I wrote this review back in August of 2013, we lived up the street from the whistle for 7 years, August 2021 we moved to South Carolina, and man do I miss this place, it's changed owners in the time we went there, and was hit hard by covid. But the Whistle keeps going. We miss the crew there, the staff and the regulars. When we go back up north to visit, this is on the top of the list of places we have to go. Miss you guys! read more

What an unknown gem in Salem! It's not on a beaten path, but the food has got to be one of the best in town. We've been in before for their superior steak tips and burgers. We just went in and dropped a worthy $80 on lunch - 2 tequila mules, a special of buffalo bites (if u are lucky and these are on special again - order them!). Chicken kabob sandwich - juicy, perfectly grilled chicken and my husband got the mouth-watering pastrami sandwich. We packed half of it up for dinner tonight. I only gave 4 stars due to the lousy, noisy, raunchy bar flies. They couldn't care less about other customers as they were shouting and cussing away. Having a conversation with my husband was impossible. The bartender, who was 5 stars in her service to us, attempted to remind these people to stop yelling. I understand being a local, as I am one, and it makes me want to keep my favorite places in business. However, disruptive and rude bar flies should be shut out ff earlier and asked to leave or at the very least pipe down. Ultimately, I highly recommend anyone local or out of town to try The Tin Whistle for the food and service. Maybe try one of the tall comfy wooden booths would make for a better atmosphere. read more

I would give 5 stars but they don't answer the phone for take- out. My new favorite dish is their Cajun chicken pasta. OUTSTANDING.. and a special shout out to Lydia who is on lunch shift. BRAVO read more

A person I met in France told me about this place! I had mentioned I like "Dive Bars." My husband and I sat at the bar where Ryan waited on us. She is friendly and made me an excellent Cosmo. We started with their Buffalo chicken egg rolls and shared their steak tips over salad. All was delicious. The place has a pool table and darts, but there was a high top blocking one from being able to play darts, which is a little odd. Their playlist is good too. We will be back! read more

I got the Cajun chicken pasta. Food and service were great especially for the price. Not fancy inside by any means.

Nice little neighborhood bar and restaurant that has great food pizza burgers and salads and a full bar they have table service they have keno music tv's and a pool table I had a pizza that was excellent the service was very good and it's casual dress good neighborhood restaurant read more

The Tin Whistle - a row of beer taps - Bars Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Stumbled across this little place and had the most delicious lunch - hot pastrami with steak fries and steak tip sub. Terrific!

When they say this is THE town/dive bar, you better believe it! Bartenders were friendly, efficient, and top-notch filling drink orders while filling up pitchers of beer! It's pretty dark inside but that just added to the cool vibe. The drinks were cold and spot on, food was much better than we anticipated! The cost was surprisingly reasonable! This is going to be a great hang-out place for us! BONUS! It's outside of the downtown craziness that happens every October! read more

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Some of the best wings I've had in the north shore area, I will be back! First time going last weekend I highly recommend you try it for yourself. read more

Ribs and steak fries were amazing !! The staff was great ! Very nice local bar with a friendly atmosphere.

I only came for drinks so I can't speak on the food, but the bartender was very attentive, beer was cold and didn't taste bad (like the tapas would be dirty). Definitely a local dive bar and you can tell the bartender knows her regulars. I'll be coming back for sure! read more

The Tin Whistle - Good selection on draft - Bars Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Great hidden gem! Everything has always been good, the service, the servers are nice, the food is good. I left one star out because they have not cooked my burger enough the last 5 times I went read more

We were met at the door by Gene Simmons, appropriately masked. Kind of a cardboard welcome, yet hilarious. We enjoyed our meals. Wife and I both got Pub Burgers, medium well. Just about a perfect char, but not dry inside. Bravo, all y'all. I asked for mushrooms and Swiss - verry yummy, get that. Side salads - they were side salads. We felt just a scosh healthier for them. Wife got a tasty pinot noir, and I got a True North beer that was pretty dang good. All in all, a good experience with good food. Go there. read more

Greet burgers, greet bar pizzas and great prices.. always love going here. Even for a night out for a few beers or bar hopping I always have a good time. read more

First time here after living in Marblehead for decades. Clean, fresh spot with super friendly service. Had the steak tips which were outstanding along with a super fresh salad. The tips rival those in Chelsea and a lot more convenient. Can't wait for my next visit. read more

Not the friendliest service. No bars n restaurants have a moral compass anymore Probably never go here again read more

This is a great little dive bar. Full bar, beer & wine. Cocktails were delicious. The expected bar food, plus some welcomed additions. Service was prompt & friendly. Bartender was very nice despite being busy. read more

Food was really great. Got ribs, and burnt end hoagie with steak Fries. Small place but the personnel were very helpful and got me out of pickle with a charger. read more

Steak tips and steak fries always delicious and always consistently perfect. Visited last evening, lucky to get a booth because it was busy, despite the heavy construction out front building new sidewalks. Thank you Tin Whistle! read more

We were lucky enough to find this local gem, while we had an air bnb across the way. It's right outside of town and tucked into the street, you'll miss it if you blink. GREAT service GREAT food And a quaint, cute, clean little bar feel. You'll feel like you're at home! Can't recommend this place enough! Check it out next time you're in Salem BUT we were charged $1500! And now getting the run around, so hopefully I can return this to a good review once this is settled. read more

I went to the Whistle tonight with my family and three friends. We tried to call ahead because we had a party of 7. After multiple attempts to contact them and not getting an answer, we went over to the restaurant. When we arrived they had just seated a large party and the whole place was full. We were told that we couldn't be seated because our party was too large but if we wanted to order take out, we could. After conferring with my family we decided to order food to go. From that point on, we were ignored by the staff. Every attempt to get their attention was ignored. We asked if we could order take out and nobody would even look at us. We usually have great service at this place and the food is usually amazing. Tonight the staff failed!! Answer your phone and this all could have been avoided. Don't get angry at your customers because you are poorly staffed for a Friday night. Be respectful and we would understood. Now I'm wondering if I will go back. There are lots of options in Salem. Do better! read more

Best wings on the North Shore. Pool, darts, and lots of lottery options are second to this GREAT food and cool staff. Everyone who works there is a gem, and yeah, it's a dive, but the best damn dive in Salem. Just great chow, great taps, great atmosphere, and great service. A+ read more

This place is a great place to come when you need a strong drink. I was pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere inside and how friendly the servers and bartenders were. The drinks were very strong (which I enjoy) and the wings were to absolutely die for. It's a little spot on Jefferson Avenue that's easy to miss if you're not a local, but 100% worth the stop in. read more

The Tin Whistle - Buffalo + Barbecue wings Pretzel w beer cheese - Bars Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Quaint place. We had the fried pickles, and the shipwreck beer with a Carmel rim. We loved the beer! So good served that way. Small place, with a pool table. They also had a special with $3 burgers! The only downside was there was only one waitress, she was running back and forth. read more

The Tin Whistle - Bars Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Love this place. Very friendly servers/bartenders and their steak tips are on par, if not better, than some of the more well known local places for tips. Went last Friday and it was busy but definitely not overcrowded, considering it's October in Salem! Nothing fancy, just a great spot for locals looking for a good beer, solid food and a cozy spot to meet up with friends. read more

Really good comfort food wrapped in what looks like a dive bar. Don't be fooled. It was clean, the service was great and the food was excellent and well priced. We had the buffalo wings, which were excellent. My steak tip sandwich was delicious and perfectly cooked as was my son's and wife's burgers. Oh, and the steak fries were nothing short of incredible. Usually they are under cooked. These were the best steak fries I've ever had. read more

My wife and I went there for lunch. We ordered the ribs and they are outstandingly delicious. The meat fell off the bone and the sauce was amazing. read more

As previously stated the food is very good here for such a small kitchen. I have never had a bad meal here, the bathrooms are tight. But you can sit outside this is new feature. I recently was suggested to try there pizza. As expected it was excellent, I usually always order steak tips. Bartenders are nice and attentive, and always have some N Shore banter :) read more

lve never felt strongly enough to write a review, positive or negative. I went to the "whistle" tonight and while talking to the bar back I saw a rat the size of a small dog run across the carpet in the dining room. The bar back told me said rat was "social." My standards are low, but I wouldnt go back there with a gun to my head. read more

Great value on good pub food - steak tips & Buffalo wings won't disappoint . We get it to go.

New Friends This is a great local dive-ish bar. Convenient for people who live in the area but not centrally located in downtown Salem. A little bit off the beaten path. Food is great and prices aren't bad at all. Check it out next time you are in Salem, MA. Tip: Strike a conversation with the locals (or they will do this with you). Within ten minutes people will be buying you a drink. Really cool patrons. Thanks read more

The food is great! Comfort food, good beer selection and priced right! Staff has always been a pleasure!

I love this place and this is my special hideout. The steak tips are phenomenal! The only issue I have with this place, and I have experimented around with this a dozen times, is that the beer lines must be dirty. There is a distinct foul off taste n that draft beer every single time I get one. If it weren't for that, I would give this place four stars. It is a friendly and great neighborhood pub. But please clean the lines. read more

Wow ..... the food was simply amazing. The Cajun chicken Alfredo was probably one of the best dishes I have had in a while. Devon the bartender took care of me and shes probably one of the best bartenders I've come across in a long time. She is very knowledgeable of the drinks and food. She managed to take care of the whole restaurant and bar and still do it in a timely manner with a smile on her face the whole time. She is amazing and definitely made this visit. I am going to return more often because of her! read more

The Tin Whistle - Bars Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Today was my first time in a place that is, as I understand it, and actual bar, as opposed to a restaurant that has a full bar. Also, since I am not yet 21, I did not drink anything. Also, Since it is an old (but clean) small hole in the wall, it seems I have finally experienced what is known as a "dive bar." There is no parking, and it is away from downtown. Suffice it to say, not made for tourists. There was one person working as waiter/bartender when I came in at opening. Not including the cooks working in the back. She was very nice, and when we did not get utensils with (or before our meal, she apologized heavily and fixed the problem immediately. As for food, I was able to try the steak top salad (which is now a garden salad with steak tips added), and the Rodeo Burger. The salad was nothing super special, it was a standard garden salad. Although the tomatoes could have been cut a bit smaller. The rest of the salad was cut up nicely, without huge chunks you sometimes find in salads. The highlight of this dish was the steak tips - that I asked to be cooked medium-rare, which they cooked as such. They were so tender I could almost cut them with my fork. They were marinated to perfection, with a delightful brown sugar marinade. There was no need for dipping into any sauce. As for the burger, it was a pretty standard, and was tasted good. My only complaint is that while I requested it cooked medium, it came well done, without any pink in the middle. It was not tough, but cooked "well done" and was burnt on the outside. Onion rings with the burger were very good though. The steak fries were some of the best steak fries I have ever had though. There were delightfully fried, not overdone, but cooked all the way through. They were seasoned very well. They did a great job... as I ate them without any ketchup, despite my love for ketchup. That is saying a lot. I will return again, and order a burger again, hopefully, this time medium will be medium. I will update accordingly read more

Absolutely amazing!! Great food, great beer, great atmosphere, great staff! Don't let the outside appearance steer you away, this place is well worth it!! David was welcoming, helpful and all around great guy! read more

The Tin Whistle - Bars Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Stayed in walking distance so tried this bar for dinner. It was definitely worth it! Food and staff were great! Drinks and prices were too. Will definitely be back when we are in the area. read more

The Tin Whistle - Bars Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Food is VERY good and the take out service was good and on time as promised. Burgers, steak tips and others items on the menu are all good. We order for seven people and we all enjoyed the tin whistle read more

Stopped here on a whim while passing through the area. Our burgers were decent, the curly fries were good. They have limited seating so when we arrived the set out an extra table for us to eat at. 3 stars for food 4 stars for accommodating service 2 stars for appearance & cleanliness The atmosphere was that of lively locals out for a night of familiar faces and cheap beer. This is a true dive bar. Tiny, dark, dingy, and lively. read more

The Tin Whistle - Mushroom& peppers burger - Bars Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Place is small but cozy. Come early if you want a spot at the bar - it's a small bar. Me and friend came here kinda late on a Saturday night and surprisingly was able to sit at the bar. We had a couple drinks and some curly fries! Everyone there was nice and all were having a good time. read more