Acme Cafe

This was the first time ever going to Acme. No wait at all around 8:30 am on Father’s Day. The staff was very friendly and checked back often and refilled coffee and water. It took a little bit for our food to come but it was totally worth the wait! We tried the Don’s big scramble, biscuits and gravy and the French toast. They were all very good and we took home leftovers for later. Definitely will go back.

Best summer breakfast in Salem: Acme Café’s Belgian Waffle with a scoop of Acme house made Ice Cream! Ok, Ok; maybe the best breakfast (or dessert) in Salem in any season!

The service was very so-​so. Like she really could care less if we were there or not. We had the special. A steak wrapped in bacon. I strongly suspect it was a microwave special. The steak was tough and has fish like taste. My wife and I were definitely underwhelmed. Very high priced fast food.

From the get-​go, it’s a battle for service. A complete chore in flagging down the wait staff. No refills on drinks, and by the ten minute mark our experience was pretty much ruined. Needless to say, we won’t be returning. Food was mediocre, doused in salt, with items forgotten. I’m guessing at this rate, their business will soon also be forgotten.

Great place for breakfast. Diner atmosphere and friendly courteous waiters. Large portions, great price, great menu and great food.

I love it here because the food is great. Been here several times and I have done take out and the food is always yummy. The ice cream they make is exceptional and everyone should try it. The things I don’t dig is the seating. Some of it is truly awkward like the table at the end of the tall table. We got put there last time and it just feels like you are in the way. I am a people watcher and I noticed the staff didn’t seem to like each other. One gal just stood there while the dishwasher was trying to get around her. No excuse me, nothing. Usually when staff act that way it totally turns me off but the food is great so I will just sit at the awkward table and watch the show.

We were found a bloody mary tour for my 34^th Birthday and found this great little gem! The bloody mary had celery, lemon wedge, lime wedge, pearl onion, green olives and a pickled green bean. The mix was homemade and I detected a hint of bacon.

After my last visit and the fantastic matzoh ball soup, I’m bumping this place up one star! The soup is really just like what you would imagine grandma’s homemade soup to be like. There are real pieces of chicken and veggies, the base is a hearty broth, and the matzoh balls were just the right consistency.
The rest of my review is basically unchanged and here it is:
Decent straightforward American style food, slightly more ambitious menu than a typical diner. Friendly and reasonably quick service. Kind of a cool diner/​industrial décor vibe going on inside, and there is outside seating for nice days. Parking is easy.
But… The prices are a bit high considering the quality and quantity of food. For instance, there’s a DIY salad option with mix and match ingredient choices, if you go crazy you can basically get close to a decent sized but not large Cobb salad. But for $ 12 it’s a lot of money for what you get. Lunch for two, with two sodas and no dessert, is going to set you back at least $ 30.

Came in on a Saturday morning. Despite lots of staff in the place, and not all that many customers, the service was surprisingly inefficient. Forgot our sticky bun (and disappointingly, this was selected from the too-​tightly wrapped buns at the counter). Served the cocktail almost at the same time as the main meal. The chicken and waffles was nice, if not inspired. The maple syrup was just maple flavored corn syrup (yeah, I know how rare it is to get the real thing in a restaurant, but coming from maple syrup country originally, I still get let down by cheap substitutes). The special was berry crepes filled with flavored yogurt. The crepes were okay but very thick, portion huge. Again, nothing out of the ordinary. Overall, this is an expensive alternative to other Salem breakfast places. Try Word of Mouth instead. But we will probably come back sometime for lunch or dinner to see what we think. We’re especially curious to try their homemade ice cream.

We tried this restaurant a week ago and we have already been back twice since. Everything we have tried has been spot on! Their array of hand crafted sauces are amazing and pair perfectly with their dishes. Their bacon-​wrapped filet is especially divine! If you are looking for a menu that celebrates a creative palate while keeping traditions alive, this is your place. Leave the chain restaurants behind and support this local gem!

I heard it was a great place. There was a wait which is something to expect with a good place to eat. We oredered coffee while we waited. Coffee never came. Our group of 3 got seated with a 20mn wait. Which is fine no big deal. We sat and waited, menus closed, for 20 min. No waitress, no water, no coffee. Very unprofessional. We walked out and will never recommend this place to anyone.

Had breakfast here a few weeks back. Good meal, but I’m not a big fan of the «community seating» concept that seems to be expanding. Will definitely be back, though.

Pastrami/​Rueben was ok not terrible but definitely overpriced, for 13.50 I wanted lots of meat and wanted it to be amazing and it was just average. Tried some of their ice cream which at least for me was unusual. Caramel IPA was not working for me. Also the chocolate candy cane tasted like soy or something strange and it was 3 bucks for 2 very small scoops.

Great casual contemporary café, but don’t think that the food is anything like a café. We went for the fish and chips, and it was delicious. Paired with a micro brew and actually several samples of their other culinary fair. Although that was because they were celebrating their 2 year anniversary, it was a special treat that solidified the need to come back soon so we can try some of the other items on their menu. So, this first time guest was very happy with our dining choice. I did expected a wonderful experience because of the respect I have in the «Wild Pear» has in my own eating adventures. Wonderful non-​pretentious environment and wonderful food, I highly recommend. My only regret is that it took 2 year to discover this jewel in Salem.

Met the owner Cecilia tonight. She was super sweet and easy to talk to. I had the tomato pie with smashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. The smashed potatoes melted in your mouth and left me wanting more. I also had dessert and the brownie was soft and warm and went perfectly with the vanilla ice cream. It was my first time coming to this restaurant and I had a good experience. I would like to come here again and check out the happy hour! :)

Stopping to the restaurant today with my attorney Todd he had a BLT with fries. They look really good. I had their clam chowder it was horrible since when do you put okra in New England clam chowder. Oh I forgot this is Salem Oregon even without the okra the soup wasn’t good c’est la vie

I’ve had some good things here, some okay things, and some things that were just bad. Their cocktails have always been great. The food, not always as great.
Tonight we ordered the specials — steak medallions and a lemon-​thyme chicken. After waiting quite a long time (waitress came by to apologize several times due to a large party in the back room), we finally received our dishes. The chicken was tender but way under-​seasoned. It came with rice pilaf which also lacked flavor, and some un-​trimmed asparagus spears, half of which could not be chewed. Just cut the ends off and you don’t have that problem. Instead I sat there and sawed off the ends of the spears with my butter knife, which was not easy. My husband’s steak medallions were made from something that appeared to be round steak — very lean and pretty tough. This was also under-​seasoned.
The deviled egg appetizer was the best part of the meal. They are very tasty. And our daughter was happy with her mac and cheese. But then we got the bill and realized her «kid’s cup» of milk was $ 4.00! Really? Wow. That is roughly what you would pay for a whole gallon of milk.
The restaurant was very busy, and although there were a lot of wait staff rushing around, it took quite a while to get our food, drinks/​waters refilled, and a to-​go box for our daughter’s mac and cheese. Sending something back would have resulted in a longer wait and a more impatient toddler, so we just ate what we could. We live out South, and ACME is one of the few non-​fast food options out here, but our last few visits have been disappointing, so I don’t think we’ll be back.

The fried food was extremely greasy. More diner ambiance than actuual flavour. The problem may be that I expected more respect for the food and the customer than what I experienced.
Pie is quite alluring and it’s possible that I will go to try some but with very low expectations given what has already occurred.

The standard menu is outstanding if you’re not quite sure what you want, but enjoy simple food executed with high quality and attention. The specials often provide a chance to try a showcase local ingredient for a more upscale vibe. Their breakfast menu will convince you of the virtues of being an early riser. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly, and always hustling to take care of guests.
Come once and there will be at least 2 things to inspire a return trip from the menu. Come back and you will be hooked for good. This may be Salem’s best value restaurant on the south end.

The ACME Café has been going a year now, so we dropped in to see how they are doing. Two at the table ordered the Deluxe Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Parmesan and Garlic Buttered Texas Toast, filled with Cheddar and Swiss cheeses /​$ 8.50). They thought the proportion of bread to cheese was off — too much bread — and that it was too expensive for a grilled cheese sandwich. Where is the Deluxe?
I had Don’s Big Skillet** (bacon, ham, home fries, mushrooms, onions and peppers, topped with three scrambled eggs, Cheddar Cheese and sausage gravy, and wheat toast /​$ 13.00). I found it delicious.
The building itself is great, and our server was quick and efficient (Thank You, Deidra).
Three Star food and Four Star service.
** Don’s Big Skillet is the Chef’s tribute to Don «The Breakfast King of Salem» Uselman, of the Ritz Diner, White’s Restaurant and Don’s Restaurant. RIP, Don.