Weekend Fun: Mel's Drive-In in Seal Beach, CA

I recently posted about an historic example of "Googie" architecture here in Orange County which was saved from the wrecking ball. The former site of the Parasol restaurant is now part of the Mel's Drive-In chain, and we paid our first visit last weekend.


I just learned how to upload photos from my new Sprint Palm phone; the above isn't the greatest photo, but not bad for a cell phone. :)

We thought the food was extremely good and particularly liked the very fresh baguettes used for the French Dip sandwiches. However, we thought it was overpriced compared to restaurants with a similar menu; the total bill for a family of six for burgers and sandwiches was high enough we won't be returning on a regular basis.

The service was excellent. The '50s decor was fun, although I would note it was extremely noisy inside. To a certain extent this contributes to a festive '50s atmosphere, but it could be difficult chatting at times; someone needed to do a better job on the acoustic design.

All in all, recommended, with the reservations noted above.