Mel's Drive-In, San Francisco

According to the official web site Mel's was founded in 1947 by Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs in San Francisco, California. It serves the standard diner food, but that is not the reason to go there. Mel's has entered Californian culture as an iconic venue. The diners reflect a pastiche of 1950's USA complete with table based juke boxes  which for 25c will play tributes to Johnny Cash, the Coasters, et al. 

Mel’s was used as a location in the 1967 film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn are out for a drive and Tracy pulls into Mel’s and orders Oregon Boysenberry ice cream, then has a minor traffic altercation with an African American. The Mel’s was located in the Excelsior district of San Francisco. Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy never actually visited the location.

Mel's real claim to fame is that in 1972, the restaurant was selected as a feature location by George Lucas for his 1973 film American Graffiti. The Mel's used was located at 140 South Van Ness in San Francisco and was demolished after the film. Mel’s restaurants have since been featured in other media, such as Melrose Place (1996, Season 5, episode 1), Doonesbury comics (December 18, 1989), and the book The American Drive-in by Mike Witzel.

There is also a seedier side. Wikipedia reports that in October 1963, the Mel’s Drive-In chain was picketed and subjected to a sit-in by the Ad Hoc Committee to End Discrimination over the fact that while the restaurant would serve food to African Americans and hired them as cooks, they were not allowed to work "up front" where they could be seen by white customers. More than 100 protesters were arrested. The picketing ended when Harold Dobbs, a San Francisco City Supervisor who had run for Mayor and lost, settled with the protesters and began to allow black workers 'up front'. 

If you are in San Francisco drop in and consume some mythic American history. The food is secondary. However our recommendation is that the classic American breakfasts are the best option.

Mel's Club Breakfast
	Country Fresh Eggs2 any style, with our special grilled potatoes, toast, and jelly. Add ham, bacon, or sausage.
	Diced Ham & Eggsgreen onions, grilled potatoes, and toast.
	Short Stack or Wafflewith one egg and two slices of bacon or sausage
	Short Stack with Hamwith one egg
	Sirloin Steak and Egss three country eggs, potatoes and toast
	Homemade Corned Beef Hashwith two eggs
	Hight Protein Breakfastwith egg whites grilled chicken breast topped with mushrooms, asparagus and tomato slices
	Sunrise Breakfast organic eggs with local grass fed beef patties and fried potatoes with fresh fruit