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| - First thing to know about Melt is there is almost ALWAYS a wait. I went with two friends on a Saturday at 4:00PM and the wait was 30-40 minutes. My friends said they have arrived when it opens at 11:00AM and there is still a line waiting to get in. So, if you are in a hurry, go elsewhere. And, obviously, the smaller the group the easier to be seated. Tables are basically 4-square so larger groups can have a few pulled together. But waiting for some to open up near each other might take a while.
Next, the staff is very friendly. While standing at the hostess desk they saw I was wearing a "Praise Cheeses" T-shirt that they loved (I mean, their name IS Melt.). When seated, one of them even came by and leaned in to the waiter to say "Check out his shirt!" The waiter took the time to explain, as it was my first visit there, that I could have virtually anything I wanted and they would prepare it anyway I wanted.
The sandwiches are massive. I ordered their burger, a half pound of fresh beef, at $11.00. Prices, on the surface, seem high. I ordered my burger with blackened seasoning. For another buck I added grilled onions, and for another buck-and-a-half, avocado. That might seem high: $13.50 for a burger. But that included a huge amount of fries (some of which I had to take home). And when considering other high-end burger joints like B-Spot, The Rail or Flip Side, prices are actually right in line. I just hoped the food matched the price.
So how was it? The burger arrived already cut in half with a ton of fries and a pickle. No bun. Toasted, thick-cut bread held the burger. The waiter had explained they don't really use a grill, so the blackened seasoning wouldn't be seared into the meat. It came cooked medium-well, but still juicy. I took a bite and decided it was pretty good. Then I experienced something unusual: with every bite the burger tasted better and better. The seasoning became more noticeable.Toppings (avocado) were falling off, which I used my fork to finish, and the bread/bun held up enough that I could finish the entire. Yes. It went from a pretty good burger to a great burger, and all I had to do was keep eating it!
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