4 /5 Lillian: Updating my review. Apparently its been over 7 years since my last review and that was when the place was called Mel & Faye’s. Ive been dining here plenty of times since then. Not sure whats the story on why Fayes name is no longer on the buildings signage. But the food and service is the same. Yummy American diner fare served up by a welcoming well synched wait team in Jackson, CA. Also this place is NOT a franchise Mel’s Diner, the 1950s kitschy diner with jukeboxes.
It’s a poplar place. The dining room gets loud and crowded at peak time. And its not particularly large. There are booths along the walls and the rest are tables in the center. The neighboring tables were in arms reach of each other. Hubs and I sat at a table at the end, so wait staff and customers buzzed to the right and left of us. Distracting for sure. Hubs hated that. I didnt mind it as much as him, but thats only because I was focused on my meal. Zoning out the world as I ate. So we vowed not to dine there being peak times and avoid that table.
My favorite menu items are the fried chicken, hamburgers, Chef salad, and the prime rib. The fried chicken plate is 4 pieces of fried chicken with cole slaw, fries, and Texas toast $17.50. The chicken is fried to a crisp crunch exterior, moist interior. Delicious. The Texas toast is buttery divine. They have a pretty large burger selection. Classic diner burgers and fries done right. You can substitute other sides for the fries. The coleslaw and potato salad do not particularly wow me though.
Now lets talk about the prime rib. $36.95. Its only served on Friday and Saturday after 4 pm. Its not the best ever prime rib but way better than several of the steakhouses in El Dorado Hills. Its served with a salad, baked potato, vegetables, and a roll. The salad was served chilled cold, the bowl and contents. Great on a hot day. The roll I got on my last recent visit was a pretzel roll. Mmm. The prime rib was a nice substantial size. They seasoned the sides giving it a crust. Flavorful. The meat was tender. But unlikely to be a prime cut so probably a choice or select. Nothing wrong with that especially if its cooked right which they do. It was served with au jus, horseradish and sour cream. The au jus was flavorful.
Another tidbits:
+They have Tesla chargers in the parking lot.
+Mel’s has a separate bar area.
