Breakfast for lunch sometimes just seems right.
SWMBO and I had not been here for a couple of years. The place is timeless. It looks just like it did 15, 20 or 30+ years ago.
Carol went with the breakfast option: Two Eggs, O'Brien style Hash Browns, four strips of thick sliced Bacon and a Dry English Muffin. It was a gorgeous meal and the Spuds had large pieces of Red, Yellow and Green Bell  Peppers rather than the diced and mixed with the Potatoes as normally seen. Nice. She said her Decaf Coffee was good and Sara, our server, refilled it three times.
After getting a detailed description of the Fish & Chips, I opted for a half rack of St. Louis style Ribs with a salad and Rice. They were Traeger smoked with Sauce on. The short end was not very good, but as I worked my way west, the flavor and moistness improved. Their automatic release from the bone suggested they might have been pre-boiled, but I was assured this was not the case. I can't help but draw a comparison with the Traeger smoked Ribs at Half Penney, in Salem, where you get a much better product for less dough. My Salad was fresh but unimaginative with Iceberg Lettuce, a sprig or two of Arugula, two Spinach Leaves with Croutons. (Honey Mustard Dressing on the side.)
Inquiry disclosed that their Southern Fried Chicken is Broasted! I'll be back to give that a test drive soon. Broasted Chicken is becoming harder and harder to find. And, if it's good, I love the stuff.
In summation, one good and one OK meal will net W.N. a three star rating.. If the food were all as good as the service, it would max out with five. Sarah was a gem.
This was the all time worst restaurant we have ever eaten at! We visited on a Tuesday evening and seated ourselves, according to this sign. We waited for approximately fifteen minutes or more before someone even came to our table. We ordered an appetizer of fried chicken gizzards as an appetizer that were so over cooked it almost broke a tooth to chew them and were completely saturated in oil. My meal was the Prime Rib Dip. The prime rib was literally cooked until almost jerky and the dip was so salty I am still nauseated. My husband took a bite and was appalled at the quantity of salt, it was inedible. I took one bite and left the rest. My husband ordered a hamburger that came in the shape of a rectangle and was about 1/8 inch think. It had no flavor to the burger. The french fries that came with his meal were coated in something like flour but were limp and mushy inside. We paid $32 for a meal that was almost all thrown away because we couldn't eat it! Take my word for it, don't go there!!!!
Review Source:I love the Nickel. I used to go out to Sublimity for "Nickel Nights" on Thursdays and that was always a blast. The people are so friendly there. If you like the small town feel - which I do - you should probably check out the Wooden Nickel. I have never been disappointed with the service or the food. Some of the dishes are just average, like the fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken, but some are outstanding, like the guacamole burger! If you aren't full with appetizers and the main course, please do try the Nickel Mud for dessert. It's big. So overwhelming with chocolatey deliciousness that I've only had the courage to tackle it once. It was a memorable experience.
Because I had never been there except for dinner in the evening and for Thursdays at the bar, I didn't know what kind of a treat I was in for when I went last Friday to celebrate some birthdays. After an enjoyable dinner the music started on the bar side and there was a KJ with karaoke going on! I guess they are doing karaoke on Fridays, which is awesome, because that's one of my favorite things to do and watch. It was such a fun night! Everyone was warm and friendly, which you don't see as much in the Salem nightlife.
I'll be back, of course!
Had the sauteed prawns dinner with baked potato and salad. Â Yum! Â The place was packed but was seated and helped right away. Â Drinks came a little late but, Hey, it was packed. Â Was using a Groupon which made the price much better. Â Usually have lunch but had to try the dinner menu. Â Close to 5 stars.
Review Source:Myself and three coworkers went here for lunch this last week and was glad we did. Â Two had not ate there before and was shocked at the quality and serving size. Â I had the old stand by, Chicken Strips and Tots. Â No surprises there. Â Their iced tea is nicely flavored and was a hit. Â One in the party had the Beef Brisket Sandwich and he raved about it and it looked great. Â The service was, as usual for this place, spot-on. Â All in all, you really can't go wrong here.
Review Source:Stopped by here to have lunch. Â They have one side for the bar and it's kind of dark. Â The other side is more lit and it's for the families to eat. Â We sat in the bar portion. Â Ordered a chili cheese burger. Â I got an open sandwich with an over cooked burger patty, chili with beans that tasted out of a can and beans were added and had no flavor. Â Also, they added cut onions and they were long pieces and added some cheese on top for $8.95 plus I ordered fries and they were extra. Â It looked like everything was a la carte. Â An older lady was our server. Â She was nice and all but she couldn't keep track of what we were drinking. Â She kept asking us and then would bring the wrong drinks anyway. Â Food SUCKED and we overpaid. Â We will never come back here.
Review Source:I'm a local so I've been going to this place since it was the Harvest Inn (actually I was even there when it was Berdino's when I was a kid!). Ever since I can remember the quality of the food depends on the chef...sometimes great, sometimes so so; most of the time it's pretty good. One caveat...I love the summer crawfish feed! Don't miss it. They have one at Mac's and the Wooden Nickel in Silverton in the summer too.
But I usually don't go there for the food. I go to hang out with my friends. Plus the bar staff is great. So depending on who's there is how I gauge my experience on the fun meter. One thing's for certain, though, I love the Sunday night Bluegrass Jam. Talented musicians and cold beer mix just fine in my book. And Fester ties it all together every week.
I wanted to like this place. Â My friend told me that it catered her graduation and that she loved the barbecue there, with its own smoker out back, and all that great stuff.
Well, the beer was cold.
Sorry, had to get the good part out of the way.
The service was pretty decent, especially for a Saturday night that was just getting into full swing. Â But the cheese sticks we ordered were...eh. Â I had better coming frozen from my own freezer, which is -exactly- what these tasted like.
I went for the beef brisket, with a side of mac and cheese and a jalepeno cheese biscuit.
I didn't get the biscuit until I asked for it.
My friend got ribs.
Sadly, our food came out dry and tough. Â Really tough. Â I fondly remembered the brisket from Screen Door in Portland, how it could be cut with a fork, and was oh so plentiful. Â For the same price, I got two strips of solid jerky.
Blah.
My friend said it seemed very out of bounds, that she remembers it being awesome. Â Perhaps. But not this time.
The banana cream pie was amazing, though. Â That gave it two stars. Â And the food wasn't horrible, really...just nothing to drive out to Silverton or Sublimity for. Â Nope.
Since my first review of The Wooden Nickel, my partner and I have eaten here many times. Sometimes with friends, sometimes with family. Every time we have been treated well and served excellent meals.
They still haven't seemed to get that restroom odor under control, but I think that will take a major remodel and replacement of the restrooms.
On our latest visit, I opted for the chicken fried steak with a side of their Mac & Cheese. Â The chicken fried steak was large and tasty, however their Mac and cheese was bland and mushy. Â My partner went for his usual pulled pork burrito. Â A little trick he learned several trips back was to order the burrito with cilantro! It makes the burrito taste much better! As usual, we had to bring some of the meal home with us due to the amount.
That single issue notwithstanding, our service was okay, prompt and friendly, and their prices have remained consistant.
I truly appreciate the Wooden Nickel and the lovely ladies who opened up the restaurant side for some road weary out-of-towners late on a Saturday night. Â They made some good recommendations and my mac and cheese hit the spot. Â Everyone in my party was happy with their food, including steak and a shrimp dish. Â Thanks ladies for feeding some hungry travelers! Â If we're ever in Sublimity again, we'll be back!
Review Source:Rating this for what it is, it is excellent. Â So I will go on to describe what it is, so that you aren't expecting something else, and disappointed.
This is the kind of place that regular people want to go to, an "all American" place. Â This is the kind of place where you can eat a damn good steak, some fantastic southern fried chicken, and not pay very much for it, and not feel like you are being judged while you eat it. Â People come from small towns all up and down the valley to eat here. Â For the price and the casual atmosphere, you are not going to find better food, and for that reason Wooden Nickel has a good reputation among country folk all the way down to Sweet Home.
My steak was a cheap cut, a little chewy. Â But it was also cooked perfectly and full of flavor, and my whole meal came to less than 15 dollars including two draft beers. Â The chicken was so, so good, and I can't figure out what made it so good either which makes it a delightful mystery. Â It somehow managed to taste so . . . chickeny. Â I will be back just to get a full portion of southern fried chicken.
Also my kid was kind of raising hell in there and no one even lifted an eyebrow. Â Â I liked this place very much and I will be back. Â I can't figure out why I ever went to Home Place when this is only a little bit farther but the food and service is so much better.
Wow, the ratings really do seem inconsistent.
Our party had a good experience.
Both ribeyes were juicy and cooked to the desired degrees of doneness.
Fried chicken dinner portion was huge.
Had no complaints on the kids meal.
Wifey said her burger was ok.
Wings were baked and very saucy, but my buddy said they were pretty good for not being fried crispy.
My husband and I spent two nights in the area and after eating at the Wooden Nickel the first night decided to return the second night for a beer and late night snack.
We found the menu to be much more than a simple bar menu; steaks, BBQ, wonderful specials that you have to arrive early for because it sells out fast; we arrived too late for the Friday night Pork Prime Rib. I have never had Pork Prime Rib and was a little bummed. Â Although we were there at 8:30 on Saturday night and they still had Beef Prime Rib. We heard from people around us that it was yummy.
You can't beat the prices either, $10.95 for the petite Prime Rib and only $12.95 for the full size serving. We had a great waitress too. Okay, a few items were wrong but she more than made up for it. She was just so sweet.
We just had such a nice visit here both times and want people to not avoid the place because of past bad reviews.
They also had two good micro brews on tap; that's always a plus!
If you are bored on a Wednesday night and have a craving to drink half-cold beer in the midst of a large group of people bumping into you constantly, look no further. Every Wednesday night (7-10 I believe) is dollar beer night at the Nickel.
The food at the Wooden Nickel is some of the worst bar food I've ever had and most of it tastes the same. You can make a better burger at home and the sides are either bland or overly seasoned. Twice they have gotten my order wrong and one of those times, the waitress got snotty about it and blamed it on me. Both of these times however was the same waitress so maybe they just need to do some re-hiring.
The bathrooms in the bar side are absolutely disgusting. There is hardly ever any fresh paper towels or toilet paper stocked (maybe because it's all on the wet floor). It's tiny and feels like it hasn't been properly cleaned in over a year.
If you really want to go here, I suggest being drunk beforehand so these things don't bother you as much. Otherwise, there are a few very nice bars in neighboring Stayton. I highly suggest the Red Apple Lounge. The prices are a little bit higher but the atmosphere and quality of the drinks and food more than make up for it.
OK. Â Let's face it. Â This is the ONLY place in town, so that is why we go there for a cold one. Â The outside is in dire need of some TLC. Â They need new barkdust, and some sprucing up on the landscaping. Â Really, a total outside facelift. Â Now for the inside. Â It is fairly cool, with lots of good old wooden furniture, posters, big bar with a huge carved out Indian head. Â But I am saving the worst for the last. Â The Women's bathroom, in the bar is DASTARDLY!!! Â It has the most horrible stench, of rotting mold I have ever in my life smelled. Â It has been this way for years, so obviously nobody has addressed this. Â If it weren't for the bathroom smell, the bathroom would be 'ok'. Â As for the food, it is your basic, typical bar menu, maybe slightly better. Â A carnivore's delight. So, yeah, too bad this is the only show in town, yet I still do go back, because of that.
Review Source:
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