It’s also a favorite of celebrities: Andrew Wiggins, Al Pacino, Adam Sandler, Paul McCartney, Wiz Khalifa and Guy Fieri are all reportedly fans, and Snoop Dogg even featured Mel’s in a music video. 

The restaurant with the glowing blue sign on Lombard Street is not the original Mel’s — that one, which opened on South Van Ness Avenue in 1947 and was famously featured in George Lucas’ film “American Graffiti,” closed back in the ’70s. But the Lombard Street Mel’s was the first restaurant to open in the chain’s 1985 revival.

This Mel’s, therefore, doesn’t actually date back to the ’50s, but it sure looks like it does. Inside, diners sit at the counter on green vinyl swivel chairs to sip cherry-topped milkshakes, and old-fashioned jukeboxes play Johnny Cash and Jackie Wilson. Servers take orders dressed in retro soda jerk outfits, paper hats and all.

Large black-and-white historic photos from the opening of the original Mel’s in 1947 decorate one wall; at the little green booth where I’m sitting is a framed photo of George Lucas posing in front of Mel’s on the set of “American Graffiti” in 1973. Mel’s isn’t actually a drive-in anymore, but back in 2020, carhop service returned for a spell as a COVID-19 precaution.  

Despite being a San Francisco tourist destination, this Mel’s offers almost nothing to indicate its geography. It drips with Americana, but without any regional specificity. In fact, with the excessive amount of Fourth of July decorations still hanging up a full month after the holiday, I felt like I’d teleported to a much redder part of the country. 

Mel’s is known for being one of the few late-night joints in the sleepy city of San Francisco (it’s open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), but we came for lunch. Well … brunch. Even though it was past noon, I was dead set on ordering off the breakfast menu. 

Before that, though, we started off with milkshakes. Intrigued by the “Lana Del Rey Shake,” I ordered it — a chocolate shake blended with Oreo crumbles for $9. My colleague ordered an espresso shake ($9.25). Both arrived topped with whipped cream and a festive maraschino cherry. They were thick and incredibly slurpable — I almost finished mine before the food came.

The Mel’s menu is a pretty extensive selection of American comfort food, although it’s nothing compared to the Cheesecake Factory. If you’re craving lunch, they’ve got every sandwich from an albacore tuna melt to a Reuben. There’s hot dogs, burgers, fish and chips, fried chicken, salads and soup. The breakfast menu, which is available anytime, features omelets, buttermilk pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and even avocado toast. 

Clockwise from left: The Lana Del Rey milkshake (a chocolate shake blended with Oreos), foreground, at Mel’s Drive-In, alongside an espresso milkshake; the veggie omelet with hashbrowns; the “Famous Melburger.” (Charles Russo/SFGATE)
Clockwise from left: The Lana Del Rey milkshake (a chocolate shake blended with Oreos), foreground, at Mel’s Drive-In, alongside an espresso milkshake; the veggie omelet with hashbrowns; the “Famous Melburger.” (Charles Russo/SFGATE)

I settled on a veggie omelet ($17.60) while my colleague ordered the “famous Melburger,” served on a sesame seed bun with your choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and mayo and a side of fries ($18.50). At this busy lunch hour, most people seemed to be opting for burgers. 

My omelet arrived packed with spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, scallions and tomatoes. The eggs were the exact fluffy texture a diner omelet should be, although the veggies were a little soggy and could have used more seasoning. Fortunately, each table is packed with condiments, so I doused my omelet in salt and Tapatio. The omelet also comes with your choice of toast and grilled potatoes or hash browns. I definitely recommend the hash browns — they’re fried to perfect crispiness. 

My colleague enjoyed his burger, although both of us agreed: solid diner food, but nothing to write home about. Would I think this was the best meal I’d eaten in my entire life if I came here at 1 a.m. after bar hopping, though? Probably. 

Each dish was also about a dollar or two more expensive than what I’ve paid at other diners in the city — this is a tourist spot, after all. Before tip, our total came to $66.25 (including an additional side of coleslaw). The service, meanwhile, was a little gruff — nothing awful, but no one came to check on us once throughout our meal. 

(Charles Russo/SFGATE)
(Charles Russo/SFGATE)

If the neon lighting and jukebox crooners of ’50s nostalgia is what you crave, though, Mel’s serves it in spades. If nothing else, come for the milkshakes. Lana Del Rey made some points.

Mel’s Drive-In, 2165 Lombard St., San Francisco. Open Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m.-midnight, and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m.-3 a.m.