Meltz quietly opened a little over 5 years ago, and has been delighting guests ever since. Their specialty is outrageous grilled cheese sandwich creations of all kinds. These guys know how to do food right, and any visit to the region is simply not complete without stopping here.

There’s so much to gush about here that it’s probably best to get the one small minor complaint out of the way: location. The storefront is located in a gas station strip mall, and doesn’t look like much at first glance. The interior is also a bit small, especially for how popular this place can get during the lunch and dinner rushes. Indeed, it can be difficult to find a place to sit, or even stand!

We’re hopeful that at some point Meltz will relocate to a venue that can accomodate the crowds, but for the time being, just be aware that it can get packed! Plan accordingly by showing up slightly before or after the lunch/dinner hours, and you should be just fine.

When you first walk up to the counter to order, you’ll see a sampler platter of their house-made chips along with three freshly made sauces. All of these are great, so give each a try. This is literally just a taste of what’s to come.As mentioned above, these guys serve “extreme” grilled cheese sandwiches, which their owner defines as a “multi-component sandwich”. A quick glance at the menu reveals that this basically suits every sandwich you can order. It’s the perfect blend of comfort and creativity.

If you’re visiting for the first time, we highly recommend “sticking” (sorry, we couldn’t help it) to their award-winning Pot Sticker Grilled Cheese sandwich, pictured above with their original mac ‘n cheese on the side. The sandwich contains all the elements you’d find in a pot sticker: pork, pepper, ginger, scallions, soy, sesame, fried wontons, sriracha-aioli. It even includes a dipping sauce on the side. We know, we know…it sounds really weird…almost gross, right? Yet, against all odds, this sandwich works. It’s the one that got us hooked; no doubt it’s done the same for many others. Folks, they won the NATIONAL award for best grilled cheese sandwich when this debuted in 2013…that alone should tell you enough.Aside from this, there are many others to choose from. We have tried several including the Border Patrol, Oinker, Briqueso (for you vegetarians out there), and Bahn Mi. All of them are great, but we usually find ourselves going back to the Pot Sticker as the #1.

Another thing to watch for is the “featured Meltz” which is a special sandwich made just for that particular month. These usually are only on the menu for a few weeks at most. Occasionally there are ones that last a whole season, such as Huckleberry Heaven (summer) and the CC Poutine (winter).

We recently tried the Po’Boy RED on this latest trip, and it was incredible! Ale battered shrimp, fried pickles, cherry-pepper remoulade…yum!

If you’re interested in something “off menu”, you can opt for any of their sandwiches in what they have dubbed the “Frico Taco Style”. They will make you taco shells out of fried cheese, and stuff them with the sandwich fillings. We’ll be honest, these weren’t as good as we had thought they would be, with the “shells” being a lot less crispy than expected. Our recommendation is to just stick to the sourdough bread. But if you’re on the Keto diet, or just LOVE fried cheese, it’s a great way to go.As if that were enough options, if you’re vegan, or on a dairy-free diet, they even have a special vegan cheese that they can substitute on any sandwich. One member of our group tried this option during our first visit back in 2014, and she found it to be surprisingly good. So, truly anyone can enjoy a Meltz sandwich, no matter what type of diet you are on!

Finally, their side dishes and desserts are fresh and delicious – from the already-mentioned chips, to the salads and soups, to their incredibly delicious cookies. You really can’t go wrong with anything on this menu. It’s no surprise that we see these guys winning award after award after award. Not a month goes by without yet another newspaper or food blog recognizing how amazing the food is here. You can count Roller Coaster Alley as part of that official list now! 🙂

Before wrapping this up, let’s take a quick pause and talk service. The folks that work here are generally very pleasant and passionate about their job. It’s hard to find that in a counter service restaurant, but we always feel it here. They will help you find whatever it is you need and answer all your questions. One critical thing to note about service here is that although this is counter-service, Meltz is NOT a fast food restaurant. Your food will not be done in 60 seconds or less. These sandwiches take time, so expect at least a good 10-minute wait after you order before your food is ready. Trust us, your patience will be rewarded.Bottom line: this is a gem of a restaurant that completely lives up to the hype time and time again. When you are in the area for Silverwood, Scarywood, or whatever reason, DO NOT MISS Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese.