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Word Of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro
Categories: Restaurants American (Traditional) Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch American (Traditional), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
140 NE 17th StSalem, OR 97301
(503) 930-4285
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 3 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
133 reviews for Word Of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro
Review Highlights
"On another occasion I had the creme brulee french toast."
(in 32 reviews)
"The corned beef hash was delicious."
(in 12 reviews)
"It was quite possibly the best clam chowder I've had."
(in 17 reviews)
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133 reviews in English
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Review from Aaron W.
Updated - 1/28/2012
January 28, 2012, marked the debut of Word of Mouth's newest creation: a Cinnamon Roll Pancake breakfast. For $9.95, I got two fluffy cinnamon pancakes topped with a decadent cinnamon roll glazed icing, two eggs (requested overeasy), and a small bowl of fruit. While it's a breakfast special now, it should be making its way to the regular menu soon.
__________________
It's not fair, I tell ya. It's just not fair. Becky and Steve must have some sort of ESP thing going on, knowing (at least one of) my weaknesses. You see, "cinnaholics" like myself must have cinnamon with them at all times. The mere sight of a "cinnamon" item on the menu puts me into a hypnotic state, with malicious intent to destroy said dish very quickly.
I'm likely considered armed (with utensils at the ready) and dangerous (don't try to take a bite of my cinnamon-laced food or get stabbed with the cinnaholic's fork). I'm injecting cinnamon, all right...straight into my mouth and down the gullet. You know how competitive eaters have nicknames? I'm not a CE, but if I had a nickname, "cinnaholic" (or some play on the word) would be a damn good choice.
From what I gathered, a lovely couple sitting across the dining area split the same Cinnamon Roll Pancake breakfast I ate (so I guess they each got one pancake, one egg, and a bit of fruit). They got their food as I waited for mine. I could hear their high praise of the meal, almost an inadvertent tease.
I restrained myself long enough to take a couple pictures of the food. The "before" shots, as people probably would say.
If I really wanted to channel the competitive eating monster, I'd be shoveling food in with my hands. But hey now, I should have some etiquette in public! Fork and knife, check! Napkin on lap, check! Woohoo, let's eat! Food, you're dead! (Oh, it's already dead? Sad.)
Each bite of pancake was incredible. Sweet, yes, but not overly so. The eggs were perfectly cooked, although in hindsight, I wish I just put the egg right on top of the pancakes before I dug in (my bad there). I completely blacked everything else out, pretty easy to do when there aren't many people in the bistro around 7 in the morning. I had water on the table, but didn't need it. It was a rather moderate, consistent pace for me. Yes, I refrained from picking up the small fruit bowl and tossing it down like a triple shot. In less than eight minutes, the "Massacre on 17th St." ended with a cinnaholic victory.
(EDIT: Actually, I finished in about 5 1/2 minutes. Faster than I thought. Call me a speed eater in training!)
With no more food, I zapped out of my trance, momentarily saddened that I couldn't have a tube pushing more of that epic meal onto my plate. Oh, by the way, the aforementioned couple was still enjoying their food.
"Oh, um, sorry, I was just hungry. But it was awesome!"
The problem with having a large appetite? The stomach often gets confused. It still rumbled and grumbled for more food after I left. Hey stomach, that was your second breakfast already! Grr!
I actually videotaped myself eating this. My love of spicy foods and cinnamon just reached a new level of abnormal proportions. (Uh oh, will it get to YouTube?!)
As far as service goes, Cassandra and Tirzah were on the ball. In fact, Tirzah quickly took my finished plate away before I could snap the "after" photos. It's not a big deal for me to get a picture anyway, so I didn't bother to request the plates stay at the table. No complaints. I love the service.
While my appetite refuses to back down and surrender, I'm waving the white flag to the Word of Mouth staff for now. Food coma is imminent, although it's probably more a hibernation at this point. Damn. Guess I'm not getting much studying today.Listed in: The Elite
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/16/2011
I live in an area where I have to get lucky and park on the street...and if I can't find any, I… Read more »
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Review from Jacob W.
Chico, CA
12/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was in town for a quick stop over and Yelp told me this was the spot for a great breakfast. The hospitality was excellent, our server was friendly and wasted no time getting us sorted out. The bar was well stocked and made for a nice breakfast cocktail to go with my pastrami hash!
One of the best looking breakfast menus I've seen anywhere.
If you're in Salem and havent eaten here, "Shame on you". haha -
Review from Geneva H.
11/10/2011
I am a Sassy Onion fan. I went to college at Willamette, so it was always a good choice. However, it is busy, and there was a crazy homeless guy the last time I was there.
All that being said....Word of Mouth is amazing, and now replaces my Sassy Onion cravings. It does have a long wait, especially on Sunday. We waited about 45 minutes for our table for two. The waiting area was small and packed to the gills.
BUUUUT: the food was fantastic! Molly and I had Creme Brulee French Toast and the Salem Sunrise Mimosa. Fabulous! Huge servings and sooo tasty. The service was quick. We sat, ordered, and had our food in under 15 minutes.
CHECK THIS PLACE OUT! But just be ready to wait for a while. -
Review from Zee M.
Salem, OR
2/8/2012
Love the ambiance of this place - food is good - hash is great!
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Review from Vickie T.
Salem, OR
2/8/2012
Wonderful food! The Creme Brulee french toast is to die for. Huge portions. The wait was a bit long, but that is to be expected from a place this amazing. I encourage anyone wanting to try some of the most amazing Corned Beef Hash to give this place a try. You will not be disappointed.
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Review from Cody W.
Salem, OR
1/24/2012
I'd like to say 4 stars only because of the wait, but it's one of my favorite places to eat so I can't do that to them. The veggie burger is one of the greatest things I've ever eaten in my life. I don't throw compliments around lightly, especially when I'm talking about food. I'm pretty sure its a homemade concoction, and its genius. After trying several things on the menu I've settled on this and I don't think ill ever go back. Every time I make my way there I have a great meal, I definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone.
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Review from Justin L.
Boise, ID
1/6/2012
The best breakfast I've ever had in Salem!
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Review from Jeff H.
10/24/2011
Okay, this place has a -lot- of hype around it. I stopped counting how many people from my workplace have told, nay, ORDERED me to go here for breakfast.
Here's what was holding me back though; that aforementioned hype...lots of hype means I'm generally obligated to like it, or defend my dislike of it to devotees. A minor, but oddly real, situation.
Two, I dislike crowds quite a bit. And it's an unmitigated fact that there is almost always a wait to eat at Word of Mouth.
But I decided to give it a shot this morning, a little after 8, on a Monday. I figured it couldn't be too bad then. Well, there was a wait, actually. But since I was flying solo, I was offered, and accepted, a place at the bar. The building itself is an old house, that hasn't been very heavily modified, and I found the interior very warm and inviting.
To say I was made to feel welcome would be an understatement. The young woman working behind the bar, every server, waitress, and other employee that passed by, they were super friendly, very accommodating, and went out of their way to help every customer, not even one in their area, but also (and I find this a uniform trait of any good restaurant) they went out of their way to help each other prep and deliver another server's table.
I was having a difficult time deciding what to order. Word of Mouth tends to try to make good, delicious comfort food with high quality ingredients, and in a manner that is elevated, but not pretentious or unnecessarily fancy.
The most famous piece seems to be the Creme Brulee French Toast, but I am not generally a "sweets" person for breakfast. I know that I don't eat that much, but I just had to go for the Filet Mignon country fried steak.
That came with an amazingly huge slab of wonderfully breaded and very tasteful steak, doused with a generous, but not overly large (i.e.: disguising) gravy. Two scrambled eggs, a large stack of hash browns, and a biscuit that was large enough to act as a cup if it was hollowed out.
Before all this, though, I was presented with a plate and a slice of that previously described Creme Brulee french toast. I had mentioned to my waitress that I had never been to Word of Mouth before, and so she presented me with a complimentary piece of it. It was hot, filled with an amazingly creamy custard filling, and had a perfect crust of caramelized sugar atop it. I had one bite and the rest is now in my refrigerator for later consumption, because I knew that if I downed the whole thing, I would not be able to eat breakfast. It was that good that my "No sugar breakfast" thing would have been completely ruined.
The main meal was fabulous. The steak was great, as I said. The potatoes were a nicely crisped home fries style of potato, with some light seasoning. The eggs were perfectly done and that biscuit was lovely. The gravy that I mentioned was not super spicy, it was probably the weakest bit of the whole plate; well, not so much a weakness as the item that stood out the least amongst a plate of stars.
My diet coke glass stayed constantly refilled and never got below half empty. I and the other patrons engaged in banter with almost all the wait staff who came by, and it was just a genuinely welcoming atmosphere.
The wait does frighten me from making this a regular spot for me, though. The waiting area is rather small and features one booth there anyways, where I can imagine people glaring at me if I took a second too long to pay my bill, were I sitting there. But on off-hours, on weekdays, I will absolutely go back. There's a whole menu of amazing items I desperately want to try.
I am a fan. -
Review from meg m.
Portland, OR
9/19/2011
After living in Portland for the last 2 years, my husband and I recently moved to Salem and I've just gotta say, this place wins, hands down, for the best brunch ever. And yes, it's worth the wait.
We came for Sunday brunch and waited maybe for 15-20 minutes before being seated. Since we weren't starving and the portion sizes looked huge we decided to split an omelet. We had the veggie omelet with the sunflower toast and a side of bacon and fruit. It was MORE than enough food to share for the two of us and it was all cooked perfectly with fresh ingredients and was simply delicious.
The best part? We had thought about ordering the crème brulee french toast because it sounded so tasty, but decided against it because we thought it would be too much food. However, our wonderful server brought us a slice of this incredible french toast at the end of our meal and told us it was "on the house". How nice it that?! It was a fabulous way to end the meal with a little something sweet. We will most definitely be back to Word of Mouth Bistro! -
Review from Brittany S.
Los Angeles, CA
10/30/2011
This place was HIGHLY recommended to me by some coworkers, so I decided that it was a must-do on my list before I left for Korea. I went there with my grandma, her husband, and my mom. I ordered the creme brulee French toast which was also recommended to me. I also ordered the homemade toast or whatever it is. I'm giving this place four stars for a few reasons:
There was a group of people next to us who were really loud, and with no questions they moved us to another table where it was much quieter. I felt that was a plus to them.
While I felt that the French toast was just good (not amazing), it is probably not something I'd eat again. Maybe that's just me though. Maybe it's too sweet for my taste. The homemade bread with jam was amazing and I'd almost go just for that.
Overall I wasn't blown away, but it was good enough that I'd probably go back once in awhile if I lived in Salem. Oh, and my grandma and her husband really enjoyed their meal. My mom ordered the same thing as me and felt the same about hers as I did. -
Review from Amber S.
Salem, OR
1/26/2012
Best restaurant in town for the value. I just wish they still served dinner.
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Review from Mike B.
9/29/2011
Had lunch here on Monday September 26th. We arrived at 11:10 and we still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. The food was top notch and priced reasonably. Choices for sides were varied and had some nice healthy alternatives. Service was so-so (the waitress seemed and acted like she was very busy and really didn't attend to us in a timely manner).
I am not alone in my criticism of the wait time. By the time my dining companion and I were finished there were at LEAST 20 people waiting to be seated. Not only that, but their teeny tiny parking lot does nothing but discourage folks from coming in. I add my voice to those already who have called on this Bistro to start accepting reservations.
The noise level needs to be addressed as well, hardwood floors and very little noise dampening makes it difficult to carry on a decent conversation.
I will, most likely, come back again but only if I can get in when there is little or no wait for a table. I am not sure what time of day that would be though.
This is NOT the place to go when you have limited time though. -
Review from Dana R.
Bainbridge Island, WA
7/11/2011
For rustic comfort breakfast fare -- this is IT. It's not real big and I hear it fills up quickly after 9 am on weekends. We got there around 8 am and had no trouble getting a table. Atmosphere is homey and comfortable. Service was very friendly and attentive (never a low coffee cup or water glass and timely arrival of food and other beverages). The food was simply so good you want to curl up and take a nap afterward -- a bit of a hazard if you're driving to Seattle that morning!
I went to law school in the culinary backwater of Salem in the early 1990s and wish that this place had been there then (we went to the Off Center which I see is still in business -- which had its pros and cons .... I'll try them again next time I'm in Salem ... which may be more often now that our friends bought a home and vineyard land in the Eola Hills).
A friend and I ordered the corned beef hash and eggs (his poached, mine fried over medium). Shredded and chopped corned beef. Sauteed onions and cabbage (first time I've encountered cabbage in hash -- it added a really nice earthiness). Very tender, moist, and flavorful; not too many potatoes. Eggs were eggs ... I don't really like eggs; they were fine.
I had the homemade biscuit (very large) with the second-best Strawberry freezer jam (my deceased nana's was the best -- literally the only item family members good-naturedly jockeyed about after she died ... the remaining 10 jar of jam in her freezer). Fluffy, flaky goodness. Could have been just a touch crisper for my liking, but outstanding nonetheless.
My husband had the Creme Brulee French Toast -- aahh was this good. I don't usually like French Toast because after all it's bread soaked in .... eggs .... but the sweetness of the vanilla and caramelized sugar (and the crunchy texture the bruleed sugar added) made this dish over the top good. I would share this dish with my husband the next time we visit.
All of the portions were huge (I don't rate on portions).
We'll definitely be back. -
Review from Samantha B.
Portland, OR
7/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I finally went to Word of Mouth to try out that creme brule french toast. Let me tell you a story about that french toast:
Once upon a time, in every damn conversation I've had about food since I started working in Salem somebody has brought up the creme brule french toast at Word of Mouth. After gushing about its awesomeness, they finish the story with, "Too bad the lines are a million long and you'll never get in lololololol."
Effing trolls.
Well, I had some time between meetings today so I optioned my lunch at 9:15 am and went for it. You'd think that any breakfast restaurant would be pretty much done with their breakfast rush by that time on a Tuesday. Not Word of Mouth. They had one small table in the corner available, but it had literally just opened up as I walked in the door.
Though they were busy, water came quickly and my waitress was there to take my drink order within 2 minutes. As I already knew what I was getting, no need for another wait. Wham, bam, thank you french toast.
My plate came out within 10 minutes; they've really got their shit wired tight back in the kitchen. The bacon was thick cut and probably from a butcher rather than Jimmy Dean or whatever. The eggs were eggs. But oh, the french toast. It was everything I had dreamed of and more. The rock sugar on the outside was caramelized (could have used another second or two to get really melty, but whatevs), the inside was moist with cream and soft and good. I was super pleased.
My check came, I paid. In an out in about 30 minutes. Not too bad, Word of Mouth. I'll definitely go back, and next time I'll check out the Caprese omelette. It sounded nom.
Good: The french toast was as dank as I had been promised. Service was quick.
Bad: The sugar on the french toast wasn't quite melted enough. My guess from having made creme brule a time or two is that it needed another few seconds with a slightly less hot flame. They're the pro's, though.
Price: $13.00 for two slices of french toast, two eggs, two slices of bacon and a cup of coffee. I was looking to spend a little more in the $10-$11 range. For one person, it wasn't a deal breaker. If I had a family, the meals might be a bit expensive for Oregon incomes. -
Review from Scott L.
6/30/2011
On a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle, my gf and I were desperate. We are huge foodies...but honestly, the 2 large cups of coffee we had at 8am that day were too much.
Luckily my yelp app helped us find a room...to..rest...as well as an amazing breakfast!
Everything from the fresh fruit to the thick cuts of bacon to the eggs to the Famous Creme Brulee french toast (which was spectacular), were really great. If I had a joint like this in my neighborhood (ummm NYC) I would go everyday! -
Review from Susan L.
11/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Plate O'Love includes Creme Brule french toast!and signature corner beef hasg, with 2 eggs. Also ordered a side of potatoes. The creme Brule says that it's made only here but i've had one in socal and that was pretty amazing too! This one is a bit different.. it has custard in it. They have a turkey burger that oprah recommended but reviews didn't seem that good.
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Review from Jonathan W.
Corvallis, OR
7/31/2011
The Good: Cute little location, in a converted house. Very friendly service, and delicious food! The Creme Brule French Toast is their signature dish, and is fantastic, fluffy with the wonderful crunch of caramelized sugar on top. The "King of the Hill" had tops of tender prime rib, and the thick slabs of sunflower toast were amazing. The eggs over easy were perfect, as was my wife's Eggs Benedict. All the portions were generous, with a moderate price point, well within expected for a locally sourced small business ($9-$12).
The Bad: As someone noted, though the Hash had plenty of good prime rib, it was a little bland otherwise. The onion and mushroom flavor didn't really come through, which is unfortunate because prime rib was plentiful and flavorful.
The Ugly: Like others have said, it's very cozy, ie very small. I counted maybe 15 4-tops max, plus room for 6 at the bar. The food is well worth the wait, but I can imagine the wait would be awhile during peak hours, especially for a large party.
The Rundown: Fantastic food, cozy space, and wonderful service. The only blemish was the lack of flavors in the hash. I know I will definitely be back though, with how exceptional the rest of the food and experience was. We were lucky enough to get in around 2pm and seated immediately at the bar, but it's well worth the wait if we plan to be there earlier next time. -
Review from Ashley H.
Klamath Falls, OR
8/17/2011
My boyfriend and I enjoyed a great meal here this morning for breakfast. There was a short wait and we were quickly seated and our server was very nice. I ordered a wrap with sausage, spinach, artichoke and feta cheese and it was simply incredible. My boyfriend opted for the meat lover's wrap and said it was delicious as well. They were both served with fruit so fresh, I swear they much have chopped it up immediately before serving it to us.
The only negative is the same thing I see other reviewers say - their parking kinda sucked.
I can't wait to go again the next time we're in Salem! -
Review from Brook E.
Chicago, IL
7/15/2011
Hey, I'm the 100th reviewer of Word of Mouth!
I'm not quite sure I need to re-iterate what 99 yelpers have said before me but....
This place is awesome. It's a bungalow converted into a restaurant, and it feels like a home. You'll feel this even more keenly after you eat a hearty breakfast here.
The food is delicious and fresh tasting. Service is attentive and friendly.
Portions are huge. There was food left on my plate, but I felt like I needed a nap after eating breakfast here.
We spent 5 days in the Salem/Portland area, and I can honestly say this is the best meal we had hands down. -
Review from Jessica S.
New York, NY
3/20/2011
My boyfriend and I were driving from San Francisco to Portland last summer and we got hungry around Salem and decided to find a good place to eat. After driving around aimlessly downtown asking each other "I don't know... what sounds good to you?" I spotted Word of mouth and said "Let's go there. I've never had bad food at a restaurant in a house before."
SO glad we stopped there. It was crowded but we managed to get a seat at the bar. The waitress was insanely nice and after learning we'd both lived in Boston she brought us out a bowl of their clam chowder to compare. It was quite possibly the best clam chowder I've had.
The entire menu is amazing. We both had an impossible time deciding what to get. We talked it over with the waitress and eventually I got the chicken steak and my boyfriend got the accidental omelet. Both excellent. The waitress suggested the creme brulee french toast and when neither of us ordered it she brought it out with our food anyway as her gift saying "You can't leave without trying it." It was incredible.
Everything about Word of Mouth was truly awesome from the food to the people. I want to plan a trip to Salem just to go back. -
Review from Laura E.
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Thanks to my trusty friend, Yelp, I knew that I wanted to stop at Word of Mouth on my way to the coast last weekend. Unfortunately, we were running late... as always... and didn't have time to stop for a leisurely breakfast. I spent my weekend at the coast pining for decent food, and forced the Husband to take me here on our return trip. Boy, were we both glad we made the stop.
This was truly one of the best breakfasts that I have had in ages. We ordered quite a lot of food, and I nearly made myself sick trying to finish. I just couldn't stop eating! We ordered a grilled breakfast burrito, creme brulee French Toast, a side of bacon, and vegetable hash. Every single item was fabulous. The bacon was super thick and perfectly crispy, the French toast has inspired me to buy a little kitchen torch to try and replicate the crunchy sugar crust, and the homemade pico de gallo that came with the burrito tasted like it was fresh from the garden.
Service and atmosphere just made this breakfast even more perfect. Don't be turned off by a moderate wait - 30 minutes is a VERY small price to pay for a breakfast this delicious. I can't wait for our next venture to the area - I won't miss a meal here again! -
Review from heather m.
Portland, OR
6/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty much everything here is delicious. Whenever I'm in Salem, needing to eat sometime before noon, this is probably where I'll end up. Haven't had the creme brulee toast yet - nor have I been offered a taste, and when I visited with my mom, she even fished for a sample (alas, poor toast, we don't know thee at all). Maybe another time.
My co-conspirators have had pancakes and hash, and raved. I appreciated their chowder, which is saying a lot since I'm a chowder snob. I would eat that again. Their salads are huge and come with mucho toppings. Only thing somewhat mediocre was the roast beef - it was fine, just not as delicious as everything else there.
As others have reported, the only real issue here is space, or lack thereof. I've been here two times and had to wait 15-45 minutes, so I recommend steeling yourself with a snack first, or just coming as soon as the rumbles start. But do come if you're nearby and love breakfast food - totally worth it. -
Review from Kevin R.
Salem, OR
10/30/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Hands down the best breakfast restaurant in Salem. You must try the Incredible Flying Biscuit.
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Review from Ed J.
Salem, OR
1/26/2012
food is pretty good but 45 minute wait on a thursday at 1 , other places are as good with minimal wait
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Review from Steve W.
Hillsboro, OR
6/14/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Thank you, Salem. You now have a reason for me to do business in your area and not get up early to make my own breakfast. I now get up early so I can enjoy a nicely prepared breakfast (and filling...I can skip lunch!), a fine cup of coffee, and have pretty decent service.
I have come here now with my wife and co-workers, and this is now a must stop after making the trek from south PDX to Salem. I do still have to get up early, as this place can be a bit of a wait. No matter. This is well worth it.
My usual dishes are either the chicken fried beef tenderloin or the eggs benedict. Yes, you heard right there pal...chicken fried beef tenderloin. And it is oh so num nummie! Couple that with some well prepared fried potatoes, a rich and creamy biscuit gravy, and a biscuit the size of South Dakota and...yeah, I am ready for the day! Or maybe a food coma. No matter...my customers in Salem seem to understand when I tell them where I went for breakfast.
The eggs benedict is not only decadent in flavor, but they server three...yep, that's right...THREE servings of poached egg, muffin, ham, and hollandaise sauce. Seems to rich? Never! Muah ha ha ha ha! Zzzzzzzzz....er, sorry. Sleepy time coma. Don't care. Soooo goooood...
If you go here for both breakfast AND lunch...better get a designated driver or a cab. Happy sleepy time... -
Review from Sara B.
West Chester Township, OH
10/15/2011
This place was absolutely amazing!! We were on our way back to Eugene from Portland and decided to stop for lunch in Salem. We did a really quick search on Yelp and decided to give Word of Mouth a try. I am so glad that we did! Absolutely everything we tried was incredible! I ended up ordering the Plate O Love - one slice of Creme Brulee French toast and a serving of the Veggie Hash. I am in love with their french toast - each bite was perfection! This will definitely be a stop on any repeat trip to OR!
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Review from James T.
Mercer Island, WA
7/2/2011
Not gonna lie, was totally shocked to discover this delicious breakfast joint in a small town like Salem.
Quaint with a mom/pop feel, the food was excellent. The creme-brule french toast is some of the best french toast I've ever had, and I usually don't really like french toast. Seriously skip everything else on the menu and just order this, your taste buds will thank me. -
Review from Jayne I.
Reedley, CA
7/24/2011
Like just about every review suggests ... the Creme Brule French Toast is something to tell all of your friends about. The atmosphere is cute - an old house with lots of character and nice garden converted into a restaurant. The servers were super friendly. I totally recommend!
The only slightly negative thing was that the parking lot was compact and tight. But we went during the late-lunch rush so a full lot was a good sign. -
Review from Thiruselvan S.
Beaverton, OR
10/17/2011
Great food! Best breakfast in salem. Early bird specials on weekdays are really inexpensive for yummy food! Only downside is their wait time which you'll have to wait most of the time
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Review from Stanley T.
Portland, OR
8/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I don't stop in Salem that often, but four of us on the way to Corvallis decided we were hungry. I was driving, so my daughter Yelped and came up with WOM and it's incredible number of excellent reviews. I'm glad she did. Maybe the best veggie burger I've had. Service was wonderful. Great atmosphere. I'd love to try many of their menu items.
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Review from JoLee S.
West Linn, OR
1/15/2011
After reading the reviews, we were smart enough to go @ the off time of 1:30pm. We were greeted immediately and told it would be about a 5 min. wait - it was less than that. Reading the menu was frustrating - I wanted ONE of everything! But then the waitress told us of the special sandwich of the day: grilled sliced chicken breast with sliced pear and Brie cheese on a fresh ciabatta bun. It was AMAZING. Having read about the clam chowder - we decided to have a cup to go with our sandwich. It is also amazing and I'm very picky about my clam chowder. While I do like Mo's - this clam chowder makes Mo's pale in comparison. One is Plebian - the other is Gormet!
Erin was our waitress; she actually made us feel like she was personally interested in us and our reaction to the food!
All in all it was a wonderful experience, great people, great food! Highly
recommend lunch there - can't wait to experience breakfast & dinner there
also! -
Review from Carolyn P.
Kirkland, WA
3/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
We stopped by this homey little spot on our way home to Washington. We wanted one last yummy meal and the WOM surely came through. Prime rib hash, biscuits and gravy that rival homemade and the most amazing bowl of fresh fruit I have EVER seen. Really, that fruit was extraordinary in any month, much less March. Next to me, there was served the biggest pancake on earth, which was good enough to eat without syrup. Lucky Salem locals get to eat there whenever they want: I'll have to drive a bit off I-5 when passing through to visit again.
Only drawback, and it's not about the food, but the parking is kind of challenging. Not a lot they can do about it, though. -
Review from Diane J.
2/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Heaven on a plate.
I'm a big fan of chicken fried steak. I've never thought to use Filet Mignon as the steak!!! Holy crap this was good. The potatoes seasoned perfectly with just a hint of rosemary and my eggs were fluffy and light.
my husband had the seafood cakes (tiger prawn, chilean sea bass, and halibut). He smiled all day long!
I can't believe we hadn't tried it before, but it's on our Salem regular list now! -
Review from Brandon S.
Keizer, OR
9/26/2011
One of the great places in Salem. Breakfast and dinner - both excellent. The only downside here is the size. It is very difficult to get a seat, especially for lunch during the week. Saturday breakfast is a better shot.
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Review from Dave S.
Silverdale, WA
10/7/2011
3 things we loved about our visit to Word of Mouth:
#1 - The Creme Brulee French Toast was beyond words. I have never eaten french toast without syrup UNTIL NOW!
#2 The Hash - one of our group said "I have had hash tons of times and this was the best I have ever had. (He said this with an astonished, dreamy look on his face)
#3 The atmosphere and service was fun and cheery on our Thursday morning visit. We got a table right off, but a few waited after us - WELL WORTH THE WAIT.
We plan to visit whenever we drive through Salem again. (Makes me want to find any excuse to get down there monthly) -
Review from alex v.
Fullerton, CA
12/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
i actually didn't get to eat here and by the looks of the food and the smell I was greatly dissappointed. Apparently everyone is on on the secret here: These guys serve serious food.
The setup is great and the dining is all done inside of an old historic house in Salem, near the court house and other state buildings.
Unfortunately the line was just too damn long. That's okay. People know a good thing when the smell./eat it. Next visit, I'm comin' for you WoM Bistro! You got it? -
Review from Daniel W.
Salem, OR
4/24/2011
Great food made from scratch. Its busy most weekend mornings. Here's a tip. If u really want the food but don't wanna wait in line, order it to go.
Great biscuits and gravy and great cream brûlée French toast. -
Review from Amy J.
Oakland, CA
10/31/2010
Stopped here on the way from Portland airport to Corvallis. Yelp reviews on our mobile got us here and it did not disappoint.
The place is a tiny converted house. We got seated after a short wait and ordered 2 salads and 2 sandwiches (party of 4). The bread that the sandwiches are made with are toasted just right and are thick! Yum. I could have just eaten the bread. The reuben, however, was to die for and told me it's not all about the bread. The portabello sandwich was good. The spinach salad didn't have enough spinach. The chopped salad was good although slightly bigger pieces (don't chop so much!) would have been better.
Service was efficient and friendly. -
Review from Jason Y.
Davenport, IA
8/28/2010
I'm not sure what all of the fuss is about, for breakfast anyway. I had a combination platter of their "signature" corned beef hash and "heavenly veggie" hash. The meal also came with two eggs and a thick-cut seven grain toast. The ingredients were quality and portions were huge, but the hash was bland and seasoned very little. I had to add salt, pepper and jalapeno Tabasco sauce to pump some life into this food. If this is their signature dish, it sure didn't make me want to try any of their others.
My wife had a meatlover toasted burrito. She said it was good but unexceptional, especially for its price of $10.50. It was not worth the 20 minute wait to be seated, the cramped quarters or $25 for a lackluster breakfast. -
Review from Erin H.
Medford, OR
Updated - 8/28/2010
I'm taking back a star!
I know it's weird to rate a place three times, but after eating here just as many times it seems necessary.
I'm not going to say the food is bad--It's not. I mean, not really. Sometimes things aren't as they should be and sometimes things need salt. Some of us have no taste buds and blah blah blah. The food isn't the real problem here, is it?
The WAIT is.
When you have to wait 30 minutes just to be seated (at 11am, no less), you expect greatness. Not so-soness.The flavors should be singing and dancing on your tongue and the waitresses should be frolicking and be more than happy to refill your drinks. Basically, the whole place should resemble a Disney musical number. But it doesn't.
Instead, for 30-60 minutes you're stuck in a cramped room with other hungry people. You have the awesome ability to see all the people inside eating their food, and that really doesn't help matters.You keep wondering, "Why is this taking so long???"
And then you spot them: The inconsiderate selfish people who are NOT eating. No, they are TALKING. They have been at the table, holding it up, for more than 30 minutes. They've been there since you arrived, and they didn't have plates in front of them then or at all since you've been there. Just how long has it been since they finished their meal????
So I can't help but wonder why WOM doesn't politely try to do something about this. When there are 15-20 people waiting for tables and you've got jackasses holding them up, shouldn't someone say something? I'm sure someone is going to tell me it's rude to ask customers to go, but isn't more rude to have 20 puppy dog faces staring at the table you're hogging and not even care? Talk at a coffee shop! This an eatery!!!
Sorry, I'm getting a little heated.
I would eat here more if it weren't for the wait. 30 minutes of waiting when I'm hungry makes me angry. And when I'm angry, how good does taste anyway? Exactly!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/8/2010
Today, WOM gets four delicious stars.
Normally I wouldn't even try to eat here because it's always… Read more »
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