When you're in Salem doing "the Salem thing" you need to treat yourself to The Babe, and I'm not saying you'll be spending big bucks to enjoy this place. It's not about the money. It's about the experience. Sure, you've got to leave the primary streets of downtown Salem, but you're not walking far and the reward upon arrival is well worth it. The Babe is an renovation and change of ownership from what used to be a fantastic neighborhood bar and grill that I was a regular at for 1000yrs and when it changed, my first thought was 'crap' there goes an old Salem institution. Boy was I wrong. The Babe is going to be a new Salem institution! This place is great! A fabulously creative (but not nutzo extensive) menu. The Best Veggie burger (so I've been told by companions), fantastic red meat burgers, chicken parm sandwiches, excellent grilled califlower app. Super friendly service and a neat, kewl decor to boot. You have to go! read more

Service was great- they had a Brunch sign out but still let us order from the full menu. We had the Rueben, Cheesesteak and a burger- all very good. They are a la carte - but 1 side of fries is good for 1-3 folks Bar atmosphere with mostly high tops. read more

I love coming here for karaoke on Fridays. Haven't had much of their food menu but the fried mozzarella appetizer is great. I love the seasonal cocktails they have. Great service and ambience. Plus for being LGBTQ oriented! read more

My husband Mark and I just left The Babe where we celebrated our 22nd Anniversary! I will say the best home made fries ever!! We both had delicious chicken sandwiches and amazing cocktails. The place has fabulous ambience - very cool and eye pleasing. We met Freddie and Desi who are owners/ managers/ bartenders/ fruit cutters.... Lol. Just about anything. They were so welcoming and lovely. We'll be back soon. We heard the burgers are amazing, so that's next up! 2 thumbs up!! read more

We've ordered from here 3 times and two of them have been so so good. Tonight I received an order that didn't taste good, I think the oil in their fryer needs to be changed. I'm actually super sad about this because I just moved back to the east coast from Chicago and living here is completely new to me. The Babe was the first cheesesteak I've had since being back that actually leveled up to what I thought it should be. read more

So I had the pleasure of visiting on Sunday ! We ordered wings which were fantastic! I would have liked them a little more crispy! Then I split the Rueben with my friend ! The size was perfect , it was not your average greasy grilled sandwich oozing all over, but toasted bread, coleslaw and the best corned beef I have had ! Truly delicious. We tried the donuts for dessert and wow they were great! What made this meal so good you ask? I'm guessing all the ingredients are made in house with the utmost care and you can tell, the staff are perfectionists! Kudos read more

Lovely people running the show here. Feels like hanging out at a friend's house. The cocktails are expertly prepared and the sandwiches are huge and so cravable! We've tried the cheesesteak, the falafel and the fried chicken sandwiches! Get the house made fries-they will spoil you for all other fries! read more

We walked in. The place was quiet. There were no customers at the bar. We started to sit down in two of the empty seats at the bar. The bartender told us that we could not sit at the bar because all of the bar seating was reserved. We left. I have never heard of having to reserve bar seats. read more

Stopped in here for a little snack and beer on lunch break after reading all the Facebook Food pages I had to give it a try and it didn't disappoint. I had thier Chicken Wings, with Cholula buffalo sauce, house ranch dressing and house blue cheese. They cure them, confit them, and then fry to order. read more

See all

Amazing food and cocktails! Get the cheese steak whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner. That is top tier.

The babe. This is definitely the spot you bring someone special and share a unique experience. From the amazing drink menu to meal options. I opened my palette and my taste buds weren't mad at all. Celery salt changed my life, thank you the babe. Cool ranch wings another game changer- wings with chicken that fall right off the bone!! The server was so friendly and ready to recommend his favorite things which I loved. Very cute spot read more

This is an establishment that just works. The drinks are on point, they do sandwiches like no one's business and the service is great. Get the Coffee talk enjoy the vibe and you won't be disappointed. read more

We walked in from out of town for a late dinner. Food was delicious and our server who was a native and local had wonderful dinner and local witch, historical and fun art things to also check out. We shared everything we ordered. We would highly recommend the mozzarella pockets, garlic bread and Caesar salad. All full of flavor and the caesar salad was beautifully presented and piled high with grated cheese which was light and delicious. read more

the babe is the best hidden gem in salem! every time i have been into the establishment i am greeted immediately by their very friendly and capable staff. bartenders are very knowledgeable and charismatic. service is quick and food is FANTASTIC! highlight for me is their cheesesteak and mozzarella pockets. i have never had a menu item i did not love and rave about. location is intimate but very well decorated and the patio is lovely. will be returning every friday forever! read more

Clever and tasty food. Burger was excellent. It's on my return list. Fries were super good.

after living in nyc for years I finialy found a great spot with incredible jazz on Tuesday evening. The wait staff will not disappoint

Overall great experience! Enjoyed sitting on the patio out back. Food was delicious, I got the falafel wrap. Drinks were fresh and well balanced. Made some friends while we were there. Not to mention, our server was awesome. I'm excited to go again. read more

Nice spot and a lot of potential but everything we ate was a salt bomb. Service was lackluster, no attention to detail, obviously no focus on training. Employees taking up valuable space at the bar - a shame, really. Wanted to like it. It could be a cool Neighborhood joint. read more

We visited The Babe today for a late lunch after our friends shared they had a great dinner experience. The space has been beautifully redone, the food was excellent, and the staff is attentive. We had our two kids with us (3 & 5) and while they don't have a kids menu, they created options for them (pb&j, chicken fingers, and grilled cheese). Every ingredient in our chicken sandwich and Caesar salad was fresh and delicious. I love the creativity they put into their menu options and the inviting atmosphere, something we don't see as often anymore in restaurants and it was a breath of fresh air. Looking forward to returning on a sunny day and sitting in the outdoor space! read more

Try it !!! It just might become your 'go to' place.... Freddie's the bomb, plus nice vibe, good music, good prices, and tasty, authentic food/sandwiches/starters... ( and wife and I usually bring home 1/2 the sandwiches, making it all 'revisitable on the morrow' ) read more

Food was excellent, prices competitive and the staff was exceedingly friendly. Highly recommended

The Italian sub was best I have ever had; right up there with New Deal Deli in Revere. You could taste all the components. Bread was great. Provolone etc. The bartenders were always checking on you, but not in an intrusive way. Drinks were very good. They are a very good sandwich shop mixed with a very good bar. Pricing was in line with value. A little loud (I'm 65) on a Saturday night. So, way different than Majors of course. But, food, service, value, etc. were all way up there. read more

Great food!! The lemonade is a must have for everyone. The owner was so kind and service was fast and easy. The restaurant as a whole was so cute! Keep an eye out for small frog figurines everywhere! read more

The good: The food was great all around, especially the appetizers and dessert, we got mozzarella pockets, garlic bread and the lemon ricotta donuts. They had some nice beer on tap and the cocktails were excellent. They place looks great and they kept some of the old elements from when it was Majors. The bad: Service was uneven (We finished our apps before we got our first drinks got to the table), I wouldn't dock a full star for that because its new and I'm sure they're still getting their bearings. The burger was very good and fries were excellent, but they don't come together. You need to order a burger for $16 and also a side of fries for $6. The burger came with a small serving of potato chips and they weren't very good. I would think for $16 either the burger comes with fries (like every other bar/restaurant in the world) or you can sub out fries for chips for ~$3, but no. It's like whoever made the menu forgot that burgers and fries go together. The burger itself was good but could be better, just a bare white sesame bun, and it was a bit dry, tomato and onions were a little too chunky and were falling off the burger. This would all be excusable if it wasn't possibly the most expensive burger and fries on the north shore. Okay I'm done talking about cheeseburger pricing. I would definitely go again but I hope this changes. read more

Will definitely be back for the Italian. The server was great, I'm sorry I don't remember his name! Will definitely be back for brunch, and great be and cocktail selections. read more

Came here on a Tuesday afternoon for late lunch after picking up a Facebook marketplace find. The bartender and our server were the friendliest and kindest, it genuinely felt like they were happy to see us even though we were first time guests. We got the steak and cheese sandwich (which has mozzarella sticks INSIDE IT!) and the veggie burger. They were both amazing quality, the veggie burger was house made with rice and beans and the portions were huge but the right size and with chips on the side. We also got the Spaghett house drink, which was also delicious. Great service and ambience, will definitely be coming back. read more

Great place - fantastic service. One of the best spots in Salem (and away from the craziness of Halloween).

I got the fried chicken and French toast.......mannnnn that is the best thing I've ever had. The French toast is just like this fried sweet goodness. The serving sizes here are phenomenal. You get a lot of food and I ate with my family of about 14 and everyone had good things to say about the food. Nice and friendly staff as well!!!! read more

I've been to the Babe a few times for both dinner and brunch. Everytime I have been the service has been wonderful wether sitting at the bar or at a table. Servers are very attentive. The drink menu is great, lots of different options for cocktails, beer and wine. Food is great, I highly recommend the French toast for brunch and the burger for dinner. The fries have to be bought separately but I like that, it is a good serving of hand cut fries. The burger comes with delicious chips. Excited to have this new local spot in our neighborhood! read more