Mel’s Drive-In Gluten Free Review

*Reviewed during Covid-19, experiences may differ in the future

Mel’s Drive-In is located in Universal Studios, in the Hollywood Area of the park. It is themed to a 50s diner and serves burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, fries, and milkshakes. Right now, this restaurant is Mobile Order, but if you have allergies and wish to speak to a chef, you can order at the register, just let the Team Member seating you know that you need to speak with a chef.

There are options to sub a gluten free bun on the app for Mobile Ordering, so if you’re comfortable with doing that and don’t need to speak to a chef, then you can use the app to complete your order.

There’s usually a line outside that wraps around the restaurant, but this line goes quickly. While you’re in line, go ahead and order on the app, and then once you get seated, you can click “Prepare My Order” and input the table number. A Team Member will then bring you your order. If you want cups of water, you can ask a Team Member for them free of charge.

If you want to sit outside, the outside seating is “seat yourself”, so you wouldn’t need to wait in the line to eat inside the restaurant. However, I have found that if you need to speak to a chef, they won’t come to the outside seating area. I don’t know if this has changed recently, but back in the fall of 2020 that’s how they were operating. They have also updated their app since then to include the option to sub a gluten free bun, so if cross-contamination is okay for you, then sitting outside is now an option.

I’ve been to Mel’s three times so far and both times the food has been good. They serve burgers and chicken sandwiches, as well as delicious milkshakes.

I’ve gotten both a cheeseburger and a chicken sandwich on gluten free buns, and both were good. The bun is crumbly, so sometimes I just end up taking the bun off toward the end, but the chicken in the chicken sandwich is always juicy, so even if I eat it without the bun, it’s good.

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Their milkshakes are fantastic. They’re super thick, so it’s almost like eating soft-serve ice cream. They give you a spoon because theres no way you could drink it with a straw. My favorite to get is the chocolate and vanilla swirl milkshake.

I really recommend Mel’s Drive-In if you’re looking for a good burger place in Universal Studios. And if you’re looking to save time, f you sit outside, you won’t have to wait as long as you would if you wanted to sit inside!