The Bars of Salem

         

            As a cab driver, I’ve become an expert on the bar scene in Salem, because of dropping off and picking up people at each one for the past seven years.  When I get a call to a bar, I can tell you what my passenger will be like in temperament, ethnic group, the amount of the fare, size of the tip and the destination area, in most cases.  Every bar has video poker lottery machines and some even have Keno, as well as serve food, of some kind or another.  The following is a list of all the bars that exist in the Salem area at this time.

19^th Hole:  A hangout for people around 30-40 years old.

Stonefront Tavern:   a neighborhood bar that serves food.

Applebee’s South and East:  A Restaurant with a bar.

Chinn’s:  A Chinese restaurant with a lounge.

Sharkey’s:  Pool tables with a bar.

Los Arcos Lounge:  A Mexican restaurant with a bar.

Guadalajara Grill Lounge:  A Mexican restaurant with a bar.

Presley’s Playhouse:  A strip club that serves good food.

Half Penny (Sapphire, Crush, Oasis) A bar that has changed hands many times over the past 5 years, and is currently a nice bar for anybody.

Windjammers:  A local neighborhood bar, with Karaoke some nights, for everybody.

Hong Kong House:  A Chinese restaurant with a bar.

Bigfoot:  A sandwich place with a bar.

Liberty Spirit:  A bar for the 20-35 crowd that has good Karaoke and some pool tables.

South Liberty Bar and Grill:  This bar offers everything for the 20-50 crowd, including dancing, Karaoke and even a band on occasion.

The Underdog:  Neigborhood sports bar, for the 20-40 crowd.

Thompson’s Brew Pub:  Food with good made on site beer.

The Triangle:  Neighborhood bar, for the 20-40 year old crowd, with some pool tables and bands on the weekends, on occasion. 

The Can Can Lounge (Beamer’s):  Hangout for the 20-40 year old crowd with some pool tables.

Southside Speakeasy:  The gay bar, with DJ dancing on the weekends.

Jakes:  Neighborhood bar with pool tables.

Jammers:  Neighborhood bar with pool tables.

Top Dog:  Neighborhood sports bar, with pool tables.

Magoos:  sports bar with a couple of pool tables, downtown for the 20-50 year old crowd.

Cokie’s Landing:  Neighborhood bar, for the 20-60 year old crowd.

Pete’s Place:  Downtown bar, that serves food and is a neutral place to hang out.

Allesandro’s:  A restaurant with a bar.

Copper John’s:  The local gangbanger wanna be hangout and dance club.

DaVinci’s:  A classy restaurant with a bar.

Johnathan’s Oyster Bar:  A classy restaurant with a bar.

Bentley’s:  A classy bar, with a restaurant.

The Brick:  Food and booze for the 20-50 year old crowd.

Brownstown Lounge:  A variety of different functions, with a bar and food and revolving entertainment.

Venti’s:  A bar and restaurant with entertainment.

The Flipside:  A dance club for anybody from 21-50, but over the past 2 years it was also an underage dance club, and a gay dance club.

The Six (Moonbaker’s):  This was the hot spot gangbanger, 20-30 year old hangout to be cool until too much violence got it closed down, and everyone moved over to Copper John’s.

Westside Station:  Local bar, that features Karaoke during the week and bands on the weekend, along with a full bar, food and pool tables.

The Alibi:  Neighborhood hangout for the 20-40 year old crowd.

Fifty West:  Newly renovated, it features food, booze and pool tables for all ages.

Annette’s Westgate:  A restaurant with a bar.

The Ram:  One of the most neutral places to go to, for any age.   Serves good food and made on site micro brew beer.

Roxxy (Lefty’s):  Was a blues club, then a local hot spot, both of which served pizza and beer and offered some of the best entertainment in Salem, until they both went out of business.

Boones Treasury:  Serves food and sometimes has musicians playing.

Hard Candy:  The sleaziest strip club in town.

Front Street Inn:  A local neighborhood bar for anyone.

Nobles:  A local neighborhood bar, for the 30-70 year old crowd.

Johnnies:  A local neighborhood bar for the 20-40 year old crowd.

Duffy’s Hanger:  A neighborhood bar that has music on the weekends from local and regional acts, and is a bike hangout.

Salem Eagles:  A membership club with a full bar, that features a variety of entertainment.

Salem Elks:  A membership club with a full bar, that has different planned functions.

Applebee’s East:  A restaurant with a full bar.

Firebird Lanes:  A bowling alley with a bar.

Freeloader:  A neighborhood bar.

Silver Dollar:  A neighborhood bar with pool tables.

Pink Elephant:  A full bar with pool tables.

The Zen Den:  A small strip bar.

Chang’s:  Lounge in a restaurant.

Georgio’s:  Nice bar for 25-40 year old crowd.

El Patron:  Latino club and bar.

Miguel’s Sports Bar:  Latino sports bar.

El Palacio:  Latino dance club with bands.

Lucky Fortune:  Gangbanger wanna be hangout, and Chinese restaurant with a bar.

Players:  Betting bar for horse and dog races, along with Karaoke and a couple pool tables.

Stars:  The biggest strip bar in town.

Canton Gardens:  Local bar connected to a Chinese restaurant.
La Brisa:  Latino Night Club. 
Blue Willow:  Local bar connected to a Chinese restuarant.

Rocco’s:  Local bar, for 20-70 year old, with some pool tables.

Rack & Cue:  Pool tables with a bar.

Pine Street Pub:  Neighborhood bar.

Scoreboard:  Neighborhood bar that some bikers hang out at.

Riverfront:  Salem’s newest hot dance club, for the 20-30 year old crowd.

Chiam:  Chinese restaurant combined with a bar.

Joe’s Eatery:  Good food, booze and entertainment.

Town & Country Lanes:  Bowling with a bar.

Royal Pub:  Lounge connected to a Chinese restaurant.

D. J.’s:  Neighborhood bar for 20-50 year old crowd, with pool tables.

Ringo’s:  Neighborhood bar, with pool tables.

On The Rocks:  Hot spot for the 20-30 year old crowd.

Keizer Eagles:  A membership club with a full bar, that features a variety of entertainment.

Keizer Elks:  A membership club with a full bar, that has different planned functions

Good Times:  Neighborhood bar.

Mario’s:  Local neighborhood bar for the 20-40 year old crowd.

Porter’s Pub:  Neighborhood bar.

Firehouse:  Strip club on the Northern edge of Salem.

Hitchin’ Post:  Local bar for the 20-40 year old crowd.

Schroeders Guest House:  Restaurant with a lounge.

Point After:  Local neighborhood bar, for the 30-70 year old crowd.

Big Shots:  The place that I recommended to get in a fight, get a drug deal, hire a hit man or find a prostitute, before it was closed down.

Northgate Lanes:  Bowling Alley with a bar.

Von’s Tavern:  Karaoke in Spanish, as well as English.

The Guest House:  A neighborhood restaurant and bar.

Lone Oak:  The local neighborhood bar for the 30-100 year old crowd.

Silver Spur:  The closest thing to a country and western bar, for the 20-40 year old crowd.

Holland’s:  Trailer court resident and low income hot spot, to sing karaoke and hang out.

Cheetah’s:  Although it doesn’t serve alcohol, it has a juice bar and is a strip club for 18 year olds and up.

Silver Inn:  Trailer court resident and low income hot spot, to sing karaoke and hang out.

Hollywood Tavern:  Neighborhood bar for the 30-60 year old crowd.

Shooters:  Neighborhood bar for the 30-60 year old crowd.

Over a dozen Deli/Pubs have opened over the past couple of years, that all have video poker and other lottery games, like Dee Dee’s, Freddies, Kellie’s, Luigi’s, Monaghans, Sammies, U.S. Market and Deli and over a dozen other’s following the lead of Cooper’s Deli.