My Irish wife and I were visiting in the area and found this place. We were a little skeptical when they advertised authentic Irish recipes, but we thought we'd give it a try. Having been in Ireland last year, we were really looking forward to some Irish food and a cold Guinness. Well, we found it! My wife had corned beef and cabbage (I know, not really Irish) and it was delicious. I had the best Colcannon I've ever had, and the Guinness tasted better than any other I've had since Dublin. The restaurant is not much to look at but, knowing they had to move here after a fire, it wasn't bad. The service was fantastic and I had a great conversation with the owner's partner. The only thing I will say is that, if you like your cabbage cooked all the way soft, you should tell them when you order. It was a little crunchy for my taste but it was explained that some like it one way and some like it the other. I'd give this place more than 5 stars if i could, and I would definitely return. read more

Don't order the roast beef on Mondays! My daughter went here on a weekend and raved about the roast beef. My husband and I went on a Monday and the roast beef was dry and tough and the gravy was bad tasting and very gluey. It was not a pleasant meal. My husband had the salmon which was delicious. Maybe the roast beef was leftover from the weekend. Very disappointing! read more

We had wanted to come here for some time, but it never worked out. We finally found our time tonight, four of us celebrating a birthday. The manager was a great host--spot on with friendly service but not in the way of Our quiet celebration. Food for us all brought together. Large portions and tasty. Irish shepherd's pie, corned beef and cabbage, and the beer-battered chicken strips were selections. I recommend! A fun evening--we lucked out to have lots of room tonight; I hear it can get crowded on weekends. read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Birthday celebration at Sister's Irish bistro - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Having just returned from a 10day trip to Ireland a few weeks ago, some friends & I wanted to revisit the Irish Pub vibe, so we checked out this place. It was an utter & complete disappointment. This place had no Irish pub feel at all. It was empty, and even with the simplistic Guinness banners and a few other "Irish" themed decor, the place was completely devoid of any real Irish pub feel. The wait staff was gruff, unwelcoming, and clearly had no wait staff experience (to the degree it made me wonder if she even had valid food handlers & OLCC certification). The food was mediocre at best. I ordered Fish & Chips, the fish was over cooked & the chips (fries) were almost raw. And THEN we had to wait over 30minutes to pay our bill, as we were told that there was only 1 person - the chef - (of the 2 people working) "who could ring us out". When that person (the chef) came out from the back, we approached to pay our tab & were immediately met with hostility & rudeness; it was clear that us wanting to pay our tab was a complete inconvenience for her. Neither staff had any concept of anything remotely resembling appropriate customer service. And then she had the nerve to tell us we were the ones "acting entitled". We simply wanted to pay our tab & leave but were left feeling like we were being held hostage. 0/10 DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

The owner was extremely rude the entire time we were there for a small birthday dinner. I can't tell if she thinks she's being sassy or something but this was honestly one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. Every question she had was snarky for some reason. It felt as if we were inconveniencing her with our business. At one point my group ordered a round of Guinness and one person wanted an IPA and the owner scoffed and told her to order a Guinness instead to "stop being difficult". At that point I wanted to get up and leave. I have no idea how this woman is still in business. It's as if she doesn't know what good customer service is. We ordered a variety of items and everything was bad, which didn't even matter at that point since no one wanted to be there any longer than we had to. I'd never go back and never recommend this place to anyone. Photo posted as proof I was there. The owner shouts down reviews as being fake if they aren't positive. What a great business owner. Be better. read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - a pint of beer - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Oh dear, I have to start with ambiance first, there is none. The new location is a big disappointment. So we won't be going there again. Yes, their food is pretty good for a microwave dish. I was looking forward to irish bread. So sad. The floors got swept while we were there eating and maybe it's just me but your little boy, cute as he is, doesn't belong in the restaurant. Sorry for this review. read more

This place was ok. It has a small bar and tables but is kind of dirty and bar like. Menu has a lot of Irish things but I wouldn't call it a bar or a bistro really. The waitress really didn't want to be there which made the experience not so great read more

Delicious food and great atmosphere! This has become a Salem favorite of ours. It truly feels European and so authentic. They have the best wings in town and every dish is filled with flavor. (I love the O'Sullivan Mash) Nothing bland here! If you really want a treat, get the whiskey cake for dessert. Sinful! The owners are so down-to-earth and they have us laughing every time. Great whiskey and beer too! read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

I am sorry to say I would never eat at this restaurant again. The third time I was there, the food was microwaved. My salmon was tried out. The service was horrible. There was not enough staff. I had one drink due to lack of staff. I would not waste my time or money on this place. Make your own Bangers and Mash or Shepard pie. read more

This review is long over due: Tena (not Tina) and her amazing staff allowed me to host a perfect gathering to celebrate the life of my Irish grandmother there a few months back. The evening was absolutely perfect. I knew from the photos that the atmostphere of the building itself would be great but what I didn't expect was the kindness, generosity, love and lest I forget DELICIOUS tasting food that they provided for my guests. The owner, Tena, and her entire staff went above and beyond to provide the perfect evening to celebrate our beloved grandmother's life. Tena even went so far as to invite a classic Irish folk musician (who happens to be a professor at OSU in Corvallis) to drive in and perform music to set a warm and wonderful gentle ambiance to create the healing atmosphere we so needed. This is a true Salem gem that I am so grateful we discovered and look foward to coming back. read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Beautiful friends and family gathered in a beautiful place - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Ordered a variety of items. I'm not gonna dog on the restaurant and hope whatever employee reads this will take it as an honest critique and constructive criticism. If I'm wrong about how the items are made then please set me straight. I ordered Bangers and mash. The gravy seemed as though it was made from McCormick's brown gravy mix. The sausages were juicy and tender. I wonder if the mashed potatoes were powdered. My wife and father in law ordered the fish and chips. The fish was breaded not battered. I was expecting a Guinness beer batter. The cabbage and corned beef dinner rolls were soggy and filled with oil. My daughter ate one Mac and cheese bite appetizer and didn't want any more. They were most likely frozen and bought in bulk. Not even going to comment on the fries. All in all, I think they could do a lot better. Fresh potatoes for the fries and the mash. Homemade gravy would go a long way. The cabbage rolls should be light and crispy not soggy and drenched filled with oil. read more

Been to Ireland and this was nothing like a Irish Pub. There is potential but needs lots and lots of attention.

Love the live Irish music, food & people. This place feels like you've been invited into the owners home. They are lovely people who are kind, authentic and welcoming. Making my reservations for St Pats early this year. Definitely be back before that though for some more potato soup & shepherds pie. read more

My wife and I got the Colcannon and the Dublin Coddle yum! Don't forget the snake bite to drink. Oh ya and the Irish Cream Bunt Cake. The service from the waitress was great. The live music was great and gave the place a home like feel. I am definitely going back! read more

We really enjoy our food. Ambiance 5 stars Service. 5 stars Food quality 4.5 stars Food quantity 4.5 stars Menu choices 3.0 stars There is an elevator to this restaurant. It's a bit hard to find and a bit confusing. The owner opened up a second 1/2 to the place so there is plenty of room. They have beer and wine only. Offering a sampling of Irish food. Well chosen from the owners family recipes. My only complaint is that she is not willing to alter nor make the beer combinations that a customer might want. I like my snakebite with more hard cider. Nope. I also wanted to try the local chocolate porter with the hard cider. Nope. They don't and won't. That's too bad. I've been a business advisor for several restaurants and tell them to always sell products that they have as normal stock to increase customer satisfaction. Not here. This is part of the reason for only 3 stars. Also they do have a very limited menu. I would definitely go back. Cheers read more

See all

I ordered our first ever Sisters Irish Bistro via Uber Eats. I tried the grilled cheese and the lunch size shepherd's pie. The grilled cheese was good. Loved the cheese that was used. But I would have preferred it on sourdough. But I still enjoyed it. I also ordered the shepherd's pie as this is my favorite food. I am always cautious about whether or not it is truly traditional Shepherd's pie. Sisters differentiates the different pies on their menu. There is the traditional lamb Shepherd's pie. There is the Cottage pie made with chicken. There is also a version of Shepherd's pie for lunch done in beef. It was not runny as some are. It was packed with meat, veggies and topped with fresh mashed potatoes and cheese. So yummy! I can't wait to go back here in person! And for the record, these are each large enough for a meal themselves... but I wanted to sample. So I will have leftovers of both tomorrow! read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

See all

After a long day on the road my sister and I were excited to find convincing and positive reviews regarding this restaurant. When we got there; we were questioning if the place was open due to lack of customers inside. We walked in and asked the owner if they were open and she seemed annoyed by our presence and responded in a snarky manner "I don't know if we are open because it's so slow tonight." I asked if we should leave then and she (almost rolling her eyeballs) told us to sit down. I ordered the Mac and cheese balls, the shepherds pie and my sister ordered the Guinness battered chicken strips. The Mac and cheese balls tasted like they were from the frozen section. The pie was very bland, there was little to no seasoning and the mashed potatoes tasted like the premade ones out of the bag. My sisters strips did not taste like they were made with Guinness batter at all and the fries were tasteless. Overall the food and most of all the service was not what I had expected after reading the reviews on yelp. I would have wished for salt and pepper, however the owner never came over to our table after she gave us our food. She didn't care to ask if we needed anything or if we liked our food. I am usually very forgiving if the food is bad and the customer service is good. In this case, none of those criteria's scored high. It is very unfortunate and disappointing to me because this was my first time in an Irish restaurant and I had high hopes. The reviews on yelp are definitely misleading. Hope my review lets people know not to make the same mistake I made. read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Mac and Mac & Cheese bites - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

See all

Cozy Irish bar in Salem's downtown. The Black and Tan as well as the Black and Gold were awesome. And we enjoyed the Shepherds Pie. read more

See all

Went for lunch. Apparently it is fried food only at lunch time but that was okay because I wanted the fish and chips. Was terrible! I know the employee was alone so I don't blame her, but I can make fish and chips a million times better. I'm sure some of the other dishes would have been a better choice had they been available. Atmosphere was dark and odd. Again, it was lunch time so I'm sure it's better for dinner, but dinner is never an option for me. There was no salt and pepper, no lemon, no offer for cream or sugar for my coffee. Maybe that isn't tradition in Ireland. Isn't somewhere I'd go back too. I make a lot of the dishes on the menu but wanted to take my friend to lunch somewhere we hadn't been. read more

The only good thing about the restaurant was the people we ended up sitting next to. DO NOT GO. When we arrived the service staff was extremely hostile about us finding a place to sit because they were busy, which is fine, but there was no need to be rude to us about it. A nice couple invited us to sit with them because all the tables were full and that was the only good thing about the whole experience. The server explained that most of the menu was unavailable, which again, annoying but fine. Me and my partner ended up splitting a fish and chips. When it arrived they did not give us napkins, any condiments, or anything else. When I asked for condiments they snarkily responded "why?" they then brought a empty bottle of ketchup so I asked for a different one and they responded by huffing and asking why. They finally brought it but the whole thing repeated when we asked for napkins. The fish and chips themselves were also horrible. I don't know what they batter the fish with but it tasted off and the fish was strangely wet without the breading. The fries were fine but I didn't go to have fries, I could have gotten just as good at a fast food place for half the cost. Suffice to say I will not ever be going back and I would warn everyone in my life to avoid this place. read more

Take a fantastic little joint and tuck it into an amazing and cute little space, spice it up with great Irish beer and traditional music. People may not think of traditional Irish food as "gourmet" but they probably haven't been to Sisters Irish Bistro. This place really delivers the true taste of Ireland. First off, the decor is amazing. It's a rock and brick wall, wood wonderland. It's nestled in the downstairs of the reed opera house building and you can smell the amazing food from the stairs. I had a black smith which is half Guinness and half smithwicks and 100% awesome. My dad went with smithwicks. The house made soda bread and Irish butter was to die for. The hot bread was, bar none, the best soda bread I have ever eaten. Better than anywhere I went in Ireland. The music was great and a mixture of contemporary and classic Irish tunes. For dinner, my mom has chicken shepherds pie, I had lamb shepherds pie, and my dad had the bantry. It's a traditional recipe from the chefs nana and is to die for. Flavor explosion and genre changing for people who think Irish food is bland. A true gem and amazing place. Try this place out for drinks and dinner and you won't be disappointed! read more

See all

Delious food, large quantities, fun atmosphere, and music. How could you go wrong? Happy place to eat

Service was extremely rude and terrible. Energy in the place made us feel un welcomed. Both shepherds pie was under cooked and cold. Macaroni bites were cold. Owner replied with calling us "cheap ass idiots" wanting stuff for free. Ok sure, we spend our hard earn money for crappy food and even worse horrid service during a inflation. Don't come spend your hard earned money here. Read the other one star reviews I'm not the only person buggin out. read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Tena we are not " cheap lying idiots", we paid using our hard earned money for some dry food. - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Great service | Good food | Small, cozy location $$ **TIP: make reservations Friday nights because the waitress told us it is almost always busy and tough to get a table. Everything tastes homemade. We had Shepherd's Pie and Guinness Roast Beef -- YUMMMM The waitress was friendly and provided great service. We took our time relaxing and enjoying our meal there. I've never had soda bread before, but it was really great to pair with our meals. Thick bread! It may be a bit of a challenge for some people to find this place. It's in the Reed Opera House and downstairs. Upstairs is this open area with all these country's flags, so if you see those, you're really close but need to head downstairs. I think next door is a seamstress too. Super cozy spot, but I kinda liked this gem of a place. There are two tables outside of the restaurant to sit when the place gets filled. I don't know if this always happens every night, but there was a guy playing some Irish music on his flute and guitar. Nice! read more

See all

Happened into this restaurant tonight before a concert downtown. They were packed! We were seated quickly, waited on in a reasonable amount of time and our food was served to us with a smile. Four of us ordered three different meals and all said we would order the same meal again. Great food at a great price! read more

Happen to be sitting nearby the previous reviewer... Really a plate of potatoes? You obviously do not know what goes into preparing the dish. And by the way the ambience is perfect for an Irish Bistro. Dinner was great, the service was quick, drinks were perfect and loved the interaction with the owner was spot on. read more

Had been once before and it was okay, but tonight was pretty awful. My fish was somehow gristly and hard - couldn't even cut it with a fork. My partner's dish was a $21 plate of potatoes. $50 total for bad food and a server/owner whose schtick was just being kinda rude to people. Definitely not going back. read more

The post you'll read below is a variation of the same review posted on Google. I'd like to preface that every review stating that service was horrible or that the owner is unprofessional is absolutely true. I have worked in customer service myself and this is not acceptable to me and certainly isn't to others based on what I read. Please do better. I went tonight with my family to celebrate my grandmother's birthday and I want to preface that the food was delicious. It seems as though the chef takes pride in what they do and it shows. I'm leaving a review because the service was horrible. It wasn't for lack of timeliness, but rather attitude. The server we had was condescending, impatient, and overall unhappy and it showed. I asked about drink offerings and was told to just ask for what I want due to the mix of products (i.e. some Coke or Pepsi). So, I asked for a Pepsi and she got mad at me? If you have multiple products and brands, just let me know some that are available. It didn't need to be followed with an attitude. She also scolded my mother for asking for a whiskey sour stating she wouldn't make anything she either doesn't know how to make or wasn't a specialty drink she created for the menu. Cool, but even then you should know how to make basic cocktails? I'm so confused? I've been to craft cocktail bars with specialty menus that were more accommodating if they had to be, but I digress. I was also sorely disappointed that she would only service one end of the table when taking orders. I found it off putting that she wouldn't walk to the other end to speak to my great aunt, she'd just talk across the table. We called early enough in the day to accommodate a large group (8 people) and was told it was alright, but in person it felt like we were an inconvenience. Not a good feeling when you're just trying to be polite and have a good time. It was a less than ideal experience for a place that is obviously known for their delicious food. Update: Despite most of the table saying they enjoyed their food, I didn't find out until we left that my father's dish (lamb meatloaf) came out cold. He didn't want to complain at all, so he just took it to-go and left. I don't know what made the owner feel like last night's service was acceptable (based on Google review response), but it wasn't. read more

Best potato soup I've ever had! Attentive service! Enjoyed the cottage pie and husband delighted in his corned beef!

U Must try. Yum yum yum!!! Food tastes as amazing as it smells. Very nice selection of Irish beers on tap also. Really nice peeps running it. Worth the long drive we had to get there. Will be back soon. Couldn't stay away. Already planning next meal and beer combo read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Num num! Always so good! - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

The food was amazing. Very friendly service. Feckin delicious food. Ordered the Lamb sandwich. read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

The food is pretty good. Talked to the chef and owner. Him and his partner run the place quite nicely. Not a big menu, just simple tasty Irish food. I wouldn't mind going back. But it is not a "must go" place. read more

See all

This place still makes me and my boyfriend laugh, and it's almost been a year. The food wasn't great, but it didn't suck either. The owner/waitress was the turn off. She was extremely rude and inappropriate with us. She informed us we were lucky we had a reservation (no one else was there), and when we asked for plates for our appetizer she gave us a really hard time, telling us she stayed too late the night before. She also talked about us loudly to the table next to us, and her comments were out of line. Idk if she's trying to be funny or what. Beer selection was unimpressive, and they don't serve whiskey. Won't ever, ever go back here, but will continue to make jokes about the shoddy service! read more

This place looked inviting and had outdoor seating, so my girlfriend and her Irish mother and I thought we'd give it a try. When we stepped inside to see if it'd be alright to sit outside, there was no hello, smile or anything from. The melter server lady (possibly owner) wasn't wearing a mask and we were met with a stiff "There's two tables out there". She brought a few menus out a bit after and just tossed them on the table and said nothing, seemingly annoyed either by our presence, our wanting to sit outside or by how we wore masks when we stepped in... haven't a baldy notion. We all had the weird feeling but sat down anyway, then mom steps inside to give the thick lady her credit card so I couldn't pick up the bill and the gobdaw barked something at her to the effect of "I don't do that, you pay at the bar!" and mom walked out perturbed and confused as hell. Who talks to people in this way? What business owner in their right mind calls this service? We sat for a minute and decided not to stick around to see what other nonsense the wee lady had up her sleeve. As we went to take the menus in she was waiting at the door with the same smug, constipated look on her face. Seeing other reviews of people who've had similar experiences here makes me think this place may be taking a nose dive, possibly due to this one flute's awful attitude. Maybe something's going on in her personal life, maybe the place is a front for an illegal drug running operation in the back, maybe the lady wants to run her business into the ground. All valid possibilities, but I'll be getting my stouts and shepherd's pies elsewhere. read more

I had the Cottage Pie and it was awesome! There were so many entrees I wanted to try. We were a party of 8 and all of the food rolled out of the kitchen at once. We will go back for sure! read more

Finally made it back in to try more of their food. They have expanded their footprint in the Reid Opera House so can accommodate at least twice as many diners as before. Still love the original smaller room with its rough cut stone and exposed beams, the newer space opens up with windows to the hallway and other shops letting in light but still retaining that old world charm. This time we tried the corned beef and cabbage rolls, definitely not on the diet but were worth it. I also got their Dublin Coddle which was amazing, loved that it was less stew like than others I have tried, more like a thick gravy covering the mouth watering chunks of sausage, bacon, potatoes, and carrots. Had so much that there was enough for leftovers the next day and reheated was just as good. GF had the Guinness beef which was also very tasty, tender, good gravy. Have to be sure to make it in more often. read more

See all

Tiny place in the basement of the opera house. Seats no more than 20 with the 8 tables. That is usually a good sign that the food will be awesome. It was! Served with a large slice of Irish humor, the food is some of the best Irish faire I have tasted, in or out of Ireland. The O'Sullivan Mash was a unique blend of mashed potatoes, cheese, bacon, and Bangers. It is the essence of home cooking. I ordered an additional Banger with gravy and it tuned out to be a great choice. The two flavors mixed into a joyful experience. The Bangers here are a hearty, flavor filled sausage with a light casing. If you are anywhere near Salem, you make this place a priority stop. read more

See all

The waitress (owner?) seemed very annoyed by our being there *rolls eyes behind brain* and proceeds to nonchalantly tell us to sit down (in an "if you must" kind of way). Took our order & brought it out after 10min. leading us to immediately question how making supposedly fresh food is even possible in that short amount of time? WELL guess what!? *drum roll* It tasted like it came from the frozen section in the supermarket. I was also debating which brand of ranch I was being served (Hidden Valley? Craft?..?) We were not once asked if the food was to our liking or if we needed anything. I was also being monitored while paying the bill on screen as well as eyeballed while the tip screen popped up. I felt very pressured to give a tip even though honestly the service & quality wasn't worth a dollar. I would've left just as fast as I came in the door after the way I was (not) welcomed in - had I only not been as desperate and hangry as I was. P.S.: notice how the owner has responded to negative past reviews - if that isn't a severe red flag... - Cheers read more

We delighted to find this little gem below Reeds Opera house. I suggested trying the house specialty of O'Sullivans mash. But it appears whatever you get it will be wonderful. If you are a dark beer fan, try Irish Death. read more

Sisters Irish Bistro - Irish Near Me - Salem, Oregon

See all

I love this place! Hands down my favorite restaurant to go in Salem! The food is always great, Guinness on draft and the service is always good and fun! The man is so kind and we love the sarcastic fun conversations with the woman! read more