Mel's Raspberry Patch - Full Menu

Always good, love this place. read more Always good, love this place.

Moving on to the dining experience, the food turned out to be quite good. The eggs and pancakes were satisfactory, while the sausage and bacon were exceptional.... read more Moving on to the dining experience, the food turned out to be quite good. The eggs and pancakes were satisfactory, while the sausage and bacon were exceptional. The bacon, in particular, was perfectly cooked, achieving that elusive "medium" texture that many places seem to miss these days. Unfortunately, this is where things began to take a turn. At first glance, the pricing seemed reasonable, but it quickly became clear that the menu was quite limited with more side options than main course choices. Neither home fries nor toast were included with the breakfast meals—something I found baffling. Who does that? It feels like a strategy to create a seemingly affordable menu while ultimately inflating the bill with side items, which are typically standard inclusions in most diners. Service wise, it left much to be desired. The woman taking our orders was neither accommodating nor particularly friendly. She wasn’t rude, but her demeanor was blunt and matter-of-fact. As mentioned, the breakfast samplers lack toast or home fries—a puzzling choice given my 44 years of dining experience. When I inquired about possible substitutions, her response was vague; we were told it “depends.” When I asked if I could swap eggs for home fries, she curtly declined. And when I pressed for alternatives, she stated they don’t really offer substitutions at all. If that’s the case, why mention them? With a mix of highs and lows, it's tough for me to rate this place fairly. I wanted to give it 3 or 4 stars, but the menu design—forcing customers to add sides that are typically standard in breakfast meals—simply cannot be overlooked. For me, it’s a 2-star rating. If they were to include those sides in their breakfast offerings, I believe this diner could easily earn a 4-star rating. Adding a booth or two and including home fries in the breakfast meals could even push it toward a 5-star status, as the food truly was quite good. One final note: steer clear of the chocolate chip pancakes or waffles. They don't mix the chocolate chips into the batter but instead pile them on top, turning the entire plate into a messy hot fudge disaster. While I appreciate the generous amount of chocolate chips, it would have been far better if they were incorporated into the batter.