A very fun bar with great cocktails. Cool ambiance and delicious smoked wings! Speak easy vibes…read morewith friendly bar staff. Easy to park and walk as well.

The Cellar is located below the Bell Inn, and they did a great job restoring the building. When we…read morearrived it was a little busy at 730pm on a Saturday, and it died down a bit and picked up again at 9:30pm. I'm glad they are doing well. We ordered a round of apps/small plates and drinks. Food was good/average. We would come back as it's down the street. They have weekly specials. Monday from 8pm to close is $1 oysters. Tuesday is military appreciation, free app with purchase and Wednesday is $0.50 wings. 5pm-close.

One of my very favourite spots in town. Sean, Sara, and Ryan are a dream - they make incredible…read moredrinks and, provided it's not too busy, are always willing to share about the thought process that goes into them and the new, unusual ingredients they feature. Creative, talented, and can handle the hell out of a rush. I am torn about writing this because I always want to be able to find a seat at that bar, but credit where credit is due.

Not really a speak easy. Kinda disappointing. Definitely shouldn't have the sign outside the…read morealleyway lol. Was a bit busy but also isn't that big. Only have certain drinks and they were really weird. No one in Salem has even heard of it really and never been there. Definitely would not go again. Also shares a bathroom with Dire wolf tavern. When u walk in the door u also can go straight into DW.

The Taco Lady was the star of this "distillery". The waitress was more interested in flirting with…read moretwo guys at the bar rather than serving us drinks. Looking for a good time? You won't find it here. But shout out to the Taco Lady's ramen

Had a good time here. Accepted our dogs. Very diverse clientele. Drinks were great. Service was…read moregood. Talked to cofounder, Ian, for a bit. Talked to Pam, bartender, for a bit. Was impressed with the whole experience. Hole in the wall fun.

My husband and I arrived in Salem after a long day of traveling and just needed food. It was 10:00…read moreand their kitchen was still open. I had the Straw-brie sandwich (or something to that effect), but it was toasted, had strawberry compote and melted brie with arugula and it was fantastic. The service was great. The atmosphere was great!

Recommended to us by some locals as a great place for "tourists" to go. I can't agree, since the…read moretwo bartenders on duty were slinging drinks to their buddies while ignoring us. (They clearly saw me there; we made eye contact and the one guy wasn't even doing anything.) After about 10 to 15 minutes of waiting with no service, we were about to leave when a server finally came to our table. Since they were obviously busy and weren't keeping up with the crowd that night, we tried to order two drinks each so they could save a little of their time and we could relax without worrying about if a server was going to take our order again before the end of the week. The server very sharply said that he was NOT going to give us two drinks at a time, CERTAINLY not with drinks of this high alcohol content. We ordered one drink each, cashed out and bounced. The cocktail I got was fine; I could make a slightly worse version at home at a fraction of the price (or even two at once!). We we were told later by a friendlier Salemite at a bar with a better vibe that there is a Massachusetts state law that prohibits having two drinks at once at a bar. Fair enough. Had our server told us that, unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to give us two drinks at once -- instead of making us feel like idiots/degenerates for daring to ask -- we probably would have dropped a lot of vacation money there that night. Oh well; we had a great time at the other places we went.

Brunch was really great here! The French toast reminded us of a fried dough, so crunchy and yummy…read more I was hesitant about ordering a cold brew, if you are picky about your coffee you know it can be a hit or miss, but it was great as well! Service was fast. We were surprisingly satisfied overall.

After having it on my list for months, I came to The Babe during Restaurant Week in Salem in…read moreJanuary 2026. Restaurant Week, as per the Salem Chamber of Commerce's website, is summed up as: "Participating restaurants offered special two- and three-course prix-fixe menus, giving locals and visitors alike a chance to explore, support, and celebrate Salem's vibrant dining scene." For $45 I got cheddar jalapeño fritters, a poutine burger (hamburger with fries cheese and gravy on top, kale Caesar salad with freshly grated cheese, and fresh, piping hot apple cider donuts. The burger was hearty, the fritters popped, and the donuts hit the spot but by far the standout was the kale caesar salad with the creamy dressing over crispy and crunchy kale topped with the tangy grated cheese. A Downeast cider washed it all down and was refreshing. I went on a weekday so there were a few people sitting at the bar with me but overall the place wasn't packed. What I really appreciated was the general manager came to talk to me specifically about their Restaurant Week food selection and to get my feedback. She was super friendly and I told her about the kale caesar salad. Parking is on the street and can be hit or miss because The Babe is right on Washington Street where it starts to curve around the corner. It's worth it to keep circling though. The Babe has different events each night of the week, including Jazz Tuesdays and karaoke Fridays. I had a great time at The Babe and I appreciate how much they support the local Salem community. I am looking forward to going back!

Went to Capone's for dinner. It's a good-sized place that had a stage for live music as well as…read moreloads of tables and booths for dining. Got a cozy booth and got a drink while we looked over the menu. We got soup to start and they also brought some seeded Italian bread. I opted for the Chicken, Broccoli and Ziti and my husband got Chicken Parmesan. Both were very good.

Lauren was our server tonight and she was Fantastic! We started with cosmos, fried calamari & salad…read morewhich was excellent. Then we had their Chicken parmesan which was plentiful & delicious and then we ended it with their lemon Mascarpone cake which was out of this world. The drinks and food are reasonable priced and the service is friendly & efficient.

I'm so proud of my hometown for having a secret bacon pop-up. I'm more proud of myself for being in…read moreSalem on a Wednesday evening, and for my sister for reminding me about Back Alley Bacon, even though I do follow them on Facebook. I got a kick out of being handed my food by someone in a pig mask. Other reviews give you the low-down, so I'll discuss the food. The menu (only one item, or one item plus snacks) is posted by the intercom. On the evening I went, it was a pulled pork sandwich. I opted for the snacks option, and it came with root beer, Utz chips, and an oatmeal creme cookie. The sandwich was delicious. I got one for my dad too, and he loved it. The pork was well-seasoned and the bacon was thick, crisp, and tasty. The bun was also good. I feel like buns are often an afterthought with sandwiches, but not here. It was a high quality Kaiser roll, and it held up to the toppings (pork, bacon, slaw) well. The house-brand root beer was also good. If you find yourself in Salem by 5:15 p.m. on a Wednesday evening, get in line for Back Alley Bacon and enjoy.

I've been to a number of secret cocktail speakeasies and secret sit down dinners back at home in…read moreNYC, but never to a back alley for clandestine comestibles of a porcine nature. Leave it to Salem, MA to make such a magical moving feast happen. Obtain the secret password and ring the bell by the red lantern. Someone will reply on the intercom; provide the password and the number of eaters in your party. Make sure you have exact change! Pay in cash and a surprisingly snorty gent in a pig mask will deliver a special dinner and drink. Pop a squat with your provisions by the old cemetery and dine all'aperto.