Melvin’s at Riverside

Reviews

• PT

  Pamela Tubbs

  Oct 4, 2026
  4.0
  Excellent, fall-off-the-bone ribs. Tasty catfish. Very good hush puppies. Sides (we had collards, green beans, and cabbage) were merely okay. Ice cream dessert (came with my catfish plate) was generous and yummy. Service was excellent. Off-putting: the entrance (pretty grimy) and the salt shaker (sticky--eww). These imperfections are not enough to keep us from returning when we're on our next I-95 trek.
• DM

  Dina M

  Oct 3, 2026
  5.0
  ChatGPT recommended Melvin’s as the best southern restaurant in an area authentic comfort soul food. Loved the interior, food, service and a brief chat with the owner who stopped by to ask if we like everything. Thank you! Shrimp & grits and Shellie's Souffle absolutely delicious and felt like homemade food very much needed for our long trip. We will most definitely come back and recommend.
• LG

  Lisa Geddie

  Sep 30, 2026
  1.0
  This was our first time visiting this restaurant and it was a waste of money and time. My husband and I went for lunch around 11:30am for our anniversary. I ordered the catfish basket mac & cheese and cabbage. All of my food was not good. My husband got the flounder & whiting basket with coleslaw & baked beans. He did not like his food either, the baked beans were okay. Like I said the food was too expensive to taste so bad. We paid about $48. The best thing was the ice cream. The restrooms were filthy! 😬 I'm sorry to say don't waste your time or money.
• BB

  bonnie bethesda

  Sep 22, 2026
  5.0
  My husband and I were traveling north on 95 and we did some research on where to stop for dinner, a restaurant not far from the highway and with good reviews. We chose Melvin’s in Fayetteville and we are so glad we did!! We had a wonderful meal and the host and other staff couldn’t have been any nicer or more welcoming. Pfeifer was our waitress and she was very kind, attentive, and made us feel so at home. My husband had a burger and I had the shrimp and grits with collard greens and broccoli- everything was delicious! The manager, Melvin(or a similar name) came by our table to see if everything was to our liking and invited us to karaoke night on Friday! I’m sure it would be a fun time! So, if you are traveling down 95 and you want a great meal with friendly people in a restaurant with great hospitality and good vibes- Melvin’s is a great spot to stop!
• JT

  Jaxi Transportation

  Sep 19, 2026
  2.0
  I ordered the fish and shrimp with collard greens, rice and gravy, and cornbread, plus cake and a tea. I spent about $40 and honestly did not enjoy the meal. The fish and shrimp were both very greasy. The shrimp themselves were a good size, but they were buried under way too much breading. The gravy came in a little cup on the side and it was solid. The collard greens were the worst part. They were not cut up well, there were a lot of stalks left in them, and they had very little seasoning. What seasoning was there did not taste good. The tea tasted like it was about to turn sour. I know this place has good ratings, so maybe I caught them on an off day, but I have had better seafood at the fish and chips restaurant on Bragg Boulevard here in Fayetteville, and it cost a lot less. For $40, I expected much better