Mel's Drive-In at Universal Orlando Reopens with New Look, Menu (Improved?)

By Xavier H. 03/02/24

Mel’s Drive-In restaurant reopened this week after an extended refurbishment. The menu has changed some. Did it improve? We went on reopening day to find out.

Mel’s Drive-In restaurant has served guests traditional old-school burgers, fries, and shakes since Universal Studios Florida theme park opened in 1990. This quick service dining option closed for an extended refurbishment that started in the middle of 2023. It reopened on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

After the refurbishment, we noticed that the interior of Mel’s Drive-In looked different. The menu received a new look also. We appreciate the more contemporary look of Mel’s Drive-In restaurant. However, stepping into Mel's Drive-In still resembles stepping back into a simpler time in the past in the United States of America. Mel’s Drive-In restaurant presents guests with iconic neon signs, chrome accents, and jukebox tunes to create an authentic 1950s atmosphere. This makes a perfect place for a type of nostalgic escape. Of course, some modern upgrades were made to Mel’s Drive-In restaurant to make things work a little smoother and more appealing to theme park guests.

We tried many of the revamped menu items that appeared on February 27, 2024. How did our dining experience go?

Platters vs. Combos at Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant

Before we discuss the dining experience, we wish to remind readers about the difference between platters and combo meals at Mel’s Drive-In restaurant. Universal Orlando Resort has a pattern with quick service dining options to offer combo meals. Mel’s Drive-In restaurant continues that tradition. The difference between the standard platters, which include a sandwich/burger and fries, and the upgraded combos involves a milkshake.

In the past, milkshakes were the additional item with the combo meal at Mel’s Drive-In restaurant. That previous milkshake style reminded many of a “Frosty” from the Wendy’s fast food chain.

The price difference between a platter that does not include the milkshake and a combo that does include a milkshake used to be about four dollars more. That has changed with Mel’s Drive-In restaurant reopening. The price to upgrade to add a milkshake via a combo meal is around six and a half dollars now. In fact, according to Universal Orlando Resort’s website, some combo meals are a seven-and-a-half dollar upcharge for some orders. Though we suspect the price difference will be adjusted, we suggest you consider that price factor before ordering a combo at Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant.

Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant: Dietary Options

Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant offers several options for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diners. All sandwiches can be served with a gluten-free bun. Also, the California Cobb Salad comes in three delicious variations: featuring crispy or grilled chicken for carnivores or a completely vegetarian option. Vegan diners can also enjoy some old-school dining at Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant. The Vegan Field Roast Chili Dog features a hearty three-bean chili topped with melty vegan cheddar cheese on a toasted poppyseed bun.

We might have some bad news for vegan diners who visited Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant before the refurbishment. The vegan burger and plant-based “chicken” sandwich are no longer on the menu.

Historical Guest Reviews of Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant

This classic-looking quick service has not always gotten the best reviews from guests. Phrases like this taste like standard bland theme park food were commonly uttered in previous years. In fairness, the burger and fries-based menu can be seen as boring since theme park food at Universal Orlando has improved so much in the last ten years.

Still, no one claimed that Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant was gourmet food. The place tended to be busy during lunch and dinner hours. Thus, plenty of guests made their way to this quick service option to eat. We went to see what changes had occurred after the refurbishment.

Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant opened at 10:30 a.m. on February 27, 2024. We expect this to be the standard opening time for this dining location. Guests should also be able to make a mobile order from this dining location. So how was the new menu?

This burger presented many positive flavors. However, the burger patty was a little too dry and lacked a robust flavor. Nevertheless, when a bite combines barbecue sauce, cheese, and bacon, the flavor works nicely with the Big Bopper Burger.

As you might expect, this hot dog comes with a potentially messy issue. We suggest extra napkins with this one. Our initial reaction to this chili was that it was just average. We thought the chili with the chili cheese fries tasted better. Still, the hot dog is not bad. It just could be better.

Non-vegan diners might struggle a bit with the texture. However, we enjoyed the spice of the vegan Field Roast “dog.” Of course, the vegan cheese reduced the enjoyment for some of our group. Despite that, we all thought this made a solid menu item.

We appreciate the crispy chicken on that salad. In fact, we thought the chicken stood out nicely in this salad in just the right way. The chicken appears to have the same breading as the crispy chicken on the sandwich. We found that worked well. Most theme park guests will value this salad.

Based on our experience, the avocado ranch dressing shines as an influential flavor in this salad. We wish we had tasted more of that flavor with the chicken sandwiches. Our only concern about this salad pertains to its price. We thought $13.99 was a bit high for these salads.

We found the chili made a good topping for the fries. Guests who do not enjoy spicy chili will be fine with the chili currently being served at Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant. Both versions of the chili contain beans. This tasted solid for those who like beans in our chili. Nevertheless, the beans distracted some of our group from enjoying the chili cheese fries.

Despite that, in both cases, we preferred the chili with the fries over the chili with the hot dogs. In fact, we almost ranked the chili cheese fries as our favorite item on Mel’s current menu. Also, the vegan version tastes just as good to our carnivores as the standard chili used at Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant.

These pies are displayed in classic diner fashion on the counter, each providing a sweet touch. We found the apple pie was good, but our group preferred the other two pies more. We should note that the Strawberry Lemonade pie offers more lemon flavor than strawberry flavor. We were not disappointed by that. Still, guests looking for a powerful strawberry flavor might be disappointed with this pie. We were not!

The new milkshakes taste and look far more like actual milkshakes than the previous version. We found the vanilla to be the star of these three new milkshakes. Still, strawberry fans will find the strawberry milkshake enjoyable. These milkshakes clearly qualify as better now than before. Now, they will not dazzle any fans of authentic milkshakes. However, they stand as an improvement over the previous version of milkshakes.

Mel’s Dine-In Restaurant Summary

A burger and fries quick service theme park option will rarely make the best list of dining options. Nevertheless, Mel’s Dine-In Restaurant has shown noticeable improvement after the refurbishment. Some things remain the same. We appreciated the improved décor and pick-up area. The brighter, more modern menu board behind the counter enhances the theme park experience here.

We had a good experience overall on reopening day. The mobile order system still needs some work at Universal Orlando, but this is true across the resort. The food quality equaled or exceeded the level before the refurbishment began.

Will you be visiting Mel’s Drive-In Restaurant during your next visit? Let us know in the comments below. As always, eat like you mean it!