Mellos Carry Out

This place is great! Prices are not bad because you actually get a lot of food. The location is also nice because it is near Lincoln Park Zoo. I recommend their cheese fries

Lots of beggars sit in here and ask you for money when you’re a paying customer. You can’t eat in peace.
Watched the employees tell a future paying customer that they couldn’t use the bathroom unless they bought something. At the same time, two people just sitting around not buying a thing and one of them asks you for money and the other one is arguing in the back with employees trying to sell something or who knows what. Employees do nothing.
Decent food, but this place needs to clean its act up.

How many different ways can you say horrible? Absolutely appalling. Ordered a grilled cheese and lemon rice soup, if that’s what you want to call it. First off, the worker got the soup out of the refrigerator and had to microwave it. That should’ve been my first clue, most normal restaurants that sell soup/​chili have it in a pot and just ladle it out. When I finally got the soup, it was the grossest yellow color and tasted equally gross, like toilet water, old no doubt, probably sitting in their fridge for weeks if not months. So I had to send that back. And even more interesting was about five minutes or less after I sent it back a guy came in and ordered a Greek salad and lemon rice soup, he got his order right away, (I know he didn’t call in b/​c I heard him place the order) even though I waited about five minutes for the guy to «nuke» mine… R u thinking what I ‘m thinking… I bet they gave that unassuming person the lemon rice soup that I turned in. Anyhow, I ordered French fries in place of the soup, so called «fresh cut fries,» what a joke, they were not fresh cut, well, maybe, fresh cut via the local restaurant supply store. For the «main» meal I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, my mom ordered a sausage and onion omelette, white «buttered» toast, and hash browns. We waited literally twenty minutes, if not longer, before the food was ready, again food, if that is what you want to call it. They cook their food in soy oil (I saw the cook squirting the fake yellow crap out of a squirt bottle and on to the griddle), yuck… The cheap way out… So all of the food had a horrific off taste. Fake eggs, fake hash browns/​not real potatoes, and cheese on the grilled cheese that tasted like it was purchased at the nearest Dollar Tree. My mouth tastes like the bottom of a bird cage after eating that trash. If that isn’t enough, the place is absolutely filthy, and the food preparers don’t even wear gloves. Do yourself a favor, go to your local McDonalds, it will be cleaner, better, quicker and cheaper.

I always meant to go to the Steak ‘n Egger before they closed but… Mello’s moved in! I always wanted a hot dog & fries place close by. This was it. Decent size dog (you know they buy the dogs by a number of how many to a box or lb.) and Costa didn’t shrink the dogs while increasing prices. Good Greek seasoned food and I spent many days and months/​yrs. working to Greece. More than he would ever hope for. His tzatziki was good but needed a bit more of the real thing, and he said that Americans wouldn’t like it. Then Americans shouldn’t ask for Greek food I say! About 4 yrs. ago he sold to a guy, not Greek. Not good.
Smaller dogs, increased price, worse tzatziki, cheaper and greasier gyros on the spit, forget the rib eye or ribs. I’ll say that the guy is practically absentee and there has been a high turnover ever since Mellos. The guy didn’t even know the register. Yesterday he was there and had to ask the guys if they had frozen fries. He only changed to the «healthy fresh cut» dripping and soggy with oil so the guys would have to cut them and save him $$. Now they DO have frozen also.
Everything has turned to frozen and really unnecessary since they do a good business. But this way they can do without three guys working full shifts. I have had pork souvlaki that had the end pieces tasting funky and spoiled. There doesn’t seem to be any accounting on how long the meats had been unfrozen before they made kebabs to freeze. I’ve had the same funk with the chicken kebabs, but the breasts aren’t supposed to be frozen they say. That explains why there are no onions or tomatoes on the skewer. Those don’t freeze well. But brushing all these with oil and spice might fool you. You watch next time. They put absolutely everything on the fry grill to thaw with a pot lid over. Then the meats go to the coals. They never char because they’re wet. Burgers same thing and so different tasting since Mellos left. Awful, in fact. Yesterday the dog went on the fry grill first and I asked why since they’re supposed to be steamed, right? It explains why I had a cold dog last month. Lastly, yesterday, while I was watching my dog on the fry grill (and not over the coals ever), I watched while the guy shaved off gyros meat and not for a fresh sandwich. He was filling a clear plastic pitcher with shaved meat. That explains why I saw gyros meat on the fry grill this summer. I gave up on the Italian beef before summer. Tough and ugly and, no, it is not homemade. No reason for this nonsense. Now I know why the Italian beef had a long wait, as well as everyone for anything. These items were good with Mellos.
Costa come back! He opened a place near the Lincolnwood/​Chicago city line.

Great, great fast food. Wonderful Chicago style food. I love down the stret I ma never disappointed.

The first thing I hear from this place is «Restrooms are for customers only». WTF really? Must we eat before we pee? Do I look like a homeless person? Food was mediocre at best, soggy fries and even though I asked for food to go they served me as eat in. I watched the guy who cleans up recycle left over napkins from a previous customer left on the table… yuk. BTW, their hole in the wall over protected bathroom is disgusting. Find another place that doesn’t obsess about restrooms and focuses on good tasting food and CUSTOMER SERVICE by welcoming their guests.

Your typical Chicago-​style food joint.
Dogs, Italian beefs, gyros, char broiled burgers, etc.
Their GYROs are fantastic and the hot dogs are made the way the should be. Service is nice enough as these places usually are. Small Chicago neighborhood go-​to place.

This place has gotten so much better!
Please try the gyros & chicken kebab platter!
The salad was fresh, rice was delicious, and the chicken & gyros was full of flavor!

Stick to the staples (gyros and kebabs). Those two are whats made this a popular stop. Unfortunately, they have tried to add anything else they can to their menu and most of it is garbage. I ordered the tamales and was disgusted by what they brought out. Its bad enough places similar to this used cheap food they just reheat but they actually just served the tamale, still in their gas station wrapping. Venture around the menu with caution

Visiting from out of town. We stopped here for lunch before the zoo. Very small little place but a large selection of food. It was 3 adults and 4 kids and we found something for everyone (even me the vegetarian). Burgers and fries were good and portions generous. Business really started to pick up as we left and the lunch crowd started in.

I work near this place and all I can say is fantastic – the food is good and the service is even better.
You are always greeted with a smile and everyone is super nice.
Thanks, Mello’s!

This place is safe to eat at. They have a large menu for a tiny place and everything seemed to taste and be cooked they way it is supposed to be. None of the 9 of of got sick from eating there so that is a huge plus.

Great cheeseburgers at a great price.

Service ok. The turkey burger is great, very juicy. Nothing exciting, but nothing bad either. Close to the park & zoo.

THE BOMB! the hot dogs were a hit. I had a roast chicken gyro. Very flavorful. We would definately go back there.

So, yes it is true that I hang out in Lincoln Park more
than my own hood.Hey.it’s nice to have a relative who
lives in the area cause I get to frequent some really cool places!
Now Mello’s is located on the corner of Clark and Dickens
and I have walked by many times without venturing in.
Today I decided to finally check this place out and.
what a find!
Their sign says they are a carry-​out place but for the record
they do have a few tables and a couple of window seats.
It felt warm and cozy at Mello’s when I walked in and it smelled really good in there!
So. they have typical take out items, Hot Dogs, Burgers, Gyros
and they also have dinner items like chicken and ribs,
They actually have a pretty nice sized menu. lotsa options!
Menu prices maybe a tad higher than other carry-​outs.
It is Lincoln Park after all. location, location, location!
I ordered a gyros with no onions, and thats what I got from Mello’s.
cause let me tell ya there were times when I would order a gyros with no onions from
other places and what would I find when I got home?
Unwanted Onions thats what!
So. for the record. I’m a major onion hater!
There were 2 nice guys working at Mello’s today and. they
were nice. okay. I liked them!
So. I was very pleased with the quality of service and food
Thank You Mello’s!
The only thing that bummed me out was that as I was leaving
I looked up on the menu and saw they had fresh banana shakes!
But. I was in a hurry had to leave without this shake!
I love bananas. hate onions!
So. my next visit I will have to get this banana shake.
And. since I hang out in Lincoln Park I will return to Mello’s.
Mello’s I like you. truly I do!
But if you ever give me anything with onions I wont like
you no more.:(
Just had to end on that note.:)

Truth is, I go to Mello’s because it’s on my block — I probably wouldn’t travel much farther for it. But my go-​to items are tasty: chili, fries, hot dog.
Mello’s would be my spot for a hangover-​induced craving for fountain soda — but it’s like $ 3.00 for a large one. Really???

I’m all about quick, greasy takeout. But Mellos REALLY missed the mark. How hard is it to do decent fatty food? The beef was so awful I could only get down a few bites. It was cut so thick I had trouble chewing it. The fried zucchini sounded great (you can generally fry a boot and I’ll be happy) but ended up tasting like dog food and the inside was mushy. My shake was okay.
All I could think was man… I should have made the hike to Portillos.

This place gets a 1 star for their beef, and a 3 stars for their malts and burgers. To be fair, I haven’t had the gyro’s but my roommate has told me they are solid.
I’m totally bitter — last time I was here, I ordered the terrible beef (not actual name of menu item) and fries. When I got home, I was horrified at how terrible the beef was, and pretty angry that my fries had been forgotten.
If you’re looking for pretty much anything except a gyro, I’d go somewhere else.
Oh, and it’s cash only. They do have an ATM on hand, but places generally lose points with me if they don’t care enough about their customers to provide options in how to pay. Sure, they have to pay a percentage to the credit card companies if they accept credit. But I have to pay $ 2.75 to get money out of their ATM. So, there.

Be patriotic: eat Chicago hot dogs! (I can get on board with this)
I found myself with an empty belly, and almost resorted to chocolate covered graham crackers or a really gross cupcake at Starbucks across the street. I spied Mellos in the nick of time, and saved myself the prepackaged crappola offerings…
I have a fondness for mom ‘n pop fast food joints, what can I say?
Two *Chicago-​style hot dogs + french fries: $ 4.99. Not bad! However, these are hot dogs, and at this price, methinks it should include a drink, but… ya know, so it goes.
Of course, I just ordered one, because like… I don’t need to be eating TWO super topped hot dogs in one sitting, at lunch, on a Tuesday. That ran me about $ 4.04. I think the above mentioned combo would make a great split meal, quite the romantic Chicago date, eh?
I dig the dog, yo.
Fountain pop + Gold Peak Iced Tea on tap.
A great stop in, perfect hangover food, take-​out etc. I do believe they are cash only, so ATM is located inside.
From Wikipedia:
A Chicago-​style hot dog is a steamed, boiled or grilled all-​beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun, originating from the city of Chicago, Illinois (duh). The hot dog is topped with mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish (often a dyed neon green variety called «Nuclear Relish»), a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers, celery salt, and cucumber slices.