McMenamins Thompson Brewery & Public House
3575 Liberty Rd. S., Salem, OR, 97302
McMenamins Thompson Brewery & Public House Menu
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Address :
3575 Liberty Rd. S.
Salem, OR, 97302 - Phone (503) 363-7286
- Website https://www.mcmenamins.com/Thompson
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun
Coat Check : No
Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kacey H.
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(4)M B.
Terrible service. We were sitting upstairs and I had walk down to the bar repeatedly to get silverware, napkins, a glass of water and then (after waiting 30 minutes for the waitress) to get the bill and pay. The beer was decent, the food was awful. My kids got food poisoning from the corn dogs that required a trip to the local Urgent Care the next day. We called them about that and they argued about this rather than at least apologizing. Definitely won't be back.
(1)Shane D.
Terminator Stout. That's pretty much all I need to say about this place. Every McMennamins automatically becomes one fo my favorites restaurants simply because of this unbelievable beer they make. It is quite simply, the best beer I have ever had in my life. So smooth. No bitterness at all. Chocolaty and dark. God help me. As for the restaurant, this is one of the more quaint McMennamins around. It's an old house that has been turned into a kind of pub. The food is very good, but not great. It's pub food after all, but it's better than most other bar foods you'll find. I usually get the pastrami sandwich, and it's pretty solid, and goes well with Terminator Stout. But then again, the beer is so good, I think eating my own shoe would go well with Terminator Stout.
(4)Carson K.
Just went in to have a beer with a friend and the service was good along with the Kringle beer. The atmosphere of the pub almost makes it feel like you are hanging out in a friend's living room.
(5)Kelley R.
Okay, seriously, it is obvious they are grossly understaffed. Maybe a wee bit overpriced, and a tad boring in the menu department. But come on Yelper's, it's in A HAUNTED HOUSE! I have forgiven the staff for their slowness, it's not their fault that they aren't allotted more $ to pay for more staff. I blame it on the McMenamin Brothers, and especially for their boring menu. Weird thing is, we just keep coming back. Like, a lot. We LOVE Julie, our favorite server, with a savant's memory. I dig the hard cider ($6, ouch), the Veggie grill + roast beef, or the ruben with turkey and slaw. How can one not love scooby snacks or cajun tots? A super secret: you can pack a lot of people in the back room, it has a door to wrangle the kids, you can turn off football and turn on sponge bob, and the kicker is............ THEY DON'T CARE AT ALL!
(4)Eva C.
Our first time in here was disgusting! We were seated upstairs. I thought it was really cute. A converted old Victorian style home. After we ordered we sat there waiting when I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I saw my husband's eyes move too. I was too scared to turn around. When I did a saw a couple of mice scurry through the dining room. I nearly lost it and could not get out of there quick enough! I will never go back!
(1)Desiree H.
I was very excited to try out this McMenamins being that I have heard good things about this location and having a day of "cosmic tripping" with my friends with our passports. As soon as we walked in we were not greeted and ended up standing there waiting. The girl behind the bar seen us and did not say one word. I then asked her if we sit ourselves. She rudely said there's a terrible over there. She then said that there is only 2 of us here and your server is cooking too. We sat ourselves and then our server came, a girl with short blond hair that looked like she hated life. Again rudely ask what we wanted to drink. My friend was wanting to try a sample of one of there seasonals as I did too...our blond server then looked at us like we were idiots didn't say one word and left. I could continue on and on. Overall...despite the dysfunctional serving staff there...we enjoyed our beers,curried fries, and the company of each other. I wanted to warn the people walking in as we were leaving but was very mature about the situation. I highly recommend that if you want the McMenamins experience in Salem....go to Boons. They are wonderful there. And if you are needing to get your stamp for your passport...don't get your hopes up for any pleasant experience especially if the same 2 workers are there.
(1)Daniel F.
Strawberry lemonade for days. Typical McMenamins, slow service, good happy hour, intriguing and overall enjoyable atmosphere.
(3)Lee G.
I have given Thompson 4 chances- NO MORE! Worst service of anyplace I have been. Why can't this place get it together? Service has been a problem for years!
(1)Melina T.
This is one of those places that isn't great but you keep coming back and you aren't sure why. The food is the standard McMennamin's menu that you can get at all their pubs. The cook seems to make things a bit greasier here than the PDX ones. I like their beer and the Ruby is my favorite. I think it is kind of a cool, old house and the outdoor seating is nice in the summer. My book club has met here several times because the service is so slow that we never feel rushed to get out of there while we sit and chat. I wouldn't go here if you need to get in and out quickly but if you just want to sit and hang out with some friends over a beer and potato skins, I'd recommend it.
(3)Tara M.
Abysmal service. Absolute worst service in Salem and that's saying something. Food is typical bar food not anything special. This location is the bastard child of McMenamins...totally worth it to drive the extra 3 miles and hit up Boone's Treasury instead. And they ruined the Pole Axe over the last 2 years...After eating at Boone's, the hotel Oregon, Edgefield, Grand Lodge, Sherwood & Wilsonville McMenamins I can say with all certainty don't bother stopping at Thompsons.
(1)Michael C.
McMinnamins food is good to very good. Never great. Anywhere I have ever been The atmosphere here is the best, and the only reason I am giving it 3 stars. Has a few decent staff members, but there are guys that seem to walk in a haze the whole time. Still, it's a great place to hang out in Salem. I also like Boons, perhaps a little more (but it's less private)
(3)Matt K.
Had a fantastic cheesesteak with amazing sweet potato fries. Too bad our waitress had a sour face the entire time and we waited over 30 min for our water. Don't even ask how long for our food to come... I am writing this review from the parking lot. It was that bad.
(2)Nancy E.
Wow! What horrible service!! We literally sat at our table for over 15 minutes and not ONCE did someone come by to help us! The servers frequently visited all the tables around us but never came by our table. Ended up leaving without even ordering because nobody waited on us. We will absolutely NEVER come back here again. You do not ignore customers like that ever. Please go anywhere but this place
(1)K L.
I would give it NO stars if possible! the service at this place is BEYOND horrible! We went on Valentines day, and were led upstairs by a waitress after waiting at bar. We sat down, NO service for probably 15 mins (there were empty tables everywhere, so there is no it was busy excuse.. When he did come in (young guy with glasses) he said " can I help you or are you just hanging out" WHAT??????????? NO- we want menus. He THREW the menus on the table, and started to walk off. I said excuse me we want to order drinks. He basically rolled his eyes, took our order, and walked away. NEVER came back, so my friend went to get them. The jerk never came back to the table, we AGAIN went downstairs, told someone else to bring us our bill. We will NEVER EVER return. I have never in my LIFE had service like this. The kid should be fired!!!!!!! We did go to BOONES to eat, and the service was much better. This is the second time at Thompson Brewery, and the first time the service wasn't great, this time deal killer for future!
(1)cathy l.
We finally decided to try this on a Tuesday night-hopefully it wouldn't be too crowded. We were a party of 5 so it took a while to get seated, but we finally were. We ordered 1 turkey sand, 2 hamburgers, 1 "american" dip & the lamb wrap-not much cooking involved. We waited 45 minutes for the food & then it was ALL COLD! The fries, soup, au jus-all were cold. One in our party said his burger was warm enough. He asked for extra ranch when the food was delivered, and the waitress brought it AFTER he was finished eating. We were there for 1 3/4 hours-for COLD food. None of us will ever go back. I gave it 1 star because the interior is cute.
(1)Andy K.
Good service, food, and drinks! I highly recommend!
(4)Tila M.
Not sure why people choose to work in a restaurant when they clearly hate people, but I am starting to think that it may be somewhere in their corporate policy. If you must visit a McMenamin's in the Salem area then this one is the lesser of two evils. PS. They only earned the second star for not being the boon's location.
(2)Rick H.
I stopped going to this nasty place years ago due to worst service I ever had. Sounds like it hasn't changed much.
(1)Nancy N.
I got the pulled pork sandwich it was great :) Service was mediocre. Pretty busy, I enjoyed sitting with my date on the deck... seemed quite elegent. Parking was a biotch.
(3)Kevin D.
I am not sure what is up with McMenamins lately. The service has become horrible. This is not unique to Thompson's. I have noticed this at most of the McMenamins that I have been too. I have come in, sat down either by myself or with friends and literally have to stand up and ask someone to help us on average 10-15 minutes after we show up. I Recently visited Thompson's and it was the usual service or lack there of. This place is freezing! I had a sweater and had to go to my car to get jacket and gloves because it was so freakin cold in there. I looked around and everyone else was bundled up too. I have been a McMenamins fan for nearly 20 years. It is very sad to see the service and quality diminish.
(2)Dan S.
Food is good. Of course. Service, the one time I went (Saturday night at 6:15pm or so) was ATROCIOUS. They did comp our drinks, to make up for the long wait for the table. That was a nice gesture. But the waiting did not stop there... oh, no. Wow. From start to finish, we were there for 2 hours. It only took us about 15 minutes to eat our food and we waited for about 45 minutes or so for our table. So, that left about 1 hour of prep time for the food and the massive amount of time it took for our waitress to take our credit card. I finally had to go find her so she'd take it. My assessment is they are severely under staffed. Hopefully this review will help reduce the volume of their business thereby reducing their need for staff. And yep, awful parking.
(2)Eric G.
I had my first real beer drinking experience here and came back many more times during my college and post-college days. They make all their own beers (like every pub in the chain) and they are all great. The food is quality pub food and atmosphere is totally comfy. It was here that I first started mixing ketchup with hot sauce. Thank you McMenamins.
(5)Shannon K.
The delicious food and drinks are ruined by the worst service....EVER. If it's busy, expect a 30 minute wait for your drinks...and about 1.5 hours to get your food. This restaurant is ridiculously understaffed and inadequate. If you treasure service OR YOUR TIME, at all...don't waste it here.
(1)Jim S.
I'm a bit of a McMenamins veteran and this place is by far the worst. Which is a shame, since I really enjoy the pubs closer to Portland. Standard McMenamins menu, but the food quality isn't as good as the other locations. Even worse is the service. Most of the bartenders and servers seem unhappy to be there. The only good thing going for this place is the patio seating, which is nice to enjoy when weather allows. If you are in Salem and craving some McMenamins, it's worth a stop, but you'll be disappointed if you are used to the locations up near Portland.
(3)Steve S.
This place is a Class-A DUMP! The food is horrible and the staff is mad at the world.The restaurant was dark and gloomy, similar to the attitude of the employees. I suppose if you are a beanie hat wearing, granola eating, Patagonia shirt wearing, bleeding heart liberal that is also taking Prozac, this may be just the place for you. The food was cold as well. I think someone needs to taking the employees out in the daylight hours so they can get a little life to them.
(1)Leslie B.
I hadn't been to Thompson's in about 6 years, but was in South Salem needing lunch and decided to stop in with a friend. Since it was before noon, we went with Bloody Marys to drink. I asked the bartender if they made their own mix, which they do. I'm kinda picky about Bloody Marys, so I wanted to know. Their mix is delish! It came in a pounder glass with a nice garnish of two giant green olives-one stuffed with the traditional pimento and the other with garlic. It also had a pickled asparagus spear-which to me is always the crowning glory of a good Bloody Mary. So, the drink was great. On to the food. . . I ordered the Captain Neon burger, which has Bleu Cheese dressing and bacon on top. It was good. Pretty tasty. My friend had some kinda Philly Cheesesteak with onions and peppers. It looked good, but according to her, it needed Cheese Whiz to be authentic. Tasty though, per her. Our service was average. What really bugged me was the waitress that kept coming into the bar yammering on, loudly, about anything and everything. I wanted to tell her to "SHUT IT!", but like my food and drinks without server spit. The people watching was awesome! There was this "interesting" woman, who must be a regular, or apparently is not afraid to over-share with and blatantly hit on the bartender. You might see her, if you go. I guess I've been lucky and haven't run into the terrible service and food that the other reviewers have had.
(3)Christine C.
I've actually never experienced worse service. McMenamin's is notorious for being slow, but not getting menus for 15 minutes, not getting our food for another 45 and having to ask for the check an hour after we ate was horrible. The only reason why I stayed is because the weather was incredible outside on their patio.
(1)Ted B.
Two stars because the server sucked. She treated us like garbage. Never have i been to a restaurant where the server huffs an puffs, rolls her eyes, and acts completely put out when you ask for another beer (she didnt ask, i had to ask). Not only did we have to ask for everything, but she never brought our check. After staring at our empty plates and beer glasses for 15 minutes, we went downstairs to get the check. If the place had been busy, i would understand (to some degree) her being behind a bit. But there were two other couples in the entire place (that i saw). Food was nothing worth writing home about, which is too bad because it is a neat setting. Very cozy and intimate, but the wife and i will never return to this place. Your experience may be different, my review is based primarily on the service.
(2)Michael M.
Let's start with the best part: The beer is good! They usually have a good selection of beers brewed on-site in addition to the normal ones that all McMenamin's have. The food is also good, but a little on the pricey side. Now with the bad part: The service can be really bad. They seem to have staffing issues (i.e., not enough at times) which often causes the bad service. Over the past 4 or 5 years we've had some the the best and some of the worst service. When it's good, the staff is attentive and friendly, have time to discuss the beers with you and even joke a little. When it's bad, you might wait more than 20 minutes before your beer order is taken...and another 15 before your beer is in front of you. This really is a great place, they just need to iron out the problems with service.
(4)Kyle R.
If you like dark and dank and dreary -- go here. The food is average...and waitstaff always seem hurried and angered by your presence. Seriously. But I guess if you go to drink -- and you get wasted -- you wouldn't mind the places downfalls. Have fun.
(1)Eric M.
I was very impressed with the service here and my delicious meal was served around 7 minutes after I placed my order (no joke). Awesome service from Rachelle! Nice assortment of beers, wines, and liquor. Great happy hour too. I'll definitely return...
(5)Alison K.
We had terrible service here. In fact we couldn't even sit down because the staff wouldn't acknowledge us waiting at the door for more than 10 minutes. It would have been nice to be greeted even if it was slightly busy. It's too bad because we like other locations.
(1)Stacey P.
The food is very decent and the spirits are great, in more ways than one! Pretty old house, pleasant atmosphere and plenty of parking. It gets all the stars from me because I have booked it for an event twice. My dad was a regular here, and friends with all the other regulars, a great bunch. We held a wake here for another one of the old timers, and also had my father's wake here. Both were popular people that had wakes that were probably a little too well attended for the size of Thompson House! They kept the food and beverage coming very reliably, and put up with a raucous bunch of old hot rodders and assorted oddball characters, who turned it into a major party, in true Irish wake fashion. They gave me plenty of space to build shrines of photos, artwork, and memories of the deceased. In the second case, the death was very tragic, and myself and my mother were a mess, and no doubt not that easy to deal with. I wasn't ready for this, and holding a large wake was getting beyond what I could handle. No problem for Thompson House! The staff were right in gear, ironing out the petty details smoothly. Interestingly, I think it has a history as a funeral home, but I'm not too sure. The costs were all handled by friends who pitched in, and they were reasonable. They knew how to settle up the bill among the volunteers- smoothly, and keeping things well out of the hands of the most grieving of the family. The whole staff even stepped up to express their sympathy. So thanks TH- you are a class act.
(5)Kimberly J.
I love the TNT basket here. It's a cozy building, which sometimes makes for a nice private dinner but on busier nights can be uncomfortable. They usually have a fire going outside when it's cool out, which smells great. The servers are usually very friendly!
(4)Erin L.
One of the many stops on the McMenamins Passport adventure, the Thompson Brewery is a cute house with a pleasant ambience. The food was pretty good and the service was decent. Probably one of the better McMenamins.
(4)Roger S.
Came in here again . Sorry to say I . the food just OK again. They deserve better.. They can do a lot better and somehow this someone's not following corporate specs being done .what's being done is only fair
(4)D C.
One of the very finest of the McMenamins venues and our new personal favorite . Ambiance -A+, service /hospitality/historical knowledge-A+, food (I had the gyro she had the chicken)-A+!
(5)Michelle P.
I have no idea why the reviews here are so low. I have a passport, so you know I've been to a butt ton of Mcmennamins, and this one easily had the best food I've ever had at a Mcmennamins. I had the special - turkey burger. It was ridiculously large and very tasty. My husband had a steak sandwich easily larger than my calf. Our server Rachelle was attentive and delightful. Larger selection of beer and wine than many if their locations too.
(4)Jaclyn M.
This place doesn't disappoint! We've been here four times. We've only ever had not great service once and it's because the place was PACKED! I love that this historical looking house has such unique seating! It holds true for everything a local can expect of McMenamin's pubs, and also holds its own flare! The food is delicious as always and then what sets it apart from other McMenamin's pubs is the incredible service! We tasted every beer on the menu before filling our Passport Exclusive growler with delicious local brew. Last time we came before this, we enjoyed some hilarious repartee with our server. Another time, the server was incredibly attentive to our needs, and brewed us coffee AND gave us two to-go cups because we had a long drive ahead of us! Come here! Sit outside, or enjoy one of the adorable booths upstairs! You won't be disappointed!
(5)Missy W.
Several years ago, I would have considered myself a regular at this location as I would stop by at least 3-4 times a week. After I moved out of South Salem I have only returned a few times. The main reason is for the absolutely, horrible customer service. Its so sad because its a pretty cool place to go for a pint, especially in the summer because of their porch and outdoor seating. Sadly the people who have been hired on just don't have any respect for the company they work for and have completely ruined the reputation of this location. The couple times I have attempted to dine/drink there lately, I've actually walked out before even ordering because I've never been served... There really needs to be some deep, deep sanitizing/cleaning at this location as well. Floors, ceilings, carpets, tiles, windowsills, windows, knick-knacks, etc. Across town at Boon's is a whole different story, great service.
(2)Hannah K.
Coolest atmosphere for a place you can eat, drink, and if you're lucky, get to hear some amazing live music. Nicest staff too. They could use some help though. It gets busy. Hire another waiter and chef. I would go again.
(4)Von G.
Waited 7+ minutes and ended up leaving because no one would seat us. Will never return since this has happened each time we've eaten at this location. You'd think their corporate regional manager would get a clue and resolve this service oriented problem? Someone higher up is not doing their job and ignoring public feedback based on all the Yelp posts. Establishing a bad reputation is cancer for a brand and this place has a malignant attitude towards customers.
(1)Kory K.
Good grub that goes well with the great beer. Great casual environment with good staff. It's a great place to hang, but not if you're in a hurry. Also tons of seating outside when the sun comes out.
(3)Ethan C.
People should really re-review there old ratings of McMenamins they've definitely revamped the kitchen. There burgers are quite good now! I recall back in the day when the beef patty tasted as if it had been left in grease all day. I've been eating here more lately.
(4)Alexander C.
They have a really great beer selection and the food is really good too. It's a great homely sort of atmosphere and the bartender was very nice. They did give me the wrong kind of dressing for my salad but that really didn't bother me because they brought the correct selection without me having to say anything. Good place to meet people too. Definitely have to check this place out again!
(4)Nichole M.
I like the atmosphere but the food was bland! The service was alright I am NOT impressed won't go back...
(1)Trevor E.
I love this old house and cool feel. Food is great and I love the captain neon burger. Their beer is great too! If you want a unique venue for deep conversations make the trip!
(4)Don W.
We loved the idea and the look of the place. However as soon as you walk in it has a very string smell like a really old house. We almost left just because of that. What was worse was it took 15 minutes in a nearly empty restaurant (we went about 4p) just to order a drink. By the time the drinks came we couldn't stand the smell and lack of attention anymore. Maybe a different day we will try again but not likely because there are so many other places to try.
(1)Karen D.
I love the food, beer, and atmosphere at this place. I think it's much better than the downtown location. Their food at all mcminamins is consistently delicious and does not disappoint. They have recently switched to Portland organic ketchup at all locations which is clumpy and disgusting. And their mustard is no longer made with terminator stout. Those are my only complaints.
(4)Courtney B.
We stopped in on a week night while on our way to a wedding. I've been to this location many times before, but my last visit was seven years ago. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich (not currently listed on the menu linked), and it was wonderful. It's similar to the Hammerhead pulled pork, but comes with fried onion straws and jalapenos on top. The staff was attentive and helpful. I was worried that our service would be terrible because our meal was free (we are passport members), but it was anything but that. I'm so glad this quirky location holds up to my old memories.
(5)Julie W.
I had the grilled vege sandwich. It's delicious. I stopped for a late lunch so it wasn't busy and sat in the bar. The service was good and she was wanted to make sure I had what I wanted. I also have the mcmennim passport so lunch was free.
(4)Lily D.
We've been coming here off and on for the last 10 years. It seem to be hit and miss with the service. Tonight was a hit, as soon as we sat down the busboy (Beto)?greeted us with a smile and brought us water and answered our questions about the beer. Our waitress (Rachelle) was just as friendly, fast and efficient and checked on us quite often during our stay. The food quality is good as we usually order the burgers and the beer is always great, We don't like sitting inside as it's so dark so we only come during warm weather so we can enjoy the outdoor seating. Their outdoor seating is great for families with children. Maybe the establishment is paying attention to the yelp comments and training the staff better?
(4)Kayley W.
Tried this location again. Super slow service and waiters never check on you. Hope you don't run out of water when you are eating jalapeños like we did. I wish management would work on these issues.
(1)Corin W.
The food here is great, especially the appetizers. Great selection of drinks too. The problem is that the service is terrible. The time it took between when we got here, got appetizers/drinks, main dish, and then bill was around 30 min each. You have to plan to be here for a while if you want the dinner service. Not only that but they would forget things from our orders that were supposed to come with our orders, and there was no hope fixing it because it would be 30 min before the server would come back. If they could fix the service here they would be golden.
(2)Proper D.
People who hate on McMenamins are probably just food snobs or stupid hipsters that only like things that are brand new and quirky in that pretentious sort of way. I've been to lots of McMenamins locations and this one was typical meaning it was good food and good beer in an interesting location. The only downside of the Thompson house is that there is no air conditioning or at least they don't turn it on because it gets incredibly hot in there. The menu is slightly different than Boons Treasury but I would say the quality is the same both Salem locations . Overall good simple food.
(4)Kathy E.
Very accommodating regarding splitting an order between two people.
(4)Becky R.
Purple haze and ruby- my favorites! Also use Portland Ketchup, which sounds like it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it is sooooo good!
(4)Kent S.
My wife and went to Ventis Taphouse this afternoon to have dinner. After being rudely ignored by 3 staff there, that made zero effort, we left and went to Thompsons. We usually go there maybe a couple times a month. Two seconds after we opened the door we got a " hi, how are ya. Be right with you". Julie, who works there as management staff was there. Off the clock. Jumped up got us menus. Got us a table. Went way above and beyond. Thank you Thompson staff for being welcoming and friendly. Great meal too.
(5)Lyn A.
Really love McMenamins! We have been to them all several times and we live down the road from Thompson House. Lucky us! The place is all about the beer for us. BEST BEER EVER (although Gilgamesh is catching up.....) The food on the menus is just meh......okay....probably would rather eat before I go drink beer there. But McMenamins has never had the menu I would prefer. Not a bad one for everyone....just not tasty to me. Sort of yuppy selections. I try to stick to the burgers. Their chicken strips are thin and remind me of fish sticks. Service has most of the time been great. This last week we had Aria who was SUPER SWEET! We liked her alot. The building is a super old actual home. So reading one of the other reviews about the smell being musty old house smell made me laugh. What does an OLD HOUSE smell like Dude? New construction???? I think it totally adds to the charm. I do not like the bathroom there. It is one person at a time room and SUPER SMALL. Seriously, I wish they would add on and put a decent bathroom in that place. I hate waiting for it as well! And I really hate it when I have to go in after somebody has decided to sit in there for a while. I feel bad for their employees not having better facilities. The lady that runs the keg room is awesome. Easy to work with and almost always has the keg we want for our home bar or camping. Prefer to come here in the summer for the outdoor fires and picnic table. Occasionally sit inside but try to get the bar itself for faster service. The house seems to be slower than outside.
(3)Ehow C.
After a pretty awesome (albeit dry-ish) wedding, a group of us decided to get our drink on at the local McMenamin's in Salem. We were able to get a room to ourselves on a Saturday night, which was pretty impressive. Sadly, it was all pretty much downhill from then on. Tater tots and chicken fingers = good, as expected for any fried foods Pumpkin ale = bad, so so bad Service = ugly (30 minutes wait times between ordering/getting drinks/getting food/getting our check, really?) I'm glad my company was good, it definitely compensated for the miserable experience of waiting for anything at this place. Stay away unless you're desperate and have a lot of time on your hand.
(2)Laura S.
I've frequented the two McMenamin's in Salem many, many times. Going all the way back to when I had just turned 21 and was home on leave from the military. I remember coming to the Thompson's with my parents and ordering my first beer in Oregon. I've been a dedicant ever since. The Thompson Brewery is the more 'family' orientated option. With several small rooms with nooks and crannies to shove unruly children into, or at very least, isolate as to not make the rest of the restaurant suffer. Noise levels can vary quite a bit I've noticed, but nothing as overpowering as live bands at Boon's. I will eventually complete my mission to visit each McMenamin's location, it's on my bucket list.
(4)Jordan S.
Great food, mediocre service at best thankfully the food is good enough to keep me coming back.
(3)Julie E.
It really depends on the day here. Sometimes we go and get awesome service, other times, it's awful. Once we sat on the front porch and waited over 10 minutes for someone to just come ask us if we wanted a drink. I still can't believe we waited that long. The food is also ify. One night we came with my sister who was visiting and everyone had a GREAT meal. The next week, my same order was greasy and over cooked. We will probably still go by here, it's close to where we live, but it's definitely not our first choice.
(2)Stacey J.
Excellent wait staff, quick service, lots of knowledge. Delicious Reuben, would recommend to anyone! Not sure what the other reviews were experiencing because ours was awesome.
(4)Jill B.
Glorified hipster Applebee's. After trying this place about half a dozen times and hoping that I got them on a bad night, I'm done. The waitstaff is consistently straight-up rude and the food is overpriced and like something off the back of a Sysco truck. Venti's and Acme Cafe--both within about a mile--have better food, better beer, and a staff that won't roll their eyes at you. Save your time, save your money and go anyplace else.
(1)Jane S.
The Thompson Ale House is good, but its been better. In recent years, McMenamin's has scaled back their menus and jacked up their prices, and a lot of favorites have disappeared. Most of the non-burger and sandwich entrees are gone, including the delicious High Pasta. Inexplicably, they removed a lot of the obscure pop culture puns from the menu - a slight to punning Oregonians everywhere. I don't want a reuben, dammit! I want a Reuben Kincaid! Nevertheless, the Thompson Ale House is a reliable place to get simple pub fare. The wait is long - probably too long if you try to bring toddlers - but the food is worth it, even if the beer, eh... isn't. If it's warm enough, the outdoor seating area is preferable to the house itself. Ask them about the epileptic squirrel.
(3)Nathan B.
Great Charm! Good Food! Amazing Time! Brewery from what once was the most elegant Civil War Veteran's home. There is enough history and memorabilia in the house to keep conversations going with friends or strangers and like any brewery theres enough on tap or on the shelf to keep you focused... or unfocused... Menu is great! Happy Hour prices can not be beat!! Definitely worth the time... footnote: South Liberty is the old wagon that ran between Salem and Eugene... I will have to investigate it some more and see if there is still an existing route...
(5)Mick S.
This place is cool. I have been to Mcmenamin's in Seattle before and had horrible experiences. I had two IPAs which were delicious of course and a nice mushroom and swiss burger, you know, ordinary pub food but the burger was really good! Tasty and fries were nice. The mustard they serve will put some hair on your chest too. Great prices and good happy hour options. For both beers and the meal it came to 15 bucks even. I'd say thats a good deal!
(4)Kevin W.
I've been away from McMenamin's for far too long and this one did not disappoint. Great beer, great service and great food. Especially the cut fries, came here specially for those.
(5)Sean S.
Stopped by on the way home from a vacation on the road with 3 tired and hungry kiddos. we were greeted at the door and seated quickly and placed our orders so the kids could start eating. The waitress came back and let us know that there would be a 20-25 min wait due to a large group upstairs and brought drinks and crackers for the kids. She was very helpful the entire visit and very friendly with the kids despite being very busy. One of the best visits to a McMenamin's ever!
(5)Elizabeth E.
Yes, this is my second review of a McMenamin's Pub (see other Salem McMenamin's review for a general history of these pubs)--but this one is just as good and offers Fish & Chips (which the other Salem location does not, making this a sometimes more popular pick amongst my friends). This pub is in an old house so you can seat yourself in any one of a number of different rooms. Aside from the sit-down seating thorughout the house, there is a small bar area to the right of the front door which is always filled with locals. There is also a great outdoor seating at picnic tables for those sunnier days in Salem. Good food, great beer, great location for a group of friends.
(5)Mira N.
This is about the worst McMenamins I've been to (out of easily 20+) in terms of service and food. That's saying a lot - because McMenamins has notoriously bad, slower than slug service and not-so-good food. The only reason I give it 2 stars is the building itself and the availability of outdoor seating. Of the 4-5 times I've been there, I've never had a decent meal or service. I won't go back - not even for happy hour.
(2)Emily A.
I used to think it was only the McMenamin's in Clackams I used to go to in Clackamas, but alas no, EVERY time I go to one of the McMenamin's places I get the slowest service ever. Which is fine if you aren't that hungry (read: you can wait 45 minutes to eat) and if you are wanting to just sit and talk for a long time. The only reason I keep making the mistake of going back is I really like the food.
(2)Jim E.
I like this place. I agree with some of the comments about the boring menu and slow service, but I've eaten here maybe 15 times and I've never been so put off that I wouldn't come back. Their burgers are decent and the reuben is very good. The fries are the same as other McMenamin's places (delicious, hand-cut, unique). The beer is worth the trip alone, especially the Terminator Stout. But what I like best about this place is that you can almost always find a secret room and sit by yourself. It's an old mansion that has lots of small rooms and unless it's really busy, at least one of them will be empty. The wait staff always finds me hiding out in there and takes care of me. You can also eat outside or on the patio on nice days, although the location isn't scenic or anything. It's just a fun change of pace. One of my favorite meals in Salem is a reuben, fries and a Terminator. Put ketchup on a small plate and douse it in vinegar and dip your fries in it.
(4)Ziecha N.
I've eaten at this location on and off for ten years. The food is good, but the service is always slow. I never write reviews, but I am beyond disgusted with the current service I received. It was a very nice day and I was taking my friend and my son to lunch. We sat outside so my two year old could sit next to the table and play while enjoying the sun. After all this restaurant does advertise as a family friendly environment. What I received was not even close to that. Apparently one of the "managers" named BILLY was not family friendly. My son was at my feet, not yelling, not crying, not making a sound just playing with a wooden box and his car. I was treated with disrespect stating that the box was not a toy and that my son needed to sit on the bench or in a highchair. That he could not stand or sit on the ground next to me. I am never going back and warning anyone with a child, that this is not the place for you. Billy made that VERY VERY CLEAR! I canceled my order and walked out.
(1)Mike R.
The Ruby Ale was a bit fruity for me, but the Porter was delightful and went quite well with the Fish and Chips. Great atmosphere, I just wish that I could have sat away from the TV.
(5)Stacey P.
The food is very decent and the spirits are great, in more ways than one! Pretty old house, pleasant atmosphere and plenty of parking. It gets all the stars from me because I have booked it for an event twice. My dad was a regular here, and friends with all the other regulars, a great bunch. We held a wake here for another one of the old timers, and also had my father's wake here. Both were popular people that had wakes that were probably a little too well attended for the size of Thompson House! They kept the food and beverage coming very reliably, and put up with a raucous bunch of old hot rodders and assorted oddball characters, who turned it into a major party, in true Irish wake fashion. They gave me plenty of space to build shrines of photos, artwork, and memories of the deceased. In the second case, the death was very tragic, and myself and my mother were a mess, and no doubt not that easy to deal with. I wasn't ready for this, and holding a large wake was getting beyond what I could handle. No problem for Thompson House! The staff were right in gear, ironing out the petty details smoothly. Interestingly, I think it has a history as a funeral home, but I'm not too sure. The costs were all handled by friends who pitched in, and they were reasonable. They knew how to settle up the bill among the volunteers- smoothly, and keeping things well out of the hands of the most grieving of the family. The whole staff even stepped up to express their sympathy. So thanks TH- you are a class act.
(5)Kimberly J.
I love the TNT basket here. It's a cozy building, which sometimes makes for a nice private dinner but on busier nights can be uncomfortable. They usually have a fire going outside when it's cool out, which smells great. The servers are usually very friendly!
(4)Erin L.
One of the many stops on the McMenamins Passport adventure, the Thompson Brewery is a cute house with a pleasant ambience. The food was pretty good and the service was decent. Probably one of the better McMenamins.
(4)Roger S.
Came in here again . Sorry to say I . the food just OK again. They deserve better.. They can do a lot better and somehow this someone's not following corporate specs being done .what's being done is only fair
(4)D C.
One of the very finest of the McMenamins venues and our new personal favorite . Ambiance -A+, service /hospitality/historical knowledge-A+, food (I had the gyro she had the chicken)-A+!
(5)Jaclyn M.
This place doesn't disappoint! We've been here four times. We've only ever had not great service once and it's because the place was PACKED! I love that this historical looking house has such unique seating! It holds true for everything a local can expect of McMenamin's pubs, and also holds its own flare! The food is delicious as always and then what sets it apart from other McMenamin's pubs is the incredible service! We tasted every beer on the menu before filling our Passport Exclusive growler with delicious local brew. Last time we came before this, we enjoyed some hilarious repartee with our server. Another time, the server was incredibly attentive to our needs, and brewed us coffee AND gave us two to-go cups because we had a long drive ahead of us! Come here! Sit outside, or enjoy one of the adorable booths upstairs! You won't be disappointed!
(5)Missy W.
Several years ago, I would have considered myself a regular at this location as I would stop by at least 3-4 times a week. After I moved out of South Salem I have only returned a few times. The main reason is for the absolutely, horrible customer service. Its so sad because its a pretty cool place to go for a pint, especially in the summer because of their porch and outdoor seating. Sadly the people who have been hired on just don't have any respect for the company they work for and have completely ruined the reputation of this location. The couple times I have attempted to dine/drink there lately, I've actually walked out before even ordering because I've never been served... There really needs to be some deep, deep sanitizing/cleaning at this location as well. Floors, ceilings, carpets, tiles, windowsills, windows, knick-knacks, etc. Across town at Boon's is a whole different story, great service.
(2)Hannah K.
Coolest atmosphere for a place you can eat, drink, and if you're lucky, get to hear some amazing live music. Nicest staff too. They could use some help though. It gets busy. Hire another waiter and chef. I would go again.
(4)Von G.
Waited 7+ minutes and ended up leaving because no one would seat us. Will never return since this has happened each time we've eaten at this location. You'd think their corporate regional manager would get a clue and resolve this service oriented problem? Someone higher up is not doing their job and ignoring public feedback based on all the Yelp posts. Establishing a bad reputation is cancer for a brand and this place has a malignant attitude towards customers.
(1)Kory K.
Good grub that goes well with the great beer. Great casual environment with good staff. It's a great place to hang, but not if you're in a hurry. Also tons of seating outside when the sun comes out.
(3)Michelle P.
I have no idea why the reviews here are so low. I have a passport, so you know I've been to a butt ton of Mcmennamins, and this one easily had the best food I've ever had at a Mcmennamins. I had the special - turkey burger. It was ridiculously large and very tasty. My husband had a steak sandwich easily larger than my calf. Our server Rachelle was attentive and delightful. Larger selection of beer and wine than many if their locations too.
(4)Eric M.
I was very impressed with the service here and my delicious meal was served around 7 minutes after I placed my order (no joke). Awesome service from Rachelle! Nice assortment of beers, wines, and liquor. Great happy hour too. I'll definitely return...
(5)Alison K.
We had terrible service here. In fact we couldn't even sit down because the staff wouldn't acknowledge us waiting at the door for more than 10 minutes. It would have been nice to be greeted even if it was slightly busy. It's too bad because we like other locations.
(1)Ethan C.
People should really re-review there old ratings of McMenamins they've definitely revamped the kitchen. There burgers are quite good now! I recall back in the day when the beef patty tasted as if it had been left in grease all day. I've been eating here more lately.
(4)Alexander C.
They have a really great beer selection and the food is really good too. It's a great homely sort of atmosphere and the bartender was very nice. They did give me the wrong kind of dressing for my salad but that really didn't bother me because they brought the correct selection without me having to say anything. Good place to meet people too. Definitely have to check this place out again!
(4)Nichole M.
I like the atmosphere but the food was bland! The service was alright I am NOT impressed won't go back...
(1)Trevor E.
I love this old house and cool feel. Food is great and I love the captain neon burger. Their beer is great too! If you want a unique venue for deep conversations make the trip!
(4)Don W.
We loved the idea and the look of the place. However as soon as you walk in it has a very string smell like a really old house. We almost left just because of that. What was worse was it took 15 minutes in a nearly empty restaurant (we went about 4p) just to order a drink. By the time the drinks came we couldn't stand the smell and lack of attention anymore. Maybe a different day we will try again but not likely because there are so many other places to try.
(1)Karen D.
I love the food, beer, and atmosphere at this place. I think it's much better than the downtown location. Their food at all mcminamins is consistently delicious and does not disappoint. They have recently switched to Portland organic ketchup at all locations which is clumpy and disgusting. And their mustard is no longer made with terminator stout. Those are my only complaints.
(4)Courtney B.
We stopped in on a week night while on our way to a wedding. I've been to this location many times before, but my last visit was seven years ago. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich (not currently listed on the menu linked), and it was wonderful. It's similar to the Hammerhead pulled pork, but comes with fried onion straws and jalapenos on top. The staff was attentive and helpful. I was worried that our service would be terrible because our meal was free (we are passport members), but it was anything but that. I'm so glad this quirky location holds up to my old memories.
(5)Julie W.
I had the grilled vege sandwich. It's delicious. I stopped for a late lunch so it wasn't busy and sat in the bar. The service was good and she was wanted to make sure I had what I wanted. I also have the mcmennim passport so lunch was free.
(4)Lily D.
We've been coming here off and on for the last 10 years. It seem to be hit and miss with the service. Tonight was a hit, as soon as we sat down the busboy (Beto)?greeted us with a smile and brought us water and answered our questions about the beer. Our waitress (Rachelle) was just as friendly, fast and efficient and checked on us quite often during our stay. The food quality is good as we usually order the burgers and the beer is always great, We don't like sitting inside as it's so dark so we only come during warm weather so we can enjoy the outdoor seating. Their outdoor seating is great for families with children. Maybe the establishment is paying attention to the yelp comments and training the staff better?
(4)Kayley W.
Tried this location again. Super slow service and waiters never check on you. Hope you don't run out of water when you are eating jalapeños like we did. I wish management would work on these issues.
(1)Corin W.
The food here is great, especially the appetizers. Great selection of drinks too. The problem is that the service is terrible. The time it took between when we got here, got appetizers/drinks, main dish, and then bill was around 30 min each. You have to plan to be here for a while if you want the dinner service. Not only that but they would forget things from our orders that were supposed to come with our orders, and there was no hope fixing it because it would be 30 min before the server would come back. If they could fix the service here they would be golden.
(2)Proper D.
People who hate on McMenamins are probably just food snobs or stupid hipsters that only like things that are brand new and quirky in that pretentious sort of way. I've been to lots of McMenamins locations and this one was typical meaning it was good food and good beer in an interesting location. The only downside of the Thompson house is that there is no air conditioning or at least they don't turn it on because it gets incredibly hot in there. The menu is slightly different than Boons Treasury but I would say the quality is the same both Salem locations . Overall good simple food.
(4)Kathy E.
Very accommodating regarding splitting an order between two people.
(4)Becky R.
Purple haze and ruby- my favorites! Also use Portland Ketchup, which sounds like it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it is sooooo good!
(4)Kent S.
My wife and went to Ventis Taphouse this afternoon to have dinner. After being rudely ignored by 3 staff there, that made zero effort, we left and went to Thompsons. We usually go there maybe a couple times a month. Two seconds after we opened the door we got a " hi, how are ya. Be right with you". Julie, who works there as management staff was there. Off the clock. Jumped up got us menus. Got us a table. Went way above and beyond. Thank you Thompson staff for being welcoming and friendly. Great meal too.
(5)Julie E.
It really depends on the day here. Sometimes we go and get awesome service, other times, it's awful. Once we sat on the front porch and waited over 10 minutes for someone to just come ask us if we wanted a drink. I still can't believe we waited that long. The food is also ify. One night we came with my sister who was visiting and everyone had a GREAT meal. The next week, my same order was greasy and over cooked. We will probably still go by here, it's close to where we live, but it's definitely not our first choice.
(2)Stacey J.
Excellent wait staff, quick service, lots of knowledge. Delicious Reuben, would recommend to anyone! Not sure what the other reviews were experiencing because ours was awesome.
(4)Lyn A.
Really love McMenamins! We have been to them all several times and we live down the road from Thompson House. Lucky us! The place is all about the beer for us. BEST BEER EVER (although Gilgamesh is catching up.....) The food on the menus is just meh......okay....probably would rather eat before I go drink beer there. But McMenamins has never had the menu I would prefer. Not a bad one for everyone....just not tasty to me. Sort of yuppy selections. I try to stick to the burgers. Their chicken strips are thin and remind me of fish sticks. Service has most of the time been great. This last week we had Aria who was SUPER SWEET! We liked her alot. The building is a super old actual home. So reading one of the other reviews about the smell being musty old house smell made me laugh. What does an OLD HOUSE smell like Dude? New construction???? I think it totally adds to the charm. I do not like the bathroom there. It is one person at a time room and SUPER SMALL. Seriously, I wish they would add on and put a decent bathroom in that place. I hate waiting for it as well! And I really hate it when I have to go in after somebody has decided to sit in there for a while. I feel bad for their employees not having better facilities. The lady that runs the keg room is awesome. Easy to work with and almost always has the keg we want for our home bar or camping. Prefer to come here in the summer for the outdoor fires and picnic table. Occasionally sit inside but try to get the bar itself for faster service. The house seems to be slower than outside.
(3)Ehow C.
After a pretty awesome (albeit dry-ish) wedding, a group of us decided to get our drink on at the local McMenamin's in Salem. We were able to get a room to ourselves on a Saturday night, which was pretty impressive. Sadly, it was all pretty much downhill from then on. Tater tots and chicken fingers = good, as expected for any fried foods Pumpkin ale = bad, so so bad Service = ugly (30 minutes wait times between ordering/getting drinks/getting food/getting our check, really?) I'm glad my company was good, it definitely compensated for the miserable experience of waiting for anything at this place. Stay away unless you're desperate and have a lot of time on your hand.
(2)Laura S.
I've frequented the two McMenamin's in Salem many, many times. Going all the way back to when I had just turned 21 and was home on leave from the military. I remember coming to the Thompson's with my parents and ordering my first beer in Oregon. I've been a dedicant ever since. The Thompson Brewery is the more 'family' orientated option. With several small rooms with nooks and crannies to shove unruly children into, or at very least, isolate as to not make the rest of the restaurant suffer. Noise levels can vary quite a bit I've noticed, but nothing as overpowering as live bands at Boon's. I will eventually complete my mission to visit each McMenamin's location, it's on my bucket list.
(4)Jordan S.
Great food, mediocre service at best thankfully the food is good enough to keep me coming back.
(3)Jill B.
Glorified hipster Applebee's. After trying this place about half a dozen times and hoping that I got them on a bad night, I'm done. The waitstaff is consistently straight-up rude and the food is overpriced and like something off the back of a Sysco truck. Venti's and Acme Cafe--both within about a mile--have better food, better beer, and a staff that won't roll their eyes at you. Save your time, save your money and go anyplace else.
(1)Kacey H.
.......
(4)M B.
Terrible service. We were sitting upstairs and I had walk down to the bar repeatedly to get silverware, napkins, a glass of water and then (after waiting 30 minutes for the waitress) to get the bill and pay. The beer was decent, the food was awful. My kids got food poisoning from the corn dogs that required a trip to the local Urgent Care the next day. We called them about that and they argued about this rather than at least apologizing. Definitely won't be back.
(1)Shane D.
Terminator Stout. That's pretty much all I need to say about this place. Every McMennamins automatically becomes one fo my favorites restaurants simply because of this unbelievable beer they make. It is quite simply, the best beer I have ever had in my life. So smooth. No bitterness at all. Chocolaty and dark. God help me. As for the restaurant, this is one of the more quaint McMennamins around. It's an old house that has been turned into a kind of pub. The food is very good, but not great. It's pub food after all, but it's better than most other bar foods you'll find. I usually get the pastrami sandwich, and it's pretty solid, and goes well with Terminator Stout. But then again, the beer is so good, I think eating my own shoe would go well with Terminator Stout.
(4)Carson K.
Just went in to have a beer with a friend and the service was good along with the Kringle beer. The atmosphere of the pub almost makes it feel like you are hanging out in a friend's living room.
(5)Kelley R.
Okay, seriously, it is obvious they are grossly understaffed. Maybe a wee bit overpriced, and a tad boring in the menu department. But come on Yelper's, it's in A HAUNTED HOUSE! I have forgiven the staff for their slowness, it's not their fault that they aren't allotted more $ to pay for more staff. I blame it on the McMenamin Brothers, and especially for their boring menu. Weird thing is, we just keep coming back. Like, a lot. We LOVE Julie, our favorite server, with a savant's memory. I dig the hard cider ($6, ouch), the Veggie grill + roast beef, or the ruben with turkey and slaw. How can one not love scooby snacks or cajun tots? A super secret: you can pack a lot of people in the back room, it has a door to wrangle the kids, you can turn off football and turn on sponge bob, and the kicker is............ THEY DON'T CARE AT ALL!
(4)Steve S.
This place is a Class-A DUMP! The food is horrible and the staff is mad at the world.The restaurant was dark and gloomy, similar to the attitude of the employees. I suppose if you are a beanie hat wearing, granola eating, Patagonia shirt wearing, bleeding heart liberal that is also taking Prozac, this may be just the place for you. The food was cold as well. I think someone needs to taking the employees out in the daylight hours so they can get a little life to them.
(1)Kevin W.
I've been away from McMenamin's for far too long and this one did not disappoint. Great beer, great service and great food. Especially the cut fries, came here specially for those.
(5)Lee G.
I have given Thompson 4 chances- NO MORE! Worst service of anyplace I have been. Why can't this place get it together? Service has been a problem for years!
(1)Desiree H.
I was very excited to try out this McMenamins being that I have heard good things about this location and having a day of "cosmic tripping" with my friends with our passports. As soon as we walked in we were not greeted and ended up standing there waiting. The girl behind the bar seen us and did not say one word. I then asked her if we sit ourselves. She rudely said there's a terrible over there. She then said that there is only 2 of us here and your server is cooking too. We sat ourselves and then our server came, a girl with short blond hair that looked like she hated life. Again rudely ask what we wanted to drink. My friend was wanting to try a sample of one of there seasonals as I did too...our blond server then looked at us like we were idiots didn't say one word and left. I could continue on and on. Overall...despite the dysfunctional serving staff there...we enjoyed our beers,curried fries, and the company of each other. I wanted to warn the people walking in as we were leaving but was very mature about the situation. I highly recommend that if you want the McMenamins experience in Salem....go to Boons. They are wonderful there. And if you are needing to get your stamp for your passport...don't get your hopes up for any pleasant experience especially if the same 2 workers are there.
(1)Daniel F.
Strawberry lemonade for days. Typical McMenamins, slow service, good happy hour, intriguing and overall enjoyable atmosphere.
(3)Melina T.
This is one of those places that isn't great but you keep coming back and you aren't sure why. The food is the standard McMennamin's menu that you can get at all their pubs. The cook seems to make things a bit greasier here than the PDX ones. I like their beer and the Ruby is my favorite. I think it is kind of a cool, old house and the outdoor seating is nice in the summer. My book club has met here several times because the service is so slow that we never feel rushed to get out of there while we sit and chat. I wouldn't go here if you need to get in and out quickly but if you just want to sit and hang out with some friends over a beer and potato skins, I'd recommend it.
(3)Eva C.
Our first time in here was disgusting! We were seated upstairs. I thought it was really cute. A converted old Victorian style home. After we ordered we sat there waiting when I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I saw my husband's eyes move too. I was too scared to turn around. When I did a saw a couple of mice scurry through the dining room. I nearly lost it and could not get out of there quick enough! I will never go back!
(1)Tara M.
Abysmal service. Absolute worst service in Salem and that's saying something. Food is typical bar food not anything special. This location is the bastard child of McMenamins...totally worth it to drive the extra 3 miles and hit up Boone's Treasury instead. And they ruined the Pole Axe over the last 2 years...After eating at Boone's, the hotel Oregon, Edgefield, Grand Lodge, Sherwood & Wilsonville McMenamins I can say with all certainty don't bother stopping at Thompsons.
(1)Michael C.
McMinnamins food is good to very good. Never great. Anywhere I have ever been The atmosphere here is the best, and the only reason I am giving it 3 stars. Has a few decent staff members, but there are guys that seem to walk in a haze the whole time. Still, it's a great place to hang out in Salem. I also like Boons, perhaps a little more (but it's less private)
(3)Matt K.
Had a fantastic cheesesteak with amazing sweet potato fries. Too bad our waitress had a sour face the entire time and we waited over 30 min for our water. Don't even ask how long for our food to come... I am writing this review from the parking lot. It was that bad.
(2)Nancy E.
Wow! What horrible service!! We literally sat at our table for over 15 minutes and not ONCE did someone come by to help us! The servers frequently visited all the tables around us but never came by our table. Ended up leaving without even ordering because nobody waited on us. We will absolutely NEVER come back here again. You do not ignore customers like that ever. Please go anywhere but this place
(1)K L.
I would give it NO stars if possible! the service at this place is BEYOND horrible! We went on Valentines day, and were led upstairs by a waitress after waiting at bar. We sat down, NO service for probably 15 mins (there were empty tables everywhere, so there is no it was busy excuse.. When he did come in (young guy with glasses) he said " can I help you or are you just hanging out" WHAT??????????? NO- we want menus. He THREW the menus on the table, and started to walk off. I said excuse me we want to order drinks. He basically rolled his eyes, took our order, and walked away. NEVER came back, so my friend went to get them. The jerk never came back to the table, we AGAIN went downstairs, told someone else to bring us our bill. We will NEVER EVER return. I have never in my LIFE had service like this. The kid should be fired!!!!!!! We did go to BOONES to eat, and the service was much better. This is the second time at Thompson Brewery, and the first time the service wasn't great, this time deal killer for future!
(1)cathy l.
We finally decided to try this on a Tuesday night-hopefully it wouldn't be too crowded. We were a party of 5 so it took a while to get seated, but we finally were. We ordered 1 turkey sand, 2 hamburgers, 1 "american" dip & the lamb wrap-not much cooking involved. We waited 45 minutes for the food & then it was ALL COLD! The fries, soup, au jus-all were cold. One in our party said his burger was warm enough. He asked for extra ranch when the food was delivered, and the waitress brought it AFTER he was finished eating. We were there for 1 3/4 hours-for COLD food. None of us will ever go back. I gave it 1 star because the interior is cute.
(1)Andy K.
Good service, food, and drinks! I highly recommend!
(4)Tila M.
Not sure why people choose to work in a restaurant when they clearly hate people, but I am starting to think that it may be somewhere in their corporate policy. If you must visit a McMenamin's in the Salem area then this one is the lesser of two evils. PS. They only earned the second star for not being the boon's location.
(2)Rick H.
I stopped going to this nasty place years ago due to worst service I ever had. Sounds like it hasn't changed much.
(1)Nancy N.
I got the pulled pork sandwich it was great :) Service was mediocre. Pretty busy, I enjoyed sitting with my date on the deck... seemed quite elegent. Parking was a biotch.
(3)Kevin D.
I am not sure what is up with McMenamins lately. The service has become horrible. This is not unique to Thompson's. I have noticed this at most of the McMenamins that I have been too. I have come in, sat down either by myself or with friends and literally have to stand up and ask someone to help us on average 10-15 minutes after we show up. I Recently visited Thompson's and it was the usual service or lack there of. This place is freezing! I had a sweater and had to go to my car to get jacket and gloves because it was so freakin cold in there. I looked around and everyone else was bundled up too. I have been a McMenamins fan for nearly 20 years. It is very sad to see the service and quality diminish.
(2)Dan S.
Food is good. Of course. Service, the one time I went (Saturday night at 6:15pm or so) was ATROCIOUS. They did comp our drinks, to make up for the long wait for the table. That was a nice gesture. But the waiting did not stop there... oh, no. Wow. From start to finish, we were there for 2 hours. It only took us about 15 minutes to eat our food and we waited for about 45 minutes or so for our table. So, that left about 1 hour of prep time for the food and the massive amount of time it took for our waitress to take our credit card. I finally had to go find her so she'd take it. My assessment is they are severely under staffed. Hopefully this review will help reduce the volume of their business thereby reducing their need for staff. And yep, awful parking.
(2)Eric G.
I had my first real beer drinking experience here and came back many more times during my college and post-college days. They make all their own beers (like every pub in the chain) and they are all great. The food is quality pub food and atmosphere is totally comfy. It was here that I first started mixing ketchup with hot sauce. Thank you McMenamins.
(5)Shannon K.
The delicious food and drinks are ruined by the worst service....EVER. If it's busy, expect a 30 minute wait for your drinks...and about 1.5 hours to get your food. This restaurant is ridiculously understaffed and inadequate. If you treasure service OR YOUR TIME, at all...don't waste it here.
(1)Jim S.
I'm a bit of a McMenamins veteran and this place is by far the worst. Which is a shame, since I really enjoy the pubs closer to Portland. Standard McMenamins menu, but the food quality isn't as good as the other locations. Even worse is the service. Most of the bartenders and servers seem unhappy to be there. The only good thing going for this place is the patio seating, which is nice to enjoy when weather allows. If you are in Salem and craving some McMenamins, it's worth a stop, but you'll be disappointed if you are used to the locations up near Portland.
(3)Leslie B.
I hadn't been to Thompson's in about 6 years, but was in South Salem needing lunch and decided to stop in with a friend. Since it was before noon, we went with Bloody Marys to drink. I asked the bartender if they made their own mix, which they do. I'm kinda picky about Bloody Marys, so I wanted to know. Their mix is delish! It came in a pounder glass with a nice garnish of two giant green olives-one stuffed with the traditional pimento and the other with garlic. It also had a pickled asparagus spear-which to me is always the crowning glory of a good Bloody Mary. So, the drink was great. On to the food. . . I ordered the Captain Neon burger, which has Bleu Cheese dressing and bacon on top. It was good. Pretty tasty. My friend had some kinda Philly Cheesesteak with onions and peppers. It looked good, but according to her, it needed Cheese Whiz to be authentic. Tasty though, per her. Our service was average. What really bugged me was the waitress that kept coming into the bar yammering on, loudly, about anything and everything. I wanted to tell her to "SHUT IT!", but like my food and drinks without server spit. The people watching was awesome! There was this "interesting" woman, who must be a regular, or apparently is not afraid to over-share with and blatantly hit on the bartender. You might see her, if you go. I guess I've been lucky and haven't run into the terrible service and food that the other reviewers have had.
(3)Christine C.
I've actually never experienced worse service. McMenamin's is notorious for being slow, but not getting menus for 15 minutes, not getting our food for another 45 and having to ask for the check an hour after we ate was horrible. The only reason why I stayed is because the weather was incredible outside on their patio.
(1)Ted B.
Two stars because the server sucked. She treated us like garbage. Never have i been to a restaurant where the server huffs an puffs, rolls her eyes, and acts completely put out when you ask for another beer (she didnt ask, i had to ask). Not only did we have to ask for everything, but she never brought our check. After staring at our empty plates and beer glasses for 15 minutes, we went downstairs to get the check. If the place had been busy, i would understand (to some degree) her being behind a bit. But there were two other couples in the entire place (that i saw). Food was nothing worth writing home about, which is too bad because it is a neat setting. Very cozy and intimate, but the wife and i will never return to this place. Your experience may be different, my review is based primarily on the service.
(2)Michael M.
Let's start with the best part: The beer is good! They usually have a good selection of beers brewed on-site in addition to the normal ones that all McMenamin's have. The food is also good, but a little on the pricey side. Now with the bad part: The service can be really bad. They seem to have staffing issues (i.e., not enough at times) which often causes the bad service. Over the past 4 or 5 years we've had some the the best and some of the worst service. When it's good, the staff is attentive and friendly, have time to discuss the beers with you and even joke a little. When it's bad, you might wait more than 20 minutes before your beer order is taken...and another 15 before your beer is in front of you. This really is a great place, they just need to iron out the problems with service.
(4)Kyle R.
If you like dark and dank and dreary -- go here. The food is average...and waitstaff always seem hurried and angered by your presence. Seriously. But I guess if you go to drink -- and you get wasted -- you wouldn't mind the places downfalls. Have fun.
(1)Jane S.
The Thompson Ale House is good, but its been better. In recent years, McMenamin's has scaled back their menus and jacked up their prices, and a lot of favorites have disappeared. Most of the non-burger and sandwich entrees are gone, including the delicious High Pasta. Inexplicably, they removed a lot of the obscure pop culture puns from the menu - a slight to punning Oregonians everywhere. I don't want a reuben, dammit! I want a Reuben Kincaid! Nevertheless, the Thompson Ale House is a reliable place to get simple pub fare. The wait is long - probably too long if you try to bring toddlers - but the food is worth it, even if the beer, eh... isn't. If it's warm enough, the outdoor seating area is preferable to the house itself. Ask them about the epileptic squirrel.
(3)Nathan B.
Great Charm! Good Food! Amazing Time! Brewery from what once was the most elegant Civil War Veteran's home. There is enough history and memorabilia in the house to keep conversations going with friends or strangers and like any brewery theres enough on tap or on the shelf to keep you focused... or unfocused... Menu is great! Happy Hour prices can not be beat!! Definitely worth the time... footnote: South Liberty is the old wagon that ran between Salem and Eugene... I will have to investigate it some more and see if there is still an existing route...
(5)Mick S.
This place is cool. I have been to Mcmenamin's in Seattle before and had horrible experiences. I had two IPAs which were delicious of course and a nice mushroom and swiss burger, you know, ordinary pub food but the burger was really good! Tasty and fries were nice. The mustard they serve will put some hair on your chest too. Great prices and good happy hour options. For both beers and the meal it came to 15 bucks even. I'd say thats a good deal!
(4)Sean S.
Stopped by on the way home from a vacation on the road with 3 tired and hungry kiddos. we were greeted at the door and seated quickly and placed our orders so the kids could start eating. The waitress came back and let us know that there would be a 20-25 min wait due to a large group upstairs and brought drinks and crackers for the kids. She was very helpful the entire visit and very friendly with the kids despite being very busy. One of the best visits to a McMenamin's ever!
(5)Elizabeth E.
Yes, this is my second review of a McMenamin's Pub (see other Salem McMenamin's review for a general history of these pubs)--but this one is just as good and offers Fish & Chips (which the other Salem location does not, making this a sometimes more popular pick amongst my friends). This pub is in an old house so you can seat yourself in any one of a number of different rooms. Aside from the sit-down seating thorughout the house, there is a small bar area to the right of the front door which is always filled with locals. There is also a great outdoor seating at picnic tables for those sunnier days in Salem. Good food, great beer, great location for a group of friends.
(5)Mira N.
This is about the worst McMenamins I've been to (out of easily 20+) in terms of service and food. That's saying a lot - because McMenamins has notoriously bad, slower than slug service and not-so-good food. The only reason I give it 2 stars is the building itself and the availability of outdoor seating. Of the 4-5 times I've been there, I've never had a decent meal or service. I won't go back - not even for happy hour.
(2)Emily A.
I used to think it was only the McMenamin's in Clackams I used to go to in Clackamas, but alas no, EVERY time I go to one of the McMenamin's places I get the slowest service ever. Which is fine if you aren't that hungry (read: you can wait 45 minutes to eat) and if you are wanting to just sit and talk for a long time. The only reason I keep making the mistake of going back is I really like the food.
(2)Jim E.
I like this place. I agree with some of the comments about the boring menu and slow service, but I've eaten here maybe 15 times and I've never been so put off that I wouldn't come back. Their burgers are decent and the reuben is very good. The fries are the same as other McMenamin's places (delicious, hand-cut, unique). The beer is worth the trip alone, especially the Terminator Stout. But what I like best about this place is that you can almost always find a secret room and sit by yourself. It's an old mansion that has lots of small rooms and unless it's really busy, at least one of them will be empty. The wait staff always finds me hiding out in there and takes care of me. You can also eat outside or on the patio on nice days, although the location isn't scenic or anything. It's just a fun change of pace. One of my favorite meals in Salem is a reuben, fries and a Terminator. Put ketchup on a small plate and douse it in vinegar and dip your fries in it.
(4)Ziecha N.
I've eaten at this location on and off for ten years. The food is good, but the service is always slow. I never write reviews, but I am beyond disgusted with the current service I received. It was a very nice day and I was taking my friend and my son to lunch. We sat outside so my two year old could sit next to the table and play while enjoying the sun. After all this restaurant does advertise as a family friendly environment. What I received was not even close to that. Apparently one of the "managers" named BILLY was not family friendly. My son was at my feet, not yelling, not crying, not making a sound just playing with a wooden box and his car. I was treated with disrespect stating that the box was not a toy and that my son needed to sit on the bench or in a highchair. That he could not stand or sit on the ground next to me. I am never going back and warning anyone with a child, that this is not the place for you. Billy made that VERY VERY CLEAR! I canceled my order and walked out.
(1)Mike R.
The Ruby Ale was a bit fruity for me, but the Porter was delightful and went quite well with the Fish and Chips. Great atmosphere, I just wish that I could have sat away from the TV.
(5)