Venti's continues to frustrate me. Â The newest change is that they've gone away from the 'true pint' in a 20 oz glass (venti) and now offer a pint glass that, unless I missed my guess is closer to 12 oz. Â The 20 oz. glass is now called an 'Imperial Pint' and for that privilege you will get the same thing you've been getting for years but will pay more. Grumble.
The food is continually mediocre, we ordered a mezza plate and it was depressing mix of wet carrots and cucumbers topped with a copious amount of very thick marinated onions. Â I love marinated onions but these were not worth eating, at least there were a lot of them.
If it weren't for the rotating taps of hard to find beer I wouldn't return.
Just a quick update. Â This has become one of our favorite places to have lunch and play a couple hands of cribbage! Â Last week we stopped in for an early dinner and as usual we were not disappointed. Â The food was top notch and the atmosphere was great. Â The choices of beer on tap changes often and the selection this day was awesome!
As we checked out, our server gave us a Venti's Points Card. Â We had no idea they had a loyalty card system! Â One thing my partner can tell you; I am a loyalty card fanatic (I have about 15 of the key ring ones on my keys and another 15 in my wallet. Â Not to mention the ones that are on the passbook app on my iPhone). Â So if you go in often enough, ask for one of their loyalty cards!
Venti's is a great place to hang out and enjoy a lunch or early dinner.
I prefer this location to the tap-house.
The service is better and the staff doesn't seem to be as showy.
Although the menu is the same at both locations, I feel like the food is a bit more polished here as opposed the tap-house.
You still have to wade through the hipsters to find a spot in the basement, but it's worth it.
I've been eating at Venti's since they were in a small hole in the wall at the Reed Opera House. Now they have two locations in Salem and I couldn't be happier. The food has gone from good to great, too and I especially like the addition of the basement bar. I love the rice bowls, and the peanut sauce is awesome. I love how you can ask for white meat chicken and brown rice, even though it adds a bit to the cost. Prices are still decent though. The sweet potato fries are great, especially with that sauce they use and the honey drizzled on top. Service is always great, though sometimes it can get so crowded. Outdoor seating would be perfect but it attracts smokers and that can ruin the appetite unfortunately. Sad to not see the owner as much anymore, but glad his place is doing so great!
Review Source:I have to write a review because I will NEVER a meal here EVER again! Â I think that they are an Asian fusion restaurant and as an Asian, I'm kind of offended. Â HONESTLY, it tasted like an Asian bowl microwave meal. Â I didn't even finish it. My rice too was undercooked. Â
Okay, that is my scathing review of the upstairs.
The downstairs is like the opposite of the upstairs. Â They have basement hip bar down to an art. Â It's nice and cozy and great ciders too. Â I love going at night. Â Also, they may suck at Asian fusion but they do have the BEST sweet potato fries EVER!!! And the sauce is to die for!! YUM
I give the upstairs a 1 and I give the downstairs a 4 but over all I give it a 2. I've been there once to eat and once to drink and haven't been back.
Personally, I think Salem doesn't have much to offer when it comes to bars (95% are sports bars) so when I found this little gem, it definitely stuck out.
This place is much better than the one on s. commercial!! Â service seems to sometimes be sketchy, but overall love to come have drinks. Â avoid the curry though & go to a real Thai place!! Â the bouda burger & Greek burgers are always great! Â loved adding hops to French press with a mellow beer. Â will surely return. Â :-)
Review Source:I gave this place my obligatory two tries...
This last visit I met with some friends in the basement and had just over an hour to grab a bite to eat. I took a seat with my girlfriend and asked for some menus. The bartender offered us a drink and then dissapeared for 15 minutes. When she came back we asked to order and it took her another 10 minutes to get back to us.
So now we had 35 minutes to eat. We ordered a salad and a sandwhich and me being allergic to cheese and tomato asked for both to be left off. I probably should have followed my insticts to leave with the absentee service, but I figured 'How long can it take to make a salad and slap together a sandwhich?'. The answer to that, my friends, is 47 minutes and 13 seconds.
I timed them.
When my food was FINALLY brought down, there was tomato on my sandwhich and because I was gloriously late for another engagement, I asked the waitress who ran my food to me to box it up to go and to please remove the tomato as I ordered it without. I approached the bar with Credit Card in hand to expedite the checkout process and I got the nth degree about why I "sent my food back" and scolded, because against my even realising, I ordered no lettuce, not no tomato. Shame on me. Obviously my second nature "no cheese, no tomato" line (even when the dish probably will not have either anywhere near them) changed this time.
I don't even remember if the food was all that good, which I think speaks for itself.
Venti's is a nice clean restaurant. Seating is hard plastic chairs, and you order at the counter. It was a bit noisy inside. The food was good. I had a greek salad, my husband had a chicken teriyaki wrap. The wrap was a bit plain, with just some chicken and white rice. All in all, we had a good meal. Don't think we would go out of our way to eat here again.
Review Source:We ate there last night: 3/17/2012. Â The experience was very pleasant. Â My wife and I did the unusual: We both ordered the same thing. Â It was the Jalapeno Pepper jack burger. Â It was excellent, and came with a great fresh salad. Â The salad looked like it was freshly picked and there was a great variety of dressings to choose from--all quite gourmet. Â My wife had a New Belgian Ale and I had a root beer. Â Both were excellent. Â Our server was wonderful and very attentive. Â The Irish music and subtle atmosphere at Ventis last night really made our evening. Â Thank you Ventis!
Review Source:Amazing food! My boyfriend and I were recently on a bike trip and stopped at a local bike shop and asked "what's good to eat around here?" they recommended Venti's and it was without a doubt the best food we had on our entire trip! I had the Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich and my boyfriend had the Mac and Cheese with Chicken and they were both delicious! Don't miss this place if you're in Salem!
Review Source:Venti's basement taproom is pretty awesome. Â Been here a few times now with friends and have always had a good time.
The beer does rotate quite a lot, but I'm usually able to find at least one light, not too bitter or hoppy beer. Â
Last Friday a friend and I showed up, as I felt obligated to introduce him to the awesome that is Venti's basement. Â We started at the bar, and I tasted the selections till I settled on one that met my requirements. Â A seat happened to be free though, and we grabbed that right away. Â
I love the atmosphere. Â It's pretty dark, usually good music playing on the system, and people watching is always a hit. Â One of these days I will actually arrive at dinner time, go in, and not head strait downstairs. Â I will eat a real meal in the restaurant portion and try some of the delicious food I hear about.
I mainly came here because I heard they were gluten free friendly. My husband and I both enjoyed our meal and they have a great bar/restaurant downstairs. Â Service was fast and friendly and for a Saturday afternoon they were pretty busy. Â Only recommendation is that they can expand the gluten free menu a bit by using gluten free soy sauce.
Review Source:Venti's, at either location, is usually a safe bet.
I'd never been in the downtown basement bar so I thought I'd give it a go today. I was getting hungry as I had just spent half an hour at the India Palace, just up the block, waiting for my order to be taken, before I finally gave up and walked out. Today was the second and last strike for that place.
Venti's basement bar is DARK! I bellied up to a high top near the bar where overhead track lighting could be adjusted.
After a brief conversation with Kikki, my server, I ordered a Teriyaki Burger with a nice fresh Garden Salad w/Raspberry Vinaigrette. My Burger was on a nice toasted Bun with "Swiss-American" Cheese (read processed Swiss), Grilled Pineapple, Lettuce, Red Onion and Tomato. It was served open-faced with Teriyaki Sauce artfully drizzled over the Cheese creating a nice visual effect.
The service was good, as was the food.
I ordered their Cajun Rockfish chef's special ($9.50): a generous portion of cajun rockfish, diced red peppers, avocado, cilantro, a side of roasted red pepper aioli, and assorted spices over a bed of brown rice.
Man, was this an excellent choice. The moist fish flaked away even with the slightest touch of the fork. The cajun seasonings and roasted red pepper aioli set off a controlled frenzy of flavors in my mouth, way better than going to a college rave. Adding the creamy sliced avocado, the fresh cilantro, and the nutty brown rice rounded out a superb meal. My only complaint: black beans were advertised as part of the dish, but I did not get any. Regardless, this is a recommended stop for anyone that may be in downtown Salem!
My friend and I came in on a Saturday night just to get a drink. Â It was a pretty quiet evening there. Â Apparently everyone in Salem takes off 4th of July weekend? Â It also meant that they were a bit low on staff, so the service was really slow that night. Â
My friend and I both ordered their drink special of the night: the Red White and Blueberry Mojito. Â It's a pretty misleading name since usually when I think of mojitos, I think of rum, or mint, or whatever. Â This had muddled blueberries, some raspberry schnapps, Crater Lake vodka, and soda. Â There might have been a little lemon as well, not sure. Â It was a pretty good drink, but I think I would have gone with a different name for it. Â
We also shared an order of their chips and hummus. Â The chips were really good, really sturdy so they didn't break into pieces every time you went for a scoop of hummus. Â Their hummus was more on the chunky side, but that was fine with us and it was really delicious!
I love Venti's! I always get the Boulder bowl. it's so delicious. The food tastes so fresh and flavorful. They put ginger in it, which next time I'll ask for 1/2 what they usually put in, because it was too powerful.
 The staff is really friendly and the food gets out pretty quick. The cocktail menu is fun which is really important. :)
A bit pricey by my dad standards (around $8 for a bowl as I recall)...but then again this is downtown Salem. The rice bowls oddly enough have way too much rice in them if Venti's is going for "healthy." The sauces are phenomenal (always a fan of being able to use the sauce bottles as I see fit).
THEY NEED A BETTER KIDS MENU...way too expensive to get an adult's portion for my little ones. Â Not sure if they had a changing table.
The bar downstairs....not sure if it's got a separate Yelp link but it's super cool...exposed brick just like upstairs in the restaurant...super intimate/hip.
What a gem! Â If I lived in Salem I would eat here....a LOT.
I had the falafel bowl and it was delicious! Â I am going to try and recreate this at home (which I am sure will be a total disappointment). Â Anyway, everybody I was with really enjoyed their dishes as well. Â I thought the ingredients were really fresh and the tzatziki was some of the best I've had.
At first I was not excited about going down to the basement, seating upstairs was full, because it was a semi-sunny day out. Â However, the basement has a fun vibe and I got to see what a great selection they have on tap. Â They also have a few ciders, which I love, and some beers I hadn't seen before. Â Very exciting! Â I would even go back just to sample some new beverages.
Lastly, the waitress was really sweet and even cool with splitting up our tab. Â Unexpected and a very pleasant surprise.
Great lunch spot, definitely check it out!
Some literary genius wrote something about great food and life...pretend I just quoted that to set off my review of Venti's Cafe. Â This place is out of this world. Â After a long drudging morning in the Capital sitting through hearing meetings I perk up a bit when my boss says the magic word...Venti's. Â
For me the first experience was the garlic tofu bowl. Â This was very good and as a sort of tofu connoisseur I would recommend this tasty treat. Â Its that firmness of tofu that says "Hey you don't need meat because I am strong and satisfying but then woos your with its soft silky side". Â
The next trip was the prawn bowl...yeah prawn say shrimp and you would be understating the mighty prawn. Â These suckers were good sized, grilled and covered in a great teryiakish sauce. Â The best part is that they have a good sauce selection for table preparation of gastronomical devastation...I think that was the literary quote I was looking for earlier. Complete with peanut sauce and plenty of sriracha (aka cock sauce) this place is a must stop for locals, visitors or the destitute traveling political operative like myself.
Venti's is effectively split into two different businesses: a restaurant upstairs, and a taproom in the basement. Â I haven't spent much time in the upper part of the establishment, but the basement is fast becoming my local watering hole due to their excellent and constantly rotating beer selection. Â While they only have six or eight taps (along with a full bar), the beers available on them are always high end craft brews. Â They also have a very impressive selection of bottles for a small establishment. Â I can't speak much to the full menu, but the bar snack options are stellar. Â Had the spicy tater tots with red pepper aioli last night, and it was incredibly good. Â Salemites who like good beer would do well to become friends with Venti's basement.
Review Source:I've been eating here since it was in the reed opera house and deno couldn't sell a full keg of beer before it went bad. The food is very good but does not stand out. We had the fries to start last time and half of them weren't cooked. The pricing has gone up and the portions have gotten smaller. I guess it has to cater to the trendy hipsters and their kids. Still, I complain but I still eat there. Later.
Review Source:So freaking hipster.
But very cute. Food is fresh and wholesome.
I tried ordering the Moroccan Chicken plate but they said they were out. Instead, I got the Falafel Pita plate. Falafel was some of the best I've ever tried. Homemade-tasting tzatiki. Greek salad was lightly dressed.
My guests ordered a side of black beans and sweet potato fries. Black beans were obviously freshly made but a little boring. Sweet potato fries were AMAZING. Best ever and served with a slightly tangy little sauce.
Great place!
The Hipster place to eat.
A bit overrated? More about image than scrumptious food?
Appealing to the trendy, hipster, fresh, natural, healthy eater. Â A lot more appealing to the mind than to my taste buds, haha. Â The food "felt" good, but didn't meet my taste expectations. Â However, their chips and salsa were perfect! Â All other dishes I've tried weren't anything amazing... Hmm I may try again sometime and hope I find something tasty on their menu....
When I lived in Salem I ate here at least once a week. Dino has had a spot downtown for at least 15 years. He is a great guy and he hires good people. I absolutely love the Moroccan Chicken special he does. The meat is always marinated and cooked properly. They have brown rice options which is great. I love that they add cabbage and pickled ginger. The Terriyaki sauces are wonderful too. I also love the Boulder Bowl and the Hawaiian Bowl.
The atmosphere is cool and I really enjoyed seeing the new local art come through on a weekly basis. They have a wonderful beer selection. I usually would eat there with coworkers for lunch but have done weekends and evenings too. I have never been disappointed. If you're looking for a healthy selection of yummy food and good beer with a nice atmosphere this is the spot in Salem!
This is my new favorite lunch sport in Salem. I'm in town for business about once a week, and now I always try to go to Venti's for lunch. As a vegetarian, there are several great options, but my favorite is the falafel bowl. I've never had falafel mixed in to what is basically a stir-fry over rice, but it's fan-freakin'-tastic. The sesame tofu bowl is pretty damn good, too. Portions are large - unless you just got back from a week in the woods, I don't think there's ever any reason to order a large, the regular is plenty of food. The beer list is also impressive - hopefully I'll be able to hit up Venti's for happy hour soon.
Review Source:This place is delicious. Â The Beer is amazing, there is obviously a desire for the absolute top-notch as far as beer goes. Â The rotating breweries with all the different micros ensures something new and interesting to try nearly every single time you go in. Â Add that to the fact the food is good and nearly 100% organic and you have a great, clean, and healthy place to eat.
My only gripe is in the salmon. Â It's farmed. Â Some people might not mind that, but to me (an Alaskan) eating farmed salmon is one of the seven deadly sins. Â
In short, great beer, good food, don't get the salmon.
This place is completely over-rated and too expensive for what you get. Â Sure the ambiance is nice but the food is mediocre and lacking in quantity (at least the protein). Â
I ordered the Thai chicken bowl and beef skewers to share and left wondering why I paid soo much for so little substance (although I didnt finish all the rice!). Â
This is the type of place I would have expected to find in Eugene, with its granola, hippy vibe and over-hyped healthy offerings. Â Its not worth it; get a drink downstairs but save your money and go somewhere else for dinner.
Meh, I've experienced better. I love the atmosphere of Ventis especially downstairs...but the last few times I've been there I've either gotten something totally different than what I ordered or a $7 bowl of rice....with a tiny bit of chicken on top, were talking maybe six very small pieces on top.
$7 for a bowl of rice? No thanks.
Boooo! It used to be GREAT until it moved and became some trendy place where the owner is more interested in chatting with friends outside than treating customers nicely!
I ordered my Yakisoba Chicken Wrap as I used to do when it was across the street, and the thing came out 1/2 the size as it used to be with hardly any chicken or veggies. I even paid an additional $1.50 for the veg! It was all noodle.
Shameful. Just shameful.
Delicious! Go downstairs! Â Don't let the lunchtime / take-out atmosphere of the upstairs steer you away if you come for dinner, the downstairs has table service and a cozy atmosphere. Â Delicious food, reasonable prices, great beer and a casual ambiance have made this is my new favorite spot in Salem. Â Seriously tasty teriyaki, curry and burgers (strange combo I know) plus a fantastic selection of bottled beer and a rotating selection of tap beers that will satisfy any micro maniac. Â
My husband was practically giggling with delight to find Rogue's Double Dead Guy on tap and I couldn't help stealing the fries from his teriyaki burger special. Â They were so think and perfectly crispy, not the slightest bit greasy....yuuuum.
I had the yellow curry on recommendation from our helpful and attentive waitress after asking for the green. Â Word to the wise - the yellow was SPICY and I'm no wimp. Â The "mild" claim they make on their menu is totally bogus, taste buds beware you will not come out of this dish without a sharp kick in the... bottom! Â I CANNOT event imagine what the "spicy" green curry could be like, scary!
And lastly, we ran into two different groups of friends downstairs, giving it a distinct "Cheers" vibe in all good ways, looks like we're not the only ones to fall in love with this gem of Salem.
What a great place to go and get some Asian food and then have some great beers. Â If you have only been upstairs then you are missing out. Â We only found the basement of this place by accident and I think we found our new hang out place. Â
The beers and cocktails are always flowing. Â The special thing about the beer is that it is always rotating. Â So you could be there on day, and the next day the beer you like will be gone. Â They usually get just one keg, and then replace with another. Â
Best of luck,
enJoy.
Now as any military man will tell you, the key to any successful operation is intelligence so I did a little online recon and found their website. Â The selections looked good, and reading their blog, I knew they took their cooking seriously.
I pretty much had made my choice of what too order after reading the description of the Moroccan spiced beef. Â I love Moroccan food, so anything inspired by that cuisine has to be good by extension.
So Sunday afternoon I headed down south, with just a little of  the trepidation that goes with taking an online relationship into the real world.  Lets just say my experiences, as I have written about before, have not been, well, lets call a spade a spade, good.  I have encountered everything from blatant false advertising to ladies more in need of modern psycho-pharmaceuticals then myself, and that's saying something, but I had really enjoyed my text and IM conversations with Littleone, so I was willing to take the chance.
We met in front of the restaurant, and I was pleasantly surprised. Â She is a tiny, full figured woman with an open face and an infectious grin and a barely suppressed energy that you just know at first meeting is going to be a challenge to keep up with.
As usual, I hid my nervousness with an endless stream of one liners and banter, and to my shock and surprise, she not only kept up, but she got in a few good shots of her own. Â In no time, we were riffing like a long time comedy team, and cracking each other up to no end.
This was going to be fun.
Now of course, being the techno dweeb that I am, I must have forgotten to save the notes I took on our experience at Venti's, so you will bear with me, as I am doing all this from memory, and anyone who knows me can tell you, very little good ever comes from that.
When it came time to order, you place your order at the counter and your food is delivered to your table, I went for the Moroccan beef while Littleone ordered a Teriyaki chicken bowl. Â A man in chef togs came out from the open, well appointed kitchen and asked if I would like to try a new dish, a cherry/orange chicken.
New Dish?
Oh Hell yes!!!!
As I had all ready paid, I told the girl behind the counter and to not worry about the 85 cent difference in the price of my new selection.
Littleone and I adjourned to a nearby booth and went about to getting to know each other, and in a short time our food was delivered.
My first impression was WOW. Â The presentation was art full, not at all what I expected. Â The place looks like a typical rice bowl, quick food and my plate looked like it had come out of a four star, white tablecloth place. Â It only got better from there. Â As Tom, the chef, was explaining to me that I was the first paying customer to try the dish, I fell in love at first bite.
The cherry/orange sauce was tart/sweet and complicated. Â It went perfectly over the chicken. Â I was in heaven. Â Tom explained to me that it was a reduction of cherry, orange juice, orange zest and balsamic vinegar. There may have been other ingredients, but again, damn this addled brain of mine. Â I told Tom that I had come in to try the Moroccan chicken, but was glad he had suggested the dish to me. Â Tom disappeared back into his domain and reappeared a few minutes latter with a full order of the Moroccan beef.
Another incredibly presented dish, with the flavors of exotic spices tingling my tongue.
Does it get any better then this?
I had the opportunity to sit with Tom and talk about his background as a sous chef for a variety of prestigious area restaurants. Â I swear I took great notes, but my cell phone ate them.
I will say that the food and service at Venti's was beyond reproach and they take their food seriously. Â If you are going to be taking in the night life in Salem, Venti's is a great place to start.
Honestly, I'd give 'em 3.5 stars if I could - but I think the two previous reviews were a little harsh, even if understandable.
Venti's used to be a grungy little hole-in-the-wall joint in the Reed Opera House. Â The cooking area was tiny and the staff were of the young, "alternative" variety. Â Since Venti's moved across Court Street, it's morphed into a hipper setting albeit one that seems to be in the midst of an identity crisis. Â It's still got a different vibe (which is a good thing for the rather homogenous Salem community) but like so many twenty-somethings, it seems torn between rebellious adolescence and serious adulthood.
You still order your food at the counter, but now a server delivers it to your table (if they can locate you, that is). Â They've traded in the funky old ceramics for more sophisticated plateware. Â
Fortunately, the same solid food choices can be found. Â A previous reviewer mentioned a Salem Monthly article describing the food as Japanese - it's not and, as far as I know, it doesn't claim to be. Â (Salem Monthly, by the way, sucks - as much as I'd love to have a decent local alt-weekly/monthly, it's just plain awful.) Â Fusion is probably a better description, but I honestly don't know if Venti's can be categorized as that or anything else. Â It is what it is.
The food itself is good. Â I've enjoyed about a dozen meals there and I've never had a problem. Â Read the menu -- it's pretty straightforward (but remember it ain't Japanese). Â They've also got a nice, eclectic beer selection -- even at the old place when they only had two or three choices, they were always solid selections and decently priced.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
