Swingle Family Diner

I've been trying to check this place out for a long time and was thrilled when I finally had my chance. This place is in the charming little town of Salem and its right in the square. The building appears to be late 1800s and is subtle in looks. When I went in the place was packed. The entry door is right up against the cash register desk. Being new to the area I wasn't aware that its a seat yourself place and that place is anywhere you can get a seat. I ended up joining 2 gentlemen at their 4 top but took the end to stay out of their space. The place being packed it took a bit of time to get service but I didn't mind because it gave me a chance to watch the different foods come out. I got my coffee placed my order and waited some more. The interior is very old with rich history all over the place. Most definitely they are tried and true Razorback fans which is evident it the hand-made artwork on the walls. I love the old store front vibe this place puts. Anyway, being so cozy and packed its not hard to imagine being bumped into by staff or other diners. Its clear that this is a good way for the locals to great their neighbors which is pretty cool. I ordered an omelet that came with cheese sausage, bacon, ham & had them toss in some onion. It came with hashbrowns and your choice of either toast or biscuit & gravey. I chose toast. When it arrived it was plated nicely and looked plentiful. The omelet was done to perfection with no runny eggs. The flavor was amazing with the right amount of each ingredient to compliment each other rather than over power. As for the hashbrowns, they were crisp and golden brown on part but quite oily/greasy throughout. The toast was fine. Its toast! I had 1 hour from start to finish before I had to leave so when my alarm went off I had had a half cup of coffee, a few bites of omelet, several bites of hashbrowns and time to get a To-Go container. Then I stood by the door to pay. So I must say again that the place is quite cosy( realtor speak for small) very cute, not lots of seating with a very old-time community feel. The place is usually very busy so plan to visit right at opening and don't expect fast service. If you was fast there's a Sonic nearby. They close by 2 PM so plan accordingly because from past experience you're not getting a seat at 1:45!! The coffee was good, there's no creamer except on packets which is fine for me. The omelet was perfection! I wasn't crazy about the hashbrowns be greasy but ill put that in the fluke column for now. All of the plates of food I watched come out looked really good. It felt like granny was back there cooking up feasts for everybody. You don't need masks to enter and social distancing isn't happening do to the intimate setting. So if that's your gig then this isn't for you. Again my visit was more than an hour from walk in to leaving without finishing my meal. I definitely will be going again to try the lunch/dinner menu !! Bon Appétit!

We ate here 3 times while in the area. Breakfast and lunch. The food was good and the service depended on the server. We ate a variety of things & would recommend the BLT & the burgers.

Good food. Friendly people. Full menu during normal hours. Family owned and run. Should try the meatloaf.

Excellent food and service! The place has some small time charm to it but could have been cleaner. But overall I would easily eat here again!

I had lunch here today while in town on business. I visit a lot of restaurants because I travel for work. I try to eat in small family restaurants when I can to see how they are. Today I found myself in Salem at lunch and decided on the Swingle Family Diner. They did not disappoint me. The place is small with only 12 tables. The food is absolutely delicious. I had the hamburger steak because I was in a bit of a hurry. The mashed potatoes appeared to be real potatoes not instant and the patty was grilled perfectly... the thing that stood out the most to me... the brown gravy... it was very flavorful and thick. Not that runny stuff you get at a lot of other places. The wait staff did an excellent job with service and the place is kept very clean. I wish I could give them more stars. I know where I will eat the next time I am in town as well. Great job guys.

Swingles is closed. Health issues. So is Teeters. They should change signs to just say CLOSED (Teeters). The one star is not a negative, just to let folks know that Swingles is closed for business.

Being open! We were traveling through the area and found this restaurant on Yelp. Almost all the reviews were good but a couple said that just because it says they are open doesn't mean they are. We took a chance and added it to our stops. Arrived around noon. Lights were on but door was locked. While I stood there another person came. They were from Missouri. It was disappointing. Looks like a simple change in days or hours online would certainly help those of us not from the area that wish to dine in a local restaurant.

Found the best country fried steak at Swingle's. All their dishes are great you will not believe the amount of bacon in their BLT! Onions rings off the chart and salad so filled with good ingredients you have to dig for the greens. Laid back place with wonderful staff.

The service is attentive and prompt ambience is cute. Excellent taste and very tender. Best Rueben and bacon cheeseburger

I love their food WHEN they are open. I cant tell you how often i go over there during their posted work hours to find them closed. Its extremely frustrating because they are the only quality food in salem. This isnt just a recent thing. This has been how they operate for years. I hate wasting my time driving there just to find them closed all the time. Ive heard rumors that its typically issues with the cook. ive been told by the workers that the cool "hates doing to go orders and will intentionally do it after doing all the diner orders and not do them well on purpose. If this is so, they should either hire a new cook or hire a second cook. I absolutely love their food but the odd hours have actually got me almost to the point of never going there anymore. Which again sucks because they are the only food in town that is actually deliciou. If you catch them when they are open and dont want a togo order, they are great.