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Highlights
Historic drive-in diner seen in George Lucas’s American Graffiti Serving Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner - Late Night
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About This Deal
Choose Between Two Options
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$12.50 for $20 worth of food and drink for parties of two or three
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$ for $ worth of food and drink for parties of four or more
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See the menu here.
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ALL Mels S.F. locations are open for outdoor dining and take-out.
Fine Print
Promotional value expires 90 days after purchase. Amount paid never expires.
Valid for dine-in and carryout. Limit 12 per person. May be repurchased every 365 days. Limit 1 per visit. Limit 1 per table. Valid only for option purchased.
Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services. Offer is not eligible for our promo codes or other discounts.
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About Mel's Drive-In
In 1947, owners Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs assembled a staff of 14 carhops to serve passing motorists at the first Mel's Drive-In. For the next two decades, customers partial to automobile dining flocked to the chain’s 11 California locations, eager to wash down grass-fed half-pound burgers with thick milk shakes. As fast-food outlets outpaced the drive-in's once-speedy service, its popularity declined, and it was eventually scheduled for demolition. The building got a temporary reprieve, however, when filmmaker George Lucas decided to use the drive-in's original location on Lombard Street as the colorful backdrop for his film American Graffiti. As bulldozers destroyed the last remnants of the historic drive-in, American Graffiti opened in theaters.
A decade later, though, Mel's son Steven reopened Mel's Drive-In in an attempt to carry on his father's dream. Steven restored the drive-in's multiple locations to mirror their original motif by stocking each with midcentury must-haves such as illuminated marquees, jukeboxes, and Elvis-themed WiFi passwords. The drive-in’s menu, meanwhile, balances period-appropriate fare, such as hot dogs and burgers, with healthy options, such as the Haven’s Famous vegetarian sandwich, two slices of nine-grain bread topped with avocado, sprouts, and tomatoes.
Read More About Mel's Drive-In
It has a little to do with George Lucas and a lot to do with Googie architecture.