RESTAURANT REVIEW : Diner for the ‘90s : Mel’s two Valley locations have managed to maintain a ‘50s allure while updating the menu and cutting fat.

Long before designer pizzas, field greens and creme brulee became household words, the diner defined vernacular American cuisine. Mel’s Drive-In, with two Valley locations, may be the closest thing we have to the old-style diner, in spite of a slightly modernized menu that blends the ‘50s inconspicuously with the ‘90s.

There’s quite a story behind this company, which also has two branches in the Bay Area. The original Mel’s was opened by a man named Mel Weiss, and its star turn in George Lucas’ cult classic film “American Graffiti” (the movie’s action centered on the diner) propelled Weiss and his concept to instant fame.

Today it is the founder’s son, Steven, who runs the two San Fernando Valley diners. The Sherman Oaks operation (the other Mel’s is in Woodland Hills) is a claustrophobic little box done in green vinyl, white tile and shiny chrome and filled with ‘50s memorabilia and self-promoting publicity stills. Individually sized jukeboxes are majestically mounted over nearly every booth.

You still drive up, too, although there’s no longer carhop service. Instead, you go inside, ensconce yourself at the counter or in a booth and order just as you would in any sit-down restaurant. Still, the waitresses do chew gum, just as they are popularly supposed to have done in the ‘50s, and sport self-mocking name tags. For my first breakfast, I had a waitress who was actually called Bubbles.

This is all good fun, naturally, like the chance to play tunes such as Little Eva’s “The Locomotion” while you tear into a Melburger. One would have to be a bad sport, I guess, to point out that no ‘50s menu ever boasted of frying everything in 100% cholesterol-free canola oil, or offered an espresso milkshake to go with your Chinese chicken salad.

Think of Mel’s as a ‘50s / ‘90s compromise and it all makes sense. That acknowledged, the restaurant makes a noble--if sometimes fumbling--effort to prepare everything on the premises, avoiding preservatives just as people did in the good old days.

When things work, they work well, as in the case of breakfast, the best meal here. The thick-sliced French toast is eggy and delicious. A soft, homey cinnamon roll shines with light sugary glaze. The fresh-squeezed orange juice I tried was tiptop, ideally suited to helping a hungry guest wash down an order of Joe’s scramble, a San Francisco brunch favorite consisting of ground beef, fresh chopped spinach, grilled onions and eggs.

Egg dishes come with terrific onion-spangled grilled potatoes, which I’d describe as a cross between cottage fries and home fries. There are tasty dollar-size pancakes, six to an order, with a springy texture. The waffle, which your inner child can order topped with berries and real whipped cream, is oddly flat but flavorful. Traditionalists will be glad to note that the American coffee is far better than the espresso and cappuccino. My espresso came up on the bitter side, and the cappuccino was weak and milky.

I’m a little less enamored of lunch and dinner at Mel’s, simply because the food is more erratic. The famous Melburger I ordered would have been a classic itself had it not been overcooked. As it was, the Mel--one-third of a pound of ground chuck topped with lettuce, Bermuda onion, mayo and half-sour pickle chips on a fresh sesame bun--still contrived to be tasty enough. Grandma’s chicken soup, though, reminded me of Campbell’s, and the chicken-fried steak seemed to be nearly all breading and starchy gravy.

There are charbroiled, skinless chicken sandwiches, and more along those lines for the health-conscious. I actually started to order the organic tofu and fresh vegetable patty, but then “It’s My Party” started playing on the jukebox and I went for meatloaf instead.

Most dinner entrees are served with genuine lumpy mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. They’re OK, but none would knock you off the stool. I imagine Mel’s spring chicken might be fine if it weren’t woefully overcooked, as ours was. It’s a standard rotisserie chicken, reasonably well spiced. Grandma’s turkey meatloaf is soft and soothing, a bland but pleasing item. The broiled pork chops are solidly dependable, too, and the homemade turkey dinner is served the old-fashioned way with cranberry sauce and stuffing.

Do your diet a favor and skip the desserts--mainly pies, plus a cheesecake and a chocolate cake. The chocolate cake is said to be homemade, but it’s all sugar and no flavor. The apple pie is gluey and greasy.

I’d also pass on the espresso milkshake. It’s far too sweet and you don’t get a strong hit of coffee like you’d hope for. Espresso is one ‘90s improvement that deserves respect. A good cup might even be worthy of nostalgia someday.

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WHERE AND WHEN:

Location: Mel’s Drive-In, 14846 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; and 19964 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills.

Suggested Dishes: Joe’s scramble, $5.95; Las Vegas silver dollar pancakes, $3.95; Grandma’s turkey meatloaf, $7.95; the Melburger, $4.50.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday to Saturday.

Price: Breakfast for two, $7 to $14. No alcohol (Sherman Oaks), beer and wine only (Woodland Hills). Parking lot. MasterCard and Visa accepted.

Call: (818) 990-MELS (Sherman Oaks) or (818) 348-MELS (Woodland Hills).