MEL'S FAMILY DINER – Restaurant

A morning-and-early-afternoon place on South Orlando Drive that doesn't look like much from the road and consistently outperforms its exterior. Doors open at seven and close at two, every day. The kitchen leans hard into breakfast: stuffed French toast, biscotti waffles, fried chicken Benedict, homemade sausage gravy over grits, country-fried steak with home fries. Lunch brings patty melts, mushroom Swiss burgers and onion rings, and there are mimosas if the day calls for it. Diners describe the cooking as close to home-made, and the chef will work around dietary needs. Reasonable prices, warm room.

Cuisine: Restaurant