I went for lunch a couple of weeks ago and decided to try their chicken marsala. I was so disappointed in this dish! The chicken tasted old and was stringy... It certainly was not what I expected from this restaurant. I was actually shocked at how bad the chicken was and I guess from now on I'll just try their pizza because after that experience I don't really trust them to make other dishes that taste good.
(2)
Rob H.
Since moving to P. Hill six months ago, this has become my our "go to" pasta joint. I have tried many different pasta and sauce combinations, and almost all of then have been fantastic. I would have to say the stand outs have been their pesto sauce with tortellini (my fav) and their pasta Emeliana. The only thing I would honesty tell anyone to avoid is their Gorgonzola sauce. It was very watery, and to date, the only item on the menu I would not recommend. Most of my experience with Melo's has been via take out. That being said, we have never had any problems with our orders, and their time estimates have always been spot on. It's a limited view of their customer service, but i have been very impressed. Melo's is a great spot, and worth checking out if you are in the area or looking for some great pasta.
(4)
Shahrooz H.
Man it doesn't get any better than Melo's baby! Their food is always excellent and consistent. The only thing that I don't like is that the service can somewhat be slow, especially if you go in the middle of the day. Which is odd because you'd think that since it isn't as busy you'd get faster service. Either way Melo's is excellent and it's always a great choice!
(5)
Nic N.
Bring back the caprese salad!! Otherwise this place is awesome. Taste like grandmas sauce! (Does not apply if YOUR grandma can't cook!)
(5)
Jamie C.
Pizza was delicious. Tried their garlic fries which were also good. Seems like a lot of people come with friends or family. Has a nice interior vibe and honest servers. Come hungry, there's a lot of food to be had.
(4)
vanessa a.
This was one of the best pizzas I have had in a long time everything was so authentic . It was everything I look for when I feel like eating Italian food the service was great as well
(5)
AJ T.
My waitress was an older white haired woman with an accent. She spent the entire time talking to another table. It took her more than 10 minutes to take our drink order and she never brought us any refills. We had to wait forever for our check and I heard another table also complaining about her. The guy behind us finally got tired and went to pay the hostess because she never brought his check. The food was good but horrible service ruined it. She obviously is not a good waitress and must work there because she is related to someone.
(2)
Marlon O.
I would give Melo's 5 stars for the food. All around good but -1 for service and -1 for waiting 30 mins for a table on a Fri. or Sat. night. When I first started comming here about 4 years ago service was all good. The past year it has kept getting worse and worse. Kudos to the guys tossing pizza as my kids love to sit and watch. They always give my kids some fresh dough to play with and that keeps them busy while we wait =)
(3)
Tomo K.
Definitely one of the better pizza places I've ever had. Word of caution it is a little on the salty side but the combination of sauce, cheese and toppings are perfect.
(4)
Petey H.
Mom and dad bring home food from Melo's quite often. Dad knows the owner (Guy) and the owners cousin (Tracy). They go back a long way ... to the '80s I believe. Anyway, my sister Wave and I get little hand outs of pizza as mom and dad scarf most of the meal. The flavors are enormous ... I can smell the food when dad drives up in his truck. My smeller is really that good. Wave can smell that far out as well. Just being around when it's Melo's night is a gift. Wave and I are very lucky. We like Melo's pizza a lot.
(5)
Tony H.
Good pizza and good service...
(4)
Amanda S.
I've been getting Melo's Pizza since I was a Baby. It's what I judge every other pizza up against. I've found others that have come close, but nothing is better then a Melo's Pizza!
(5)
Geary L.
Melo's what has happened to you? Long a local, (Pleasant Hill), favorite, has "success" killed what made you successful? We have been eating at the Contra Costa Blvd. location for nearly 25 years. It was great when it was a "hole in the wall"! Pretty good with the modern "strip mall" update. But lately, just not that good. My comments are pizza only. I don't "do" American Italian pastas. It's all about the pizza. The pizza has gone from great to just better than the factory places. What happened? Skimpin' on toppings. The crust is kinda dry, not the old crispy exterior and light , chewy interior. I am a simple pizza guy, just one or two selected toppings for the cheese, if any. This lets each of the component flavors shine. On my last few visits the toppings were lost like specks on the pie. I'm talking about the "double price" toppings here. You pay twice the price and the topping(s) were MIA? The mozzarella just no longer seemed like the high, quality "real cheese" that it use to be. Hopefully this is a passing decline. If not Melo's has lost its magic!
(3)
Jarat D.
We drove Down from San Jose to to get pizza it wasn't even ten o'clock they close at ten thirty, we wanted to sit down and eat are food, the woman behind the counter said we could not sit inside cause they where closing? So we ate on the bench out front after paying 27 dollars, there where many people still inside eating, how rude I am taking this further, no one will treat my family like this, her name was Cassie. Also the food was cold. Pissed off!
(1)
Meena P.
Discovered this pizza joint recently. I love their pizza. I have become disenchanted with delivery pizza (see my other reviews). I just wished they delivered. The pizza is the perfect crust, amount of sauce and cheese. We always get the veggie pizza and a salad. We have picked up their pizza many times but a couple of weeks ago we went there and at in the restaurant. It was crazy busy on a Saturday night, which is always a good sign. Defnitely would recommend this place.
(4)
sam l.
The pizza was served lukewarm and tasted of cardboard. I tried to discuss w the manager but he seemed much more interested in the rear quarters of the waitress. Whatever you do - NEVER call in advance!
(2)
Britney F.
Yummmm, Mmmmm. I remember coming to Melo's when I was a toddler and being given pizza dough to play with. This restaurant is SO family-friendly, they have many different sports games being shown on their large TV's, and the pizza to TOP NOCH! If we are going out to dinner, you'll find us at Melo's! My family from out of town makes special visits to eat at Melo's and believe me, we are picky about our pizza! The service is always excellent, the wait is never too long, and they have always made our pizza right!
(5)
Angela A.
i have been going here for years and i have never had a bad meal. My favorite is the gnocci but the pizza is to die for!!!
(4)
Lindsay J.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous restaurant! At least food-wise. I haven't dined-in in years so I can't comment on the service or anything, but the cuisine never disappoints. The pesto, pancetta, and tomato pizza is to die for!
(5)
Nikki P.
We had dinner to go last night and it was OK. Small protions and the sauce was really watery. We wont be doing take-out from there again!
(3)
Kymberli C.
3.5 stars. Stella and I came here because we were starving and driving around aimlessly looking for a place to eat. She was craving a sandwich and soup and unfortunately Melo's didn't have either, but we did have a pretty good meal. We split a pasta and pizza and a salad. Everything was pretty tasty. The small pizza is a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. The tables were pretty much filled and it was pretty busy. Our waiter was friendly and answered our questions and filled our requests.
(3)
Aric W.
I went in and asked for something fast. they told me what i could get and it came within 2 minutes. They said any spaghetti, so i got the alfredo one because i just don't like red sauce that much. The spaghetti was very good. Not amazing, but amazing for only taking 1 minute to prepare. Bread was standard. I would knock of 1/2 star because it was 10 bucks, but i round up and you know, times are tough, you gotta charge what you gotta charge. Plus there are always cute girls working there.
(5)
Nicholas H.
The wings are good and the pizza is better. Some yelpers have commented on the service, expect slow service and be pleasantly surprised with mediocre service. The staff appears to be the cheer leading squad from one of the p-hill area high schools. I went there with a cautious vegetarian who received a pretty epic salad. I was shocked! The food is good and prices are pretty cheap. If you are a Zachary's lover this may not be the place for you. Personally I'm with Kevin A. as favoring this over the deep dish of Z's.
(4)
Lily Ann B.
This place made me feel like I was in middle school again. I've never been in a place that felt so frozen in time. (Except when I walked past the barracks on Treasure Island.) I mean, neon! And Madonna over the speakers! I felt like I was in the Cafe 80s from Back to the Future II. Anyway, came here with my mom because apparently it's a bit of a regular hangout for the Jazzercize ladies. I seriously don't remember what pizza I ordered other than it was meatless, but it was VERY good. Thin crust done just right, with a generous amount of tomato sauce, cheese, and red peppers. The waitress was friendly but EXTREMELY slow to come back to our table after initially seating us.
(4)
Victor L.
Free bread as you wait for your appetizers, pasta and pizza. Free dough for little kids and teens AND adults. Delicious fettuccine! Recommend their spinach shrimp fettuccine. Pizza is beyond godlike. Any toppings or size, they will try to make it to perfection!. I always end up with leftovers too so that's a plus ahaha.
(4)
V T.
I just don't get what's so great about this place. The pizza is pretty plain, no better than anywhere else. And the service isn't very good either. To top it off, it was actually on the expensive side.
(2)
Roy C.
One of the best pizza restaurants in the Bay Area. They give small children a bit of dough to make their own pretend pizzas and kill some time. I only wish I lived closer so I could eat there more often.
(5)
Nedra D.
Excellent pizza, really good pasta. I've been going here for the last 15 years and still love it. The service is always good and fairly quick. I like their pizza genovese (pesto pizza with prosciutto and tomatoes) as well as their gnocchi. for lunch, they have a good meatball sandwich.
(4)
Joe O.
I really wanted to like this place. So after my first subpar meal, I went back...again and again. 4 pasta dishes and 1 pizza later, I doubt I will ever go back. The canneloni was so bland and was overpowered by the tomato sauce that tasted like it came straight from a jar. The mozarella cheese was the only thing that had flavor. While the pizza did have a thin crunchy crust that I enjoy, the rest of the pasta dishes just tasted like frozen pasta you can buy at the market. If you want some good pasta, there is this one place on College Ave in Berkeley.
(2)
Joseph D.
Super great pizza, we always get garlic bread with cheese and a pepperoni, olive and Canadian bacon pizza. Service is always good! My girl and I ate here recently and I wanted a lot of water so our server gave me a small pitcher with a straw!!! I loved it!
(5)
John J.
It's a Pizza Parlor--and the Pizza is king. Probably the best 'Za I have had in the area. Pick up a pie and take it home, or eat it there. If you are eating there, as we did on Saturday, just remember, it's a Pizza parlor, and service is not going to be like at the Sheraton or the Claremont, okay? We had a pizza with Eggplant and Kalamta Olives and Feta cheese on a thin crust and another with mixed meat and green peppers on a regular crust. (Both combos on the menu) In both cases the sauce had a nice zesty zing to it. Yummers! Ingredients were fresh and tasty. The 'Za was well executed. The thin crust was nice and crisp and tasto-licious without being overdone . The crust was not so crisp that you could not fold it, but just right. The regular crust had a lovely texture and flavor. Toppings were just right. Service--look, it's a Pizza parlor, okay. The service was kinda spotty but alright. Pizza came before we were done with our salads, and other little minor miscues such as failing to ask if anyone would like more to drink. (My pal had to ask twice for more beer...) Our server was pretty young--teenager early 20 something, maybe. Obviously not a professional waiter.
(4)
mark v.
Very good pizza. We live about a mile from the place, so to go there is very easy. Melo's is our 'place to go to' when we want pizza. If I lived in San Francisco, I would not go out of my way to go to Melo's (I would go out of my way to go to Zachary's in Oakland, however). But if I lived within 7 miles of Melo's, I would go there when I wanted a great pizza.
(4)
Julie U.
I love, love, love this place. I've been eating pizza here for 7 years. The pizza is great, the garlic bread with cheese is amazing. Everything I've ever tried has been good. I have to confess, I've often gotten poor service or rude waitresses but it won't stop me from coming back. Don't go if (sometimes) bad service would really bug you, but the food is amazing.
(5)
Tracy A.
We had a birthday dinner here tonight for my sister-in-law. It was her choice. We were going to be in the neighborhood for an early holiday party anyway. We ordered a Margarita pizza to share and two of us had Minestrone soup. The pizza was OK. The youngest member of our group didn't like the Margarita pizza because it had basil on it and it freaked her out. So, we ended up ordering her a small cheese pizza. I thought the cheese pizza was better than the Margarita. I also had 2 pints of Gordon Biersch Marzen. I might try them again if it was convenient.
(4)
Gina J.
Best Pizza around. Always fresh and hot and delicious. The staff are all very young and tend to stand around talking more then working. But as for the food, delicious!!
(4)
alyson w.
the tasty pizza comes from the combined pizza pan/rack thing they use. this genius setup allows the grease from the pizza to drip below and get trapped in the pan, keeping the crust crispy and alyson happy.
(5)
Kym P.
Love Melos! Pesto sauce....yum. I always get it to go and have swift service.
(4)
Lavender R.
The service is great. My 2 favorite dishes to eat are the meat lasagna and chicken parmigiana. I've never tried the pizza but my family has a they love it.
(4)
Jake L.
Good pizza and pasta. Very greasy though.
(4)
Alyssa C.
Great pastas and service is top notch! Haven't tried the pizzas yet. Only drawback is that it can get expensive.
(4)
Dan B.
Been going to Melos since 1983 when they were in a small hole in the wall location just a couple of doors down from their current location. The pizza and service was perfect. Ever since the move, quality in every area has steadily declined. By appearance, the facility and staff are clean and shiny but the pizza is only half what it once was and the waiting staff are the dime-a-dozen youngster type who think way too highly of themselves. The "big move" from the tacky location years ago was sad. Melos used to have a comfy rustic feel and drew a steady clientele. The new location has an ambiance that caters to a "different" crowd. I just stopped going there. The pizza went out the window along with the unpretentious atmosphere.
(2)
Rachel S.
Good pizza and bruschetta. Their BBQ Chicken pizza is my favorite!
(4)
Daniel P.
I went today after class for a party and it was a blast. The staff didn't seem to mind us sliding a bunch of tables together and making a lot of noise. The pizza didn't take too long and it was really good. I particularly thought that the BBQ pizza was very good and unique.
(4)
Kevin A.
First off I am not a deep dish pizza guy -- Zachary's is great but not a go to for me. Their pizza is, in my humble opinion, kind of bland for some reason. That being said, I think Melo's makes one of the best tasting pizza's around. We know the guy who supplies them with their ingredients and they only use top of the line cheeses and meats (if I rememebr rigth it is the same supplier as Zachary's). Means you get more taste out of the cheese rather then just a lot of cheese. Their pasta puttanesca and caser salads are pretty solid, too. Bottom line: Best Pizza in CoCo County! [Mary's does a half way decent job too but that is another review]
(4)
Daniel A.
Good pizza, love the garlic bread with cheese. Would recommend if in the area.
(4)
Meliza L.
This place serves fresh authentic pasta and pizza. Everything is delicious...including the bread and salads! Great place to have a family dinner. I have yet to try anything there I didn't care for. Added bonus - they gave my 2 year old some pizza dough to play with! This place beats out any Olive Garden or Buca di Bepo in terms of quality of food!
(4)
Eva M.
Best pizza this side of the tunnel. The Melo's combo is as good as it gets. If you decide to skip the pizza and go for the pasta, you really can't go wrong with any of them. Great family atmosphere. Gets really busy at dinner and almost always has a wait, but it's totally worth it!
(5)
Ko N.
14 years ago you used to be called "Melo's New York Style Pizza". I loved your pizza and when my family decided to move to New York when I was in high school, I didn't feel so bad because I loved your "new york" pizza. Lies!!! New York pizza was nothing like yours, it was gooey cheese that fell off the bread, you can't even pick up NY pizza by the crust, you have to literally fold it to eat it. You do not make new york style pizzas but I will always love you and I hope we meet in our 15 year reunion.
(5)
Kym B.
Oh how I miss Melo's. I live too far now. Forget the pizza, there are two dishes that are deleesh. It's been a while so I can't remember the names. 1st is a Bistecca, steak with garlic and lemon. 2nd is Chicken pasta with prosciutto in a white wine cream sauce. I've managed to replicate the chicken pasta at home, but I can't get the Bistecca. Their steak is sliced thin and very tender. YUMO!
(5)
Kathleen M.
The pizza here is awesome! Beware, it does get crowded.
(4)
Laverne E.
We have been going to this place for a long time, but may not go back for the following reason. The last time we were there: The Host was not the friendliest person, nor could you hear what he was saying. We get seating. Takes a while to get the waitress. She takes our order and disappears. She comes back with our drinks and we notice the table next to us has bread and butter, we weren't offered. So our meal comes out. First the pizza and about 5 minutes later the pasta. These were delivered by someone other than our waitress. So my salad never arrived and if we wanted anything more we would have to go get the waitress. Pizza was ok, pasta was ok (but they don't use pancetta as the menu indicates). No one ever came to check on us. When the waitress came back to clear our table, she never asked if maybe we wanted coffee or dessert. That was our last time to Melo's.
(2)
Steerpike S.
Wonderful place! Not only is the Pizza good (it used to be my favorite until I discovered Pizza Antica in Lafayette), but their pastas are really good too. And their garlic bread is the absolute best - no goopy greasy sauce like most places. I had my first ever Putanesca here, and have yet to find a better one anywhere. Their fresh fettucini with pesto sauce is great too. The four cheese pizza was my old favorite. The only bad thing I ever had here was the buffalo wings apetizer ... but what was I thinking? ! It's cheap and fast, but also pleasant, and with a generally good wait-staff.
(4)
Michelle M.
This is my go to place for Gnocchi Bolognese. It's the best. Perfect texture, not too mushy, slightly chewy, hearty, and the sauce is AMAZING. Personally, I think the pasta dishes are better than the pizza. I also love the Tagliatini Fellini and the Linguine with Clam Sauce. TRY THE PASTAS!
(5)
Michael S.
Really good pizza! The service is always great, although it can be a bit slow during the rush times. I haven't tried too many other dishes other than the pizza because I particularly like the pizza. Plus who can turn down sharing a good pizza with good friends.
(4)
Sasha V.
This is a really enjoyable place to go for dinner. They are more of an American Italian mix with their food. They make some good pizza and pasta's. I have had a few times when the food wasn't at its best. So they do struggle with consistency but overall they are usually pretty good. I never have had a problem with the service especially since they always seem to have the cutest waitresses and hostess working there. If you want a simple Italian family style restaurant this is a good place to go.
(4)
Dennis N.
Great pizza and amazing Ravioli Emiliana!! The service is usually pretty slow, best to go before normal dinner and lunch hours but its always worth it...
(4)
Heather K.
Hate this place. I've been here a few times with my friends or coworkers and didnt receive the service that I was expecting. Ive heard good things about this place, but it isn't all that. The service is alright, but the food is nothing to brag about. I noticed a cockrotch near the kitchen. That is enough reason for me to stop going back. Also, they got my order wrong twice.
(1)
Robert B.
Melo's is by far my favorite pizza place. I have been a Melo's fan since the 80's when it was a dinky pizza place and the place to go after high school.
(5)
Michelle G.
Had a great dinner there tonight with the family. I have to admit that I've never actually had a bad meal here! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that sometimes the service can be a little slow.
(4)
Erin H.
The food is the best. Best pizza ever. Been coming for almost 30 years. Sometimes the service is marginal, but there is no complaining about the food.
(5)
D Y.
had the melos combo, veggie delight, and bbq chicken pizzas. they are good. the most noticeable thing is that they use very fresh ingredients. i hear the pasta is good here too, so i'll try it some day.
(4)
Ariana P.
Come for food, pizza enthusiasts will appreciate their fresh salty crust and top-notch toppings. Pasta dishes range from whites to reds to greens, and all are cooked exquisitely. Service here is hit or miss, take out is convenient. Staples are: pizza, mafalda con pollo, lasagna, and peso primivera. Alcohol menu is disappointing, stick to the food and you'll be satisfied.
(4)
John D.
Sometimes this place is a four star experience, sometimes it's a one star ordeal. Usually, the service is good. Often, the pizza is great. Sometimes, the pizza is questionable, and occasionally, the service is horrendous. Warnings: I have twice walked out of this place after waiting more than 15 minutes for service--on neither occasion was the place at all busy. Usually, however, the staff is fine. Also, the place looks like Patrick Nagel threw up all over it, so if you don't like 80s decor, you might have a hard time with the atmosphere.
(3)
Jason W.
Love this place! When I think hard I can only think of maybe two other Italian places that even compare! Go there today!
(4)
John W.
This is one of my favorite places. The pasta is fantastic, and if someone at my table orders pizza, then it's icing on the cake. Do NOT miss the garlic cheese bread if you go here.
(4)
Jocelyn F.
Yummy. I had the cannelloni and the roasted tomato bruschetta. Once I tasted the cannelloni I felt dumb for wanting to go to the pho place across the street. It was excellent and the sauce was rich. Too much cheese on top though. I had to pick it off. Next time I'll ask for no cheese and more sauce. The bruschetta tasted marinated and that was nice. Fabulous when the flavors permeate the cheese. Service was excellent. Highly recommended.
(4)
Ben C.
good pizza.
(4)
Kim C.
Went there with 3 hungry kids on 8/3 at about 1:30. So, not the crazy lunch hour, but we had to wait 10 minutes before I got up to say we were ready. The server said, sorry we were trying to figure out who got your table. I said, "Well, can I give you my order and you figure that out later, I've got hungry kids" (knowing it takes a good 15-20 to bake a pizza.). So the one girl comes up, takes our order, and then it is another 10 minutes at least until the other server brings us water (guess they straightened out their table argument). Anyway, so I had to ask again to bring the kids dough and bread (this is my 3rd time asking) because the first girl didn't relay this info to the 2nd girl. So, now 25 min in and we finally have water and bread. The food finally comes, and the gluten free pizza was delicious, as well as the kids spaghetti-which came about 7-10 minutes after the pizza, sigh. I got the new BBQ chopped salad and was hoping for CPK quality, because I love that salad. It was fine, but drowning in ranch. I write this review in hopes that the manager/owner will read it and talk to his staff about service in non-peak hours.
(2)
L O.
DELICIOUS! If you're in town don't miss this spot! It's the best. Speedy service, comfortable setting, parking is always available, and foods is fantastic - can't go wrong!
(5)
Jenn t.
hot waitresses, great service, better food!!! Tagliatini Felini is THE best eat here!!!
(5)
William D.
This place started out as a little hallway twenty something years ago,any food establisment that makes it that long must be doing a few things right.The pasta, pizza & salads are all good.Very busy on the weekends.Good beer & friendly service.
(4)
Monica G.
i had the calamari (small crispy and Delicious!) and a shrimp ravioli (flavorful,large serving with chunks of shrimp!)...i have absolutely no qualms about this place...i will definitely return!
(4)
kimberly l.
yummy pizza!! good crust ,fresh toppings i would say one of the best pizza places in the area. i have only had it to go so i cant speak on the customer service.
(5)
Theoldlady F.
Restaurants should not be run by children. Between the hostess and the "manager" Melo's made sure I won't step foot in that place again. It's embarrassing when an establishment doesn't even suggest customer service (even in theory) over their "rules." The long and the short of it is; My BF and I crossed our wires when deciding on dinner. He called our order in, I met him there (I thought we were eating there, he thought he was getting take out) Since we were both there and starving we decided to eat there. SO yeah guess what....YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT! Now I completely understand businesses have rules and a way they do things. I have never heard of NOT being allowed to eat an order you called in, but maybe that's just ignorance on my part. I would like to mention it was 4pm and EMPTY. But hey, they have rules. After being told they wouldn't allow it and then so graciously informed that we could indeed eat there BUT JUST THIS ONCE. I was ready to walk out. Our poor waitress tried to be as accommodating as possible, even when the "manager" and hostess stood 2 feet from our table discussing how NO ONE should be allowed to eat in after calling in the order, all the while throwing us nasty looks. (I'm not kidding) I'd like to reiterate that the place was desolate. I've never been forced to feel so privileged for being allowed to PAY someone for their service. Our waitress did her best considering the circumstances, you could tell she was embarrassed. The salad was Eh and the pizza was super soggy and kinda tasted like cardboard. Thanks for making it easy to not come back :)
(2)
Kirra W.
The pizza is decent but the gnocchi was the worst I've ever had. I can make better gnocchi myself at home from a package. However, my daughter thinks it is an excellent restaurant...what can I say?
(3)
Marina Y.
We have been living in the area for three year, I have been working around the corner from Melo's for a year and a half. Every day on my way home I was abserving crowds going in but never have I thought that we would become one of the fans of that place! This is the pizza other places should start making. We came in with kids ages 6-11. Our kids are fans of pizza so we are always trying different places. We started with steamed muscles and what do you know?!?! Our kids tryied it and loved the dish. I wish the muscles were a bit bigger but the sauce was amazing!!! Then we had couple of diffenti pizzas and kids had kids pizzas. We also had grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon. People this is something to die for!!! Our kids said that they don't want to experiment anymore. This is the only pizza place they wish to go from now on. We as adults absolutely agreed because fresh ingredients, excellent quality dishes and great service provided an overall wonderfully experience for us. One note for next time - large party with kids would not sit at the booth.
(5)
La C.
After an emotional time in court today the family decided to get some pizza to celebrate the wonderful occasion. We ordered some of everything, pizza, salad, pasta with meat sauce, lasagna, artichoke/spinach dip and calamari. The pizza was just ok, it would have been perfect if it weren't for the crust being cooked too long, it wasn't burnt but it was hard. The calamari was probably the best tasting thing but very small portion. The artichoke/spinach dip was missing flavor, boring. The service was hard working but strange. We were the only party there but we only had one server working with our big group. There were a bunch of folks behind the counter but none helped our waitress out. Really weird, she hustled but it was non stop with our requests. The other odd thing here was the decor, reminded me of mel's dinner from the 80's with weird neon fixtures. Not sure I'd come here out of my way again.
(3)
Gail S.
If this place was in San Francisco, you'd be paying double for this quality of food. The pizza and pastas are always fresh. I haven't had anything there I didn't like. The hostess and wait staff are always pleasant and kind too!
(5)
Larisa S.
I've been to Melo's a couple of times and they make a pretty delightful pesto and veggie pasta but I'm a cheap bastard and have a huge problem with the fact that they don't offer free bread and salad like every other Italian restaurant in the world. That coupled with the sometimes ear-splitting noise level makes this a difficult place for me to enjoy.
(3)
Navi T.
I was here a few months ago after work. Had a very good fettucine alfredo. Nothing special, but the sauce was close to perfect. It's on the pricey side. I need to come back for the pizza though.
(4)
NoCal S.
The waitresses knew us, we came here so often. These days the sauce seems to have lost a step, but the crust is still outstanding. The owner still hangs around often, a very good sign. Great pizza. Eat in house to really get the flavor. Family vibe local clientelle. Basic style pie, not too thick, not too thin. Very well balanced, and high quality ingredients. Still, after all these years, please explain the Testarosa.
(4)
Ken S.
Man, what took me so long to find this place? They make some of the best hand tossed pizza I've had in the Bay Area. Great selection of toppings. I've never bothered to have anything other than pizza and salad there because it's so good. The Caesar salads are a little bland, but the great pies make up for it.
(4)
dustin c.
Very good pizza, but I wouldn't stray too much from there. The garlic bread w/ cheese is a good gooey appetizer. The salads are fresh and decent. Was with someone who had a rib-eye steak and it was not bad. I haven't tried their pasta, my wife has and was not impressed. I have never had bad pizza there. Can get pretty crowded so be prepared to wait on Week & Weekend Nights.
(4)
MICHAEL AND VERNA M.
So one person had a major complaint about the TV and the games they wanted to watch were not available on the sets they were looking at. Did you come to eat or watch sports on TV?? Order out and stay at home and watch sports.....how can you complain about service at any restaurant because of the game choices on the TV's?? You are lucky they even have sports to watch....you come for the food, fool, not the movies, sports, TV or The Today Show. All stupidity aside, this is our favorite Bay Area pizza restaurant. We have been coming here for many, many years and it is always a pleasure to enjoy good food and good service at Melo's. Fresh ingredients, great portions and very friendly and attentive service...we weren't watching any sports tonight!! We usually start with and share a wonderful Greek salad...fresh, crisp lettuce, sweet red bell peppers, sweet red onions, spicy peppercinos and feta cheese chunks that melt in your mouth with a fresh, light vingarette dressing. With a side of fresh warm bread and butter, a great way to start your dinner. We always order a medium pizza so we have midnight snack slices for later. Tonight we ordered a half/half, much as we always do....I guess as all very married long years couples do...as we both have our favorites. We always order a THIN crust....our New York roots are showing....with all extra cheese....the cheese is delicious, creamy, thick and hang off your chin delicious. He gets Italian sausage....chunky, firm and not a bit greasy. I order roasted red bell pepper and onion on my half. The roasted peppers were sweet, soft and melted into the flavor of the cheese. The onions added a bit of a crunch and sweet heat to the flavor of the slice. Absolutely delicious. Wash it all down with a cold brew or a crisp fruity white wine and you are in pizza heaven. The service was excellent...we do not rush our food at any restaurant...we eat one entree at a time. She timed our salad so we could enjoy it and digest and then took our pizza order when we were ready to move on to that eating adventure. Glasses always full of water and beverage of choice. A wonderful pizza treat. And for that sports fan....yes, we did get to watch the Thunder beat the Lakers with no problem in TV set adjustment.
(5)
Domenica B.
always reliable... always tasty whether pick up or eat in
(3)
Sonia H.
Melo's might be in a small, look emptied plaza, but if you see the restaurant is packed on Wednesday night, you know you can't go wrong in this place. I've been there few times since early 90's, the quality of food stays the same if not better, they got great dough that makes their pizza and bread tastes so good, I'm not crazy about eating the whole slice of pizza, usually leaving the crust, but it doesn't happen here. Their pasta are good too, a bit heavy for my taste but all of my friends love it. Huge portion of food for the money, We always got enough left over for another meal.
(4)
Laura C.
Most of the time, I only order take out from Melo's. The inside has a nice feel, but it is usually pretty crowded for dinner. Melo's has some great pizzas that I would suggest over the pastas. Olive and linguicia is my favorite. I wouldn't recommend the panninis, they havent quite mastered them yet. The raviolis are yummy, too, if you like them very small.
(4)
Kate P.
You can taste the freshness in every bite - very good food, clean and great service. Oh, and the decor is nice too. Definitely worth trying!
(5)
Gris G.
This is a great family place with excellent pizza and pasta dishes. I try to go before 5 pm because it gets crowded. Their combination pizza is great and any of their seafood dishes. There's plenty of parking in the back of the restaurant and staff is friendly (overall). We've had some not so good waitresses a couple of times, but it's not fair to write a bad review for two visits, the food has always been great though. I think their menu options are affordable overall, and I haven't found a better pizza in the Pittsburg, Concord, Plesant Hill area yet.
(4)
Doug S.
We ate here for the first time last week, and the Pizza was incredible. I had the: WEST COAST COMBO Ham, salami, mushrooms, linguica, olives. This is the best Pizza that I have eaten in a very long time. We will be back.
(5)
Jessica B.
Melo's is great for pizza, but don't try to eat in on a Friday or Saturday night because the place is more like a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant than anything else. Not that I hate places that allow for kids to run around wild, but it does tend to put a damper on eating in the restaurant. Take-out is always an option though, and is the preferred method of getting to that pizza delicousness that is Melo's.
(4)
Corba D.
Great family restaurant! We love the Mediterranean (Greek) salad with the grilled citrus chicken. Have some minestrone soup on a cold night. The meat tortellini with meat sauce is great. Sometimes, we get the meat tortellini, half with the alfredo sauce and half with the meat sauce. Yum! Pizzas are good, but our favorite pizza is Zachary's in Oakland. The pizza cooks put on a show, sometimes throwing the pizza dough between one another. They have an area with stools in front of the pizza chefs where your kids can watch the cooking. They'll give a small piece of pizza dough for your kids to play with while they're watching. Very friendly place. We once saw Mark McGuire eating there with his honey.
(4)
James K.
They get 4.5 stars but I can't select it. DAMN, Anyway, excellent pizza and really good service. They are packed to the gills Thursday-Sunday evenings. The beer is always cold and the Anchor Steam is always fresh. I love the family style salads and they're combination pizza is the 2nd best in the bay area.
(4)
Jen N.
this is one of the gem eateries in the east bay. love the garlic bread with cheese, the red clam pasta, and about all of their pizza is grubbing! great place for groups and kids. this place is very family style and is one of my favorites locally without having to go too far for good food overall.
(4)
H D H.
My guy is a pizza fanatic, and has found his Mecca at Melos. We just ate here last Friday, and he got a large pizza with canadian bacon and ham (oink). I tried the canneloni, and it was quite good. In the past, I've also had the lasagna (good), rigatoni in meat sauce with Italian sausage (good), and hmm... some other dish with rigatoni, bell peppers, and sausage baked with mozzarella (not so good, the marinara was watery). The bruschetta is very good - two thumbs up! We always order it when we go to Melos. The desserts are "eh" because I think they're store-bought or something. The cannoli was g-r-o-s-s, the tiramisu was squishy (too much Kahlua) and we haven't bothered trying any other dessert for fear of more disappointment. But for a good "pie", as my guy calls it, and pretty yummy pasta, go visit Melos. Like other Yelpers have noted, Friday/Saturday nights mean a long wait and a lot of yelling kids.
(4)
Nicole I.
Really good food, me and my friend always get the gnocchi and the chicken parm, absolutely delicious, but the service sucks. Really young snooty waitresses that never come back to your table after you bring your food.
(2)
Michael S.
I love their Hawaiian pizza and their waitresses are very easy on the eyes! ;-) The calamari is good too, not the hard crunchy over fried stuff that I have tasted at other so called higher-end establishments.
(5)
Steve S.
This is a great place to eat. I tried almost everything on the menu and haven't been disappointed. Pasta has not been over-cooked, Sauces are great, and they use of fresh ingredients. Only thing is, I think they skimmed down their menu because it was missing a few items on a recent visit. They atmosphere is nice and well kept. Prices are great for any budget. What's even better in my opinion is Melo's is family owned and operated. Only downfall, its tucked away in a small complex and if you don't know your way around Pleasent Hill, you may miss Melo's. Overall, its a great place for food, well within anyones budget, and its good for dates, family nights, or eating out with friends.
(4)
Kristin L.
Awesome pizza, really great and soo yummy. Plus the creamy Italian dressing is delicious too. Yummmm. We've been coming here for years and years and its always spot on and oh so good!
(5)
Chrissy F.
I am giving it 4-Stars because I have only eaten here once and had a salad. I had the Sonoma Salad with Citrus Grilled Chicken and it was excellent. The candied walnut on the salad were so delicious, the best I have ever had! My boyfriend asked about the walnuts and was told that they are made fresh daily every morning, our server was awesome and was kind enough to bring me a small little container with our to-go. It was a really great experience and I hope to return.
(4)
Shayna A.
#NAME?
(3)
Steve H.
I can't believe more people haven't rated Melo's either. This is a great place to eat and one of the most talked about places in Pleasant Hill. They do both pizza and pasta well, and have a great atmosphere with the open kitchen and friendly servers. I've paid as little as $15 for a great lunch for 2 and had a good times with groups of friends for dinner.
(4)
Leona M.
Love Melos especially their Pizza. It is fun watching the chefs toss the dough.
(5)
Mia R.
One of my favs! Hostesses are nice and friendly. Go out of their way to seat you as soon as they can. Servers are great too. I love their pizzas and pasta. Bravo overall!
(4)
Jessicka L.
I've only recently been introduced to this Italian goodness and it's completely dangerous. All of the food I've experienced at Melo's is ridiculously good. My ultimate weakness: their Gnocchi with Gorgonzola. Yum. If dining-in, the service is consistent and pleasant, though I can't say I'm a fan of the chicks who have helped me while calling in/picking up an order... Most of the time, they seem rude. Perhaps they're just overwhelmed...? But whatever... The food is awesome. Whether its pizza, pasta, salad, or soup, Melo's has excellent choices to satisfy anyone's naughty carb craving.
(4)
Victor L.
Good
(4)
K H.
I love the pasta, it's yummy. The service is consistently flat- feels like your table is forgotten. If the service matched the food, this would be a 5 star place no doubt!
(3)
Isadora Q.
Great to bring the whole family..the pizza and wine is always on hit!
(4)
Scott P.
I am visiting the area and asked some folks about a good Italian Restaurant and they recommended this place. Myself and two other people went here tonight and, we were not impressed in the least. the atmosphere doesn't say anything at all and we may as well have been in a fast food pizza place. The menu is board but looking at it I noticed ice tea is $2.85. Really? Am I paying your kids way through college? I have the linguine in clam sauce and it lacked taste for the most part. The other two people I was with said their meals were ok, but certainly nothing to brag about. If back in the area, I will find a different Italian restaurant. Sorry.
(3)
C S.
Yum -! I absolutely love the Pastas here. So delish! Last time I came here was on a Thursday night and it was busy looking. We were seated promptly and served kind of simultaneously with the table next to us. The waiter was swift with taking our order. The food came out and seriously, was so good! Will definitely be back to try out more dishes.
(4)
Ann E.
Love the pizza here. My family and I always get the Melo's Combination. Have never eaten inside the restaurant, we choose to do pickup but the cashiers are usually friendly and the restaurant seems clean.
(5)
Lisa J.
This is the second time my husband and I have gone for their pizza. My husband and I are pizza snobs. If you like skipolini's you will love Melo's. We have not tried their pasta so we have no review on that.
(5)
Foodaholic G.
Their seafood pasta is such a great deal for $15 with humongous servings. I'd come more often if I lived closer but it's worth a drive when I'm craving pasta. Haven't tried their pizza yet and unlikely to order it because it's so hard to find a good affordable pasta joint.
(5)
robert r.
Been going since they opened, great food,great service,and faire price.
(5)
Genevieve F.
The best pizza around. The 4 cheese pizza is divine. Also try the hawaiian or straight up cheese and olive. You just can't go wrong. Hot fresh amazing pizza. You can even take it to go and bake it at home! They'll just throw it in their oven for a minute so it doesn't fall apart on the way home. Tastes delicious, salty, cheesy, and chewy dough.
(5)
Jennifer W.
Amazing pizza and pasta! I had a shrimp fettuccine pasta and the bf had a prosciutto and arugula thin crust pizza. Both were delicious. Great customer service as well. We'll definitely be back!
(5)
J T.
I have only had Melo's 2 times in my life. The first time was about 5 years ago, with some friends after a movie nearby. I heard so much about it, I was curious. The food was mediocre, not too impressed. Fast forward to my next visit, last week. After having to wait over 30 minutes for a table, we finally got seated. The waitress was nice enough, but when we got the pizza we were VERY unimpressed. The dough tasted like crap, the toppings were not fresh at all, and for the price (which is HIGH), you would expect much better. Not exactly sure why anyone even goes here anymore, the place is very overpriced and not at all good food? We should have sticked with Skipolini's Pizza - their pizza is EASILY the best in the area, quality ingredients, consistent great taste....and no, it isn't cheap but it is worth every penny. Melo's can fall into the ocean for all I care. I won't be back.
(1)
Jerry W.
Very tasty pizza. Love the way they serve it on a rack so that it does not get soggy. Both the primavera and melo combo were very fresh and tasty. If you are in the mood for pizza and happen to be in Pleasant Hill give this place a try.
(4)
Jessica G.
Prices are high for pleasant hill however the food is amazing. My family has had many parties here and every time the pizza is top notch and the pasta tastes like it was expressed from Italia. Very family friendly atmosphere. My favorite is the gnocchi with creamy bollensaise sauce with there bread. I wish I lived in the area because I'd be eating here a few nights a week. Highly recommend.
(5)
Bryce F.
A local favorite whose longevity alone evidences its greatness. All you would expect of a sit down pizza/pasta place.
(4)
Kyle T.
Melo's is the best. Plain and simple. Every pizza and pasta dish I've had there has been delicious. Some of my favorites are the tortellini with alfredo, the fettucia con pollo and the pork pappardelle. Also the caesar salad is one of the best I've had and you can't go wrong with garlic cheese bread. I also like to ask for the house salad dressing and dip the regular table bread into it.
(5)
DeAnne A.
Salad was incredibly delicious. Pasta super salty and tasted old, sauce did not taste home made or fresh at all. Not sure what it was made of but it tasted stale and strange. The pizza was pretty great. Not rushing back but will return at some point for the pizza and salad.
(3)
Ruby L.
First time coming here, service was friendly but the food was not all that great. My cesar salad wasn't that good, the dressing had an usual taste to it. The pizza didnt have a great taste either. The dough on the pizza was odd as well. The tip of the pizza was very soggy but then the crust was very thick. I may give it a second chance but only because its near by.
(2)
Deana I.
It's not fine dining but it's not fast food either. You get a lot of food for your money, leave full and satisfied, but still come home with left-over. Not to mention, the staff is super nice. They'll give you all the time you need to go over their menu. And for those Yelpers who rate restaurant service with how full/low their water glasses are, then you won't be disappointed. I don't think I saw the bottom of my glass. I wouldn't hesitate to take anyone here whether it is friends, family or my boyfriend if we're in the mood for Italian that doesn't constitute ordering online or over the phone. It's a great place for casual dinners with whoever you're with. Thank you Cat N. for introducing me to this place!
(4)
Jane D.
Best pizza in east bay. We are from east coast and this pizza is one of best pizzas we have ever had even compared to east coast pizza. Also Molly was absolutely wonderful server. Definitely recommend this place!
(5)
Sam A.
I used to come here more often in college, and I am curious why I ever stopped I always thought of Melo's as solid, but the last meal I had there was fantastic. The pizza crust is light and crisp, and sauce tasty, and not overly greasy. Their pasta is also good, I usually get rigatoni with meat sauce. I am looking forward to my next pizza order!
(4)
Halina B.
We've been coming to Melo's for years and every time, the food and service are consistently wonderful! We usually order the vegetarian pizza which is by far the best veggie pizza we've ever had! All of the ingredients are always super fresh and the dough is crisp yet fluffy...just perfect!
(5)
Shaun R.
This place is ok, it's more like a high school after the game restaurant. Service was slow as heck. Could have gotten quicker service and better tasting pizza at Round Table.
(2)
Marilyn L.
We have had pizza to go from Melo's a dozen times and it has always been superb. Last night after the movies we decided to dine in the restaurant. What a mistake. It was busy and understaffed. The waitress hardly noticed us. My husband had minestrone hidden under a bunch of croutons and a chicken salad with about a tablespoon of chicken pieces. I had the same salad but ordered shrimp instead. It was passable... nothing to rave about for sure. The garlic cheese bread that seems to be so popular is the same bread they give free but with a small amount of garlic and cheese. The price was about $8 I believe. That is a nice profit for them and nothing special for us. It seems like a decent place for families or sports teams after a game but the atmosphere, service and food quality do not warrant the prices. I recommend sticking to the pizza to take away.
(3)
Michelle N.
Best pizza in town, for sure. Love the atmosphere this restaurant offers...very family friendly. Pasta is fabulous as well. I would recommend this place to anyone.
(5)
Emily J.
Weekday lunch with my staff. We had a reservation but the seven of us probably could have gotten a table around 12:30 no problem. I resisted the pre meal bread and butter until I just couldn't take it anymore. The bread is fresh and warm and delicious. I ordered a mini pizza with grilled eggplant, fresh tomato and artichoke hearts. It was really tasty with ample toppings and not too heavy on the cheese. The fresh tomato slices covered the entire top of the pizza! The "mini" pizza isn't all that mini. I ate half and took the rest home. I could have easily split it with someone, especially with the addition of a side salad. The mini pizzas are $8.99 with up to three toppings. Very reasonable for the quantity and quality. The service was quick and pleasant enough.
(4)
Steven P.
Even the after-dinner mint is Italian! Even though I live less than 3 miles away, I did not know about this place, until I needed to find some gluten-free food, for my wife, one evening, and learned that Melo's has gluten-free pizza! So, my wife ordered a small, GF pizza, with eggplant, and beef, no cheese, and I ordered their regular small cheese pizza. Immediately, Melo's shot to the top of my list of favorite NorCal pizza shops! What better compliment can I give them, than to say that their pizza is TRUE NY-style pizza, in every way! The crust is perfect: chewy on the inside, very slightly crispy, on the outside; just the right thickness; cooked in a real pizza oven, not on a conveyor belt; just a little bit of char, on the bottom. The cheese: an 11, on a scale of 1-to-10!! This is hard to describe, if you didn't grow up in NY, or NJ. Suffice it to say, the cheese is just right: full pizza coverage; melted just short of too much; 100% eye-talian mozzarella! And the sauce: perfect Italian marinara. Not too bright, or tomatoe-y, not too bland, either. (Seems like simple tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, maybe oregano.) Just right. They use just a little bit of sauce, so you can taste it, and a lot of cheese. Just the way I like it. (This is the way real NY pizza is made, with very little sauce) As for the GF pizza, my wife says that it is very good, at least better than the one from Extreme Pizza. She was pleasantly surprised that the eggplant topping was GF. One big benefit to Melo's gluten-free pizza: you can get a small. You are not required to buy a much more expensive medium, for one person, which is what happens in a lot of other places, that only have one size. This allowed me to get my own standard pizza, without us breaking the bank. As far as I'm concerned, Melo's ranks right up there with Tavos, on my personal best pizza joint list. Tavos still has a slight edge, because they use fresh basil, in their sauce. (Melo's is going to get a lot more of my business, however, because they are 10 miles closer to my house!) There is only one downside to Melo's, for me: dine-in is table service only. This means that, among other things, you'll need to leave a tip, and everything will take longer. With a drink and a tip, that $8.95 lunch special pizza suddenly turns into a $15 meal. (Pizza, to me, should be quick cheap. I'll never understand why a lot of California pizza places don't serve slices.) All, in all, a nice pizza joint. Maybe, soon, I should try their pasta, or other Italian dishes, since they do have a full menu.
(5)
Lisa H.
One of the local spots in Pleasant Hill. This place is always busy on a weekend night, and the prices are comparable to that of other sit down pizza joints. My only complaint was that the crust was hard, not soft and chewy. I would come back to try the pasta, but the pizza didn't really do it for me.
(3)
Mike J.
So much better than the other local pizza places - if you have a toss-up decesion to make between this place and another 4-star yelp pizza, choose this one!! I've been stranded with garbage pizza so many times since moving out here, had Mingles(crap)... had Round Table (meh)....had Patxi's (expensive). Look, it's Melo's, fact.
(4)
Patrick Z.
Went here to celebrate a birthday. We got a half Melo's Combo and half Pizza Primavera, and a child's pizza. For starters we got one order of Roasted Tomato Bruschetta. Wow, these items are great. How come I've been living in Concord for 14 months and have just now ate at this amazing Italian food place? Good thing I let the birthday lady pick the restaurant. The pizza is served on a round wire rack that sits inside a round pizza pan. This allows any grease to escape without being soaked up in the crust. I actually like grease-soaked pizza, but the effect was good. The pizza was served steaming hot. All in all the place was great and I can't wait to come back to try some of the other dishes. Can't go wrong with Melo's Pizza and Pasta.
(4)
John P.
Food good but it is overpriced and service is shockingly bad. We went with a party of seven last night and ordered two family salads, four individual pizzas, an order of wings, a Linguini Pescator dinner and the salsa verde grilled chicken dinner. They served the Linguini Pescatora first. And by first, I mean ten minutes before anyone else was served anything. The individual pizzas and other orders continued to come out one at a time over the next several minutes, except for the Salsa Verde Grilled Chicken. Finally, we were told it was being remade because they burnt it the first time. The Salsa Verde Grilled Chicken dinner finally arrived about 30 minutes after the first guy got his Linguini. Then we get the check and there is no discount, nothing. We said, um, about the Chicken...the waitress said "ok, you want me to discount it?" And scurried off with the check. She came back a few minutes later and they had taken $5 off the bill (the dish was $14.50). She said that is what the manager said they could do. The manager never came out to apologize or anything. Oh, and they automatically had added 17% gratuity to our check. The food tasted good but it was not worth the price given the service. Try Skippolini's or Tullio's instead.
(2)
J. P.
So disappointed! I've been here a few times and it was always great. I would have gone more except for the prices are just too high. We have company in town and figured we would have a night in with good pizza.. not so much. The girl who took my phone order spoke so fast- she wasn't listening to what I was saying, just assuming she knew what I wanted (for instance I ordered the ravioli and she rattled off asking what sauce we wanted. The menu option gives the sauce it comes with, she just assumed we wanted the other ravioli option) it took over five minutes to try to order just that with her. When I picked up our pizza and ravioli, there were actually three girls there standing behind the counter to get me my food -plus the hostess! At least now I know why it costs so much, they have to pay for their overabundance of staff! Got home to eat the pizza and...eeewww.....two (TWO!) HAIRS WERE IN THE PIZZA!! So disgusting. We were completely grossed out and will not be visiting them again. This bad experience was just TOO bad. UPDATE -- last night my boyfriend tells me that he found the top portion of a wine wrapper in the (infamous) ravioli. he didn't want to tell me at the time because he could see how sickened i was about the pizza. So Hair in the pizza and wrappers in the ravioli. I don't know what the hell happened to this place but they went downhill fast.
(1)
Yelena K.
I haven't been there in quite a while but still seem to crave everything off the menu. Let me just start out by saying that its one of the best pizza places I have ever been to. If you are really hungry take my advice and get the Melo's combination. Its on the pricey side compared to their other specialties but well worth it. They provide you with massive amounts of toppings and an unbeatable crust, toasted to perfection. I love watching the cooks throw the pizza back and forth, makes you feel like you are in Italia. If you are craving pasta i would recommend their gnocchi bolognese or fettucia con pollo. Its a family owned place and you really feel like part of the tradition the second you walk through the door. The service is great and their employees aren't so hard on the eyes either ;). Give it a try, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
(5)
Theresa L.
Totally NOT worth it. The food isn't good and it's pricey. Pizza- decent, but nothing remarkable. Garlic bread - rip off. 2 pieces that were cooked too much and were hard as a Rick by the time we ate it. The marinara sauce was terrible. Fettuccine - flavorless. Won't be coming back.
(2)
Marg M.
Our family has been buying meals from Melos for more than 25 years. I love their new menu. They are a bit higher than the fast food places, but the quality is worth every penny. Very fresh and tasty, and there is no fuss if you have a special request. Our favorites are the Pesto dishes, garlic fries, any flavor pizza and minestrone. They definitely make it the way you like it. Happy staff is eager to please too.
(5)
Jada B.
I've been wanting to try Melo's for awhile and decided a casual girls night out would be the perfect opportunity. A solid 3.5 stars. Fairly busy for a Thursday night, but it was mostly families, all looking like they were have a great meal. We only waited about 5 minutes since there was only 2 of us. Sat in a booth, service was attentive but not pushy. We ordered an ice tea, diet coke, cheesy garlic bread for an appetizer and the quattro stagioni pizza (medium). The toppings were divided into 4 sections: olives, artichokes, prosciutto and mushrooms. it was a bit overwhelming and next time I would ask for everything mixed up instead of separated. I loved the crust though, very flavorful, and I thought it was cooked perfectly. Garlic bread was good too and served with a generous side of ranch. It came out to just under $30 w/o tip for the 2 of us, but we had about 7 small pieces to take home; the two of us could have gotten away with a small pizza. I will def. come back and try a more traditional pizza or one of their pastas.
(3)
Jody S.
Excellent fresh pesto. I got it with their homemade fettuccine I think it was. Really good! My husband got the gluten-free pizza. He thought it was fine. has a thin crispy crust like most gluten-free pizzas
(4)
Jason G.
The food was good here. I had the meatball sandwich and it had a really good bun, nicely toasted, and not too hard or tough or chewy. The sandwich had the right amount or ratio of cheese and meatballs. The pizza had a relatively thin crust and had good flavor. I had pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and extra cheese and it was a very tasty pizza. The only downside about the restaurant is the dated decor and interior.
(4)
Dennis F.
This is my family's favorite pizza and pasta place. They have the best chicken wings ever. I'm not a big pasta fan but began to appreciate it after trying their pastas. I LOVE all their pasta. My son keeps on bugging me to come back here almost every week.
(5)
Theresa L.
Melo's hasn't disappointed yet. The pizza is nice and thin and I am always greeted with a smile. I just need to find out if they have a happy hour because it can get quite pricy, well you get what you pay for and you get some great pizza. Yes this place gets 2 yumms up!!!
(4)
Eric V.
This is a very good spot for pizza and pasta. I have had pizza, pasta and salad from Melo's and all are above average. The pizza has a nice sauce and is loaded with cheese, which is a plus. They do a nice job with their pasta too, they don't drown the pasta in sauce, which is a mistake some places make. The pesto sauce is great very flavorful! For an appetizer I would highly recommend the cheese garlic bread it is a great way to start your meal. Service is great! Be prepared, it is a very popular restaurant for locals and can get crowded but that is no reason not to come here. This is a great spot for a family dinner!
(4)
Matt T.
At first glance, I thought "oh great, why did my mother in law recommend to meet us at a strip mall joint thinks it's an Italian place" or "ahh shit, I'm hungry and not in the mood for crappy pizza". Upon entering, I was shocked and I mean literally taken aback by how many people where in this place and how large it was on the inside but more so that it was 5:45 on a Saturday night and this place was packed both young and old. To me, a good sign. Here's the summary. Excellently good tasty pizza. We ordered a couple. I was hungry and became happy. The service was excellent. The large booth was nice and clean sitting two kids and three adults. About the only complaint was the bread butter came in those little butter containers and I hate those things. A butter dish and/or oil would have better topped off the experience. Now, don't expect much atmospherically - it's still a strip mall, it has a big neon artwork piece of some sort giving it a middle of the night Vegas feel. However, It's not too expensive which provides a nice balance to Strip Mall Hill (oh I kid Pleasant Hill - I really like the town - just having fun). Seriously, I was pleasantly surprised by this place in Pleasant Hill.
(4)
Derek S.
Wow... I would have to say this might have been some of the best pizza I have had in the East Bay! From the toppings to the last bit of the crust - just perfect! Emma, our server, was just right in her friendliness and professionalism. We were there until 11pm, but we didn't feel rushed out the door. We were just a hungry couple looking for a decent meal, late at night, and we ended up finding our new favorite pizza! We look forward to our next visit! Thank you!
(5)
Alexa T.
I'm always down to try a new Italian restaurant. There's something so wonderful about Italian cuisine that I just can't get enough of. Now I've always driven past this place when I'm heading to other places. It never occurred to me try this place. Upon entering, the atmosphere was wonderful. The music was so hip, the lighting wasn't too bright, and the people greeted us with a smile. The waitress was so nice to us. She had a wonderful smile on her face that was so welcoming. She never was late and always checked up on us. We are big water drinkers so she was always on time to give us our refills. We started off with the garlic bread and cheese with marinara sauce and ranch dressing. It was a delight. The bread had a good mix between crunchy and soft. I ordered the tortellini filled with cheese and it had pesto sauce. My goodness it was remarkable. The presentation of it was pretty and they gave such a good serving. I could only finish half because there was so much! Wonderful place. I can't wait to go back!
(4)
David F.
There's a lot to like about Melo's. Just a short five minute drive from downtown Pleasant Hill, you can get fine Italian food for a reasonable price. My wife and I stopped by for lunch after a movie and had a wonderful lunch. My Ravioli Emiliana and her Eggplant Parmgiana were both of high quality - quality of the type that makes you sit up and take notice. Quite delicious! Lunchtime price for each was $11.50. The interior is spacious and well designed -- nice, comfortable atmosphere. My son has been coming here with friends for several years - it's one of their favorite restaurants. Looking forward to return!
(4)
Shane N.
This was pretty good, but I had a bit of sticker shock at the end. It's toally my fault, because we were just ordering whatever looked good including the wine. All I can say is, even though this says "Pizza place" in your mind, you can actually get pretty spendy here. Our server was very freindly, and attentive, which is always a plus. The decor is very much a 1950's diner look. The place looks like an old Denny's or something. We were greeted by the staff in the kitchen upon entry, and when we left. Nice touch. So here's what we had, what it cost, and how is tasted: Garlic Bread with Cheese - Garlic bread with melted cheese - $5.95 - Hot, crispy, melty cheese with mariara and ranch dipping sauce. Yum. Minestrone Soup - Bowl $5.50 - This was a typical Minestrone, nothing special. Some things are good just the way they are Cesar Salad - Half order $6.50 - Classic Cesar the way it should be made. Delicious. Fetuccia Con Pollo - $14.95 - Didn't like it. The chicken lacked flavor, and the sauce had an overwhelming flavor. Also the noodles were super thick and maybe a bit undercooked. Lasagna - $13.50 - This was delicious. The beef, the ricota, and the other ingredients really came togther nicely. Side Sausage (2) - $4.95 - These were very tasty, just like home made. For dessert: Chocolate Tartufo - $5.50 - Soft chocolate gelato with a soft cream center, rolled in praline nuts, and dusted with powdered cocoa. Amazing! Tartufo Limoncello - $5.50 - Fresh Lemon Gelato with a soft limoncello cream liquour center, covered with meringue sprinkles. 2 Glasses of some kind of Canernet, and those were about $9.00 each. Aside from the chicken dish, this place had pretty decent food. I guess the cost felt even more shocking because of how casual and diner-like the place is. We did order food like a couple of maniacs though. Happy eating!
(3)
James H.
I ordered for carryout a medium Melo's combination and order of buffalo wings. The pizza was very soggy and did not warrant the high price. I thought it would have and should have been better with all of the positive reviews. Maybe it was an off day and they were slammed. But still, soggy pizza is expected at Pizza Hut/Dominos not at a neighborhood eatery. The wings were good and were good sized wings but there were only 6. I'll give them another try down the road but not anytime soon.
(3)
Diana V.
What a pleasant surprise! I've lived in CoCo County for years, and driven by this spot on Contra Costa Blvd., yet never gone in! Thanks to Yelpers recommendations, I headed over on a Sunday night to try out their pizzas. Gluten-free fungi pizza was excellent! Regular thin crust napalitano was also great! I'm planning to return, possibly for take out, and I'd definitely tell my friends : )
(5)
JJ J.
HORRIBLE SERVICE, Excellent food. Avoid the older female waitress by any means possible. She's extremely rude and very inattentive to guests. The food on the other hand was excellent. I won't come back only because of the horrible service.
(3)
Frank C.
The pizza is amazing, very fresh and has lots of flavor, the crest is perfect. They also have very tasty pasta and salads. I've been coming here since I was a little boy.
(5)
Grace M.
I love love love their lasagna. I think that's about the only thing I really get when I come here. It is absolutely delicious!! We had a great waitress, really pleasant personality and laughed along with us, which is great because the lasagna does take a little longer to come out. It comes with bring, so definitely enough to fill our bellies. And our total tab, including two drinks, came to under $30. Perfect.
(4)
Dusty N.
Great salads, appetizers and pizzas! Great for groups - we always come here with friends and their kids. The kids can ask for a ball of dough from the counter and it keeps them occupied until the food comes. Lots of parking, great service, clean restaurant. Definitely one of my faves in the area!!
(4)
Trina C.
Food was delicious here!! I personally loved the house garlic fries! They were also pretty cheap too especially if you go during happy hour. $3 for the house garlic fries. My group and I also ordered a large melos combination pizza which was sort of expensive ($20 something) , two orders of the house garlic fries ($3 each during happy hour), an order of the mozzarella sticks ($5 during happy hour), and an order of hot wings ($5 during happy hour). Everything was fresh and pretty good! I think they have the best garlic fries I've ever had. The service was always alert and refilling waters when it got low and taking empty plates as we finished to keep our table clean. This was my first time here and I will definitely be back with my friends!
(4)
Britney M.
This place is sooooo good. One of my new favorites.... Lots of old people tho !!!! Probably because the food is soooo bomb xoxox
(5)
David W.
I have been to this place twice and I cannot say enough good stuff about it. It was referred to me while I was in town on business and now, I have made it a point to return. The first time I was here, I had the Penne E Bistecca. Delicious! Make sure to take a look at the photo I posted. Tonight, I was had the BBQ Chicken Pizza. Dynamite! The small is $17.25 and definitely enough for two people, so bring a friend. The food on both occasions has tasted very fresh, well cooked and wonderfully seasoned. The staff is always friendly, the service is fast and the price is a bargain for the quality of food you get. Make sure to add this place to your dining rotation!
(5)
B W.
Good pizza, great caesar salad The spaghetti was good and so were the meatballs...until our server mentioned that the restaurant "smells amazing on Sundays when they make them"--this was on a Thursday AFTER we ate them. So, ummmm, yeah either they freeze them for later in the week or they are four day olds meat balls. The message, order meatballs on Sundays only (Monday at the latest) beyond that you're really playing Russian roulette but instead of bullets it's meat. Ugh. gross. Be sure to ask for regular, thin or think crust. Our server forgot to give us the choice. No sandwiches after 4:00--the menu is hard to read so you may miss this info.
(3)
Brian D.
Can't say enough positive things about Melo's. I ordered the seafood pasta, which was really tasty. Their house Merlot is perfect and everything is super fairly priced. My biggest prop to Melo's goes out to their servers. My sever, Emma, is the cutest thing in the world with so much positive energy and so happy to please. She understood what I was in the mood for and picked a recommendation that was absolutely perfect. I'm sure all of the severs there are great, but Emma is definitely an asset to Melo's. I look forward to going back
(5)
Melissa S.
Yum... Yum... and YUMMMMMMM!!!! Went here for the second time on Sunday night with some friends. The food was fab and so was the service. We started with mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. Delish! Moved on to a large Caesar salad to share. Yum. My friend had the min. soup which she loves! We all then shared a large supreme pizza. Everything was so good. The pizza was soooo good. I was salivating over it the next day it was so good. Wish I lived closer so I could eat it more often! I guess just another excuse to head down to the bay to visit friends. If you've not eaten here, give it a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
(5)
Frank L.
This is my go to restaurant for pizza. They stand by their products and never allow a customer to leave discontent. Their service is next to none, the staff is unbelievable at tentative and friendly. Once we received a pizza that we thought was to standard but the waitress informed us it was over cooked (though it looked great) and brought us a new one. The pizza crust is to die for and the toppings are always loaded on and fresh. I also love the calamari as a appetizer. They also have a great happy hour!
(5)
Sara P.
Ooo yum! I ordered two pizzas to go tonight. The guy who answered the phone was polite and helpful with my order. We got pepperoni with garlic and a combo pizza. Both were delicious! I loved the different types of meat on the combo. They were quality, full of flavor. The sauce was very good too. I was in pizza heaven for like 15 minutes. I gotta tell you I'm looking forward to cold pizza breakfast tomorrow. Who is with me? I will definitely return! Yum.
(5)
Andrew C.
I tried to make my own chicken and white sauce pizza, but it came out horrible. There was barely any cheese and the pizza was dry. Usually Melo's is better than that, maybe it was just an off night. But this lovely couple gave us their bottle of champagne because the Giants won the NLCS.
(3)
James R.
I really like this place. I came here a lot probably 15 years ago with my family and now I come here with my girlfriend. The service is always good and the food is delicious. We like to order the make your own pizza. We usually go for the roasted chicken with white sauce and garlic. Tonight we also got a salad we ate with the bread they give and it was good too! The prices aren't bad everything came out to $23 bucks and that's a winner in my book! We're always full when we leave. This is definitely a spot where we will keep visits for many years to come!
(5)
Leslie S.
One of my favorite place! I always order the fusilli contadina(pasta and veggies), great people.
(4)
Suzy S.
Just moved here from Chicago a few months ago and haven't really had any enjoyable meals in the Bay Area (outside of SF, Berkeley, and Oakland) so this came as a pleasant surprise. Had the roasted eggplant sandwich with garlic fries & it was amazing!! The eggplant was cooked to perfection and was super delish. My first time here but will def be back!!
(4)
Cat G.
Came in this last weekend and was really pleasantly surprised. We had the lasagna, pesto gnocchi and an arugula pizza. Our server was really great in recommending what was good - she had been there for 15 years and knew her stuff. Food was great, service was on point and the restaurant was really clean. Looking forward to coming back and trying other food on the menu!
(5)
Shannon L.
This is a review of the Pizza, not the restaurant service or pasta dinners. My point of reference for Pizza is being born & bred in NYC. Tasting pizza all over the Bay area has been a disappointing adventure as you might imagine. And then.. Hello, Melo's! My expectations for ANY pizza place in California are pretty low, after living here for 3 1/2 years. Even the word "New York Pizza" being somewhere in the restaurant's description means almost nothing. The Sauce I was absolutely shocked-- the moment I walked into pick up the pie, the smell of the sauce made me salivate. And the taste of that sauce fulfilled the anticipation! Fresh tomatoes and gentle basil were just exploding with sweet flavor. This is the best sauce I've tasted on a pie in California (Bay area and San Diego area anyway). Hands down. The sauce makes these slices truly savory and delicious, enchanting both nostrils and taste buds. The Crust The crust-- what a pleasant surprise! GREAT crust, not too thin or thing, doughy, crunchy, wonderful! This is a rare find in deed. If only the pieces were larger I wonder if I could have actually fold my slice and held it but this fantastic crust. The Toppings Fresh, delicious, a little heavy handed but not nearly as heavy handed as most stores. The Cheese Alas, the cheese holds me back from 5 stars. The cheese was thick and chunky, like a domino's cheese (and like almost all pizza places out here) instead of being smooth and gooey. If this cheese situation was solved, I would be buying from Melo's WEEKLY.
(4)
Sarah M.
By far the best pizza in CCC. I usually get take out from here at least once or twice a month. Their take out is just as tasty as if you were dining in the restaurant. The staff is friendly and all the food, including their salads are very fresh.
(4)
Rina K.
This place is yummy to the tummy!!! Loooooooooooove their Mediterranean Pizza....enough said. Friendly service, too!
(5)
Jasmine P.
This is our local go to Italian place. Always consistent with the food. I either get the chicken parm or the gnocchi with pesto (tried it with the gorgonzola sauce and the pesto is better). They also have really good pizzas!
(5)
Maria H.
Still the best pizza, pasta dishes and oh my their salads. Yummy!!!! Heading there in a few to get out pizza fix!
(5)
Mary C.
Came here last night for dinner with my BF before we head over to Modesto to hangout with his family. This restaurant is very cozy and is definitely a good place to take your family out too. It was pretty busy when we arrived but luckily got seated right away. I really like the whole open kitchen that this restaurant has as you can see the chefs cooking the food. I ordered a pesto entree with chicken and zuchinni while my BF ordered a bbq chicken salad. I love anything pesto so I was really excited to try my dish and when it came, it didn't dissappoint!! The pesto was rich and creamy. The type of noodle that they gave me was very interesting looking, as I've never seen anything like that before. But the dish was really good and they gave me a lot of chicken! My BF said his salad was pretty good too but he wasn't as full as he had hoped. Me, on the other end was so full that I had to doggy bag like half of my entree back. Hahaa...anyways I'm really glad that I tried this place and will be back to try their other pasta dishes!
(4)
Michelle L.
Great place to take families or groups. Shared a Garlic Bread order to start, yum. Crusty warm bread with two dipping sauces. For main dish, I admit I fell for one of the entrees' photos at the bottom of the menu page just based on looks alone. Ravioli Portofino ($12.50): Flavorful egg pasta ravioli with shrimp filling served in a cream sauce with shallots/scallions topped with asparagus and lemon zest (liguria) Definitely a huge step up from basic spinach and cheese raviolis, and I've seen mushroom or lobster raviolis before but this dish really was balanced well and not too heavy. The lemon zest cut through to brighten the creamy sauce and the asparagus came out so crisp-tender. The shrimp filling was not too rich but generously sized. Manageable and a great pick for any seafood+pasta lovers out there. Friends got the Fettucia con Pollo and...another dish I completely forgot the name of. Mmm pancetta... I'd definitely come back if I'm ever in the area again!
(4)
S F.
The staff here are very nice - I think that's pretty obvious from all the previous reviews. I've ordered take-out 5 times, and each time I was not disappointed with my order. Last night was the first time I came in on a Saturday - they were packed. After I paid for my order, 3 other parties came in waiting to be seated and the cashier asked if I could wait just a moment - to assist with seating them or until my order was ready, I wasn't really sure. I said it was fine. It might have been 5 minutes at most when she got back to me and apologized while offering extra garlic bread or a beverage with my order, which I appreciated. You don't come across that type of consideration often now in the service industry. Aaand the lasanga and gnocchi were pretty good too. ;)
(5)
Julie B.
This place is yummy. All the waitresses are happy and smiley and friendly, which leads us to believe they enjoy their jobs. The food is good "home cookin'". Consistency in food, delicious, always prompt service, Kelsey is helping us today. There is one grumpy older lady who isn't very attentive. We always feel like the food is clean as well as the seats. However, the walls to go in and out of the kitchen are very dirty and in need of cleaning. I am a stickler on clean details like walls. But everything else seems clean and I like that we can see inside the kitchen. The waitresses are also so attentive and patient with kids. Casual, yummy, and smiley.
(4)
Kimberley C.
Their pizza is so good though... I have found myself ordering takeout pizza from melos at least once a week. The prices are moderate, the staff is really genuine and pleasant, and the pizza is the best in town by far.
(5)
Itr B.
My family loves Melo's and have been coming here for 10+ years, a great place. I am a fan of the flatbread pizza and also the penne pasta
(5)
Marcos B.
Great stop for some pizza, our waiter was really nice. Keep it up, guys
(4)
Mortimer S.
Food is very good, it's just loud and busy all the time. But a nice choice for good Italian, unlike the faux-Italian that passes for the real thing our here in the west.....
(4)
Yen H.
So good! The best pizza I've had yet! We ordered a Caesar salad, chicken Parmesan plate and a New Yorker pizza. Of course we took some of it home, all of it was flavorful, fairly large portions, and the service was great.
(5)
Lorna O.
We've been coming here for awhile now and this is my long overdue take on this place. My boyfriend have introduced me here when we just started dating 3 1/2 years ago. Now we try to make a point to come here at least once or twice a month. When ever we go to different Italian place and order our food we always hope it would be just as good as Melo's. Unfortunately we have never been to a place as good or better. We have brought friends here and they are not disappointed. My favorite is their Linguini Alla Pescatora and I always leave full, very satisfied and with left over. Pizza are very good too and the lasagna will make your mouth water due to the savoring smell of fine ingredients and wonderful taste. Servers are friendly very attentive and know what they are doing. Will definitely recommend this place to anyone and everyone!
(5)
A in Pleasant H.
2.5 stars. Can't seem to find excellent thin crust pizza in PH. Melos has always been ok. Ordered takeout pizza - mushrooms only. My first call was disconnected by them, but ordering went smoothly on second call. Pickup was a little challenging as the counter guy asked then forgot my name, told me the pizza wasn't ready yet. Co worker overheard him and pointed to my waiting pizza - he grabbed it, handed it me, called me by wrong name again, and apologized. Funny goofs, but not really major. Unfortunately, the pizza was just fair. Maybe its the science - they're very very generous with chopped mushrooms on the pizza - can't complain about that. It smelled great. But mushrooms exude water when roasted. The crust was actually soggy. The cheese and toppings were sliding off the thin crust. Leftovers the next day, reheated on a pizza stone, were actually a little better. I don't know that I can blame Melos. Maybe thin crust and mushrroms just don't bake up well. However, I do know I don't encounter the same problem when I order same thing at Tony Gemignanis in SF or Rohnert Park. And so, I'll continue searching for good thin crust pizza in PH.
(2)
Devin M.
I've been coming here since I was a toddler, which means since the early 80s. The food for the past 30+ years has ALWAYS been consistent. The service, no matter the turnover is always top notch. We always get the veggie delight with a family salad. Their pizzas had fresh toppings, the dough hand tossed. The owners really know what they we doing to have been in business since the mid-70s. We started coming here before they expanded to this larger location within the same shopping center. I used to remember sitting on the bar watching the chef hand toss the dough. Their pastas are awesome and so are the various sauces. Overall, an amazing place for good Italian cooking.
(5)
A G.
Tried for the first time today with the whole family and it was a terrific dinner! We were greeted warmly and seated almost immediately. Brandon was an outstanding waiter, providing just the right level of attentiveness and friendly throughout our meal. The complementary bread was a delicious start and it tasted like Acme bread which was even better with the included individual servings of butter. The tossed green salad included romaine lettuce, a couple cherry tomatoes, chopped carrots, sliced black olives and crunchy croutons. We thoroughly enjoyed the "Classic House" tomato vinaigrette, and another person gave a thumbs up on the bleu cheese dressing as well. The minestrone soup was full of vegetables and had a flavorful broth. We all went with pasta dishes this time (even though we saw a brisk pizza business -- both take-out and eat-in). We had 4 different pasta types (spaghetti, fettucine, linguine and rigatoni) and two different sauces (meat and alfredo), along with their linguine with spicy seafood. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauces were very flavorful and fresh-tasting. Also, they drained the pasta properly so that it wasn't watery. We also added in meatballs which were generous in size and tender and flavorful. The linguine with seafood included tender shrimp, mussels, calamari and other seafood that was generally well cooked and the sauce was creamy with a spicy kick. The only minor drawback was that we were seated near the door, and it was a bit noisy as people came in and out, along with being occasionally drafty, so we will just get a different table the next time we go...and we definitely plan to go again. Overall, a great casual Italian dining experience with moderate prices and excellent service and food!
(4)
Wes K.
Please hold yourself accountable and try this pizza. Half New Yorker, half Pizza Primavera. It was inconsistent down the middle, but it made for one of the best pies I've ever had. I prefer to pickup my pizza and eat at home. The girls that take my order over the phone are genuine and helpful.
(5)
Amelia K.
I've been here a couple of times and the food is pretty decent.
(3)
S. G.
My favorite pizza in the Bay. Fresh ingredients and perfectly seasoned. I just cannot say enough good. I have not had anything else here, so I am just basing my 5 star rating on the pizza.
(5)
Kenneth D.
I go out to eat to have food taste better than I could cook at home. Not so much here. They get an extra star for good service and a cute staff though! ; )
(3)
Heath B.
We're new to the area and wanted good Italian in a casual setting. Hooray for Melo's!! We started with the burrata, DELICIOUS! That tomato jam, good lawd, can I get a bucket to go?? The Ravioli Emiliana and the cannelloni were so good. We will definitely be back!! I'd give them 5 stars, but I need more than one visit to decide. This way I HAVE to come back again ;)
(4)
Frederick L.
I used to go to the Melo's in San Ramon back in the day, but it closed. I'm glad they were able to branch out. Burrata: creamy center, good olive oil, bread was grilled and tasty. My only wish is that there were some heirloom tomato slices instead of cherry tomatoes, but that's a minor thing. Fresh fettucine w/ meatballs and tomato sauce: I know it's simple, but I went for it anyway. Pasta was cooked well (al dente), and tomato sauce was good. Meatballs were good, but meatball size was smaller than expected for $4. Portion size was good. Shrimp Veneziana: portion size was very adequate, but the pasta was a touch overcooked. Shrimp cookery was passable, but needed a little more S+P. The sundried tomatoes were negligible and I wouldn't have missed them if they weren't in the dish. Service was a little hit and miss. The server was nice and all, and food came out pretty fast, but I felt more attention could have been paid. Entrees were served up literally 1 minute after the burrata appetizer came. I didn't get a spoon for my pasta, and I had to ask for it after the server came back to check on us after entrees were dropped. My wife asked for a lemon wedge for her pasta, and the server came back with a sliced lemon. It's nothing major, so no real deduction in stars. Will come back and try the pizza.
(4)
Demetric G.
My girlfriend and I order the new Yorker, which was pretty good and took the rest home. The place looks and feels nice, kind of quite as well. The service was the only thing that was okay, but overall the pizza was good
(3)
Diane A.
Cute family-run Italian eatery in Pleasant Hill. So many choices on the menu - from salads, soups and sandwiches to fresh pasta to thin crust pizza. We were a group of 5 including 3 hearty eating guys. We ordered the cheesy garlic bread (yum), Italian hot wings, gnocchi, pesto pasta, meat sauce pizza and a half meat/half Hawaiian pizza. It was all piping hot and super tasty. The ingredients were fresh and tasted homemade. Even the hearty eaters were stuffed by the end and we ended up with leftover pizza and pasta. Prices are reasonable and service is friendly. I was happy to learn that they share a history with Napoli's in Vallejo - a family fave. I'll be back to try even more that on Melo's extensive menu.
(4)
E U.
Their pizza was delicious, nice and cheesy just how I like it. I also tried their lasagna and I must say that was one of the best I've had in a long time! The sauce was a perfect blend of spices! I'm def gonna go back! The sangria wasn't too shabby either.
(4)
Cliff D.
We had heard good things about this place from friends. Sad to say we were not impressed with the food. The pizza was average and the Caesar salad was very diss appointing as it was bland, chicken was chewy, and mostly lettuce with watery dressing. Our server was friendly and attentive though. I don't think we will be going back any time soon as there other places we want to give a try.
(3)
Lacey B.
A bunch of my co-workers go here and we all order the same thing. Small Cesar (the portion is enough for lunch) with extra croutons and extra dressing. I was very disappointed today when I received the bill and they had charged me $1 for the extra dressing and $.50 for the extra croutons! I've ordered this countless times (sitting in the restaurant and on Togo orders) and I have never been charged extra for either. If I had been dining in, I highly doubt that they would have charged me. I'm not normally one to complain about changes or additional pricing but what bothers me a lot is inconsistently. If your going to charge than include the charge on your menu and make sure your following your rules throughout, or don't charge at all!
(2)
John M.
Best pizza in the area and usually great service whether you are there or just getting something to go. Only have had pizza and appetizers but so far so good.
(4)
Butch P.
Wow. I cannot believe I haven't reviewed this place yet. I don't have Melos often. Not because I don't enjoy the pizza. I really do. It's too good, actually. It's right down the street from me and I would weigh 300 lbs. if I went there on a regular basis.We always get the same order and always to go. The place is always packed My wife and I usually order the Melos combo ($28). I just love the thicker style sourdough crust. The chew and texture is awesome. We also always get the large portion of the Caesar salad-$9. The dressing is great. It's one of the best flavored Caesar dressing around anywhere..I don't order pasta here so you will have to look at other reviews to get a handle on that part of their menu.
(5)
Jackie V.
I've had a variety of pasta dishes both in take out form and dining in, and have never been disappointed. The salads are good too! Pizza is cooked to order and very tasty. Haven't had any dessert since I'm always stuffed but that's a compliment!
(4)
Brandy J.
Love Melo's. So convenient to call ahead and pull into a spot right in front just waiting for me. Hostess I always friendly. The people on the phone and happy to wait on you. And the food is the best. Pizza, pasta glass of wine they have what you are looking for. And they usually have a game on the TV.
(4)
Rich G.
I'm a pizzaholic that has been patronizing this fine restaurant since 1982. What pizza should be - the thicker sicilian-style crust that's as tasty as it gets. Ditto for the red sauce. Tried some of their specialty pastas which were also excellent.
(5)
E.l. R.
All the toppings were fresh! No canned crap here. The food is not very fast , but the pizza is well worth the wait. Nice Servers. Clean Restrooms. I wish the place had a bit more ambiance, or more privacy. You are very close to the other tables and feel like people are watching. But it is clean and delicious!
(5)
Suzie Y.
I have been going to Melo's for years. When I first moved to Contra Costa County, I asked everyone I knew who lived in the area for a recommendation for a good pizza place. Every person I asked said, "Melo's!". I have been going there ever since. The pizzas are great and so is the pasta and salad. I really like the pepperoni they put on the pizzas here. The lasagna and the meat sauce on any of the pastas is delicious. I really like the Sonoma Salad. I have never had dessert here because I am always so full! The service is usually good, but not always. That being said, it is never really bad. The food always makes it worthwhile. I will be going to Melo's again and again!
(4)
Sandy M.
Fantastic! From the greeting at the door to the service and the food. Best pizza and cheesy garlic bread I've had in a very long time!! A MUST eat at place in Pleasant Hill.
(5)
Sean K.
This place is excellent. The service is good and the pizza is amazing. Clean atmosphere and great for groups. The garlic fries are very good too. This place has quality ingredients.
(5)
Jupiter M.
I've been coming here since it was a hole in the wall and we would wait over an hour outside to be seated. Now the wait time is less, but the quality is still there. I've probably eaten 500 pizzas there and never been disappointed. That is the truth. 5 starts isnt enough, but that is all they allow me.
(5)
Young L.
Best hand tossed pizza in Contra Costa period! Pastas are superb service is great wine is good please come try this place you'll love it!
(5)
Joseph G V.
Enjoyed my meal and the service. Server (Molly) gave honest opinions about menu options, I appreciate that because I hate making mistakes on dessert.
(4)
Taylor K.
They are definitely declining in quality. Very disappointing, they used to be our go to spot. The raviolis we ordered were over cooked and tasted like freezer burned seafood, yuck. I think it's becoming a hit or miss kind of place ...
I've only been here once. That was with the Bible Study at that time, well, they have some great high quality thin crust pizza, again, it's been some time sense I've been here, so, hopefully I'll go back again. Great food!!! I also love pizza/Italian food.
(5)
Stephanie C.
Came here with my sisters this last Sunday and I wish I'd ordered another whole pie to take home:) we started off splitting a Cesar salad whichever was delicious! Home made croutons are always a plus!! We ordered 2 pizzas: 1-New Yorker: amazingggggggg!!! 2-Napoletana Margerita- eh. Didn't have much flavor. Wouldn't order again I also ordered the fresh strawberry lemonade which was schocking a disappointment, again no real flavor. All in all I'm def coming back and trying the cheesy garlic bread everyone is talking about!:)
(4)
M.A A.
Been here several times but the girl seating is just talking to the casher not letting me how long I got to wait to be seated that's sad this use to be my fav place after today's bad costumer service I'm mad !
(1)
Jeff L.
Been coming here for over 20 years. Hands down the best pizza I've ever had. Period. I've traveled everywhere and still cannot find a better tasting pizza. There's a reason that this place is always packed full of people! Don't let the naysayers and the ultra picky reviews (seriously folks, some of the things you say are ridiculously picky) sway ya! Get your butt in here and experience what everyone is raving about!
(5)
Jason B.
My wife, son, and I were introduced to this little ditty when we came out to visit our friends. Now when it comes to pizza, no one can top my home town pizza spot. Im not gunna name drop here, but Ive been eating at the same pizza joint since the 80's. Rule is...you dont fix what isnt broke. Nothing can compare to it, but thats my own oppinion. Back to our introduction. When we arrived, the parking lot was full. That only means one thing. We were actually seated in about 3 minutes, maybe not even that. Im not a fan of pasta so I went for the obvious choice, pizza. I scanned through the menu and a pie caught my eye. See what I did there? Hehhe...anyways, Im a lover of mushrooms. So I ordered the FUNGHI pizza. The pie consisted of the following: sauteed crimini, shitake and porcini mushrooms, roasted garlic, bescheml, 4 cheese blend, white truffle oil, and thyme. And I added gorganzola. While waiting, we were hosted with some sort of bread, italian possibly. Slapped some butter on that puppy and we were good to go. Our food finally made an appearance and hot damn! My pizza looked just like a work of art. Beautilfully presented, colorful and just looking good! The smell was invigorating! I tried a slice and it was like little pizza gnomes having a tailgate party on my tongue. Now theres a difference between a pizza joint and gormet pizza. Nothing can compare to my pizza place. And nothing can compare to the pizza I had at Melo's. Our friends live in Pleasant Hill and when it comes time to visit them again, Melo's is on my to do list, 1st stop! THANX MELO'S This is what gormet pizza is all about!
(5)
Kati V.
There are a million places to eat in this area that are decent. The food was fine but the customer service was questionable, which to me means more then anything. We called in a very simple order, 1 pizza for pick up. On the phone I specified "a couple of blue cheese dressings, and a couple of ranch dressing." When we arrived, we were given a total and used our credit card to pay. When the pizza was brought to us, there were 0 dressings. I then told the cashier that i had asked for two of each. He promptly got them for me but then asked for my cc again, as there was a charge for the dressing. Clearly unhappy about this (who wants to use their cc for $1.00?), I restated that it should have been on the original order total as I had requested it over the phone. I was given a blank look and a shoulder shrug. So instead of parting w a $1.00 cost, they've lost our business forever.
(1)
Leigh W.
This is a solid lunch spot. It's in a mini strip mall, so it wouldn't have caught my eye as a place I needed to check out, but I'm glad my coworker turned me on to it. I also wasn't terribly impressed with the decor and ambiance. There's so hideous neon art that looks like it might have been left over from a former tenant and definitely doesn't fit with the Italian feel they're trying to accomplish. But I digress... This isn't an interior design review. It's about the food and that's worth the visit. We ordered the cheese bread because so many other Yelpers recommended it. It was decent, but it wasn't unlike what you would make at home with some leftover Italian bread in your toaster oven. It was served with Ranch dressing, which I found odd and not particularly good as an accompaniment. I opted for a cup of the Minestrone soup and a half order of the Sonoma salad. Thank goodness I didn't go for the full order of salad. The half order was huge and plenty to satisfy me along with the salad. The soup was very good too. We finished off lunch with a piece of the tiramisu, which was almost perfect. If only I had known it comes with whipped cream, I would've asked for them to hold that. Call me a tiramisu traditionalist, but I don't think the perfect flavor combinations of espresso and mascarpone should be sullied by whipped cream.
(3)
William G.
Been coming here for years and I wouldn't change a thing. Excellent food and great atmosphere with the friendly staff
(5)
thomas l.
My family has been coming here since the location was just a small hole in the wall. In fact I remember I use to sit and wait for out pizza playing Pacman. Anyways back to the review... Now that I have a family of my own I've made sure that they know where to go if they want some good pizza. I can't say enough about Melos other than they will always be my favorite pizza!
(5)
Patrick M.
Ordered the Chicken alla Marsala. The brown butter sauce was tasty, and the chicken was moist and well cooked. The bread was served with butter, and not a dipping sauce like most restaurants have :/ disappointed there. I also was not impressed with the prices that they wanted, I felt like it was a little overpriced for what you got.
(3)
Sowmya K.
Excellent service and food. We tried this place this weekend for the first time and we're very impressed. Ok vegetarian options, not much but both pizza and pasta we ordered were delicious. The ingredients were fresh and tasted like good quality. Service was amazing and the staff were very friendly and courteous, not just for our table but for others too. The place could use some update but that didn't take away from the experience. The service more than makes up for it.
(4)
Miss H.
The food here is always very good. We absolutely love the raviolis. The Mediterranean pizza is also delicious. Every salad I have tried has been very good. The people working there are always friendly, detail oriented,and efficient. Whether I wanted to go or eat in the service is always good. We've been coming to this place for over year now and have never had a bad experience. We like to eat here at least once a week and we don't see us changing that anytime soon. Go find out for yourself how great the food is :)
(5)
Matthew A.
I've been to Melo's on numerous occasions over the past several years and it's always amazing and delicious! The pizzas are my favorite but the pastas are super good too. You won't be disappointed coming here!
(5)
Lorena R.
The food is well prepared and tasty, but if I come in an HOUR before you close with hopes of getting a table for two for a quick dinner, and you tell me you can only make my order to go...that's absolutely ridiculous.
(3)
jesse M.
We ordered a take out Veggie Delight tonight for the vegetarians in the house. IT was a disappointment: i..... the crust was soggy in the middle though it appears burnt on the edges ii.... some portions felt cold to the touch; i suspect our order was REHEATED!! iii... the sauce was very thin; really? would it hurt to add just a little? iv.... the tomatoes were super bland, they were mere decorations, hardly edible v.... too salty overall Dont waste your time/money. Dont believe the hype, they're overrated, overpriced. Go somewhere else!!
(1)
Rose L.
Great pizza, good salad, decent wings. I enjoyed the food here! Love their hard candies!
(4)
Nava N.
Originally we were suppose to go to Benihannas for dinner but they had a random power outage so we ended up at Melo's. We order a pizza, garlic bread, gnocchi, and seafood pasta. No one at my table enjoyed there food. The pizza lacked sauce and the sauce was just not tasty. The seafood pasta had canned tuna in it which wasnt even mentioned on the menu description. The only decent item was the gnocchi. Needless to say we wont be back. The service was good but the food was not.
(2)
sam r.
we got a full size caesar to start. plenty for 2 people to share. my SO got the tagliatini fellini - prawns and lemon pasta with a sort of pink tomato based sauce. it was pretty good, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. i opted for fettucini alfredo with chicken - sort of the sweet and sour pork of italian food, right? you'd think it'd be hard to mess up the simpler of the two dishes, but it was mediocre at best. the texture of the pasta was the best part of the dish. the chicken was mad dry and the flavors were bland. i added salt and pepper and even chili flakes and it was still just... lacking. it wasn't particularly creamy, or even saucy. halfway through the dish the noodles were just clumpy and sticking together - not what i desire in any sort of alfredo. the pizzas, every one that we could see, looked pretty enticing. so happened we were in pasta mode tonight. i might return to give them a second try but i wasn't wowed by anything tonight. the place has a lot of tables and it was perhaps a third full due to the final two innings of the giants loss. two servers in our section - one definitely with some chops, but ours unfortunately was kind of so so. she seemed stretched thin and wasn't as attentive with us as we watched the other gal with her tables. coulda been an off night for her. our visit was just ok in sum. we might go back, but maybe not any time soon.
(3)
Dani L.
I had been staring at these pictures on yelp for months before I just moved here and finally got to try it and I am BEYOND disappointed, seriously horrible, even soup and salad dressings were flavorless tasted like water. My sons mac and cheese was ALMOST edible after he drowned it in salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. Will NEVER waste money here again almost didn't even want to pay.
(1)
Amber C.
OH MY GOODNESS! I absolutely love this place it is the all time best pizza at least in the states. I live in Seattle now but every time I come home to visit it is mandatory I go to Melo's for some pizza and their killer minestrone soup. Love love love this place! There is nothing close to it in Seattle :(
(5)
Amy R.
Melo's is a great, local, family-friendly, Italian diner. The food is good, and we appreciate the gluten-free options. It is a bit pricey for pizza, but the atmosphere is fun and my toddlers love it. It seems to be a family run restaurant and they have a lot of perks for kids. The food is great and the atmosphere is happy!
(4)
Carlos A.
Apparently this is the place to be in the burbs on Saturday night. I love coming here for affordable pizza and pasta. Even though this place has plenty of seating it seems to be very popular with families. I am looking forward to many more carb filled pasta meals before long runs and bike rides. Yay carbo loading! The fettucini alfredo I had was decent and affordable which is all I ask. The private lot is always nice too.
(4)
Kai R.
Very impressed with the menu options, food quality & flavors, as well as the overall cleanliness. However, our server and the hostesses weren't too welcoming. They all seemed more concerned with chatting & looking cute. We ordered a half combo / half something else pizza, the wild mushroom & gorgonzola risotto, the ribeye steak, and a salad. Everything arrived hot & fresh and tasted amazing!! Can't wait to go back again : ) Besides slightly unfriendly service, another down side was how loud it got (we couldn't hear our conversation over the loudmouths sitting around us). This was partly due to their close proximity, which brings me to yet another downside: some tables were awkwardly situated so that chairs blocked our table access making a trip to the restroom require asking them to scooch up and/or move the diaper bag hanging over their chair. Overall, well worth the downsides (many of which could very well be isolated incidents). Will def be back!
(4)
Gina H.
Love their pasta. I have only had spaghetti, like regular ol' spaghetti but it is that good that I keep coming back... it has a certain kick to it that I don't make at home. The prices are reasonable and service is great... it just takes forever to get out of this place when you are stuffed and ready to go.
(4)
Quy T.
Food: 4 stars Service: 4 stars Ambiance: 3 stars Final: 3.7 stars Melo's has some great pizza. We especially enjoy the thin crusted varieties. Their selection is excellent and we always have fun choosing what pizza to get. Quality of the food seems to be consistent and we have never been disappointed. They also have pastas, but we've never ordered it and I don't think I've seen anyone else order it. Service is very good and attentive. We never have to ask for water. Service is very quick, so we never seem to be waiting long. Ambiance is average. It is located in a small shopping center with lots of parking. It can get crowded and loud at times. Booths are the best place to eat. This place seems to be one of the go to places for the area. Take out is easy and many people order to go.
(4)
amanda a.
I have been coming here since I can remember. Now I bring my kids.. It's their favorite pizza place! They give the kids dough to play with at the table!! It's such a wonderful family restaurant. We love the food! The staff is always wonderful and we never leave disappointed!
(5)
Aaron W.
I love this place. Every time I eat here I love it more. The pizza is excellent . I love all the pasta dishes I've had also. Quick service and very reasonably priced.
(5)
Mia G.
A bit pricey, but the best pizza and salads in pleasant hill. The crust is a little salty and not greasy and the salads are better than you would expect from a pizza joint.
(4)
Jessica A.
I am not sure why this place has rave reviews maybe I need to try the pasta instead. Pizza was way over priced and not good it was thin and kinda soggy. If it was super cheap it would be decent pizze but it's not. Also the Garlic cheese bread is good but when we ordered it they didn't cut it at all. It was just a big hunk of bread.
(1)
Misty T.
Great pizza place. The service is wonderful and the food is also. they had some very disrespectful customers the other day that caused a seen, broke dishes, made lots of noise etc. To make a long story short my boyfriend and I got into it with them and the employees kept apologizing. they were so sweet. it was not their fault and I feel extremely bad what happed there. Actually the best service I've ever had. And of course their food it amazing. We've been going there for years and will keep going!
(5)
J D.
Food was very good. Lots of options. A little pricey, but worth it. Friendly staff, nice restaurant. Will definitely go back again.
(4)
Tsz K. L.
The manager is back! I have been coming here frequently starting from 2009. The service has always been the best in town! They changed the menu in 2011 or 2012 though, food is still above average nonetheless. I miss the old menu but there are things that I like on the new one, especially the seafood risotto, now my favorite dish at this place! Overall, the service and food are very consistent throughout these years. I like the food portion with a very reasonable price and tasty food! Oh! Of course I am coming back.
(5)
Laura C.
I've been going to Melo's for nearly as long as I can remember. My family usually gets pizza to go, but sometimes we will also stop in and sit down. Hands down the best pizza I've ever had. I always get thick crust, and pepperoni happens to be my favorite topping. You can always count on Melo's to whip up a really delicious pizza. I also love the pesto sauce with meat raviolis. The restaurant is kid friendly and usually has a ball game on. It can sometimes be crowded, but I've rarely had to wait longer than a few minutes for a seat.
(5)
Stephanie C.
This place is amazing. Just tried it today. I got the fetticini Alfredo. The noodles are hand made and perfectly thin. The sauce was great too. My boyfriend got the meatball pie pizza and the crust was so thin and delicious. I have a whole piece plus my meal. We also shared the appetizer garlic fries. Yum!! We'll be going here a lot now! So good!!
(5)
ann r.
Melo's ROCKS!!!! Especially the server Morgan! She was service with a SMILE...good attitude and it was all about making sure we were pleased with our food and service. She was on top of it without being intrusive...a seasoned server for sure...don't let this Jewell get away!
(5)
Jackie B.
thin crust pizza is really good. tiramisu even better! great family place.
(4)
Kuishimbo F.
So... had to jump back into yelping thanks to our meal today. I am a huge fan of thin crust Neapolitan pizza. One of my all time favorites is Tony's in North Beach. I have been trying all the neighborhood restaurants since I'm new to this area and was absolutely delighted with this treasure. We ordered the wings and split a full order of Caesar salad. The wings were really tasty - they are not like your typical buffalo flavor. It was tangy and flavorful, comes with celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese sauce on the side. The Caesar salad comes in half or full order sizes but we were hungry so split the full size which was a good size to share. The lettuce was fresh, not overly dressed and topped with crunchy croutons. Ah for the main highlight - we ordered the proscuitto and rucola thin crust pizza - the Naples way. This pizza comes with "mozzarella di buffala" which is rich and creamy and totally different from regular mozzarella and the tomato sauce is definitely authentic. The only criticism would be that it did get a bit wet to the center of the pizza so it would've been perfect if the sauce was slightly thicker. Overall best thin crust pizza I've had outside of the city. The crust is light, charred on the edges and pillowy light in the center of the crust. To sum it up, great food, friendly atmosphere, kid-friendly, good service and I'm looking forward to trying something different each time. Very reasonable prices and also ice cold beer on draft which is a must with the pizza!
(4)
Lisa G.
Sing along with me, "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore...." When I'm in the mood for a good pizza, I want to be transported into an Italian experience. At Melo's, you can order a half and half to try two styles of pizza. Three of us shared a large pizza. Half was the West Coast Combo with ham, salami, mushrooms, linguica and olives. The other half was Pizza Primavera with artichoke hearts, zucchini, mushrooms, olives, fresh tomatoes and garlic. Both styles of pizza were very satisfying. Of the two, though I preferred the West Coast Combo. It was the amount of the ham and linguica and the taste of those ingredients that gave me a big Italian kiss. Melo's succeeded in spellbinding me with their hand tossed pizza crust and the fresh and authentic Italian inspired ingredients. For me, this was Amore!
(4)
Greg K.
I have been eating here since I was a child- (literally, my parents started to patronize this place when they first opened in... 1972???). Item 1. The Pizza is awesome! Item 2. It isn't kosher. Item 3. Your cardiologist would NOT approve of you eating here, but he might order take-out for his staff at lunch time. (No I'm not kidding and no, I will not reveal his name or the name of his medical group. Hahahaha) Item 4. This product may be habit forming. (Seriously, I have to make a POINT of not eating here too often.) Item 5. This is a GREAT place to take a date. On the down side: 1. The food is addictive. 2. If you have coronary artery disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or congestive heart failure, RUN, don't walk for the exits. (Ok, maybe certain patients could order a salad, plain, with olive oil and a vinaigrette and have an ice water. But why torture yourself?)
(5)
Ghenwa S.
I heard alot about melos but I never tried it but yesterday I gave it a shot and I was not impressed at all, the customer service is okay but the pizza lacked the taste, all the vegetables in the veggie delight taste the same and I was not impressed by the crust, I expected more from melos
(2)
TY E.
Pizza is pretty good.. a little greasy but It's eatable. I had the Margarita pizza with an Italian Raspberry soda. I thought the crust would be thick, since I like thick crust, but It wasn't. I would've given it "4" stars for the thick crust but since it was thin crust it only gets "3" stars :( The environment was very friendly. I don't live in the area but whenever I come to this area I will know a decent spot for pizza.
(3)
Kristen K.
Food and service were average. The garlic bread wasn't anything spectacular. The Chicken marsala was the best dish our part ordered. The sausage pizza was ok but lacked dimension, could have easily been one you pick up from the Trader Joes frozen section. The reason this is 2 stars instead of 3 is mostly the price. Average food that is over prices = 2 stars.
(2)
Craig G.
Best pizza in the planet ... and the hidden menu rocks ... the pasta is the sleeper
(5)
Jun W.
The only reason this place doesn't get one star is because of service. The waitress was pretty and courteous. Other than that, the taste nothing special and more on the salty side. The more generic places like Domino, Papa offer better taste pizza. The price was also a little steep comparing to its food quality. I found this restaurant on Yelp and carefully read couple of reviews before deciding on it. And this once again shows how unreliable Yelp review is becoming of. Next time you want to dine at a restaurant where you are not familiar with the area, the best course of action is probably to friends or coworkers who live nearby and use Yelp as last resort after you run out of options.
(2)
That G.
I really enjoy this place
(4)
Marie E.
They have the most amazing gnochhi with pesto sause. The pesto sause is delicious! And the service is great!
(4)
Corey K.
After having a bad meal at the Thai place next store I ordered a pizza to go. The girl was very nice on the phone and told me 25 min. I walked over there in 10 she was very nice and even checked a few times to see if it would be done earlier then the 25 min. It was. ;) thank you. You made my friends and I dinner experience that much better. The pizza was really good ;) In fact I had some for breakfast ;) Now to the gym!! Thank you to the girl who helped me last night at the front counter ...
(5)
Dick H.
Badn't been there for about 10 years (because we moved away). But the food is great as always, starting with the salad. the pizza was very good. A bit disappointed in this waitress, who seemed to disappear when it was time to bring the check. Other than that, and observing the other wait staff, the service was good. Highly recommended! Now, to try others in their chain.
(4)
Angela S.
Just moved to the area and found excellent pizza here! I love the extra thin crispy crust with plenty of toppings. Service is fantastic! I'm an iced tea drinker and drink plenty of it with pizza and my glass was never left empty.
(4)
Michele W.
Love this place. Really great pasta and pizza. I go alot for lunch (work close by) and they have really good sandwiches, etc. All around- an excellent place to go with a friend, or even better- a large group!
(4)
Brenda W.
I order pick up a lot and everytime, no kidding... EVERYTIME... The pizza is incorrect! The girls at the register are dumber than a brick and after you tell them the pizza toppings are incorrect, they give you attitude. Great tasting food after it's made correctly but HORRIFIC SERVICE!
(1)
J G.
Good food, my family loves it. Consistent food & service.
(4)
Amy T.
GREAT food! My brother turned me onto the PENNE E BISTECCA Thin, tender rib-eye steak prepared with fresh garlic, cracked pepper, and oregano seared in olive oil and served with penne pasta with a light tomato sauce (Palermo). This is pretty much what I order each time I go now but I have had their pizza's and other pasta and it is always good. We went right before closing on Thursday and didn't have to wait at all but there is usually a wait. Our waitress was very bubbly (in a good, not over the top way) and on top of everything. Good portions, good food and friendly service what more could you want =)
(4)
Oliver U.
Friendly service, the chicken parmesan and lasagna are better than most local italian competitors...plus the pear salad and fresh warm bread make this a local favorite.
(4)
Shariyah M.
I love this place. Been coming here for years and have yet to be disappointed. Their shrimp in vodka sauce pasta dish is quite tasty and full of shrimp. I love that you can get a split pizza since hubby and I always want different pizzas. This is also the only pizza place that offers clams & arugula as pizza toppings. I always get clams, garlic, mushrooms, onions, sausage and arugula on pesto...OMG YUM! I only take one star away because they don't deliver and I always end up getting pizza toppings dropped on the car mat since I just have to have a bite of it when it's piping hot and burning my lap. I also don't care for the tough pizza crust; always end up tossing it. When & if they ever deliver, they'll get 5 stars from me.
(4)
J S.
Stopped in while on a business trip in the area. Service and pizza were great. Definitely worth going to if you are in the area. You will not be disappointed.
(4)
Alix N.
My partner loves pizza. I eat gluten-free, so we have to choose pizzerias that offer a GF crust, and while there are several places in the area that do so, I just don't like the crust. I chose Melo's because I hoped there topping would make up for the standard Still Riding Crust. Wow, was I surprised! First off, this is NOT a Still Riding Crust. Still Riding is crumbly and kind of mealy, but Melo's crust is evenly-textured, crisp where it should be, and softer where it should be. It doesn't taste gluten-free at all. And the fresh mozzarella--oh, the fragrance of it was heaven! I couldn't wait to dive in -- and I'm not particularly a pizza girl at all! I had a custom pizza (artichoke hearts and BBQ chicken) and it was just fabulous. I gave my partner a taste and she said she'd have no problem sharing a GF pizza with me if it tasted like THAT. We also tried the ceasar salad with bay shrimp and the garlic fries. The salad was heavily dressed, so next time I'd have the dressing on the side. Loved the fries; just wish they were cut longer for ease of eating. I heated my leftover pizza in the oven for dinner and the good news is that it didn't suffer at all. (Extreme Pizza's GF crust tastes awful reheated, IMO.) This was still absolutely delicious. So, despite not being a pizza girl, I can't wait to go back. My waistline does not thank Melo's, though.
(5)
dan s.
Decided to try Melo's for takeout based on the reviews. Disappointed. It's pretty average pizza, and way overpriced for a 16" size. There is no comparison between Melo's and Zachary's or any other pizza place of better reputation. Like Rocco's, I suspect there are other reasons besides good food that explain why this place is busy.
(3)
Dante M.
The first time I had Melo's was at a party they catered. When the host told me about the restaurant, I knew I would have to stop by for lunch sometime. A few days later, I stopped in for a quick lunch between shows. I had a delicious tortellini with cream sauce and some cheesy garlic bread. the staff was very friendly even though they seemed pretty busy. I would definitely recommend!
(5)
Valerie H.
I've ordered here a few times for lunch, It's a bit on the pricey side, pizza's good, the gnocchi was pretty darn good till I had it at another restaurant and found out what gnocchi was really about. Not saying its bad here, but I have had better. One thing I don't care for here is being scolded for not letting them know that you will be paying separately when you place a phone order for more than one person. Maybe the person delivering the message was just having a bad day, the host/cashier are usually polite. Since its close to work, I'll be back again when I need an Italian fix.
(3)
Nyla J.
This place is one of my favorite pasta places in the bay area, including the company I work for . When we have our monthly meetings or special occasions, we order at Melos as it is fresh to order, a big size quanity for what the price is, extra condiments, veggies are crisp, and seasoning is to the max ! When I eat here, I always order the linguine pescatora, lasagna, or the ravioli. I have not tried anything else, as im so sprung on my top three picks. Service is satisfactory - waitress ladies are beautiful, helpful, and knowledgable of the menu. They check back in with you before needing them( it can also be because they know I am a regular and my company orders there all the time). On a Friday night, after work, this place is packed, loud and busy , however, after a crazy work week ,this place is great for a glass wine and some really good CARBOHYDRATES ! In conclusion, I will contrinue to go to Melos when I yourn for heavy food, a comfortable family environment ,affordable menu and unforgetable memories !! BTW,This place is better then the Olive Garden, excluding their endless salad bar and breadsticks.
(5)
Andy W.
I loved the pizza when I worked for the company as a teenager and I still love it. the mozzarella sticks wern't all that great so just skip it and go straight for the pie.
(5)
Jenny A.
I really like this place. My husband and I always split a pizza napoletana - thin crust, fresh tomatoes, roasted peppers, olive oil, lite anchovies and capers. Mmmmm. The servers are friendly. You can see the guys cooking your food.
(4)
Marilyn L.
This is the best pizza anywhere around in my opinion. I have been going here for over 20 yrs. and also using takeout a lot-it is always excellent! I take friends and family here and everyone loves it. Yes, it is busy but good reason why. It's worth the wait and worth the price and their pasta dishes are excellent too! Love it....have never had an even close comparison!
(5)
Brad B.
This was our first visit to Melo's and we had a good overall experience. The service, staff is very friendly and excellent, ambience and atmosphere was very nice, restrooms extremely clean, and the pizza is great, overall a good visit. But I have to give this visit 3.5 stars for the overall satisfaction for the menu items we ordered. The garlic cheese bread was delicious. The calamari was cooked perfectly golden but was very rubbery, would not order again. The pizza was excellent. We would go back for the pizza. The BBQ chicken chopped salad was o.k. but would not put it at the same level as I get at a BJ's, Cheesecake Factory, or California Pizza Kitchen. The Fettuccia con Polo was a little disappointing. The white wine sauce and the zucchini was very good. They used a wide noodle similar to a lasagna noodle but not as wide but would have been better with penne or bow tie, some other type of noodle. The chicken was not good. It was a chicken breast that was baked then sliced into the dish. The problem is it had the texture and taste like something that is micro-waved. I think they need to change this. Would never order it like that again. The cheesecake for desert was excellent. Fresh and delicious with nice fresh whipped cream.
(4)
Heather C.
This place is cuter than it looks. I could see this place doing good business in the todos santos plaza, downtown walnut creek or even in the Pleasant Hill shopping center. The location now is not the best. Easy to get to and park. The garlic bread is so good! Can't go wrong with anything you order here.
(5)
Jor S.
I'm starting to have a thing about mashed potato pizza. It seems that I can't get enough of it. I don't know how or why I keep ordering the stuff, but I think that it is the tops. So naturally I have high standards for that specific type of food and this place does not disappoint. They use a 4 cheese white sauce with potatoes. The combination of those 2 ingredients compliment each other well and makes the pizza that much more enjoyable.
(4)
Eric B.
Gayle's family has been eating at Melo's for several years and it's her sons' go-to place for takeout. Maybe I came inside to eat once, but I don't really recall. However, I have been here on several occasions to pick up a pizza for various members of our family. Melo's pizza is very good. The crust and toppings are fresh and of the right consistency. And no matter how busy Melo's is during a particular evening, I have found pickup to be fast and friendly. And even if I'm running a little late, the Pizza is hot and ready to eat (and sometimes in the car - sorry boys). The Pleasant Hill area is certainly blessed to have both Melo's and Devino's around and I'm sure there are fans on both sides of the aisle that are very clear about their preferences. Both restaurants throw off a fun family and neighbourhood vibe, that I enjoy. And food-wise, you'll make a good choice no matter which place you go. In the end, that's what good Pizza is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?
(4)
Jessica N.
Good food, good service, but don't order the Spaghettini al Pomodora...it is bland and plain. They do have good pizza.
(4)
Dianna A.
This place is very good. The pizza is always hot and delicious. The ingredients on the pizza always taste fresh unlike those other major chains. Melo's is the place to go!!
(5)
Brenda H.
Pizza is delicious! So is their salad. The wait for your food is a little long but the food always makes up for the wait!
(4)
Autumn L.
I've been going here since I was little. It is such good pizza. My kids love watching them throw the dough up and spin it. They always give the kids a little piece of dough to play with.
(5)
Jennifer A.
Melo's is awesome! I knew I had to check this place out after I read all the great reviews on Yelp and was just waiting for the perfect opportunity. After some shopping at the Concord mall, my mom and I stopped at Melo's around 7:30 on Saturday night. It was crowded, but we were seated right away. We started out with the fried calamari which was very good and not at all greasy, but the highlight was the tasty marinara. Then we shared a Pizza Genovese which is pancetta and tomato slices on pesto instead of tomato sauce. Loved it! I could have lived without the tomato slices (not a huge tomato fan), but it was loaded with deeelicious pancetta (= italian for bacon, how could that not be good??). We had leftovers for breakfast the next day and my mom proclaimed it was still just as good! Service here was also very friendly and efficient despite the crowd. I think Melo's is going to be my go-to pizza place from now on!
(5)
Melissa A.
I have been going here my whole life and have always loved it. For years all I ever ordered was the pizza because it's pretty much the best around and their garlic cheese bread is to die for! A few years back I decided to try a pasta entree and ended up ordering the Penne Bistecca and have been hooked ever since. They have so many other dishes I want to try but can't pass up my favorite. I have been able to taste other dishes because my dinning companions have ordered them, always good. They also have good sangria. I'm always excited to go.
(5)
Anne C.
I love this place but it isn't perfect. I will say all of the pizzas that I have had here, they have all been darn near perfect. Sad thing is that I tend to only order the Pizza Primavera as it is just divine - thin crust, wonderful red sauce, lots of toppings like artichoke hearts, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini. Oh, and garlie, lots of garlic! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It is all I can do to just eat two slices. The family size house salad is large enough for 5 - 6 people and it is nicely presented. There is a choice of three dressings and a nice range to choose from. We had the Tartufo Limoncello on Sunday night when we were there for my mother-in-law's birthday and it was ok. Don't recall ever having a dessert there before. I have never had a complaint about the service and do like the decor with the lovely murals on the walls. They can be a little slow about replacing worn out upholstery in the booths. My main complaint was that this last time, we were seated near the bathrooms and the bathroom deodorizer scent kept wafting past our table. I found that very disgusting. Will definitely be careful about where they seat me next time.
(4)
Effie R.
I just recently discovered Melo's. I really liked it both times I came! The pizza is good, and the service very nice. I like that the restaurant has a lively atmosphere, and is ok to bring the kids to (paper napkins and plastic juice cups). :) Both times I came we got there early so it was a bit empty, but by the time we left it had filled up quickly. Very happy and will definitely go there again (for those of you without kids, they seated us out of the way so I would definitely go there on a date or whatever, prob wouldn't be bothered by little ones around!)
(4)
Phill Y.
Atmosphere 4 Service 4 Food 4 Melo's easily maintained their 4 star rating. Four of us had lunch today. Everyone really wanted pasta, but the lure of their pizza was too strong. Parking was easy in the large lot. Our server quickly saw how fast we were downing our iced teas so she left a small pitcher on the table for us. Our order: Pappardelle w/Pork x 2 Cheese Ravioli w/Meat Sauce Large New Yorker Pizza Beverages x 3 The Pappardelle is really good. Well seasoned and flavorful, it marries perfectly with the fresh pappardelle pasta. The pizza was also excellent. We ordered a large, knowing we'd have leftovers for a couple of lunches. One do the unsung wonderful characteristics of Melo's is the consistency of the food. You can come once a week, once a month, or once a year and the food will be consistently good each and every time. The menu may change, the crust may change, the servers might change; but food is ***always*** really good. Lunch for four, with half a pizza to take home, out the door with tax and tip; $82.
(4)
Steve D.
OK - it beats the chains, specifically I'm thinking Round Table. The pizza is good. The service is OK. The place is busy. I guess my issue is that I'm not sure the food merits the popularity. I think part of the popularity is it's location. It's right on CCB, between "downtown" and the Sun Valley Mall. The popularity makes the place loud and creates the possibility of a wait. If I am going to wait or deal with the noise, I want a higher quality of food - not something that's just better than the baseline.
(2)
Cesar F.
This place is just okay. I don't really see why this place gets 4 stars. I had the new yorker. The crust was very hard to chew on, and the pizza in general was very salty. Try something. Seems like there isn't a good pizza place in concord. No offense
(2)
Louise T.
My brother is a pasta lover/Red Lobster fan. After being disappointed with the Pittsburg location, he wanted to try a new pasta restaurant for his bday. We are talking about 10 years of Red Lobster loyalty & tradition for his bday celebration! So I can't disappoint him now. His criterias: Italian, good pasta, big servings. This is where Yelp truly helped: reviews, pics, ambiance, location, prices, menus, family friendly...and the winner was MELO'S PIZZA & PASTA! There were other good candidates, but pricier, small & intimate. Melo's is definitely a family place good for kids(not for romantic purposes ;D). They can be loud & walk around. Not only did we get a big table right away on Friday night, there was also a game televised, which the men enjoyed. So far, 2 stars for the birthday boy. He ordered creamy pasta with chicken & zuccini. It was a big plate(good for 2), rich & creamy, tasty chicken, & not a lot of veggies for this meat lover. He was happy & content, gave it 2 more stars. Large Melo's combo pizza was also good for 4 adults & 2 kids. My pizza lover kids & dad enjoyed it. My picky 6yr old boy ate most of the Calamari Fritti. It was crunchy, soft, not chewy, and cut up in small pieces. He said, 'this is the calamari I like." On the other hand, I was disappointed with my favorite Chicken Parmigiana, that I usually order at Italian restaurants. The dry, overcooked fried chicken was 1 star compared to Pasta Pomodoro's 5 star chicken. The sauce was sour like it came from the can, and salty at the same time like they just added a ton of salt to make it "flavorful." Melo's was 3 stars for me.
(4)
Robbie H.
Been going to this place for over 20 years. Never disappoints, always excellent food. Entire staff is friendly and service is always excellent. The restaurant is always clean and bright. I highly recommend Melo's
(5)
Kerry W.
Good pizza. We ate here for lunch on a Sunday. Service was fast and ok. Nothing special, but the quality of the pizza crust and toppings made up for that. Melo's, please pull up the 70's carpet and put down some hard flooring; it would do wonders for your hygiene and appearance...but who am I.
(3)
Evil M.
Anytime I am in the neighborhood to visit my mom, we end up at Melo's - the service is generally good, but we come for the truly delicious food - hot, cheese-covered lasagna, cannelloni with a hint of sage, and amazing home-made gnocchi. Haven't tried the pizzas, I cannot seem to make it past the pastas :D
(5)
Robert R.
I always order take out from this place, but never actually eaten in this restaurant. I did however end that streak today. I went in with the Family in tow, and my friend/Godmother. We were sat sat right away, and the Hostess were very friendly. The Waitress was very efficient and helpful. We started with the Calamari Appetizer. The kids ordered a Kids Spaghetti and a Regular Fettuccine with Alfredo. Wifey and I shared a Melo's Special Pie and our friend ordered the Lasagna. I was full after my 2nd slice because between the Calamari, Bread, and Root Beer; I had no room left for the Pizza. We wound up getting a lot of To go boxes and finished off with a slice of Cheesecake. I was full until some one mentioned a different place for dessert. I however liked the Food and Service at the Restaurant and would return soon and try their Tiramisu.
(4)
Jenni D.
For $55, my group of six ladies was able to order two medium pizzas, three iced teas, and a large salad - so we were pretty happy! The service could have been better, but Melo's tends to be pretty busy during the evening dinner rush - so it makes sense that our server wasn't checking in on us as often as we probably would have liked. I will always recommend the Vegetarian pizza - and you can mix and match pizza toppings really easily. It's a great way to fit a number of different people's tastes. I also like the New Yorker - it's got some hearty sausage and lots of veggies. The salads aren't anything to write home about, but you should order the regular Tossed Salad if you want something that isn't going to fill you up. The Ceasar has a little too much dressing if you ask me.
(4)
Kimly N.
mmm, talk about Italian comfort food. I was taken here by my mister, since I've never been here but always wanted to try it out! The server was gracious and lovely since she knew us two, and we started off with Bruscetta with roasted tomato and olive oil. Oh my, was that yummyy, the bread was perfectly crisped and wasnt messy to eat at all. He ordered his Lasagna which was goood, but I tried something different: Fedelini con Salcicca, we both had trouble pronouncing it aha. The pasta shape was different, which made it fun to eat, the sausages were flavorful and not overly salted at all! Great intimate setting for two to eat, and kid friendly as wellll, ill definitely be back! :)
(4)
Lauren S.
I used to come to this restaurant all the time back in the day when I knew the manager that worked there. In my opinion, the food tasted better back then. Granted...it has been at least 5 years since I tasted their food but I remembered it being more tasty and not so much sauce in the pasta. Ok...so my gfs and I went there for lunch the other day. The place was pretty empty for lunch and we arrived there around 12:45pm. Glasses of wine there are actually pretty affordable but they are also cheap brands . We all went straight to entrees and ordered pasta dishes. I ordered the Fusilli Contadina which is corkscrew pasta with garden vegetables in a pesto sauce. My complaint on this dish was the sauce. For starters, they give you wayyy too much of it that is looks like soup at the bottom of the bowl. Second, it is too heavy and oily. I suggest a lighter sauce for a dish with garden vegetables. My other gf ordered the Penne E Bistecca which did actually look really appealing. She said the steak was alittle chewy but it was savory and there was just the right amount of pasta to fill her up and satisfy her carb cravings. LOL My other gf is on a diet so she ordered a simple dish of Fresh Fettucine with tomato sauce. No comment needed here it was just pasta and tomato sauce. :) Overall, the bill was about $56 total for us and that included 3 entrees and 3 glasses of wine. Alittle pricey for lunch and for what we all got. Will I return again?? Maybe but I will definitely not order the same dish I just had. I might try my gf's dish which was the Penne E Bistecca.
(3)
C R.
I've been going to Melo's for years and years. And they are consistently very good. The restaurant is very clean and modern since their remodel years ago. It started as a little tiny joint where many families called in an order and went to pick it up. They have a nice selection of pizza and pastas plus some different salads. If you like regular thin crusts - yummy. But for those who like thick crusts - excellent! That's what we always order and it is so good. You can choose what you want or select one of their pre-designed choices. We've tried many of their pasta choices too (all of which were very tasty). My favorite is the penne bistecca. My daughter loves their spaghetti with meat sauce. The lasagna is also very good as well as the clam linguini. Actually I haven't had anything I didn't like and would definitely order them all again. The garlic cheese bread is very good and with a salad can fill you up so be careful that you don't eat them all up too quickly if you ordered other things. I have not left without wishing I wore pants with an elastic waist.....LOL
(4)
Michelle R.
Love Melo's! Can't say that I've had a bad experience here, and I've been coming for at least 10 years. The pizza is original and tasty, and it makes great left-overs! I always end up ordering the tortellini because they give you so much and, again, it makes for a good lunch the next day. The service is hit-or-miss, but I've never had a horrible experience. Very kid-friendly; ask your server for a ball of dough for your little one to play with and they will be entertained for hours! I won't lie, the dough was even entertaining to me.
(4)
Virgo M.
One of my BFFs and I used to hang out at Melo's when it was a small run-down hole in the wall back in the late 80s. Then they got all swanky and new and we sort of stopped going there..just didnt seem so elusive after that. Now, I'm not near by so it's really by happenstance that I remember to stop in. Last night was one of those occasions. So glad too because the pizza was just as good as it was back then. Everyone that worked there was super nice and attentive. We shut the place down as we lost track of time chatting it up, gorging off of our pizzas and washing it all down with refill after refill of Pepsi. I'm gonna really make an effort to not stay away so long.....its good, good stuff. 4 real!
(5)
Steven M.
No better pizza in P. Hill. My fav is the New Yorker.
(5)
Caro S.
Solid place. The servers are nice and super attentive. I like that there are so many booths. The salads and pasta are huge.The cheese bread is thick and delicious. I can't wait to go back to try out the pizza.
(4)
Michael O.
Took my wife here on our first date and have loved it ever since. We love all there pizza's and pasta's. We love coming here to dine in, great atmosphere with a kind and friendly staff. Good prices and good food what more can you ask for. Also try the mozzarella sticks, and the chicken and spinach pizza.
(5)
Steven O.
I was really looking forward to trying Melo's because I freaking love pizza and according to the reviews, Melo's seemed to be the best pizza in town. The girlfriend and I walk in and the place is packed. While I hate waits, I thought to myself, "wow, the pizza here must be fantastic if there's this many people here." We're told that the wait is going to be about 15 minutes...turns out that the wait was only about half that time...awesome! We order the following: - Garlic Bread with Cheese - Hot Wings - Classic Caprese - Melo's Combination Pizza The garlic bread was pretty good...4 stars. The hot wings were okay, nothing special...3 stars. The caprese was delicious...5 stars. As for the pizza? Honestly, I was pretty let down by it. I was expecting a pizza that was going to wow me...something I'd crave whenever I wanted pizza...which is pretty darn often. Ultimately, the pizza was not very memorable at all. Don't get me wrong...I enjoyed it, but it was a pretty average tasting pizza. Number of stars? A solid 3. As for the service...wow! Our server's name was Chelsea...and boy was she on the ball! Best darn service I've received from ANYWHERE in a long time...and the place was packed. The girlfriend and I were completely impressed and hopefully our tip showed it. So...(4 + 3 + 5 + 3 + 5) / 5 = 4 stars.
(4)
Monica M.
i had the calamari (small crispy and Delicious!) and a shrimp ravioli (flavorful,large serving with chunks of shrimp!)...i have absolutely no qualms about this place...i will definitely return!
(4)
TIM M.
Two words for you: Margarita Pizza. Great food and friendly staff. This is where I take family when they come to town and we want Italian. It is usually busy but don't let that dissuade you from waiting. They handle the wait well. Sit down at the seats by the kitchen, have a brewskie, and watch the toss dough from one end of the kitchen to the other. Your table or to go order will be ready before you know it. BTW: shame on the pizza hut across the street for even turning on their open sign.
(4)
I G.
I have been coming to Melos for a number of years and the food has always been delicious. But after the service my friends and I received tonight I will not be back. Our waiter whose name was Emilo I believe was extremely rude from the very beginning. With the way our economy is today you would think customer service would be getting better.
(1)
BeeZed P.
Ok, so I"ve been coming to Melo's since I was like 12 years old and this is by far my favorite pizza place ever! The veggie delight is the best! It's quality food worth your money. The staff is really friendly! Their small pizza is definately sufficient for 2 people and their large is more then enough for 4 people. I wish they had more restaurants around. Enjoy! =]
(5)
Angela A.
Best pizza in the east bay!
(4)
Heidi C.
Walked inside and it was CRACK-A-LACKIN! There were people everywhere and I was surprised that we got seated so quickly! The environment was great and the people were very nice. Our waiter was kind and was bringing his a-game. The food? I think overall it was good. Maybe it was just what I ordered. I'll try something different next time. I would definitely check this place out if you're in the area. GARLIC BREAD W/ CHEESE: best of both worlds! The garlic bread was toasted perfectly and the spread has a madd kick of garlic! The texture of the melted mozzerella on top of each piece of bread adds a different texture to the dish. I stopped myself at 2 pieces in order to have room for my entree but later finished the plate with my boyfriend. FETUCCINE FERARRI W/ SAUSAGES: huge dish full of home made fetuccine. Sausages were a bit on the salty side and seemed as though it might have been slightly overcooked. The sauce however, is full of different meats like veal, chicken, ground beef and mushrooms. You can taste all of it in one bite! The noodles had a much different texture and taste since they're homemade. Of course a doggy bag was needed. It didn't taste that great the next day for lunch though... *downer* PIZZA W/ CHICKEN, GREEN ONIONS, GARLIC, MUSHROOMS: you can make your own pizza and the big PLUS was that the fresh garlic is a FREE topping! They loaded up our medium pizza with toppings and you can really taste the garlic (who doesn't love garlic?!) DESSERT: came with the check. A couple of these fruity Italian candies that were deeeelicious! hard on the outside and gooey/chewy on the inside! I want my own bag of them!!
(4)
Linda M.
This place is packed on Fri & Sat nights...and I do NOT get it. We faithfully give them another chance every 18 months or so. Their pizza is mediocre at best. And the atmosphere isn't any better. NY Pizza across the street is WAY better for take-out/delivery. (And if you don't have a handful of their coupons already...you can usually grab one off the counter in the restaurant). In a pinch I'll take Skipolini's (Concord or WC) for dine-in...but Pizza Antica in Lafayette is much better or, and perhaps this goes without saying, Zachary's in Rockridge is THE BEST. One entertaining thing did happen at dinner...my 6 year old has started giving me his unsolicited reviews on places we go. Like mother, like son. :) He's very generous with his stars...and although he told me on the way to dinner that he could eat pizza EVERY night...he "only" gives Melo's 4 stars and asked when we could go back to Zachary's. LOL. How long before you think I should let him have his own Yelp profile??
(2)
O N.
I ordered a dish off the "new" menu. It was tortelloni in cream sauce with Peas and Prosciutto. The meat in the dish was NOT Prosciutto. It was a luncheon meat more like ham. Only ate half of the lunch. Waitress could tell I wasn't happy with dish. Followed up with a fax to addressed to ALL of the managers, and to date (1-6-12) haven't heard from any of them. I will NOT be visiting Melo's in the future and will make a point of telling my friends about my visit and lack of satisfaction.
(2)
Amanda H.
I had my first visit to Melo's the other day and it definitely won't be my last. Driving by, it isn't the kind of place that would catch your eye and give you the urge to stop, but its totally worth it. My boyfriend used to come here as a kid with his family and he said that its just as good now as it used to be. EVERYONE that works here is so friendly. The hostess that seated us was very sweet and our server, Wendy, was great as well. My boyfriend is a big guy, he drinks a lot of water, so when we asked her for a big glass, she happily brought him his own small pitcher of water and he gladly put a straw in it and drank from the pitcher. I just love how accommodating she was, like who does that? Good customer service is so hard to come by these days so I am super appreciative when I find it. We started with garlic bread with cheese. It was perfect and the bread felt very fresh. Then we ordered a large pizza. The sauce is amazing, it has this perfect combination of sweet and spicy. We got canadian bacon, pepperoni and olives and they were very generous with the toppings. FYI- The large is very large, they said its 16 inches, but I think its more like 18-20. And the crust is perfect, its not too thin but not too thick and its not flimsy...like if you pick up a piece, the front doesn't fold and there goes all your toppings, cheese and sauce (that drives me crazy!) Good people, good service and great food, reasonably priced. Will definitely come back. I'm so glad I now live close to this place so I can go frequently!
(5)
Kevin Z.
How do you mess up chicken alfredo? Staff treated us like crap, and for the amount of money we spent I would never go here
(1)
D K.
Great Italian Food and even better family that owns the restaurant. The Piccolo family are the most sincere people you will meet. Recommendations: Primavera pizza - best veggie pizza anywhere West Coast combo Taglitini Felini
(5)
Allison N.
So, I just came back from the diner in every episode of Saved By The Bell. Oh wait... I mean Melo's - I guess was just confused by the decor and growing up on SBTB reruns :0P The pizza was great! Delicious crust - crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. And the toppings were yummy and fresh - we went for the NY Style Pizza. Our waitress was friendly and on-top of it. We'll be back!!
(4)
Sara W.
what a great dining experience + quick friendly service too... our mozzerella sticks arrived and were luke warm at best, so she quickly rushed a new order to us, which were nice n hot,. it helped that it was above average sticks too, the sauce it comes with was better then the standard marinara! and we got the pear/gorgonzola salad, pretty good and not too much dressing... so that was a great start my iced tea glass was never empty and she offered ranch when our pizza arrived which was great. and the pizza, yum-o! that crust was delicious... the only disappointing part of the pizza was my bf (having worked there in the past,) remembered there being more toppings then we got...we ordered a plain ol' pepperoni pizza and i concur, there wasn't a LOT of pepperoni on it. maybe cuz we ordered a small, who knows. oh well, it was still super good. i'll definitely go back!
(4)
Ann M.
We have been eating Melos pizzas for over 23 years. It is the very best tasting pizza in the area. We especially like the thin crusted Margarita pizza and hope that Fabio, of the PH restaurant, will consider bringing back the gorgonzola as part of that 4 cheese pizza combination because there is nothing better than that! I am on my way to pick up a take out pizza with the Mediterranean salad to go. Thanks for so many great years of hard work and good eating. We will always come back for more! Mangia
I've been here a couple times, but both were so drastically different from one another that I'm a little iffy about this place now. The first time, I dined in. I just had a full day of classes, so a few of my classmates and I decided to get some pizza. We ordered the Pizza Genovese and it was delicious, but now I'm not sure if it was because I was famished or if it was genuinely good. The second time, I ordered their Melo's Combination to bring home. I only had to wait about 15 minutes, quite fast considering I just walked in to order. It was piping hot and literally still steaming as I brought it into my car. Had a slice after the short drive back home and was instantly underwhelmed. It was definitely not your average pizza, but it wasn't anything particularly noteworthy either. Perhaps it was because I had just eaten at Pizza California in San Jose one day prior? Either way, it's a decent place, but it could just be that New York style is just not for me.
(2)
Marc B.
Been here a couple of times now. The first time I had a pizza, and the only thing I remember from that was they had some bomb ass linguiça (Portuguese sausage) on it. So good. My latest adventure came the other day when I ordered take-out for dinner. I ordered the garlic bread with cheese and the fusilli contadina. The fusilli contadina was cork-screw shaped pasta with sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and sundried tomatoes in a mild basil and garlic sauce, and topped with toasted parmigiano bread crumbs The pasta was great, and it tasted even better the next day when I finished the leftovers. The sauce was just right and didn't overpower any of the other flavors of the dish. The garlic bread was downright awesome and the slices were big so it was pretty filling. But it tasted so good I could've eaten 10 slices (ok, maybe not but you get the idea).
(4)
Mrs. B.
Great pizza, good service, good prices. We've been coming here since I was a child and they would give me pizza dough to play with. They recently changed some of their menu and I like the fries with garlic aioli dipping sauce.
(5)
MJ B.
This place does get crowded, but I've never had to wait more than 15 minutes or so for a table, even on a busy Friday night. Service is good, if spotty at times. Pizza is excellent! Crust, toppings, and especially the sauce... all very delicious. Calimari and pancetta-wrapped prawn appetizers are also killer. And yes, the waitresses are hot. Would get 5 stars if they could figure out a way to keep out all of the idiot parents who drag in their screaming infants and toddlers.... it's called a babysitter, look it up people.
(4)
Christine P.
i can't believe i just realized i haven't written a review for melo's! last night we went for the first time in a long time and as one review said, melo's is consistently good. after being hated on by spaghetti factory (25 minute wait), we racked our brain for a place to eat. melo's was a stroke of genius and i can't believe i forgot about the place. my favorite on the menu is the fire roasted tomato bruchetta with panchetta and chesse. it's bruschetta that's kicked up a notch by a payer of panchetta and cheese and then broiled in the oven. i have to have this every time i go! the sliced ciabatta that comes to your table is always perfectly warm, crusty and chewy! i can eat the whole bowl! there were four of us last night and we ordered: 1. mozz sticks 2. hot wings 3. bruschetta with pancetta and chesse 3. medium pizza (half cheese and half pepperoni) 4. sliced steak dinner with pasta 5. linguini with pesto - my pick... their pesto is awesome and noodles were cooked perfectly 6. chicken parmesean - my bf's... that was awesomely cheesy and wonderful 7. and four waters the waitress, who was a total sweetheart i may add, looked at us and commented, "this is a lot of food." we just laughed and i said, "i'll also need a small melo's combo to go!" then we laughed again! obviously we're not on a diet! LOL! i kinda felt like harold and kumar at the end of the the white castle movie and they order hella sliders. yeah, melo's is like my white castle. only better! reasonable prices too and you can tell everything's made fresh! i still haven't tackled all of the menu, but i definitely intend to!
(5)
Jason F.
Good pizza and good pasta! What else can I say?? My favorite, that I order way to often, is pesto fetticini w/chicken.
(4)
Derek A.
Great pizza honestly! Great food honestly!
(5)
Adam K.
Great pizza and pasta. Little pricey but worth it.
(4)
Andrew M.
Melo's is another long standing tradition I have with the family. Every Xmas eve we will all head down to church for mass and once it is done we will speed over to Melo's for a great meal. My two favorite menu choices are the "Roasted Chicken and Spinach Pizza" (replace the standard sauce for pesto! Trust me you will love it) and the Gnochi Bolognese! You can't go wrong with these. Don't forget a Caesar to start!
(4)
Sean O.
Arguably some of the best pizza in the area, at least that I am aware of! They have some signature pies that are really good... My personal favorites are the barbecue chicken and the combination. (Their linguica is freakin good!) I have yet to have a bad slice at this joint. The toppings are always fresh and they must use a shovel to dump them on the pizza because they certainly aren't chintzy. And they have a wide variety of toppings, too. Who would have thought that cookie dough and Fruit Loops would be SOOO good on a pizza?!? The salads are great as well. Haven't had the pasta yet, but I would anticipate that it, too, is very good. The atmosphere is fun and bustling in most cases. Maybe a baseball team with some rambunctious kids, a group of horny cougars out for a night on the town or a work team builder with some dirty old men ogling the waitresses. Its like a roll of the dice to see what you'll get, but either way its still a great spot to chill. They have several beers on tap as well, so get a pitcher, a pie, and relax. They do dine in and take out, so call in ahead of time if you're watching fights or sports or even the corny-ass reality TV show of the month. If you do dine in, though, the service is always good. Friendly waitstaff and they seem to be enjoying themselves while they work so that generally translates into a smile while they take your order. Just like "Animal Style" isn't on the menu at In and Out, ask for the Mudd Butt Blast Pizza at Melo's. It comes with Spam, Linguica, Spam, Spam, Spam, Pepperoni, Spam, Cheese and Spam. Its AMAZING.
(5)
Michelle W.
Pizza is great! Spinach fettuccine with prawns tastes homemade and rivals anything the best Italian chefs in Napa has to offer! House dressing is delicious and not oily. Wish I lived closer to this place!
(5)
Hugo E.
Picked up a pie for the latest MMA Pay Per View last night, as good as always. Thick crust, Canadian Bacon and Sausage, so good with a nice beer. Very nice dinner. I love this place.......
(4)
Leah D.
Melos has good food, but it's too expensive. We've done take out and dine in and the service is always pretty good, but nothing super special. I've always ordered the Mediterarean salad and while its tasty, we just can't afford it anymore.
(3)
Jimbo B.
Melo's is a great place to eat. Great service, great food, and has been around for a super long time. It used to be located a few doors over in the same plaza. Ive never had bad food, or a bad experience. A+++ all the way!!!
(5)
Dave B.
Now I've been going to Melo's for just about two decades. It's changed locations from a hole-in-the-wall to what used to be a pretty modern setup for a pizza place. The neon light art on the wall, large murals of cars did set it apart from the suburban pizzeria (i.e., Round Table, Straw Hat, Pizza Hut). While it's aged over time, and the prices have gone up significantly, you can still have a pretty decent pie here. The crowds that mob the doors disperse quickly, as they efficiently move people in and out of the restaurant. Last night, we went here with my best friends who live in the area. We had the family size salad, which was OK. The tomatoes weren't appealing, however, the choice of three salad dressings is always nice. We had two pizza. Ours had mushrooms and was well done, except should have probably rested awhile before being served so the cheese had a chance to cool. Perhaps, it needed to be cooked a little longer. Consequently, some of the slices' mushroom topping slid off when we served ourselves. I would never get pasta here, but it's on the menu. Over the years, I've learned that they have a different opinion about when a noodle is done. It's a little too tender to the tooth. Biggest benefit: they still serve root beer without caffeine. I just wish they'd refill the glass more frequently. Melo's doesn't make their pizzas in a woodfire oven, but they do make them from scratch. You can always see them tossing the dough. if you're in the Pleasant Hill/Walnut Creek area, it's not a bad place for some pizza. The crust is thicker than not, chewy, and with good bad flavor. Red pepper flakes makes it all good. Enjoyable evening with great friends.
(4)
Kris L.
I still love Melo's. It's always pretty packed whenever we go. This time it was a Sunday afternoon. We usually only go when one of us is craving pizza, so I have yet to try any of their pastas. Although from some of these other reviews, I think I might just have to try one of their pastas next time. Our fave pizza is the Hawaiian, so that's all my review can be based on. It's super YUM and that's why we keep coming back to Melo's for their pizza!
(4)
D A.
My wife and I with our two beautiful daughters heard of this place through a friend who recently worked here. My wife had the bread with chesse & tomatoes (I don't recall the name of it) I had the onion soup and we both shared the garlic fries and the classic meat combo. Everything was great the services was the most important part to me and the place was customer friendly. At the end our total bill was only $30.00 not bad I'd come back here any time!
(4)
John K.
Great Italian food. Fun spot to hit before a movie. The service is usually curt and unfriendly - to a point that we laugh about it. It's worth it though since the food is tasty (but it's not cheap).
(4)
mikaela l.
I used to come here very often when I was little. Now I just come get take out. The restaurant hasn't changed much in the past ten years, which is why I don't like eating there, but the food is still delicious. Their penne al amatriciana is my absolute favorite pasta, I've tried and tried but I've never been to make it that tasty or find anywhere else that has. Its a type of red sauce with onions, pancetta, mushrooms, cheese and some other things I'm missing.. When I was little I used to love their spinach fettucine in a white sauce with prawns, zucchini and yellow squash (sorry i forget the names!). My family loves their linguini in red sauce with clams. They recently added a bruschetta with mozzarella and prosciutto to their menu and that was great. One last thing, their ceaser dressing is perfect; sometimes I ask for a tub for take out so I can have delicious ceaser salads all week long. If you go here, try the penne al amatriciana- you won't be disappointed!
(4)
N B.
This is the first place we went after moving to Pleasant Hill, and it's still my favorite restaurant in the area. The pizza is kind of expensive, but it's better than anything you could get from a chain. Their pasta is also excellent. They have the best bolognese I've ever had. I would recommend the Fettuccine Ferrari or Gnocchi Bolognese, hands down. The service is fantastic, too. It's always busy when we go, but the servers and cashiers are organized. You can see into the kitchen, too, and it's always impressive how orderly everything is. I've never got the sense that things were out of control. You can rest assured that you won't be getting your order mixed up at this place.
(5)
Benjamin K.
Ordered the Mediterranean and 4 cheese margarita pizza in a thin crust and was VERY DISAPPOINTED. The pizza's tasted bad. The cheese on the margherita was hard and tough, almost jerky like. It looked like it might of been over cooked. Ordered them as a thin crust but the crust was still pretty thick. Overall they were just bad pizzas. I can't believe I paid close to $60 (2 pizzas) for something that tasted so bad. Should of stuck with Papa Murphys and had better pizza and saved some cash. I agree with the other reviewers about this place being overpriced for the food you get. Will not order pizza here ever again.
(1)
Lorena O.
This little hidden restaurant has got to be Pleasant Hill's hidden secret. The place is much larger than appears, we were seated quickly, service was great and food was delicious. I had pesto spaghetti with thin rib eye steak, the only problem was having to share it with my 2 year old! Definately going back.
(5)
Sam S.
Killer calamari dip, great family size salad, and good west coast pizza.
(5)
J. M.
A very tasty selection of pastas and great salads. (honestly, I'm not that big of a pizza person, so I haven't tried theirs yet!) I recommend splitting a pasta dish and a salad (I like the Sonoma) with your sweetie. Throw in a few drinks and the free bread - and you've got a very tasty, filling and affordable date meal.
(4)
Jenny F.
Pizza is very fresh and cooked to order. Crust is medium thick and the sauce is well spiced with garlic and herbs. Service was prompt for a large group. There were lots of children in the restaurant but we were seated in a different and quiet area. Server was friendly and refilled our drinks often. Great place for a birthday dinner!
(4)
Roger C.
My Best friend ALWAYS has her birthday dinners here...almost always. This place is SOOOOOO good. I don't eat pizza often and if I do, its Round Table All the way. However, this place just beat out Round Table. the four cheese margarita and PIZZA GENOVESE is a MUST! I swear, my hand would not put down the pizza either...it was bit after bit, slice after slice...I seriously had no self control. My best friends mom also ordered a create it yourself pizza and I know it had some sort of sausage. *drool* I', getting hungry just thinking about it! lol :) For a Pizza Place, I recommend this place. Its fast, fun and friendly. And the pizza is amazing. Four Stars all the way!
(4)
M N.
What a disappointment. People have raved about this place but when I stopped in on a rainy afternoon to a not packed dining room I found the service slow and the food mediocre. All I wanted was some French bread and minestrone but they " ran out" of bread! Are you kidding me? An Italian restaurant out of bread? My husband received his entree and seven minutes later my soup was not there yet. What were they out of that too! I don't know I cancelled the order.
(1)
Mark A.
Ordered a Margherita Pizza to go. Thought it was fantastic. This was my first visit and I'm excited to try out more of their offerings.
(4)
Tiffany J.
Great pizza, great beer. We had the Caprice salad and it was delicious. The service was fast and friendly.
(5)
Tyler I.
You can't go wrong here. I think the pizza is on sourdough dough and it is great! Not so much as left overs though, so come hungry. The pasta dishes are also delicious, I think that last one I had was a Ferrari pasta but my favorite is the ravioli, reminds me of home cooking. Service is pretty consistent. They are also pretty good at accommodating larger parties so its good for bigger families, too.
(4)
Ebony C.
Love love love Melos the food is good , and is a great family restaurant. but the staff is awesome once when my dog jumped out of the car he ran there and they fed him sausage, and called me and held onto him till I got there. Again love this place
(4)
Dave H.
Melo's has 'consistently' good pizza. Their crust is of the salty sourdough variety and although being unique, doesn't suit my taste. Personally, as a toppings guy, I prefer to go either thin crust New York or deep dish Chicago (Zachary's). Topping amount and quality are above average, but tend to be stuck on the middle 80% of the pizza. Since I'm not a big leftover chunk of chewy crusty bread in my hand guy, I usually want to leave that piece on the plate. Pasta is better than your average Pizza joint (I know that isn't saying much), but if you really want quality pasta, or salad for that matter, you have a half dozen better places locally. The decor has a retro neon "Drive-in" feel. Unfortunately, I don't think that anyone is smart/old enough to appreciate that the nostalgic American Grafitti thing doesn't really fly anymore, unless you ARE a "Drive-in". Personally, I miss the 'roll-up window service'. Service is usually fast and friendly, tables are clean and there always seems to be cute waitresses serving the patrons. Try to avoid peak times, as cute 20-somethings don't cope with FRI/SAT night customer stress overload too well. With the painful demise of Bella Roma, decent pizza around Martinez is a dying commodity and while I've never been "Wowed" at Melo's, I always get a good pizza in a 'kid friendly' setting. Also, they have good beer on tap. Melo's keeps holding down the fort in the local pizza business, so I'm sure I'll be back whenever the family wants a few slices.
(3)
Stephanie S.
Drove from Oakland to see an art show and decided to check it out. The service was excellent. Im giving it a fourth star just for service. The food was good the pizza crust was delicious and the pepperoni VERY spicy. The let down was the salad, obvious from a jar, blue cheese dressing and just a standard salad nothing special, like you would expect in a italian resuarant not just a pizza joint, which this is both. The garlic cheese bread is TO DIE FOR .. must haVE .. but eh marinara also tastes jarred.. I woud NOT drive out to walnut creek for just the food .. if i was out there would check it out again. Maybe
(4)
Monica M.
I enjoy Melo's pizza mainly for the taste and quality of the pizza crust. It's vegetarian pizza options are some of the most flavorful around. The service is fine for pizza, but the place is PACKED on the weekends. I brought a well-traveled friend to this place, and he was put off before we went after another friend told him that Melo's wasn't "that great." But my well-traveled friend packed away about a half a pizza, proclaiming the whole time that my other friend was "a f*ing idiot!"
(4)
Stuart M.
I've been coming here for 20 years and it's never let me down. At worst: a so-so night in the kitchen. At best: a sublime Italian food experience. Pizza is hands-down the best in the area - I am more than partial to the ultra-thin-crust Napolitana. Pasta plates are also seriously delicious: try the linguine with red clam sauce, fusilli putanesca, and lasagna verde. Whenever we come home after a long trip, this is usually the first place we want to eat.
(4)
Bradford C.
First of all,let me explain my 5 star rating.I only gave 5 stars because that is the highest score you can grade this place.If I could,I'd give it a lot more stars.But the service is great,the food is the highest quality of Italian food and the service is just absolutely terrific.Words cannot describe the family-friendly environment this place has and the owner of this place has to be proud with the professionalism of his/her/their workers.The food is absolutely fabulous.Also,I've been living in Pleasant Hill for 5 years,and only now did I actually realize Melo's was right next to my house :O ahahaha,I need a life.
(5)
Elaine P.
My earlier review for Melo's was for take out. I found today's dine-in a bit better, but not much. Service and surroundings were fine. But the food still left much to be desired. My Mediterranean Salad had the same problem that my take out pizza had last winter: pale, pale tomatoes that never should have been served. I can understand pale tomatoes in January .... but no excuse in August. The feta cheese was in tiny cubes and not as flavorful as crumbled feta. The predominant flavor of the salad was onions. I opted for the "protein" add on of 5 herb baked prawns. They were disappointing: quite small, a little mushy, and not particularly flavorful. (Melo's needs lessons from Panera where a recent salad had 8 very large shrimp.) I am not about to scratch Melo's off my list, but it has had "two strikes" in recent months so it is now a restaurant I can easily pass on.
(3)
Laura K.
My favorite Pizza when I lived in PH. I moved and still have not found my top place
(5)
C B.
I am torn between 3 and 4 stars. I really like the Cesar salad at Melos. The dressing is super garlicy and the selection of additions is great. I love the breaded chicken. BUT it is way too expensive. 1/2 order for $5.95 or a Full order at $7.95 and then if you add a topping, it's another $3.75. Add another $2.25 for my iced tea and I am left with a hefty bill for what I thought was a small lunch. After paying $14 plus tip, I wonder why I didn't go get sushi and pay the same (or less) for a roll, soup, salad and a drink. Damn garlic cravings. On the other hand I have really enjoyed their sandwiches, pastas, and pizzas, but the price calls for more quality. I brought a couple friends to Melo's to get some pizza and pasta and they were very disappointed with their dishes. The sauce on both the pasta and pizza was watered down and very runny. It left the pasta lacking flavor and the pizza crust soggy. We didn't even take the rest of our pizza or the pasta home with us. This might have been an off night because I have had some great dishes there. I really enjoy the Fedelini Con Salcicca; Wide pasta strips with Italian sausage, red bell peppers, onion, tomato, sprinkled with parmigiano cheese and they let me substitute the sauce for pesto sauce. Maybe it's just their red sauces that are runny. However, I stand by my statement about price. Pizza and Pasta are some of the easiest dishes to make and their ingredients aren't rare or decadent, so therefore the prices should reflect such. If the prices were lower, I would give them 4 stars.
(3)
Mariam F.
I have been going here weekly for a good ten years. By far the best Italian place ever. The great thing is there is so much variety that if you don't feel like pizza one week, you can get pasta then next or even steak and veggies. I love the selections and flexibility to be able to add to or change around my order. The staff is great and the service is too!
(5)
Robert H.
A really safe bet for the family. Pasta is great, service is sharp, and the pizza is fabulous.
(5)
T U.
I haven't eaten at Melo's in years. I used to love their pizza. I'm sitting with very difficult news about a close family member. Damn an old memory and taste might be comforting. Let me check Melo's web site to see how late they serve. I'll drive out to PH this late for a pie. No information on the site, Well, I'll call. I called to see if they were still serving and spoke with someone. I accidentally dropped an F bomb "Suggest to your owners that they should have the f###'n hours on the website" and got a "You don't need to talk to me that way." I apologized. I really did feel bad. I wasn't mad or irritated at all until "Yeah, whatever" hangs up. You can't email the management for this group. I'll call tomorrow but-- Melo's? I don't care if you have the best pizza in the world. F*** YOU! I don't care whomever is listed on your website as a contact I won't darken your doors again in my life. And to the little pissy bitch that answered the phone, his future there should be limited. Any f^^king idea what customer service is about? Just like Skipolini's "Aw, you know, we don't care. We don't need you." WTH has happened to getting a decent pie in Central Contra Costa?
(1)
Stella C.
I don't know if I really liked this place because I was starving and would've eaten anything within arm's reach to appease the growl/tremble of my empty stomach or because it really was that good. I was dying to have a toasty sandwich and tomato soup but Kym ("Kymberli C. -- yelp names are so formal haha..) and I were over driving around in the rain. It was busy inside but we were seated immediately and service was consistent all night. We shared a small (but it was huge) pizza and a pasta dish (penne with pancetta, mushrooms, onions, and some other things in a tomato sauce). The pizza's crust was crisp but soft/chewy and actually edible - unlike most pizza crusts that I immediately discard. Both were really yummy, unfortunately I dropped a giant forkful of pasta all over my cardigan and the stain was too tough for even a shout wipe. Perhaps that stands testament to really good sauce? We sat near the open kitchen and could see they use high quality pasta & ingredients! I'd definitely come back here again, but equipped with tide-to-go pens and maybe wear black -or a bib- to be safe.
(4)
Alicia M.
Tasty food and family friendly!
(4)
C D.
Love their pizza- grew up going here and now am driving 1/2 hour just for Melos. The salad plates are chilled, the creamy Italian is the best and they have great pizza!!! We always go here after boating in the Delta and everyone we have brought there has thought it was so good. I wish there was a San Ramon location- years ago there was but the sauce wasn't the same. So its Livermore or Pleasant Hill
(5)
Adrianne G.
Although we live in Alamo, we drive the 10 miles to Melo's for takeout. I've lived in the Walnut Creek area for over 25 years and Melo's is still our favorite pizza in town! We also order the lasagna and pastas which are also delicious. I do agree that the service is "curt and unfriendly" and the staff stare a lot and talk about their customers with each other. That is the only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5.
(4)
alicia w.
I think this place really has the best side salad I've ever gotten, no joke. My bestie and I love to come here for our girl nights, the garlic bread is serious; hearty rustic Italian bread. If you're not careful, you won't have room for dinner. The pizza's great (I'm from Chicago, so I know good pizza) and I love their pasta dishes. My current favorite is the Pasta with Prawns and Rose sauce- the sauce is a light red gravy (as we wops call it) that has a slightly creamy flavor, it's not quite a pink sauce. Regardless, it's excellent, and they put a generous amount of shrimp in the dish. My friend likes the veggie lasagna or the chicken parmesean when we go. This is a nice casual joint for pizza on a weeknight, and it's kid-friendly.
(5)
Nancy O.
Deee-lish-us! As I write a review for the new Zachary's location in Pleasant Hill, just a mile or less from Melo's, I recall what a good pizza really tastes like and that's Melo's just to be clear here. Cheesy, fresh toppings, and great crust. Gotta get back soon as it's been a while. Always a winner every time I've been there though. Their pasta is quite good too. And their salads are very fresh.
(4)
Tim F.
I've been eating at Melo since the late 80's starting at the old place when they had dusty plastic grapes over the counter and a dirt parking lot. I like their pizza and most of their pasta dishes; however, I brought home their chicken parmigiana for my Daughter. For whatever reason, Melo's uses a vodka cream sauce on their version of chicken parmigiana. Not what my Daughter expected and not what she wanted. Melo's is head and shoulders above pizza chain restaurants but it's not an "Wow" Italian restaurant. Their pizzas are great but their pasta dishes are hit and miss.
(3)
Greg T.
The pizza is terrific, however the different pasta sauces I've tried have consistently been watery (not just thin) and somewhat bland in flavor. Service is hit or miss. The pizza is worth it though.
(3)
Jack A.
we are once a month customers for the last ten years..we recently went in for a sunday lunch.The service started off well then once the food came out we never seen server again. No refills, no checking in and had to ask another emploee for take home box and check. The waitress was there and you can see she was working hard but not sure if was spead to thin or someone called in sick. When not staffed correctly everyone suffers including the staff in tips. We will be back and hope it was just a one time deal
(2)
pilou o.
I will start off by saying that the service gets 5 stars. It is important to have good bread and they give you 3 different kinds! Restaurant is popular, busy, bright and unfortunately noisy. But definitely a family place and we had kids. The kids got a dough ball to play with and they loved it. The pizza was good, not quite NY style, but closer to it. The entrees were good. The pasta was good. The meal came out quickly. The portions are gigantic. The whole thing was good. But that is the thing, nothing was great. The risotto is awful. Prices reasonable for the portion sizes. Take your family just don't expect to be blown away.
(3)
Diane E.
This Melo's has always been consistantly good. I usually come here after an intense hike and I'm starving! Today, I came here after hiking at Briones with a new hiking friend and we enjoyed a combo pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, olives and linguisa. The #5, with a twist since my friend doesn't eat ham :-) He compared Melo's with Zackary's Chicago Pizza in Berkeley. The service is excellent and the leftovers will be enjoyed for tomorrow's lunch!
(5)
Paul D.
Great Pizza aways busy prices are good as well
(5)
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Address :1660 Contra Costa Blvd
Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
denise s.
I went for lunch a couple of weeks ago and decided to try their chicken marsala. I was so disappointed in this dish! The chicken tasted old and was stringy... It certainly was not what I expected from this restaurant. I was actually shocked at how bad the chicken was and I guess from now on I'll just try their pizza because after that experience I don't really trust them to make other dishes that taste good.
(2)Rob H.
Since moving to P. Hill six months ago, this has become my our "go to" pasta joint. I have tried many different pasta and sauce combinations, and almost all of then have been fantastic. I would have to say the stand outs have been their pesto sauce with tortellini (my fav) and their pasta Emeliana. The only thing I would honesty tell anyone to avoid is their Gorgonzola sauce. It was very watery, and to date, the only item on the menu I would not recommend. Most of my experience with Melo's has been via take out. That being said, we have never had any problems with our orders, and their time estimates have always been spot on. It's a limited view of their customer service, but i have been very impressed. Melo's is a great spot, and worth checking out if you are in the area or looking for some great pasta.
(4)Shahrooz H.
Man it doesn't get any better than Melo's baby! Their food is always excellent and consistent. The only thing that I don't like is that the service can somewhat be slow, especially if you go in the middle of the day. Which is odd because you'd think that since it isn't as busy you'd get faster service. Either way Melo's is excellent and it's always a great choice!
(5)Nic N.
Bring back the caprese salad!! Otherwise this place is awesome. Taste like grandmas sauce! (Does not apply if YOUR grandma can't cook!)
(5)Jamie C.
Pizza was delicious. Tried their garlic fries which were also good. Seems like a lot of people come with friends or family. Has a nice interior vibe and honest servers. Come hungry, there's a lot of food to be had.
(4)vanessa a.
This was one of the best pizzas I have had in a long time everything was so authentic . It was everything I look for when I feel like eating Italian food the service was great as well
(5)AJ T.
My waitress was an older white haired woman with an accent. She spent the entire time talking to another table. It took her more than 10 minutes to take our drink order and she never brought us any refills. We had to wait forever for our check and I heard another table also complaining about her. The guy behind us finally got tired and went to pay the hostess because she never brought his check. The food was good but horrible service ruined it. She obviously is not a good waitress and must work there because she is related to someone.
(2)Marlon O.
I would give Melo's 5 stars for the food. All around good but -1 for service and -1 for waiting 30 mins for a table on a Fri. or Sat. night. When I first started comming here about 4 years ago service was all good. The past year it has kept getting worse and worse. Kudos to the guys tossing pizza as my kids love to sit and watch. They always give my kids some fresh dough to play with and that keeps them busy while we wait =)
(3)Tomo K.
Definitely one of the better pizza places I've ever had. Word of caution it is a little on the salty side but the combination of sauce, cheese and toppings are perfect.
(4)Petey H.
Mom and dad bring home food from Melo's quite often. Dad knows the owner (Guy) and the owners cousin (Tracy). They go back a long way ... to the '80s I believe. Anyway, my sister Wave and I get little hand outs of pizza as mom and dad scarf most of the meal. The flavors are enormous ... I can smell the food when dad drives up in his truck. My smeller is really that good. Wave can smell that far out as well. Just being around when it's Melo's night is a gift. Wave and I are very lucky. We like Melo's pizza a lot.
(5)Tony H.
Good pizza and good service...
(4)Amanda S.
I've been getting Melo's Pizza since I was a Baby. It's what I judge every other pizza up against. I've found others that have come close, but nothing is better then a Melo's Pizza!
(5)Geary L.
Melo's what has happened to you? Long a local, (Pleasant Hill), favorite, has "success" killed what made you successful? We have been eating at the Contra Costa Blvd. location for nearly 25 years. It was great when it was a "hole in the wall"! Pretty good with the modern "strip mall" update. But lately, just not that good. My comments are pizza only. I don't "do" American Italian pastas. It's all about the pizza. The pizza has gone from great to just better than the factory places. What happened? Skimpin' on toppings. The crust is kinda dry, not the old crispy exterior and light , chewy interior. I am a simple pizza guy, just one or two selected toppings for the cheese, if any. This lets each of the component flavors shine. On my last few visits the toppings were lost like specks on the pie. I'm talking about the "double price" toppings here. You pay twice the price and the topping(s) were MIA? The mozzarella just no longer seemed like the high, quality "real cheese" that it use to be. Hopefully this is a passing decline. If not Melo's has lost its magic!
(3)Jarat D.
We drove Down from San Jose to to get pizza it wasn't even ten o'clock they close at ten thirty, we wanted to sit down and eat are food, the woman behind the counter said we could not sit inside cause they where closing? So we ate on the bench out front after paying 27 dollars, there where many people still inside eating, how rude I am taking this further, no one will treat my family like this, her name was Cassie. Also the food was cold. Pissed off!
(1)Meena P.
Discovered this pizza joint recently. I love their pizza. I have become disenchanted with delivery pizza (see my other reviews). I just wished they delivered. The pizza is the perfect crust, amount of sauce and cheese. We always get the veggie pizza and a salad. We have picked up their pizza many times but a couple of weeks ago we went there and at in the restaurant. It was crazy busy on a Saturday night, which is always a good sign. Defnitely would recommend this place.
(4)sam l.
The pizza was served lukewarm and tasted of cardboard. I tried to discuss w the manager but he seemed much more interested in the rear quarters of the waitress. Whatever you do - NEVER call in advance!
(2)Britney F.
Yummmm, Mmmmm. I remember coming to Melo's when I was a toddler and being given pizza dough to play with. This restaurant is SO family-friendly, they have many different sports games being shown on their large TV's, and the pizza to TOP NOCH! If we are going out to dinner, you'll find us at Melo's! My family from out of town makes special visits to eat at Melo's and believe me, we are picky about our pizza! The service is always excellent, the wait is never too long, and they have always made our pizza right!
(5)Angela A.
i have been going here for years and i have never had a bad meal. My favorite is the gnocci but the pizza is to die for!!!
(4)Lindsay J.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous restaurant! At least food-wise. I haven't dined-in in years so I can't comment on the service or anything, but the cuisine never disappoints. The pesto, pancetta, and tomato pizza is to die for!
(5)Nikki P.
We had dinner to go last night and it was OK. Small protions and the sauce was really watery. We wont be doing take-out from there again!
(3)Kymberli C.
3.5 stars. Stella and I came here because we were starving and driving around aimlessly looking for a place to eat. She was craving a sandwich and soup and unfortunately Melo's didn't have either, but we did have a pretty good meal. We split a pasta and pizza and a salad. Everything was pretty tasty. The small pizza is a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. The tables were pretty much filled and it was pretty busy. Our waiter was friendly and answered our questions and filled our requests.
(3)Aric W.
I went in and asked for something fast. they told me what i could get and it came within 2 minutes. They said any spaghetti, so i got the alfredo one because i just don't like red sauce that much. The spaghetti was very good. Not amazing, but amazing for only taking 1 minute to prepare. Bread was standard. I would knock of 1/2 star because it was 10 bucks, but i round up and you know, times are tough, you gotta charge what you gotta charge. Plus there are always cute girls working there.
(5)Nicholas H.
The wings are good and the pizza is better. Some yelpers have commented on the service, expect slow service and be pleasantly surprised with mediocre service. The staff appears to be the cheer leading squad from one of the p-hill area high schools. I went there with a cautious vegetarian who received a pretty epic salad. I was shocked! The food is good and prices are pretty cheap. If you are a Zachary's lover this may not be the place for you. Personally I'm with Kevin A. as favoring this over the deep dish of Z's.
(4)Lily Ann B.
This place made me feel like I was in middle school again. I've never been in a place that felt so frozen in time. (Except when I walked past the barracks on Treasure Island.) I mean, neon! And Madonna over the speakers! I felt like I was in the Cafe 80s from Back to the Future II. Anyway, came here with my mom because apparently it's a bit of a regular hangout for the Jazzercize ladies. I seriously don't remember what pizza I ordered other than it was meatless, but it was VERY good. Thin crust done just right, with a generous amount of tomato sauce, cheese, and red peppers. The waitress was friendly but EXTREMELY slow to come back to our table after initially seating us.
(4)Victor L.
Free bread as you wait for your appetizers, pasta and pizza. Free dough for little kids and teens AND adults. Delicious fettuccine! Recommend their spinach shrimp fettuccine. Pizza is beyond godlike. Any toppings or size, they will try to make it to perfection!. I always end up with leftovers too so that's a plus ahaha.
(4)V T.
I just don't get what's so great about this place. The pizza is pretty plain, no better than anywhere else. And the service isn't very good either. To top it off, it was actually on the expensive side.
(2)Roy C.
One of the best pizza restaurants in the Bay Area. They give small children a bit of dough to make their own pretend pizzas and kill some time. I only wish I lived closer so I could eat there more often.
(5)Nedra D.
Excellent pizza, really good pasta. I've been going here for the last 15 years and still love it. The service is always good and fairly quick. I like their pizza genovese (pesto pizza with prosciutto and tomatoes) as well as their gnocchi. for lunch, they have a good meatball sandwich.
(4)Joe O.
I really wanted to like this place. So after my first subpar meal, I went back...again and again. 4 pasta dishes and 1 pizza later, I doubt I will ever go back. The canneloni was so bland and was overpowered by the tomato sauce that tasted like it came straight from a jar. The mozarella cheese was the only thing that had flavor. While the pizza did have a thin crunchy crust that I enjoy, the rest of the pasta dishes just tasted like frozen pasta you can buy at the market. If you want some good pasta, there is this one place on College Ave in Berkeley.
(2)Joseph D.
Super great pizza, we always get garlic bread with cheese and a pepperoni, olive and Canadian bacon pizza. Service is always good! My girl and I ate here recently and I wanted a lot of water so our server gave me a small pitcher with a straw!!! I loved it!
(5)John J.
It's a Pizza Parlor--and the Pizza is king. Probably the best 'Za I have had in the area. Pick up a pie and take it home, or eat it there. If you are eating there, as we did on Saturday, just remember, it's a Pizza parlor, and service is not going to be like at the Sheraton or the Claremont, okay? We had a pizza with Eggplant and Kalamta Olives and Feta cheese on a thin crust and another with mixed meat and green peppers on a regular crust. (Both combos on the menu) In both cases the sauce had a nice zesty zing to it. Yummers! Ingredients were fresh and tasty. The 'Za was well executed. The thin crust was nice and crisp and tasto-licious without being overdone . The crust was not so crisp that you could not fold it, but just right. The regular crust had a lovely texture and flavor. Toppings were just right. Service--look, it's a Pizza parlor, okay. The service was kinda spotty but alright. Pizza came before we were done with our salads, and other little minor miscues such as failing to ask if anyone would like more to drink. (My pal had to ask twice for more beer...) Our server was pretty young--teenager early 20 something, maybe. Obviously not a professional waiter.
(4)mark v.
Very good pizza. We live about a mile from the place, so to go there is very easy. Melo's is our 'place to go to' when we want pizza. If I lived in San Francisco, I would not go out of my way to go to Melo's (I would go out of my way to go to Zachary's in Oakland, however). But if I lived within 7 miles of Melo's, I would go there when I wanted a great pizza.
(4)Julie U.
I love, love, love this place. I've been eating pizza here for 7 years. The pizza is great, the garlic bread with cheese is amazing. Everything I've ever tried has been good. I have to confess, I've often gotten poor service or rude waitresses but it won't stop me from coming back. Don't go if (sometimes) bad service would really bug you, but the food is amazing.
(5)Tracy A.
We had a birthday dinner here tonight for my sister-in-law. It was her choice. We were going to be in the neighborhood for an early holiday party anyway. We ordered a Margarita pizza to share and two of us had Minestrone soup. The pizza was OK. The youngest member of our group didn't like the Margarita pizza because it had basil on it and it freaked her out. So, we ended up ordering her a small cheese pizza. I thought the cheese pizza was better than the Margarita. I also had 2 pints of Gordon Biersch Marzen. I might try them again if it was convenient.
(4)Gina J.
Best Pizza around. Always fresh and hot and delicious. The staff are all very young and tend to stand around talking more then working. But as for the food, delicious!!
(4)alyson w.
the tasty pizza comes from the combined pizza pan/rack thing they use. this genius setup allows the grease from the pizza to drip below and get trapped in the pan, keeping the crust crispy and alyson happy.
(5)Kym P.
Love Melos! Pesto sauce....yum. I always get it to go and have swift service.
(4)Lavender R.
The service is great. My 2 favorite dishes to eat are the meat lasagna and chicken parmigiana. I've never tried the pizza but my family has a they love it.
(4)Jake L.
Good pizza and pasta. Very greasy though.
(4)Alyssa C.
Great pastas and service is top notch! Haven't tried the pizzas yet. Only drawback is that it can get expensive.
(4)Dan B.
Been going to Melos since 1983 when they were in a small hole in the wall location just a couple of doors down from their current location. The pizza and service was perfect. Ever since the move, quality in every area has steadily declined. By appearance, the facility and staff are clean and shiny but the pizza is only half what it once was and the waiting staff are the dime-a-dozen youngster type who think way too highly of themselves. The "big move" from the tacky location years ago was sad. Melos used to have a comfy rustic feel and drew a steady clientele. The new location has an ambiance that caters to a "different" crowd. I just stopped going there. The pizza went out the window along with the unpretentious atmosphere.
(2)Rachel S.
Good pizza and bruschetta. Their BBQ Chicken pizza is my favorite!
(4)Daniel P.
I went today after class for a party and it was a blast. The staff didn't seem to mind us sliding a bunch of tables together and making a lot of noise. The pizza didn't take too long and it was really good. I particularly thought that the BBQ pizza was very good and unique.
(4)Kevin A.
First off I am not a deep dish pizza guy -- Zachary's is great but not a go to for me. Their pizza is, in my humble opinion, kind of bland for some reason. That being said, I think Melo's makes one of the best tasting pizza's around. We know the guy who supplies them with their ingredients and they only use top of the line cheeses and meats (if I rememebr rigth it is the same supplier as Zachary's). Means you get more taste out of the cheese rather then just a lot of cheese. Their pasta puttanesca and caser salads are pretty solid, too. Bottom line: Best Pizza in CoCo County! [Mary's does a half way decent job too but that is another review]
(4)Daniel A.
Good pizza, love the garlic bread with cheese. Would recommend if in the area.
(4)Meliza L.
This place serves fresh authentic pasta and pizza. Everything is delicious...including the bread and salads! Great place to have a family dinner. I have yet to try anything there I didn't care for. Added bonus - they gave my 2 year old some pizza dough to play with! This place beats out any Olive Garden or Buca di Bepo in terms of quality of food!
(4)Eva M.
Best pizza this side of the tunnel. The Melo's combo is as good as it gets. If you decide to skip the pizza and go for the pasta, you really can't go wrong with any of them. Great family atmosphere. Gets really busy at dinner and almost always has a wait, but it's totally worth it!
(5)Ko N.
14 years ago you used to be called "Melo's New York Style Pizza". I loved your pizza and when my family decided to move to New York when I was in high school, I didn't feel so bad because I loved your "new york" pizza. Lies!!! New York pizza was nothing like yours, it was gooey cheese that fell off the bread, you can't even pick up NY pizza by the crust, you have to literally fold it to eat it. You do not make new york style pizzas but I will always love you and I hope we meet in our 15 year reunion.
(5)Kym B.
Oh how I miss Melo's. I live too far now. Forget the pizza, there are two dishes that are deleesh. It's been a while so I can't remember the names. 1st is a Bistecca, steak with garlic and lemon. 2nd is Chicken pasta with prosciutto in a white wine cream sauce. I've managed to replicate the chicken pasta at home, but I can't get the Bistecca. Their steak is sliced thin and very tender. YUMO!
(5)Kathleen M.
The pizza here is awesome! Beware, it does get crowded.
(4)Laverne E.
We have been going to this place for a long time, but may not go back for the following reason. The last time we were there: The Host was not the friendliest person, nor could you hear what he was saying. We get seating. Takes a while to get the waitress. She takes our order and disappears. She comes back with our drinks and we notice the table next to us has bread and butter, we weren't offered. So our meal comes out. First the pizza and about 5 minutes later the pasta. These were delivered by someone other than our waitress. So my salad never arrived and if we wanted anything more we would have to go get the waitress. Pizza was ok, pasta was ok (but they don't use pancetta as the menu indicates). No one ever came to check on us. When the waitress came back to clear our table, she never asked if maybe we wanted coffee or dessert. That was our last time to Melo's.
(2)Steerpike S.
Wonderful place! Not only is the Pizza good (it used to be my favorite until I discovered Pizza Antica in Lafayette), but their pastas are really good too. And their garlic bread is the absolute best - no goopy greasy sauce like most places. I had my first ever Putanesca here, and have yet to find a better one anywhere. Their fresh fettucini with pesto sauce is great too. The four cheese pizza was my old favorite. The only bad thing I ever had here was the buffalo wings apetizer ... but what was I thinking? ! It's cheap and fast, but also pleasant, and with a generally good wait-staff.
(4)Michelle M.
This is my go to place for Gnocchi Bolognese. It's the best. Perfect texture, not too mushy, slightly chewy, hearty, and the sauce is AMAZING. Personally, I think the pasta dishes are better than the pizza. I also love the Tagliatini Fellini and the Linguine with Clam Sauce. TRY THE PASTAS!
(5)Michael S.
Really good pizza! The service is always great, although it can be a bit slow during the rush times. I haven't tried too many other dishes other than the pizza because I particularly like the pizza. Plus who can turn down sharing a good pizza with good friends.
(4)Sasha V.
This is a really enjoyable place to go for dinner. They are more of an American Italian mix with their food. They make some good pizza and pasta's. I have had a few times when the food wasn't at its best. So they do struggle with consistency but overall they are usually pretty good. I never have had a problem with the service especially since they always seem to have the cutest waitresses and hostess working there. If you want a simple Italian family style restaurant this is a good place to go.
(4)Dennis N.
Great pizza and amazing Ravioli Emiliana!! The service is usually pretty slow, best to go before normal dinner and lunch hours but its always worth it...
(4)Heather K.
Hate this place. I've been here a few times with my friends or coworkers and didnt receive the service that I was expecting. Ive heard good things about this place, but it isn't all that. The service is alright, but the food is nothing to brag about. I noticed a cockrotch near the kitchen. That is enough reason for me to stop going back. Also, they got my order wrong twice.
(1)Robert B.
Melo's is by far my favorite pizza place. I have been a Melo's fan since the 80's when it was a dinky pizza place and the place to go after high school.
(5)Michelle G.
Had a great dinner there tonight with the family. I have to admit that I've never actually had a bad meal here! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that sometimes the service can be a little slow.
(4)Erin H.
The food is the best. Best pizza ever. Been coming for almost 30 years. Sometimes the service is marginal, but there is no complaining about the food.
(5)D Y.
had the melos combo, veggie delight, and bbq chicken pizzas. they are good. the most noticeable thing is that they use very fresh ingredients. i hear the pasta is good here too, so i'll try it some day.
(4)Ariana P.
Come for food, pizza enthusiasts will appreciate their fresh salty crust and top-notch toppings. Pasta dishes range from whites to reds to greens, and all are cooked exquisitely. Service here is hit or miss, take out is convenient. Staples are: pizza, mafalda con pollo, lasagna, and peso primivera. Alcohol menu is disappointing, stick to the food and you'll be satisfied.
(4)John D.
Sometimes this place is a four star experience, sometimes it's a one star ordeal. Usually, the service is good. Often, the pizza is great. Sometimes, the pizza is questionable, and occasionally, the service is horrendous. Warnings: I have twice walked out of this place after waiting more than 15 minutes for service--on neither occasion was the place at all busy. Usually, however, the staff is fine. Also, the place looks like Patrick Nagel threw up all over it, so if you don't like 80s decor, you might have a hard time with the atmosphere.
(3)Jason W.
Love this place! When I think hard I can only think of maybe two other Italian places that even compare! Go there today!
(4)John W.
This is one of my favorite places. The pasta is fantastic, and if someone at my table orders pizza, then it's icing on the cake. Do NOT miss the garlic cheese bread if you go here.
(4)Jocelyn F.
Yummy. I had the cannelloni and the roasted tomato bruschetta. Once I tasted the cannelloni I felt dumb for wanting to go to the pho place across the street. It was excellent and the sauce was rich. Too much cheese on top though. I had to pick it off. Next time I'll ask for no cheese and more sauce. The bruschetta tasted marinated and that was nice. Fabulous when the flavors permeate the cheese. Service was excellent. Highly recommended.
(4)Ben C.
good pizza.
(4)Kim C.
Went there with 3 hungry kids on 8/3 at about 1:30. So, not the crazy lunch hour, but we had to wait 10 minutes before I got up to say we were ready. The server said, sorry we were trying to figure out who got your table. I said, "Well, can I give you my order and you figure that out later, I've got hungry kids" (knowing it takes a good 15-20 to bake a pizza.). So the one girl comes up, takes our order, and then it is another 10 minutes at least until the other server brings us water (guess they straightened out their table argument). Anyway, so I had to ask again to bring the kids dough and bread (this is my 3rd time asking) because the first girl didn't relay this info to the 2nd girl. So, now 25 min in and we finally have water and bread. The food finally comes, and the gluten free pizza was delicious, as well as the kids spaghetti-which came about 7-10 minutes after the pizza, sigh. I got the new BBQ chopped salad and was hoping for CPK quality, because I love that salad. It was fine, but drowning in ranch. I write this review in hopes that the manager/owner will read it and talk to his staff about service in non-peak hours.
(2)L O.
DELICIOUS! If you're in town don't miss this spot! It's the best. Speedy service, comfortable setting, parking is always available, and foods is fantastic - can't go wrong!
(5)Jenn t.
hot waitresses, great service, better food!!! Tagliatini Felini is THE best eat here!!!
(5)William D.
This place started out as a little hallway twenty something years ago,any food establisment that makes it that long must be doing a few things right.The pasta, pizza & salads are all good.Very busy on the weekends.Good beer & friendly service.
(4)Monica G.
i had the calamari (small crispy and Delicious!) and a shrimp ravioli (flavorful,large serving with chunks of shrimp!)...i have absolutely no qualms about this place...i will definitely return!
(4)kimberly l.
yummy pizza!! good crust ,fresh toppings i would say one of the best pizza places in the area. i have only had it to go so i cant speak on the customer service.
(5)Theoldlady F.
Restaurants should not be run by children. Between the hostess and the "manager" Melo's made sure I won't step foot in that place again. It's embarrassing when an establishment doesn't even suggest customer service (even in theory) over their "rules." The long and the short of it is; My BF and I crossed our wires when deciding on dinner. He called our order in, I met him there (I thought we were eating there, he thought he was getting take out) Since we were both there and starving we decided to eat there. SO yeah guess what....YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT! Now I completely understand businesses have rules and a way they do things. I have never heard of NOT being allowed to eat an order you called in, but maybe that's just ignorance on my part. I would like to mention it was 4pm and EMPTY. But hey, they have rules. After being told they wouldn't allow it and then so graciously informed that we could indeed eat there BUT JUST THIS ONCE. I was ready to walk out. Our poor waitress tried to be as accommodating as possible, even when the "manager" and hostess stood 2 feet from our table discussing how NO ONE should be allowed to eat in after calling in the order, all the while throwing us nasty looks. (I'm not kidding) I'd like to reiterate that the place was desolate. I've never been forced to feel so privileged for being allowed to PAY someone for their service. Our waitress did her best considering the circumstances, you could tell she was embarrassed. The salad was Eh and the pizza was super soggy and kinda tasted like cardboard. Thanks for making it easy to not come back :)
(2)Kirra W.
The pizza is decent but the gnocchi was the worst I've ever had. I can make better gnocchi myself at home from a package. However, my daughter thinks it is an excellent restaurant...what can I say?
(3)Marina Y.
We have been living in the area for three year, I have been working around the corner from Melo's for a year and a half. Every day on my way home I was abserving crowds going in but never have I thought that we would become one of the fans of that place! This is the pizza other places should start making. We came in with kids ages 6-11. Our kids are fans of pizza so we are always trying different places. We started with steamed muscles and what do you know?!?! Our kids tryied it and loved the dish. I wish the muscles were a bit bigger but the sauce was amazing!!! Then we had couple of diffenti pizzas and kids had kids pizzas. We also had grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon. People this is something to die for!!! Our kids said that they don't want to experiment anymore. This is the only pizza place they wish to go from now on. We as adults absolutely agreed because fresh ingredients, excellent quality dishes and great service provided an overall wonderfully experience for us. One note for next time - large party with kids would not sit at the booth.
(5)La C.
After an emotional time in court today the family decided to get some pizza to celebrate the wonderful occasion. We ordered some of everything, pizza, salad, pasta with meat sauce, lasagna, artichoke/spinach dip and calamari. The pizza was just ok, it would have been perfect if it weren't for the crust being cooked too long, it wasn't burnt but it was hard. The calamari was probably the best tasting thing but very small portion. The artichoke/spinach dip was missing flavor, boring. The service was hard working but strange. We were the only party there but we only had one server working with our big group. There were a bunch of folks behind the counter but none helped our waitress out. Really weird, she hustled but it was non stop with our requests. The other odd thing here was the decor, reminded me of mel's dinner from the 80's with weird neon fixtures. Not sure I'd come here out of my way again.
(3)Gail S.
If this place was in San Francisco, you'd be paying double for this quality of food. The pizza and pastas are always fresh. I haven't had anything there I didn't like. The hostess and wait staff are always pleasant and kind too!
(5)Larisa S.
I've been to Melo's a couple of times and they make a pretty delightful pesto and veggie pasta but I'm a cheap bastard and have a huge problem with the fact that they don't offer free bread and salad like every other Italian restaurant in the world. That coupled with the sometimes ear-splitting noise level makes this a difficult place for me to enjoy.
(3)Navi T.
I was here a few months ago after work. Had a very good fettucine alfredo. Nothing special, but the sauce was close to perfect. It's on the pricey side. I need to come back for the pizza though.
(4)NoCal S.
The waitresses knew us, we came here so often. These days the sauce seems to have lost a step, but the crust is still outstanding. The owner still hangs around often, a very good sign. Great pizza. Eat in house to really get the flavor. Family vibe local clientelle. Basic style pie, not too thick, not too thin. Very well balanced, and high quality ingredients. Still, after all these years, please explain the Testarosa.
(4)Ken S.
Man, what took me so long to find this place? They make some of the best hand tossed pizza I've had in the Bay Area. Great selection of toppings. I've never bothered to have anything other than pizza and salad there because it's so good. The Caesar salads are a little bland, but the great pies make up for it.
(4)dustin c.
Very good pizza, but I wouldn't stray too much from there. The garlic bread w/ cheese is a good gooey appetizer. The salads are fresh and decent. Was with someone who had a rib-eye steak and it was not bad. I haven't tried their pasta, my wife has and was not impressed. I have never had bad pizza there. Can get pretty crowded so be prepared to wait on Week & Weekend Nights.
(4)MICHAEL AND VERNA M.
So one person had a major complaint about the TV and the games they wanted to watch were not available on the sets they were looking at. Did you come to eat or watch sports on TV?? Order out and stay at home and watch sports.....how can you complain about service at any restaurant because of the game choices on the TV's?? You are lucky they even have sports to watch....you come for the food, fool, not the movies, sports, TV or The Today Show. All stupidity aside, this is our favorite Bay Area pizza restaurant. We have been coming here for many, many years and it is always a pleasure to enjoy good food and good service at Melo's. Fresh ingredients, great portions and very friendly and attentive service...we weren't watching any sports tonight!! We usually start with and share a wonderful Greek salad...fresh, crisp lettuce, sweet red bell peppers, sweet red onions, spicy peppercinos and feta cheese chunks that melt in your mouth with a fresh, light vingarette dressing. With a side of fresh warm bread and butter, a great way to start your dinner. We always order a medium pizza so we have midnight snack slices for later. Tonight we ordered a half/half, much as we always do....I guess as all very married long years couples do...as we both have our favorites. We always order a THIN crust....our New York roots are showing....with all extra cheese....the cheese is delicious, creamy, thick and hang off your chin delicious. He gets Italian sausage....chunky, firm and not a bit greasy. I order roasted red bell pepper and onion on my half. The roasted peppers were sweet, soft and melted into the flavor of the cheese. The onions added a bit of a crunch and sweet heat to the flavor of the slice. Absolutely delicious. Wash it all down with a cold brew or a crisp fruity white wine and you are in pizza heaven. The service was excellent...we do not rush our food at any restaurant...we eat one entree at a time. She timed our salad so we could enjoy it and digest and then took our pizza order when we were ready to move on to that eating adventure. Glasses always full of water and beverage of choice. A wonderful pizza treat. And for that sports fan....yes, we did get to watch the Thunder beat the Lakers with no problem in TV set adjustment.
(5)Domenica B.
always reliable... always tasty whether pick up or eat in
(3)Sonia H.
Melo's might be in a small, look emptied plaza, but if you see the restaurant is packed on Wednesday night, you know you can't go wrong in this place. I've been there few times since early 90's, the quality of food stays the same if not better, they got great dough that makes their pizza and bread tastes so good, I'm not crazy about eating the whole slice of pizza, usually leaving the crust, but it doesn't happen here. Their pasta are good too, a bit heavy for my taste but all of my friends love it. Huge portion of food for the money, We always got enough left over for another meal.
(4)Laura C.
Most of the time, I only order take out from Melo's. The inside has a nice feel, but it is usually pretty crowded for dinner. Melo's has some great pizzas that I would suggest over the pastas. Olive and linguicia is my favorite. I wouldn't recommend the panninis, they havent quite mastered them yet. The raviolis are yummy, too, if you like them very small.
(4)Kate P.
You can taste the freshness in every bite - very good food, clean and great service. Oh, and the decor is nice too. Definitely worth trying!
(5)Gris G.
This is a great family place with excellent pizza and pasta dishes. I try to go before 5 pm because it gets crowded. Their combination pizza is great and any of their seafood dishes. There's plenty of parking in the back of the restaurant and staff is friendly (overall). We've had some not so good waitresses a couple of times, but it's not fair to write a bad review for two visits, the food has always been great though. I think their menu options are affordable overall, and I haven't found a better pizza in the Pittsburg, Concord, Plesant Hill area yet.
(4)Doug S.
We ate here for the first time last week, and the Pizza was incredible. I had the: WEST COAST COMBO Ham, salami, mushrooms, linguica, olives. This is the best Pizza that I have eaten in a very long time. We will be back.
(5)Jessica B.
Melo's is great for pizza, but don't try to eat in on a Friday or Saturday night because the place is more like a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant than anything else. Not that I hate places that allow for kids to run around wild, but it does tend to put a damper on eating in the restaurant. Take-out is always an option though, and is the preferred method of getting to that pizza delicousness that is Melo's.
(4)Corba D.
Great family restaurant! We love the Mediterranean (Greek) salad with the grilled citrus chicken. Have some minestrone soup on a cold night. The meat tortellini with meat sauce is great. Sometimes, we get the meat tortellini, half with the alfredo sauce and half with the meat sauce. Yum! Pizzas are good, but our favorite pizza is Zachary's in Oakland. The pizza cooks put on a show, sometimes throwing the pizza dough between one another. They have an area with stools in front of the pizza chefs where your kids can watch the cooking. They'll give a small piece of pizza dough for your kids to play with while they're watching. Very friendly place. We once saw Mark McGuire eating there with his honey.
(4)James K.
They get 4.5 stars but I can't select it. DAMN, Anyway, excellent pizza and really good service. They are packed to the gills Thursday-Sunday evenings. The beer is always cold and the Anchor Steam is always fresh. I love the family style salads and they're combination pizza is the 2nd best in the bay area.
(4)Jen N.
this is one of the gem eateries in the east bay. love the garlic bread with cheese, the red clam pasta, and about all of their pizza is grubbing! great place for groups and kids. this place is very family style and is one of my favorites locally without having to go too far for good food overall.
(4)H D H.
My guy is a pizza fanatic, and has found his Mecca at Melos. We just ate here last Friday, and he got a large pizza with canadian bacon and ham (oink). I tried the canneloni, and it was quite good. In the past, I've also had the lasagna (good), rigatoni in meat sauce with Italian sausage (good), and hmm... some other dish with rigatoni, bell peppers, and sausage baked with mozzarella (not so good, the marinara was watery). The bruschetta is very good - two thumbs up! We always order it when we go to Melos. The desserts are "eh" because I think they're store-bought or something. The cannoli was g-r-o-s-s, the tiramisu was squishy (too much Kahlua) and we haven't bothered trying any other dessert for fear of more disappointment. But for a good "pie", as my guy calls it, and pretty yummy pasta, go visit Melos. Like other Yelpers have noted, Friday/Saturday nights mean a long wait and a lot of yelling kids.
(4)Nicole I.
Really good food, me and my friend always get the gnocchi and the chicken parm, absolutely delicious, but the service sucks. Really young snooty waitresses that never come back to your table after you bring your food.
(2)Michael S.
I love their Hawaiian pizza and their waitresses are very easy on the eyes! ;-) The calamari is good too, not the hard crunchy over fried stuff that I have tasted at other so called higher-end establishments.
(5)Steve S.
This is a great place to eat. I tried almost everything on the menu and haven't been disappointed. Pasta has not been over-cooked, Sauces are great, and they use of fresh ingredients. Only thing is, I think they skimmed down their menu because it was missing a few items on a recent visit. They atmosphere is nice and well kept. Prices are great for any budget. What's even better in my opinion is Melo's is family owned and operated. Only downfall, its tucked away in a small complex and if you don't know your way around Pleasent Hill, you may miss Melo's. Overall, its a great place for food, well within anyones budget, and its good for dates, family nights, or eating out with friends.
(4)Kristin L.
Awesome pizza, really great and soo yummy. Plus the creamy Italian dressing is delicious too. Yummmm. We've been coming here for years and years and its always spot on and oh so good!
(5)Chrissy F.
I am giving it 4-Stars because I have only eaten here once and had a salad. I had the Sonoma Salad with Citrus Grilled Chicken and it was excellent. The candied walnut on the salad were so delicious, the best I have ever had! My boyfriend asked about the walnuts and was told that they are made fresh daily every morning, our server was awesome and was kind enough to bring me a small little container with our to-go. It was a really great experience and I hope to return.
(4)Shayna A.
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(3)Steve H.
I can't believe more people haven't rated Melo's either. This is a great place to eat and one of the most talked about places in Pleasant Hill. They do both pizza and pasta well, and have a great atmosphere with the open kitchen and friendly servers. I've paid as little as $15 for a great lunch for 2 and had a good times with groups of friends for dinner.
(4)Leona M.
Love Melos especially their Pizza. It is fun watching the chefs toss the dough.
(5)Mia R.
One of my favs! Hostesses are nice and friendly. Go out of their way to seat you as soon as they can. Servers are great too. I love their pizzas and pasta. Bravo overall!
(4)Jessicka L.
I've only recently been introduced to this Italian goodness and it's completely dangerous. All of the food I've experienced at Melo's is ridiculously good. My ultimate weakness: their Gnocchi with Gorgonzola. Yum. If dining-in, the service is consistent and pleasant, though I can't say I'm a fan of the chicks who have helped me while calling in/picking up an order... Most of the time, they seem rude. Perhaps they're just overwhelmed...? But whatever... The food is awesome. Whether its pizza, pasta, salad, or soup, Melo's has excellent choices to satisfy anyone's naughty carb craving.
(4)Victor L.
Good
(4)K H.
I love the pasta, it's yummy. The service is consistently flat- feels like your table is forgotten. If the service matched the food, this would be a 5 star place no doubt!
(3)Isadora Q.
Great to bring the whole family..the pizza and wine is always on hit!
(4)Scott P.
I am visiting the area and asked some folks about a good Italian Restaurant and they recommended this place. Myself and two other people went here tonight and, we were not impressed in the least. the atmosphere doesn't say anything at all and we may as well have been in a fast food pizza place. The menu is board but looking at it I noticed ice tea is $2.85. Really? Am I paying your kids way through college? I have the linguine in clam sauce and it lacked taste for the most part. The other two people I was with said their meals were ok, but certainly nothing to brag about. If back in the area, I will find a different Italian restaurant. Sorry.
(3)C S.
Yum -! I absolutely love the Pastas here. So delish! Last time I came here was on a Thursday night and it was busy looking. We were seated promptly and served kind of simultaneously with the table next to us. The waiter was swift with taking our order. The food came out and seriously, was so good! Will definitely be back to try out more dishes.
(4)Ann E.
Love the pizza here. My family and I always get the Melo's Combination. Have never eaten inside the restaurant, we choose to do pickup but the cashiers are usually friendly and the restaurant seems clean.
(5)Lisa J.
This is the second time my husband and I have gone for their pizza. My husband and I are pizza snobs. If you like skipolini's you will love Melo's. We have not tried their pasta so we have no review on that.
(5)Foodaholic G.
Their seafood pasta is such a great deal for $15 with humongous servings. I'd come more often if I lived closer but it's worth a drive when I'm craving pasta. Haven't tried their pizza yet and unlikely to order it because it's so hard to find a good affordable pasta joint.
(5)robert r.
Been going since they opened, great food,great service,and faire price.
(5)Genevieve F.
The best pizza around. The 4 cheese pizza is divine. Also try the hawaiian or straight up cheese and olive. You just can't go wrong. Hot fresh amazing pizza. You can even take it to go and bake it at home! They'll just throw it in their oven for a minute so it doesn't fall apart on the way home. Tastes delicious, salty, cheesy, and chewy dough.
(5)Jennifer W.
Amazing pizza and pasta! I had a shrimp fettuccine pasta and the bf had a prosciutto and arugula thin crust pizza. Both were delicious. Great customer service as well. We'll definitely be back!
(5)J T.
I have only had Melo's 2 times in my life. The first time was about 5 years ago, with some friends after a movie nearby. I heard so much about it, I was curious. The food was mediocre, not too impressed. Fast forward to my next visit, last week. After having to wait over 30 minutes for a table, we finally got seated. The waitress was nice enough, but when we got the pizza we were VERY unimpressed. The dough tasted like crap, the toppings were not fresh at all, and for the price (which is HIGH), you would expect much better. Not exactly sure why anyone even goes here anymore, the place is very overpriced and not at all good food? We should have sticked with Skipolini's Pizza - their pizza is EASILY the best in the area, quality ingredients, consistent great taste....and no, it isn't cheap but it is worth every penny. Melo's can fall into the ocean for all I care. I won't be back.
(1)Jerry W.
Very tasty pizza. Love the way they serve it on a rack so that it does not get soggy. Both the primavera and melo combo were very fresh and tasty. If you are in the mood for pizza and happen to be in Pleasant Hill give this place a try.
(4)Jessica G.
Prices are high for pleasant hill however the food is amazing. My family has had many parties here and every time the pizza is top notch and the pasta tastes like it was expressed from Italia. Very family friendly atmosphere. My favorite is the gnocchi with creamy bollensaise sauce with there bread. I wish I lived in the area because I'd be eating here a few nights a week. Highly recommend.
(5)Bryce F.
A local favorite whose longevity alone evidences its greatness. All you would expect of a sit down pizza/pasta place.
(4)Kyle T.
Melo's is the best. Plain and simple. Every pizza and pasta dish I've had there has been delicious. Some of my favorites are the tortellini with alfredo, the fettucia con pollo and the pork pappardelle. Also the caesar salad is one of the best I've had and you can't go wrong with garlic cheese bread. I also like to ask for the house salad dressing and dip the regular table bread into it.
(5)DeAnne A.
Salad was incredibly delicious. Pasta super salty and tasted old, sauce did not taste home made or fresh at all. Not sure what it was made of but it tasted stale and strange. The pizza was pretty great. Not rushing back but will return at some point for the pizza and salad.
(3)Ruby L.
First time coming here, service was friendly but the food was not all that great. My cesar salad wasn't that good, the dressing had an usual taste to it. The pizza didnt have a great taste either. The dough on the pizza was odd as well. The tip of the pizza was very soggy but then the crust was very thick. I may give it a second chance but only because its near by.
(2)Deana I.
It's not fine dining but it's not fast food either. You get a lot of food for your money, leave full and satisfied, but still come home with left-over. Not to mention, the staff is super nice. They'll give you all the time you need to go over their menu. And for those Yelpers who rate restaurant service with how full/low their water glasses are, then you won't be disappointed. I don't think I saw the bottom of my glass. I wouldn't hesitate to take anyone here whether it is friends, family or my boyfriend if we're in the mood for Italian that doesn't constitute ordering online or over the phone. It's a great place for casual dinners with whoever you're with. Thank you Cat N. for introducing me to this place!
(4)Jane D.
Best pizza in east bay. We are from east coast and this pizza is one of best pizzas we have ever had even compared to east coast pizza. Also Molly was absolutely wonderful server. Definitely recommend this place!
(5)Sam A.
I used to come here more often in college, and I am curious why I ever stopped I always thought of Melo's as solid, but the last meal I had there was fantastic. The pizza crust is light and crisp, and sauce tasty, and not overly greasy. Their pasta is also good, I usually get rigatoni with meat sauce. I am looking forward to my next pizza order!
(4)Halina B.
We've been coming to Melo's for years and every time, the food and service are consistently wonderful! We usually order the vegetarian pizza which is by far the best veggie pizza we've ever had! All of the ingredients are always super fresh and the dough is crisp yet fluffy...just perfect!
(5)Shaun R.
This place is ok, it's more like a high school after the game restaurant. Service was slow as heck. Could have gotten quicker service and better tasting pizza at Round Table.
(2)Marilyn L.
We have had pizza to go from Melo's a dozen times and it has always been superb. Last night after the movies we decided to dine in the restaurant. What a mistake. It was busy and understaffed. The waitress hardly noticed us. My husband had minestrone hidden under a bunch of croutons and a chicken salad with about a tablespoon of chicken pieces. I had the same salad but ordered shrimp instead. It was passable... nothing to rave about for sure. The garlic cheese bread that seems to be so popular is the same bread they give free but with a small amount of garlic and cheese. The price was about $8 I believe. That is a nice profit for them and nothing special for us. It seems like a decent place for families or sports teams after a game but the atmosphere, service and food quality do not warrant the prices. I recommend sticking to the pizza to take away.
(3)Michelle N.
Best pizza in town, for sure. Love the atmosphere this restaurant offers...very family friendly. Pasta is fabulous as well. I would recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Emily J.
Weekday lunch with my staff. We had a reservation but the seven of us probably could have gotten a table around 12:30 no problem. I resisted the pre meal bread and butter until I just couldn't take it anymore. The bread is fresh and warm and delicious. I ordered a mini pizza with grilled eggplant, fresh tomato and artichoke hearts. It was really tasty with ample toppings and not too heavy on the cheese. The fresh tomato slices covered the entire top of the pizza! The "mini" pizza isn't all that mini. I ate half and took the rest home. I could have easily split it with someone, especially with the addition of a side salad. The mini pizzas are $8.99 with up to three toppings. Very reasonable for the quantity and quality. The service was quick and pleasant enough.
(4)Steven P.
Even the after-dinner mint is Italian! Even though I live less than 3 miles away, I did not know about this place, until I needed to find some gluten-free food, for my wife, one evening, and learned that Melo's has gluten-free pizza! So, my wife ordered a small, GF pizza, with eggplant, and beef, no cheese, and I ordered their regular small cheese pizza. Immediately, Melo's shot to the top of my list of favorite NorCal pizza shops! What better compliment can I give them, than to say that their pizza is TRUE NY-style pizza, in every way! The crust is perfect: chewy on the inside, very slightly crispy, on the outside; just the right thickness; cooked in a real pizza oven, not on a conveyor belt; just a little bit of char, on the bottom. The cheese: an 11, on a scale of 1-to-10!! This is hard to describe, if you didn't grow up in NY, or NJ. Suffice it to say, the cheese is just right: full pizza coverage; melted just short of too much; 100% eye-talian mozzarella! And the sauce: perfect Italian marinara. Not too bright, or tomatoe-y, not too bland, either. (Seems like simple tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, maybe oregano.) Just right. They use just a little bit of sauce, so you can taste it, and a lot of cheese. Just the way I like it. (This is the way real NY pizza is made, with very little sauce) As for the GF pizza, my wife says that it is very good, at least better than the one from Extreme Pizza. She was pleasantly surprised that the eggplant topping was GF. One big benefit to Melo's gluten-free pizza: you can get a small. You are not required to buy a much more expensive medium, for one person, which is what happens in a lot of other places, that only have one size. This allowed me to get my own standard pizza, without us breaking the bank. As far as I'm concerned, Melo's ranks right up there with Tavos, on my personal best pizza joint list. Tavos still has a slight edge, because they use fresh basil, in their sauce. (Melo's is going to get a lot more of my business, however, because they are 10 miles closer to my house!) There is only one downside to Melo's, for me: dine-in is table service only. This means that, among other things, you'll need to leave a tip, and everything will take longer. With a drink and a tip, that $8.95 lunch special pizza suddenly turns into a $15 meal. (Pizza, to me, should be quick cheap. I'll never understand why a lot of California pizza places don't serve slices.) All, in all, a nice pizza joint. Maybe, soon, I should try their pasta, or other Italian dishes, since they do have a full menu.
(5)Lisa H.
One of the local spots in Pleasant Hill. This place is always busy on a weekend night, and the prices are comparable to that of other sit down pizza joints. My only complaint was that the crust was hard, not soft and chewy. I would come back to try the pasta, but the pizza didn't really do it for me.
(3)Mike J.
So much better than the other local pizza places - if you have a toss-up decesion to make between this place and another 4-star yelp pizza, choose this one!! I've been stranded with garbage pizza so many times since moving out here, had Mingles(crap)... had Round Table (meh)....had Patxi's (expensive). Look, it's Melo's, fact.
(4)Patrick Z.
Went here to celebrate a birthday. We got a half Melo's Combo and half Pizza Primavera, and a child's pizza. For starters we got one order of Roasted Tomato Bruschetta. Wow, these items are great. How come I've been living in Concord for 14 months and have just now ate at this amazing Italian food place? Good thing I let the birthday lady pick the restaurant. The pizza is served on a round wire rack that sits inside a round pizza pan. This allows any grease to escape without being soaked up in the crust. I actually like grease-soaked pizza, but the effect was good. The pizza was served steaming hot. All in all the place was great and I can't wait to come back to try some of the other dishes. Can't go wrong with Melo's Pizza and Pasta.
(4)John P.
Food good but it is overpriced and service is shockingly bad. We went with a party of seven last night and ordered two family salads, four individual pizzas, an order of wings, a Linguini Pescator dinner and the salsa verde grilled chicken dinner. They served the Linguini Pescatora first. And by first, I mean ten minutes before anyone else was served anything. The individual pizzas and other orders continued to come out one at a time over the next several minutes, except for the Salsa Verde Grilled Chicken. Finally, we were told it was being remade because they burnt it the first time. The Salsa Verde Grilled Chicken dinner finally arrived about 30 minutes after the first guy got his Linguini. Then we get the check and there is no discount, nothing. We said, um, about the Chicken...the waitress said "ok, you want me to discount it?" And scurried off with the check. She came back a few minutes later and they had taken $5 off the bill (the dish was $14.50). She said that is what the manager said they could do. The manager never came out to apologize or anything. Oh, and they automatically had added 17% gratuity to our check. The food tasted good but it was not worth the price given the service. Try Skippolini's or Tullio's instead.
(2)J. P.
So disappointed! I've been here a few times and it was always great. I would have gone more except for the prices are just too high. We have company in town and figured we would have a night in with good pizza.. not so much. The girl who took my phone order spoke so fast- she wasn't listening to what I was saying, just assuming she knew what I wanted (for instance I ordered the ravioli and she rattled off asking what sauce we wanted. The menu option gives the sauce it comes with, she just assumed we wanted the other ravioli option) it took over five minutes to try to order just that with her. When I picked up our pizza and ravioli, there were actually three girls there standing behind the counter to get me my food -plus the hostess! At least now I know why it costs so much, they have to pay for their overabundance of staff! Got home to eat the pizza and...eeewww.....two (TWO!) HAIRS WERE IN THE PIZZA!! So disgusting. We were completely grossed out and will not be visiting them again. This bad experience was just TOO bad. UPDATE -- last night my boyfriend tells me that he found the top portion of a wine wrapper in the (infamous) ravioli. he didn't want to tell me at the time because he could see how sickened i was about the pizza. So Hair in the pizza and wrappers in the ravioli. I don't know what the hell happened to this place but they went downhill fast.
(1)Yelena K.
I haven't been there in quite a while but still seem to crave everything off the menu. Let me just start out by saying that its one of the best pizza places I have ever been to. If you are really hungry take my advice and get the Melo's combination. Its on the pricey side compared to their other specialties but well worth it. They provide you with massive amounts of toppings and an unbeatable crust, toasted to perfection. I love watching the cooks throw the pizza back and forth, makes you feel like you are in Italia. If you are craving pasta i would recommend their gnocchi bolognese or fettucia con pollo. Its a family owned place and you really feel like part of the tradition the second you walk through the door. The service is great and their employees aren't so hard on the eyes either ;). Give it a try, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
(5)Theresa L.
Totally NOT worth it. The food isn't good and it's pricey. Pizza- decent, but nothing remarkable. Garlic bread - rip off. 2 pieces that were cooked too much and were hard as a Rick by the time we ate it. The marinara sauce was terrible. Fettuccine - flavorless. Won't be coming back.
(2)Marg M.
Our family has been buying meals from Melos for more than 25 years. I love their new menu. They are a bit higher than the fast food places, but the quality is worth every penny. Very fresh and tasty, and there is no fuss if you have a special request. Our favorites are the Pesto dishes, garlic fries, any flavor pizza and minestrone. They definitely make it the way you like it. Happy staff is eager to please too.
(5)Jada B.
I've been wanting to try Melo's for awhile and decided a casual girls night out would be the perfect opportunity. A solid 3.5 stars. Fairly busy for a Thursday night, but it was mostly families, all looking like they were have a great meal. We only waited about 5 minutes since there was only 2 of us. Sat in a booth, service was attentive but not pushy. We ordered an ice tea, diet coke, cheesy garlic bread for an appetizer and the quattro stagioni pizza (medium). The toppings were divided into 4 sections: olives, artichokes, prosciutto and mushrooms. it was a bit overwhelming and next time I would ask for everything mixed up instead of separated. I loved the crust though, very flavorful, and I thought it was cooked perfectly. Garlic bread was good too and served with a generous side of ranch. It came out to just under $30 w/o tip for the 2 of us, but we had about 7 small pieces to take home; the two of us could have gotten away with a small pizza. I will def. come back and try a more traditional pizza or one of their pastas.
(3)Jody S.
Excellent fresh pesto. I got it with their homemade fettuccine I think it was. Really good! My husband got the gluten-free pizza. He thought it was fine. has a thin crispy crust like most gluten-free pizzas
(4)Jason G.
The food was good here. I had the meatball sandwich and it had a really good bun, nicely toasted, and not too hard or tough or chewy. The sandwich had the right amount or ratio of cheese and meatballs. The pizza had a relatively thin crust and had good flavor. I had pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and extra cheese and it was a very tasty pizza. The only downside about the restaurant is the dated decor and interior.
(4)Dennis F.
This is my family's favorite pizza and pasta place. They have the best chicken wings ever. I'm not a big pasta fan but began to appreciate it after trying their pastas. I LOVE all their pasta. My son keeps on bugging me to come back here almost every week.
(5)Theresa L.
Melo's hasn't disappointed yet. The pizza is nice and thin and I am always greeted with a smile. I just need to find out if they have a happy hour because it can get quite pricy, well you get what you pay for and you get some great pizza. Yes this place gets 2 yumms up!!!
(4)Eric V.
This is a very good spot for pizza and pasta. I have had pizza, pasta and salad from Melo's and all are above average. The pizza has a nice sauce and is loaded with cheese, which is a plus. They do a nice job with their pasta too, they don't drown the pasta in sauce, which is a mistake some places make. The pesto sauce is great very flavorful! For an appetizer I would highly recommend the cheese garlic bread it is a great way to start your meal. Service is great! Be prepared, it is a very popular restaurant for locals and can get crowded but that is no reason not to come here. This is a great spot for a family dinner!
(4)Matt T.
At first glance, I thought "oh great, why did my mother in law recommend to meet us at a strip mall joint thinks it's an Italian place" or "ahh shit, I'm hungry and not in the mood for crappy pizza". Upon entering, I was shocked and I mean literally taken aback by how many people where in this place and how large it was on the inside but more so that it was 5:45 on a Saturday night and this place was packed both young and old. To me, a good sign. Here's the summary. Excellently good tasty pizza. We ordered a couple. I was hungry and became happy. The service was excellent. The large booth was nice and clean sitting two kids and three adults. About the only complaint was the bread butter came in those little butter containers and I hate those things. A butter dish and/or oil would have better topped off the experience. Now, don't expect much atmospherically - it's still a strip mall, it has a big neon artwork piece of some sort giving it a middle of the night Vegas feel. However, It's not too expensive which provides a nice balance to Strip Mall Hill (oh I kid Pleasant Hill - I really like the town - just having fun). Seriously, I was pleasantly surprised by this place in Pleasant Hill.
(4)Derek S.
Wow... I would have to say this might have been some of the best pizza I have had in the East Bay! From the toppings to the last bit of the crust - just perfect! Emma, our server, was just right in her friendliness and professionalism. We were there until 11pm, but we didn't feel rushed out the door. We were just a hungry couple looking for a decent meal, late at night, and we ended up finding our new favorite pizza! We look forward to our next visit! Thank you!
(5)Alexa T.
I'm always down to try a new Italian restaurant. There's something so wonderful about Italian cuisine that I just can't get enough of. Now I've always driven past this place when I'm heading to other places. It never occurred to me try this place. Upon entering, the atmosphere was wonderful. The music was so hip, the lighting wasn't too bright, and the people greeted us with a smile. The waitress was so nice to us. She had a wonderful smile on her face that was so welcoming. She never was late and always checked up on us. We are big water drinkers so she was always on time to give us our refills. We started off with the garlic bread and cheese with marinara sauce and ranch dressing. It was a delight. The bread had a good mix between crunchy and soft. I ordered the tortellini filled with cheese and it had pesto sauce. My goodness it was remarkable. The presentation of it was pretty and they gave such a good serving. I could only finish half because there was so much! Wonderful place. I can't wait to go back!
(4)David F.
There's a lot to like about Melo's. Just a short five minute drive from downtown Pleasant Hill, you can get fine Italian food for a reasonable price. My wife and I stopped by for lunch after a movie and had a wonderful lunch. My Ravioli Emiliana and her Eggplant Parmgiana were both of high quality - quality of the type that makes you sit up and take notice. Quite delicious! Lunchtime price for each was $11.50. The interior is spacious and well designed -- nice, comfortable atmosphere. My son has been coming here with friends for several years - it's one of their favorite restaurants. Looking forward to return!
(4)Shane N.
This was pretty good, but I had a bit of sticker shock at the end. It's toally my fault, because we were just ordering whatever looked good including the wine. All I can say is, even though this says "Pizza place" in your mind, you can actually get pretty spendy here. Our server was very freindly, and attentive, which is always a plus. The decor is very much a 1950's diner look. The place looks like an old Denny's or something. We were greeted by the staff in the kitchen upon entry, and when we left. Nice touch. So here's what we had, what it cost, and how is tasted: Garlic Bread with Cheese - Garlic bread with melted cheese - $5.95 - Hot, crispy, melty cheese with mariara and ranch dipping sauce. Yum. Minestrone Soup - Bowl $5.50 - This was a typical Minestrone, nothing special. Some things are good just the way they are Cesar Salad - Half order $6.50 - Classic Cesar the way it should be made. Delicious. Fetuccia Con Pollo - $14.95 - Didn't like it. The chicken lacked flavor, and the sauce had an overwhelming flavor. Also the noodles were super thick and maybe a bit undercooked. Lasagna - $13.50 - This was delicious. The beef, the ricota, and the other ingredients really came togther nicely. Side Sausage (2) - $4.95 - These were very tasty, just like home made. For dessert: Chocolate Tartufo - $5.50 - Soft chocolate gelato with a soft cream center, rolled in praline nuts, and dusted with powdered cocoa. Amazing! Tartufo Limoncello - $5.50 - Fresh Lemon Gelato with a soft limoncello cream liquour center, covered with meringue sprinkles. 2 Glasses of some kind of Canernet, and those were about $9.00 each. Aside from the chicken dish, this place had pretty decent food. I guess the cost felt even more shocking because of how casual and diner-like the place is. We did order food like a couple of maniacs though. Happy eating!
(3)James H.
I ordered for carryout a medium Melo's combination and order of buffalo wings. The pizza was very soggy and did not warrant the high price. I thought it would have and should have been better with all of the positive reviews. Maybe it was an off day and they were slammed. But still, soggy pizza is expected at Pizza Hut/Dominos not at a neighborhood eatery. The wings were good and were good sized wings but there were only 6. I'll give them another try down the road but not anytime soon.
(3)Diana V.
What a pleasant surprise! I've lived in CoCo County for years, and driven by this spot on Contra Costa Blvd., yet never gone in! Thanks to Yelpers recommendations, I headed over on a Sunday night to try out their pizzas. Gluten-free fungi pizza was excellent! Regular thin crust napalitano was also great! I'm planning to return, possibly for take out, and I'd definitely tell my friends : )
(5)JJ J.
HORRIBLE SERVICE, Excellent food. Avoid the older female waitress by any means possible. She's extremely rude and very inattentive to guests. The food on the other hand was excellent. I won't come back only because of the horrible service.
(3)Frank C.
The pizza is amazing, very fresh and has lots of flavor, the crest is perfect. They also have very tasty pasta and salads. I've been coming here since I was a little boy.
(5)Grace M.
I love love love their lasagna. I think that's about the only thing I really get when I come here. It is absolutely delicious!! We had a great waitress, really pleasant personality and laughed along with us, which is great because the lasagna does take a little longer to come out. It comes with bring, so definitely enough to fill our bellies. And our total tab, including two drinks, came to under $30. Perfect.
(4)Dusty N.
Great salads, appetizers and pizzas! Great for groups - we always come here with friends and their kids. The kids can ask for a ball of dough from the counter and it keeps them occupied until the food comes. Lots of parking, great service, clean restaurant. Definitely one of my faves in the area!!
(4)Trina C.
Food was delicious here!! I personally loved the house garlic fries! They were also pretty cheap too especially if you go during happy hour. $3 for the house garlic fries. My group and I also ordered a large melos combination pizza which was sort of expensive ($20 something) , two orders of the house garlic fries ($3 each during happy hour), an order of the mozzarella sticks ($5 during happy hour), and an order of hot wings ($5 during happy hour). Everything was fresh and pretty good! I think they have the best garlic fries I've ever had. The service was always alert and refilling waters when it got low and taking empty plates as we finished to keep our table clean. This was my first time here and I will definitely be back with my friends!
(4)Britney M.
This place is sooooo good. One of my new favorites.... Lots of old people tho !!!! Probably because the food is soooo bomb xoxox
(5)David W.
I have been to this place twice and I cannot say enough good stuff about it. It was referred to me while I was in town on business and now, I have made it a point to return. The first time I was here, I had the Penne E Bistecca. Delicious! Make sure to take a look at the photo I posted. Tonight, I was had the BBQ Chicken Pizza. Dynamite! The small is $17.25 and definitely enough for two people, so bring a friend. The food on both occasions has tasted very fresh, well cooked and wonderfully seasoned. The staff is always friendly, the service is fast and the price is a bargain for the quality of food you get. Make sure to add this place to your dining rotation!
(5)B W.
Good pizza, great caesar salad The spaghetti was good and so were the meatballs...until our server mentioned that the restaurant "smells amazing on Sundays when they make them"--this was on a Thursday AFTER we ate them. So, ummmm, yeah either they freeze them for later in the week or they are four day olds meat balls. The message, order meatballs on Sundays only (Monday at the latest) beyond that you're really playing Russian roulette but instead of bullets it's meat. Ugh. gross. Be sure to ask for regular, thin or think crust. Our server forgot to give us the choice. No sandwiches after 4:00--the menu is hard to read so you may miss this info.
(3)Brian D.
Can't say enough positive things about Melo's. I ordered the seafood pasta, which was really tasty. Their house Merlot is perfect and everything is super fairly priced. My biggest prop to Melo's goes out to their servers. My sever, Emma, is the cutest thing in the world with so much positive energy and so happy to please. She understood what I was in the mood for and picked a recommendation that was absolutely perfect. I'm sure all of the severs there are great, but Emma is definitely an asset to Melo's. I look forward to going back
(5)Melissa S.
Yum... Yum... and YUMMMMMMM!!!! Went here for the second time on Sunday night with some friends. The food was fab and so was the service. We started with mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. Delish! Moved on to a large Caesar salad to share. Yum. My friend had the min. soup which she loves! We all then shared a large supreme pizza. Everything was so good. The pizza was soooo good. I was salivating over it the next day it was so good. Wish I lived closer so I could eat it more often! I guess just another excuse to head down to the bay to visit friends. If you've not eaten here, give it a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
(5)Frank L.
This is my go to restaurant for pizza. They stand by their products and never allow a customer to leave discontent. Their service is next to none, the staff is unbelievable at tentative and friendly. Once we received a pizza that we thought was to standard but the waitress informed us it was over cooked (though it looked great) and brought us a new one. The pizza crust is to die for and the toppings are always loaded on and fresh. I also love the calamari as a appetizer. They also have a great happy hour!
(5)Sara P.
Ooo yum! I ordered two pizzas to go tonight. The guy who answered the phone was polite and helpful with my order. We got pepperoni with garlic and a combo pizza. Both were delicious! I loved the different types of meat on the combo. They were quality, full of flavor. The sauce was very good too. I was in pizza heaven for like 15 minutes. I gotta tell you I'm looking forward to cold pizza breakfast tomorrow. Who is with me? I will definitely return! Yum.
(5)Andrew C.
I tried to make my own chicken and white sauce pizza, but it came out horrible. There was barely any cheese and the pizza was dry. Usually Melo's is better than that, maybe it was just an off night. But this lovely couple gave us their bottle of champagne because the Giants won the NLCS.
(3)James R.
I really like this place. I came here a lot probably 15 years ago with my family and now I come here with my girlfriend. The service is always good and the food is delicious. We like to order the make your own pizza. We usually go for the roasted chicken with white sauce and garlic. Tonight we also got a salad we ate with the bread they give and it was good too! The prices aren't bad everything came out to $23 bucks and that's a winner in my book! We're always full when we leave. This is definitely a spot where we will keep visits for many years to come!
(5)Leslie S.
One of my favorite place! I always order the fusilli contadina(pasta and veggies), great people.
(4)Suzy S.
Just moved here from Chicago a few months ago and haven't really had any enjoyable meals in the Bay Area (outside of SF, Berkeley, and Oakland) so this came as a pleasant surprise. Had the roasted eggplant sandwich with garlic fries & it was amazing!! The eggplant was cooked to perfection and was super delish. My first time here but will def be back!!
(4)Cat G.
Came in this last weekend and was really pleasantly surprised. We had the lasagna, pesto gnocchi and an arugula pizza. Our server was really great in recommending what was good - she had been there for 15 years and knew her stuff. Food was great, service was on point and the restaurant was really clean. Looking forward to coming back and trying other food on the menu!
(5)Shannon L.
This is a review of the Pizza, not the restaurant service or pasta dinners. My point of reference for Pizza is being born & bred in NYC. Tasting pizza all over the Bay area has been a disappointing adventure as you might imagine. And then.. Hello, Melo's! My expectations for ANY pizza place in California are pretty low, after living here for 3 1/2 years. Even the word "New York Pizza" being somewhere in the restaurant's description means almost nothing. The Sauce I was absolutely shocked-- the moment I walked into pick up the pie, the smell of the sauce made me salivate. And the taste of that sauce fulfilled the anticipation! Fresh tomatoes and gentle basil were just exploding with sweet flavor. This is the best sauce I've tasted on a pie in California (Bay area and San Diego area anyway). Hands down. The sauce makes these slices truly savory and delicious, enchanting both nostrils and taste buds. The Crust The crust-- what a pleasant surprise! GREAT crust, not too thin or thing, doughy, crunchy, wonderful! This is a rare find in deed. If only the pieces were larger I wonder if I could have actually fold my slice and held it but this fantastic crust. The Toppings Fresh, delicious, a little heavy handed but not nearly as heavy handed as most stores. The Cheese Alas, the cheese holds me back from 5 stars. The cheese was thick and chunky, like a domino's cheese (and like almost all pizza places out here) instead of being smooth and gooey. If this cheese situation was solved, I would be buying from Melo's WEEKLY.
(4)Sarah M.
By far the best pizza in CCC. I usually get take out from here at least once or twice a month. Their take out is just as tasty as if you were dining in the restaurant. The staff is friendly and all the food, including their salads are very fresh.
(4)Rina K.
This place is yummy to the tummy!!! Loooooooooooove their Mediterranean Pizza....enough said. Friendly service, too!
(5)Jasmine P.
This is our local go to Italian place. Always consistent with the food. I either get the chicken parm or the gnocchi with pesto (tried it with the gorgonzola sauce and the pesto is better). They also have really good pizzas!
(5)Maria H.
Still the best pizza, pasta dishes and oh my their salads. Yummy!!!! Heading there in a few to get out pizza fix!
(5)Mary C.
Came here last night for dinner with my BF before we head over to Modesto to hangout with his family. This restaurant is very cozy and is definitely a good place to take your family out too. It was pretty busy when we arrived but luckily got seated right away. I really like the whole open kitchen that this restaurant has as you can see the chefs cooking the food. I ordered a pesto entree with chicken and zuchinni while my BF ordered a bbq chicken salad. I love anything pesto so I was really excited to try my dish and when it came, it didn't dissappoint!! The pesto was rich and creamy. The type of noodle that they gave me was very interesting looking, as I've never seen anything like that before. But the dish was really good and they gave me a lot of chicken! My BF said his salad was pretty good too but he wasn't as full as he had hoped. Me, on the other end was so full that I had to doggy bag like half of my entree back. Hahaa...anyways I'm really glad that I tried this place and will be back to try their other pasta dishes!
(4)Michelle L.
Great place to take families or groups. Shared a Garlic Bread order to start, yum. Crusty warm bread with two dipping sauces. For main dish, I admit I fell for one of the entrees' photos at the bottom of the menu page just based on looks alone. Ravioli Portofino ($12.50): Flavorful egg pasta ravioli with shrimp filling served in a cream sauce with shallots/scallions topped with asparagus and lemon zest (liguria) Definitely a huge step up from basic spinach and cheese raviolis, and I've seen mushroom or lobster raviolis before but this dish really was balanced well and not too heavy. The lemon zest cut through to brighten the creamy sauce and the asparagus came out so crisp-tender. The shrimp filling was not too rich but generously sized. Manageable and a great pick for any seafood+pasta lovers out there. Friends got the Fettucia con Pollo and...another dish I completely forgot the name of. Mmm pancetta... I'd definitely come back if I'm ever in the area again!
(4)S F.
The staff here are very nice - I think that's pretty obvious from all the previous reviews. I've ordered take-out 5 times, and each time I was not disappointed with my order. Last night was the first time I came in on a Saturday - they were packed. After I paid for my order, 3 other parties came in waiting to be seated and the cashier asked if I could wait just a moment - to assist with seating them or until my order was ready, I wasn't really sure. I said it was fine. It might have been 5 minutes at most when she got back to me and apologized while offering extra garlic bread or a beverage with my order, which I appreciated. You don't come across that type of consideration often now in the service industry. Aaand the lasanga and gnocchi were pretty good too. ;)
(5)Julie B.
This place is yummy. All the waitresses are happy and smiley and friendly, which leads us to believe they enjoy their jobs. The food is good "home cookin'". Consistency in food, delicious, always prompt service, Kelsey is helping us today. There is one grumpy older lady who isn't very attentive. We always feel like the food is clean as well as the seats. However, the walls to go in and out of the kitchen are very dirty and in need of cleaning. I am a stickler on clean details like walls. But everything else seems clean and I like that we can see inside the kitchen. The waitresses are also so attentive and patient with kids. Casual, yummy, and smiley.
(4)Kimberley C.
Their pizza is so good though... I have found myself ordering takeout pizza from melos at least once a week. The prices are moderate, the staff is really genuine and pleasant, and the pizza is the best in town by far.
(5)Itr B.
My family loves Melo's and have been coming here for 10+ years, a great place. I am a fan of the flatbread pizza and also the penne pasta
(5)Marcos B.
Great stop for some pizza, our waiter was really nice. Keep it up, guys
(4)Mortimer S.
Food is very good, it's just loud and busy all the time. But a nice choice for good Italian, unlike the faux-Italian that passes for the real thing our here in the west.....
(4)Yen H.
So good! The best pizza I've had yet! We ordered a Caesar salad, chicken Parmesan plate and a New Yorker pizza. Of course we took some of it home, all of it was flavorful, fairly large portions, and the service was great.
(5)Lorna O.
We've been coming here for awhile now and this is my long overdue take on this place. My boyfriend have introduced me here when we just started dating 3 1/2 years ago. Now we try to make a point to come here at least once or twice a month. When ever we go to different Italian place and order our food we always hope it would be just as good as Melo's. Unfortunately we have never been to a place as good or better. We have brought friends here and they are not disappointed. My favorite is their Linguini Alla Pescatora and I always leave full, very satisfied and with left over. Pizza are very good too and the lasagna will make your mouth water due to the savoring smell of fine ingredients and wonderful taste. Servers are friendly very attentive and know what they are doing. Will definitely recommend this place to anyone and everyone!
(5)A in Pleasant H.
2.5 stars. Can't seem to find excellent thin crust pizza in PH. Melos has always been ok. Ordered takeout pizza - mushrooms only. My first call was disconnected by them, but ordering went smoothly on second call. Pickup was a little challenging as the counter guy asked then forgot my name, told me the pizza wasn't ready yet. Co worker overheard him and pointed to my waiting pizza - he grabbed it, handed it me, called me by wrong name again, and apologized. Funny goofs, but not really major. Unfortunately, the pizza was just fair. Maybe its the science - they're very very generous with chopped mushrooms on the pizza - can't complain about that. It smelled great. But mushrooms exude water when roasted. The crust was actually soggy. The cheese and toppings were sliding off the thin crust. Leftovers the next day, reheated on a pizza stone, were actually a little better. I don't know that I can blame Melos. Maybe thin crust and mushrroms just don't bake up well. However, I do know I don't encounter the same problem when I order same thing at Tony Gemignanis in SF or Rohnert Park. And so, I'll continue searching for good thin crust pizza in PH.
(2)Devin M.
I've been coming here since I was a toddler, which means since the early 80s. The food for the past 30+ years has ALWAYS been consistent. The service, no matter the turnover is always top notch. We always get the veggie delight with a family salad. Their pizzas had fresh toppings, the dough hand tossed. The owners really know what they we doing to have been in business since the mid-70s. We started coming here before they expanded to this larger location within the same shopping center. I used to remember sitting on the bar watching the chef hand toss the dough. Their pastas are awesome and so are the various sauces. Overall, an amazing place for good Italian cooking.
(5)A G.
Tried for the first time today with the whole family and it was a terrific dinner! We were greeted warmly and seated almost immediately. Brandon was an outstanding waiter, providing just the right level of attentiveness and friendly throughout our meal. The complementary bread was a delicious start and it tasted like Acme bread which was even better with the included individual servings of butter. The tossed green salad included romaine lettuce, a couple cherry tomatoes, chopped carrots, sliced black olives and crunchy croutons. We thoroughly enjoyed the "Classic House" tomato vinaigrette, and another person gave a thumbs up on the bleu cheese dressing as well. The minestrone soup was full of vegetables and had a flavorful broth. We all went with pasta dishes this time (even though we saw a brisk pizza business -- both take-out and eat-in). We had 4 different pasta types (spaghetti, fettucine, linguine and rigatoni) and two different sauces (meat and alfredo), along with their linguine with spicy seafood. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauces were very flavorful and fresh-tasting. Also, they drained the pasta properly so that it wasn't watery. We also added in meatballs which were generous in size and tender and flavorful. The linguine with seafood included tender shrimp, mussels, calamari and other seafood that was generally well cooked and the sauce was creamy with a spicy kick. The only minor drawback was that we were seated near the door, and it was a bit noisy as people came in and out, along with being occasionally drafty, so we will just get a different table the next time we go...and we definitely plan to go again. Overall, a great casual Italian dining experience with moderate prices and excellent service and food!
(4)Wes K.
Please hold yourself accountable and try this pizza. Half New Yorker, half Pizza Primavera. It was inconsistent down the middle, but it made for one of the best pies I've ever had. I prefer to pickup my pizza and eat at home. The girls that take my order over the phone are genuine and helpful.
(5)Amelia K.
I've been here a couple of times and the food is pretty decent.
(3)S. G.
My favorite pizza in the Bay. Fresh ingredients and perfectly seasoned. I just cannot say enough good. I have not had anything else here, so I am just basing my 5 star rating on the pizza.
(5)Kenneth D.
I go out to eat to have food taste better than I could cook at home. Not so much here. They get an extra star for good service and a cute staff though! ; )
(3)Heath B.
We're new to the area and wanted good Italian in a casual setting. Hooray for Melo's!! We started with the burrata, DELICIOUS! That tomato jam, good lawd, can I get a bucket to go?? The Ravioli Emiliana and the cannelloni were so good. We will definitely be back!! I'd give them 5 stars, but I need more than one visit to decide. This way I HAVE to come back again ;)
(4)Frederick L.
I used to go to the Melo's in San Ramon back in the day, but it closed. I'm glad they were able to branch out. Burrata: creamy center, good olive oil, bread was grilled and tasty. My only wish is that there were some heirloom tomato slices instead of cherry tomatoes, but that's a minor thing. Fresh fettucine w/ meatballs and tomato sauce: I know it's simple, but I went for it anyway. Pasta was cooked well (al dente), and tomato sauce was good. Meatballs were good, but meatball size was smaller than expected for $4. Portion size was good. Shrimp Veneziana: portion size was very adequate, but the pasta was a touch overcooked. Shrimp cookery was passable, but needed a little more S+P. The sundried tomatoes were negligible and I wouldn't have missed them if they weren't in the dish. Service was a little hit and miss. The server was nice and all, and food came out pretty fast, but I felt more attention could have been paid. Entrees were served up literally 1 minute after the burrata appetizer came. I didn't get a spoon for my pasta, and I had to ask for it after the server came back to check on us after entrees were dropped. My wife asked for a lemon wedge for her pasta, and the server came back with a sliced lemon. It's nothing major, so no real deduction in stars. Will come back and try the pizza.
(4)Demetric G.
My girlfriend and I order the new Yorker, which was pretty good and took the rest home. The place looks and feels nice, kind of quite as well. The service was the only thing that was okay, but overall the pizza was good
(3)Diane A.
Cute family-run Italian eatery in Pleasant Hill. So many choices on the menu - from salads, soups and sandwiches to fresh pasta to thin crust pizza. We were a group of 5 including 3 hearty eating guys. We ordered the cheesy garlic bread (yum), Italian hot wings, gnocchi, pesto pasta, meat sauce pizza and a half meat/half Hawaiian pizza. It was all piping hot and super tasty. The ingredients were fresh and tasted homemade. Even the hearty eaters were stuffed by the end and we ended up with leftover pizza and pasta. Prices are reasonable and service is friendly. I was happy to learn that they share a history with Napoli's in Vallejo - a family fave. I'll be back to try even more that on Melo's extensive menu.
(4)E U.
Their pizza was delicious, nice and cheesy just how I like it. I also tried their lasagna and I must say that was one of the best I've had in a long time! The sauce was a perfect blend of spices! I'm def gonna go back! The sangria wasn't too shabby either.
(4)Cliff D.
We had heard good things about this place from friends. Sad to say we were not impressed with the food. The pizza was average and the Caesar salad was very diss appointing as it was bland, chicken was chewy, and mostly lettuce with watery dressing. Our server was friendly and attentive though. I don't think we will be going back any time soon as there other places we want to give a try.
(3)Lacey B.
A bunch of my co-workers go here and we all order the same thing. Small Cesar (the portion is enough for lunch) with extra croutons and extra dressing. I was very disappointed today when I received the bill and they had charged me $1 for the extra dressing and $.50 for the extra croutons! I've ordered this countless times (sitting in the restaurant and on Togo orders) and I have never been charged extra for either. If I had been dining in, I highly doubt that they would have charged me. I'm not normally one to complain about changes or additional pricing but what bothers me a lot is inconsistently. If your going to charge than include the charge on your menu and make sure your following your rules throughout, or don't charge at all!
(2)John M.
Best pizza in the area and usually great service whether you are there or just getting something to go. Only have had pizza and appetizers but so far so good.
(4)Butch P.
Wow. I cannot believe I haven't reviewed this place yet. I don't have Melos often. Not because I don't enjoy the pizza. I really do. It's too good, actually. It's right down the street from me and I would weigh 300 lbs. if I went there on a regular basis.We always get the same order and always to go. The place is always packed My wife and I usually order the Melos combo ($28). I just love the thicker style sourdough crust. The chew and texture is awesome. We also always get the large portion of the Caesar salad-$9. The dressing is great. It's one of the best flavored Caesar dressing around anywhere..I don't order pasta here so you will have to look at other reviews to get a handle on that part of their menu.
(5)Jackie V.
I've had a variety of pasta dishes both in take out form and dining in, and have never been disappointed. The salads are good too! Pizza is cooked to order and very tasty. Haven't had any dessert since I'm always stuffed but that's a compliment!
(4)Brandy J.
Love Melo's. So convenient to call ahead and pull into a spot right in front just waiting for me. Hostess I always friendly. The people on the phone and happy to wait on you. And the food is the best. Pizza, pasta glass of wine they have what you are looking for. And they usually have a game on the TV.
(4)Rich G.
I'm a pizzaholic that has been patronizing this fine restaurant since 1982. What pizza should be - the thicker sicilian-style crust that's as tasty as it gets. Ditto for the red sauce. Tried some of their specialty pastas which were also excellent.
(5)E.l. R.
All the toppings were fresh! No canned crap here. The food is not very fast , but the pizza is well worth the wait. Nice Servers. Clean Restrooms. I wish the place had a bit more ambiance, or more privacy. You are very close to the other tables and feel like people are watching. But it is clean and delicious!
(5)Suzie Y.
I have been going to Melo's for years. When I first moved to Contra Costa County, I asked everyone I knew who lived in the area for a recommendation for a good pizza place. Every person I asked said, "Melo's!". I have been going there ever since. The pizzas are great and so is the pasta and salad. I really like the pepperoni they put on the pizzas here. The lasagna and the meat sauce on any of the pastas is delicious. I really like the Sonoma Salad. I have never had dessert here because I am always so full! The service is usually good, but not always. That being said, it is never really bad. The food always makes it worthwhile. I will be going to Melo's again and again!
(4)Sandy M.
Fantastic! From the greeting at the door to the service and the food. Best pizza and cheesy garlic bread I've had in a very long time!! A MUST eat at place in Pleasant Hill.
(5)Sean K.
This place is excellent. The service is good and the pizza is amazing. Clean atmosphere and great for groups. The garlic fries are very good too. This place has quality ingredients.
(5)Jupiter M.
I've been coming here since it was a hole in the wall and we would wait over an hour outside to be seated. Now the wait time is less, but the quality is still there. I've probably eaten 500 pizzas there and never been disappointed. That is the truth. 5 starts isnt enough, but that is all they allow me.
(5)Young L.
Best hand tossed pizza in Contra Costa period! Pastas are superb service is great wine is good please come try this place you'll love it!
(5)Joseph G V.
Enjoyed my meal and the service. Server (Molly) gave honest opinions about menu options, I appreciate that because I hate making mistakes on dessert.
(4)Taylor K.
They are definitely declining in quality. Very disappointing, they used to be our go to spot. The raviolis we ordered were over cooked and tasted like freezer burned seafood, yuck. I think it's becoming a hit or miss kind of place ...
(3)Steve N.
The Melo's combo is a solid choice for lunch. The ingredients seemed pretty fresh, and I think the pounding noise from the kitchen was likely dough. I'd rate these pies in my top 5 or so. My co-workers and I stopped by for lunch and order 2 larges. We had table of 6, but the service did not suffer. Although the décor is a bit out of date, it's a distraction. All in all, Melo's is a good bet for a good meal.
(4)Peter J.
I've only been here once. That was with the Bible Study at that time, well, they have some great high quality thin crust pizza, again, it's been some time sense I've been here, so, hopefully I'll go back again. Great food!!! I also love pizza/Italian food.
(5)Stephanie C.
Came here with my sisters this last Sunday and I wish I'd ordered another whole pie to take home:) we started off splitting a Cesar salad whichever was delicious! Home made croutons are always a plus!! We ordered 2 pizzas: 1-New Yorker: amazingggggggg!!! 2-Napoletana Margerita- eh. Didn't have much flavor. Wouldn't order again I also ordered the fresh strawberry lemonade which was schocking a disappointment, again no real flavor. All in all I'm def coming back and trying the cheesy garlic bread everyone is talking about!:)
(4)M.A A.
Been here several times but the girl seating is just talking to the casher not letting me how long I got to wait to be seated that's sad this use to be my fav place after today's bad costumer service I'm mad !
(1)Jeff L.
Been coming here for over 20 years. Hands down the best pizza I've ever had. Period. I've traveled everywhere and still cannot find a better tasting pizza. There's a reason that this place is always packed full of people! Don't let the naysayers and the ultra picky reviews (seriously folks, some of the things you say are ridiculously picky) sway ya! Get your butt in here and experience what everyone is raving about!
(5)Jason B.
My wife, son, and I were introduced to this little ditty when we came out to visit our friends. Now when it comes to pizza, no one can top my home town pizza spot. Im not gunna name drop here, but Ive been eating at the same pizza joint since the 80's. Rule is...you dont fix what isnt broke. Nothing can compare to it, but thats my own oppinion. Back to our introduction. When we arrived, the parking lot was full. That only means one thing. We were actually seated in about 3 minutes, maybe not even that. Im not a fan of pasta so I went for the obvious choice, pizza. I scanned through the menu and a pie caught my eye. See what I did there? Hehhe...anyways, Im a lover of mushrooms. So I ordered the FUNGHI pizza. The pie consisted of the following: sauteed crimini, shitake and porcini mushrooms, roasted garlic, bescheml, 4 cheese blend, white truffle oil, and thyme. And I added gorganzola. While waiting, we were hosted with some sort of bread, italian possibly. Slapped some butter on that puppy and we were good to go. Our food finally made an appearance and hot damn! My pizza looked just like a work of art. Beautilfully presented, colorful and just looking good! The smell was invigorating! I tried a slice and it was like little pizza gnomes having a tailgate party on my tongue. Now theres a difference between a pizza joint and gormet pizza. Nothing can compare to my pizza place. And nothing can compare to the pizza I had at Melo's. Our friends live in Pleasant Hill and when it comes time to visit them again, Melo's is on my to do list, 1st stop! THANX MELO'S This is what gormet pizza is all about!
(5)Kati V.
There are a million places to eat in this area that are decent. The food was fine but the customer service was questionable, which to me means more then anything. We called in a very simple order, 1 pizza for pick up. On the phone I specified "a couple of blue cheese dressings, and a couple of ranch dressing." When we arrived, we were given a total and used our credit card to pay. When the pizza was brought to us, there were 0 dressings. I then told the cashier that i had asked for two of each. He promptly got them for me but then asked for my cc again, as there was a charge for the dressing. Clearly unhappy about this (who wants to use their cc for $1.00?), I restated that it should have been on the original order total as I had requested it over the phone. I was given a blank look and a shoulder shrug. So instead of parting w a $1.00 cost, they've lost our business forever.
(1)Leigh W.
This is a solid lunch spot. It's in a mini strip mall, so it wouldn't have caught my eye as a place I needed to check out, but I'm glad my coworker turned me on to it. I also wasn't terribly impressed with the decor and ambiance. There's so hideous neon art that looks like it might have been left over from a former tenant and definitely doesn't fit with the Italian feel they're trying to accomplish. But I digress... This isn't an interior design review. It's about the food and that's worth the visit. We ordered the cheese bread because so many other Yelpers recommended it. It was decent, but it wasn't unlike what you would make at home with some leftover Italian bread in your toaster oven. It was served with Ranch dressing, which I found odd and not particularly good as an accompaniment. I opted for a cup of the Minestrone soup and a half order of the Sonoma salad. Thank goodness I didn't go for the full order of salad. The half order was huge and plenty to satisfy me along with the salad. The soup was very good too. We finished off lunch with a piece of the tiramisu, which was almost perfect. If only I had known it comes with whipped cream, I would've asked for them to hold that. Call me a tiramisu traditionalist, but I don't think the perfect flavor combinations of espresso and mascarpone should be sullied by whipped cream.
(3)William G.
Been coming here for years and I wouldn't change a thing. Excellent food and great atmosphere with the friendly staff
(5)thomas l.
My family has been coming here since the location was just a small hole in the wall. In fact I remember I use to sit and wait for out pizza playing Pacman. Anyways back to the review... Now that I have a family of my own I've made sure that they know where to go if they want some good pizza. I can't say enough about Melos other than they will always be my favorite pizza!
(5)Patrick M.
Ordered the Chicken alla Marsala. The brown butter sauce was tasty, and the chicken was moist and well cooked. The bread was served with butter, and not a dipping sauce like most restaurants have :/ disappointed there. I also was not impressed with the prices that they wanted, I felt like it was a little overpriced for what you got.
(3)Sowmya K.
Excellent service and food. We tried this place this weekend for the first time and we're very impressed. Ok vegetarian options, not much but both pizza and pasta we ordered were delicious. The ingredients were fresh and tasted like good quality. Service was amazing and the staff were very friendly and courteous, not just for our table but for others too. The place could use some update but that didn't take away from the experience. The service more than makes up for it.
(4)Miss H.
The food here is always very good. We absolutely love the raviolis. The Mediterranean pizza is also delicious. Every salad I have tried has been very good. The people working there are always friendly, detail oriented,and efficient. Whether I wanted to go or eat in the service is always good. We've been coming to this place for over year now and have never had a bad experience. We like to eat here at least once a week and we don't see us changing that anytime soon. Go find out for yourself how great the food is :)
(5)Matthew A.
I've been to Melo's on numerous occasions over the past several years and it's always amazing and delicious! The pizzas are my favorite but the pastas are super good too. You won't be disappointed coming here!
(5)Lorena R.
The food is well prepared and tasty, but if I come in an HOUR before you close with hopes of getting a table for two for a quick dinner, and you tell me you can only make my order to go...that's absolutely ridiculous.
(3)jesse M.
We ordered a take out Veggie Delight tonight for the vegetarians in the house. IT was a disappointment: i..... the crust was soggy in the middle though it appears burnt on the edges ii.... some portions felt cold to the touch; i suspect our order was REHEATED!! iii... the sauce was very thin; really? would it hurt to add just a little? iv.... the tomatoes were super bland, they were mere decorations, hardly edible v.... too salty overall Dont waste your time/money. Dont believe the hype, they're overrated, overpriced. Go somewhere else!!
(1)Rose L.
Great pizza, good salad, decent wings. I enjoyed the food here! Love their hard candies!
(4)Nava N.
Originally we were suppose to go to Benihannas for dinner but they had a random power outage so we ended up at Melo's. We order a pizza, garlic bread, gnocchi, and seafood pasta. No one at my table enjoyed there food. The pizza lacked sauce and the sauce was just not tasty. The seafood pasta had canned tuna in it which wasnt even mentioned on the menu description. The only decent item was the gnocchi. Needless to say we wont be back. The service was good but the food was not.
(2)sam r.
we got a full size caesar to start. plenty for 2 people to share. my SO got the tagliatini fellini - prawns and lemon pasta with a sort of pink tomato based sauce. it was pretty good, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. i opted for fettucini alfredo with chicken - sort of the sweet and sour pork of italian food, right? you'd think it'd be hard to mess up the simpler of the two dishes, but it was mediocre at best. the texture of the pasta was the best part of the dish. the chicken was mad dry and the flavors were bland. i added salt and pepper and even chili flakes and it was still just... lacking. it wasn't particularly creamy, or even saucy. halfway through the dish the noodles were just clumpy and sticking together - not what i desire in any sort of alfredo. the pizzas, every one that we could see, looked pretty enticing. so happened we were in pasta mode tonight. i might return to give them a second try but i wasn't wowed by anything tonight. the place has a lot of tables and it was perhaps a third full due to the final two innings of the giants loss. two servers in our section - one definitely with some chops, but ours unfortunately was kind of so so. she seemed stretched thin and wasn't as attentive with us as we watched the other gal with her tables. coulda been an off night for her. our visit was just ok in sum. we might go back, but maybe not any time soon.
(3)Dani L.
I had been staring at these pictures on yelp for months before I just moved here and finally got to try it and I am BEYOND disappointed, seriously horrible, even soup and salad dressings were flavorless tasted like water. My sons mac and cheese was ALMOST edible after he drowned it in salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. Will NEVER waste money here again almost didn't even want to pay.
(1)Amber C.
OH MY GOODNESS! I absolutely love this place it is the all time best pizza at least in the states. I live in Seattle now but every time I come home to visit it is mandatory I go to Melo's for some pizza and their killer minestrone soup. Love love love this place! There is nothing close to it in Seattle :(
(5)Amy R.
Melo's is a great, local, family-friendly, Italian diner. The food is good, and we appreciate the gluten-free options. It is a bit pricey for pizza, but the atmosphere is fun and my toddlers love it. It seems to be a family run restaurant and they have a lot of perks for kids. The food is great and the atmosphere is happy!
(4)Carlos A.
Apparently this is the place to be in the burbs on Saturday night. I love coming here for affordable pizza and pasta. Even though this place has plenty of seating it seems to be very popular with families. I am looking forward to many more carb filled pasta meals before long runs and bike rides. Yay carbo loading! The fettucini alfredo I had was decent and affordable which is all I ask. The private lot is always nice too.
(4)Kai R.
Very impressed with the menu options, food quality & flavors, as well as the overall cleanliness. However, our server and the hostesses weren't too welcoming. They all seemed more concerned with chatting & looking cute. We ordered a half combo / half something else pizza, the wild mushroom & gorgonzola risotto, the ribeye steak, and a salad. Everything arrived hot & fresh and tasted amazing!! Can't wait to go back again : ) Besides slightly unfriendly service, another down side was how loud it got (we couldn't hear our conversation over the loudmouths sitting around us). This was partly due to their close proximity, which brings me to yet another downside: some tables were awkwardly situated so that chairs blocked our table access making a trip to the restroom require asking them to scooch up and/or move the diaper bag hanging over their chair. Overall, well worth the downsides (many of which could very well be isolated incidents). Will def be back!
(4)Gina H.
Love their pasta. I have only had spaghetti, like regular ol' spaghetti but it is that good that I keep coming back... it has a certain kick to it that I don't make at home. The prices are reasonable and service is great... it just takes forever to get out of this place when you are stuffed and ready to go.
(4)Quy T.
Food: 4 stars Service: 4 stars Ambiance: 3 stars Final: 3.7 stars Melo's has some great pizza. We especially enjoy the thin crusted varieties. Their selection is excellent and we always have fun choosing what pizza to get. Quality of the food seems to be consistent and we have never been disappointed. They also have pastas, but we've never ordered it and I don't think I've seen anyone else order it. Service is very good and attentive. We never have to ask for water. Service is very quick, so we never seem to be waiting long. Ambiance is average. It is located in a small shopping center with lots of parking. It can get crowded and loud at times. Booths are the best place to eat. This place seems to be one of the go to places for the area. Take out is easy and many people order to go.
(4)amanda a.
I have been coming here since I can remember. Now I bring my kids.. It's their favorite pizza place! They give the kids dough to play with at the table!! It's such a wonderful family restaurant. We love the food! The staff is always wonderful and we never leave disappointed!
(5)Aaron W.
I love this place. Every time I eat here I love it more. The pizza is excellent . I love all the pasta dishes I've had also. Quick service and very reasonably priced.
(5)Mia G.
A bit pricey, but the best pizza and salads in pleasant hill. The crust is a little salty and not greasy and the salads are better than you would expect from a pizza joint.
(4)Jessica A.
I am not sure why this place has rave reviews maybe I need to try the pasta instead. Pizza was way over priced and not good it was thin and kinda soggy. If it was super cheap it would be decent pizze but it's not. Also the Garlic cheese bread is good but when we ordered it they didn't cut it at all. It was just a big hunk of bread.
(1)Misty T.
Great pizza place. The service is wonderful and the food is also. they had some very disrespectful customers the other day that caused a seen, broke dishes, made lots of noise etc. To make a long story short my boyfriend and I got into it with them and the employees kept apologizing. they were so sweet. it was not their fault and I feel extremely bad what happed there. Actually the best service I've ever had. And of course their food it amazing. We've been going there for years and will keep going!
(5)J D.
Food was very good. Lots of options. A little pricey, but worth it. Friendly staff, nice restaurant. Will definitely go back again.
(4)Tsz K. L.
The manager is back! I have been coming here frequently starting from 2009. The service has always been the best in town! They changed the menu in 2011 or 2012 though, food is still above average nonetheless. I miss the old menu but there are things that I like on the new one, especially the seafood risotto, now my favorite dish at this place! Overall, the service and food are very consistent throughout these years. I like the food portion with a very reasonable price and tasty food! Oh! Of course I am coming back.
(5)Laura C.
I've been going to Melo's for nearly as long as I can remember. My family usually gets pizza to go, but sometimes we will also stop in and sit down. Hands down the best pizza I've ever had. I always get thick crust, and pepperoni happens to be my favorite topping. You can always count on Melo's to whip up a really delicious pizza. I also love the pesto sauce with meat raviolis. The restaurant is kid friendly and usually has a ball game on. It can sometimes be crowded, but I've rarely had to wait longer than a few minutes for a seat.
(5)Stephanie C.
This place is amazing. Just tried it today. I got the fetticini Alfredo. The noodles are hand made and perfectly thin. The sauce was great too. My boyfriend got the meatball pie pizza and the crust was so thin and delicious. I have a whole piece plus my meal. We also shared the appetizer garlic fries. Yum!! We'll be going here a lot now! So good!!
(5)ann r.
Melo's ROCKS!!!! Especially the server Morgan! She was service with a SMILE...good attitude and it was all about making sure we were pleased with our food and service. She was on top of it without being intrusive...a seasoned server for sure...don't let this Jewell get away!
(5)Jackie B.
thin crust pizza is really good. tiramisu even better! great family place.
(4)Kuishimbo F.
So... had to jump back into yelping thanks to our meal today. I am a huge fan of thin crust Neapolitan pizza. One of my all time favorites is Tony's in North Beach. I have been trying all the neighborhood restaurants since I'm new to this area and was absolutely delighted with this treasure. We ordered the wings and split a full order of Caesar salad. The wings were really tasty - they are not like your typical buffalo flavor. It was tangy and flavorful, comes with celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese sauce on the side. The Caesar salad comes in half or full order sizes but we were hungry so split the full size which was a good size to share. The lettuce was fresh, not overly dressed and topped with crunchy croutons. Ah for the main highlight - we ordered the proscuitto and rucola thin crust pizza - the Naples way. This pizza comes with "mozzarella di buffala" which is rich and creamy and totally different from regular mozzarella and the tomato sauce is definitely authentic. The only criticism would be that it did get a bit wet to the center of the pizza so it would've been perfect if the sauce was slightly thicker. Overall best thin crust pizza I've had outside of the city. The crust is light, charred on the edges and pillowy light in the center of the crust. To sum it up, great food, friendly atmosphere, kid-friendly, good service and I'm looking forward to trying something different each time. Very reasonable prices and also ice cold beer on draft which is a must with the pizza!
(4)Lisa G.
Sing along with me, "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore...." When I'm in the mood for a good pizza, I want to be transported into an Italian experience. At Melo's, you can order a half and half to try two styles of pizza. Three of us shared a large pizza. Half was the West Coast Combo with ham, salami, mushrooms, linguica and olives. The other half was Pizza Primavera with artichoke hearts, zucchini, mushrooms, olives, fresh tomatoes and garlic. Both styles of pizza were very satisfying. Of the two, though I preferred the West Coast Combo. It was the amount of the ham and linguica and the taste of those ingredients that gave me a big Italian kiss. Melo's succeeded in spellbinding me with their hand tossed pizza crust and the fresh and authentic Italian inspired ingredients. For me, this was Amore!
(4)Greg K.
I have been eating here since I was a child- (literally, my parents started to patronize this place when they first opened in... 1972???). Item 1. The Pizza is awesome! Item 2. It isn't kosher. Item 3. Your cardiologist would NOT approve of you eating here, but he might order take-out for his staff at lunch time. (No I'm not kidding and no, I will not reveal his name or the name of his medical group. Hahahaha) Item 4. This product may be habit forming. (Seriously, I have to make a POINT of not eating here too often.) Item 5. This is a GREAT place to take a date. On the down side: 1. The food is addictive. 2. If you have coronary artery disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or congestive heart failure, RUN, don't walk for the exits. (Ok, maybe certain patients could order a salad, plain, with olive oil and a vinaigrette and have an ice water. But why torture yourself?)
(5)Ghenwa S.
I heard alot about melos but I never tried it but yesterday I gave it a shot and I was not impressed at all, the customer service is okay but the pizza lacked the taste, all the vegetables in the veggie delight taste the same and I was not impressed by the crust, I expected more from melos
(2)TY E.
Pizza is pretty good.. a little greasy but It's eatable. I had the Margarita pizza with an Italian Raspberry soda. I thought the crust would be thick, since I like thick crust, but It wasn't. I would've given it "4" stars for the thick crust but since it was thin crust it only gets "3" stars :( The environment was very friendly. I don't live in the area but whenever I come to this area I will know a decent spot for pizza.
(3)Kristen K.
Food and service were average. The garlic bread wasn't anything spectacular. The Chicken marsala was the best dish our part ordered. The sausage pizza was ok but lacked dimension, could have easily been one you pick up from the Trader Joes frozen section. The reason this is 2 stars instead of 3 is mostly the price. Average food that is over prices = 2 stars.
(2)Craig G.
Best pizza in the planet ... and the hidden menu rocks ... the pasta is the sleeper
(5)Jun W.
The only reason this place doesn't get one star is because of service. The waitress was pretty and courteous. Other than that, the taste nothing special and more on the salty side. The more generic places like Domino, Papa offer better taste pizza. The price was also a little steep comparing to its food quality. I found this restaurant on Yelp and carefully read couple of reviews before deciding on it. And this once again shows how unreliable Yelp review is becoming of. Next time you want to dine at a restaurant where you are not familiar with the area, the best course of action is probably to friends or coworkers who live nearby and use Yelp as last resort after you run out of options.
(2)That G.
I really enjoy this place
(4)Marie E.
They have the most amazing gnochhi with pesto sause. The pesto sause is delicious! And the service is great!
(4)Corey K.
After having a bad meal at the Thai place next store I ordered a pizza to go. The girl was very nice on the phone and told me 25 min. I walked over there in 10 she was very nice and even checked a few times to see if it would be done earlier then the 25 min. It was. ;) thank you. You made my friends and I dinner experience that much better. The pizza was really good ;) In fact I had some for breakfast ;) Now to the gym!! Thank you to the girl who helped me last night at the front counter ...
(5)Dick H.
Badn't been there for about 10 years (because we moved away). But the food is great as always, starting with the salad. the pizza was very good. A bit disappointed in this waitress, who seemed to disappear when it was time to bring the check. Other than that, and observing the other wait staff, the service was good. Highly recommended! Now, to try others in their chain.
(4)Angela S.
Just moved to the area and found excellent pizza here! I love the extra thin crispy crust with plenty of toppings. Service is fantastic! I'm an iced tea drinker and drink plenty of it with pizza and my glass was never left empty.
(4)Michele W.
Love this place. Really great pasta and pizza. I go alot for lunch (work close by) and they have really good sandwiches, etc. All around- an excellent place to go with a friend, or even better- a large group!
(4)Brenda W.
I order pick up a lot and everytime, no kidding... EVERYTIME... The pizza is incorrect! The girls at the register are dumber than a brick and after you tell them the pizza toppings are incorrect, they give you attitude. Great tasting food after it's made correctly but HORRIFIC SERVICE!
(1)J G.
Good food, my family loves it. Consistent food & service.
(4)Amy T.
GREAT food! My brother turned me onto the PENNE E BISTECCA Thin, tender rib-eye steak prepared with fresh garlic, cracked pepper, and oregano seared in olive oil and served with penne pasta with a light tomato sauce (Palermo). This is pretty much what I order each time I go now but I have had their pizza's and other pasta and it is always good. We went right before closing on Thursday and didn't have to wait at all but there is usually a wait. Our waitress was very bubbly (in a good, not over the top way) and on top of everything. Good portions, good food and friendly service what more could you want =)
(4)Oliver U.
Friendly service, the chicken parmesan and lasagna are better than most local italian competitors...plus the pear salad and fresh warm bread make this a local favorite.
(4)Shariyah M.
I love this place. Been coming here for years and have yet to be disappointed. Their shrimp in vodka sauce pasta dish is quite tasty and full of shrimp. I love that you can get a split pizza since hubby and I always want different pizzas. This is also the only pizza place that offers clams & arugula as pizza toppings. I always get clams, garlic, mushrooms, onions, sausage and arugula on pesto...OMG YUM! I only take one star away because they don't deliver and I always end up getting pizza toppings dropped on the car mat since I just have to have a bite of it when it's piping hot and burning my lap. I also don't care for the tough pizza crust; always end up tossing it. When & if they ever deliver, they'll get 5 stars from me.
(4)J S.
Stopped in while on a business trip in the area. Service and pizza were great. Definitely worth going to if you are in the area. You will not be disappointed.
(4)Alix N.
My partner loves pizza. I eat gluten-free, so we have to choose pizzerias that offer a GF crust, and while there are several places in the area that do so, I just don't like the crust. I chose Melo's because I hoped there topping would make up for the standard Still Riding Crust. Wow, was I surprised! First off, this is NOT a Still Riding Crust. Still Riding is crumbly and kind of mealy, but Melo's crust is evenly-textured, crisp where it should be, and softer where it should be. It doesn't taste gluten-free at all. And the fresh mozzarella--oh, the fragrance of it was heaven! I couldn't wait to dive in -- and I'm not particularly a pizza girl at all! I had a custom pizza (artichoke hearts and BBQ chicken) and it was just fabulous. I gave my partner a taste and she said she'd have no problem sharing a GF pizza with me if it tasted like THAT. We also tried the ceasar salad with bay shrimp and the garlic fries. The salad was heavily dressed, so next time I'd have the dressing on the side. Loved the fries; just wish they were cut longer for ease of eating. I heated my leftover pizza in the oven for dinner and the good news is that it didn't suffer at all. (Extreme Pizza's GF crust tastes awful reheated, IMO.) This was still absolutely delicious. So, despite not being a pizza girl, I can't wait to go back. My waistline does not thank Melo's, though.
(5)dan s.
Decided to try Melo's for takeout based on the reviews. Disappointed. It's pretty average pizza, and way overpriced for a 16" size. There is no comparison between Melo's and Zachary's or any other pizza place of better reputation. Like Rocco's, I suspect there are other reasons besides good food that explain why this place is busy.
(3)Dante M.
The first time I had Melo's was at a party they catered. When the host told me about the restaurant, I knew I would have to stop by for lunch sometime. A few days later, I stopped in for a quick lunch between shows. I had a delicious tortellini with cream sauce and some cheesy garlic bread. the staff was very friendly even though they seemed pretty busy. I would definitely recommend!
(5)Valerie H.
I've ordered here a few times for lunch, It's a bit on the pricey side, pizza's good, the gnocchi was pretty darn good till I had it at another restaurant and found out what gnocchi was really about. Not saying its bad here, but I have had better. One thing I don't care for here is being scolded for not letting them know that you will be paying separately when you place a phone order for more than one person. Maybe the person delivering the message was just having a bad day, the host/cashier are usually polite. Since its close to work, I'll be back again when I need an Italian fix.
(3)Nyla J.
This place is one of my favorite pasta places in the bay area, including the company I work for . When we have our monthly meetings or special occasions, we order at Melos as it is fresh to order, a big size quanity for what the price is, extra condiments, veggies are crisp, and seasoning is to the max ! When I eat here, I always order the linguine pescatora, lasagna, or the ravioli. I have not tried anything else, as im so sprung on my top three picks. Service is satisfactory - waitress ladies are beautiful, helpful, and knowledgable of the menu. They check back in with you before needing them( it can also be because they know I am a regular and my company orders there all the time). On a Friday night, after work, this place is packed, loud and busy , however, after a crazy work week ,this place is great for a glass wine and some really good CARBOHYDRATES ! In conclusion, I will contrinue to go to Melos when I yourn for heavy food, a comfortable family environment ,affordable menu and unforgetable memories !! BTW,This place is better then the Olive Garden, excluding their endless salad bar and breadsticks.
(5)Andy W.
I loved the pizza when I worked for the company as a teenager and I still love it. the mozzarella sticks wern't all that great so just skip it and go straight for the pie.
(5)Jenny A.
I really like this place. My husband and I always split a pizza napoletana - thin crust, fresh tomatoes, roasted peppers, olive oil, lite anchovies and capers. Mmmmm. The servers are friendly. You can see the guys cooking your food.
(4)Marilyn L.
This is the best pizza anywhere around in my opinion. I have been going here for over 20 yrs. and also using takeout a lot-it is always excellent! I take friends and family here and everyone loves it. Yes, it is busy but good reason why. It's worth the wait and worth the price and their pasta dishes are excellent too! Love it....have never had an even close comparison!
(5)Brad B.
This was our first visit to Melo's and we had a good overall experience. The service, staff is very friendly and excellent, ambience and atmosphere was very nice, restrooms extremely clean, and the pizza is great, overall a good visit. But I have to give this visit 3.5 stars for the overall satisfaction for the menu items we ordered. The garlic cheese bread was delicious. The calamari was cooked perfectly golden but was very rubbery, would not order again. The pizza was excellent. We would go back for the pizza. The BBQ chicken chopped salad was o.k. but would not put it at the same level as I get at a BJ's, Cheesecake Factory, or California Pizza Kitchen. The Fettuccia con Polo was a little disappointing. The white wine sauce and the zucchini was very good. They used a wide noodle similar to a lasagna noodle but not as wide but would have been better with penne or bow tie, some other type of noodle. The chicken was not good. It was a chicken breast that was baked then sliced into the dish. The problem is it had the texture and taste like something that is micro-waved. I think they need to change this. Would never order it like that again. The cheesecake for desert was excellent. Fresh and delicious with nice fresh whipped cream.
(4)Heather C.
This place is cuter than it looks. I could see this place doing good business in the todos santos plaza, downtown walnut creek or even in the Pleasant Hill shopping center. The location now is not the best. Easy to get to and park. The garlic bread is so good! Can't go wrong with anything you order here.
(5)Jor S.
I'm starting to have a thing about mashed potato pizza. It seems that I can't get enough of it. I don't know how or why I keep ordering the stuff, but I think that it is the tops. So naturally I have high standards for that specific type of food and this place does not disappoint. They use a 4 cheese white sauce with potatoes. The combination of those 2 ingredients compliment each other well and makes the pizza that much more enjoyable.
(4)Eric B.
Gayle's family has been eating at Melo's for several years and it's her sons' go-to place for takeout. Maybe I came inside to eat once, but I don't really recall. However, I have been here on several occasions to pick up a pizza for various members of our family. Melo's pizza is very good. The crust and toppings are fresh and of the right consistency. And no matter how busy Melo's is during a particular evening, I have found pickup to be fast and friendly. And even if I'm running a little late, the Pizza is hot and ready to eat (and sometimes in the car - sorry boys). The Pleasant Hill area is certainly blessed to have both Melo's and Devino's around and I'm sure there are fans on both sides of the aisle that are very clear about their preferences. Both restaurants throw off a fun family and neighbourhood vibe, that I enjoy. And food-wise, you'll make a good choice no matter which place you go. In the end, that's what good Pizza is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?
(4)Jessica N.
Good food, good service, but don't order the Spaghettini al Pomodora...it is bland and plain. They do have good pizza.
(4)Dianna A.
This place is very good. The pizza is always hot and delicious. The ingredients on the pizza always taste fresh unlike those other major chains. Melo's is the place to go!!
(5)Brenda H.
Pizza is delicious! So is their salad. The wait for your food is a little long but the food always makes up for the wait!
(4)Autumn L.
I've been going here since I was little. It is such good pizza. My kids love watching them throw the dough up and spin it. They always give the kids a little piece of dough to play with.
(5)Jennifer A.
Melo's is awesome! I knew I had to check this place out after I read all the great reviews on Yelp and was just waiting for the perfect opportunity. After some shopping at the Concord mall, my mom and I stopped at Melo's around 7:30 on Saturday night. It was crowded, but we were seated right away. We started out with the fried calamari which was very good and not at all greasy, but the highlight was the tasty marinara. Then we shared a Pizza Genovese which is pancetta and tomato slices on pesto instead of tomato sauce. Loved it! I could have lived without the tomato slices (not a huge tomato fan), but it was loaded with deeelicious pancetta (= italian for bacon, how could that not be good??). We had leftovers for breakfast the next day and my mom proclaimed it was still just as good! Service here was also very friendly and efficient despite the crowd. I think Melo's is going to be my go-to pizza place from now on!
(5)Melissa A.
I have been going here my whole life and have always loved it. For years all I ever ordered was the pizza because it's pretty much the best around and their garlic cheese bread is to die for! A few years back I decided to try a pasta entree and ended up ordering the Penne Bistecca and have been hooked ever since. They have so many other dishes I want to try but can't pass up my favorite. I have been able to taste other dishes because my dinning companions have ordered them, always good. They also have good sangria. I'm always excited to go.
(5)Anne C.
I love this place but it isn't perfect. I will say all of the pizzas that I have had here, they have all been darn near perfect. Sad thing is that I tend to only order the Pizza Primavera as it is just divine - thin crust, wonderful red sauce, lots of toppings like artichoke hearts, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini. Oh, and garlie, lots of garlic! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It is all I can do to just eat two slices. The family size house salad is large enough for 5 - 6 people and it is nicely presented. There is a choice of three dressings and a nice range to choose from. We had the Tartufo Limoncello on Sunday night when we were there for my mother-in-law's birthday and it was ok. Don't recall ever having a dessert there before. I have never had a complaint about the service and do like the decor with the lovely murals on the walls. They can be a little slow about replacing worn out upholstery in the booths. My main complaint was that this last time, we were seated near the bathrooms and the bathroom deodorizer scent kept wafting past our table. I found that very disgusting. Will definitely be careful about where they seat me next time.
(4)Effie R.
I just recently discovered Melo's. I really liked it both times I came! The pizza is good, and the service very nice. I like that the restaurant has a lively atmosphere, and is ok to bring the kids to (paper napkins and plastic juice cups). :) Both times I came we got there early so it was a bit empty, but by the time we left it had filled up quickly. Very happy and will definitely go there again (for those of you without kids, they seated us out of the way so I would definitely go there on a date or whatever, prob wouldn't be bothered by little ones around!)
(4)Phill Y.
Atmosphere 4 Service 4 Food 4 Melo's easily maintained their 4 star rating. Four of us had lunch today. Everyone really wanted pasta, but the lure of their pizza was too strong. Parking was easy in the large lot. Our server quickly saw how fast we were downing our iced teas so she left a small pitcher on the table for us. Our order: Pappardelle w/Pork x 2 Cheese Ravioli w/Meat Sauce Large New Yorker Pizza Beverages x 3 The Pappardelle is really good. Well seasoned and flavorful, it marries perfectly with the fresh pappardelle pasta. The pizza was also excellent. We ordered a large, knowing we'd have leftovers for a couple of lunches. One do the unsung wonderful characteristics of Melo's is the consistency of the food. You can come once a week, once a month, or once a year and the food will be consistently good each and every time. The menu may change, the crust may change, the servers might change; but food is ***always*** really good. Lunch for four, with half a pizza to take home, out the door with tax and tip; $82.
(4)Steve D.
OK - it beats the chains, specifically I'm thinking Round Table. The pizza is good. The service is OK. The place is busy. I guess my issue is that I'm not sure the food merits the popularity. I think part of the popularity is it's location. It's right on CCB, between "downtown" and the Sun Valley Mall. The popularity makes the place loud and creates the possibility of a wait. If I am going to wait or deal with the noise, I want a higher quality of food - not something that's just better than the baseline.
(2)Cesar F.
This place is just okay. I don't really see why this place gets 4 stars. I had the new yorker. The crust was very hard to chew on, and the pizza in general was very salty. Try something. Seems like there isn't a good pizza place in concord. No offense
(2)Louise T.
My brother is a pasta lover/Red Lobster fan. After being disappointed with the Pittsburg location, he wanted to try a new pasta restaurant for his bday. We are talking about 10 years of Red Lobster loyalty & tradition for his bday celebration! So I can't disappoint him now. His criterias: Italian, good pasta, big servings. This is where Yelp truly helped: reviews, pics, ambiance, location, prices, menus, family friendly...and the winner was MELO'S PIZZA & PASTA! There were other good candidates, but pricier, small & intimate. Melo's is definitely a family place good for kids(not for romantic purposes ;D). They can be loud & walk around. Not only did we get a big table right away on Friday night, there was also a game televised, which the men enjoyed. So far, 2 stars for the birthday boy. He ordered creamy pasta with chicken & zuccini. It was a big plate(good for 2), rich & creamy, tasty chicken, & not a lot of veggies for this meat lover. He was happy & content, gave it 2 more stars. Large Melo's combo pizza was also good for 4 adults & 2 kids. My pizza lover kids & dad enjoyed it. My picky 6yr old boy ate most of the Calamari Fritti. It was crunchy, soft, not chewy, and cut up in small pieces. He said, 'this is the calamari I like." On the other hand, I was disappointed with my favorite Chicken Parmigiana, that I usually order at Italian restaurants. The dry, overcooked fried chicken was 1 star compared to Pasta Pomodoro's 5 star chicken. The sauce was sour like it came from the can, and salty at the same time like they just added a ton of salt to make it "flavorful." Melo's was 3 stars for me.
(4)Robbie H.
Been going to this place for over 20 years. Never disappoints, always excellent food. Entire staff is friendly and service is always excellent. The restaurant is always clean and bright. I highly recommend Melo's
(5)Kerry W.
Good pizza. We ate here for lunch on a Sunday. Service was fast and ok. Nothing special, but the quality of the pizza crust and toppings made up for that. Melo's, please pull up the 70's carpet and put down some hard flooring; it would do wonders for your hygiene and appearance...but who am I.
(3)Evil M.
Anytime I am in the neighborhood to visit my mom, we end up at Melo's - the service is generally good, but we come for the truly delicious food - hot, cheese-covered lasagna, cannelloni with a hint of sage, and amazing home-made gnocchi. Haven't tried the pizzas, I cannot seem to make it past the pastas :D
(5)Robert R.
I always order take out from this place, but never actually eaten in this restaurant. I did however end that streak today. I went in with the Family in tow, and my friend/Godmother. We were sat sat right away, and the Hostess were very friendly. The Waitress was very efficient and helpful. We started with the Calamari Appetizer. The kids ordered a Kids Spaghetti and a Regular Fettuccine with Alfredo. Wifey and I shared a Melo's Special Pie and our friend ordered the Lasagna. I was full after my 2nd slice because between the Calamari, Bread, and Root Beer; I had no room left for the Pizza. We wound up getting a lot of To go boxes and finished off with a slice of Cheesecake. I was full until some one mentioned a different place for dessert. I however liked the Food and Service at the Restaurant and would return soon and try their Tiramisu.
(4)Jenni D.
For $55, my group of six ladies was able to order two medium pizzas, three iced teas, and a large salad - so we were pretty happy! The service could have been better, but Melo's tends to be pretty busy during the evening dinner rush - so it makes sense that our server wasn't checking in on us as often as we probably would have liked. I will always recommend the Vegetarian pizza - and you can mix and match pizza toppings really easily. It's a great way to fit a number of different people's tastes. I also like the New Yorker - it's got some hearty sausage and lots of veggies. The salads aren't anything to write home about, but you should order the regular Tossed Salad if you want something that isn't going to fill you up. The Ceasar has a little too much dressing if you ask me.
(4)Kimly N.
mmm, talk about Italian comfort food. I was taken here by my mister, since I've never been here but always wanted to try it out! The server was gracious and lovely since she knew us two, and we started off with Bruscetta with roasted tomato and olive oil. Oh my, was that yummyy, the bread was perfectly crisped and wasnt messy to eat at all. He ordered his Lasagna which was goood, but I tried something different: Fedelini con Salcicca, we both had trouble pronouncing it aha. The pasta shape was different, which made it fun to eat, the sausages were flavorful and not overly salted at all! Great intimate setting for two to eat, and kid friendly as wellll, ill definitely be back! :)
(4)Lauren S.
I used to come to this restaurant all the time back in the day when I knew the manager that worked there. In my opinion, the food tasted better back then. Granted...it has been at least 5 years since I tasted their food but I remembered it being more tasty and not so much sauce in the pasta. Ok...so my gfs and I went there for lunch the other day. The place was pretty empty for lunch and we arrived there around 12:45pm. Glasses of wine there are actually pretty affordable but they are also cheap brands . We all went straight to entrees and ordered pasta dishes. I ordered the Fusilli Contadina which is corkscrew pasta with garden vegetables in a pesto sauce. My complaint on this dish was the sauce. For starters, they give you wayyy too much of it that is looks like soup at the bottom of the bowl. Second, it is too heavy and oily. I suggest a lighter sauce for a dish with garden vegetables. My other gf ordered the Penne E Bistecca which did actually look really appealing. She said the steak was alittle chewy but it was savory and there was just the right amount of pasta to fill her up and satisfy her carb cravings. LOL My other gf is on a diet so she ordered a simple dish of Fresh Fettucine with tomato sauce. No comment needed here it was just pasta and tomato sauce. :) Overall, the bill was about $56 total for us and that included 3 entrees and 3 glasses of wine. Alittle pricey for lunch and for what we all got. Will I return again?? Maybe but I will definitely not order the same dish I just had. I might try my gf's dish which was the Penne E Bistecca.
(3)C R.
I've been going to Melo's for years and years. And they are consistently very good. The restaurant is very clean and modern since their remodel years ago. It started as a little tiny joint where many families called in an order and went to pick it up. They have a nice selection of pizza and pastas plus some different salads. If you like regular thin crusts - yummy. But for those who like thick crusts - excellent! That's what we always order and it is so good. You can choose what you want or select one of their pre-designed choices. We've tried many of their pasta choices too (all of which were very tasty). My favorite is the penne bistecca. My daughter loves their spaghetti with meat sauce. The lasagna is also very good as well as the clam linguini. Actually I haven't had anything I didn't like and would definitely order them all again. The garlic cheese bread is very good and with a salad can fill you up so be careful that you don't eat them all up too quickly if you ordered other things. I have not left without wishing I wore pants with an elastic waist.....LOL
(4)Michelle R.
Love Melo's! Can't say that I've had a bad experience here, and I've been coming for at least 10 years. The pizza is original and tasty, and it makes great left-overs! I always end up ordering the tortellini because they give you so much and, again, it makes for a good lunch the next day. The service is hit-or-miss, but I've never had a horrible experience. Very kid-friendly; ask your server for a ball of dough for your little one to play with and they will be entertained for hours! I won't lie, the dough was even entertaining to me.
(4)Virgo M.
One of my BFFs and I used to hang out at Melo's when it was a small run-down hole in the wall back in the late 80s. Then they got all swanky and new and we sort of stopped going there..just didnt seem so elusive after that. Now, I'm not near by so it's really by happenstance that I remember to stop in. Last night was one of those occasions. So glad too because the pizza was just as good as it was back then. Everyone that worked there was super nice and attentive. We shut the place down as we lost track of time chatting it up, gorging off of our pizzas and washing it all down with refill after refill of Pepsi. I'm gonna really make an effort to not stay away so long.....its good, good stuff. 4 real!
(5)Steven M.
No better pizza in P. Hill. My fav is the New Yorker.
(5)Caro S.
Solid place. The servers are nice and super attentive. I like that there are so many booths. The salads and pasta are huge.The cheese bread is thick and delicious. I can't wait to go back to try out the pizza.
(4)Michael O.
Took my wife here on our first date and have loved it ever since. We love all there pizza's and pasta's. We love coming here to dine in, great atmosphere with a kind and friendly staff. Good prices and good food what more can you ask for. Also try the mozzarella sticks, and the chicken and spinach pizza.
(5)Steven O.
I was really looking forward to trying Melo's because I freaking love pizza and according to the reviews, Melo's seemed to be the best pizza in town. The girlfriend and I walk in and the place is packed. While I hate waits, I thought to myself, "wow, the pizza here must be fantastic if there's this many people here." We're told that the wait is going to be about 15 minutes...turns out that the wait was only about half that time...awesome! We order the following: - Garlic Bread with Cheese - Hot Wings - Classic Caprese - Melo's Combination Pizza The garlic bread was pretty good...4 stars. The hot wings were okay, nothing special...3 stars. The caprese was delicious...5 stars. As for the pizza? Honestly, I was pretty let down by it. I was expecting a pizza that was going to wow me...something I'd crave whenever I wanted pizza...which is pretty darn often. Ultimately, the pizza was not very memorable at all. Don't get me wrong...I enjoyed it, but it was a pretty average tasting pizza. Number of stars? A solid 3. As for the service...wow! Our server's name was Chelsea...and boy was she on the ball! Best darn service I've received from ANYWHERE in a long time...and the place was packed. The girlfriend and I were completely impressed and hopefully our tip showed it. So...(4 + 3 + 5 + 3 + 5) / 5 = 4 stars.
(4)Monica M.
i had the calamari (small crispy and Delicious!) and a shrimp ravioli (flavorful,large serving with chunks of shrimp!)...i have absolutely no qualms about this place...i will definitely return!
(4)TIM M.
Two words for you: Margarita Pizza. Great food and friendly staff. This is where I take family when they come to town and we want Italian. It is usually busy but don't let that dissuade you from waiting. They handle the wait well. Sit down at the seats by the kitchen, have a brewskie, and watch the toss dough from one end of the kitchen to the other. Your table or to go order will be ready before you know it. BTW: shame on the pizza hut across the street for even turning on their open sign.
(4)I G.
I have been coming to Melos for a number of years and the food has always been delicious. But after the service my friends and I received tonight I will not be back. Our waiter whose name was Emilo I believe was extremely rude from the very beginning. With the way our economy is today you would think customer service would be getting better.
(1)BeeZed P.
Ok, so I"ve been coming to Melo's since I was like 12 years old and this is by far my favorite pizza place ever! The veggie delight is the best! It's quality food worth your money. The staff is really friendly! Their small pizza is definately sufficient for 2 people and their large is more then enough for 4 people. I wish they had more restaurants around. Enjoy! =]
(5)Angela A.
Best pizza in the east bay!
(4)Heidi C.
Walked inside and it was CRACK-A-LACKIN! There were people everywhere and I was surprised that we got seated so quickly! The environment was great and the people were very nice. Our waiter was kind and was bringing his a-game. The food? I think overall it was good. Maybe it was just what I ordered. I'll try something different next time. I would definitely check this place out if you're in the area. GARLIC BREAD W/ CHEESE: best of both worlds! The garlic bread was toasted perfectly and the spread has a madd kick of garlic! The texture of the melted mozzerella on top of each piece of bread adds a different texture to the dish. I stopped myself at 2 pieces in order to have room for my entree but later finished the plate with my boyfriend. FETUCCINE FERARRI W/ SAUSAGES: huge dish full of home made fetuccine. Sausages were a bit on the salty side and seemed as though it might have been slightly overcooked. The sauce however, is full of different meats like veal, chicken, ground beef and mushrooms. You can taste all of it in one bite! The noodles had a much different texture and taste since they're homemade. Of course a doggy bag was needed. It didn't taste that great the next day for lunch though... *downer* PIZZA W/ CHICKEN, GREEN ONIONS, GARLIC, MUSHROOMS: you can make your own pizza and the big PLUS was that the fresh garlic is a FREE topping! They loaded up our medium pizza with toppings and you can really taste the garlic (who doesn't love garlic?!) DESSERT: came with the check. A couple of these fruity Italian candies that were deeeelicious! hard on the outside and gooey/chewy on the inside! I want my own bag of them!!
(4)Linda M.
This place is packed on Fri & Sat nights...and I do NOT get it. We faithfully give them another chance every 18 months or so. Their pizza is mediocre at best. And the atmosphere isn't any better. NY Pizza across the street is WAY better for take-out/delivery. (And if you don't have a handful of their coupons already...you can usually grab one off the counter in the restaurant). In a pinch I'll take Skipolini's (Concord or WC) for dine-in...but Pizza Antica in Lafayette is much better or, and perhaps this goes without saying, Zachary's in Rockridge is THE BEST. One entertaining thing did happen at dinner...my 6 year old has started giving me his unsolicited reviews on places we go. Like mother, like son. :) He's very generous with his stars...and although he told me on the way to dinner that he could eat pizza EVERY night...he "only" gives Melo's 4 stars and asked when we could go back to Zachary's. LOL. How long before you think I should let him have his own Yelp profile??
(2)O N.
I ordered a dish off the "new" menu. It was tortelloni in cream sauce with Peas and Prosciutto. The meat in the dish was NOT Prosciutto. It was a luncheon meat more like ham. Only ate half of the lunch. Waitress could tell I wasn't happy with dish. Followed up with a fax to addressed to ALL of the managers, and to date (1-6-12) haven't heard from any of them. I will NOT be visiting Melo's in the future and will make a point of telling my friends about my visit and lack of satisfaction.
(2)Amanda H.
I had my first visit to Melo's the other day and it definitely won't be my last. Driving by, it isn't the kind of place that would catch your eye and give you the urge to stop, but its totally worth it. My boyfriend used to come here as a kid with his family and he said that its just as good now as it used to be. EVERYONE that works here is so friendly. The hostess that seated us was very sweet and our server, Wendy, was great as well. My boyfriend is a big guy, he drinks a lot of water, so when we asked her for a big glass, she happily brought him his own small pitcher of water and he gladly put a straw in it and drank from the pitcher. I just love how accommodating she was, like who does that? Good customer service is so hard to come by these days so I am super appreciative when I find it. We started with garlic bread with cheese. It was perfect and the bread felt very fresh. Then we ordered a large pizza. The sauce is amazing, it has this perfect combination of sweet and spicy. We got canadian bacon, pepperoni and olives and they were very generous with the toppings. FYI- The large is very large, they said its 16 inches, but I think its more like 18-20. And the crust is perfect, its not too thin but not too thick and its not flimsy...like if you pick up a piece, the front doesn't fold and there goes all your toppings, cheese and sauce (that drives me crazy!) Good people, good service and great food, reasonably priced. Will definitely come back. I'm so glad I now live close to this place so I can go frequently!
(5)Kevin Z.
How do you mess up chicken alfredo? Staff treated us like crap, and for the amount of money we spent I would never go here
(1)D K.
Great Italian Food and even better family that owns the restaurant. The Piccolo family are the most sincere people you will meet. Recommendations: Primavera pizza - best veggie pizza anywhere West Coast combo Taglitini Felini
(5)Allison N.
So, I just came back from the diner in every episode of Saved By The Bell. Oh wait... I mean Melo's - I guess was just confused by the decor and growing up on SBTB reruns :0P The pizza was great! Delicious crust - crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. And the toppings were yummy and fresh - we went for the NY Style Pizza. Our waitress was friendly and on-top of it. We'll be back!!
(4)Sara W.
what a great dining experience + quick friendly service too... our mozzerella sticks arrived and were luke warm at best, so she quickly rushed a new order to us, which were nice n hot,. it helped that it was above average sticks too, the sauce it comes with was better then the standard marinara! and we got the pear/gorgonzola salad, pretty good and not too much dressing... so that was a great start my iced tea glass was never empty and she offered ranch when our pizza arrived which was great. and the pizza, yum-o! that crust was delicious... the only disappointing part of the pizza was my bf (having worked there in the past,) remembered there being more toppings then we got...we ordered a plain ol' pepperoni pizza and i concur, there wasn't a LOT of pepperoni on it. maybe cuz we ordered a small, who knows. oh well, it was still super good. i'll definitely go back!
(4)Ann M.
We have been eating Melos pizzas for over 23 years. It is the very best tasting pizza in the area. We especially like the thin crusted Margarita pizza and hope that Fabio, of the PH restaurant, will consider bringing back the gorgonzola as part of that 4 cheese pizza combination because there is nothing better than that! I am on my way to pick up a take out pizza with the Mediterranean salad to go. Thanks for so many great years of hard work and good eating. We will always come back for more! Mangia
(5)René R.
I've been here a couple times, but both were so drastically different from one another that I'm a little iffy about this place now. The first time, I dined in. I just had a full day of classes, so a few of my classmates and I decided to get some pizza. We ordered the Pizza Genovese and it was delicious, but now I'm not sure if it was because I was famished or if it was genuinely good. The second time, I ordered their Melo's Combination to bring home. I only had to wait about 15 minutes, quite fast considering I just walked in to order. It was piping hot and literally still steaming as I brought it into my car. Had a slice after the short drive back home and was instantly underwhelmed. It was definitely not your average pizza, but it wasn't anything particularly noteworthy either. Perhaps it was because I had just eaten at Pizza California in San Jose one day prior? Either way, it's a decent place, but it could just be that New York style is just not for me.
(2)Marc B.
Been here a couple of times now. The first time I had a pizza, and the only thing I remember from that was they had some bomb ass linguiça (Portuguese sausage) on it. So good. My latest adventure came the other day when I ordered take-out for dinner. I ordered the garlic bread with cheese and the fusilli contadina. The fusilli contadina was cork-screw shaped pasta with sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and sundried tomatoes in a mild basil and garlic sauce, and topped with toasted parmigiano bread crumbs The pasta was great, and it tasted even better the next day when I finished the leftovers. The sauce was just right and didn't overpower any of the other flavors of the dish. The garlic bread was downright awesome and the slices were big so it was pretty filling. But it tasted so good I could've eaten 10 slices (ok, maybe not but you get the idea).
(4)Mrs. B.
Great pizza, good service, good prices. We've been coming here since I was a child and they would give me pizza dough to play with. They recently changed some of their menu and I like the fries with garlic aioli dipping sauce.
(5)MJ B.
This place does get crowded, but I've never had to wait more than 15 minutes or so for a table, even on a busy Friday night. Service is good, if spotty at times. Pizza is excellent! Crust, toppings, and especially the sauce... all very delicious. Calimari and pancetta-wrapped prawn appetizers are also killer. And yes, the waitresses are hot. Would get 5 stars if they could figure out a way to keep out all of the idiot parents who drag in their screaming infants and toddlers.... it's called a babysitter, look it up people.
(4)Christine P.
i can't believe i just realized i haven't written a review for melo's! last night we went for the first time in a long time and as one review said, melo's is consistently good. after being hated on by spaghetti factory (25 minute wait), we racked our brain for a place to eat. melo's was a stroke of genius and i can't believe i forgot about the place. my favorite on the menu is the fire roasted tomato bruchetta with panchetta and chesse. it's bruschetta that's kicked up a notch by a payer of panchetta and cheese and then broiled in the oven. i have to have this every time i go! the sliced ciabatta that comes to your table is always perfectly warm, crusty and chewy! i can eat the whole bowl! there were four of us last night and we ordered: 1. mozz sticks 2. hot wings 3. bruschetta with pancetta and chesse 3. medium pizza (half cheese and half pepperoni) 4. sliced steak dinner with pasta 5. linguini with pesto - my pick... their pesto is awesome and noodles were cooked perfectly 6. chicken parmesean - my bf's... that was awesomely cheesy and wonderful 7. and four waters the waitress, who was a total sweetheart i may add, looked at us and commented, "this is a lot of food." we just laughed and i said, "i'll also need a small melo's combo to go!" then we laughed again! obviously we're not on a diet! LOL! i kinda felt like harold and kumar at the end of the the white castle movie and they order hella sliders. yeah, melo's is like my white castle. only better! reasonable prices too and you can tell everything's made fresh! i still haven't tackled all of the menu, but i definitely intend to!
(5)Jason F.
Good pizza and good pasta! What else can I say?? My favorite, that I order way to often, is pesto fetticini w/chicken.
(4)Derek A.
Great pizza honestly! Great food honestly!
(5)Adam K.
Great pizza and pasta. Little pricey but worth it.
(4)Andrew M.
Melo's is another long standing tradition I have with the family. Every Xmas eve we will all head down to church for mass and once it is done we will speed over to Melo's for a great meal. My two favorite menu choices are the "Roasted Chicken and Spinach Pizza" (replace the standard sauce for pesto! Trust me you will love it) and the Gnochi Bolognese! You can't go wrong with these. Don't forget a Caesar to start!
(4)Sean O.
Arguably some of the best pizza in the area, at least that I am aware of! They have some signature pies that are really good... My personal favorites are the barbecue chicken and the combination. (Their linguica is freakin good!) I have yet to have a bad slice at this joint. The toppings are always fresh and they must use a shovel to dump them on the pizza because they certainly aren't chintzy. And they have a wide variety of toppings, too. Who would have thought that cookie dough and Fruit Loops would be SOOO good on a pizza?!? The salads are great as well. Haven't had the pasta yet, but I would anticipate that it, too, is very good. The atmosphere is fun and bustling in most cases. Maybe a baseball team with some rambunctious kids, a group of horny cougars out for a night on the town or a work team builder with some dirty old men ogling the waitresses. Its like a roll of the dice to see what you'll get, but either way its still a great spot to chill. They have several beers on tap as well, so get a pitcher, a pie, and relax. They do dine in and take out, so call in ahead of time if you're watching fights or sports or even the corny-ass reality TV show of the month. If you do dine in, though, the service is always good. Friendly waitstaff and they seem to be enjoying themselves while they work so that generally translates into a smile while they take your order. Just like "Animal Style" isn't on the menu at In and Out, ask for the Mudd Butt Blast Pizza at Melo's. It comes with Spam, Linguica, Spam, Spam, Spam, Pepperoni, Spam, Cheese and Spam. Its AMAZING.
(5)Michelle W.
Pizza is great! Spinach fettuccine with prawns tastes homemade and rivals anything the best Italian chefs in Napa has to offer! House dressing is delicious and not oily. Wish I lived closer to this place!
(5)Hugo E.
Picked up a pie for the latest MMA Pay Per View last night, as good as always. Thick crust, Canadian Bacon and Sausage, so good with a nice beer. Very nice dinner. I love this place.......
(4)Leah D.
Melos has good food, but it's too expensive. We've done take out and dine in and the service is always pretty good, but nothing super special. I've always ordered the Mediterarean salad and while its tasty, we just can't afford it anymore.
(3)Jimbo B.
Melo's is a great place to eat. Great service, great food, and has been around for a super long time. It used to be located a few doors over in the same plaza. Ive never had bad food, or a bad experience. A+++ all the way!!!
(5)Dave B.
Now I've been going to Melo's for just about two decades. It's changed locations from a hole-in-the-wall to what used to be a pretty modern setup for a pizza place. The neon light art on the wall, large murals of cars did set it apart from the suburban pizzeria (i.e., Round Table, Straw Hat, Pizza Hut). While it's aged over time, and the prices have gone up significantly, you can still have a pretty decent pie here. The crowds that mob the doors disperse quickly, as they efficiently move people in and out of the restaurant. Last night, we went here with my best friends who live in the area. We had the family size salad, which was OK. The tomatoes weren't appealing, however, the choice of three salad dressings is always nice. We had two pizza. Ours had mushrooms and was well done, except should have probably rested awhile before being served so the cheese had a chance to cool. Perhaps, it needed to be cooked a little longer. Consequently, some of the slices' mushroom topping slid off when we served ourselves. I would never get pasta here, but it's on the menu. Over the years, I've learned that they have a different opinion about when a noodle is done. It's a little too tender to the tooth. Biggest benefit: they still serve root beer without caffeine. I just wish they'd refill the glass more frequently. Melo's doesn't make their pizzas in a woodfire oven, but they do make them from scratch. You can always see them tossing the dough. if you're in the Pleasant Hill/Walnut Creek area, it's not a bad place for some pizza. The crust is thicker than not, chewy, and with good bad flavor. Red pepper flakes makes it all good. Enjoyable evening with great friends.
(4)Kris L.
I still love Melo's. It's always pretty packed whenever we go. This time it was a Sunday afternoon. We usually only go when one of us is craving pizza, so I have yet to try any of their pastas. Although from some of these other reviews, I think I might just have to try one of their pastas next time. Our fave pizza is the Hawaiian, so that's all my review can be based on. It's super YUM and that's why we keep coming back to Melo's for their pizza!
(4)D A.
My wife and I with our two beautiful daughters heard of this place through a friend who recently worked here. My wife had the bread with chesse & tomatoes (I don't recall the name of it) I had the onion soup and we both shared the garlic fries and the classic meat combo. Everything was great the services was the most important part to me and the place was customer friendly. At the end our total bill was only $30.00 not bad I'd come back here any time!
(4)John K.
Great Italian food. Fun spot to hit before a movie. The service is usually curt and unfriendly - to a point that we laugh about it. It's worth it though since the food is tasty (but it's not cheap).
(4)mikaela l.
I used to come here very often when I was little. Now I just come get take out. The restaurant hasn't changed much in the past ten years, which is why I don't like eating there, but the food is still delicious. Their penne al amatriciana is my absolute favorite pasta, I've tried and tried but I've never been to make it that tasty or find anywhere else that has. Its a type of red sauce with onions, pancetta, mushrooms, cheese and some other things I'm missing.. When I was little I used to love their spinach fettucine in a white sauce with prawns, zucchini and yellow squash (sorry i forget the names!). My family loves their linguini in red sauce with clams. They recently added a bruschetta with mozzarella and prosciutto to their menu and that was great. One last thing, their ceaser dressing is perfect; sometimes I ask for a tub for take out so I can have delicious ceaser salads all week long. If you go here, try the penne al amatriciana- you won't be disappointed!
(4)N B.
This is the first place we went after moving to Pleasant Hill, and it's still my favorite restaurant in the area. The pizza is kind of expensive, but it's better than anything you could get from a chain. Their pasta is also excellent. They have the best bolognese I've ever had. I would recommend the Fettuccine Ferrari or Gnocchi Bolognese, hands down. The service is fantastic, too. It's always busy when we go, but the servers and cashiers are organized. You can see into the kitchen, too, and it's always impressive how orderly everything is. I've never got the sense that things were out of control. You can rest assured that you won't be getting your order mixed up at this place.
(5)Benjamin K.
Ordered the Mediterranean and 4 cheese margarita pizza in a thin crust and was VERY DISAPPOINTED. The pizza's tasted bad. The cheese on the margherita was hard and tough, almost jerky like. It looked like it might of been over cooked. Ordered them as a thin crust but the crust was still pretty thick. Overall they were just bad pizzas. I can't believe I paid close to $60 (2 pizzas) for something that tasted so bad. Should of stuck with Papa Murphys and had better pizza and saved some cash. I agree with the other reviewers about this place being overpriced for the food you get. Will not order pizza here ever again.
(1)Lorena O.
This little hidden restaurant has got to be Pleasant Hill's hidden secret. The place is much larger than appears, we were seated quickly, service was great and food was delicious. I had pesto spaghetti with thin rib eye steak, the only problem was having to share it with my 2 year old! Definately going back.
(5)Sam S.
Killer calamari dip, great family size salad, and good west coast pizza.
(5)J. M.
A very tasty selection of pastas and great salads. (honestly, I'm not that big of a pizza person, so I haven't tried theirs yet!) I recommend splitting a pasta dish and a salad (I like the Sonoma) with your sweetie. Throw in a few drinks and the free bread - and you've got a very tasty, filling and affordable date meal.
(4)Jenny F.
Pizza is very fresh and cooked to order. Crust is medium thick and the sauce is well spiced with garlic and herbs. Service was prompt for a large group. There were lots of children in the restaurant but we were seated in a different and quiet area. Server was friendly and refilled our drinks often. Great place for a birthday dinner!
(4)Roger C.
My Best friend ALWAYS has her birthday dinners here...almost always. This place is SOOOOOO good. I don't eat pizza often and if I do, its Round Table All the way. However, this place just beat out Round Table. the four cheese margarita and PIZZA GENOVESE is a MUST! I swear, my hand would not put down the pizza either...it was bit after bit, slice after slice...I seriously had no self control. My best friends mom also ordered a create it yourself pizza and I know it had some sort of sausage. *drool* I', getting hungry just thinking about it! lol :) For a Pizza Place, I recommend this place. Its fast, fun and friendly. And the pizza is amazing. Four Stars all the way!
(4)M N.
What a disappointment. People have raved about this place but when I stopped in on a rainy afternoon to a not packed dining room I found the service slow and the food mediocre. All I wanted was some French bread and minestrone but they " ran out" of bread! Are you kidding me? An Italian restaurant out of bread? My husband received his entree and seven minutes later my soup was not there yet. What were they out of that too! I don't know I cancelled the order.
(1)Mark A.
Ordered a Margherita Pizza to go. Thought it was fantastic. This was my first visit and I'm excited to try out more of their offerings.
(4)Tiffany J.
Great pizza, great beer. We had the Caprice salad and it was delicious. The service was fast and friendly.
(5)Tyler I.
You can't go wrong here. I think the pizza is on sourdough dough and it is great! Not so much as left overs though, so come hungry. The pasta dishes are also delicious, I think that last one I had was a Ferrari pasta but my favorite is the ravioli, reminds me of home cooking. Service is pretty consistent. They are also pretty good at accommodating larger parties so its good for bigger families, too.
(4)Ebony C.
Love love love Melos the food is good , and is a great family restaurant. but the staff is awesome once when my dog jumped out of the car he ran there and they fed him sausage, and called me and held onto him till I got there. Again love this place
(4)Dave H.
Melo's has 'consistently' good pizza. Their crust is of the salty sourdough variety and although being unique, doesn't suit my taste. Personally, as a toppings guy, I prefer to go either thin crust New York or deep dish Chicago (Zachary's). Topping amount and quality are above average, but tend to be stuck on the middle 80% of the pizza. Since I'm not a big leftover chunk of chewy crusty bread in my hand guy, I usually want to leave that piece on the plate. Pasta is better than your average Pizza joint (I know that isn't saying much), but if you really want quality pasta, or salad for that matter, you have a half dozen better places locally. The decor has a retro neon "Drive-in" feel. Unfortunately, I don't think that anyone is smart/old enough to appreciate that the nostalgic American Grafitti thing doesn't really fly anymore, unless you ARE a "Drive-in". Personally, I miss the 'roll-up window service'. Service is usually fast and friendly, tables are clean and there always seems to be cute waitresses serving the patrons. Try to avoid peak times, as cute 20-somethings don't cope with FRI/SAT night customer stress overload too well. With the painful demise of Bella Roma, decent pizza around Martinez is a dying commodity and while I've never been "Wowed" at Melo's, I always get a good pizza in a 'kid friendly' setting. Also, they have good beer on tap. Melo's keeps holding down the fort in the local pizza business, so I'm sure I'll be back whenever the family wants a few slices.
(3)Stephanie S.
Drove from Oakland to see an art show and decided to check it out. The service was excellent. Im giving it a fourth star just for service. The food was good the pizza crust was delicious and the pepperoni VERY spicy. The let down was the salad, obvious from a jar, blue cheese dressing and just a standard salad nothing special, like you would expect in a italian resuarant not just a pizza joint, which this is both. The garlic cheese bread is TO DIE FOR .. must haVE .. but eh marinara also tastes jarred.. I woud NOT drive out to walnut creek for just the food .. if i was out there would check it out again. Maybe
(4)Monica M.
I enjoy Melo's pizza mainly for the taste and quality of the pizza crust. It's vegetarian pizza options are some of the most flavorful around. The service is fine for pizza, but the place is PACKED on the weekends. I brought a well-traveled friend to this place, and he was put off before we went after another friend told him that Melo's wasn't "that great." But my well-traveled friend packed away about a half a pizza, proclaiming the whole time that my other friend was "a f*ing idiot!"
(4)Stuart M.
I've been coming here for 20 years and it's never let me down. At worst: a so-so night in the kitchen. At best: a sublime Italian food experience. Pizza is hands-down the best in the area - I am more than partial to the ultra-thin-crust Napolitana. Pasta plates are also seriously delicious: try the linguine with red clam sauce, fusilli putanesca, and lasagna verde. Whenever we come home after a long trip, this is usually the first place we want to eat.
(4)Bradford C.
First of all,let me explain my 5 star rating.I only gave 5 stars because that is the highest score you can grade this place.If I could,I'd give it a lot more stars.But the service is great,the food is the highest quality of Italian food and the service is just absolutely terrific.Words cannot describe the family-friendly environment this place has and the owner of this place has to be proud with the professionalism of his/her/their workers.The food is absolutely fabulous.Also,I've been living in Pleasant Hill for 5 years,and only now did I actually realize Melo's was right next to my house :O ahahaha,I need a life.
(5)Elaine P.
My earlier review for Melo's was for take out. I found today's dine-in a bit better, but not much. Service and surroundings were fine. But the food still left much to be desired. My Mediterranean Salad had the same problem that my take out pizza had last winter: pale, pale tomatoes that never should have been served. I can understand pale tomatoes in January .... but no excuse in August. The feta cheese was in tiny cubes and not as flavorful as crumbled feta. The predominant flavor of the salad was onions. I opted for the "protein" add on of 5 herb baked prawns. They were disappointing: quite small, a little mushy, and not particularly flavorful. (Melo's needs lessons from Panera where a recent salad had 8 very large shrimp.) I am not about to scratch Melo's off my list, but it has had "two strikes" in recent months so it is now a restaurant I can easily pass on.
(3)Laura K.
My favorite Pizza when I lived in PH. I moved and still have not found my top place
(5)C B.
I am torn between 3 and 4 stars. I really like the Cesar salad at Melos. The dressing is super garlicy and the selection of additions is great. I love the breaded chicken. BUT it is way too expensive. 1/2 order for $5.95 or a Full order at $7.95 and then if you add a topping, it's another $3.75. Add another $2.25 for my iced tea and I am left with a hefty bill for what I thought was a small lunch. After paying $14 plus tip, I wonder why I didn't go get sushi and pay the same (or less) for a roll, soup, salad and a drink. Damn garlic cravings. On the other hand I have really enjoyed their sandwiches, pastas, and pizzas, but the price calls for more quality. I brought a couple friends to Melo's to get some pizza and pasta and they were very disappointed with their dishes. The sauce on both the pasta and pizza was watered down and very runny. It left the pasta lacking flavor and the pizza crust soggy. We didn't even take the rest of our pizza or the pasta home with us. This might have been an off night because I have had some great dishes there. I really enjoy the Fedelini Con Salcicca; Wide pasta strips with Italian sausage, red bell peppers, onion, tomato, sprinkled with parmigiano cheese and they let me substitute the sauce for pesto sauce. Maybe it's just their red sauces that are runny. However, I stand by my statement about price. Pizza and Pasta are some of the easiest dishes to make and their ingredients aren't rare or decadent, so therefore the prices should reflect such. If the prices were lower, I would give them 4 stars.
(3)Mariam F.
I have been going here weekly for a good ten years. By far the best Italian place ever. The great thing is there is so much variety that if you don't feel like pizza one week, you can get pasta then next or even steak and veggies. I love the selections and flexibility to be able to add to or change around my order. The staff is great and the service is too!
(5)Robert H.
A really safe bet for the family. Pasta is great, service is sharp, and the pizza is fabulous.
(5)T U.
I haven't eaten at Melo's in years. I used to love their pizza. I'm sitting with very difficult news about a close family member. Damn an old memory and taste might be comforting. Let me check Melo's web site to see how late they serve. I'll drive out to PH this late for a pie. No information on the site, Well, I'll call. I called to see if they were still serving and spoke with someone. I accidentally dropped an F bomb "Suggest to your owners that they should have the f###'n hours on the website" and got a "You don't need to talk to me that way." I apologized. I really did feel bad. I wasn't mad or irritated at all until "Yeah, whatever" hangs up. You can't email the management for this group. I'll call tomorrow but-- Melo's? I don't care if you have the best pizza in the world. F*** YOU! I don't care whomever is listed on your website as a contact I won't darken your doors again in my life. And to the little pissy bitch that answered the phone, his future there should be limited. Any f^^king idea what customer service is about? Just like Skipolini's "Aw, you know, we don't care. We don't need you." WTH has happened to getting a decent pie in Central Contra Costa?
(1)Stella C.
I don't know if I really liked this place because I was starving and would've eaten anything within arm's reach to appease the growl/tremble of my empty stomach or because it really was that good. I was dying to have a toasty sandwich and tomato soup but Kym ("Kymberli C. -- yelp names are so formal haha..) and I were over driving around in the rain. It was busy inside but we were seated immediately and service was consistent all night. We shared a small (but it was huge) pizza and a pasta dish (penne with pancetta, mushrooms, onions, and some other things in a tomato sauce). The pizza's crust was crisp but soft/chewy and actually edible - unlike most pizza crusts that I immediately discard. Both were really yummy, unfortunately I dropped a giant forkful of pasta all over my cardigan and the stain was too tough for even a shout wipe. Perhaps that stands testament to really good sauce? We sat near the open kitchen and could see they use high quality pasta & ingredients! I'd definitely come back here again, but equipped with tide-to-go pens and maybe wear black -or a bib- to be safe.
(4)Alicia M.
Tasty food and family friendly!
(4)C D.
Love their pizza- grew up going here and now am driving 1/2 hour just for Melos. The salad plates are chilled, the creamy Italian is the best and they have great pizza!!! We always go here after boating in the Delta and everyone we have brought there has thought it was so good. I wish there was a San Ramon location- years ago there was but the sauce wasn't the same. So its Livermore or Pleasant Hill
(5)Adrianne G.
Although we live in Alamo, we drive the 10 miles to Melo's for takeout. I've lived in the Walnut Creek area for over 25 years and Melo's is still our favorite pizza in town! We also order the lasagna and pastas which are also delicious. I do agree that the service is "curt and unfriendly" and the staff stare a lot and talk about their customers with each other. That is the only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5.
(4)alicia w.
I think this place really has the best side salad I've ever gotten, no joke. My bestie and I love to come here for our girl nights, the garlic bread is serious; hearty rustic Italian bread. If you're not careful, you won't have room for dinner. The pizza's great (I'm from Chicago, so I know good pizza) and I love their pasta dishes. My current favorite is the Pasta with Prawns and Rose sauce- the sauce is a light red gravy (as we wops call it) that has a slightly creamy flavor, it's not quite a pink sauce. Regardless, it's excellent, and they put a generous amount of shrimp in the dish. My friend likes the veggie lasagna or the chicken parmesean when we go. This is a nice casual joint for pizza on a weeknight, and it's kid-friendly.
(5)Nancy O.
Deee-lish-us! As I write a review for the new Zachary's location in Pleasant Hill, just a mile or less from Melo's, I recall what a good pizza really tastes like and that's Melo's just to be clear here. Cheesy, fresh toppings, and great crust. Gotta get back soon as it's been a while. Always a winner every time I've been there though. Their pasta is quite good too. And their salads are very fresh.
(4)Tim F.
I've been eating at Melo since the late 80's starting at the old place when they had dusty plastic grapes over the counter and a dirt parking lot. I like their pizza and most of their pasta dishes; however, I brought home their chicken parmigiana for my Daughter. For whatever reason, Melo's uses a vodka cream sauce on their version of chicken parmigiana. Not what my Daughter expected and not what she wanted. Melo's is head and shoulders above pizza chain restaurants but it's not an "Wow" Italian restaurant. Their pizzas are great but their pasta dishes are hit and miss.
(3)Greg T.
The pizza is terrific, however the different pasta sauces I've tried have consistently been watery (not just thin) and somewhat bland in flavor. Service is hit or miss. The pizza is worth it though.
(3)Jack A.
we are once a month customers for the last ten years..we recently went in for a sunday lunch.The service started off well then once the food came out we never seen server again. No refills, no checking in and had to ask another emploee for take home box and check. The waitress was there and you can see she was working hard but not sure if was spead to thin or someone called in sick. When not staffed correctly everyone suffers including the staff in tips. We will be back and hope it was just a one time deal
(2)pilou o.
I will start off by saying that the service gets 5 stars. It is important to have good bread and they give you 3 different kinds! Restaurant is popular, busy, bright and unfortunately noisy. But definitely a family place and we had kids. The kids got a dough ball to play with and they loved it. The pizza was good, not quite NY style, but closer to it. The entrees were good. The pasta was good. The meal came out quickly. The portions are gigantic. The whole thing was good. But that is the thing, nothing was great. The risotto is awful. Prices reasonable for the portion sizes. Take your family just don't expect to be blown away.
(3)Diane E.
This Melo's has always been consistantly good. I usually come here after an intense hike and I'm starving! Today, I came here after hiking at Briones with a new hiking friend and we enjoyed a combo pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, olives and linguisa. The #5, with a twist since my friend doesn't eat ham :-) He compared Melo's with Zackary's Chicago Pizza in Berkeley. The service is excellent and the leftovers will be enjoyed for tomorrow's lunch!
(5)Paul D.
Great Pizza aways busy prices are good as well
(5)