McMenamins Thompson Brewery and Public House

Visited here in early October ’16 on a Monday night. Old converted house turned into a restaurant. Tons of character and stories abound, Varied menu, plenty to choose from and a dozen or so McMenamin’s brews to chose from. The handful I had were true to style and tasty. The burger I had was top notch. For an east coast out of towner, this is an amazing place and one I would visit often if I lived in Salem.

A big rambling house with a small bar in it. Lots of seating, little nooks and crannies to hang out in. Outdoor seating. The beer was very interesting, quite good. Typical good and simple McMenamins food. Not super open but a nice place to eat and drink.

A small McMenamins in South Salem. Place is very small. Small bar, small inside seating area and small outside seating area. Typical McMenamins selection. Friendly service.

THis is a great McMinnamens. The atmosphere is amazing and the beers are very good. I suggest the Terminator stout. The food is pretty good, not great

Had lunch outside and a couple beers here. Looked quaint and nice from outside but was a bit old, dirty and run down. Service was alright, but the dude was just a kind of weird. Selection was meh, nothing that stood out and what we did get wasn’t that good. Food was ok, but a bit greasy and overpriced. Value wasn’t that good for the quality of food and beer that you got. Would not go back to this place.

(Visited 02/2010): One of apparently dozens of McMenamins in the Portland area, this location is in Salem on Liberty a little ways from I-5. There is a decent sized private lot. The place literally looks like a house both outside and in. Upon entering, the cozy bar is immediately to the right. There are several bar seats and a couple small tables in there. A large board displays what beers are on tap. I believe I saw a couple wines on tap as well. Other areas of the space are devoted to restaurant seating. We sat upstairs and it really felt like it was someone’s house except with tables everywhere, plus some posters and other decorations. Needless to say dining in a relatively small and quiet room with a couple other tables was kind of different. McMenamins beers on tap in Salem number 7, and 6 are available in a sampler for $6.95. They include the standard APA, IPA, Porter and Stout, and a couple more unique brews like a Strong Ale and Ginger Red. All of the beers were slightly above average, with the Pole-Ax Strong Ale being the one standout. Service was pretty good on our visit. Our server was prompt with everything and was able to speak to the beers they carried. Dinner on a weekend evening was good. We both enjoyed our sandwiches. Overall the beers really don’t stack up to most of the great Portland brewers, but if passing through or visiting Salem it is worth a stop.

Loved the look of this old house turned into a McMenamins brewery/pub. I had my daughter with me while the wife was out shopping and I sat for a pint while my daughter had water. We where met with a great server who astounded us with some great beer knowledge and we where off. I had a few pints and was regaled of our past vacation by my 4 year old. We loved the place and were glad to have stopped and checked it out. This is a good stop for any thirsty beer drinker.

Small brewpub located in what looked to have once been a small house. Had a very British pub feel to it. The bar was small and looked to be situated in the kitchen? They had 10 house beers the day I visited which were identical to the selection at the other McMenamins across town (Boon’s Treasury).

Nice little brewpub with many friendly locals. Probably the most attentive service I have had in a few years. Descent beers all around. Nothing lousy, but nothing extraordinary either.

We sat outside this summer and it was quite nice. Some of the beer I wanted to try was not there, overall, it was great though.