I saw a raccoon on a table and armadillo underneath the table across from us. Then after that I saw two ants running off with my noodles. If anything be aware of the this establishment. You may need Pepto-Bismol after you eat here. Or, a rush to the hospital immediately because of stomach pain. read more

Five Brothers Cafe - The creatures I witnessed there - American Near Me - Salem, Illinois

I went in there twice and they weren't very nice. The food was great but if you're not a regular, they're not gonna treat you very nicely and that really sucks because it's really good food and I would give it more stars, but they really don't deserve it on how they treat their customers that's not regulars read more

Today was my first time dining here and I'm so glad that we chose Five Brothers! Everything that we had was exceptional and our waitress was so sweet. I had the Lasagna and my friend had the fettuccini. We also had the salad bar and the soups. I wish that I wasn't so full and would have gotten some deserts because they looked delicious. I'm so glad that we found this place and will definitely be back! read more

Stopped by 2/12/2026. Employees were very friendly. Place was clean. Good salad bar. Great food. Couldn't eat all of the food cause of the large proportions. Nice little quiet place. We made sure the cook got a tip also. Will definitely be going back. read more

I haven't tried Five Brothers in a long time. Saw a post recently about the lasagna and decided to try it. It comes with salad bar and I found it to be well stocked. The lasagna was house made. It had lots of meat. I didn't detect ricotta cheese, which is fine by me. I think it needs a lot more sauce to it. I only ate half there and added sauce to the leftovers which took it to the next level. Service was good. I think the dining room is ok, but there weren't many people there when I was and it made the atmosphere a little off. They seem to have lots of specials and I will return to see how they are. read more

Five Brothers Cafe - Lasagna - American Near Me - Salem, Illinois

We were traveling through Salem and decided to have dinner. There were several cars in the parking lot so, thought we would try 5 Brothers Cafe. $18.99 for a buffet is way too much. So, we ordered off the menu. We should have left. Grilled chicken was "tasteless". Mashed potatoes were instant potatoes. Our bill was $23.87 and it was the WORST meal that I have paid for PERIOD. Wife had some stomach issues a few miles down the road. We won't ever stop there again. read more

Their soups are superb! My favorite is the chicken pasta, but their chicken orzo is a very close second for me. I've done their unlimited soup and salad a few times and love it! read more

Decent local restaurant with a very large menu of options. Food was fine, server was very nice. Entree salads were generous, so it was surprising how uninspired the side salad was--just shredded lettuce with a single cucumber slice. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but if I'm back in Salem again, I'd try them again. read more

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Found this little cute spot through Yelp, it was on our way out of Illinois in Salem. My husband and I decided to stop for brunch and we absolutely loved it! Excellent customer service through our time there. Started with the onion rings, so crispy, fresh, and delicious! I then ordered the 1/4 fried chicken and mash potatoes. The chicken had the perfect crisp and flavor. Definitely recommend! My husband ordered the early bird combo and he also loved it! I did take one of his pancakes and it was so fluffy and delicious! We definitely want to come back to this place again! read more

We've passed this restaurant quite a bit going from Centralia to Salem, so we decided to try it tonight. We were very impressed by how big it was inside and so clean. The menu has a lot of choices, was very surprised by that. Our server was great and the food was pretty good, too. Will definitely be back. Going to make a few trips back to try out the menu. Overall, a great experience and we are looking forward to returning. read more

Great food and service I've eaten here three nights in a row and haven't been disappointed.

Highly recommend. Great food + service, very affordable. We stopped here before we headed on a road trip and it was just what we needed. About 3 minutes from the interstate and easy to find: plenty of parking. We were a little put off by the giant video poker signs, not sure what it was going to be like inside, but it was a very clean and open restaurant and we didn't even see the video poker. Big menu, good coffee. Plenty of options to feed your sweet tooth or get a light healthy breakfast (or a little of both) Our server was kind and knowledgable. Our order came out perfect, even though we had a few odd requests. We will be stopping here again when we are in the area. read more

Five Brothers is a bit off the intersection of US 50 and I-57 in Salem, IL, but worth 5 minutes to check out, especially for breakfast. Friendly, fast service, large portions, clean, with a good menu. Every time I have gone here, the food is hot, tasty and more than I can usually eat. Five Brothers Cafe is way more like home cooking when compared to the places posted right next to the I-57 exits and only three to five minutes west on US 50 from the I-57 exit. Bottom line is that this locally-owned restaurant is a much better deal than the corporate boxes in town. I'd give Five Brothers six stars just because, but.... read more

Not sure how this got 5 stars, but it's terrible! The corned beef tasted old and the fries were old. It took forever! The waitress was unapologetic and rude. The other meals were mediocre! Only reason I gave 1 star was my Dad enjoyed the spaghetti. *Edited to note that the manager (who is one of the owners) adjusted the bill and apologize for the rude little girl. read more

Wish i had great things to say. We were looking for a a down-home country breakfast on our trip instead of visiting a franchise restaurant. The food was okay, the service was okay the prices were reasonable. Just nothing special we were hoping for a lot more. It definitely looks like a place where regulars go we walked in and we got a lot of stairs from the customers and from the wait staff. Coffee was so so, breakfast was just mediocre nothing that jumped out at us read more

Great place for breakfast we found passing thru. Thanks Yelpers! Omelet was wonderful.

Stopped here on our way from Nashville to Bloomington IL. You know that things aren't going to be great when the menu is soooo large and it means one thing: everything is frozen. No homemade here. My hubby got meatloaf. It was a frozen Salisbury steak patty. Instant mash potatoes. I ordered gyro. Also pretty terrible. I will say that the staff was friendly and very accommodating. Just not your typical ma and pop diner. Very very low quality food :/ read more

The restaurant is clean and rustic. Seating is plentiful and service is quick. The staff is very friendly and enjoys chatting with customers as this place is frequented by both locals and truckers alike. Wait time is reasonable, when there actually is one. Food comes out hot and fresh. Prices are very reasonable for the large portions served. Overall, this place is well worth eating at when possible. read more

Five Brothers Cafe - American Near Me - Salem, Illinois

The people are very friendly here and helpful in helping us decide what we may like. Also, they have SWEET TEA!! WOOT!! The cream of chicken with rice soup is amazing!!! read more

My husband and I were returning to Minnesota from Florida and were looking for some home cooking. Our stop there for lunch was just what we needed. Service and food were great!! read more

Was going to do Pizza but my eye caught the review for 5 Brothers. People raved about the fried chicken and it was no lie. Outstanding fried chicken! My only thumbs down would be the side salad with the meal. The lettuce and the tomatoes were old. Borderline withered. Caught a look at other meals as they were being delivered to tables. All looked delicious and plentiful. Will definitely return! read more

Stopped in after spending the day at the lake. We were both hungry and wanted real food. My husband had chicken Caesar salad. It wasn't anything special. Over dressed but edible. I ordered open faced pork loin sandwich. Asked the waitress if it was a sliced loin roast and she said yes it was and came served on bread with potatoes and gravy. When meal came it was a preformed breaded meat patty. We were tired and were ready to get home so I tried it. It was hot and the potatoes were ok but definitely not what I wanted. All meals here come with soup of the day- even sandwiches. 90 degrees outside no interest in cream of chicken rice soup! They could charge less if they would leave the soup in the can. read more

Stopped by here on a roadtrip and the place was amazing. The food we ordered came out fast and hot! There was a large selection of food and from other customers they seemed to all be enjoying the food. The place has a nice family run atmosphere while still being a step above just an average diner. The staff were extremely friendly and very attentative. If I was back in Salem, IL I'd definitely stop back here again! read more

Best "greasy spoon" restaurant I've been to in a long time. Huge menu with a wide selection of food. Super friendly waitstaff too.

There was so much on the menu that looked great that I had a hard time choosing. My 8 year old son told the waitress that the food was "delightful and delicious" and told me that it was his favorite restaurant ever. The rest of us enjoyed our food as well. All day breakfast and a wide array of dinner options. Excellent waitress as well. We'll definitely be going back. It is just off of I57 for those traveling. Worth the drive for us somewhat, but not quite so locals. read more

Skillets were huge! Wish I would've shared it with my husband because half if it went to waste, but the pancakes were amazing! Service was average. Definitely your small town ma & pa restaurant but would definitely go again. read more

The food was actually much better than i anticipated. This was an off the interstate detour for me. Found it via google maps. At first i was a little skeptical about sitting down to eat but as soon as i walked in the door, the nicest lady spoke to me. She had her purse and was on her way out the door but she stopped, turned around, seated me, AND took my drink order. That was very nice and unexpected of her. She let the other waitress know i was there and i received the same friendly service from her. I ordered the hot grilled chicken sandwich. It came with soup. Oh my gosh this soup was delicious and well seasoned. #unexpected! My sandwich was really really good. Made my mouth say mmmmm. AND the sweet tea was not too sweet. All around good experience. I highly recommend it. read more

Very clean with a warm diner atmosphere. Menu was overwhelmingly large. Most us got breakfast which they serve all day. It was solid (great hash browns). My wife was impressed that there was avocado in the taco salad and the dressings were all homemade. Service was good, although they seemed a little understaffed when we arrived at noon. The place was filled with locals (good sign) and there is obviously a long family history with this establishment. Way better than the fast food gauntlet near the interstate. read more

Looked on Yelp for some assistance and found this place! Adorable homey place! I got a turkey club with fries and the chicken pasta soup and it was delicious!!!! The server was chatty and very personable. Asked where we were visiting from and checked in on us a few times. If I was in Salem again, I would stop back through! Affordable, hot and flavorful and super nice people!!!!! read more

We had a great breakfast two days in a row. We really appreciated the very friendly server and the good food.

Great Breakfast.... beautiful restaurant, fast friendly service, good old southern cooking at a great price..my daughter got the half order of biscuits and gravy and loved it...huge plate, I can't imagine the size of a full order ....worth the two minute drive off I57... read more

Hesitant at first to go in due to lots of video gambling signs. Glad we did. Had good omelets and skillets. Food, service, menu and pricing were all good. Clean restaurant and restrooms. read more

Five Brothers is your quintessential family restaurant. I've been here for breakfast and dinner before and enjoyed both experiences. Fairly priced with a lot of options on the menu. The staff is friendly and very attentive. Would recommend over the Village Garden further in town. read more

This place has the best fried chicken that I've ever had! Being from the south that says a lot! I try and stop at this place when traveling with work. It's perfect everytime! read more

Very, very good! Friendly staff, huge menu, large portions. Clean restrooms and dining area.

I been here like three times. It was a hit and miss deal. One time my mashed potatoes were cold. Place seemed clean. The reason why they are getting a three star is because the inconsistencies in the food. But in all fairness I will be back and give it another chance. read more