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| - Mel's is a little bit like a religious pilgrimage to a certain subset of those within stumbling range of the Annex. It is almost always a feature after a long night of drinking. Only part of that can be attributed to the fact that they are open 24 hours...I guess the rest is due to their large amounts of greasy, carby, delicious food items which seem tailor made for staving off a hangover.
Every time I have been to Mel's it has been so late it was almost morning, and the place has had a line out the door every time. The wait can seem unbearable, especially to those a little less than steady on their feet, but the wait is overcome by very speedy table service, which, while it can't exactly be deemed friendly, is certainly efficient.
I have a soft spot in my heart (and probably a hard part in my arteries) for poutine, and the poutine at Mel's can't escape my notice. It's a rare occasion for me not to get it, because boy is it ever good. The potatoes taste rich and are always piping hot and have the delicious cheesy-gravy steam wafting off the top. The good thing about ordering poutine is that everyone at the table will want to trade a bite of it for whatever they're having, and as such I've had an opportunity to try a lot of the other menu items.
While I'm mostly morally opposed to ordering pancakes at restaurants, I find the ones at Mel's to be quite tasty, and no surprise, big enough to feed dozens of people. The smoked meat tastes....like smoked meat. I'm not a big fan of that particular montreal favorite (which is why I get my poutine without it), but from what I've tried before, Mel's is true to form. Once in a while if my poutine craving is well at bay I will order the regular breakfast special which comes with eggs, toast, bacon, etc, and it is a mighty fine breakfast indeed, especially if you make sure to order coffee and juice too. It's not far removed from the classic greasy spoon diner type of breakfast, and the price is right, especially for the Annex.
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