Great food, the server was friendly and fun to talk to. I was just visiting, but it was enjoyable and would go back

They are horrible. I watched the cook readjust his belt and pants without changing his gloves. That's gross. read more

The Free Loader - a man sitting at a bar - Pubs Near Me - Salem, Oregon

This is a Blue Collar bar! The prices are reasonable and the bartenders are entertaining to say the least. This place is clean and comfortable. They have a small bar menu (fried fair) but it's really good! Unfortunately, they don't have chicken gizzard, I mean who does that! Regardless, this is a cool little place with cool regulars and stop in customers. Pool tables and steel tip darts on site as well with a covered and enclosed outside area. It's cheesy to say, but I love this bar! read more

I started coming here to play darts with my friend Jeannie, and everyone is very welcoming, the Bartender remembers your drink. The food is pretty good. It's typical bar food! I always enjoy myself when there. Darts is the main draw. It's not the plastic tips for sissies. We play real darts with metal. read more

The Free Loader - Platter... Heart attack on a platter, but oh, so good! - Pubs Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Figured I'd distill this most recent experience into an image. Pretty big discrepancy from $7.50 to $17.50. Isn't it on the business to make sure that their prices are reflected accurately across all their service vendors? A picture is worth a thousand words read more

The Free Loader - Pubs Near Me - Salem, Oregon

This is a nice low key dive bar. It's very spacious with plenty of places to play lotto, pool or darts. The bar is big so plenty it places to sit. The staff is always friendly and sometimes they hold pool tournaments or promos. They always have the game playing and the customers here are usually very nice. This is a very welcoming location where you can enjoy a drink to yourself or get a big group of friends together. read more

False advertising of prices and they harass you if they have your number if you complain.

Aggressive staring immediately after entering the building, bartender hated my jokes, lost to a woman at darts. Told the bartender she'd didn't give a single hit.... 5 stars read more

This place is awesome! Great drinks, amazing service, and really good bar fare. Lottery, two pool tables and a nice big bar to hang at! The regulars are super friendly and fun! One of the best "joints" I've been to in the Salem area read more

The Free Loader - a man and a woman taking a selfie - Pubs Near Me - Salem, Oregon

I have only had the best service from the Freeloader. I've been going there for over 5 years. The staff, and management have always treated me with respect. As for the menu prices. I have never found any discrepancy in their prices. They are very up front, and listed in the bar. I will admit I have never used a service like Gubhub to order, but if I did I would be sure the prices are correct. read more

The pictures posted below are not from our menu. (By Jake B) After contacting several on line places that say they represent the Free Loader and they post "A" menu. Grubhub postmates ect all admit IT IS NOT OUR MENU!!!! They even used our logo WITH OUT our permission!! It is a new/different world we live in. You can NOT trust 90% of what you read on the internet from random 3rd party sites. If you want to know what's on the menu just stop by. It's posted on the lime green board! COVID restrictions do not allow us to hand out menus. The Free Loader has been around a VERY long time. It is not a diner IT'S a neighborhood bar! OLCC requires we sell food. read more

If you're looking for a lounge with rail thin super models and metro-sexuals sipping Cosmopolitans, thankfully this is not the place! The Free-Loader is a comfortable bar for regular people. The bar staff is friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed. Plus, compared to most other places around town, their Big Buck Safari guns actually shoot straight. And I love that game! read more

On Monday, March 1st my family and I ordered food to go from The Free Loader. We got the 4 piece fried chicken, listed as $6.75, the Beer Battered Halibut listed as 7.50 and the chicken strips for 5.75. So $20 total. The bar tender who took the order was very short with my wife over the phone. I went in to pick up the food and pay and was told the order $41. I was surprised by this and when I returned to the car asked my wife if she had changed the order at all because it was way more than it should have been. She said no so I headed back inside and told the bar tender I thought I might have been over charged. She then told me the fried chicken was $10 and some change and that the fish was 17.50! This is on top of a ridiculous $6 "to go fee". I told and showed her that online the prices were listed as what I said above. I asked if I could return the fish because had my wife known it was 17.50 she wouldn't have ordered it. The bar tender refused, saying they aren't responsible for what is listed on sites like Grubhub. She said I should have checked their Facebook page (I have since done so and no menu is even listed). So I returned to my car to update my wife on the situation. From the car I called them back and asked to speak to the owner and was told the owner would tell me the same thing. Only after I said I'd have no choice but to call the Better Business Bureau did the bar tender agree to give us back the difference. The bar tender kept accusing my wife of secretly working for Grubhub and had my wife go into the back room after taking her phone and coerced her to sign "something" stating she would not call the BBB in order to receive the partial refund. Today, Tuesday, March 2nd we have received three voice messages from the bartender, Candy calling us "frauds" and "cheats" and saying "they are on to us and we will be in trouble soon." Be careful calling this place since they are using their caller ID to call back and leave harassing voice messages with short/petty voice mails saying things as stated above. Yes, it is covid and times are hard for many people, but you do not run a business like this and definitely do not harass customers like this. read more

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2 stars for clean, good drinks, great back area to smoke or just chill, nice pool tables, clean bathroom. Service could be better attitude wasn't even close to friendly. Being someone who has worked in the Service industry before on multiple plains. A smile goes a long way eye contact and not being snide when someone asks a question would be better than what I received. Not everyone is a local or a regular the point is to promote a welcoming environment so new customers want to come back. This place was not busy there was no need to be rude to a customer read more

I don't like the evening bartender(s) attitude. At all. The bar itself is fine, and the smoking area is good, but god, I don't like getting the stink eye while walking in. I've been 3 times and won't go back. read more

I love this place!! It's like a neighborhood bar:) The customers are great! You fit right in.

It's a dive bar, you need to be missing a tooth or two to fit in! Always had great service when I go in. This place is one of the few places with darts. Has real dart boards but rarely has darts so you'll need to bring your own. read more

Outstanding service. The bartender and waitress was on top of things with dart patrons, regulars, and visitors. The food prices are great and the portions are huge. The tavern was clean and well maintained. Parking is plentiful. read more

If you feel like dropping the facade and being real, this is the place to be. They don't do karaoke anymore, but that's all right. The regulars are cool if your cool. read more

Great dive bar. If you want to play steel-tip darts or pool, this is a great place to go. For the gamblers, there's lots of video poker machines. Christine is probably the best bartender ever - she can work a busy bar, deep-fry yummy bar food and carry on three conversations like no one I've ever seen. Customers behave themselves, and even though it's a dive bar, I've never felt unsafe there. Good place to just hang out and have a beer or snack. read more

It's a dive bar. Dingy, dark and a little smelly. What more would you expect? They have pool tables, a great area to play darts and VP. Although the place is a decent size, they do not have very many tables for seating. Good beer selection on tap. I only saw one bar tender and she was PAINFULLY slow. She also helped all regulars prior to helping us. read more

Great place, good food, cheap prices and Christine is one of the nicest bartenders in town !

Always a relaxed atmossphere, all differnt kinds of music on the jukebox, all different kind of people. Free texas hold'em tournement wed & sat nights. No buy-in. Sign up at 6pm, tourney starts at 7pm. Nice outside covered patio area, pool tables, darts, and kareoke on fri nights. read more