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Noble Wave

3.7 (333 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Noble Wave Photos

Business Info

NOBLE WAVE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Trendy
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Noble Wave

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Owner Riley Vannoy made my friend Sarah and I feel very welcome!
John G.

The great taste of Louisiana visits the north northwest. Had a phenomenal dinner there last night that included some local beers, some good old down home, red beans and rice with smoked sausage and shrimp and grits. The owner of his staff take very good care of their guests.

Hurricane

The saltiest food of my life! Salt does not compensate for flavor nor count as seasoning. But let me restart. The drinks? They are great. They would kill as a stand alone bar. The food? No way. The gumbo tasted like the salt overspilled in poutine. No where did I taste gumbo. Burnt salted sausage. I got the pickled fries thinking maybe, maybe there would be some salvage. Absolutely not. It tasted like a salt heap in my mouth. The owners are great. They're nice. As a bar, they would probably kill in Portland. Maybe in Salem. But the food I will never come back for again. I took pictures of the drinks. Not the food. It was that terrible.

Inside
Mike B.

Our son and daughter-in-law have visited several times and invited us to join them while we were in town. They told us that Noble Wave featured southern comfort food. My in laws had joined them on a previous visit and enjoyed the food as well so we were anxious to try. We arrived about 5:45pm on a Friday evening in December. Our daughter-in-law called to inquire earlier in the day if reservations were necessary. She was told they took reservations only for parties of 5 or more and a group our size should be okay. Parking in downtown Salem can be a bit tricky, especially during peak times. We ended up parking in the free, public overpark located approximately two-three blocks from Noble Wave. The multi level parking garage offered plenty of available spots and kept us from circling several city blocks searching for street parking. We walked in and were impressed with the overall feel and cleanliness of the space. A sign stated customers could seat themselves, so we chose a four person table near the front of the restaurant. When we arrived, approximately one-third to one-half of the dining room seating was available. They also had a small bar, but we do not recall the number of seats. Our server came by shortly afterwards and provided us menus and took our drink orders. She was relatively friendly, but at the same time we noticed she wasn't extremely helpful when asked questions about the menu. We opted to order the Bin-Yay Fried Chicken Sliders and Fried Cheese Curds as appetizers. We were busy talking and catching up and took a bit longer to decide on our entree selections. Ultimately, our table of four chose the Louisiana Poutine, the Hot Bird Sandwich, Shrimp & Grits with a side of the kale salad, and the Louisiana Chicken & Sausage Gumbo. The cheese curds arrived first and looked absolutely delicious. We were all very impressed with just how yummy they were, probably the best cheese curds we've ever had! The chicken sliders arrived a short time later. We opted to order the coleslaw on the side which worked well since not everyone at the table is a coleslaw fan. They were also yummy and completely shareable. We noticed between our server and one other server, they would occasionally stop in and refill drinks. In general, we felt relatively taken care of, but also neither server went above and beyond the absolute basics or made us feel extremely welcome. It did take our orders longer than usual to arrive, and our son and daughter-in-law told us that had also been their experience in the past. They feel the food is really good but the length of time it takes for items to arrive from the kitchen can be a bit long. Our entrees began to arrive one by one and while they all looked yummy, it is a bit frustrating that a table of four cannot be served meals at the same time. We really enjoyed our food, it was very good. The service could have been better, and the overall length of time it took for items to come from the kitchen should be improved. My wife used the restroom during our visit and said it was spotless and well equipped, which is always a good sign. We would absolutely return in the future, and recommend to others. It would be nice if they could improve their kitchen wait times, but perhaps they were short staffed that night, we are unsure. Overall, a great addition to downtown Salem. We were very impressed with the look and feel of downtown on a Friday evening during the winter, it is MUCH improved over the last several years.

Hello cheese  curds.  I'm not in Wisconsin, but I'm getting fried cheese with ranch.
Amy G.

Southern cooking in the PNW! Yup. Noble Wave is a pleasant surprise that I discovered on a bookstore visit to Salem. It's nestled in downtown with a cozy and fun vibe. Lots of booths and spots for date night or fun with friends. The staff were friendly and service was fast. I lived many years in Wisconsin so fried cheese curds dipped in ranch is a staple appetizer in my book. I was delighted to try theirs. Homemade ranch was top notch and so were the other sauces they make. They pulled off the breaded cheese quite nicely. The star of the show was being able to order a po'boy sandwich as a vegetarian. They use cauliflower and it was such a well prepared specimen. They even have the authentic bun. Of course I had the beignets for dessert. Once you've been to Cafe Du Monde in NOLA it's hard to compare, but Noble Wave put their hat in the ring. I was disappointed that they weren't the square bigger sized ones I'm used to. They were small and more like donut holes. It satisfied the craving though. A delicious mess waiting to happen. If you're in the mood for Southern cooking I definitely recommend stopping by. Especially for vegetarians because it's a bit of a rarity to get some of these options otherwise. What are y'all waiting for, get in here.

Chicken & Waffles
Carole B.

Love the eclectic atmosphere and style -- fit right into the downtown vibe with an artsy, funky flair. There was a Cajun theme underlying it all, but it still felt very Oregonian. Service was very friendly and prompt. The menu was ambitious in its soulfulness but did not deliver on its promise. The shrimp and grits were bland and served as a relatively small portion. My husband ordered a variation on chicken and waffles that was topped by an egg and some kind of bacon. The decadent tower of hearty layers was under seasoned and dry. Would not rush back for the food,, but enjoyed the experience overall. Plus it was a good time bonding with my cousin enjoying mimosas (which were a great bargain) over brunch!

Half of a shrimp po'boy, with a slice of tomato on the plate next to it.
Tim R.

This local restaurant didn't look exotic, but it was an open and serviceable location. The food was outstanding. The red beans were good, if more spicy than I would normally make, but the champ of the meal was the fried shrimp po'boy. The menu claimed that the bread was shipped in from New Orleans, and when I took my first bite it was like being back home.

Bacon
Aileen I.

So the place seems slow for a weekday maybe its the time we came in but theres one waitress and one cook. The waitress was very kind and timely with taking care of us. Lets start with the drinks OMG so good, here I was saying i wished they were bigger BUT they hit! And i mean Hit good. Taste amazing too! The food was delicious but not to die for. The poutine I would rate a 5/10 and the burger is a 7/10. I would definitely get the burger again but not the poutine. The fries were really crispy and thin. And the gumbo sauce in the poutine sneaks up on you with the spice it was a nice touch but overall felt skimpy with the sausages and cheese curds i had 5 of each on the plate. Burger was really good all I would say definitely get the double. For the size you might end up wanting more!

The "Accidental Charge", a cocktail from their anniversary menu
Stephanie B.

Three-times eating here and we keep loving Noble Wave more and more! We recently ate at their anniversary crawfish boil and had a wonderful time - definitely worth the wait for the great food, drinks, and ambiance! This place has a lot of heart, and it's evident the staff really care about the restaurant, the food, and the service. This time around we ordered gumbo and 5 pounds of crawfish plus sides (crawfish is not a regular menu item, so sorry for the tease if that's what you're looking for!) and it was delectable. The spice was ON and I certainly appreciated that! We ate at the bar, and our bartenders were fantastic at making sure our drinks were made asap. We love that Noble Wave gets us our fix of Cajun food when we're craving it. Although many dishes are made with chicken and/or beef (andouille and gator are options here, too!), this is a great restaurant to bring folks who are vegetarians and pescatarians. From the yummy food to the drinks that replicate the ones sold in the French quarter (e.g., Hurricane and strawberry daiquiri) there's something here for everyone, whether it's your first time trying Cajun food, or you're craving an old favorite.

Delicious Oysters!

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3 months ago

Just had to take a minute to write a positive review. Yum, we enjoyed our food. Please thank your staff for great customer service

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10 months ago

The food was delicious and the service was very fast and friendly. We don't live in Oregon so probably won't be back, but we're glad we did!

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Noble Wave - cajun - Updated May 2026

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