The Half Penny Public House — Restaurant in Salem

From the moment I walked into the Half Penny, I knew I was in for something special. The cozy, welcoming atmosphere quickly turned into a full-blown culinary experience that I won’t soon forget. Let’s talk about the ribs first because, wow, these are unlike any ribs I’ve had in ages! They’re smoked to perfection, tender enough to fall off the bone, and seasoned so well that each bite practically melts in your mouth. Whoever’s in the kitchen knows their stuff, and they’ve perfected the art of creating ribs that hit every note—smoky, savory, with just the right hint of sweetness. Absolute rib heaven.

Of course, ribs need the right drink pairing, and Half Penny absolutely delivers. The bar is stocked with a fantastic array of craft cocktails and local brews that match the vibe perfectly. I ordered a bourbon cocktail, and it was spot-on—smooth, perfectly mixed, with just the right bite to balance the richness of the food. The drinks here are seriously top-notch; I’d come back just to try more of them.

Now, let’s get real about the service. Not only are the servers knowledgeable, but they have this effortless charm that just elevates the whole experience. Our server knew every dish and drink inside out, suggesting the perfect combinations for a first-timer like me. I may or may not have spent a few moments admiring the view of our server’s impressive… backside every time they walked by. Yes, the Half Penny knows how to serve up fantastic food and give us all a little something extra to appreciate. Let’s just say the restaurant’s ambiance is delicious in more ways than one.

I’ll be back at the Half Penny soon, no question. If you’re looking for unforgettable ribs, drinks that pack a punch, and service with a little sizzle, this...

The Owner on St Patrick's day kept coming to our table asking us when we were leaving. We did not appreciate her attempts to get us to vacate our table. Many other customers had been at their tables far longer than we had. She needs to move on so the Half Penny can once again be what is was when Monty owned it. After I wrote this review the owner came back to our table and said she thought my 1 star review was unfair. I told her my husband and I were trying to have a pleasant evening could she please leave us alone. She said no and continued her rant. I finally had to get up and go to the bar to get away from her. For a third time the owner came to.our table to harass us. Let me say we were spending money not just sitting at the table. We bought dinner, drinks and dessert. However the owner kept trying to intimidate us. She accussed us of loitering even though we were spending money. Her general manager was notified of the situation and told the owner to leave us alone. The owner of the Half Penny is becoming the new owner of the restaurant at the Santiam Golf Course. Do not support this women, her own staff at the Half Penny can't wait for her to leave April 1st so they can welcome the new owner who also owns the Honky Tonk in Salem The staff comments: " The new owner will be very similar to what Monty was like and we are very excited about that"! FYI we were sitting at a high top, 4 chairs two of which were being used at other tables by...

Normally good service. Tonight waitress was rude and condescending. Took about 10 mins to receive menus and acknowledgement. Things got a little better once drinks and food were ordered. Then, we closed tab stepped out to smoke, upon our return more ribs were delivered and sitting at our table. We had a friend join our dinner party later on, who had not received his order yet.. we waited and thought maybe since we had a larger party and a rough start they were bringing us "courtesy ribs". We offered the ribs to our friend who had not yet eaten, he accepted. Moments before he began to eat the waitress came and took the food stating these weren not for you guys, and proceeds to take them to the "correct" table. Not only was this extremely embarrassing, but also against some kind of food handlers law I'm sure, since the food was sitting on our table for some time. Once the other table rightfully refused the food since they witnessed it sitting on our table, she storms back over stating "I guess you guys can have it since the other table doesn't want it since you guys touched it, just want to let you know I'm paying for these!". Completely disrespectful, unprofessional, and poor representation of this establishment. Our friend ended up added a large tip amount to compensate for "what she paid" for the ribs delivered to our table. Do...