The Barking Bean Cafe

I really like this place, it’s quiet and the owner is friendly. I absolutely love the coffee and the food is pretty good too. I especially liked that it was open at 6 am when usually my only option is DD. However, the last couple months they haven’t been open that early. I’ve tried a range of times (6am to 8am) on different days with the same result — the place wasn’t open. I even drove by this morning at 7:30 and all the lights were out and no one was in the parking lot. ³⁄₅ stars: please don’t advertise that you open at 6am if you’re not going to show up til 8.

This place is great. Very friendly owner, delicious food, and really nice atmosphere (especially on weekends when there is live music).
Highly recommend.

I want this place to succeed because I prefer to support local businesses over big chains. I went today around 9 a.m. and the place was literally empty and nobody was at the counter, however the owner did come out right away to help me. The ambiance is fine, but I was expecting something more along the lines of Beantowne in Hampstead — laid-​back bohemian with some comfortable sofas and chairs. This place just had utilitarian tables and chairs and drab carpeting.
Anyway, the owner was friendly and she took my order. I got a Halzenut Coffee and a breakfast wrap with mushrooms, onions and swiss. The coffee was delicious, some of the best I’ve had around in terms of flavor, but was barely hot… more slighty warm, which meant it didn’t stay that way for long. Also, the breakfast wrap was tasty, but there were no mushrooms, swiss or onions. It was egg and cheese — still tasty — but not what I ordered.
There were baskets that were supposed to be filled with bagels, but they were all empty. That seemed a little strange to me for a Friday morning. I also noticed that the hours are limited and they are closed on Sunday. Again, I am surprised that a café would be closed on half of the weekend.
My sense is that this place needs to offer customers a stronger reason to come in (or return) instead of heading to a drive-​though DD. There is not enough that is distinctive about this place and that is a BAD thing for a small business with lots of competition. If you aren’t offering better coffee, better/​unique food, or a better atmosphere than DD, then people won’t bother coming. I think the place has to develop a stronger identity and do 2 – 3 things way better than the other coffee places around.
I will give this place another chance and hope that the experience will be even better. And I hope the owner will continue to develop her business so that it will be around for the long haul.

+: latte’s taste great: smooth with gd espresso taste… iced coffee is. strong/bold…based on flavor alone would give them 4−5stars BUT…
-: the lady behind the counter is only friendly to the regulars… the entrance is awkward, tables/​setup is really cheap looking, displays look ghetto… from the outside it looks nice but inside does not reflect this!!! one regular customer asked abt getting an espresso machine at home to and the lady amswered «you can get a $ 100 – 200 one at sears but mine costs $ 4000»…thought that was really tacky answer (no matter if ure a regular customer or not!)
bottom line: would we ever come here again? only if starbucks closes down!

Place is new, coffee is good, staff is friendly, and the café even has a record player! Having been said, I really wish it was open a bit later, as I’m usually working daytime, and the place closes at 3pm. Guess that there isn’t much market for a late night coffee house in Salem.

Just looking for a good cup of coffee early while my family counted sheep early in the morning. Anyway, cute place, house blend not so great. disturbed by the girl behind the counter blowing her nose and not washing her hands. Bagels on display were clearly frozen… well, not still frozen, but previously frozen.

Yummy coffee, delish bagels, and a friendly staff! What more could you ask for? I will be returning…

I found this coffee shop on my way out to breakfast one morning and decided to stop by and support a new local coffee shop – boy am I glad I did! I was nicely greeted by the friendly owner who told me a little bit about the place and recommended the cookie dough ice coffee. She did not seem to mind my picky coffee order of lots and lots of ice and just a little cream and made sure it was okay before charging me. I have been hooked ever since.
I have been going a couple times a week and everyone on the staff has a friendly attitude and tries to get to know the customer. I have also had the bagels which I also recommend. The place is also very cute and inviting – perfect to meet someone for coffee or get some work done.
All in all this is a great local place and I am happy to drive a little bit out of the way to support a local coffee shop that serves delicious cookie dough ice coffee with great service.

This café is fairly new, I think the owner mentioned opening this place this May.
My boyfriend and I have been on the hunt for a good coffee place, other than my overly crazed obsession for McDonald’s coffee (I mean, can you blame me? hehe). And when we drove by this place, he pulled into the parking lot and claimed everything in Salem, NH, MUST be great so this place MUST be great.
The outside of the place can be pretty easily missed as the store does little to pull customers in with their exterior décor/​advertisement. The décor inside feels somewhat off. Part of the café is tables, another part random merch, just seems a little over the place but I think they are trying and maybe will continue to improve.
I ordered a peach/​green tea smoothie and my boyfriend got regular iced coffee.
For an iced coffee enthusiast, my boyfriend wasn’t crazy about it. He said it was just OK, still preferring Starbucks.
I think the smoothie was weak. She said she added some whole fruit yogurt but it just tasted so bland and simple, very little flavor and I couldn’t pick up the notes of my green tea or peach. Plus, I was kind of surprised she uses regular yogurt as opposed to the nutritional and trend hype of greek yogurt and its creamy texture.
Overall, experience was OK, I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it. If you do go, I would not order smoothies. Enjoy!