This is the perfect place for beer and appetizers. The appetizers are good, and the entrees we had were actually pretty good as well. The cornbread is delicious, but the mashed potatoes tasted like they came out of a box. Â There beer selection is amazing, and your able to buy containers and take it home. Which with the seasonal beers is awesome. That all being said I do agree with other reviews about the service being on the slower end. It wasn't terrible but its that couple extra minutes. However when we were greeted the bartender apologized, so at least he was aware of it. Definatly will return there watermelon beer is so good!
Review Source:Metallic ambiance and decor.
Bored staff, bored customers.
Unclean tables when I walked in.
Food is the usual bar fare; it looked average but I didn't eat. Beer list is OK; most people could find what they want. The Ploughmans ale was a pale imitation of a real English country bitter (i.e. Donningtons, Badger, Shepherd Neame), but it came up by tap, so no wonder they ruin ale-style beer. No clue they should try hand-pulled without carbonation some time...
I'd take a small local bar over this pretense.
THUMBS UP. We toured Salem with some friends and stopped here for dinner. We were seated right away. The burger and fries were really good, the BBQ ribs were tender, but the cole slaw tasted like it was bad, and I love all types of cole slaw.
THUMBS DOWN. The service was terrible. Our server was a huge disappointment and totally ignored us. We had to ask the hostess and another staff member for various items such as utensils, condiments and drinks.
Haven't been here in a while and now I know why! Â Portions have gotten smaller, prices have gone up and food was overcooked! Â We specifically asked our waiter to ask the chef not to overcook our meals. Â Oh well...maybe the restaurants' strategy is to get customers to drink more beer in order to wash down their dry meals! Â Won't be going back any time soon.
Review Source:Ugh. This place was a top place for me, but each time I've gone recently, it just gets worst and worst. They just redid their menu and really hacked it up good. Gone are their surprisingly delicious pizzas, as well as half their burgers, my wifes Turkey tips are gone, chilli's reduced to one size only, and lots of more changes. They really didn't even add much either. I don't know what's up with this place, but if they don't shape up soon their gonna be wherever the heck Bugaboo Creek and Vinny T's are these days.
BEERWORKS STOP TRYING TO MAKE YOUR RESTAURANT TERRIBLE! YOU USED TO BE SO GOOD!
Why would you take off the best entree you had!!!!! Seriously your meatloaf was phenomenal! Â It seems as if beerworks is trying to be something they are not with the new menu change. Â Comfort and bar food is what you guys should strive for. Â I think you are having an identity crisis....Also now you no longer offer a dozen wings...rather strange moves beerworks....
Review Source:Our first time at this location and as always The Beer Works never seem to disappoint. Party of 2 ~ Spring roll appetizers, Steak tips off regular menu & the Tilapia special were abundant and yummy. It was early in the evening so service was more than attentive. Love the ability to taste new beers & the bonus for me is the choice of 3 sizes. My only wish would be the ability to pull our frequent diner  BW card by name or phone number to take advantage of our "rewards".
Review Source:The service was great and attentive, as well as honest and friendly. The blueberry ale is delicious and seemed to be popular. We sat at the bar and only had bar snacks (sweet potato fries, and also beer nuts which were served hot and glazed. Dan wouldn't let me take them to go. Hey, they were good!)
For some reason, and I've never really experienced this before, but all of the idiots seemed to be out that night. I was overhearing really imbecilic conversations in the bathroom about all-natural makeup (peeing while overhearing women trade false info about makeup is hard to listen to when you're a make-up artist and want to scream 'no no no no what?') and it's hard to not yell "SHUT UP!" when some guy randomly standing behind you is ranting about his moral beliefs that hockey shouldn't contain fighting, but I digress.
And when you're getting harassed by a random drunk guy standing behind you for not finishing your second beer, it's really embarrassing and awkward. Get a grip, dude.
I -might- come back?
Hit or miss says it all. Â
I have been coming here for more years than I can recall and while the beers are usually very good, the food is always a dice roll. Â
I am not a fan of the renovated decor, and the metal-topped bar will reflect light annoyingly right into your face. Â Seriously, it was a terrible idea to change from a classic heavy wood bar to that monstrosity. Â It's cold and sterile and uninviting. Â
One of my biggest pet peeves at any restaurant is poor service. Â Prepare to have your meal placed in front of another customer, picked up, and then placed before you. Â Yuk! There is tremendous turnover in their staff so I guess none of them are around long enough to learn the seat numbers (the fact they are posted on the inside of the bar edge apparently doesn't help either). Â Nothing could turn me off more than letting the folks next to me breathe all over my meal, before I eat it. Â This happens, I would estimate, 75% of the time with your food. Â No joke. Â I'm glad I saw another yelper write the same, as you probably wouldn't believe me. Â
You could get a great burger or steak tips or grilled chicken one night and have the same order be completely off the next. Â I usually eat the same things there, so I am familiar with the variation in quality. Â I have had great meals there solo, then brought friends only to be embarrassed at how bad my suggestion of venue ended up being. Â
Their salads are nice and large, and you will not find better fried pickles anywhere. Â Unfortunately, they don't serve bread or crackers or snacks unless you pay for it. Â
If you do go here regularly, the VIP club that others have mentioned is a great deal. Â My friend and I both are in it, and they'll combine your $10 off even if you're on the same tab. Â Makes for a dinner for 2 and plenty of beers to cost around $40. Â I wouldn't go nearly as often if it cost the $60 it is supposed to.
If you are planning an event or trying to make a reservation here for a large group, think again. Â This particular Beer Works location has the most incompetent GM I have ever dealt with. Â Two weeks prior to the party I was planning, I went in and met with the GM to reserve the bar area for 25 ppl for a surprise birthday party. Â We went over the amount of ppl, the food I wanted to order and the drinks I wanted to cover. Â He even took notes. Â I asked about putting a deposit down to reserve my spot and at the time he said there was no need and he wasn't going to charge me anything to reserve. Â I thought that was a little odd that a group of my size didn't need to put a deposit down to reserve the spot, but also was not going to put a fight to give him money. Â The week before the event I sent an email confirming the number of ppl I was expecting and he replied saying he was looking forward to having us. Â The night of the event, friends had arrived early and were told there was no reservation. Â I told them to ask for the manager who conveniently wasn't working that night. Â Luckily there was some space at the bar, but nothing was going according to plan. Â When I arrived with the birthday boy we only had one server assigned to us and everyone had to wait quite a while to order drinks. Â Our server did the best she could with the lack of management, it was not her fault. Â The assistant manager was also very nice but told me that he had not authority to comp anything and tried to reach the GM. Â What kind of place is this that the manager on duty has no authority? I also found out that the party at the other end of the bar also had a lost reservation. Â Someone needs to take responsibility for managing this place.
The next day I receive a voicemail from the GM saying he apologizes for the lost reservation but it sounds like everything was okay and he would send a follow up email. Â In his email he gave nothing but excuses and said that my reservation was found in the deleted items folder in outlook and this sometimes happens. Â That is the worst explanation I had ever heard. Â I am waiting for some sort of compensation since the manager on duty had no authority to do so, you would think the GM would at least offer something. Â I got nothing. Â I will not be going back here and nor will the 25 ppl that were with me. Â Do not waste your time going here until new management is in place. Â Not good for groups! Go to Tavern instead!
First off, this place was PACKED last night. Â As in out the door people were hanging out enjoying some brews. Â Couldn't really move around, but we manged to get a table. Â We both had the Wiener Schnitzel which was fantastic. Â
As for the beers. Â I felt like a college student all over again. Â I "sampled" The Black Bat Stout, the Derby St. Nut Brown Ale, The Red October, and the Centennial ALT. Â I'm not too sure, but I think I had a Seven Gables Golden as well. Â They were also excellent brews, I do prefer the darker beers to the lights. Â
My girlfriend tried the Pumpkin Works Ale, and the Blueberry beer. Â She isn't really a beer person, but she did enjoy those. Â
Service was fantastic even though it was swamped. Â No trouble, no one was getting out of hand or acting rowdy. Â It was fun being the Saturday before Halloween. Â
Thankfully we were staying at the Hawthorne which is walking distance.
Your typical beer/pub food place.. Â Decor inside is modern, with a number of HDTVs to view your favorite game. Â Nice sized patio outside, but got a bit hot under the bright sun.
So we started off with some beverages. Â Wife had a watermelon ale, and I had some other ale. Â Both were very tasty and refreshing.
Ordered the onion rings as an appetizer. Â I ordered the Upstate NY chicken, while the wife had the South End Burger. Â Kids ordered off the kiddie menu.
Well.. waitress comes out and says she forgot to put the appetizer in. Â OK.. Â Never mind the rings. Â Otherwise, the sandwich was fine.. tasty buffalo sauce and a good amount of blue cheese on the sandwich. Â Nice that it was grilled too,
Wife's burger looked HUGE, so I think a burger would've been a good choice as well.
A bit pricey at over $10 for a burger, but it is touristy downtown Salem. Â So not unexpected. Â There's probably better choices in the area, but for what it is, it was not a disappointment.
5 stars for the beer, according to my husband, a beer  aficionado. "each one better than the last. This is the best brewery I've been to in a long time."
The reason for only three stars: this seems to be a beer and burger place. The mango margarita was so bad I had to send it back, and I hate to do that. Also, we had the dog with us. And she is hardly inconspicuous. Large and white and sprawled out by the patio stairs. 45 minutes into our visit, the manager comes up and says "no dogs on the patio". Tacky, cause we've been here a while, and the (lovely) waitress brought the dog a dish of water 30 minutes ago. The pretzel nuggets, made from the "spent grain" of the brewing process were also great. Waitress Kelsey was fantastic. We followed the advice of the helpers who told us not to eat here, and went down the street to 62.
Beer Works appears to be dropping a star a year. Â
Most recent visit was the afternoon of 08/04/12.
We were sat on the patio. I'm not sure if the hostess didn't tell a server but no one came over. Â After 10-15 minutes sitting, with new tables getting sat and served around us, a waitress finally caught our eye and asked if anyone had been over to help us. She is the only reason I'm giving a 2 stars rating and didn't walk out. The main reason for the 2 stars is because this is the 3rd visit in a row this same situation this has happened. Â Bar / Patio / Dining Room... Same poor service. Â I blame each visit on management who were non-existent.
I'll give it four stars for the beer and two for the food.
Good beer choices, all brewed locally (if not right there on site.) Â I drank the Summerwerks this time around and enjoyed it more with the food than I did by itself, which not at all a bad thing.
I got chicken fried steak, which was a bit tough but not bad. Â The potatoes were good but bland (but I'm Irish, so the potatoes are getting eaten no matter what) and some collard greens which were quite good and flavorful.
All told a pretty nice spot to hang out.
decent pub style menu and drinks, average prices. Beer Works Club membership is nice since it adds $10 bonus dollars quite regularly which helps keep it affordable.  Nothing sensational  - decent salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizza and appetizers.  Hand crafted Beef on tap... just not consistent with availability of their inhouse styles of beer - which is also weird since they make it right on site.
Outdoor patio to enjoy during warm season. Â I don't notice repeat waitstaff often which makes me wonder. I eat here once or twice a month.... sometimes more since its convenient to walk to downtown.
Food is solid but nothing special. Beer selection is great, though its pretty fruity during the summer months. I love, love, love their Black Bat Stout....not quite Guinness, but the next best thing this side of the Atlantic. Sweet potato fries are a solid option with your burger.
Big fan of the reward card, makes going out for drinks and food much more affordable. Went out for dinner with my wife, we both had cards and they took twenty dollars off our order because we both have cards.
Not close to the best option in Salem, but you could do worse for burgers and beers.
I couldn't believe I haven't review Salem Beer Works yet! This is a good place to go for simple burgers, sandwiches, salads, and BEER - of course. They only serve their beer that they brew, but there are tons of options and some monthly/seasonal specials.
The service is usually very good - always friendly, but sometimes a little slow when they are busy. They have a good patio if you are looking for some sun and people watching. Just be aware that their patio offers very little shade so you may consider dining inside in their newly renovated space.
Great place to meet up with a group or watch a game.
Great place to eat. They have a fried chicken sandwich that is amazing. For beer, I recommend their double pale or their house IPA; in my opinion, a lot of their beers aren't any great shakes. Service is good, place is nice. It is slightly pricey, but I like that it's renovations accommodate it's pricey-ness.
Good for:
-patio on a nice day
-a nice, hoppy draught beer
-forgetting about your diet
-sports
Bad for:
-short money
-cheap beer
-dancing
* * T O U R I S T Â * A L E R T * * Â A V O I D * *
I agree with several Yelpers here.. this place Sucks and Continues to enrage customers with lousy food and poor service !
When I think about a textbook example of how not to run a restaurant, this place comes to mind. Â Haven't been served a good meal since 2009, which means there is an upper management problem that hasn't been resolved.
The change in quality since 2009 is very noticeable. Â Â If the middle management doesn't care about big problems like serving STILL FROZEN food and servers who bring you the wrong orders and other peoples credit cards, then there is a bigger problem with the upper management that isn't likely to change.
Until you see a sign on the door that says "Under new Management" , do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere.
Salem Beer Works can be hit or miss. Luckily I tend to hit more often then miss.
Good burgers, good nachos, good service.
Sometimes it can be louder than I prefer, but normally I'm ready for the noise when choosing it to eat at.
Love their craft beers too.
The new interior is MUCH better than the old one.
I have been to beer worksmany times now and for some reason the food gets worse each time I go, but yet I still go. to be honest I think the food was better before the renovation. This past time we just got a few apps and to be honest the boneless wings were ok not the best but could have been alot worse, the basket of onion rings (which i usually love) were greasy and overcooked, changing the fry oil goes a long way!!
Now to the nachos. They have to be some of the worst I have ever had, I mean how can you screw up nachos, the beef on them tasted old and there was cheese that wasnt even melted not to mention the canned salsa and canned jalapenos and olives. I would avoid the nachos..
the only reason this place gets 2 stars is that the service is always pleasent and helpful our server was great...
Seriously disappointing.
Came for lunch with a girlfriend on a weekday - it was as busy as you'd expect at lunch, but service was weak. We were seated and about 60 seconds later our waiter came back and asked if we were ready to order. Guess he accidentally sat us in the braniac speed-reader section, woops.
When we asked for some more time, we meant a few minutes, not a few months. Our waiter just missed the timing entirely. I was HOPING for some ciders on tap -- before everyone gets their panties in a twist, I know it's "beer" works, but the best place to get good local ciders on tap is generally a place the specializes in beer. Alas, no such luck. Not even any beers I like -- a "beer" place should have a BIG selection, right? Was I missing part of the beer menu? It seemed like 10 or so...
Oh well, diet coke it is. On to lunch -- just wanted some standard lunch grub, but the lunch menu has about 2 things on it so I resigned myself to the appetizer menu... my friend ended up ordering kids chicken tenders since they have exactly 0 chicken tenders on the actual menu...
Slower than it ought to be for lunch on a quiet afternoon, we get our meals. Actually pretty enjoyable for both of us, which is nice, until I chomp down on something unwelcome in my chicken quesadilla. BONES! What?! Again, I appreciate the quality of fresh chicken and all, but this is a restaurant. Aka: this is ALL YOU DO. You can't keep bones out of your quesadillas? Never in my life have I encountered a chicken bone in a quesadilla. In a chicken breast? Maybe. I might be overreacting but this was a first in my 24 years (22 of which I have been consuming quesadillas).
Here's where it really starts to get interesting...
So fifteen minutes after I find the chicken bone and have CLEARLY pushed the plate to the edge of the table, the waiter wanders over (after passing us about 8 times) and says, "how is everything?". I tell him about my discovery and he looks at me with a face that says, "and..?" all over it, then grabs the plate and takes off.
After nibbling on my friend's fries for a few minutes, the manager comes over and just says, "which one of you had the quesadilla". I identify myself and he proceeds to ask me if I indeed found a chicken bone, which I confirm. Then he says, "you didn't eat her lunch, did you?" indicating my friend. Confused, I answer no... and he says, "good, because then she would be hungry, too.". More confused, I just nod. He offers me salad or an appetizer but I decline. He says ok and leaves with the waiter. Even MORE confused, we ponder whether or not the quesdilla in question was removed from the bill. A few minutes later, the waiter returns with the bill and informs us that it was. Thank god!
Besides the understandable bone encounter, and unsettlingly weird managerial encounter, the food is way overpriced, the menu is underwhelming and lacks an expected variety of beers (and cider, of course), and the service is lackluster in it's Sunday best. You're better off at Brother's across the street for a meal and then grabbing a drink from Red Lulu.
Frat boys rejoice!
This place is for a certain type of person. A person who likes beer, burgers, and watching television while they eat, while at the same time listening to WAAF at a really loud volume.
I'm not that type of person, so only three stars for me, but different strokes for different folks.
I'm digging the recent facelift/renovation at Beer Works. The open kitchen was a nice concept, but it really just added a lot of extra noise. I also like the redesigned bar, and the fact that they added some glass between the bar and the dining area. Well done over all.
That said, I haven't really found a beer that's just perfect for me at Beer Works.
Standbys include the Dreaded Green Monster sandwich. Grilled chicken, pesto, mozzarella and parmesan, with a side of marinara? Delicious. The chop chop chop salad is awesome as well, though I usually sub honey mustard dressing for the parmesan dressing it comes with.
Finally, and you have to do this exactly right, order a half order of nachos, WITH chili, and WITHOUT jalapenos and olives. Enough for 3 or 4 to share, and the chili just makes it a wonderfully delicious mess.
This location has been a part of Salem since 1996 and I had heard some more than decent things from a few friends that have been. One night, being in the area, a few friends of mine and I decided to go there on a whim. I had been to some of the other locations in Boston and although I had never been impressed, it has always been reliably average and it seemed to fit our needs for that particular evening: cold beer.
We arrived and walked in to a pretty packed place. Luckily, a few people were leaving as we walked in and freed up a few stools at the bar and we walked right up. The bartender ignored us for a little while before finally taking our orders. We didn't get any food, just beers. The place was pretty busy.
A little while later I had to finally surrender and break the seal and upon entering the bathroom I was immediately grossed out. As if they hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Gross. To the point where I almost stepped out to urinate somewhere else...
PROS:
- Easy street parking
- Affordable
- Reliable spot to grab a beer
CONS:
- Spotty service
- Not very clean
- Food is average at best
- Terrible wine menu
- No liquors available. Beer or wine only.
Honestly do yourself a favor and grab some food somewhere else and stick to this place to grab a quick beer. That's about all you can expect from this place.
Job description for a server at Salem Beer Works
  1. You must wait at least 15 minutes before approaching a table.
  2. After successfully reaching the table, you must present a piss poor attitude.
 3.  Act as if this is the last place you would ever want to be.
 4. Take at least 10 minutes to deliver beers to your table.
 5. When asked to make substitutions to a customers meal, respond with "i guess i can figure that out"
 6. When asked for extras like salad dressing, you must act as if it is literally causing you physical pain.
 7. Please remember, DO NOT SMILE!
 8. Rush to drop the check, then mop an entire floor, return to pick up check.
1.5 stars for beer
.5 stars for food
0 stars for service
So, Salem Beer Works, seems good in theory. Â Brewed beer, pool tables, patio... all good right? Â Well... after an rather eventful dining experience there, I think I'll avoid it in the future.
Before I dig into the nitty gritty, the redeeming quality of the place is the customer service, the front of the house, was good. Friendly, polite, perky, etc. Â It just seems like the back of the house (kitchen) wasn't cooperating.
So, they have this table in the back of the patio right by the door, its kind of in the corner, it's pretty much the worst table on the patio, not only because of location, but because of wicked steep slant in the concrete. Â After sitting down, seeing this, we asked to move, the staff didn't mind, and we got a much better table.
Overwhelmed by the menu, ordering food took some time, we got the orders in, and since one of the dining companions had a food allergy, his food was brought out, Â a little after our. Â This was slightly awkward, i really don't like eating until everyone is served. Â So now our food is getting cold. Â So the manager brings out his dish, and it was so cold that it was inedible. Â It was described as it came just out of the fridge and was thrown on the plate. Â Now my problem with this, is that the manager is supposed to check the food, or that it was prepared because of the possible food allergies. Â I dunno, you'd notice if you weren't carrying out a hot plate vs a chilled plate. So she should have caught that.
Now I had a burger, I ordered it with lettuce, but someone else at the table who got a chicken sandwich, got my lettuce, which didn't look that fresh...so I wasn't missing much. Â My burger and fries, were fine, nothing too memorable about them. Â The toasted bun was a bit tough, I didn't really care for that. Â
Oh! I almost forgot, I was drinking diet coke, and I don't know what they were doing, but it didn't taste right, and I think they kept bringing me different drinks, because the waitress forgot what I ordered. Â This suspicion is validated by the fact that she kept asking if I wanted another "soda" and not asking if I'd like another "diet coke".
As we were eating, the one umbrella on the patio, came flying down at the table, due to a gust of wind. Â We almost lost a diner! Â That would have made a very pleasant day trip to Salem take an unfortunate turn.
So at this point, since I was dining with other yelpers, it was obvious we were all thinking of the review we were going to give this place. Â Then it hits me, I keep 'you've been yelped' cards in my car. Â I mention this to the party, and it's obvious. Â We must leave one. Â So we send the guy who wasn't eating, since he sent his food back because it just wasn't properly prepared, to get one. Â Just a note, you get a little bit of a rush when you leave those in the little check book thingies. Â
I was happy with the service, but when the food doesn't deliver, you really wonder what's going on in the kitchen. Â
The 1 star, is really for the service, and the willingness of the hostess to bring us like 7 ketchup shot glasses, since we ordered a bucket of fries.
Meh, I've never been overly impressed with the Beer Works chain. Â Service has never been bad, but I've yet to encounter a memorable server. Â The food is good if you're in the mood for cheap fried bar food, but terrible if you expect a quality meal (I have yet to see a fresh vegetable anywhere). Â The beer menu is fun, but if you're not a beer drinker you're SOL - there's no liquor, and the wine menu is terrible.
All in all, it's a fun place to stop in with friend, hang out and grab a bite. Â But I wouldn't elevate it from 'hang out' to 'restaurant.'
Out of the last 10 years I have been frequenting Salem, I have never been to the Salem Beer Works. Â Well, last night was the night. Â A friend and I took our daughters here for dinner.
We were seated right away, and our waiter was attentive (at first). Â We ordered beers and milks, and the Mako Shark Skewers. Â Neither of us have had Shark, so we decided to be adventurous. Â I ordered the Octoberfest, and my friend had the Pumpkin Beer. Â Both were yummy.
The waiter shows up with the beer and milks, we decide to order the kids their meals because they are starting to get upset. Â Mine has the hot dog and fries, and her's has the chicken tenders with sweet potato fries. Â
This is were the waiter just disappears ( and the reason for only 4 stars). Â We only saw him two more times. Â He showed up to take our order, and to give us the bill. Â Someone else delivered that food. Â No one stopped by to see if we wanted another drink or if the kids needed more milk.
My friend ordered the penne with chicken and broccoli. Â I ordered the green monster sandwich, which had grilled chicken with pesto sauce, and mozzarella cheese on a baguette.
We got our meals. Â My friend wasn't too happy with her pasta. Â She said it was bland and tasted like soggy broccoli. Â My sandwich was decent. Â I enjoyed it. Â The kids loved their meals.
So over all it was good. Â Kinda upset with the waiter considering they weren't busy. Â And the prices seemed a bit high for the pub type feel they are going for. Â But I would go back... it was festive and fun. Â Gotta love Salem in October.
It was a brisk and chilly September night and my first time in Salem.
Where did I go? Salem Beer Works. I heard they have this beer with fresh blueberries. I had to have it.
Service was great - even quick, despite the fact that the night was winding down to a close. My BF and I ordered quickly; he got a burger and I chose the red snapper salad. I was going to drink my dinner, yep. We both ordered two samplers - 4 samples each. I went with the Blueberry Ale, Pumpkin Ale, Autumn Ale and Nut Brown. My guy went with the Blueberry Ale, Oktoberfest, Stout and Nut Brown.
My fave? The Pumpkin. We both agreed: it was damn fine. After downing our samples, we both ordered a pint of the Pumpkin. As for the Blueberry Ale - the one I longed to try - it was delish, too. But, considering it's fall, the Pumpkin won out. The Blueberry Ale is something to enjoy in the summer, for sure. It's a must-try.
As for Sale Beer Works' decor and food... Well, it felt a tad too much like a restaurant, not a bar. I was expecting something a little less open, with not so many tables. But, with that said, this is a place I'd come to every once in a while, particularly when I'm craving a beer I can only find here. Â It's not a place that strikes me as a fave weekend hangout, because it lacks that cozy, bar feeling. I'd also eat here again. The selection is huge. Uhm, so are the portions. My salad came in a HUGE bowl. I was rather amused. No way could I finish it, but the fish was tasty. Oh, and I ordered a side of corn bread. C'mon, I had to. It was a guilty pleasure, and I enjoyed every morsel. Well done, Salem Beer Works. I love a place w/ quality corn bread!
As for my first visit to Salem, I am super satisfied that I started my trip off at Beer Works. This is definitely a place to check out, ESPECIALLY if you love beer. (Uhm, who doesn't?)
I'm a Salem local. Beer works is a really popular place and for good reason. Their food is really good and they have great customer service. I recently went for a great meal of Chicken fingers and sweet potato fries. I also had a beer sampler. This is 4 small glasses of 4 beers of your choice served on a rack for about $5 (it's priced according to each beer.)
Beer works has spectacular customer service, a bar, pool tables, great food, and a great atmosphere. The problem?
The problem here is that the food is completely "hit or miss." I hated this place the first few times I went. Their seasoned fries are horrible, they put on this powder that makes the fries taste more like chalk than seasoning. Avoid the burgers and chicken sandwiches, they're really bad.
so why 4 stars? You really can't beat this place for it's atmosphere. Other than the 3 or 4 annoyingly high tables, there is no better place to spend time with any size group. They make really good chicken finders, sweet potato fries, pizza, and quesadillas. Â The also have fried pickles, which are really interesting.They even have outdoor seating which is great in the summer.
note:
if you get sweet potato fries make sure you get a side of sour cream!
Apart from their awesome locally named beers, I have one reason for always holding Salem Beer Works in high esteem....
Being a fan of international football (the kind with a ball that's round and everyone in the world plays:-), I needed to watch some of the World Cup games live on a Sunday morning.  My mom and I called ahead to make sure the matches would be shown, and  arrived to find the place closed... Apparentally there is some sick law in Massachusetts barring early morning Sunday drinking, so they don't bother opening early.  Since some of the staff was there, they allowed us to come in from the rain and watch the matches at the bar before opening.  And promptly at the minute of legality, the barmaid had our glasses under the taps. That's what I call wicked good service!
Make sure you're in the mood for some noise, but that said - and though I'm definitely NOT a sports person - I really like going to Salem Beer Works every now and then. Â I'm not much of a drinker either but their offerings always sound so good I just can't help but try something new every time I go. Â The watermelon beer comes with a big wedge of watermelon on the rim and the blueberry stout has lots of real blueberries floating up and down in the glass. Â Really interesting stuff and delicious!
The menu is huge and is very veggie-friendly. Â A lot of this food is fried but then a lot of it isn't. Â I think there's something for everyone here. Â It can get very crowded on the weekends but it's a big place so unless there's a game on and people are really just benchwarming, you'll get seated before long.
They have huge and unique salads, good pizzas, veggie burgers, awesome and enormous nachos, hummus and pita appetizers, about a half dozen or more different types of fries (they specialize in the sweet potato fries with raspberry vinegar.) Â It's all good stuff, if you ask me!!! Â Surprisingly (for the crowd level) the service has always been incredibly friendly, polite, fast, and almost always accurate.
The worst thing about Salem Beer Works is their damn beer switching schedule! Â I swear they invented it to just to ruffle your feathers and get a rise out of you when you beg them for just one more glass of the beer that went out of season yesterday...
Seriously they sport a great select of beers, with atleast a few to please each person. Â Currently I've been enjoying the watermelon beer, which is a summer specialty. Â Might I suggest it with a nicely grilled burger served with a few generous slices of avocado and a side of sweet potato fries, with rasberry vinegar of course!
If you are in to sports they have plenty of channels and screens available, plus a few pool tables and dart boards in the back.
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