The Classic California Chain That Inspired Two Iconic TV Show Restaurants

Have you ever watched a TV show or movie and wished that the food the characters were eating was real? Like Lembas bread from "The Lord of the Rings," which somehow always looks appetizing on screen. Or perhaps you've wished that you could visit a fictional restaurant, like The Three Broomsticks from the "Harry Potter" franchise? For some, visiting a host of LA restaurants that have appeared in movies and television is enough. But if you're a fan of '70s sitcoms in particular, you're about to experience a dream come true.

Rather than a fictional eatery that inspires a real restaurant, Mel's Drive-In is a real California-based restaurant chain that inspired the trademark diners of two fictional shows: ABC's "Happy Days" and CBS's "Alice." On "Happy Days," a popular spot where many of the characters hung out was called "Arnold's Drive-In." Although the name was different, this location was pulled directly from Mel's, complete with its leather booths and '50s-style decor. On "Alice," viewers witnessed the stories of the waitresses who worked at a greasy spoon in Phoenix, Arizona, named "Mel's Diner," which also featured similar decor and flashing neon signs reminiscent of the real Mel's Drive-In.

Mel's Drive-In opened in San Francisco, California, in 1947. It was the first of its kind, featuring carhop service with parking spaces for up to 110 cars, but the interior was an eclectic diner-style with leather booths and counter space. Mel's became so popular that, less than a decade later, it was pulling in close to $4 million per year, according to Mel's website. This prompted owners Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs to turn the business into a chain restaurant.

Not only did this iconic drive-in inspire the popular hangout on "Happy Days" and the main setting of "Alice," but it also served as the real filming location for George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola's 1973 movie, "American Graffiti." The film shot the chain into the spotlight and, in turn, served as the basis for the Mel's Diner '50s-style eatery located at Universal Studios, Orlando.

The real-life American classic is beloved not only for its carhop service but also for its versatile menu of diner foods such as biscuits and gravy, hamburgers, hot dogs, milkshakes, and more. While not on our list of 15 drive-in restaurants across the U.S. you should visit, perhaps it should be.

As time wore on, finances went south for Mel's Drive-In, and eventually the original location was knocked down. Despite this, Mel's Drive-In chains still exist throughout California, along with a singular location in Tennessee. Here's to hoping that it doesn't become another name on a list of vintage fast food drive-thrus no one remembers anymore.