Taproot Lounge & Cafe — Restaurant in Salem

This used to be my favorite place for breakfast because they offer many vegan options, and the quality of the food was fantastic. Recently, I'm not sure if they changed cooks but the food and service has been steadily declining, and today I had one of the worst dining experiences EVER. When we ordered our food, I specified that my food was vegan because they tended to be really good about being careful with food preparation. From the time we ordered to the time we received our food, it had been over 35 minutes of waiting (we asked for the check and paid upon the arrival of our food because we did not want to sit around waiting when we wanted to leave). Our food left much to be desired considering how long the kitchen staff took to prepare it; our fruit was mushy, my sister received the runniest most undercooked scrambled eggs, my tofu scramble wasn't even scrambled or seasoned (it appeared that it was roughly cut in chunks, tossed around on the pan enough to warm it up, and simply sprinkled with a dash of pepper), and I found a piece of bacon in my food (I was mid-chew when I tasted the bacon and immediately spit it out to find the bacon on my plate). Thankfully I noticed the bacon before I ingested it because I would have gotten incredibly ill, but this completely took away my appetite. My sister and I wanted to let someone know what had happened or fill out a comment card, but no one came around to even ask us how we liked the food or if we needed anything. It felt like once we paid for our food, the servers treated us as if we had already left and didn't even look our way/make eye contact when we were clearly wanting to get their attention. This dining experience at Taproot was a huge disappointment, and we will no longer give our money to...

The food and drinks were delicious as always and our server was lovely, though we could tell they were very understaffed.

From when we first entered the restaurant, the host (Barb?) was very hostile and screamed “EXCUSE ME!” multiple times to get past us while we were speaking with the server about a table. We initially spoke with the only server working and she said she would get the host for us. The host came over and was very confrontational right off the bat, saying that she didn't want to hear any complaining about how long the food was gonna take since they were very busy with a couple large groups to which we responded "no problem" yet she continued to preemptively reprimand us for complaining. She then told us to move our own tables together outside and did not bring us any menus or take us to our table. She played all this off by saying she's "just being blunt."

Our server was great, though clearly very exhausted. There was also a very intoxicated man sitting outside as well playing loud music, singing and attempting to talk to us. He was also drinking his own beer. We spoke to the staff about this but they seemed to know him and not care and even brought him food, which would be fine if he hadn't been disruptive.

I've been coming to Taproot for many years and have never had a bad experience until last night. I hope this was just a stressful day for the staff and just a one time experience because I want to come back but not if I am going to be greeted by a finger waving in my face and a lecture about not...

I’ve been a fan of Taproot Lounge & Café since a close friend introduced me in 2019. Located in a charming 1860 historic building in downtown Salem, it’s always had great vibes and a solid focus on smoothies, fresh juices, and plant-forward plates. They have full breakfast menu as well.

Their Brussels sprouts dish has long been my favorite, I never skip it when I’m in town. So when I met up with a visiting friend yesterday, we headed there right away. Sadly, this visit fell short. The Brussels were bitter, under-seasoned, and oddly undercooked, totally unlike the dish I loved.

We also tried the Spicy Bowl, which felt underwhelming. The carrots and snap peas didn’t have the usual vibrant crunch, and the sauce was more of a whisper of spice than a real kick. It just didn’t hit the spot.

On the bright side, my smoothie was delicious as always, this place consistently nails those.

PARKING NOTICE: Important if you’re visiting after July 10, 2025.

Downtown Salem is ending nearly 50 years of free on-street parking. Starting July 10, 2025, you’ll have to pay for street parking in the Downtown Parking District. Parking garages will still be free, but permits will be needed for employees, students, and residents. More details look up the article on Statesman Journal about Parking Change.

Taproot is still a place I love and want to keep supporting, but I’m hoping this was just an off day for the kitchen. I’ll definitely return for the smoothies, but maybe I’ll ask if the Brussels are having a...