Mel’s at 22

A lovely little spot for American food prepared a cut above. They make a solid burger, cooked to perfection with delicious fixins. The garlic pesto fries are also a warm, savory treat. We were really happy to be able to get a table on Father’s Day, of all days, after a nice morning at the Baseball Hall of Fame. The fact that we didn’t need a reservation is no negative implication of the food or service. BOTH are extremely satisfying!

Excellent and very clean restaurant!!! Food is delicious and staff were fantastic!!! Excellent job Tamika!!!

As a break during our visit to Cooperstown, Mel’s was a godsend just a couple of blocks down from the Baseball Hall of Fame. There was just so much I could take of the rugrats running around screaming at the museum and this was a quiet, more mature place I can enjoy my lunch. There were still families here, but their children were much better behaved and I’m sure the rowdier ones were at the pizza place down the street.
Starting with New England Clam Chowder was a good bet, though it was a little low in the clam department. My wife had the Lobster Roll which was more of a seafood salad, but still had a good amount of lobster. The pesto garlic fries (extra $ 2) that she ordered as her side were fantastic though. I ordered the Fried Haddock Sandwich, a large hunk of fish perfectly batter-​dipped and crispy fried to perfection, with tater tots. I wasn’t too thrilled with the taters because they were the bottle cap type, not the beer keg shaped ones and came out too crispy hard. So I snuck some more pesto fries from my wife’s plate and scooched some tots over onto hers.
Service was inconsistent because I had to ask our server for a lot of little things that other tables were getting automatically like tartar sauce for the fish sandwich and ketchup for the tots. Our water glasses were kept full though. I’ll be sure to come back next time to try them for dinner.

Server was a bit distracted. I imagine they turn tables quickly here since this is one of the more popular dining spots in Cooperstown. You definitely need a reservation.
We asked the server what to order and she pointed us in the right direction and away from a few of the items were considering. I had the baked haddock which was okay. I saw the macaroni and cheese coming out in little cast iron skillets and that looked pretty good. Best advice I can provide is ask your server if you are considering a few dishes.

This review is coming from a person who eats out regularly, in some of the best restaurants in Brooklyn, NYC and other places. Firstly my expectations were not very high at all. No offense to Mel’s but I had my doubts especially driving 4 hours through rural NY. But my husband and I were extremely impressed from the moment we walked in. 5 stars for extremely great service. Décor is beautiful. We were introduced to Mel’s amazing menu and specials. We had a very difficult time picking our meals because everything looked so great. We opted for fried calamari which could have been a little crispier and less greasy but the mild pepperoncini cut the grease. Super tasty. We were also served warm bread. I must admit, again, I took a chance and ordered the lobster risotto. I’ve had risotto many times before but this risotto is up there as one of the top risottos I’ve ever had. Yeah I know AMAZING. Scallops were seated perfectly. Everything tastes fresh! My husband had the southern inspired burger which was super tasty well cooked. All in all a fabulous dining experience in Cooperstown. As an out of town visitor I highly recommend it! Enjoy!!! (All the burgers looked so delicious BTW) pesto fries rocked too okay I will stop now :)

Mel’s is a fantastic place, the perfect refuge to the crowds in summer. The food is great, and the local staff is helpful and authentic.
Try the cucumber-​mint gimlet, a specialty of the bartender who was also very, very funny. We’ll definitely be back.

This is good, but fundamentally uninspired and rather ordinary food. The owner formerly ran the food service at the local hospital and country club — and it shows. All the standards well done.

This place is great. The atmosphere is awesome and the food is delicious. Service wasn’t super fast, but didn’t take too long. Really enjoyed it.

First place we hit up for dinner in Cooperstown and we were a little underwhelmed. The service was really good and the bread was excellent. The entrees were a bit off the mark. My fish and chips weren’t crispy, to the point where I felt that the crust was soggy. My wife got the pork special which sounded good but lacked execution. Pork was a little dry and the stuffing was not very well distributed. Overall it wasn’t bad but definitely not a five star kind of night.

My husband and I had dinner at Mel’s on a Friday night while we were in town for the weekend. We walked in at 6:00 and were told they didn’t have any openings until 9:30. We put our name in and walked around town, finding the Cooperstown Beverage Exchange so we killed time there. Make sure you make a reservation! We made our way back to Mel’s at 9:00 and they seated us right away. The food was fantastic, I had a salmon special. The drinks were good and the selection was diverse, small menu though. They had a band playing so it was a little loud but still a nice atmosphere. Would definitely recommend this place if you’re in the area!

Burgers cooked perfectly, awesome pesto tots and the mussels were fantastic. Great portions, great prices — I’ll be back.

Great food, great service, and we plan on visiting again! We had mac cheese for an app (so creamy, so good) and the southwest chicken and blue burger for dinner. I had dreams about their pesto fries… Seriously they were that good.

Service was wonderful. Ambiance top notch. Food delicious.
This is a must visit.

Came here at the recommendation from a Cooperstown local.
Had to get a late reservation because this place was hoppin. We came off season and it was mostly packed with residents from the area attesting to its good following.
Their prime rib and filet were top notch, along with a great soup and fresh bread that I could not get enough of.
What a great place to eat while visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame. The service was friendly and attentive. The owner checked in with us and we chatted for 10 minutes about everything from baseball to Boston, his home town that we were visiting next.
If you want a great meal and avoid a touristy joint while having a great meal at a fair value this is a must visit.

This place was great! It was pretty crowded for a small sleepy little town and the owner/​chef was the first person to greet us at our table. The service was great and my swordfish was PERFECT. Also had the ran goons which were different but work we so well. If you’re in town I would absolutely come check it out.

This place is not only wheelchair accessible which gives it high marks in my book to start, the service and meal were excellent. The clam chowder, beet salad, and veggie burger were especially good. Got to meet Brian himself as well, which was very nice. Oh– and the live music really put the icing on the cake. Our server, Carmon, was super friendly and helpful.
EDIT: This venue is mostly wheelchair accessible but my original review is misleading. The restrooms are not fully accessible and the bar area is not fully accessible.

This meal was perfect from start to finish! Came here in the off-​season on a Sunday night so we were seated pretty quickly. We started with crabcakes for an appetizer which were perfectly crispy and delicious!
My girlfriend got the stuffed avocado which she loved and I had the apple glazed pork chop served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The glaze was delicious as was the entire entrée.
We finished with crème brulee which was slightly too sweet but mostly delicious!
All of the food was cooked fresh, and it showed! Our waitress was super friendly and helpful. I will definitely be returning to Mel’s when I am in Cooperstown again.

We came here for lunch when me and my bf vissted cooperstown. It was a good lunch, I ordered the black and blue burger, with the tomato soup. The tomato soup is outstanding tasted like fresh tomato. The burger was very good as well. And the beer I ordered the cioperstown brued beer it was very good so I like it. My BG loved everything he order as well.
The place was clean and we had the window sit where we had the view of the small town and I loved it. The service was really good as well, my server came a few times to ask us if we are ok.
Price was good its afoorsable with good food.
We will come back the next time we are in town.

Holy. Crap. This restaurant was amazing! We came in for brunch on a Sunday morning and were greeted right away by a super friendly staff. The décor is very pretty and comfortable.
Now for the food. Our waitress (Rebecca — definitely the sweetest waitress that I’ve met in a while!) recommended the crab cake eggs Benedict and WOW! It was so good. Everything is homemade and works perfectly together. A potato cake on the bottom, homemade crab cake (with almost all crabmeat and very little filling!), and poached eggs that were cooked perfectly. Topped with a hollandaise sauce. I don’t think I breathed the whole time that I inhaled my meal.
My brother got one of the daily specials — ceaser salad with chicken and eggs on top. The chef recommended the eggs sunny side over and it complemented the salad perfectly (surprisingly enough!). My boyfriend got the crepes with a raspberry filling, light cheese, and walnuts. It was a good combination and not too much filing.
All in all, definitely give this place a visit. You will not be disappointed.

My favorite place in Cooperstown! The food is amazing, the drinks are great, the place is cozy, and the service is fabulous.
The stuffed avocado was my entrée of choice, and absolutely zero regrets about it! As a matter of fact, if I go back, I’d have it again. There’s a drink called a Hibiscus something or other. Absolutely delicious! Light and sweet and everything I’ve ever wanted in a martini!
There’s a huge photo of a cow behind the bar… he’s apparently a local celebrity… they refer to him as Andre the Entrée, and he’s adorable.
I walked in with no reservations and sat at the bar for my meal without an issue.
The bartender was very friendly, and engaged everyone at the bar in conversation throughout the evening.
If you’re in Cooperstown, I say do it!