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If you've ever watched the movie classic, "American Graffiti," you'll recall that much of the activity centered around a diner, and the diner in the movie was "Original Mel's Diner,"  in San Francisco.  Disclaimer:  Yes, I know the movie was supposed to take place in Modesto, and the diner scenes were shot in San Francisco, but I'm only the reporter.  As an aside, back in the late 1960s, I as a teenager, was "dragging the main," every Friday evening, not in Modesto, but in nearby Merced.  Ah to be a teenager again!

Photo:  Original Mel's Diner, located in Rocklin, CA.  Mel's traces their roots back to 1947, and one of their locations was featured in the 1970's movie classic, "American Graffiti."  Mel's is a small chain 13 diners, with twelve located in Northern California, and one restaurant in Reno, Nevada.  Mel's serves delicious diner cuisine, in a very retro atmosphere.

Photo:  Here's the front page of Mel's menu.  You can see that the majority of the restaurants are located in the greater Sacramento area.  By the way, I "liked" them on Facebook.

Photo:  I love the breakfast counter at Original Mel's Diner, complete with formica counter top, chrome accents, and nagahyde upholstery.  Mel's restaurant features a comfortable mix of tables, booths, and the small breakfast counter.  As shown in the photo, the decor features 1950's nostalgia, but the "creature comforts" are modern, comfortable, and the restaurant is "squeaky" clean.  Note the neon sign that states "Breakfast All Day."  We were chased out of our house all afternoon so it could be inspected, so by three in the afternoon, we arrived to a largely empty restaurant.

Photo:  Our friendly hostess, Chelsea, places our burgers on the table.

Photo:  On this Thursday afternoon, January 29, 2015, I ordered a "Classic Melburger," along with "MelFries."  If you aren't in the mood for fries, you can order a cup of soup, a luncheon salad, cole slaw, house made pasta, or cottage cheese.  How could I resist not ordering the fries?  The "MelFries" are as good as it gets, if you're a fan of fries, such as I am.  The burger is truly "old school," as it features a 7-oz beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, a dill pickle slice, and is garnished with 1000 Island dressing.  

Photo:  Close-up of my "Classic Melburger," along with "MelFries."  Too bad the ample amount of lettuce hides the 7-oz beef patty.  This burger was delicious, and kept me full for the rest of the day.  At $8.99, this lunch is a very solid bargain.

Photo:  Our friendly and efficient server, Chelsea, took this photo of Sharlene and I, as we're ready to enjoy a delicious lunch at Original Mel's Diner.  I really tried to blend in, so I was decked out in camo, so I assume that I'm invisible in this photo.  Sharlene chose the "Mushroom and Swill Melburger," and, since I'm old-school at heart, I enjoyed the "Classic Melburger," in a very Sally Rand state.  Both of us enjoyed "MelFries" and, from the appetizer menu, we split an order of "Tempura Battered Zuchinni Sticks," with sides of ranch dressing.  

I was able to wolf down my burger, fries and one stick of zuchinni, and Sharlene managed to finish about half of her lunch and brought the rest home to finish at dinner.  Sharlene and I each enjoyed a slice of zuchinni, and took three sticks home in a box, along with most of the ranch dressing, to enjoy for dinner.  

Original Mel's Diner serves American "comfort food," in a very nostalgic 1950's style decor, complete with chrome-plated chairs, formica counters, and naugahyde stools.  The dining in comfortable, the food is delicious and reasonably priced, and the service is outstanding.  There is nothing fancy about Original Mel's Diner, but they serve delicious food, the kind of food that I love, and Mel's is my kind of a restaurant.  I absolutely LOVE Mel's, and I would highly recommend it to anybody who enjoys fantastic "comfort food."

As Mel's menu states, "Roaring out of the past and into the future..."  Well said!

Original Mel's Diner
6708 Lonetree Blvd.
Rocklin, CA 95677
916 772-6357
www.originalmelsdiner.com


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