The Iconic Missouri Diner That Gives You A Taste Of Live Entertainment With Your Meal

It isn't easy pursuing your dreams, and no one understands this better than actors and singers. Such is the foundation of Mel's Hard Luck Diner, a classic American diner that puts entertainers on a pedestal as you bite into traditional diner fare. Located in a shopping center in Branson, Missouri, opposite a year-long Christmas store filled with trinkets and decorations, Mel's Hard Luck Diner has earned a solid reputation in a city known for entertainment. Servers at the diner have to audition for their jobs, so if you think carrying food to and from tables is hard work, consider adding in an entire performance to the task.

The staff is filled with singers, musicians, and artists who deliver more than just food. As cooks prepare food in front of you, you'll be serenaded with song. Many of the staff are also in local productions, and a few have even managed to snag some showtime on "American Idol." The establishment takes its slogan "We sing for your supper!" seriously and warns that the live music can give typical conversation a bit of competition. If the music and lively atmosphere doesn't cause enough commotion to warrant a visit, the diner also boasts the biggest banana split in the area.

Burgers served with a side of show tunes

Though Branson houses around 13,000 residents, millions of visitors pass through each year. Branson's Entertainment District boasts over 100 shows set in 50 different venues, packing more theater seats than New York City's Broadway District. The town has earned claim to the title of America's Top Live Show Destination, and "The Beverly Hillbillies" was filmed at the local theme park. Obviously, all of this entertainment has visitors bound to work up an appetite, and Mel's is ready to deliver.

Feast on crispy onion rings, mozzarella cheese sticks, or jalapeño poppers before digging into playfully named plates like Jimmy Crack Corn chicken chowder, Ozark Hillbilly chili, Hit the Road Jack grilled chicken, or the Romeo Reuben. A Blue Suede chef salad can accompany a Boot Scootin' chicken fried steak sandwich, and burger lovers may enjoy biting into the Sixteen Ton chili burger or Smoke Gets In Your Eyes burger.

Desserts come in family-size portions; choose from chocolate nachos, the Build Me Up Banana Cup banana split, the Crazy Kringle Cookie, or the Climb Every Mountain Avalanche, a massive serving of 12 double scoops of ice cream topped with an assortment of fixings. As expected of American diners, old-fashioned ice cream sodas and shakes are poured into glasses, and generous slices of cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, pie, and cobbler are slid across tables. This is the kind of experience that will easily fill both your stomach and your phone's photo album.

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