A No Go. As a foodie - a lover of all types of foods especially soul food - I would not recommend this restaurant if you're looking for some 'good' soul food. I live in Harlem and was really looking forward to trying Melba's. I ordered the meat loaf and collard greens and sweet potato pie for dessert. The meat loaf was nasty (poorly seasoned, under cooked and mushy) and the collard greens were over cooked. The sweet potato pie was store bought (tasted like Entenmanns). I sampled my cousin's chicken and waffles and the chicken was very dry and barely seasoned. The waffles tasted basic. I was very disappointed.

As for ambiance, the restaurant is beautiful. It's nice and cozy, yet very noisy at times.

So granted, we arrived around 9 pm on a Sunday but we ordered simple meals right away: catfish, fried chicken, collard greens, and mac & cheese. By 10:15 pm, we still hadn't received our food. The manager said he didn't know until minutes before that they were out of many items on the menu...? Really? I would have appreciated to know upon ordering that items weren't available so that I could make other choices...or not. So we then see guys delivering prepared foods from seemingly other restaurants...? Then our meals are delivered to us: catfish and fried chicken were on point. However, the mac and cheese was undercooked, soupy And salty, and the candied yams were average at best. Big lesson learned on this visit about visiting restaurants unprepared for late crowds.

AWESOME!!!!!. The Food is soooooooo good. Its seasoned to perfection. OMG, The salmon and cheese grits;, The mac n cheese; I honestly could go on and on. I definitely would encourage you try it....... You WILL return. The staff, "Superb"..The manager was definitely on point; I left feeling as though I had just met my extended family. .I went home thinking on how good the food was....

Dinner at Melba's. Went to Melba's Saturday with family. I had the short ribs, collard greens, and yams. They were all delicious, I cleaned my plate. The staff was also very nice. You should definitely try this restaurant.

Love it here!. Dining at Melba's is as if you are in the home of your favorite relative whose chief mission is to welcome you with kindness, ambiance and yes...hands down, Great Food! From being greeted at the door, and seated in the intimate space, it is easy to settle in and to just relax and enjoy. I feel greedy as my mind does a brain freeze....though I know what is on the menu....trying to decide what to order first. Just know, I have to talk myself out of ordering the sweet potato pie first...the food is fresh and lovingly prepared and I highly recommend to all...especially if you are celebrating a birthday....and you may be able to meet the wonderful legendary owner Melba Wilson! Her staff reflect her grace and are eager to please. FYI: Ms. Wilson owns Melba's 125 in the Harlem State Office Building and a sought after catering business, Melba's Catering.

Great food but..... I have visited Melba's about 3 to 4 times. I love the chicken and waffles and dinner menu.
The problem I have is the extremely long wait for food. I made a reservation for brunch but the wait was long for seating and for food about a hour. I also, detected a little favoritism for certain people when serving. I tried recommending the restaurant but the service killed it even though the food is great.

Melba's has a "B" rating on the door so that was a disappointment but the smell coming out of the restaurant was so good I had to go in. It's a small busy place so it's best to make reservations. The service wasn't the greatest mainly because they were busy (no one was rude or anything like that). The food was great and I would definitely recommend it. Drinks are a bit pricey.

I went to Melba's for Sunday brunch. The wait to be seated was not long. I ordered the chicken &I eggnog waffles. It took too long for our orders to come from the kitchen. The waffles were great & the chicken was average. Atmosphere is noisy but overall I enjoyed Melba's and would return again to try their dinner menu.

It's not bad but it doesn't live up to the hype either. I got the impression that it was one of those places that used to be great back in the day but is now just going thru the motions and riding on its reputation. Its decent, its just nothing special