This sounds like a great review already. I'd polish it just a little while keeping your casual,…read moregenuine voice: The Easy Otter is always a fun spot for drinks and bites! My husband and I recently stopped in and shared the chicken finger plate with garlic fries, and it was more than enough for both of us. The chicken fingers are huge and seriously delicious! I honestly think they're some of the best chicken fingers I've had in Salem! The garlic fries were really good too, tons to garlic. And, as always, the staff were super nice, friendly, and welcoming. Definitely a spot we'll keep coming back to!

Cozy spot with really great food. Honestly the best fried chicken I have had in years. Cooked and…read moreseasoned perfectly. The local beer options were excellent , and Corbyn (who waited on us) was so great with information on pairings and recommendations with orders. The beignets are sinful. There should be no way on this big blue, green, white, brown marble we call Earth, that the only place in the world that makes the most incredible beignets is located 700 miles from where I reside. It's not fair. Do yourself a favor if you're visiting. Go in. Bask in the music curated by the staff, enjoy local beers. Savor the most incredible fried chicken since before Harland Sanders sold out. And most of all, indulge in all of the glory that is the multiple varieties of beignets that will make you hope there is an afterlife. And that if you've been a solid person, and karma smiles on you, the view you see from your resting space is whatever beach, lake, mountain, stream, river or desert that brought you peace, and a massive plate of said beignets.

We stopped into Route 99 for lunch on Saturday, August 1st. It was not the first time we had been…read morethere, in fact it was probably the 6th or 7th time! This time, we were greeted by friendly staff as soon as we walked in. This is not unusual. We were seated immediately and our server approached promptly. Her name was Laramie, (super cool name), and she was friendly, happy, and very efficient. I had the smoked cheddar burger. This was the first time I had ordered it. It was so darned good!! It's a double patty burger with cheese, bacon, and all of the fixin's. It comes with a side of one's choice. I had the Jo-Jo's along with it. They were awesome too! They are wedged potatoes with a flavorful coating and then fried. Oh my goodness!!! So good! The restaurant is very clean, open spaces and decorated nicely. It's one of those places where you want to look around to see the fun things hanging on the walls. Nice but not overdone. Prices are good, right in there with many other restaurants and completely worth it for quality of their food and for the quantity that you get. I'm a big eater but I still had to take some home with me. I highly recommend stopping in for a great breakfast, lunch or dinner. You won't be disappointed!

This is a very popular spot in the area. You'll get hearty portions and that home-style,…read moredown-country feel--even though the interior has a more industrial design. My chicken fried steak was solid and easily enough for two meals. Unfortunately, my husband was pretty disappointed with his brisket. It was more like shredded pork, and he felt the flavor was off--he was expecting more of a smoky barbecue taste. Overall, a mixed experience depending on what you order.

What a little treasure! Huge portions of food, and tastes amazing! If you've never been here,…read moredefinitely a good place for breakfast (served all day long) I haven't had any other meal, anytime I go I get breakfast. Today I had the classic chicken fried steak and I will be eating it for days. Service was fantastic and she is on the ball (we sat in the lounge area) Definitely will be back!

Love the vibe and all of the bartenders. All the food we have tried has been delicious and we have…read moretried a lot of it! Always recommended this place to everyone!!

Service was terrible. The cheese curds and beingets were great, but the shrimp and grits were meh…read moreand the hot bird sandwich was inadequate. Saw two other people order this and their chicken was about two I ches thick but mine was maybe half an inch.

TLDR: "The biscuit was F'n wonderful!" - my MiL. High praise coming from her…read more Second time to Noble Wave and everything was fantastic! Sunday brunch menu is limited but has some great options that aren't available other days. The chicken and biscuit sandwich was amazing! One of the best biscuits I have tasted in a while. The chicken and waffles were delicious and not what I expected. The waffle was more like a flavorful waffle cone than a giant Belgian waffle. The fried chicken was very tasty. The bacon was crisp and wonderful. The over medium egg was perfect. My Diet Coke was never empty this time and the rest of the service was also on point. We had a fun discussion with one of the owners, I think and were convinced of his love of good food and New Orleans. Nothing fancy with the furnishings and atmosphere but more than enough for downtown Salem. I'll definitely be back!

Took my partner here for their birthday and it was just as good as the reviews say. The food was…read moreamazing and the portions were huge. About average price for the amount of food you get. One meal was enough to feed me all day, and the Spanish coffee I got was mixed perfectly. Seats are extremely limited, but the service was super fast so even with a full plate you get in and out comfortably in under an hour. Other reviews mention rude service staff, but my experience was the total opposite. I wish I could've gotten her name to give her a shout-out. :) I do have to mention the lack of parking. There were still empty tables when the parking lot was already completely full. There were maybe eight parking spots altogether, but that would be my only complaint.

Oh my gosh I don't know where to start! Everything I ordered was a solid 10/10 & that doesn't…read morehappen too often LOL. Started out with the giant tower of whip cream'd hot chocolate! House made of course so it's even better than the store bought stuff in my opinion because it tastes like actual chocolate. I ordered the filet minion chicken fried steak and it was cooked to perfection. So juicy inside and crispy but not like overly cooked crispy on the outside! Topped with a hot gooey layer of house made sausage gravy. The overall size of this steak was about as big as my face. To complement this enormous steak was eggs, a biscuit & some smashed Yukon potatoes..like they were literally small potatoes they just smashed which was really different to me because I've never seen that before. I also had to order the infamous cinnamon roll pancake I been seeing floating around on other people's reviews. IT IS A MUST.. and if you are ordering it to take home make sure you have a piece of it while it's still hot and fresh because that was to die for. I won't go more into detail about it you just have to try it. It will speak for its self. Overall the dinning experience was great! Servers were more than happy to get you whatever you need. We sat at the bar so y'all should try their drinks because they looked so good and the bartenders looked like they were having fun making them. The restaurant is a literal house and while charming it is small and packed inside and the parking lot is also really small so you may need to get there early or expect to park somewhere else in the streets. We got there an hour after they opened and it was only a 30 minute wait thankfully. Will be coming back again to try other menu items!

Amazing experience all around. I accidentally made my reservation for the chef counter. I don't…read moregenerally like bar seating because I am short and the stools are often uncomfortable, but they had a nice ledge at the right height for me. It was fun watching all the variety of dishes come together. Service was great, just the right amount of attentive. Food was amazing. Everything was great, but special nod to the squid ink pasta and the tres major steak. Definitely will come back next time I'm in the area

Apparently, unlike the Napa/Sonoma area, Willamette wine country is not known for food, but after…read moresome research, we came across Cozy Taberna, which is a tapas style place in downtown Salem. We reserved on Tock, and it was mostly full on a Friday night. Drinks: lots of local beers are available, but I went with the Pineapple Express: she warned it was spicy, and it indeed was (in a really good way). All of the food is done family style: - Clams Galicia: with tomato, chorizo, bacon broth. This broth as amazing. I literally drank it with a spoon - Pan con tomate: slightly different from classic preparation - more flavorful and heavier on the toppings - Salmorejo: tomato and bread puree, Serrano, jammy egg - like a creamy gazpacho - Grilled asparagus: with whipped ricotta and a cured egg yolk - Squid ink pasta: with hazelnuts, caramelized onions, peppers, and a runny egg yolk, a bit spicy. This dish was my favorite - Honey brined pork chop with a basque piperade sauce The servers were all great about checking in. I would definitely recommend the squid ink pasta and the clams if you're in town!

Decided to stop in and try Chiras's this evening. Good friends ate here the week before and enjoyed…read moreit. I was greeted by a very friendly server named Logan, he showed me to a booth, and let me settle in. After a few moments he came back with some fresh rolls and took my drink order, I opted for a glass of the house Pinot Noir. They have a nice varied menu and also offer some Chef specials. I decided on the Parmesan Crusted Halibut as my entree and a Ceaser salad to start. The salad arrived quickly and looked very good, I was informed that they had just made fresh croutons. After finishing my salad, which was very good the croutons were light and crispy, my dinner arrived. The overall presentation was excellent, the potatoes had a nice flavor and went well with the fish and asparagus. The halibut was cooked just right and the crust was perfect. Overall the meal was exceptionally delicious. I will make an effort to to come back and try more of the menu. I was informed that Saturday evening is a good time to stop in as they have live music. Highly recommended for a nice dinner with spouse, friends or work associates.

3/5 Stars Came here with a triathlon club group of 25+…read morepeople. Now, you'd think a restaurant hosting a group of endurance athletes would be prepared for a marathon, but service-wise, this was more like a relay race where the baton got dropped immediately. Our poor waiter was running around like a headless chicken the entire night. Hydration is key for triathletes, but finding a water refill here turned into an absolute heroic quest. I practically needed a GPS, a compass, and a hydration pack just to self-serve a glass of water. As for the food: * Sirloin Steak (Mine): Absolutely perfect. Chef's kiss. * Steak Salad (My Girlfriend's): We asked for medium, but it arrived a bit on the rare side. Still edible, but definitely had a little too much "life" left in it. * Our Teammate's Culinary Misadventure: One guy in our group had the absolute worst luck--or the kitchen had a personal vendetta against him. He ordered a steak medium, and it came out cooked to hockey-puck well done. Naturally, he didn't want to play Russian roulette with another steak, so he pivoted to Fish & Chips. It arrives, he takes a bite, and the fish is still cold in the middle! At that point, we weren't sure if it was bad luck or if he secretly owed the chef money. The Verdict: The potential for great food is definitely there (my steak proved it!), but Chira's was completely unprepared for a large crowd. If you're coming with a big party, maybe pack your own water bottle and pray the kitchen roulette favors your table!

Just an update to confirm my continued reviews:…read more Josey's is still top notch breakfast food for the area. The prices have stayed somewhat steady since 23 and the quality remains high. Staff are friendly and responsive and are very helpful with requests or questions. I ate here when single, when dating, I brought my kids here when they were babies, and I take them at 12 year olds now. Really glad to have a constant like Josey's that I can always rely on.

I haven't ate here for a while. But I love this place. It is the epitome of homemade wholesome…read morecountry food with generous portions. The staff are real and friendly. If it is anything like it used to be it's easily one of the best breakfasts in Salem.