Mel's Hot Dogs
Tampa, FL 33617-5936
Phone: (813) 985-8000
- Price:
- $
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm
Editorial Review for Mel's Hot Dogs – by Sara Kennedy
The Scene
The homey restaurant near Busch Gardens serves up dogs of every shape and form, accompanied by a dizzying array of toppings from coleslaw and bacon to cheese and chili. Though the interior runs to simple tables covered with checked cloths and a noisy corner devoted to video games, there's nothing simple about Mel's menu.
The Food
One of Mel's specialties is the "Reuben" hot dog, an all-beefer topped with thousand-island dressing, warm sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese. Another creative dog is the "bageldog," Polish sausage wrapped in bagel dough and served with mustard, tomato and pickle. Parents of young children order the "4 Mini Mel Meals for Kids," your choice of a kid-sized dog, small fries, drink and surprise; ice cream costs under a dollar. Needless to say, this place is a favorite with the younger set.
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User Reviews for Mel's Hot Dogs
05/12/2006 Posted by morf0
Mel's has captured the "good-times" spirit of America's celebrated casual culinary creation: the hot dog. A look around reveals decades of heirlooms submitted by hotdog lovers worldwide. My favorite is the picture of the guy standing AT the north pole, ripping open his jacket revealing a "Mel's hot dogs" T-shirt. I've been visiting since I was a child. The staff is ALWAYS courteous, friendly, and humorous. The dogs are second to none, and come with anything you'd want to put on them. My wife HATED hot dogs, and was reluctant to visit. On the first trip, she had a hamburger. HOWEVER, she loved the atmosphere so much we returned 3 days later and she finally tried a hotdog. She loved it. Some people say the price is a lot for a hotdog, they're right, but the price is low compared to the overall dining experience you'll have while visiting Mel's.
12/01/2005 Posted by patdenny
We drive to Mel's once a month from Lakeland. My husband is originally from the Chicago land area (for 50 years) and loves Chicago hot dogs. Well, we both agree that Mel's is by far the closest to a Chicago dog that we can find. We take our granddaughters there - because that is where they want to go! They get all excited when they find out we are driving to Tampa for Mel's. The reason we went there in the first place is their award for a "clean restaurant". Wish we had one in the Lakeland area.
Pros: very clean, excellent food, friendly people
Cons: a little expensive
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