There are a lot of great restaurants in Southwest Florida, one for
every price point. Mel’s Diner, with five locations on the Gulf
Coast, is one of those restaurants. We went back to Mel’s Diner in
Naples, Florida, for a second helping of additional entrees and
desserts and even lunch.
Not much changes from month to month at Mel’s Diner, shown here at
3650 Tamiami Trail North in Naples in mid-March 2023. Mel’s is open
from 8 am until 9 pm each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The
waiting area at the front often has a dozen folks waiting to be
seated, plus the Thanksgiving holiday meal special advertisement
banner.
The Caesar salad shown here, added on for $1, was part of the
Millionaire’s Corner surf & turf meal. The lettuce was crisp and
fresh, and the croutons were delicious and savory. (Greek salad is
the other $1 salad option with this meal.) The salads came quickly,
but there was a wait for the server to bring the fresh biscuits.
This is one of the three “Millionaire’s Corner” meals on the Lunch
and Dinner menus: the surf & turf with a USDA choice filet
mignon and 4 ounce (113g) Maine lobster tail. The side choices are
between potatoes and homemade chicken soup. This filet mignon was
wonderfully grilled to medium well with a nice seasoning.
The other two “Millionaire’s Corner” offerings are twin 4-ounce
Maine lobster tails (113g) with either chicken soup or a choice of
potato; and a strawberry-spinach-quinoa salad with lobster tails.
The French fries at Mel’s are always really good and the filet
mignon shown here was cooked to well-done. This cut of steak was
still juicy and flavorful. Steaming biscuits arrived shortly after
the entree.
The distinctive Oreo-cookie flavored milkshake at Mel’s Diner costs
$5.59. Mel’s Diner creates real milkshakes and they taste like it,
too. This restaurant has a “dessert guy” who makes and serves all of
the desserts here. Enjoy this milkshake all by yourself, or the
dessert guy can pour it into two glasses for sharing.
The chocolate milkshake at Mel’s Diner is simple, straightforward,
and delicious. These drinkable desserts unfortunately do not come
with the fat red milkshake straws and are better enjoyed with the
spoon. Most definitely worth the wait, the dessert guy will get
milkshakes out about ten to fifteen minutes after ordering.
The Rueben sandwich comes with a side of thousand island dressing,
French fries, Cole slaw, and a Kosher pickle. The rye bread has
great texture and the sauerkraut-and-corned beef filling is perfect
for this sandwich. The price was right at $11.99. Another great
sandwich at this price is Soprano’s Roast Beef & Blue Cheese
sandwich.
Mel’s has a wide selection of hamburgers, which it touts as a
“half-pound of Braveheart Black Angus burger.” These burgers are
listed on the menu as “cooked to medium well unless otherwise
requested.” The American Idol cheeseburger, shown here, is $14.99
and comes with an onion rings-and-French fries combo plus a
milkshake or rootbeer float.
Mel’s Diner has a coconut-pie dessert called Coconut Mile High Pie
that runs $6.99 per slice. This single slice “serves up to four
people” according to the dessert menu, and that estimate is
accurate. This dessert is loaded with coconut shreds within and
without, and is very sweet to the taste. The whipped topping is not
distinctive but the caramel drizzle adds a nice accent flavor.
The dessert menu is available on each table at Mel’s Diner, so save
some room for dessert. Funnel fries are hard to come by, and the
carrot cake will have to wait for next year, but all other desserts
on this menu have been tasted-tested and are wonderful. The
mini-desserts are great for having a small, sweet treat after
dinner.
Mel’s Diner got its start in an old truck stop in 1988. This sign
promises everything from breakfast through “late night fun,” and
Mel’s food and service really delivers. This restaurant closes at
nine o’clock in the evening, and there are no waiters or waitresses
on roller skates, but each and every one will be happy to see you.
The prices at Mel’s Diner are very reasonable for the food and
service. The Prime Rib special has gone up $2 this past year since
March 2022, but is still a good value. Perhaps the best value at
Mel’s is the buttermilk chicken dinner blue plate special at $14.99
on Tuesday evenings after 4 pm. Mel’s will close soon, but will be
open for breakfast at 8 am sharp.