Phoenix Resident's Memories of Pat's (aka Mel's) Diner

The exterior shots of Mel's Diner were of a real diner in the industrial area of Phoenix. The diner is on Grand Ave, near McDowell Rd (I think -- at least six roads meet near this intersection). The diner and sign were there as late as 1989. The diner was a regular lunch place for many of the businesses in the area, including the Mountain Bell (then USWest, and now Qwest) warehouse facility where my mother worked during the 1970's. She told me that they used to serve coffee to the men in these huge cups, but women were served coffee in the smaller regular sized coffee cups. No matter what, she could never get the waitresses to serve her the larger cup! On a related note about the show, I get homesick whenever I watch it on TNN. Yes, the series was shot on a soundstage in Hollywood, but the producers and actors in this show really did their homework. From the sets to the people and some of the props (like Henry's blue and gold striped phone company jacket to the "A" rating plaque on the wall) even the off sets like the apartments--this is pretty much what Phoenix was like at the time.

 

Editor's note:  Pat's Diner is located at 1747 N.W. Grand Avenue Phoenix, Arizona