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Melba's

300 W. 114th St., New York, NY 10026
at Frederick Douglass Blvd. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-864-7777 Send to Phone

Price Range:
$$
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Reader Rating:
7.0 out of 10
|
5 Reviews | Write a Review
Cuisine: American Traditional, Hamburgers, Southern/Soul

Map Rate & Review

Official Website

melbasrestaurant.com

Hours

Tue-Fri, 5pm-11pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-3pm and 5pm-11pm; Mon, closed

Nearby Subway Stops

B, C at 116th St.

Prices

$10.95-$22.95

Payment Methods

American Express, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

Brunch - Weekend
Dine at the Bar
Good for Groups
Private Dining/Party Space
Romantic
Take-Out

Alcohol

Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

Profile

Melba Wilson is the personality behind this South Harlem restaurant serving American comfort food. The dining room is among uptown’s most handsome, with white-painted paneling trimmed with black molding, black marble tables, church pews, and century-old chandeliers enveloped by cylindrical beige shades. Melba learned her trade by working for 11 years with her Aunt Sylvia Woods (of Sylvia’s fame) and helped launch Virgil’s Real Barbecue. Her menu has soul food at its core, along with lighter alternatives like entrée salads and simply prepared fish dishes. That said, people come here for the Southern Fried Chicken & Eggnog Waffles, a dish that beat one of Bobby Flay’s in a Food Network throwdown. This dish harkens from jazz’s heyday, when musicians would head uptown in the wee hours and dinner and breakfast yens could be sated simultaneously. But Melba’s version disappoints. The chicken, while crunchy, is dry; the waffles, pleasantly imbued with cinnamon and nutmeg, are heavy and lack crispness. The Trés Mac & Cheese, with its creamy mélange of mozzarella, Cheddar, and pepper jack cheeses, is a better choice. — Michael Anstendig

Recommended Dishes

Trés Mac & Cheese, $12.95

Food:	8

Service:	8

Décor:	9

Value:	9

After Melba's was recommended to us, we visited for brunch and have returned several times with friends and never waited more than ten minutes to be seated. I had the eggnog waffles- delectable with strawberry butter, no need for the maple syrup, but only after selecting the fabulous sweet potato pancakes the first two times at Melba's. The tres mac (mac and cheese) is to die for. Melba is a great, warm hostess who offered to serve our late-arriving friends even after the kitchen had officially closed between brunch and dinner. The atmosphere and decor are classic, elegant Harlem and we will be regulars as long as Melba's is there for us to enjoy.

has soul food lost it's soul?

toastie73 from 10462 | Posted on 10/8/09

Overall Rating: 5 (Mixed Reviews)


Food:	4
Service:	4

Décor:	5

Value:	5

I recently dined at Melba's. Though the food was good enough, I can remember a time where the expectation of a soul food meal was to transport you back to your grandmothers table! regardless of who's coming to dinner, I wish Harlem "comfort food" dines, would put the real comfort back! However, though the food would not draw me back! the entertainment on tuesday is worth the trip!

Read All 5 Reviews >>

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