f/stop Fitzgerald’s Public House

This is such a fun place. They have a fire out outside with lighting and music. Inside there are semi private rooms for quite conversation, games (that are provided), and an overall fun time. And they have a delicious ginger mead on tap.

The single best bar in Salem. No liquor, no lottery, no sports on tv. Just a bunch of great micros, a few wines, and a whole mess of friendly people.

Our favorite bar! We go here very often it is a very laid back atmosphere. We love the bartenders and the fact that we can come and try what is new on tap and hangout with our friends and catch up or play board games and just chill. There are three rooms in the back and in the front of the house they recently upgraded the seating, it is very nice. Outside they have a fire going perfect for chilly nights and seating available by the fire. They also have a picnic table outside. The taps rotate here which is really cool, and bring your growler with you so you can bring that cider/​beer home with you. Cheers!

Great if you are older. I came in with some friends of mine and got some good beer, but overheard the staff saying that my friends and I weren’t welcome because students never tip. We are not students but we got the message: don’t come here if you’re young or look that way. We felt like intruders here. Thanks but no thanks.

Love this place. They are very friendly and accepting of everyone here. Even most of the guests are super friendly and want to commingle with everyone. Their beer is awesome and they have something for everyone. I enjoy their staff and their unique set up. I know a lot of people think «nerd town» but it provides a place to get your geek on without it being super weird. I have been in a couple comic book stores and walked out because of the weirdness going on in those little (sometimes) smelly places. This place is not that at all. The atmosphere is more fluid and accepts all of their visitors.

I’ve heard this place described (with affection!) as a «hipster pub» but that is definitely an upside, not a drawback! It’s very laid-​back and comfortable, and the décor is intriguing, ranging from old cameras to action figures to movie memorabilia and more.
The frequent patrons are a friendly and diverse mix who will gladly share the fire outside or join you in a board game in one of the many rooms. Don’t be shy! There’s also a knitting group that meets there, if that’s up your alley.
They don’t serve any hard liquor but they have a great selection of beers, some wine, and even Kombucha. My only wish is that they’d keep more than one cider available instead of rotating a single flavor weekly. (Hint hint!) Try the nachos, they’re awesome!

Several rooms to hang out in. They have board games to play. The cider on tap is great. Cheap on ladies night! They let you bring your own food if you wanna order somewhere else to go. It’s a little bit dive-​y, but it’s unique and the bartender is super nice. Every time I’ve gone there is only one person working… Which makes sense with the amount of business/​customers.
They should work out a deal with a neighboring restaurant or something that allows them to put together a menu… But its delivered from the restaurant. That way they can make a small profit on food too (and so does the restaurant). Win win.

Great spot to meet with friends at. Somewhat limited seating but its in a house so that’s expected. Beer is legit and the games are plenty. We played Balderdash, Cards Against Humanity, and Battleship across 3 – 4 beers and had a great time. Will be going back to this cozy spot.

This is the number one place i’d take a friend from out of town to show them Salem’s not all bad. Geeky, low key, not too loud, good beer, decent prices, excellent staff. I love it. Plus one of the few non-​seedy places to stay out past midnight. A huge plus for me.

Great little place, with a great selection of beer!
No video poker, lottery, or sports TV to cheapen this place! This is my favorite spot in the North Salem/​Keizer area!

It’s like crashing someones house party. Good, comfortable place to drink some beers with your friends. I like it.

First visit. VERY groovy, comfortable place. Good beer selection, very pleasant service. Not sure about the food yet, but you gotta love a place that lets you order in pizza, Chinese, or lets you bring your own chow. Two thumbs WAY up!

Beer & cider selection is good and rotates so you can try something new every visit. Atmosphere is clean and unique. There is no separation or privacy to the seating so go prepared to socialize. Also, the environment is very small so keep groups under 6 – 8. What food they do offer is underwhelming so just stick to the drinks and you’ll have a nice time.
One complaint: This business doesn’t have a phone number or any way to contact management/​owners other than their public facebook page or an email off their website that I’ve never received a response from after several attempts. But I you’re just looking for a pint, this shouldn’t bother you. :)

I know plenty of people who absolutely love this place, however I am not as big of fan. They have a fantastic assortment of beers on tap and also some wonderfully nice bartenders, but its the «regular» patrons that make me feel unwelcome when I go. Its almost like you have intruded on their own party or something.

The most chillaxing place to drink. Anywhere. Great selection of rotating taps. Awesome patio area is perfect for summer evenings, or sit by the fire in the winter. Inside, the furniture is reminiscent of a college dorm room, which is awesome. But the best thing of all is the people. Not only is the staff super cool, but the clientele are all there for no other reason than to kick back and enjoy themselves. Don’t go there hoping to have a private conversation. Strangers will interject and converse with you, and in the end become friends. That’s the point.

This place is super hip and weird and I love it. Good beer selection and fun board games. It’s in an old house and at first you feel like you should knock before you walk in, but once you get over it, it is SUPER fun!

Love this place for a great selection of varied beers. It’s in a converted large house so you can get your beer and go find a room with a couch or board games all to yourself!
No food on site but sometimes they’ll have a brick oven pizza cart stop by, which makes great pizza by the way.

Started there on my 21^st. I wish I could remember more, but I do recall this place kicking ass. Super chill atmosphere, fantastic beer, good service. If you live in Salem, this is the most relaxing bar to throw back a few pints at.

This is an interesting place. I had wanted to stop here for a while, but never found myself in the right situation to go. With my brother in law in town and us both wanting to catch up and shoot the breeze over some brews, this sounded like a good spot.
As we arrived at a little after 8pm, there was a food truck parked in the street offering a few food choices. Not sure how often or how long they are in site nightly. I think I saw them pulling away near 930 or 10pm. f/​stop has an outdoor patio area complete with a firepit that was blazing. The area looked inviting, but appeared to cater to the smoking crew, something I don’t do.
The inside is laid out like a house, complete with individual rooms. To get to the bar area we had to walk through a few rooms and I even felt uncomfortable a few times, as I could have sworn one of the rooms was an office (it wasn’t but caught me off guard each time I walked past).
The beers on tap are local and rotating. However after trying the Gilgamesh Mamba for the first time, I wanted nothing else. So good. There appeared to be a tiny menu with food items (bagel pizza, fruit plate, bagged snack mix), but food is definitely not their speciality.
Given that it was a Friday night, we were not surprised that it was crowded. Word is that it is much less crowded earlier in the evenings (4 – 6 pm). We ended up finding a small table, but if you don’t like closequarters or possibly having your conversations heard by others, you may not appreciate this place. There were a few older (40+) patrons, but mostly consisted of the under 30 crowd. Around 11pm, a group of 8 became obnoxiously loud and yelling next to us. It was all in good fun amongst themselves, but their volume got CRAZY loud. I was very impressed to see the bartender go over to their table and scold them for yelling so loud. I was impressed with that.
Overall, f/​stop would be a place I would return in similar circumstances (to grab a brew after dinner and chat with friends).

I stopped by on a Friday evening a bit before 6 p.m. (so yes, it was dark outside). I had heard about this place from a couple friends, so I figured… why not?
I decided to sample a couple of the local beers. The «Apple Cider» from 2 Towns Ciderworks was enjoyable, with great color, not too strong. My personal favorite was the «Tangerine» from Lost Coast Brewing. The tangerine essence was evident in the aroma and the taste, very refreshing.
This was a rare alcoholic treat for me, and I recommend this place for the beers. The place is indeed small, and I felt a bit uncomfortable and claustrophobic at times. But that’s just me… others there were having a good time. And you can play various games (chess, Trivial Pursuit, etc.) while there! It’s a nice place to go with a couple of buddies.