For over 25 years now, our talented servers (and sometimes cooks and bus staff) have been singing your favorite songs while serving our great food.
This 1950s themed diner is home to talented, professional singers, songwriters and musicians. Many have been or are currently in some of Branson’s most popular productions. These are professional, award winning entertainers, including one who climbed high on American Idol!
So enjoy the great food and listen to your favorite songs performed and up close… a truly unique experience you will want to share with your friends and repeat time and time again, Mel’s Hard Luck Diner, where “we sing for your supper!” Be sure to take a look around the diner and see the memorabilia and
hard luck stories.
Long-running music-themed, 1950s-style diner with a burger & blue-plate menu, plus singing servers. Based on 4 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.6 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ No delivery
Address:
2800 West Highway, W 76 Country Blvd, Branson, MO 65616
Phone: (417) 332-0150
Website: http://www.melshardluckdiner.com/
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
11 AM–8 PM
Hours might differ
|
| Tuesday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–8:30 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–8:30 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Menu
… View more
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Reviews
Rob OBryan
Food is your basic diner food. Service is great with happy, and sometimes singing, servers. It gets a little too loud for my taste though. If you like the feel of an old 50’s diner, this might be the place for you. I hear their sundaes and banana splits are awesome! I’m usually too full to try one.
… more
Stephanie Jebens
I came here at lunchtime, they were busy, but we were still seated in a timely manner. All staff members were so nice and I LOVED the old fashioned decor and feel.
… more
Mike Treft
Very friendly staff. Our waiter was fantastic. The staff all take turns singing while you eat. They have all kinds of memorabilia on the walls. Food came out fast and was very good. My wife and I had the patty, and our son had the chicken sandwich. The dessert was even better. We had the lava cake, carrot cake, and the 2 scoop sundae. Very family friendly. Would highly recommend.
… more
Stephen Pales
The menu is posted in pictures . Nestled in a shopping center if you’re not looking for it you will drive right by it. All the glamour of The Boardwalk draws your eyes away from their small sign along 76. I’m so glad we found this place. It’s a fun place to eat and be entertained! I had an amazing time! The food was delicious and our waitress sang beautifully. The atmosphere is not a quiet one but a beautiful one. The staff are singing and letting you know they enjoy you being there. The Reuben was perfect and the Veggie Burger was an excellent Vegan choice. The fries are crispy and served hot. The place is clean and wiped down. I highly recommend you try it out but most of all enjoy the singing and request a special song. Who knows they may sing it for you!
… more
CP59fit Health thru Carnivore aka Keto
Great concept, food, family fun and music. The servers sing and are good singers. They do their job and sing. Food was acceptable, but not fantastic. Cheese steak should not be roast beef with cheese, onion and pepper. I buy cheese steak for the fat content and roast beef chunks are lacking. It might be your thing, but I prefer steak on a cheese STEAK.
… more
Sarah S
What a great place to have dinner! Our server Kaitlyn B was fantastic and can sing! The 50’s style diner has a staff that sings songs as they wait on you! The atmosphere is very fun and lively, we would definitely go here again. Our food was fast and great tasting.
… more
Patrica Davis
We were pleasantly surprised on our first visit to Mel’s Hard Luck Diner. Service was superb. Food was delicious! Portions were belly filling! Entertainment was fantastic! Desserts looked (and tasted) amazing! Prices were very reasonable.
… more
Brandy Kaelin
This place was one of my top places I wanted to visit why in the area. I was a little bummed it was not as nice as I expected. Host was over whelmed an had to keep asking for help. Other host was short and snappy. We put our name on list and they do not give you a time just a place in line. We ended up waiting an hour to be seated. Once seated the table was to small to fit us all and very crowed. I would have rather waited a little longer then be so crowded in a place. You can see they are trying to fit as many people as they can. Our waitress was rushed and short with us. Now the place was clean, food was fresh and good, the singers amazing!! Some of them should get record deals and put them on the radio lol. Price was high but that’s to be expected in the area. Was a club worth 15.99 no but it was good just over priced. We spent 120 (my family other family with us spend about the same) for 4 meals and two appetizer. Now we wanted to give it another shot hoping for a better experience with staff. Because we are all about second chances. We showed up at about 7pm maybe a little before but no less then an hour an half before closing an it was not busy like the night before at all. They welcomed us and asked how many? I told them 9 an she said sorry we won’t be able to seat you. Why because we are not excepting any more people. Then why ask me how many. Because we are open so we have to. Ummmm that just sounds stupid ♀️ so I asked can we place a Togo order and she said hold on she asked the other lady who was rude the night before and she said yes go outside to the green double doors to do that. We passed on the Togo order and figured it was our sign we won’t be returning. As I heard them add the name of a party of 5 as we walked away. The place is neat and a fun experience but over crowded over worked and short tempered. The check out process is easy and that staff was friendly. We won’t be returning but we are glad to experience it once. Oh an it’s loud but that did not bother us we excepted that. Just make sure if you go don’t hold expectations high for customer service! Food is good, environment is good, clean just not customer service.
… more
Ashley Carter
Very cool to have singing waitresses! Good customer service and super friendly. The food isn’t necessarily all “Home made” like most diners. Chicken fried steak was obviously pulled from a freezer. But overall the prices and atmosphere were great! The Ice cream desserts are so HUGE.
… more
Michelle Inman
Highly recommend. The food was good and the staff will start singing. Each table had a lamented paper with a picture of your waitress and a bio. The atmosphere was great. We saw them making a banana split that looked amazing. However, we did not have room for one. We got the Mel’s Hardluck Burger and jalapeño poppers that came with 2 sauces 1 ranch and 1 spicy. (They are cream cheese and not cheddar). We did get there late according to the sign they would be closing about 30 minutes after we got there, but they still seated us, and a few others came in after we got our food.
… more
… View more