Melanie’s Restaurant

This is my go-​to place for ordering good yet inexpensive lunch in the neighborhood. I’m going to agree with the other reviewer and say this is the place you would convince your Spanish mom to open because it certainly reminds me of a home cooked meal. Finally the $ 1.00 empanadas are great but get there early cuz these things go quick!

I came here once, and came again the next day. This place made the food just for me, and I could tell that the cook here want you to be happy when you it at Melani’s. Delicious Empanadas (meat empanadas!!), for ridiculous price, which I was willing to pay more, since I appreciate food which is made with a taste of homemade food.
The next time when I finished the food, I ordered 4 Empanadas, to take with me. I wanted my friends to try them. Simple place, run by happy people. Maybe it is not amazing, but just for the price and simplicity, they will see me again.

Let me start of with saying that this place is small, not too clean and absolutely not a good spot for a date. That being said, I love their food. It is that good home style Spanish cooking that I frequently crave. Pernil is always available, Empanadas, Cuban Sandwiches and various stews are good as well. I very much enjoy places like this, because after all, all that counts is the quality of food.

The food is great and the price it’s even better its a small cozy place the food always fresh the empanadas are only a buck and lunch it’s only $ 6, I eat their often the mofongo with pork it’s delicious it’s made to order so if your on your lunch break call ahead so they could have it ready for you, my favorite dish white rice red beans and pork chops and for soups mondongo (stripe) they do catering and free delivery

The one time I went, they had basically no food left. Not sure why they were still open. I did get a limeade. It is freshly squeezed and was a slushy consistency. It was hot so it was perfect. It was also very simple. Nothing fancy about this place. The employees don’t speak much english so…

this restaurant has come into its own — the food is very good– a little over salted but you have the option to tell them to lay of the salt. The empanadas are the best i have tasted in a long time, the meat empanadas are the best for my liking. For a quick and down home food i give it a 5 star and not expensive. I pick up food almost everyday on my way home from work and sometimes in the morning i buy meat empanadas and take to my co-​workers for breaksfast which they all love and i make their day. Very good place

I agree on the empanadas. Got their last 3 last nite. Will definitely pass by next time through the area.

I like this place just cuz. You see, when you go to places like this, Small Spanish Restaurants, the food can be overly seasoned and from a package. But this place, this place you can tell it’s for real. The food is not over seasoned, they only make a couple of dishes a day so the food is not just sitting there for the whole day in a window and, get this one guys, THEY HAVE «PEGAU». That’s then part of the rice that sticks to the bottom of the «caldero» when you’re cooking it. That’s «almost burnt» sticky, crunchy rice with a little bit of guewy to it is just plain home style cooking. I mean, it’s just the way it’s done when you go to a «Hispanic» house. Reminds me of Granda.
The empanadas their are great. Probably one of the better ones I’ve tasted if not the best. Again, they only make two kinds, chicken and beef, but they are great and you can tell they’re fresh. One time while passing this place, the owner had the door locked and was cleaning up. I looked in and said I just wanted 2 empanadas. He open the door and fried them on the spot for me. How can you not love that type of service. And the empanadas are only a buck each so he didn’t do it for the money at all.
All in All, yes. I agree with the other review on this page. This is not a breakfast, bacon and eggs kind of place at all but if you want some good, REAL HOME Hispanic Caribbean cooking. this place is it.

i gave them 3 stars which is a fair review being the fact the only things i have ever tried were their frozen lemonade drink and eggs
they aren’t too bad, but the only thing going for them are the frozen lemonade drinks that they make at 2.50 each
i asked them for sunnyside up eggs and it came scrambled in a sandwich, since then, i havent bothered ordering from them again

If your moms was awesome and Spanish or Latin American, she might make food like this, and you’d be all «Mom, you should open a restaurant» and she’d be all «OK my little hombre» and then she’d open a place like this and you’d be all, «Mom you should get more tables and clean the place up a little.» But she wouldn’t hear you because she’s cooking.
They’ve got yum stews and empanadas and it’s cheap. I can never get a table there because it’s always packed, but I don’t really want to sit in there anyway. I just want the delicious food.
Oh, and the first time I went in, I asked for a menu, and she gave me a look like, yeah right. So it’s like you have to point at stuff and say, «I want that, and some rice and beans.» Second time they gave me a takeout menu. It says there’s fast free delivery. There’s lots of stuff on the menu but I think what they want you to do is eat the special stews they made for that day, of which there are a number of choices.