Union Barrel

I still stand by review, the quality of food and service has always been good and like it any place sometimes it can go up and down they really try hard to make it a good standing place which Salem needs. By no means do I think this place is overcharging you pay for what you want if you really like good whiskey high end and whiskey you’re going to pay for it. be simple and be smart order a beer or a simple drink and you’ll get a great deal if you really enjoy exotic whiskey and Scotch is then you’re going to pay there’s nothing wrong with that. I stand by these people because they’re very nice hey unique then you to the area

EXCELLENT selection, if not a bit over-​priced. I get why it’s expensive, but I can only afford it about once a year. The only reason why this isn’t 5-​stars is the pricing. If they were to make it more affordable, they’d get more repeat business. But, I guess they aren’t hurting for customers. So, if you’ve got cash to blow, and nowhere to go, head on down.
Also, try the Irish Red Breast 12-​yr. Seriously.

Best Moscow mules ever! And cheap drinks! Love this place! Great place and great atmosphere!

Tried to eat here once. It was soooo loud that it hurt my ears and I had to leave right away. My head felt like it had been assaulted before getting 3 yards into the place.
The previous incarnation of the space did not inflict pain so I do think this is intentional and could be changed.
If it’s open for lunch I MAY try. But won’t go out of my way. I’m not a masochist.

I’m just not a fan after multiple visits. The beer and food both taste off, and the service I had a few Friday nights back was lacking. With other quality bars in town, I don’t see myself going here again.

The beet salad was average. Kinda like if mickey d’s made it without all the poison.
Beers were great, on the recommendation of the bartender. A pilsner.
Friendly bar back gal.

My boyfriend and I went in last Saturday night. The beer was warm (both of ours). The food didn’t have flavor. We ordered the potato bacon chowder (neither one of us found any sign of bacon!) And rositto cheese balls. Nothing was hot and very bland. The service was friendly and quick. But that’s it.

We went on a Saturday evening… dinner time, and left amazed it only had a few other couples in the place. I say this, because the entire visit was really, really great. We had the poutine as an appetizer, which we LOVE ordering if it’s made correct (it was here, with a little twist of melted smoked gouda instead of cheese curds, which we were totally okay with). For the main meal, my wife ordered the Union Burger, which she really enjoyed, and the pickled veggies as her side, which I had a few bites of. She enjoyed the pickled side and was kind of a nice surprise to what we would assume was going to be the «typical fried bar food». I had the pulled pork sandwich, which came with a nicely buttered and toasted bun, and great, GREAT pulled pork.
A lot of places that serve pulled pork do so that it is basically pork with BBQ sauce, typically sweet. The awesomeness that we had at Union Barrel had a spicy kick that was a pleasant surprise. I had the fries, which were nice and crispy, lightly salt and peppered, and natural cut, which we prefer. My wife had a beer, I had the iced tea, both good.
The bar decoration and bar area in general felt clean and had a sort of modern Irish feel. They had another room on the right side where a band was going to play later that night. Maybe at night is when it gets busier.
Our waitress, who seemed like she could have been the manager, was pleasant, attentive, and actually ASKED us if we wanted more water, iced tea, etc. I wish more restaurants asked instead of just refilling automatically. I don’t like leaving an entire full glass of beverage at a restaurant when I leave. What a waste. Anyway, she was welcoming and we let her know we wish we lived closer so we could visit more often.
We came here on our way back north from visiting the Willamette Valley Vinyard and we’ll absolutely visit Union Barrel whenever we’re in the area.
Late night or wanting a nice dinner, this is the place to go. The food, quaint atmosphere, and service was all top notch. I really hope this place gets popular, they deserve it.

Wow. This place is heaven for anyone who loves a good local organic burger and a good drink. Hands down, even to the ketchup this place blows them all away.

Love this place. Great alcohol selection. Food is good as well. Could use some more happy hour options and food choices but if you like whisky, bourbon or scotch… This is your place.

Amazing. Drinks were incredible, ambiance was delightful, and the live music was so lovely. Can’t wait to go back!

I want to be stingy and tell y’all it ante all that but it’s so flipping amazing!!! Picked Vegies plate… mind blown!!! Meat and cheese plate… so tasty! Variety of spirits and brew… vast! I’ve never seen a table of adults fight over pickled green beans as much as we did! New décor very nice! Classy! Atmosphere definitely upscale compared to previous establishment! Rest of menu burger or sandwich with salad options! Hand cut fries! Pulled pork sliders are sweet and delicious!

Had the fish and chips and pulled pork, great food! Good atmosphere. Definitely more orientated for enjoying drinks.

I’m give it three star for the beer. The food, well… Okayish. The Pulled Pork good, sauce seemed sweet. The bun was oddly spongy. The fries were brunt. I asked our waiter if the fries came that way & he said yes. Really?! The Turkey Ruben was gross! The turkey tasted like wet dog. Ketchup ugh — really hippy. I love good food, but Salem eateries have been a challenge since moving here. Portland such a trek for good eats. I’d try it one more time and see if other menu items are better.

Bart L. is probably used to having his food ready before he can count his change and roll down his window. According to his reviews of union Barrell and Maven, he’s that «one customer» all restaurant employees are familiar with. He believes five minutes = an hour and he’s a top chef while going out to eat on a Saturday night.
At least this place is attempting something different and doing a good job bringing a selection to downtown Salem.
Thanks guys, you’re rocking it out so far.

Great place in Salem to grab drinks with friends. Broad selection of whiskey and other liquors. Unique beer list also. Haven’t tried their food. Will
make sure to next time I go

Seven of us stopped in for lunch after a difficult meeting. This place is new. It has a wonderful bar that covers one long wall. It is filled with a large selection of whiskey. We worked hard to avoid ordering what we all wanted, but since it was lunch on a work day, we were all good.
I ordered a BLT with cole slaw. The bacon was crunchy without being burnt. It was a good sandwich and not too big. The cole slaw was vinegar based; excellent. Happy to avoid the mayonnaise. I enjoyed my sandwich. In fact, i anticipate we ordered about 5 different dishes and I heard no complaints and lots of satisfying comments.
I would drop in here again. They have been open some 6 months, so i would not be surprised they have an off night or two as everything settles in. They are off to a great start. They have live music Friday nights; the types sounded very interesting and varied.
I hope to be back the next time I am in Salem. Try it out. i hope you enjoy it.

First thoughts when walking into this new restaurant/​whiskey bar — the space has a nice vibe going on and the whiskey selection is pretty eclectic.
I sat up at the bar and waited to be served… And when I say waited… I mean wayyyyyyyted… About 10 min… Finally the they took my drink order and my brother ordered some fries. Pretty sure the «owner» was the guy that took my order — he seemed annoyed and was kinda rude and very short with us… After I was finished with my beer the «owner» guy didn’t ask me if I wanted another drink… He didn’t even glance in our direction… He was more concerned with trying to look cool and chat up a storm with other people then to tend to his customers …
After what seemed like forever the other bartender (not the owner) finally came over and asked if we needed anything… and at this point my gf had arrived and was also being rudely ignored…
I will not be coming in to this place nor will I recommend it to anyone. Service was terrible. Bartenders were super mediocre — there are way better places in dt salem to dine/​spend your money at.

This place is amazing. My friend and I stopped in here about 3pm on a Saturday. We were able to talk with the owner and we were so delighted with how nice he was. We ordered 2 Old Fashioneds and bread with red sauce. The food and drink were great! We will be going back very soon! Go check it out and sit at the bar where the action is!

Great service, although we never caught our servers name.
I couldn’t get over the décor. It is refreshed” from previous owner, but looks really dated as in something straight outta 1993. I know what they were attempting to go for and they missed that mark. I spent more time redesigning the place in my head vs enjoying my cocktail… There were also too many wordy, small print menus at the tables as well. Just want a basic cocktail menu that is self explanatory, not several that leave you bored and indecisive after looking over it. (Its also way too dark to even read).
My group (8 of us) ordered a few different drinks from the menu and decided to only do one round. I gave mine to my husband, and a few others were left without finishing. Maybe it was an off-​night for the bartender.