Mello Velo Cafe

Mello Velo: yikes, bikes!
I got the savory porridge as well as the sweet porridge and would recommend either.
Was disappointed to find they took the portobello wrap off the menu, I loved that. Overall i’d say the food is wholesome while still managing to be full flavored.
As for the environment its very quiet, seems like it would be nice place to do some work.

Rude as fuck, hipsters who hate their life and their job food was not that impressive drinks expensive, and u have to get up for water after every sip, they have kiddy water cups. Def not coming back, woman at the juice bar had the worst stank face, if u hate your job that much get a new one…

Cool atmosphere. The shop is half bike shop, half café. Attracts athletic costumers and generally a healthy crowd. The food is pretty good, and taste fresh. The foods not over loaded with flavor for the better, but the portions are a little small. The coffee is delicious though. Lastly, the prices are decent. Not too expensive but a little bit for my tight college budget.

Melo Vello Café is part bike shop, part coffee shop, and wholly rad.
In the Westcott Neighborhood, in the Westcott street business district, through a small door, and up a narrow stairwell, you’ll find a gently-​lit loft full of bicycles, mismatched furniture, and two – wheel-​themed décor. The latest indie tunes play from the kitchen, mixing with sounds of quiet conversations and studious café-​goers typing away on their laptops (and the now and again bike shop noises coming from next door).
The service is friendly and approachable. They’re knowledgable about the drinks and baked goods they had on hand (I was looking for something sweet and gluten free). The coffee was quickly made to order.
And it was tasty, thanks in part to the Truvia packets they make available (yay stevia!). I paired it with a similarly slightly sweet gluten-​free peanut butter chocolate chip cookie (which was only $.75 — much of their menu is affordable).
If you prefer the more sterile environrment of the Starbucks experience, Melo Vello probably isn’t for you. The small space has a homey, DIY feel to it. And it is small, so the only con of this cozy café is that it may be tough to find a seat when it’s at its busiest.
If I weren’t a west sider, I’d probably end up hanging out here more often. It has a personal feel, tasty food/​drinks, and bikes — my kind of place.

What a nice find! Had breakfast here mid-​morning on a Sunday and was overall very happy. Sandwich was pretty good: english muffin, smoked salmon, poached egg, and arugula. Eggnog chai latte was really great. Very relaxed atmosphere with plenty of seating when we were there.
Downsides: No dressing on the greens with the sandwich, egg was poached hard, and the self bussing station was GROSS.
The rest of the menu looks great and I can’t wait to get back to this neighborhood for a repeat visit.

Just to start, I am from New York and was in Syracuse for a summer and I thought this café was great.
The first thing to say is that this café is up on the second floor but is located in the Wescott Neighborhood of Syracuse, near the university and on the strip of stores there. The café itself is connected to the Bike Store next door which is also really cool.
The ambiance is very chill and relaxing, the place has a couple of couches and tables, it is a great place for maybe a small group or a lunch date but not great for large groups. The food is what you would expect to see in a café, with a large drink selection made up mostly of tea and coffee items. The food itself consists mainly of sandwiches and salads which feature a variety of Americana café goods. I thought the food and the coffee there was exceptional and would return.
1. Expresso — Strong and hot, exactly what a good pull of expresso should be
2. Ice Coffee — I had the drink in store and they served it in a mason jar which was cool and it was good. Not too dark and did not have the over-​roasted coffee that many places offer
3. The High Wheeler — This was the sandwich I got which was basically a super good version of a BLT. The bread was perfectly grilled on the outside and created a crispy layer while the inside was soft and moist because of the house-​made pesto mayo. The bacon was thick cut and delicious with a smokey flavor that came together with the mayo and the chicken. Overall I would say that this is the best sandwich I had in Syracuse, including Darwins in the comparison.
If I were in Syracuse I would definitely check this place out again because its great.

What the? How is this great spot not more well known? Love coffee? Love cycling? Love interesting food? Not in a rush? Then you have found your spot. Seriously, I am visiting from San Francisco and I’m thrilled to have found this joint. Stunned actually.

Ive been to this place SO many times and the ONLY reason I ever came back was for the food. So why the 1 star? Customer Service.
Wasn’t my first bad experience with them either, but this was the final straw. I waited 1 hour for my meal to come. I was the first to order from my group of friends. Everyone got their meal before me. When I asked the waitress about it, she didnt even know they had to make my order. Now I was getting annoyed, but still kept my cool.
The waitress asks me whether I’d ordered something else with it which I did (coffee) which came right away and was cold at this point. So I show my receipt and she says yea we probably have it somewhere so I’ll find it. Somewhere? Thats just too sloppy and disorganized. I try to give her my receipt so she can have a copy and she jets by me saying «Look, I’m sorry BUT we’re really busy right now!»
With that, I said thats enough and I’m never coming back here. The food did finally arrive and it was sloppily made and tasted subpar. Pretty awful in total.
I wish I could say it was just that waitress’s fault. But I’ve seen the female owner be rude before too. Food can be good, but if you don’t care if you’re customers are happy, they will stop coming.

Excellent lattes. Ask for whole cream. $ 8.00 minimum on credit card, but you always need more inner tubes, right? Bike mechs seem very knowledgeable.

I had the portabella cheese steak (vegetarian option) and marshmallow peep latte It was delicious and decent price. I love wraps and this is perfect. Awesome place to study. I’m just visiting, but this place is amazing for students.

So happy with this place!
Big fan of the london fog and the cappuccino.
Had their Moab sandwich which was really great, can’t wait to try out everything on their menu :) Staff is really helpful and friendly as well! I couldn’t decide what to take so I asked for advice haha, their menu is mind blowing it intimidated me!

Just ordered this for lunch and was inclined to write a review it was so good. I’m a student at SU and there is a serious lack of a good café on the Hill /​surrounding areas. I had a Moab Panini and a Cookie. I’m never really been much of a soy fan but this sandwich was AMAZING. Possibly the best sandwich I’ve had all year in Cuse. This place is also extremely reasonably priced and delivery was fast. I’m very impressed. You now have a solid customer for the rest of my time at SU. Thanks!

Sitting in Mello Velo right now, using their free internet, and eating lunch. I got the Peloton Panini. AMAZING! Downright delicious. Mozzarella, pesto, tomato, and spinach on some sort of white french bread (not flat like a panini, but whatever).
I have not yet had their coffee, but I plan to. Like other reviewers said, the atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant; the music is great.
I will definitely come back here to study, eat, drink, and be merry.

This was my first stop during my hold-​over in Syracuse about a month ago. I found it on Unilocal and I’m so glad I made the trip to the other side of ‘Cuse to track it down.
Going into a bike shop/​café, I never thought that Toast w/​Jam would be on the agenda; however that was before I saw that I could have orange champagne jam on it. I had to try! It’s amazing how the little things like toast w/​jam and a great cup of coffee can set the tone for a great day.
Beyond the staples, the café is a bike lover’s heaven as it doubles (somewhat) as a bike shop. Well the bike shop is through another door; however with classic steel-​frames and the latest Bianchi and Cinelli rides everywhere, it’s hard not to fall head-​over-​heels for this place.
If I’m ever in ‘Cuse again, I’ll most certainly be back!

Cute friendly coffee spot with a mixture soft or hard seats, tall and short. I like the art.
They are trained by and serve Gimme Coffee from Ithaca with different flavors for sale (you can buy beans here) depending on when you go. Nice choice of teas too.

first impression … good choice of gimme coffee from my second home, Ithaca! also the staff trained with gimme coffee baristas so it’s the real thing.
i’ll have to come back to try the food and other drinks. not sure how i feel about the bike shop connection, but makes for unique experience.

They brought back the pumpkin latte! Thank goodness!

Sunday at lunch time, we found that the former 2^nd Story had changed names (in August). The coffee retreat for the laptop-​toting college crowd with a few high tables and easy chairs presented a similar coffee and healthier-​type menu. Alternative music playing. The menu board listed a few breakfasts, wraps, Panini’s & salads, plus, the homemade desserts which were on display.
I chose the soup of the day (made in the Hudson Valley) = Tomato Parm — cup $ 2.95. Thick & tomatoey with enough soft BB pasta and comes with a cup of slivered parm. cheese & dark croutons.
A Panini — Domestique $ 6.95 comes on a tasty baguette, toasted hard, filled with only about an ¹⁄₈ inch thick slice layer of decent roasted turkey, local apple slices, NYS raw milk cheddar & sun-​dried tomatoes (online menu lists the latter– where?). Sparse filling, but good flavor. Comes with Sun Chips.
I didn’t try the coffee but others said it was good. Two friendy women, one cooking and a young one at the cash register.

I have taken advantage of this place since finals started. The staff is friendly and they have not minded me camping out all day. They accept plastic, but it’s at an $ 8.00 minimum, so keep that in mind. The food is really good, but they don’t really have much for gluten free options.
It is overall a very comfortable space to be in.

I never was at the old Second Story, but I’m sitting in the Mello Velo coffee shop now (using their free internet). I think it’s the best coffee shop in Syracuse. It’s associated with the bike shop, but the coffee is the reason to come here. (I’m not commenting on the bike shop in this review.) The coffee is delicious, they play great music not too loud, the space is charming and comfortable, and the staff is competent and friendly.
I’ve only lived in Syracuse a little over two years and I was despondent that there was no place to get a decent cup of coffee. There’s the ubiquitous Starbucks, which are crowded and not especially good. There’s a very promising looking place called Freedom of Espresso. I like puns and was therefore drawn to the place, but on my one visit the coffee was terrible – actually undrinkable, which is saying a lot since I’ll put up with a lot to get a caffeine fix. Recess Coffee, which is also in Westcott, also looked promising from the outside, but the place is kind of grungy and the coffee bland. There are also a couple of disappointing coffee shops on the Syracuse University campus (one in Hendricks Chapel and one in the Library). Not terrible, but not particularly good. So the reincarnation of Second Story as Mello Velo cheered me immensely. It’s a great place to hang out and drink good coffee. They also serve food, which I have not tried, but it looks like a decent place to get lunch.