Salem Gardens

                Salem Gardens is one of those places that, when you walk in, you feel as though you could be traveling through time back to when people would gather at the local diner to do more than just eat. Those kinds of places allowed folks to get together and talk, catch up with old friends and meet new ones. There’s a reason Salem Gardens gives off this vibe, they’ve been doing just this since 1926.

                Located at 6396 Salem Rd, at the corner of Beacon, and on the web at http://salemgardens.org/, the place has a reputation for serving fresh, quality food in a family atmosphere. We’ve been going to Salem Garden for years, though more sporadically than some other area places. Still, it came up in the rotation of our list and while Josh wasn’t able to go, he had been there enough times to safely state his opinion.

The Burger

                In keeping with the stated premise of this blog, I ordered up an All-American which features a full half pound of ground beef that is ground up daily and delivered fresh. Likewise, the honey and egg bakery bun that it sits on is baked exclusively for the restaurant on a daily basis. The lettuce, tomato and pickle on the burger were equally as fresh. Being the All-American it naturally comes with American cheese but you can substitute Colby, Swiss or pepper jack if that’s more to your taste. I kept it traditional.

                Freshness is the key here. You can tell that the ingredients are all fresh. The beef is juicy and flavorful and doesn’t get overpowered by the garden or any condiments. That garden tasted pretty vine ripe. Considering that our tomato plants in our back yard have been turning out some very fresh fruit this summer and early fall, I from whence I speak.

                The meal comes with crinkle cut French fries and Cole slaw. It’s just a shame that the fries don’t live up to the burger. They are pretty standard and obviously come from the same food distributor that serves dozens of restaurants around the city. Not to say that they are bad, just no different than any of those other establishments. The same can be said for the slaw, which, though, I found rather tasty. Not homemade but good enough.

                On the whole Salem Gardens is a great place to come with friends or family. The ambiance is very fun and family friendly. While their burger isn’t my favorite from around the area but it is near the top and worth a trip to the east side to give it a try.