75-year-old SF diner chain offering $4 burgers today

Seventy-five years later, Mel’s Drive-In still exists, with four locations in San Francisco and four in Southern California. It’s still in the Weiss family, now run by Colton Weiss; his brother, Chasen Weiss; his father, Steven Weiss; and Gabriel Mendez.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14, all eight locations are celebrating Mel’s Drive-In’s 75-year anniversary by offering 75% off classic menu items. That means $3.13 buttermilk pancakes, $4.24 “Melburgers” and fries, $2.07 milkshakes, and $4.05 plates of eggs, grilled potatoes and bacon. 

“Our customers supported us over all these years, and we wanted to do something fun for them and give them a little price break on everything,” Weiss said. 

The original Mel’s, which opened at 140 South Van Ness Ave. in 1947, became such a beacon of 1950s and 1960s neon-lit carhop culture that it was featured in George Lucas’ early rock ‘n’ roll film, “American Graffiti.” 

But eventually, the popularity of carhops died down. By 1972, with 11 locations across Northern California, Mel Weiss and Dobbs had sold Mel’s to the Foster’s chain. When Foster’s went into bankruptcy a few years later, Mel’s also shuttered. 

In 1985, though, Mel’s son Steven Weiss decided to revive Mel’s Drive-In with a new location on Lombard Street. This is where things get a little contentious: Two years later, Mel himself decided to get back into the restaurant business with a new Mel’s in Walnut Creek. A lawsuit cropped up between father and son, but Mel got to keep the name “Original Mels.”

Today, the separate Original Mels chain still exists in cities including San Leandro, Sacramento, Antioch and Reno, although Mel sold the company in 1994, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. It’s now owned by a group of about 50 stockholders.

Courtesy of Mel’s Drive-In.

“They’re not affiliated with us whatsoever,” Colton Weiss clarified. “We’re totally different than them, and we’re the one that’s in the movies and all that other stuff.” 

Besides “American Graffiti,” Mel’s Drive-In has recently been featured in a Snoop Dogg music video and a Pepsi commercial with Doja Cat that aired during the 2021 Super Bowl. Mel’s also counts celebrities Al Pacino, Adam Sandler, Paul McCartney, Wiz Khalifa, Andrew Wiggins and Guy Fieri as fans. 

While Mel’s has caught up with the times in some respects — it now offers fresh juices, avocado toast and Impossible burgers, and it no longer offers carhop service — much about the diner chain has stayed the same over 75 years, from the decor to the classic dishes still featured on the menu.

“We try to stay true to what we were from day one,” Weiss said. “There’s a lot of restaurants that say they’re a ’50s-style restaurant, but we’re actually from 1947. … I feel like that’s what people feel when they come to Mel’s: They feel like we’re an authentic diner.”

Mel’s Drive-In — 801 Mission St., 2165 Lombard St., 3355 Geary Blvd., and 1050 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco (hours vary by location) — will offer 75% off on select menu items on Dec. 14, 2022.