Got delivery from this place. Burgers were okay...a little dry. Fries were very soggy and tasted like they were fried in year-old grease. Onion rings were pretty good once they were reheated in my oven to make them crispy (because they arrived soggy). The cheese on top the fries was very bland and didn't really taste like cheese.
Review Source: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..:)
They do not give a damn about customer service, but luckily they do give a damn about the food they make. This place is just down the street from where I live. So, it is an old stand by for myfriends and I for some hangover food, or just a good place to eat lunch on a weekend in the summer. They have a big menu, and all the food is reasonable. I like the Gyro and the breakfast sandwhiches they make are good. Seating is limited and the service is also lacking a little, they could clean off the tables a little more frequently.
Review Source:I enjoyed a quick and tasty outdoor meal with my husband and dog here today...we needed someplace we could get something to go, since the dog was with us and since there seem to be no sandwich shops or delis around, Mellos fit the bill. We got a couple spinach pies that were actually quite good and came with rice and cucumbers, olives and tomatoes. All was fresh and authentic. My husband got a tossed salad that also was very decent. I don't know what people expect from a corner joint like this, but if you order wisely, you'll get what you paid for. One side note: They boast having the "best milkshakes in Chicago," which really doesn't sound accurate! Then again, I didn't try one, so I don't know for sure.
Review Source:I'm all about quick, greasy takeout. Â But Mellos REALLY missed the mark. Â How hard is it to do decent fatty food? The beef was so awful I could only get down a few bites. Â It was cut so thick I had trouble chewing it. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â But I have to pay $2.75 to get money out of their ATM. So, there.
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Maybe if they treated their employees like employees I could enjoy this place.
My taste buds got mugged here. Nasty Italian beef topped with a cheese-like substance. Every surface in the place is covered with that weird impossible-to-wash-away layer of sticky, greasy film.
But, do ya know what I did....just for you? Â I *went back!* Â On my second visit, I ordered the chicken kabob, which was obviously microwaved-to-order and teetered on the verge of being completely flavorless.
This one's a no-go.
I came here to get the Gyro, as that was recommended here on yelp.
Note: I've had a lot of Street Cart Gyro's in NYC. Â I wasn't really impressed with this. Â I can't call it any better or worse than mediocre. Â It was identical. Â They gave a good amount of lamb, which was nice (though at a higher price than I am used to), so it evens out.
The fries were tasty, but soggy. Â I guess that is the penalty for doing takeout.
BEST F***ING GYRO EVER.
Open disclosure: I'm a Michigan kid, and for me, gyros were always "Olga's" (that bread is like crack, seriously, and I'm shocked there is still no Olga's in the Chi) and when I got to Chicago i hated every. single. gyro. I. had.
It was either too severe, the pita was crap, or whatever else.
Mello's is the only place here I was like "Oh, shit, this is GREAT!:" Â And on top of that I will say I am always a "hold the onions" type wherever I go since I despise raw onions, but this gyro is that. frikkin. good. Â My mouth crushed those onions, and happily.
Fantastic lunch spot with all the best you want. I also love the old school quarter-board for a good cause by the fountain soda (and I guilted my friend into adding a quarter!). Â This is just an amazing place.
LOVE IT. Â I thought I could never love a gyro aside from Olga's, but Mello's is some serious damn competition. Â Just sayin'.
OK, for those of you outside the Chicago area, we have a ludicrous amount of hot dog joints, all selling either Vienna Beef or Red Hots. Â This is almost a hot dog joint like any other with Vienna Beef products and excellent fries. Â So, why the 5 stars? Â I will give you one word:
Gyro.
That is all you need to know. Â This could be the best Gyro on the planet, nay, the universe. Â When you order the dinner, and it is a little pricey for a Gyro at $7 and change and only includes either fries or a drink, but you will get a ridiculous amount of expertly roasted, melt in your mouth Gyro meat. Â Seriously, it fills up more than half the platter. Â If you had an extra pita, you could easily make two sandwiches out of what they heap on this one platter.
If memory serves, they also make some great shakes as well, but who could ever have room for it?
I've recently tried Mello's for the first time after living in the area for three years - wow did I miss out...
I've had the Italian beef - extremely tasty, bread was soaked in au jus and the beef was tender. The gyros are far and away the best I've had and the chicken kabobs have so much flavor it makes for a difficult ordering decision.
The appetizers and sides are also excellent. The simple Greek salad has lots of flavor, the fries are crispy and hot and the fried zucchini is amazing.
Go to Mello's - it's delicious and priced just right!
Stopped by for a late lunch next to Lincoln Park. This place is quick and efficient with only one cashier and one cook. Good variety of comfort foods on a more an unexpectedly diverse menu from hot dogs to chicken to ribs to burgers to sandwiches. I got the rib tips, which were tender and moist, and some crunchy fries which definitely satisfied the soul. Lot of great combo meal deals.
Review Source: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.
Delicious fries, thick shakes, greasy burgers. Perfect summer/hangover food.
Minus one star because I've noticed they can get sort of flustered and lose track of happenings when they have more than a few orders up at once.
I agree with Christina B., too, in that they're not the quickest chefs. Â I mean, of course, I don't want to lose quality or get food poisoning, but it takes a while for even a simple order.
Otherwise, EAT UP! =)
Fries alone give this place 4 stars! Â You can usually tell when fries have sat for a while and these did. Â BUT THEY WERE STILL AWESOME!
Cheese Dog was pretty good as the cheese was hot and pretty thick. Â Flavor was lacking but it was still ok.
Wife said that there was no celery salt added to the dog. Â Strange to not have that in Chicago.
Great neighborhood carry-out place! Everything is just basic and good: burgers, hot dogs, gyros, fries. We even order garlic bread to bring home when we are making spaghetti (hey, its cheap and quick!)
A quick warning: Mello's is not a quick place. I recommend grabbing a menu from them and keeping their number in your cell phone to call ahead. When we order from there, we call ahead, walk the 2 long blocks and still have to wait. Allow 5-10 minutes on basic stuff.
mellos has the best veggie burger i have ever tasted. PERIOD. its so random...b/c its basically a hole in the wall type of 'fast food' type of joint...zero ambiance. Â BUT if you are a connoisseur of veggie burgers like i am...i'll attempt to describe it to you...its more of the "garden" variety than the "meaty/boca" variety...as in you can see and taste vegetables rather than some overly processed mystery "meat". i don't know if they make the patties themselves or buy them, but scrumdiliumptious. EVERYTIME.
Review Source:Oh, I miss you Mellos!
I used to be a regular, when I lived a block away. As dives go, this place is a step up from the masses. The only thing I ever had here that was sub-par was a turkey burger that was overcooked. Of course, I probably got the same thing 66.67% of the time: the chicken kabob sandwich with rice. Mmm, mmm good. And I love that they have rice as an alternative to fries, and it's actually tasty!
The prices are good and the people are nice. Just be warned: there is a picture of a cute little girl (the owner's daughter? grand-daughter?) by the tip cup, indicating that it's for her college fund. I generally stuffed a buck in there. But if you're not a carry-out tipper, you might feel a bit more guilty than usual.
Grilled cheese could have used more cheese or been on Texas Toast, or both. Â Fries were good. My dad had to ask for peppers on his Italian beef, was missing something. Â Fried shrimp was definitely frozen but nice that they have it as a selection. A wide variety of items and fairly cheap. Â It is what it is. It's in a good location and close to the zoo. Better than eating at the zoo cafeteria. Â Would have liked to try the shakes/malts but the line was out the door by the time we left.
Review Source:Mello's is awesome. I work a couple doors down and I'm so happy to have a little place to get cheap, fast and tastey food nearby. The owner is often there taking your order and he's a real nice guy. His employees are just as friendly. Though their offerings seem pretty standard (gyros, burgers, hot dogs, etc, with a few surprises like whole/half chickens and homemade baklava) I would say their quality sets them apart from other little diners. While some of their items go straight from the freezer to the fryer, many are prepared fresh in house, and you can taste the difference. Their fries are outstanding and fried up when you order them (watch out, they're hot!). And they deliver!
I recommend their veggie burger. It's more than decent and definitely the best that can be found at a corner diner.
Someone else said "better than your average dive," and that about sums it up.  I like this place because they actually do some cooking rather than unpackaging and frying.  My experience  thus far (of which there are bound to be many more) are only with the burger and the Italian beef sandwich.
My Italian beef (hot, dipped) was decent. I got it because they make the beef in house and you can taste that it's true. Â The au jus was just right and the gardinaire was the right balance of tangy and hot. Â It was decent and hit the spot, by doesn't come close to Luke's, the best Italian beef on the planet.
My girlfriends burger was obviously packaged and unremarkable, but they do use S. Rosen buns, which makes a positive difference.
Now the fries. Â The fries were everything I want from fries. Â Do you like Burger King's fries? Â I do. Â Mello's fries are like their big brother. Â They've got that potato-y crisp outside, but the inside is a delicious soft mess of hot goodness!
I don't care what you get at Mello's but get some fries with that!
We order from Mellos almost every week at work. There are limited options for reasonably priced food in this are...but I'm glad Mellos is so close!
I'm a fan of their gyro's and the grilled chicken and salads. their chicken strips are great and the cheese fries hit the spot when you have a craving!
For being a little hole in the wall place they are pretty great. We've ordered breakfast from them as well. Simple and well priced!
Yay! I am indeed a fan. Four stars on the gyros alone. (According to my one Greek friend, this is correctly pronounced "year-oh." And according to all my other friends, I'm a pretentious boob for now pronouncing it that way, too). Oh, and the fries are lovely.
I was initially a little skeptical of this place based on its condiment-colored decor, fluorescent lighting, and surly-looking owner. Also, being new to the neighborhood, I was still ooh-ing and aah-ing over the shiny array of Lincoln Park eateries and had no eyes for this homely little corner place.
However, I am now a three-season LP-er and have learned a few things in my time here. First among them is that appearances are no indication of quality. Second is that I actually only have five or so places I like eating in Lincoln Park. This is one of them.
I broke the Mello-cherry a few months ago, when a delicious waft of gyro meat shook its fist under my nose and said, "Now see here!" I listened  quickly got over my hesitation and ordered a gyro with fries.
I got that to-go bag home with a quick step and a thin stream of drool running down my chin. As I ate, my little cat kept looking up at me and clawing my leg in desperation, but I just couldn't spare a bite.
When I was done, I breathed a slightly onion-scented sigh relief: Tons of (I hate the word, but it's the only one that works here) moist meat, thick pita up to the challenge, excellent tzatziki, a chunk or two of tomatoes, a few thin ribbons of onion. After trying gyros at two other places -- one of them a particularly well-reviewed Greek restaurant -- I was halting my search for a delicious, fast, reasonably-priced, fuss-less neighborhood gyro. Â
Someday, I may branch out a little. But the last three trips have been gyros all the way.
PS - In a totally sophomoric aside, the spell check suggested "testis" for "tzatziki." Ha.
This place is just around the corner from where I live. Â Indeed the best hole in the wall in my neighborhood! Â They have good (bad) food in their menu - from chili dogs to italian meat sandwich to gyros. Â Their milk shake is good, too! (they claim their shakes as the best in Chicago.. I'd say .. pretty close! ^.^)
Prices are reasonable - a few tables for eat in but most of the time I would order for take out.
Lost one star bcoz of lacking of vegie selection. Â Definitely a place for those who love greasy good food - not for the health junkie.
We ended up here by default because we did not have time to wait at our first choice. However, it was a great place for lunch!
The price was right. The fries rock, the burgers are good and a friend had an awesome grilled chicken breast with a  dinner salad side. That was quite tasty and made me wish I had ate healthy.
The employees were very friendly. Great service.
I love this place! Â What you see is what you get - if you're looking for ambiance, don't go here. Â But, if you're looking for delicious greasy food in a family-run, neighborhood spot, this is your place. Â The owner, who also works the grill and cash register, is so nice. Â I always feel like family when I go in there (even though I try to limit the grease intake to a couple times a month. ;)
Review Source:People really do review everything on Yelp! Â Never would have thought of reviewing this place, but upon coming across it just had to throw in my 2 cents. Â I live across the street and have dragged myself over to Mello's many hungover mornings for a life-saving cheeseburger and fries. Â It's good with no alcohol in your bloodstream too, I swear. Â The chicken kabobs with rice and salad are a great quick dinner when I'm too lazy after work. Â Service is always fast and the owner always has a smile and a "hi, honey!"--in a non-creepy way, don't worry.
Like everyone has said, its really just a little corner joint, but I'm personally THRILLED its in my 'hood :)
3 and a half stars. Â A hole in the wall that had a good hot dog and some tasty fries.
I assume I'll be back because it's convenient and cheap. Â And, as I try more stuff, maybe I'll bump it up to 4 stars...
If you need a quick bite and are at the LP zoo, stop here. Â I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Hello? Â Dive! Â So good. Â Great crunchy fries, and fantastic greasy food for when you really need. Â Also? Â Really, really cheap. Â I can't imagine why this doesn't deserve four stars in the dive/greasy food category. Â Just because it's not, say, Frontera doesn't mean that it's not good.
We'll be going back.
Not a huge selection for the non-carnivore, but if we're hard-pressed on time & money & like another reviewer said, just too damn lazy, we'll swing by here & pick up some cheese fries & whatnot. Â The baklava is tasty, but don't be fooled by its little size ... it's a lot to take ... might want to have two people finish it unless you're a huge baklava fan!
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