Border Brewery and Barbecue Wood Fired Pizza — Restaurant in Salem

The brewery and barbeque is in a shared industrial park which is an odd place in my opinion. The signage is also poor so it takes a minute to acquaint yourself and find the entrance. I did not see any signs or smells of a smoker or woodpile, although it could be out of site behind the building.

The menu is on a chalk board which I completely walked past and did not associate with at first. There are no paper menus. I was expecting to find a pick 2 or 3 meat plate but no such option exists. The prices on the menu are much higher than at other barbeques in the surrounding areas. I ended up choosing the jerk chicken with two sides for $18.00. I was disappointed. I received street corn and coleslaw. They come in very small containers which to my eye are for sauces. The street corn is clearly microwaved to bring it up to temperature. It was overcooked and for the most part and flavorless. Beware, the coleslaw is just cabbage slaw, or raw chopped vegetables which was not to my liking. Regarding the chicken you get bones and dark meat as well. I didn’t expect that either. The portion size of the chicken was also very small. You will walk away hungry here. If you want a meat sampler expect to shell out $58.00 for at the most $25.00 worth of food.

Now, on to the beer. The beers are pouring in very small 10oz glasses for anything 7% or over. Most other places choose a 12oz glass for beers over 8%, by the way. A short pour will cost you $9 which quickly adds up. The beers are the attraction here. They are very good. 32oz cans to go start at $14/ea. and climb to $16 for anything over 7% and $20 for anything over 11%. There is no dedicated canning line which is understandable for a 1 barrel microbrewery. This is also considerably more expensive than competing microbreweries by about $3 to $4/can.

When the bill comes you will be hit with a hidden service charge of $3.44 which is not communicated to you beforehand. I tried to find notification of it on the menu and website to not avail. I was also charged M & R or tax in the amount of $7.44. I understand the meals and onsite beer consumption tax but not on to-go items. That is unacceptable.

Needless to say there are better places to spend your hard earned cash. If you are expecting a full-satisfying meal you will not find it here. You will also leave thirsty. Needless, to say I did not leave a tip after paying all the fees and taxes for items to go. Update: I spoke with the owner and I need to correct a few items from my review. The establishment is in a strip mall not an industrial park. So, I just want to be clear on that. As my first time here I needed to acquaint myself with the interior. The menu board is actually quite large so it should not have been missed. Also, the hot side items or any food for that matter is not microwaved which I incorrectly assumed. I stand by the rest of my review. The owner did offer to refund my food purchase which I am grateful for. Your mileage may vary but the main attraction here is the beer which...

I've been to many BBQ joints, but this one is exceptionally good, and much better than the average BBQ place (and I've been to many)! Unlike the other places that claim to smoke the meat (but truly just drench it in liquid smoke only to ruin it)- these guys actually really smoke the meat! I ordered the brisket sandwich and a side of street corn and immediately wanted to do my happy dance.

The brisket was flavorful and tender. They don't overdo it with the chili powder on the street corn - its the perfect blend of savory and spice that really balances out the sweetness of the corn. I would order it over and over. My aunt and my daughter ordered the pulled pork on the cornbread waffle with a side of smoked bacon mac. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the brisket, the pulled pork sandwich was so damn good that I wished I'd ordered that instead. I was reluctant to do so because I've had so many that tasted like they were marinated in a bottle of liquid smoke. We all agreed that there was some missing element to the Mac, but we liked it the none the less. The highlight for me was the pulled pork pizza that we sampled 🤌🏼 That really rocked my world! 🤤 I can't forget to mention their homemade chips- I promise you haven't had good homemade chips until you've tried these. We thought about asking whether we could buy some to take home🤣

Overall we were very much satisfied with the quality of the food, the portions, the price point and the service. Our server/bartender, Jason was awesome and he makes a mean Old Fashioned🥃. I highly recommend trying the Cleveland Underground bourbon whiskey finished with black cherry wood in your Old Fashioned- Thanks for the recommendations, Jason and a big S/O to the chef!

We'll see you again soon! 😊

Sorry folks, the food didn't survive the photo shoot but I highly recommend...

Okay so since moving to NH from TX, getting out for BBQ has provided a bit of apprehension. Starting up our trail of breweries thanks to the Reel Craft Pass we decided to kick things off with Border. I knew the moment I walked inside that these folks were on the right path with bbq because it smelled 'right'. A tour of the menu backed up that they were focusing on the correct items. Discussing brisket with them they even went as far as to ask about point or flat for preference. All evidence was aiming at stellar, so we ordered, drank and waited.

The food that was delivered was simply put, amazing. We order the sampler plate (brisket, pulled pork and pork ribs with bacon Mac n cheese along with street corn, adding to the mix the burnt ends). So many good things to say; brisket was tender enough to pull apart no knife needed, the pulled pork was moist and tasted of pork, the burnt ends were beautifully burnt and yet still tender, and the sauce was not overly sweet. My only criticism to the food was the ribs, a little past done and a cut of rib that I am not a fan of (more of a whole bone baby back rib fan), but the flavor was on point.

Oh, almost forgot, the beers! I had the amber which was perfect for drinking along side bbq, clean and slightly hoppy. We split a peanut butter stout as desert which was stellar, flavor for days and even with the high ABV it did not have a boozy overtone.

As TX transplants this place hit the mark for bbq! I am going to get out and try a few more places so I can compare them on my many return visits, I am looking forward to possibly being wrong, but I think Border will remain the champ. Thank you all for an amazing visit, looking forward to see...