Dotty &amp; Ray&#x27;s

Ah, I completely forgot I had already reviewed this place but here's an updated review! It was just…read moreas good as the first time. We had the nachos (do yourself a favor and buy only a half order because it's HUGE). They were so good and I didn't even have enough room for more food after that. Service was attentive and good! I got the "Summer Fling" cocktail and it was truly one of the best cocktails I've had in quite sometime. I had a couple of them and honestly, could have continued throwing them down if I knew I didn't need to be in decent shape the next day. The live music was fantastic too. All-in-all, still a cozy and great vibe here. I hope to go there again soon!

My family decided to spend the afternoon in Salem and wanted a late lunch. In looking at different…read moreplaces, Mercy Tavern had a good menu so we decided to stop. We arrived around 3:00 on a Thursday. We were able to get an inside seat. Two people were working and both appeared to be fairly attentive. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. My wife and I both had PBR drafts. My youngest son and I both had Steak Tips and garlic fries. My wife had grilled cheese and my oldest son had fish tacos. Everything was good, fries were extremely garlicky. I wish they would have given more steak. Service was good, food was good, and prices were fair. I would recommend and return.

Vibe

Whole roasted garlic!! DELICIOUS!

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Outside

The Tavern

4.0(218 reviews)

0.6 mi

We were in the area for the Salem Witch trials tours. We spotted this place to eat. The inside is…read moresuper cool and a great place to come have drinks and relax with an amazing meal. My wife ordered their award winning espresso martini. She said it was perfect! One of the best, so give it another award lol! The clam chowder is probably one of the best things on the menu!! The warm fresh bread is delicious!! The hamburgers are pretty good. And they have variety of fries (sweet potato as well). I recommend coming here. Chowder is a must!!

Racism in 2026 is wild. We (party of 3) were the only people in for breakfast and after we placed…read moreour order a white couple enters the restaurant. They receive their order first. No problem, sometimes this happens so we keep waiting for our food. Turns out there was an error with their order so they send it back. We wait another 10 minutes and see someone come out with food thinking it was ours. Surprise! It's not. They had time to remake an entire order before serving us anything. After over 30 minutes of waiting for 3 omelets we ask to pay for our drinks and cancel our order, because we aren't thieves, and the manager comes out to complete the transaction. She doesn't even ask what happened or why we wanted to cancel the order. If you don't pass the paper bag test, I'd consider skipping this place.

Nachos

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1925 burger

Longboards Restaurant & Bar

3.8(530 reviews)

0.8 mi

Sat at the bar with my gf. Great service from a very friendly bartender who made my girl an awesome…read morelemondrop martini. We just wanted a quick bite and split an order of hotdogs (who would have thought) and they were the best dogs I have ever had. Have eaten there several times with my daughter and the food and service is always great.

3.5 stars Longboard…read moreRestaurant has an unbeatable location right on the water. We sat outside watching the World Cup, and the atmosphere was beautiful. The service was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. We ordered a variety of dishes with mixed results. I really enjoyed the fish and chips, but my teens weren't fans of their pizzas. The lobster roll was OK, but felt overpriced for what you get. Overall, it's a good spot for families, couples, or larger groups, especially if you're looking to enjoy the view and waterfront setting.

Bat seating

Fries/chips hybrid

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Birria Quesadilla!

Crazy Good Kitchen

4.4(36 reviews)

0.4 mi

Food came out quickly and fresh. We ordered the wings, a burger, loaded steak fries, a Nutella…read moreshake, and a chicken sandwich. I thought the serving size was perfect and The food was flavorful. The ranch on the chicken sandwich was homemade. The barbecue sauce for the wings had a really good flavor also. We sat outside because it was a beautiful day and enjoyed the music playing on the patio.

I will start out by saying I did not eat here. We had to walk out. The set-up is strange as there…read moreare two businesses inside. However that was not the reason we left. The smell of sage or whatever it was overwhelming and was nothing my breathing. Not sure I would have been able to enjoy my food even if that was not the issue because I want to enjoy and smell what I am eating and not an overpowering scent like I am burning incense on the table.

Buffalo Chicken Fries

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Turner's Seafood - Salem

4.4(2k reviews)

0.4 mi

•$$$

I travel for work and I used yelped to find dinner. Turner's had good reviews, so I thought I would…read morecheck it out. I loved it. I sat at the bar. The 2 bartenders were nice and attentive but not overbearing. AJ was a service that I ended up talking to and she was the sweetest lady. The Calamari was excellent! The peppers added a the right amount of seasoning. The Hake Marsala was absolutely amazing. Great flavor, fish was light, and it was all nicely balanced. I don't have enough nice things to say about the food or the staff!

McKenzie was amazing, made great recommendations for our group…read more We got oysters to start and he recommended the Duxbury oysters which were off menu and AMAZING. The bacon wrapped scallops were fantastic and super fresh. They had seasonal fall drinks when we visited, the Cider Spritz and Apple Cider Sangria were 10/10 we immediately ordered a 2nd round. We'll definitely be back and recommending this place to all of our friends.

Bar views

Lobster roll, clam roll, mussels

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Olde Main Street Pub

4.2(241 reviews)

0.6 mi

This was a really fun place to visit. They have a great craft beer, selection, and a nice outdoor…read morepatio for drinking, eating, and watching people go by. Surface was great, would come here again.

What an excellent experience!! My friends and I had delicious food in a comfy atmosphere…read more I got the Witchy Brew cocktail, delicious and dangerous because it's very tasty and I got the Caesar salad with grilled chicken, refreshing and tasty af. Good prices for being a tourist spot, would totally come back!! Our waitress was very lovely, attentive, and welcoming.

Modules Frites!!! So good!

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Draft beer selection.

The Babe

4.5(70 reviews)

0.7 mi

The Babe is an adorable and unique little restaurant and bar in the outskirts of downtown Salem and…read moreit's a little gem! We easily found street parking and were seated quickly. I loved that they have various music nights and on this night, a few people brought in vinyls since it was BYO vinyl night. We had the mozz pockets (yum) and the Carolina gold wings (also yum). For the main meals, I had the Mr. Falafel wrap which was freaking delicious. It was the best thing I had tasted there and I'd return for that wrap alone! My gf had the Culture Fit burger and enjoyed it too. The drinks were top notch and the service was good as well. I'll definitely be back!

Not a huge fan, but it's not offensive... I miss the fried chicken fingers and clam chowder from…read moreMajor's. Service is lovely and friendly. Ambiance is good.

Deconstructed Egg Burrito

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WINGS SALT & VIN

The Tin Whistle

4.2(110 reviews)

1.4 mi

Divey gem with really good pub food and great service. I had the smash burger special with…read morepineapple and steak fries and it was exactly what I wanted after an active day on the ocean. The steak fries were hot, perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Burger was juicy with double patties and good topping ratios on a decent bun that held together. Server was also the only bartender - she was attentive and friendly, and did a great job serving tables while tending to a busy bar of locals. Will definitely return to try the steak tips.

What an unknown gem in Salem! It's not on a beaten path, but the food has got to be one of the…read morebest in town. We've been in before for their superior steak tips and burgers. We just went in and dropped a worthy $80 on lunch - 2 tequila mules, a special of buffalo bites (if u are lucky and these are on special again - order them!). Chicken kabob sandwich - juicy, perfectly grilled chicken and my husband got the mouth-watering pastrami sandwich. We packed half of it up for dinner tonight. I only gave 4 stars due to the lousy, noisy, raunchy bar flies. They couldn't care less about other customers as they were shouting and cussing away. Having a conversation with my husband was impossible. The bartender, who was 5 stars in her service to us, attempted to remind these people to stop yelling. I understand being a local, as I am one, and it makes me want to keep my favorite places in business. However, disruptive and rude bar flies should be shut out ff earlier and asked to leave or at the very least pipe down. Ultimately, I highly recommend anyone local or out of town to try The Tin Whistle for the food and service. Maybe try one of the tall comfy wooden booths would make for a better atmosphere.

Smash burger special

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Jack Honey. Shots. What else would you expect from the Whistle?

The Derby Restaurant & Bar

3.5(284 reviews)

0.6 mi

During my visit a couple weeks ago, I decided to stop into this place, and I'm so glad I did! I got…read morethe pork chops. As you can see, the portion was huge and I was only able to eat one lol. I love how they did the pork chops with the applesauce on the side, which reminded me of my grandma because that's how she used to eat pork chops. The service was great. The staff were awesome and it's definitely happening place. The only downfall I would say was the outside door was open so it was pretty chilly inside. Prices reasonable and it's a nice size restaurant for seating inside and out. If you're in the area, definitely come and check this place out. You won't be disappointed.!

Never been here in all the years I've been coming to Salem. Found out it is closing soon so figured…read morewe'd try it. We love spicy food and can handle heat but the angry shrimp had so much inedible hot sauce on it that it was just unable to be eaten-awful. The deviled eggs were creamy but very bland. Red sangria could have had potential but the wine had turned into vinegar-very acidic and sour. Glad we had the experience of seeing inside...

The Derby Burger

Loaded fries

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Persephone

Finz Seafood & Grill

3.9(1.3k reviews)

0.8 mi

Great seafood restaurant with a great view of the wharf…read more Food was tasty! Definitely recommend the lobster roll on warm butter bread with a side of fried potatoes chips. The calamari dish was cooked and seasoned very well. Service was great. We were seated quickly during mid afternoon, on a weekday. I love that there was free parking available right next to the restaurant. It is limited to 2 hours, which gives you plenty of time to walk around the wharf after you eat. I recommend trying it out if you're in the area.

It was OK. The food was not extraordinary. Good location, view of the water…read more Tuna tartare appetizer was a little too adventurous and not well seasoned. My haddock fish tacos were super fresh, tangy and tasty. Glad I got the tartar sauce on the side. Definitely the right portion.....

Bar area

FINZ SEAFOOD PAELLA

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Torched nigiri

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12 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Donald S.

8 years ago

Dotty & Ray's has been one of those rare finds anywhere, never mind here in Salem. This place has been my go to for lunches and quick suppers on the nights that they are open. The food has always been consistently excellent and their prices have always been quite fair. That said, the restaurant has changed hands a couple of times over the last year or two. The first new owner really loved cooking and you could tell that from right from the start. His food was truly wonderful! Unfortunately he decided to change his career course after a year, and he sold the business towards the end of 2018. I have been in for eats a couple of times since the place was last sold and found, as John S. said, this is not the Dot and Ray's of the past! read more

Arthur M.

17 years ago

Stopped by after hearing from a freind about the hidden jewel he called Dotty and Rays......it was a great experience, they dont make restraunts like that anymore.... down home cooking, the staff was so nice and freindly, service was great and even the customers were nice and talked to me, I had the seafood as my freind recommended...wow, it was unreal clams, shrimp and scallop and paid much less than i thught i would have too, I will be back for breakfast!!!!!!! we need to bring places like Dotty and Rays back, i cant deal with the chains trying to duplicate these types of restraunt and failing..... read more

Kelly C.

6 years ago

After reading so many good things about the lobster roll here, we had to try it. We arrived just as the shop had closed, but they took our order anyway without a complaint. Such nice people! The lobster roll was stuffed with meat and the price was reasonable. The coleslaw was excellent as well, creamy and crunchy with a touch of sweetness. I'm going to try the fried seafood combo next time. Stop in when you are in the area, you won't be sorry. read more

Sarah B.

6 years ago

Superb, regular dinner fare. Nice staff, friendly regulars, and a TV. My only concern is that they're not opening up sooner! Maybe the environment is a little senior-oriented, but who cares? It's peaceful and quiet and no families are running around with a bunch of kids. read more

Erik R.

7 years ago

This place is terribly hot, and the service not so great. They advertise fresh seafood but the cook said the lobster was still frozen and wouldn't be ready for awhile. My soup tasted a bit sour, I don't think I'll return. read more

J L.

104

102

1 year ago

We went on the website and it showed that it closed around the holidays, but it was still closed on June 1, 2025. Please let us know when you reopen. read more

Janis H.

9 years ago

Fantastic food! Lots on your plate. The employees and service went above and beyond. I highly recommend eating here.

Andy S.

4 years ago

Fantastic breakfast that filled me until dinner. Definitely recommend to anyone in the area.

William M.

4 years ago

Best Reuben I ever had, staff was very friendly. Will definitely go here again!

Seth P.

13 years ago

Really good food. Really good bacon. Excellent service.

Foster P.

9 years ago

New management. Food same but prices have gone up.

Joshua L.

10 years ago

Cheap. Good Food. Good Portion. Good People.

Dotty & Ray's - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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Best breakfast in Massachusetts! Atmosphere is just like sitting around a family table. Started…read morecoming here 3 years ago and met Jenn, since then she has become just like family. The two servers (Jenn & Kristen) are outstanding, friendly, attentive, and worked great together. They made the whole experience even better. Great food and even better service!

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