Bars near Independence

“Was in a couple nights ago with my sister, we were just grabbing a few drinks, bartender was great and took the time to chat with us since it wasn’t busy, she really cared if we enjoyed our drinks and offered some good suggestions. The February specials drink menu is also fantastic by the way, I had a spin on an old fashioned and a festive spin on a bees knees, both were phenomenal. Thanks for the great experience.“

“Attended a gorgeous wedding at this venue. Everything was picture perfect, and the food was incredibly delicious. I definitely recommend this place if you're in the Willamette Valley and you're looking for a modest outdoor wedding venue...or golf.“

“Westside is without question the best taphouse in Salem. Great variety of beers, ciders, and wines that skew PNW local. Almost always something new and unique to try. Small selection of cans & bottles to go. Friendly staff & nice atmosphere. Year round outdoor seating as well.

Kid-friendliness: 21+“

“Everything about my first experience here was awesome, so let me start at the very beginning.

First, we found parking easily on the clean, well-lit street. Walked inside the building and was cheerfully greeted by the server, who immediately sat us at a table and gave us a few menus. She gave us enough time to get our behinds in the seats and asked us our drink order before she left our table. Just awesome.

The establishment was much like the street outside: clean, well-lit, vibrant but not chaotic, chic but not pretentious, organized without seeming clinical, and with a chill vibe that invited laughter and ease of conversation without being too hipster about it. Absolutely a lovely place for a bite and a beer with friends, or even a casual dinner out. Not too fancy as to make one feel self-conscious, but nowhere even approaching a "dive"y feel.

Then we looked at the menus. I expected standard pub fare, but was pleasantly surprised at not just the usual familiar fallback options of burgers and baskets: the variety in the options was wide enough to really feel like we weren't being cornered into the sane-ol'-same-ol', without being so overwhelming it feels ridiculous. (You've been there, right? You look at the menu and it's like eighty-two different burgers and you haven't even looked at the other items yet?) A dang near perfect balance between variety and familiarity.

We opted to try the fried cheesy pickles. Normally I don't, because the pickled usually get overcooked and kind of mushy and everything kinda drips out at the first bite. Not this place: the pickles were still very much pickles, not liquefied pickle mush, and the cheese was melted without being runny. The crispy exterior was flaky and light but still substantial, so it had a pleasant crunch without being a jawbreaker or falling apart in our fingers. Absolutely a 10/10, will order again.

The drinks were another hit. I'm not a huge beer person (I know, I know, "why did you go to a taproom if you don't like beer"), but holy smokes this place can make darn near anything! While I took my time with a lovely glass of rosé, my husband and friends sampled lemon drops, old fashioneds, and cosmos. Not a single drink was disappointing, being both generous in quantity and strength without compromising flavor. The only thing that would have knocked it completely out of the park would have been the availability of absinthe to turn an old fashioned into a sazarac, but so few places do that anyway it doesn't detract from the score in the least.

Then came the food. The portions were perfect, the flavors were excellent, and the whole order came out exactly as desired. (You'd think that would be standard, but lately our dining experiences elsewhere have not always been so reliable.) The salad was fresh and flavorful - I think they make their raspberry vinaigrette in house - and the burgers were big and juicy. Not a single complaint from any of us, and we finished every last bite on our plates. I didn't feel overfull, but I was entirely satiated.

As for the server? WONDERFUL person. Just absolutely fabulous. Genial and personable without being so chatty that she kept us from eating, 100% about her business without coming across as cold or brusque. Just a lovely server all around. I wish I could remember her name to give her a shout-out here! She never left us alone long enough for us to need anything, almost psychically knowing when we were almost done with a drink and then poofing out of the aether at the tableside to ask if we wanted anything. But she wasn't constantly hovering, either. And she never waited until the drinks were *empty* before asking, either: so there wasn't any lag time between finishing the one drink and the appearance of the second. Superb, 11/10, and if you're her boss reading this, please pay her more.

Empty glas“

“I love this place!! I put a bumper sticker on my 74 jeep I’m building for my grandson. Great place!!!“

“They have alcohol and the people are nice. It’s great.“

“Fun and great service! Good food and good menu! Great selection of drinks and beers 🍻 many beer selections of all types and brands! Great mixed drinks also lots of brands and choices!!!“

“The Phily Cheese Steak sandwich was delicious. So were the fries. Low key - we were there at lunch with our grandson - and it was easy to hear and to visit with each other. It's near our home, a bonus. It's not the dive that we remember from 20 years ago (we're slow to give bad experiences a second chance when there are so many options in town.) We'll go for lunch again and take some friends with us.“

“Daytime is very different than night,their food is no joke delicious,So Wednesday I went at night and it's a live jam along band then During the daytime it's a working people atmosphere,jukebox play anything and everything?.Ordered some of their Beer Battered fries,the price alone was deliciously cheap!!?.,On Thurs only at night they had 2 real djs playing classy 90's 80's classics country and REAL bass dance music, I don't go out much but this place worked out nice,Hope to come back soon!??

Parking: During the day great parking,At nights of special events,better go in early!! Parking lot Fills up fast.“

“I love this place with all my heart amazing service, great drinks, awesome bartenders especially Shawn, Nicky, and Jenna!!! Love those peeps!!! Everyone knows i love Don Julio I mean not him personally but his drinks smh not sure if that sounds better idk but I love Sammie’s i should work here jkjk !!! Naw I’m not serious ab that one but yeah come here and get faded and have a great time and meet nice people and if you see me say what’s up bruv!!!“

“Amazing experience the chicken strips were delicious and crispy, the burger was even better, definitely recommend getting the tots!
Lemon drop was great!
Atmosphere was so energetic and friendly, very welcoming! They have pool tables as well and a live band was playing.“

“My husband and I stopped in for an early dinner today. We were greeted at the door with friendly smiles. The restaurant is very clean. My husband had sweet and sour pork and i had the chicken and vegetables. We both had egg flower soup and pork fried rice. The food was great! The vegetables were fresh and crisp tender. The meats were juicy and cooked well. The service was wonderful. Parking is at the rear of the building. They offer pool tables and video lottery and there is a full bar. We will definitely return! Thank you for a nice meal.“

“do I recommend Tony's? dang right I do!“

“Good pizza good service and people“

“Staff was prompt and responsive. I ordered the Prime Rib Special. It came out remarkably fast. Medium rare as requested. Unfortunately the baked potato was over done and yet cool. The prime rib was lukewarm. The horseradish sauce was off- I can’t tell why but it had a peculiar flavor that should not have been there. Seasoning of the prime rib was on point and so was the zip sauce. I wasn’t feeling up to potential confrontation so when they asked how the food was I just said good. With prime rib it’s hard because if they warmed it then it might not have come back medium rare…also there was no steak knife but again I didn’t ask“

“So delish!!! We’ve been here 5 times and we always enjoy the experience! Feels special with artistic drinks and amazing food! The service attention you receive is spot on! They are doing it so right there!! Sincerely cannot say enough good things here! Next we’re going to try their weekend brunch! Can’t wait :)“

“I can't review my food yet but....the little bartender was great!! Happy and helping me apologized she didn't have a cook but she could cook me some fried foods..perfect!! I'm just here for a week but I will tell everyone about this great little place.. PS. Bartender is BRITTANY.“

“Food is amazing and so are the vibes you get froms this unique setting. Love it !!“

“We had a wonderful dinner at Hazel's in early August. We shared brushetta, crispy Brussels sprouts and cider. Our two main dishes were the pork tenderloin and the chicken piccata. Everything was beautifully presented and prepared perfectly. We topped it off with a shared blueberry mousse. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. I would recommend Hazel's to anyone in the area or anyone going down that direction. It's worth the drive from Portland!“

“Good pool tables! Megan is awesome, remembers our group and knows our orders! The cook makes some great food too!!!“

“Was open for in the evening for Turkey Day (2024), which was awesome! The bartender had an amazing attitude, and the cook was fantastic! We always have a great time here.

Wheelchair accessibility: Ground level and light easy doors to open“

“John is friendly and certainly the kind of bartender I have come to expect and certainly appreciate with the McMenamins brand. Very engaging and knew everyone’s name at the bar this afternoon and I won’t be surprised if he remembers mine in my next trip here.

Kudos and cheers to John and the entire McMenamins team!“