When I started this blog, I knew that it would lead me to places off the beaten path. Macleay Country Inn is as far off that path as you will get in Salem. Located about 10 miles east of downtown Salem on Macleay Rd this roadside inn has lots of country charm. According to their sign, they've been in business for 31 years and by the taste of the food they'll continue to have customers for a long time to come. The thick 12oz prime rib comes with a salad, potato and bread for $17.25 and is much more than I can eat in one sitting. With a mild horseradish and aujus, this is the best steak I've eaten in a few years. The potato is filled with sour cream and chives with butter oozing out the side. 
Dining is casual, and judging by the crowd gathering in the bar area, the night life is popular with locals. It seems odd, but they have a basic website. I had never even heard of it until a few days ago when I saw it online.We had a great dinner and the twilight drive back to town through Willamette farmland, capped off a beautiful summer day.
I haven't eaten here in a while.. but I have enjoyed lunch here a few times.. great food.. nice sized portions ..
ReplyDeleteMy only concern with a quaint country diner- is it filled with cigarette smoke??
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I eat there once a month or so. Great food and the non smoking side is actually pretty smoke free. The other side is ~cough~ ~cough~ not.
ReplyDeleteI like the Reuben (with Turkey, not corned beef) and the other sandwiches, she prefers the prime rib and fish. All good.
My only complaint, too few tables at peak times. You may have to wait 15-45 minutes.
Sorry folks! My husband and I have been here one time! That was one time too many! My husband ordered the prime rib dinner...no flavor! But then - that could be because he couldn't taste his food over the smell of cigarette smoke...ich! I had asked for the Spinach salad with the grilled chicken - they didn't have any spinach so they gave me white lettuce with 3 (or was it 4) huge deep fried greasy chicken pieces...nothing close to what I wanted. If you are trying to eat healthy and smart...than this is not the place to go!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the poster who mentioned the lack of healthy options. That is really the case. But I could deal with that if they were great at what they do offer.
ReplyDeleteI found it to be quite smoky even in the non-smoking side, for one thing. The menu mentions that they don't like to cook any meat well done. Well, they don't. They actually make you wait like an hour if anyone in your party orders their steak well done. Unfortunately, someone in our party did. I took us like 2 hours or better to have dinner in a smoke filled room. It was ok, but not worth the wait, the food was just "eh".
My husband and I happened to be driving by this place today so we stopped in for a bite to eat. I have to say that we wouldn't go out of our way to eat here again.
ReplyDeleteAs previous posters stated there is simply very few healthier options. I tried to order the grilled lemon herb trout but they were out so I got a french dip instead. My husband ordered the bacon wrapped steak.
The baked potato that came with my meal was definitely warmed up from the day before - I hope it wasn't any older than that! The gravy on my husbands mashed potates tasted like a packaged mix and we couldn't quite determine if the potatoes were real or instant. The side salad was a standard iceberg with a wisp of shredded carrot although they did include some fresh sliced red onions and broccoli. There was plenty of meat on the french dip. My husband did get his steak cooked the way he liked.
There weren't very many people at the restaurant but the smoke lingered in the dining area. I would not want to be here in the evening when the bar is full.
I think the prices were a bit steep for the quality of food. $9.95 for a French Dip and $15.95 for a small steak.
Can't agree or disagree. We made a serious mistake not ordering the prime rib. We had jalapeno poppers, of which the waitress couldn't tell us how they were prepared because they are a "new" item. We had a seafood plate that looked like it all came out of the frozen aisle at Costco. We had a Costco burger sided with the ickiest, thick with mayo, chopped (none of the pasta was an identifable shape) macaroni salad. Pay the extra $.75 and get french fries. Skip the all-white iceberg lettuce salad. For $40 (food, 2 non-alc beverages and tip) we paid way too much for what we got - a bummer for a busy mom & dad who don't get to go out much. Also sad that they didn't have the fireplace going on a November Saturday night and yes, there's a stale smoke smell as the bar and restaurant are only separated by a half-wall with posts.
ReplyDeleteI heard the MacLeay Country Inn is under new ownership. True?
ReplyDeleteChuck, Just called. They said it's a rumor.
ReplyDeleteThe Best Burgers in the world !! I now live in Salem, Oregon. We go to the Macleay Inn to eat every now & then. I always have one of their amazing hamburgers each time we go there. I have lived in Texas, Salt Lake City, Honolulu and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Macleay Inn does make a very good burger as is their claim. Indeed a very flavourful treat.
ReplyDelete