ACME Cafe - Travel Oregon

ACME Cafe was started by Jeff James and Cecilia Ritter James in 2013 and passed on to father and son team, Tom and Jesse Voegtle in March of 2020. Tom, a veteran, served in the United States Air Force for over 2 decades and has longed to get back into the food service industry. Jesse, a new father, has a background in restaurant management specializing in coffee roasting and has just moved back home to the northwest from Alexandria, VA. The restaurant focus on their versions of American regional classics with an emphasis on seasonal bounty.

Our Brunch GO TO spot in Salem

The Kids (adults) and I Love this , The convenient South Salem location has indoor and outdoor seating. We love the menu and often stick with the classics. The service team is very friendly ,the owner is a hoot and his kid runs the kitchen -a great Family owned spot. Get there early on weekends because its very popular. You wont be disappointed

Food is ok but dirty

We went here on a Sunday late morning. We were here a few years ago and it was ok. Food is still ok. Wife said her food was fine, good quality, but lacking flavor. My eggs Benedict was good food quality as well, but the hollandaise sauce was flavorless. On the plus side, the potatoes were crispy and good. The most disappointing thing was the restaurants cleanliness. The entire restaurant could use a good cleaning. The wall next to our booth had dried on food(it had been there awhile). Gentlemen refilled my wife’s coffee, and put the coffee spout submerged into the coffee in my wife partially drank cup. I watched him do this to numerous other people as well. Kinda gross and definitely not covid friendly. 1 of 4 kitchen staff wore their masks properly. Only 2 of probably 8 servers/hosts/runners wore masks properly. The lack of cleanliness and lack of Covid regard make this “no go” in the future.

A colleague and I had Friday

A colleague and I had Friday dinner here to beat the wait at another place downtown. The owner, Jesse, was helpful and pleasant as he told us we had a few minutes to wait until a table opened up. They seemed to be complying well with Covid rules and the inside was half full and the tent area outside was also kept half full. My Marionberry mule was fantastic - and a different option than the standard Moscow mule. Top notch! I had the angus burger, cooked medium, with a gluten free bun and avocado added and I have to say, it was one of the best, juiciest and messiest burgers I’ve had in years. Absolutely delicious. The fries were perfectly cooked and served with a mayo based sauce that was perfect for both fries and burger. This is a comfy, neighborhood place with a pleasant cafe vibe. I remember growing up it was the neighborhood Enco gas station and that history is kept alive with one of the original gas pumps greeting you in the lobby. The place was busy - lots of takeout as well as dine in, and the only reason I took away a star was that our waiter was inattentive. Twice we had to get up and get his attention as he was hanging out at the kitchen counter. He never once stopped back to see how we were doing. I am gluten and dairy intolerant, and there is plenty on the menu to choose from. But boy, those chicken and waffles are to die for! If only.... We will be back!

This Place Is OK

With virus restrictions in place, we strictly order take out from the places we "visit". Some foods travel better than others and I certainly adjust my expectations due to distance and weather. This café has changed ownership in the past year or two...not really sure when... So...the fish and chips need improvement. They were cooked too long and the fish to batter ratio was way off...too little fish...too much batter... The angus burger was dry and maybe if we had 'dined in' we could have gotten it cooked medium rare or on the underside of medium. Burgers cooked to medium well or well done are just dry. The Au Jus burger was pretty good; but just a heads up that if you order 'take out' that a visit to your home microwave would perk up the cheese...wake it up...make it happy... Chicken fried chicken and kids chicken strips were good. The gravy for the CFC was without taste. Maybe some chicken bouillon in the gravy would help the flavor. The breading is pretty thick so possibly a lighter batter would really perk up this dish...make it less heavy... We will try the café again...sometime later...and hope things improve.

Phenomenal lunch spot

This place has made it during Covid. Great service; great food and the locals are responding. I have never eaten here before. My husband stopped for lunch on the way through town. A great Reuben! Not too much dressing, which I think is good. The meat was smoked inhouse, was plentiful and tasty. I ordered the house salad for $1 more and received a spinach salad! Just don't get that many places; it was wonderful. My husband got the egg white veggie omelet which came with in-house homemade sourdough bread! He loved it. All employees wore masks. They have added a partition above the backs of the booths, so there is separation. The music was 70s; it was a hubbub of activity (although safe activity). The owner was bussing tables. I will surely go back.