I had read good things about this place online; one afternoon, I remembered and decided to try it. The ambiance is classy and minimalist/modern. It wasn't crowded when I arrived, around 3 or 4pm. Service was very friendly and relaxed. It had a comfortable, friendly vibe. It seems this place has a lot of regulars, because a couple groups came in after me and were greeted by name. It was Tuesday, which meant the Happy Hour menu was available all day. The prices were quite reasonable, and we got plenty of food. We ordered the Korean Street Tacos, and Curried chicken lettuce wraps and the cheeseburger with hand cut fries. Everything was delicious. The Korean tacos were a nice mixture of fresh veggies and rich meat flavors as well as some heat. The wraps were generously filled with a great classic chicken salad with curry, and had a great crunch. The burger was juicy and rich, was a good size and had a yummy brioche bun. The fries were cooked well and the ranch was creamy with a dilly kick. This was some solid food at a great price. Apparently Tuesday is trivia night, but we left before that started. This is a great place for some great food. I can see why this place has regulars! read more

See all

Upon hearing of a new eatery in town, I suggested that my family check it out. We arrived during Happy Hour and were promptly greeted and seated The decor is sleek and clean, minimalist. Cozy and not too loud. Their specials menu of select food and drinks was nice, but I was a but disappointed to learn that the only non-alcoholic offering was a canned golden beer (and soft drinks, water - haha, per our server). They did have a decent selection of draft beer. I shared that many restaurants are offering mocktails and that they're missing an opportunity there. The table ordered a sampling of the menu; Korean tacos, Caesar salad, Mac & Cheese, Burger and fries, and Lettuce wraps. Drinks included strawberry lemonade, draft beer, wine, and ice tea. The Korean tacos were good, but not excellent. I think the shell could be improved upon, maybe a fried won ton? Maybe some chili sauce on the side? The Caesar salad was very good, but the mac and cheese was bland and disappointing. Overall it seems like they're working through some kinks. The server could've used some help, as he seemed to have the only one working all of the tables. No ketchup on the table for fries or offer of any. A condiment station might help, but the place is relatively small. I'm glad we stopped in and will certainly give it another shot. It's nice to have an affordable family friendly spot in Salem and I wish them the best of luck! read more

See all

Salem doesn't have a huge selection or a big fine dining scene. We stumbled across this eatery/taphouse. We were pleasantly surprised. It is very clean and staff were super friendly and professional. The decor is unique and very modern not common in this part of the valley. The food was really good and reasonably priced. I had a chicken sandwich special with fries. The fries were standard house fries which included a homemade dill ranch. It had subtle but distinct flavor tones. The chicken sandwich was garnished with a slaw. I typically don't enjoy bell peppers but the coleslaw had peppers which were surprisingly subtle and pleasant. The texture blended very well. read more

See all

Taylor rocks. She provided the best service and helped steer our good choices to meet our preferences. Burger was great, Korean tacos good but expect the fatty meat you'll get in short ribs. Beer selection is more than adequate and their wines are varied and delicious. Support small business! read more

See all

Yelp showed it was open, showed up, closed. Wish I could have tried the burgers, the reviews looked great.

Food is clean, fresh and tasty. Happy hour prices are amazing. Nice service. We'll be back. read more

My wife and I went here for dinner tonight. I had the Banh Mi and she had the Hawaiian plate with pork. It is a somewhat limited menu although both dishes we had were really enjoyable. The Banh Mi was not what I would call traditional, but it was still very tasty. The Hawaiian plate Mac salad was really good, the pork was very flavorful. With the Banh mi I had fries as my side and they were very good. Service was good. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is the small menu and honestly 5 stars is hard to get. read more

Vortex Eatery Plus Taphouse - Banh Mi and fries - Burgers Near Me - Salem, Oregon

See all

I like this place a lot. Excellent service. The waiters are very friendly and helpful. The inside of the restaurant is clean and open and well designed. And I love the outside wall covered with greenery. And the food is very good. I have only had lunch there and I am eager to try it for dinner. read more

Tried this eatery for the first time on Sunday June 8th. The decor was pleasant and the layout was uncluttered. We were greeted by (I believe), Eric the owner and seated. Now I am a very picky eater and found the menu a little short on choice for my tastes. I chose the beef sliders (3) and side of fries. Wow ! Tasty! Tasty!. The food was amazing especially the fries which were hand made. The taste reminded me of home in Scotland. Eric came and chatted with us while we ate our food and was very friendly. I will certainly be back for the friendly atmosphere and fries! read more

Vortex Eatery Plus Taphouse - Vortex Fries - Burgers Near Me - Salem, Oregon

See all

The food is consistently excellent , perfectly tasty nutritious . The service is fantastic. - real, professional and personable. I love that you had music. read more

Went to The Vortex Restaurant today. We took advantage of the Happy Hour. We tried the margarita flight, the spicy burger and the regular burger. Great drinks, food and service. We will be back. read more

See all

Have driven by here quite a few times and after going to two other places and told it was a long wait we came to Vortex. We're fairly new to the Salem area and are still in our discovery phase and let me tell you I'm glad we discovered Vortex. Excellent food and great service. They have daily specials and have a great happy hour menu and drinks after 7:00pm. Have been here three times now and everything I've had was excellent. The Korean steak tacos were yummy (quite spicy). They have some excellent and diverse choices, a full bar with good beer choices. Take a look at their menu as I'm sure you'll find something to your liking. Don't forget to check out the happy hour. read more

Food was good. Ambiance? Odd. Infrastructure? T-Mobile Store. Service? Um the one dude was cool n all but a little slow. The one who looked like Flynn Rider was kinda just there. Thanks! read more

Vortex Eatery Plus Taphouse - Me - Burgers Near Me - Salem, Oregon

This was a first visit. Needed to find a replacement pub to replace Gilgamesh that closed in August. First impressions: attentive and friendly staff greeted us at the door and was very patient with our time taking on the menu. The interior has a modern vide without an urban industrial look using blacks and warm wood finishes. I ordered the Thai Chicken salad that was nice portion size, fresh veggies with a Thai dressing that I would describe as a vinaigrette and nice sliced chicken breast, and so tasty. My friend had the Korean steak tacos stating they were delicious and would order again. The tap list consisted of good flavors of popular styles like IPAs, Hazy IPAs, pilsners, stouts and lagers. Their cocktail menu looked intriguing. Pricing was appropriate for the food, slightly less than the cost of McMenamin's pub grub. However, the taste of the food made the prices seem very reasonable. It is tricky to spot, but just act like you are going to the Roth's Grocery store and you will find it. I missed it pulling in because there was a bus stopped on the street in front of it at the stop. It is ADA complaint with no stairs and very WC accessible. The dining area is open and airy with nice bright light from windows and lighting. Overall, I was highly impressed, will be returning in the future and recommend to friends. I wish this Eatery great success. It is a very good replacement for Gilgamesh, if there are others still hunting for another place with similar ambiance, service, products, staff and service. read more

Amazing local cozy spot with wonderful handcrafted drinks and food! It is so clean and the service is amazing! 10/10 !

The happy hour burger was very good and filling. We are retired so at 3pm on firday it was slow. We will be regulars from now on read more

Vortex Eatery Plus Taphouse - The bar - Burgers Near Me - Salem, Oregon

New to me. Clean, fresh, welcoming, nice menu options. Very good service, very good food. Lots of easy parking.

This was an uber order and I wanted to share my delivery experience. First of all I'd love to say thank you for putting tin foil at the bottom of the box! I ordered garlic steak bites and a bbq Mac and cheese. Everything was absolutely amazing and fresh with how they prepared it for delivery. You can tell by how the food was presented and taste that they care about what their customers and consuming. If you haven't tired them I cannot recommend them enough I've done both dine in and delivery both are fantastic. read more

Vortex Eatery Plus Taphouse - Garlic steak bites - Burgers Near Me - Salem, Oregon

See all

Got food through (because the service is reportedly very slow) and the sliders were dry, the house salad was "meh", but the Hawaiian chicken was AMAZING! The cake options seemed unreasonably overpriced (and the gluten free option was tiny in comparison to the local cake store in downtown Salem). read more

Great food, steak was perfect, prices are better than some. Service was outstanding, Josh is a rock star.

Always the best service and the food is the best in town! Everything is home made and it makes all the difference.

Actually really good! My husband and i came when this place first opened, wasn't too impressed, but we came in Saturday night to try again after looking for a quick happy hour drink and snack. (Which is between 7-10) My food was great! Burger cooked perfectly, mac and cheese was delicious. Very reasonably priced which is hard to find these days and okay service. will be coming back. read more

This place deserves to be packed! Amazing drinks, awesome food, superior service! I'm just sorry we didn't come here sooner. Beautiful environment and so conveniently located (next to Roth's...easy parking). We will most definitely be back regularly! Josh (bartender) was top-notch! Try the "Liquid Reese's"! read more

This is now our go to for dinner out. Excellent service and both times our meals were beyond our expectations. Love the variety of choices from their menu. You won't be disappointed. They did an excellent job in creating a comfortable eating atmosphere. read more

I have probably had close to everything on the menu and nothing has disappointed me. Every dish is packed with flavor and comes out hot, service is very welcoming and the restaurant is very minimalistic while remaining comfortable. highly recommend. read more

Consistently fantastic food and service! Great beer list and excellent cocktails! The margarita flight is excellent! Very clean! read more

Nice spot in South Salem. Good food and drink options. Give the margarita flight a try!

I feel the food although a bit greasy was really good and the prices and portions are really good! The atmosphere is like an early 2000s airport bar so that threw us off a bit but it's a minute from my home so my wife and I just order to go anyway. Service is always very solid and we frequently return! read more

I sat for 20 min as he walked back-and-forth and I said I would like to order food just not impressed. He didn't seem questionable and then again I saw Again for 15 minutes to get another drink. There was the worst service I've ever had and I heard two people behind me, said the exact same thing then top it off the drink water down you don't get what you pay for this place is definitely not gonna make it in the long run and I'm gonna let everybody know how bad the service was really bad. This is my fourth time here and four times. The first time is good. The last three times I'm done. I will never come back and I'm gonna make sure everybody knows not to come here. read more

Cute, clean, tasty! We got the steak sandwich and Korean tacos - both were delicious'