Sal's Bistro is located right on "the strip" in Carbondale, near Southern Illinois University…read more While out and about running errands today, we decided to stop in and try it out after hearing good things and reading a couple of good reviews online. There is plenty of seating in the dining area. Walk up and order at the counter. Everything was fresh and delicious. Made to order and you can modify any menu item to your liking. We ordered the combo so we could try a small sandwich and a small salad. The only issue is, there is nothing small about them! Both were delicious, but a meal within itself. I couldn't finish mine and ended up bringing half of each home! We tried the Triple Berry Salad, Greek salad, and the Chicken Bacon Ranch on ciabatta bread sandwiches. If you like fresh ingredients and healthier options, this is the place for you! We will definitely be back...

Excellent. The veggie sandwich is fantastic, but so is Sal's Special. Highly recommend.read more

This local establishment was a good find for me. It's a cozy, nicely decorated café that is…read moreinviting and has wonderful aesthetics. I was interested in trying their baked treats, and upon my visit, I found exactly what I wanted to get. The menu variety was good. They offer cookies, pastries, breakfast meals, lunch meals like sandwiches, etc. The pricing was reasonable. I got a Pink Cookie (Southern IL specialty), a Chocolate Chunk Walnut cookie, a Date Walnut cookie, something called an Orange Chipper (a type of cookie), as well as an Italian sandwich (called Bakery Sub on the menu). The Date Walnut cookie was my top favorite. It was soft and also crunchy where the walnuts were. The Orange Chipper was my next favorite, followed by the Pink Cookie (iced frosting shortbread cookie). The sandwich was loaded and had a good flavor. The deli meats (ham, and salami) were fresh. The service was good. This was a gem of a find for me and I would go back there again when visiting Carbondale. Definitely recommended.

Terrible Service. The woman at the front counter was very rude and had an attitude. Walked out and…read moredidn't order anything. I will not be coming back

Went in to a mostly empty restaurant for a quick bite. I had one person in front of me. The cashier…read moreseemed more interest in holding a causal conversation with the first person than to wait on me. When I left there were 3 people behind me. The guy right behind me left too. We did not go for a late lunch to listen to someone talk for 10 minutes and ignore us. Went to chillis instead, they are glad to wait on me!!!!!!!

Was at the Carbondale location today about 12:50. There was a line which is fine, only one employee…read moreworking behind the counter. She was taking orders out when another employee walks up and she asked him to take orders. When she comes back up she gets herself a drink and ignores the customers waiting. She acted like there was no one waiting, which a couple of them had been waiting a while. I visit this location often and have never had bad service or even bad food. This was a first.

It's exactly what you should expect from a diner, good breakfast, coffee, service and reasonable…read moreprices. It's the place to go for breakfast in Carbondale, thank you guys.

Stopped in for a delicious breakfast skillet while visiting the area. My companion had pancakes the…read moresize of his head. The restaurant was laid back and inviting with local artists showcasing art for sale on the walls. There was a long, but fast moving line and the staff was running like the marathoners they are. Fast, friendly service!

Tiny place, HUGE menu of options for all appetites. They took our large order fast and worked…read morequickly at the grill. So many options to choose from-- it was hard to decide. The loaded fry options are crazy good! I would come back just for those. Heads up-- they charge for extra sauces of any kind (most places do nowadays). And all menu items are à la carte.

Yuuum! The food here is excellent. The menu is huge and has tons of options. I know it's a burger…read moreplace, but none of us got burgers. The Italian beef, the gyro, and the chicken tenders were fantastic. The crinkle cut fries were also delish. The kids nuggets were less than great. However the kids meals come with "treasure" aka temporary tattoos, a paper hat to color, and a gummy candy. The kids meals also come in cute pirate themed boxes. The drinks are in a refrigerator by the register- there aren't fountain drinks. They have cans of soda and glass bottles of Fitz's. The place is very tiny. 5 booths inside and 2 tables outside. The air conditioning is also not up to par. Food is great and would come here again!

Got some good breakfast at this bakery and cafe in Carbondale. It has things for breakfast and…read morelunch to be exact. Longbranch is a long time favorite in town. Come in the morning for pancakes or come later for cupcakes and pie. The menu has lots of vegan options for those avoiding butter, eggs, and that kind of stuff. Charming interior that has a coziness about it. It's just as much of a bakery as it is a cafe, with display cases full of goodies and sweets. There's a good amount of indoor dining too. A lot come in here to pick up baked items at the counter. If dining in, have a seat. The menu is actually kind of big with tons of things. It's about $7 for a large latte. Kind of pricy, as far as coffee goes but it's good though. Has some non dairy milks. It's about $11 for the Vegan Waffles. Hearty and filling. There's also other plant based offerings such as tofu bowls at lunch. Has the best baked goods around. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. There's lots of things for vegans and vegetarians.

Waited to sit down to type this up. Went here to eat at around 2pm because we were going to go to…read moreMary Lou's but they close at 2. Instead decided to try the Branch Cafe even though when we ate there a year ago we had a hour wait so we hadn't been back since. Ordered two breakfast meals and coffee and soup. It was around 2:40 ish when the waitress offered to get us a dessert because of our wait. Mind you we got there a few minutes after 2 because I looked at my phone right before we pulled in to park. We ate dessert and were still waiting so we asked the waitress if our order was being cooked because if not, we were going to pay for our coffees and go elsewhere. Almost a one hour wait. The whole back room was empty so it wasn't busy. So the owner proceeds to come up and started to argue about when we got there. The waitress says things like "when you go to fine dining, you expect a wait" as if we've never been in a sit down restaurant in our life. The whole experience was horrible. My food was cold. The owner and waitress were extremely rude, combative and condescending. I don't know if the waitress forget to turn our order in or what, but it was almost right at an hour wait for some soup and few breakfast items. Will NEVER be back. Do with that what you will.

Food not very good and portions are small. Only would go late night if nothing else is open. Nice…read morestore fire everything else but the made to order food is below avg.

good service and food! 10/10 check them out you won't be disappointed!!read more

One of my favorite places in the Dale. Their lentil soup is the best ever! And the Dolmas...just…read morelike I remember from my favorite Jordanian Mom. Thank you for all the vegan options.

I love this place. Very casual atmosphere, but good food, and I'm grateful for the vegetarian…read moreoptions. Their falafel sandwich is good, and if you want low-carb or are gluten-free, they have a great kalaya plate which is hummus and roasted veggies. Very nice owners, and the service is usually quick and friendly.