmosphere was electric, because everyone was listening to music on the jukeboxes. On the side of the tables, you get to listen to 50’s music if you pay $1.00.

THE FOOD

I had fries and a milkshake, which was good. I liked my strawberry milkshake. My food was served in a car with a race flag. I liked that a lot.

The flavor was nice, and I liked it. It kind of tasted like 50’s, even though I wasn’t alive then. It was a bite of the past.

The food was hot when it came out, but it quickly cooled down.

THE FRIENDLINESS

We were seated quickly and then explained to what would happen. I liked that.

Someone occasionally checked on us, which was nice, because if we had any problems, then we could tell them.

We had milkshakes only and didn’t refill them because we were full, so I don’t know if there are refills for other drinks.

The waiters were just doing their job, not really chatty since it was a busy night. Everyone was nice and answered our questions.

We had a few questions. One of them were that we couldn’t work the jukebox. It took some of our money, which was bad, but they paid us back – and more!! So that was fortunate and we also got to play some songs. If other people are playing songs before you, you have to wait and listen to theirs first. I thought that was bad if you left before your song played. It wouldn’t even be worth the money!

For the jukebox, there are a bunch of different albums, from Beach Boys and Elvis – that’s all I can remember! And you can choose.

FAMILY SNAPSHOT

Children’s Menu [Y]
Changing Station [?]
Highchairs/Boosters [?]
Stroller Access [minimal]

OTHER REVIEWS

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