Mel's Burger Bar

Mel's Burger Bar (colloquially referred to as "Mel's") is a restaurant/bar on Broadway and 110th Street that moved into the neighborhood in 2010. The venue offers expensive, but tasty, burgers (fries not included), and an impressive beer selection. It soon became a popular nightlife destination, especially among athletes and people looking to hook up with athletes.

Mel's has a challenge known as the "brew crew" in which participants are given a list of 40 beers to be marked with a stamp as they are drank. The rules are that you must purchase and consume each beer on the list, and that you cannot complete the challenge in one night. Once the list is completed, the challenger becomes a member of the aforementioned brew crew and gets a couple of perks, including a personal 20 oz. glass and his or her name on a plaque behind the bar. Mel's most well-known bouncer, Bigga, loved by many and hated by a small but significant few, passed away in 2012.

A popular drink at Mel's is the "pickleback" shot, which consists of a shot of whiskey quickly followed by a shot of pickle juice as a chaser. Surprisingly, it is delicious.