Came on a lovely Thursday at 5:30, sat outside and enjoyed the ongoings of ppl wandering and 1/2 price appetizers w $1 oysters.
Waitress was great and really helpful as I was in a hurry.
-6 oysters: fine. I don't know why I keep eating oysters - they all taste the same, are slimy, and take about 1 second to eat without being filling at all. These were fine.
-sangria: really good - strong, flavorful, and not crazy sweet
-deviled egg: 2 eggs, good stuff. Not sure I've ever had a bad deviled egg
-taco w beef: appeared plain w tortilla, few shreds of lettuce, cheddar cheese, and greedy beef - but they were quite tasty. An interesting sauce that was both a bit sweet and had a very mild little kick that made them delightful. Unhealthy, but tasty.
-asparagus w prosciutto and Parmesan: awesome. Again, hard to screw up, but these were awesome. Salty as hell
-arugula salad: lots of arugula, bacon, pine nuts, and blue cheese with a tasty dressing.
Overall, I really enjoyed the food. I think it would have been too expensive if it wasn't for the happy hour, but i ate like a king and still feel good and also really liked my waitress and sitting outside on a lovely day - 4 stars
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) ---- This place is great!
On a random Tuesday night, I decided to head to Naumkeag. Specifically July 17th, 2013. I had seen the place busy while picking up pizzas from Flying Saucer, and had been meaning to try it. I am glad I did. I was instantly greeting by the owner and bartender, who invited me to sit anywhere.
Angelina, the bartender, was awesome. I was in no rush, and she guided me through what to order and what to drink with it. We talked about CODA in the South End of Boston where I used to live and where the owners previously worked. It felt like being back in the city.
My menu choices:
1) A dozen oysters ($1 per on weekdays) accompanied by an awesome homemade cocktail sauce.
2) The Charcuterie platter. Unbelievable chicken liver pate with chives and other things the chef was unwilling to share with me! Pickled beets, green beans, shaved carrots and red pepper. Also a country pate and stone ground mustard ice cream scoop sized (not needed with the chicken livers pate!)
3) Bitter Greens, poached egg, brioche crouton, bacon salad. Served as requested with the platter, it was a little wilted, not very bitter and I had to hunt for the poached egg which was oddly scattered under cover. I would love to see the same salad with a panko crusted soft boiled egg you break over the salad and let it run. While the brioche crouton was soggy and grilled on just one side, it was fine. But a deshelled soft-boiled egg rolled in eggwash and panko then deep friend, served over a ceasar salad with brioche croutons and anchovies, count me in.
END RESULT - GOING BACK TOMORROW!
Cute spot with decent food and drinks. I've been once for dinner and once for Brunch. While the atmosphere is really chill inside, I prefer to sit outside on the patio. I've had the Mac n cheese with taso ham and the burger and both were fairly priced and delicious. My fiancé got the sweet potato hash with duck for brunch and absolutely loved it. This place gives decently sized portions so you won't leave hungry and you will most likely have leftovers. Great selection of beer and wine plus the bartenders seem to know how to make a good mixed drink. Really happy this place opened and I would recommend!
Review Source:Far from ordinary, Naumkaeg Ordinary is a pretty delicious restaurant in downtown Salem with tasty cocktails too. Service was good and they started the meal was some great warm bread and butter. I would describe the décor of this place as classy rustic. Here is what we had:
Sangria - Solid sangria if you like the stuff
Straight Shooter - Great summer cocktail, I would definitely get it again
Deviled Eggs - One of the best deviled eggs I have ever had
Pork Tacos - I would hardly call these tacos, it was chunks of pork in a General Gau-type sauce. All inside a piece of tortilla bread. No guac, no sour cream, or cheese.
Pork 3 Ways - It was a pretty good dish. I really enjoyed the pork belly which was glazed in a sweet sauce
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp - The dessert was a big highlight. Basically a hot strawberry pie
Very nice inside ,walked in and sat down right away. Great service cool drink selection,got the sangria very yummy! Appetizer selection was good ,my wife and I got the zucchini fritters and grilled asparagus with prosciutto .both were very good. The entrees were excellent....  My wife got the steak  frites  ...   I got the fried chicken ,both very large portions...  To full for dessert....  Over  all I would highly recommend this restaurant.
Review Source:Was visiting Salem on a day trip from Boston and looked for a good lunch spot. I saw some good Yelp reviews and asked the staff at the Witch Museum if they knew anything about it. Unfortunately, they didn't. Never one to ignore the buzz from my fellow Yelpers I brought my family along with me and scoped out Naumkeag Ordinary for a nice lunch on the patio. They certainly did not disappoint.
I had the Cuban, which was fantastic, and my family loved their entrees and salads as well. The staff was super attentive and our drinks never got close to empty. Plus, it was really affordable and the location is great, with green space right in front of us.
Turns out the place has only had a soft opening so far, which explains why no one in town had ever heard of it. Check it out, though. You can't beat the location, price or food quality for a nice weekend lunch spot.
Went there to support the new restaurant:
The 2 appetizers, Devilled Eggs and Mixed Greens are great.
The Pork 3-Ways is a disappointment. The pork chop was chewy (honestly I make better ones at home), and the pulled pork was nothing special.
The execution could definitely have been better.
6/27/13
Trying to see if we had a new choice for dinner for 'date night' in Salem but we were not overly impressed with the restaurant. Look and feel of a local tavern as you entered but a little tough to find out how to grab a table through the depth of the bar. Seating was comfortable with good spacing between table. Good menu, simple but with some attractive items and yes, food was good. Pate sampler was good but cheese would help; burger and seafood stew was well prepared and had great flavor. Our problem was consistency of table serve; need to flag for water, request a spoon to go with Stew (no you can't eat broth with a fork) and waited much to long to obtain the check and depart. With other choices in Salem we will have to think twice before a return trip on 'date night".
Building off Elana H's previous review, we have a hunch we had the same waitress. Short, dark hair, middle aged, never introduced herself. The 2 stars are for the mediocre food and the atmosphere only. Â The service was horrible. Our waitress did not come across as a competent server nor did she seem knowledgeable of the menu items. Â When we questioned her about some specific "daily specials" her responses were so flighty and clueless that we actually continuously choose the opposite of what she was suggesting. Â In addition, when one member of our party asked for an additional side of dipping sauce she the audacity to come across as annoyed. Â Which was actually comical because of how blatantly inattentive she was to not only us, but the other diners she was serving. Â All three our dining party have worked in the food services industry and the service and poor attitude we received was unacceptable and not appreciated. Â We are not high strung, enjoy a good meal, and a good beer, but waiting 30 minutes for her to offer the check (which she didn't, we had to ask her for it) is honestly just ridiculous. Â The restaurant was in no way crowded. Â We were 1 of 5 parties on the floor, with the rest of the clientele at the bar, being serviced by the bartender. Â There really seemed to be no excuse for her inadequacy :( Â We went into the establishment with an open mind, high expectations and left sorely disappointed. The service alone would deter us from returning.
Review Source:Sangria all the way! Â I love this place. Â Great food perfectly plated and I love their choice of music. Â Just like another reviewer said- rustic but still modern. Â It wasn't that busy the 2 times we went in for lunch so it was super easy to get a table. Â There's seating outdoors, at the bar, in front of the bar and behind the bar at the back of the restaurant. Â My only problem is that I can never remember the name to tell others so I just give them directions.
Review Source:Great bar with lots of space, fresh ambience, and friendly service (Angelina was terrific!). Â Great local beer list on draft and wonderfully unique cocktails.
Dinner was a bit of a letdown after our bar stop. Â Our server was attentive and friendly, but it was the food itself that left much to desire.
The Good:
Apps-
The Zucchini Fritters were AMAZING. Â Full of decadent flavor and crunch! Â So good we ordered a second helping.
Deviled Eggs were as good as everyone has said they are. Â Fresh, and tasty.
The OK:
Apps-
The Fries were well cooked, but need more seasoning! Â Also, bring on the ketchup!
The Spicy calamari were flavorful, but a bit soggy and not spicy at all.
The Ugly:
Main course:
The Papparadelle with sausage and broccoli rabe was so overcooked it was dry and tasteless-like it was microwaved. Â Too bad, because the portion size was huge.
Dessert:
The Sticky Toffee Pudding (which everyone RAVED about) was essentially a Little Debbie Cake with some Hersey's Caramel syrup on top. Â We were so disappointed, we hit Orange Leaf after and gorged our sweet teeth!!
All-in-all, I'd go back and give this place another shot. Â Probably just sit at the bar and have a few beers and some Zucchini Fritters.
It was a downpouring night a few weeks ago when my boyfriend and I decided to go here. Â Been excited to try this new restaurant. Â It was pretty full and a bit noisy. Â I dislike needing to yell at the person I'm eating with when they're only about a foot and a half away.
We started with the calamari, which was perfectly done -- nice and tender, not chewy, and had a great flavor. Â I just had water to drink, but my boyfriend ordered one of their signature drinks "The Dirty Pickle" which I believe was vodka, their store-made pickle juice, and sriracha. Â I was surprised that the spicy salty drink also had a sweetness to it. Â It was different (and maybe not for everyone), but I liked it and he did too. Â
Next was our dinner -- I ordered the fried chicken and he got the macaroni and cheese. Â This is where the real problems arose. Â The "fried" part on my chicken tasted like Shake n' Bake to me (my boyfriend said not exactly, tasted like it had some rosemary in it). Â That may have been excusable except for the fact that all 4 pieces of chicken were severely undercooked. Â At almost $20 for chicken, I expect it to be cooked perfectly, nevermind UNDERdone. Â The mashed potatoes it came with were underflavored and tasted pre-made, and the spinach had no salt/garlic/anything to flavor it. Â I was extremely disappointed in my meal, and had more than a half a plate of leftovers which I had them take to throw out (which I NEVER do, I always bring home the leftovers because I don't want to waste the food and money!). Â
My boyfriend's meal was just a bit better. Â The macaroni had pancetta (good) and peas (previously frozen which he hates) in it. Â The cheese sauce was tasty, but seemed more like a Velveeta type thing than something I'd be ordering at a slightly upscale restaurant. Â
Service was friendly, but a little too over-enthusiastic for me (I know, I sound like such a sour-puss here! Â But when the waitstaff exclaims how exciting it is to get your food! Â and how THAT dish is their FAVORITE, OMIGOD! it's sometimes a bit too much for me). Â
Spent about $70, left disappointed, probably won't be back, unless I'm really craving pickle juice in my drink.
UPDATE! We returned to Naumkeag this past Saturday evening and the A/C was on and working great! We had to get the pate and pickle plate agaian and it was different this time with chicken liver pate and head cheese for the meats. Awesome!
I got the pork 3 ways which was fabulous and my wife got the burger. It is officially the best burger in Salem since it is the second time ordering it and it was just as good as the first time.
Our waitress Pam was attentive, friendly and really sweet. This is our new go to spot.
Yum! Â
Naumkeag Ordinary is a great addition to the food choices in Salem. Â My boyfriend and I were there last weekend to eat with his brother and sister-in-law. Â The restaurant has a cute outdoor eating area and an inviting decor inside. Â Matt, the owner, is a hands-on, welcoming guy who was gracious, helpful and passionate about his work. Â We were immediately impressed!
Our server, Justin, was just as nice. Â He was knowledgeable about the extensive beer menu and offered us samples before making a final decision. Â He gave solid recommendations about our beer and meal choices - with positive results for all. Â
The food was delicious with huge (almost too big) portions. Â We started the night with tasty zucchini fritters to share. Â They came with a nice dipping sauce. Â I ordered the gnocchi, which was absolutely delicious. Â It was the best thing that I've ordered in a restaurant in a while. I highly recommend the dish. Â My boyfriend and his family were equally satisfied with their choices - burgers, amazing fries, duck salad, etc. Â If I had one criticism, it would be that the menu is pork heavy. Â It would be nice to have menu items mention what could be made vegetarian-friendly or pork-free.
Overall, it was a truly great meal made even better by the welcoming service and care of the employees. Â We had a delicious dinner and I look forward to returning.
We came in on a Friday night and it was 90°F out. The place was not crowded and we got immediate seating on the patio as there was no air conditioning inside.
It took 10 minutes or so for a waitress to come by with water but she just left without introducing herself or taking a drink order.
Meanwhile, she took a drink order for a table, delivered food, delivered the drink order and when she delivered drinks to a second table AND started to take their order we walked out.
We will not be back.
I am not normally someone that likes to go to a restaurant in the first month they open up because the one or two times I have it seems that kinks still need to be worked out. But I heard so many good things about Naumkeag Ordinary that I had to check it out with hubby and a friend for dinner about 2 ish weeks into being open. I am glad I went. All I can say is yum. Perfect sized portions.....I scarfed my dinner down. So yummy. Staff is awesome and friendly and I like how they renovated the inside (nothing wrong with the way the previous restaurant had it laid out just this spoke to me) Definatly go and check it out. They don't seem to have a lot of veggie options but a friend of mine who is a veggie person said it was fine by her so I guess it is ok?
Review Source:My wife and I are new to Salem and love to go out to dinner. Â We have tried every restaurant in town and there are many fine options. Â Our favorite by far is the Naumkeag Ordinary. Â We are in for dinner and drinks at least once a week, Â sometimes twice. Â The staff is friendly and very attentive. Â The bar tenders Angelina and Barry are two of the best in town. Â Matt the owner is an awesome guy who runs a restaurant the way a restaurant should be run. Â He makes you feel welcome as soon as you walk in the door. Â The atmosphere is very relaxing and we feel right at home.
The food is top notch and the price point couldn't be better. Â Seriously, Â the pork 3 ways should be 3 times the amount they charge for it. Â HUGE pork chop, Â heaping pile of pulled pork, Â and large chunk of pork belly all cooked perfectly. Â The rest of the menu is fantastic, Â we have not had anything we wouldn't order again.
The beer list is great with a variety of local craft beers and some of the best craft beers from around the country. Â The wine list is unique and very well put together. Â Everyone can find something they like on this list.
Like I said before we have been to Naumkeag more times then I count at this point and don't plan on slowing down anytime soon. Â Stop in and say Hi to Matt and his staff, Â you will be glad that you did.
See you guys soon!!!
The wife and I popped in on a Sunday evening after a long day working in the yard. I'd heard great things about this place, so we wanted to try it. We walked in to a fairly empty restaurant (it was pretty early still) and grabbed seats at the bar. The bartender was very cordial and nice. He was helpful with the menu and let us try several beers. Coming to find out, it was Matt, the owner. He was great. Unfortunately, he didn't stick around as his bartender for the evening, Barry, took over after arriving for work. Things went downhill after that.
We had ordered some pickles to snack on while waiting for our meals and were still working on them. In the execution of his duties, Barry came over and removed our plate with food still on it. He didn't even ask if we were done, and we didn't even have time to react to stop him. There wasn't much left on the plate, so he must've thought we were finished, but he still should've have asked if we were done! Rather than raise a stink, we just let it go.
Next our food came out, and everything was delicious. We had the pork three ways and the pulled pork sandwich. The pulled pork sandwich had mortadella in it, which was a great addition! It provided such a unique flavor to the sandwich that raised it to a new level. It was really good. The pork three ways was also very good. The pulled pork was wonderful, although it could've used a little more tang, the chop was moist, and the shoulder had just the right amount of salt to compliment its flavor.
However when we were finished, service became an issue again. After dinner, I had gotten up to go to the bathroom. While away, Barry again came over and cleared our plates without asking. He also removed my glass, which still had a little beer in it. By this point, I was ready to just leave. It's not that he was a bad guy, he was making an attempt to be personal, but he came across as if he really didn't care about who he was serving or the quality of his work. His banter seemed forced and he looked like he really didn't want to be there. It was just an odd dynamic. Unfortunately, it soured our experience.
Sadly, the bad news doesn't stop there. We recently checked our credit card statement, and our card was charged $10 more than what our bill was. Someone ran it for the extra money. Perhaps it was a mistake, or perhaps they didn't like the tip we left. Whatever the reason, it completely turned us off on the place and, most likely, eliminated any chance that we will return there. I feel bad because Matt seemed like a really nice guy and I wish him well, but  something like this is unacceptable to me and makes me leery about returning. Were it not for the poor service, this easily would've been a 4-star review.  I wouldn't bad-mouth them, or tell people not to go there, but I was pretty unhappy with my experience.
A few weeks ago, a random out of towner on the street asked my husband and I if we knew of a new restaurant in town with a "historic Salem name". Â We're familiar with most of the local restaurants, and nothing came to mind, so we couldn't help her at all. I wondered if it was where the old Polish restaurant used to be (which btw, had great food but very slow service, not surprised it bit the dust) and as we walked back to the car I looked and there it was, the Naumkeag Ordinary. Â
It didn't take us long to get back and try things out as the few reviews already on Yelp were glowing. Â We went last night. Â It will now be deemed our new local *go to* restaurant. Â I'm already making a list of my own out of town visitors that I want to check it out!
Naumkeag Ordinary's decor is somehow simultaneously rustic and modern, and the menu somehow does the same. Â I was really craving a burger, and even though I think you *can* pretty accurately judge a restaurant on its burger, I felt I had to give some of their other delicious looking items a try. Â In fact, I could have ordered every entree on their menu, it all sounded delicious, from mac and cheese, to the Cuban sandwich, to pork three ways. Â
Alas, husband and I ordered zucchini fritters to share (light, fluffy, and came with homemade ranch) which were delicious. Â He ordered fried chicken with came with the largest heaping mountain of mashed potatoes and some collard greens. Â My husband is not the biggest potato fan, but he prompted me to try them because they were so good. Â I said, "What did they add to make them so good?!", and we decided it was probably a lot of scrumptious butter. Â
I ordered the gnocchi with bolognese. Â What business is it of Naumkeag Ordinary, (not an Italian restaurant), to make THE BEST GNOCCHI AND THE BEST BOLOGNESE I HAVE EVER HAD? Â I have been to Italy. Â I have had the real deal. Â I have searched long and hard for food to meet genuine Italy's equal. Â Naumkeag Ordinary has done it, in fact, surpassed it. Â TRUE BOLOGNESE. Â Not just "meat sauce", which is something entirely different. Â FLUFFY, gently sauteed gnocchi. Â Jeez, I didn't really even like the gnocchi I had in Italy, but I had a gut feeling about it. Â Not a hint of gumminess or overdone density. Â Ugh, I am telling you, I had every last bite of that dish.
On top of that, we had a really friendly server who always said thank you, like, repeatedly in a very endearing way. Â AND my water glass was never empty. Â
Food: EXCELLENT.
Service: EXCELLENT.
Ambiance: EXCELLENT.
Prices: Very much worth it! Â My dish was on the higher end of the menu. Â I saw no dish higher than the teens. Â Very very reasonable, and as far as I am concerned, with the whole package put together, it was a steal!
We will be coming back here often!
P.S. When I just told my husband that I was writing this review he said, "Did you say how nummy it was?". Â He actually nom nom nommed while eating last night. :)
Great addition to downtown Salem! The food and service were very good. The prices are just right too. They have a great selection of rotating craft beer. Go in soon and get the Slumbrew Lobstah Killah Dark Red Ale!
We had the zucchini fritters, haddock and fried chicken. All were great. We enjoyed two entrees, three drinks and an appetizer for $65 (before tip). Not too shabby.
We will definitely be back.
We'll be back! Enjoyed sitting on the patio in the early evening--very chill--but didn't get a sense of the vibe inside. We saw good reviews for the haddock (with potato salad) and the spanakopita with chickpea stew, so we tried them and were very pleased. The spanakopita had pine nuts inside them--yum. Husband liked the light breaking on the haddock and said it was very fresh. The only disappontment was the appetizer/snack we started out with--the house-baked pretzel. We assumed it would be soft, but it was an odd combo of chewy and crunchy, and it was pretty flavorless. We'll try something else next time--perhaps the zucchini fritters or the deviled eggs everyone's excited about. The rest of the menu looked promising, though hearty--pork 3 ways, fancy Mac & cheese, gnocchi, fried chicken, etc. hopefully they come up with lighter options for the summer months.
Review Source:Finally a place that doesn't over cook their burgers. My wife and myself went here for dinner and had a great time. We had the calamari, burger and hanger steak. Everything was very good and as stated cooked perfectly. Also had a good beer selection. Everyone working there was very nice, we will definitely be back.
Review Source:Back again to Naumkeag Ordinary with a large group - food was again awesome, place was packed - apparently the first night they had a wait outside. Â Congratulations. Â Well worth it. Â My previous review on April 23rd was filtered - don't know why - all I would say again. Â Go to NO - it's great. Â Now that spring is here we look forward to eating on the patio as well !
Review Source:It's a hit. Â Honestly, I did not have high expectations because of the meat heavy menu and the fact that I was only checking it out because a.) hubby and I feel it's our duty to try any and all new restaurants in Salem, and b.) the owner is a friend of a friend. Â So, I was approaching the evening as "just doing my job". Â To begin with, I ordered the Dirty Pickle. Â There's not much new under the sun in the way of cocktails; it seems they'll pour just about anything into a glass these days, give it a shake and call it something hilarious. Â But, silly name aside the Dirty Pickle was a fierce cocktail and my new best friend. Â It's billed as being made with vodka, but I had them make it with my old fave Bombay. Â So, it's gin, Sriracha, and pickle juice from Naumkeag's own homemade pickles. Â For those of you who are googling Sriracha, I'll tell you that it's HOT SAUCE. Â Mmm...yummy. Â A memorable experience, indeed. Â Now, for the food, my husband got fried chicken. Â He was reluctant to get it because of the heaviness and calorie count, but when he did order it, we found that it was very lightly coated and tasted delicious. Â Not at all buried in batter and grease, but just perfectly brined and cooked. Â I got spanakopita and chick peas. Â Something unique, but done really right. Â The whole thing was light yet filling, and thoughtfully prepared. Â Our server was Angelina, who we found to be friendly, relaxed, funny, quick, and happy. Â
On a Tuesday night, the place was not packed but there were enough people in there to give it a little buzz.
We are planning to come back when it's a bit warmer and sit outside. Â Welcome to Salem, Naukeag Ordinary!
Still some kinks to work out. But a good start. Most of our food was delicious. Our group had a good time and enjoyed the updated venue. Give them a couple weeks to figure stuff out and it will be great!
----- REALLY wanted to have a 5 star experience here.
First of all, I love Coda in Boston and have been a big fan for many years of their comfort food/ creative cocktail menu.
I think Naumkeag is an excellent addition to the Salem restaurant scene. The bar and dining area seemed to be full most of the evening. The bar is pretty small and there's not much room to stand around/ wait. They should encourage people to grab a drink and stand somewhere that does not block the major entrance/ exit to the venue. There are a few high top tables and booths in the front and dining tables in the back.
We waited only 10 minutes for a 4 person table. However, once we were seated it was a VERY long wait until our drink order was taken. Our waitress was nice and came over to warn us she would be a few minutes but then promised her undivided attention in exchange for our patience. We were happy to oblige. Promises promises...
Eventually she came back and took our drink order and we were quick to put in our appetizer and entree orders just in case she were to disappear again. Well she did.
In fact, we couldn't find her anywhere on the floor of this tiny place. Was she in the kitchen helping out? Outside smoking? We'll never know. But finally we found someone who seemed to be working to report that my friend's pork chop was SEVERLY undercooked. He likes his meat lightly cooked, but this was ridiculous. The pig was practically oinking it was so pink inside. They were nice enough to take it back and throw it on the grill then replate what was left of the rest of his meal. However, someone should have come over to apologize. One of the managers, maybe? They were around lighting candles and placing silverware. They should know a customer was served an undercooked meal on their opening weekend. Maybe they could have comped his meal or at least his drink?
All in all the rest of our meals were wonderful. My friends had the juiciest burger and delicate flank steak. I had an awesome mustard crusted haddock. They had a nice selection of beer/ wine. I'm not sure if they have a liquor license yet. There didn't seem to be a cocktail menu. We will go back in a few weeks when they get more servers, figure out how to use the space better. If the only issues had been service related, this restaurant would have had 4 stars, but the undercooked pork took it down to 3. I hope this place does really well in the future!
Everything at Naumkeag is extraordinary. Â The food incredible, and the price point fits perfectly with who they are marketing to. Â Great wine list selection, with none of the barefoot or yellowtail nonsense. Â The ambiance of the restaurant is my favorite part. Â After the sun sets, the lighting couldn't be more perfect. Â I sincerely recommend this place to everyone looking for a new regular hang out spot in Salem. I know that's where I'll be.
Review Source:Such great service and great food! I am a vegetarian and I had the deviled eggs (without bacon) that were absolutely amazing. Â For dinner I had the spanikopita with chickpea stew. It was delicious and filling! The atmosphere was wonderful. a great place to have dinner with friends and family.
Review Source: