In 1972, the original Mel's located at 140 South Van Ness in San Francisco was selected as a feature location by filmmaker George Lucas for his 1973 coming of age film American Graffiti Although the movie takes place in Modesto, California, most of its scenes were actually shot in the nearby city of PetalumaBased on the diner from the George Lucas movie American Graffiti, Mel's has several vintage automobiles in the parking lot for photo ops Check out the license plates for some fun references During Halloween Horror Nights, the neon lights in the Mel's Drivein sign are creatively changed to Mel'sMel's DriveIn is a 50's style restaurant located in the Hollywood area of Universal Studios Orlando The outside area of this restaurant was used for scarezones during Halloween Horror Nights The Skoolhouse (08) Horrorwood DieIn (09) Fear Revealed (10) Walking Dead The Farm (13) Mel S Drive In San Francisco California Youtube Mel's drive in movie ...