The Red Line Cafe

A little pricy but really yummy croissant breakfast sandwiches!

No clue why the reviews here are so high. Probably because Salem doesn’t have much good food. I came with a group of 9 people and almost everyone ordered the savory crêpe sandwiches. I got the Smoked Salmon Crêpe (Goat cheese, onion, capers, sundried tomato and lemon-​basil vinaigrette). Smelt good but tasted so MEH. The crêpe and filling was so thin that I was still hungry after I finished. Not worth it for a $ 11 crêpe. WAHH???
My boyfriend ordered the Ham & Swiss Crêpe (Tomato, roasted peppers, dijon mustard and swiss cheese). You can imagine his/​my disappointment when we tried that tasteless piece of cardboard. Also, $ 9 for a ham and cheese?
I wasn’t impressed with the service either. Came during Halloween. I know… but the waitress taking my order decided that taking multiple pictures of her and her friends in their ‘cute’ costumes was of a higher priority than taking my order. WTF.
Nope and nope. Not again.

I ordered the turkey BGLT wrap. It was really good. Could have easily shared it with another person. Others in my party ordered the bbq chicken melt. They liked it but weren’t crazy about it. For a treat we ordered an apple cider donut, blueberry fritter and chocolate chip cookie. Blueberry fritter was the best of the three.

I adored this place for a quick lunch. The food is definitely fresh and also fast. The service was friendly and very accommodating. I had the turkey blt wrap which was yummy but my lunchmate got the d
Feta kalamata olive and hummus wrap which looked so amazing. We also tried the caprese panini. The bread is super thick and yummy. I found the prices very affordable. I would recommend if your in area for lunch.

$ 4.50 for a hot chocolate that was Swiss Miss and water. I know this because I saw the «barrister» open a drawer, reach a scoop into a large canister of Swiss Miss and use it to mix with hot water to make my weak, watery, tasteless drink. Barely acceptable for $ 2.50 perhaps. Unforgivable at $ 4.50. Will never be back. Ever.
Note to Maria V. from Red Line who «complimented» my review by reminding me that it’s October in Salem and that prices go up if you add whipped cream. That’s fine. However, her assertion that my Swiss Miss cocoa was made with streamed milk and not hot water is simply untrue. I WATCHED the barista dump a scoop of Swiss Miss into the cup, lift it to the hot water dispenser, and fill the cup with hot water. She then stirred it with a long spoon, put a little whipped cream on top, and handed it to me. It is what it is. Very overpriced Swiss Miss.

Let me make it plain…
These people are despicable. My wife and I stopped at this business for two simple reasons and had an unconscionable awful experience. Read my short story, look at my photos and decide for yourself.
Walking through Salem, my wife and I decided we needed a coffee break. Also, due to side effects from cancer surgery and chemotherapy, I needed to frantically use the bathroom.
Note: as a cancer survivor, I expect no special treatment but whenever I’ve needed to explain a sudden biological need based on the treatment to any other business owner, it was always met with immediate empathy or sympathy. And my gratitude.
NOT, however, AT THE RED LINE CAFE.
My wife was ordering coffee and I told the barista that I needed to use the men’s room immediately. She stated, that I must buy something before I would be allowed to. I tried to explain to her that my need was beyond urgent and the outcome of not would be humiliation for the business and myself. Besides, my wife was trying to buy coffee. She said, «Not good enough, no one uses the bathroom without a receipt.»
She simply didn’t care. She said that I must buy something so I could get a «bathroom code» on my receipt. My wife, again, was trying to buy coffee so I could do this but was being ignored. She said her owner didn’t allow anyone, for any reason to use the bathroom without a receipt. I raised my voice in front of the other patrons and asked her if she preferred that I relieve myself accidentally there in front of the register because by then my biological need, due to cancer treatment side effects, had become beyond imperative.
She stopped arguing and finally rang out my wife and handed her the receipt. My wife handed me the receipt and I dashed for the bathroom. The code on the receipt didn’t work. I yelled for assistance and a previously unavailable owner rushed to override the code because he was embarrassed in front of his customers because of his draconian policy.
I rushed into the bathroom, satisfied a biological imperative and then began to look around. The bathroom was filthy. A sign stated that no toilet paper was allowed in the toilet and a pile of overflowing toilet paper was next to the toilet overflowing a plastic bin.
No toilet paper in the toilet? No one can use the bathroom without a receipt? A cancer survivor is publicly embarrassed?
I’m not some weirdo or nut or worse, junkie (which was their excuse for their policy.) I am simply a cancer survivor. Is the owner implying that Salem has such a terrible heroin problem that people need to be pre-​screened for the bathroom? Perhaps the chamber of commerce should ask him.
EVERY WORD OF THIS STORY IS TRUE.
There are many fine coffee houses in Salem. Please pick one that treats their customers with basic human dignity. Cancer survivors: please boycott this place.
Please look closely at the photos associated with this post. They bizarrely, make my point for me.

I adore this place. The food is delicious, and they literally have the BEST iced chai latte I have ever had in my life. Their crepes are great, and I love their salads. However, the best part about Red Line is the owner. She is constantly in the best mood, and always has something sincere and nice to say about you when you walk in the door. Honestly, everyone needs to be more like the Red Line owner. I think the world would be a better place full of people like her.

First time visit and grabbed a bite alone. I got the Caprese ALT panini and hot Chai Tea to warm up on a cold rainy summer day. The waitstaff were super kind and helpful. Wish I lived closer, I really enjoyed it.

My experience at the Red Line Café was so positive that I feel compelled to write my first ever Unilocal review! During the busy lunch rush, and after it was recommended by a souvenir shop owner, I stopped in with my rather large party. With 4 adults and 7 children, we would be enough to fray the nerves of the most seasoned staff!
As she took our order, the woman at the register remained calm and patient as we figured out what the picky children would eat off of the extensive menu. Without missing a beat, and without us having to seek her assistance, she gave us a few options that were very basic and not on the menu that might satisfy those among us with pickier palettes (basic grilled cheese, basic turkey sandwich, etc.) She was with our rather high maintenance party as the line grew behind us and she made sure to talk us through options for each of the kids. At no point were we rushed or made to feel like we were high maintenance (though we were!) The high level of customer service at the Red Line was stunning, as it is all too rare.
Each item was delivered to our table with a smile by the kitchen staff who were extremely busy with lunch orders. I ordered the Farmer’s Crêpe which was divine. Not a child among our group complained about their very specific, non-​menu meal. The place was spotless and each person was working their tail off. Such a great place. We will be back… without the kids.

Ample menu with lots of healthy and tasty items. Friendly and fast service. The location is great to.

Lots of sandwiches and drinks to choose from. The food is very fresh and the workers were very kind. If you must use the bathroom, you have to wait for your receipt for the bathroom «code.» However, because the line was a bit long, one of the women behind the counter opened the bathroom door for me beforehand. Little did they know that the little things really do matter and add up to a much better experience for the customers. The prices are a little high for what it is, but at least the sandwiches come with a pickle & some chips. Not many choices under $ 10 as far as sandwiches. But it’s much better than a chain sandwich shop so probably worth those extra few bucks. Lots of seating and even a couple of tables outside. As a bonus, the lemonade is very refreshing & is a nice compliment to a yummy lunch.

Yummy food, nice people, good ambiance for lunch. Much better than the fare at the museum!

The blended iced coffee (frapachino type) was really good. The people are very nice and the café has lots of seating.
I didn’t really like my savory crêpe though. It had hardly any cheese and it was a bit dry. I’m guessing I ordered the one not so great item? It was a turkey, Brie and fig crêpe.

Stopped in for a coffee break. This place was very quaint and delightful. So clean also (unlike Starbucks).

During our pedestrian tour of Salem, we took Unilocal’s suggestion to go to the Red Line Café for a quick lunch. It had a nice casual atmosphere and eclectic New Age music. The buffalo chicken and bistro crepes were well-​stuffed, savory and delicious. The cabo chicken Caesar salad was generous. We really enjoyed the mango smoothies. Very fresh and fruitful. Kristen Chenowith’s doppelgänger at the counter was very cheery and helpful. While walking through Salem checking out the attractions, I would recommend this restaurant for a nice lunch.

Stopped in on a Friday for a late lunch (around 2:30 p) and it was rather quiet. Three tables outside so we opted to sit outdoors. You order at the counter and they happily bring your order out. My friend had the cabo chicken caesar salad (avocado, tortilla strips, black beans, corn, pesto) and a strawberry/​banana smoothie. I opted for the Popeye salad with grilled chicken (spinach, strawberries, cashews, goat cheese with balsamic dressing). My friend’s salad was very tasty, chicken very tender and dressing was great. Mine was rather bland. The chicken was dry and a bit overcooked. Appeared to be prepared in advance elsewhere, didn’t taste like it was just grilled or prepared. My greens were fresh, lots of cashews but I wished I had ordered the cabo. I had an plain iced coffee which was good. Servers were very friendly. The crepes and baked goods at the counter looked great. Maybe we’ll try that next time.

This review is for the coffee only. Ordered a cappuccino from here, with a great deal of excitement for finding what appeared to be a legitimate coffee shop in this city.
The foam was extremely subpar — I mean worse that typical Starbucks fare. The espresso was was not great either.
One star for the coffee, and an extra star for the service which was friendly and prompt.

Stopped in for a quick tea and a bite after a long bike ride. Only got the croissant to eat but they offered to warm it which was very pleasant. Great customer service, they filled our water bottle with ice and water. The cashier noticed my ‘see ID’ and when she saw I was out of state wished me a great stay.
It’s hard to find good customer service, I’d recommend for that alone. They have a large menu but we were not hungry enough to dive in.

Red Line is a great option for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. The food is fresh and high-​quality, location is great, and owners couldn’t be nicer people. (I’m a regular customer but have no relationship with the owners outside that context.) Also a good place to sit with a coffee and laptop/​book with the obvious exception of October.
Note: I just read the review from Jay. My best guess is that he’s writing about a different place. Anyone who thinks the staff is rude… wow. I’ve been there 50 – 100 times and have never experienced or even witnessed bad service. Nonetheless them being rude. (Check out my other reviews if you doubt my willingness to be critical.)

Wow I feel the need to counter Jay Bs review of this place. And I Unilocal a lot and live LOCAL to this place. I just sat down after the nicest friendliest convo with the owners! Asked how I’ve been and remembered my «precise» order (I do not like red onions!)
The food is very well priced and unique! Crepes that are stuffed full enough to be a hearty lunch? Yes please!!!
I am sitting on the patio now enjoying my food. I recommend the Red Line Café.