Custom Melt

This place isn’t cheap. You will however get what you pay for. As for the food, it’s good enough for your last meal. You won’t be disappointed. The only minus is that they don’t serve truffle Mac n cheese.

Like others have said, we were frequent patrons of Custom Melt when they first opened but today was our first time back in probably almost a year and we were just as disappointed today as we were the last time we went.
The service just isn’t what it used to be, super slow now and just plain blah. The one waitress today did try to explain saying they were short handed, which I get having working in the food industry myself, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The food is super inconsistent, plain and really strange how they decide to price things. Sometimes you get a side dish, other times you go in, you have to pay for it. The chips and cheese also aren’t what they used to be. Usually not fully cooked and/​or stuck together creating greasy potato globs. I am also not a fan of one sandwich arriving a good 5 minutes before the other persons in your party.
In a good note, their sodas are usually on point and they have an interesting beer selection.
I’m just sad that today reminded me of why we don’t go there anymore.

I’ve been here many times now. I would rate the food between 4 – 5 stars for this type of place. It’s the speed of service that lowers the rating. If you’ve got time, it’s well worth the wait.
My favorite is the short rib sandwich.

I have been to Custom Melt numerous times since they opened, as I only live a couple of miles away.
At first, I couldn’t get enough, it was awesome! But lately, it’s been hit and miss. Unfortunately, more miss than hit.
Sandwiches have been sloppy. They’ve also been served warm in lieu of receiving them hot. A majority have been more oily than the past.
And as recently as this week, I had been in and it wasn’t a place I felt I wanted to eat at. Something about dirty tables and pieces of food on the floor… I don’t know. Guess I was in the mood to eat someplace clean.
So, next door to Custom Pie I went. (incidentally, Custom Pie is off the charts good!)
Back to my review of Custom Melt… Lately, just a huge disappointment.

This place never disappoints! They hook you right off the bat with their complimentary home made potato chips and their cheese sauce, it is literally liquid crack! Why can’t more places offer fresh made chips instead of fries?! Oh well.
Now on to the food! Their menu offers everything you could want in a grill cheese, from a veggie filled cheesy bomb to a carnivorous happy pig stuffed with slow roasted pork and bacon :)
The last time I was there I tried their Green-​Go Sandwich, which was very delicious, the hint of spice from the pepper jack was just enough to make the flavors stand out and even though it was a lot smaller than the other sandwiches, I still enjoyed it very much.
Now for the best part, they have beers on tap! wait, what??? Custom grilled cheese sandwiches, free chips with cheese dip and beer!!! WTH!!!
Next time I’m out there I might even try their Mac ‘N’ Cheese grilled chesee, yikes!
Anyways, if you are in the area you should give this place a try, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Me and a few pals were in a rush coming here from the local college after a long day, and I am so happy they made an attempt to accommodate 5 of us briefly before closing. BTW, 7pm is waaaaay too early!
So the concept for this spot is basically fancy grilled cheeses. While you wait, you’re treated to house-​made potato chips (very good) and queso, which is also very well-​executed. It made me excited to try the main course. There are some groovy craft beers, but unfortunately I could not partake at the moment.
I went with the brie, which is OK, but maybe tries to do to much with pesto AND dijon, AND a touch of honey. Just ended up tasting like a very sweet mustard. I also found the applewood-​smoked bacon to be very thin, chewy, and downright wimpy. The bread was alright. The fries, with a hint of garlic, were AMAZING.
The side dishes were the most memorable part of my meal.
I want to be more forgiving of the service issues, but I’m still concerned. These aren’t particularly complex or time-​intensive meals (you have all the ingredients made before order), so why does it take so long? Your employee taking orders for some reason had to run to the back for a few minutes. It took 10 minutes of waiting in line to order with only 3 people ahead of me, and a bit over 20 minutes just to get my sandwich. If you read other recent reviews, there is a pattern of everything taking much longer than expected. There are plenty of hands on deck, so I am not sure what the problem is.
That being said, this is a place for a decent sandwich, but don’t come in salivating with high expectations. Also, be prepared to wait. I’d only visit again in the middle of the day, with some time to have a brew.

Service has gone downhill!
Usually wait to long for your order.
Do not have as many choices as before.
Seems to be under new Managment that seems a little young.
Still have some good food choices though.

Service is painfully slow. Food is ok but for the wait and staffs attitude it isn’t worth it.

Great sandwich and delicious potato chips with a cup of cheese sauce to munch on while you wait.
Nice selection of beer too.

Delicious melts/​sandwiches.
Chill workers.
Notorious B.I.G. on the radio.
Mac-​and-​cheese (AND sliced cheese) and bacon in a sandwich (The Mack) for my lactose-​intolerant gut.
I see some ladies tonight that should be having my baby.

Really, really good food. Just take a look at their menu. How can you go wrong. I’ve had three different sandwiches, the Happy Pig, Short Rib, and The Mack. I can’t wait to have each of them again. They have one of the best local beer selection in Ventura County.
For the first time we tried their sister restaurant, Custom Pie, which is located next door. We ordered a pizza and then walked over to Custom Melt and ordered drinks. The pizza was delivered when it was ready. The wood fired pizza was great. We ordered our with the home made sausage.
Great food and nice, knowledgeable employees.

Omg… Talk about amazing cheese! Oh, and amazing chips, service, cheese, and cheese!!! Haha
Their short rib sandwich was just awesome! Made right, the hint of horseradish was not over powering.
The homemade chips as an appetizer was so damn good!!! And the fact that it was served with warm, melted cheese dip was spectacular!!!
A bit of a drive to get there from where I live, but is so worth the drive when craving a good sandwich!
Can’t wait to go back!

DEATH BY CHEESE?! Yes please! This place is to die for! Especially if you like cheese! They have a whole list of sandwiches you can choose from and I’m pretty sure they’re all good. I’ve had the mac and cheese one and the veggie one, no complaints!
Service does take a little while but its worth the wait. The last time I went, they got our order wrong 3 times but in the end, all was forgiven once food was in front of us! Definitely a must try but avoid lunch hours because this place gets packed.

We came here with a groupon and were pleasantly surprised by the variety they offered. The sandwiches we both got were beyond delish and we will be back when we want that sort of comfort food to indulge in. Didnt love the fries — they were crunchy, so it felt like eating a chip which isnt my thing when I order fries. They also bring out chips and a cheese sauce before the meal — it was okay. Not really sure why I would need the extra food — the sandwiches are more than enough! Very filling.
My hubby loved his popper sandwich and I loved my turkey sandwich with avocado and bacon!

Came here for dinner early on Saturday night. It was not very crowded when we arrived and it was not very crowded when we left.
This place is okay. It is a «grilled cheese» restaurant, but basically, it is a hot sandwich place and all of the sandwiches feature some sort of cheese. I had the Roast Beef dip and it was pretty good. The fries on the side were just meh. I should have gone with the side salad. We also ordered the pastrami sandwich which was very good and the Happy Pig which my daughter did not like at all, and I have to admit that her sandwich did not look appetizing. She also said that the tomato soup was very bland. I think the best part of our meal was the homemade potato chips with cheese dip that they bring to the table. The chips were crispy and hot and the cheese sauce was quite tasty.
The drink situation is a little lacking. First off, they lost their liquor license, so beer is out. They offer soft drinks, lemonade, and iced tea. We ordered two lemonades and early Saturday night, they were out of lemonade and offered us cherry lemonade. When we wanted refills of the cherry lemonade, they were out of that as well. For my iced tea, the waitress had to go next store to their other restaurant to bring me my iced tea.
The employees are friendly enough but not very helpful. They do walk around and ask if you need anything and will get refills or clear your table. On this night, after finally figuring what to get for a drink since the lemonade and cherry lemonade were out, the server never came back to ask if the rest of us needed refills.
Also, the restaurant was not all that clean on this particular day. The tables could have used a wipe down and the floor underneath several tables was pretty dirty and needed to be swept.
Overall, this place is just okay. I may or may not return. I definitely prefer to go to their sister restaurant a few doors over, Custom Pie, which is much much better.

Great stop just off the Collins exit off the 118 (just before the 23 junction.) I tend to stop here on my way to Enegren Brewing.
Amazing Grilled cheeses. Large menu (of varying grilled cheeses) 8 craft beer taps, as well as bottles for on site consumption for sale. They also have Salad’s as well as Mac & Cheese. Comfortable seating, some music being played, and a patio. Recommended.

When you need a comfort food cheesy sandwich experience, this is a good bet. Dear Hubby and I have patronized them twice in the past month. The first time we loved the food and the big selection of items, and the quiet patio setting out front. We didn’t realize the complimentary basket of homemade chips and cheese sauce were headed our way. Nice touch.
The second time we were nicely smothered in kindness and great service, in addition to the sandwiches. Our server was gracious and attentive. The manager from Custom Pie stopped by not once but twice and was quite cordial and welcoming.
I get a kick out of the décor inside with melting cheese over-​sized graphics on the walls. Lots of whimsy; I appreciate the nod to their name. They sport a college town array of craft beers.
So far have had the 4-​cheese grilled sandwich and the turkey and brie on sourdough. D.H. had the Cuban Reuben the first visit. The bread holds up to the ingredients inside.
While the weather’s nice, we enjoy the al fresco dining option. The tables are prepped with extra napkins and utensils in a large Mason jar. The center is normally very mellow in the early evening, so you can visit with your companion and hear yourself think. Looking forward to trying the Custom Pie offerings, too.

I had not been here in over a year.
I had remembered this place as being great.
In fact I am going to put my original review below this updated version.
I am not sure what has happened here.
I have never been to a place that had been so great and has gone down so badly.
First lets talk about the price. Hubby and I had two grilled cheese sandwiches.
MIne was the Classic, his was a chicken. He had a drink, I did not. Our bill was $ 24.
Seriously?
The home made potato chips that I remembered being so good were not only ice cold and greasy– but some of them had a rancid taste. Let me elaborate. I asked one of the workers to please take the first basket of chips back as they were cold and greasy and perhaps he could bring us warm ones. He comes back with another basket and says in a facetious tone «nice and hot… right out from under the warming light». They were also cold and this was the batch where I got a bite of cold chip cooked in rancid tasting oil.
Hubby who had never been there before hated his sandwich, in fact he left most of it. The soup– oh yeah– on the board they said the soup of the day was tomato, potato and something else. Hubby had his sites set on Potato soup. Oh oops the cashier said we don’t have that I need to erase the board. Oh and that cashier, I don’t think she could have acted any more disinterested in what she was doing, nor could she be any slower.
I remember the place being so busy and the owners being there and being involved. I definitely did not get the feel they were there.
The only thing that was the exact same as before were the flies that kept us company on the patio.
Below is my review I left a few months after they had opened. After today there was no way I could leave it up without an update.
Solid 1 Star due to poor service, cold greasy chips and overpriced food.
Custom Melt is off my list for good.
— — — — — –
My original review– 5÷4÷13
It’s times like this that I wonder how I ever lived without Unilocal!!!
Apparently I have driven past Custom Melt, and even patronized the business next door once, but had not taken note. However the other day I was on Unilocal and noticed «Top MoorparK» and there was Custom Melt. I read the reviews, looked at their menu, and IMMEDIATELY e mailed all my friends to tell them we had to have lunch there this weekend. Honestly it took all my willpower-​after reading the menu-​to wait the two days until my planned lunch.
It is so wonderful to go to an eatery with high expectations and have those surpassed!
I ordered the Four Cheese Melt on sourdough, it comes with a cup of tomato soup, it was beyond delicious. The potato chips are delicious on their own, BUT they come with an amazing dip!
The service was fantastic, everyone attentive. The owner was there and so very nice.
It’s 8:30 at night, we ate at noon and I still feel satisfied.
The question is not if we will eat there, but how soon can we go back!
They have opened up Custom Pie next door I can not wait to try it!
Bottom line-​This place ROCKS. Going there is a must.

Just came back here tonight for dinner and had the worst customer service ever!
First of all, the supervisor (?) brought us out stale burnt chips. We figured it was a bad batch so we ate it anyways. No one came back throughout dinner to ask us if we wanted a refill until I walked up to the counter myself to personally ask. That wouldn’t have been that bad had it not been for everything else.
We ordered the happy pig with an extra egg, the PB&B, and the bread pudding with a side of tomato soup and the green salad. The tomato soup never came and once again I had to walk up to the counter to ask about it. Then when they brought it out to me more than half an hr later with no apology — it was cold! And watered down and about half cup filled. They also forgot the egg in the happy pig order…
Then after all this, we were still without our bread pudding 45 mins in. By this time I had inquire twice already with two different workers. I asked it to go because I was so tired of waiting around. And when I got it I wasn’t sure why the wait was so long cause it was also cold!
The only upside I can say was the happy pig and the salad were actually very good. Sadly it did not make up for the soup, chips, and terrible service. I am very disappointed as I had a fantastic time last time and rate it a 4 star! What happened custom melt?!

Loved the chili with sweet and savory biscuits! They serve beer from local brewery Enegren! I split the Turkey, Avocado and Jalapeño sandwich– it was spicy and tasty. They also have a Sunday Brunch menu serving Memosas all day! I will have to be back to try it out. They have a large menu so many options to choose from. I want to come back and sample the short rib sandwich braised in Enegren beer.
They have an outdoor seating area or you can sit inside and catch the game and have a beer. It’s kid friendly too. They had bread pudding on their menu too… I will have to be back for that ;) It’s one of those places– it all sounds good and I am already deciding what next to try on my next trip out. haha