Strega Restaurant & Lounge

here is a review that some employees had of the restaurant they work for. you decide for yourself if you really want to visit a restaurant that treat it’s emplyoees like this: judge for yourself. LINDA: you should of worked in a restaurant before you owned one! baaah you are a joke… time for you to move on to your next nighmare and outta salem!
Police responded to Strega restaurant on Lafayette Street at 2:27 a.m. after two employees reported to police the owner was withholding $ 50 in tips each. The owner was gone before police arrived. Police advised the employees on their rights.
wow, was the $ 100 bucks really worth it???

So, needless to say, have been back since my awful dining incident (but not for food — never ever again). I go for the fabulous drinks, which I still love, and it is the only place I like in Salem for dancing. And who wants to risk a road block on the bridge?

Been in there in the past and had a decent time. And our past visit proved us differently…
My friends and I tried to go in their (four 23 year old girls) and one was wearing cargo pants (the pregnant one) and they would not let her in. We were shocked. HAVE NOT GONE THERE SINCE… wouldn’t rush to go back.
Right near the Point of Salem.

1÷03÷11 It seems to be NEVER A DULL MOMENT with Linda the Owner! She’s a lunatic. She really needs to learn how to teach the customers with respect!!! So rude and yells at them & the staff. This is REALLY NOT A PLACE TO GO & ENJOY YOURSELF. Oh $ 25 min on the credit card — im sure thats a vilation of her credit card contract.
⁷⁄₂₀₁₀ Being NICE with 1 star!!! BUNCH of US went there ALL the time for a few ummer & stopped ’cause of the staff & owner SO UNPROFESSIONAL!!! Recently went with a bunch of friends NOTHING CHANGED —- to pay with a Credit Card $ 25 min., bartender (s) rude, floor sticky, dead on a friday night (not surprised/​left), way too loud… So much more but not a place for me !!!

I love the Unilocal reviews. the ones that are about the clientele, or the diner, and not about the venue. Hilarious. We all need to take oursleves a little less seriously, relax and enjoy.
OK. I love Strega. It’s gorgeous inside, very plush and lush and dark and yummy. The Friday night dance crowd is young (20s and 30s) but they’re all darling and fun to watch as they size each other up. And they’re happy to welcome a good natured older broad (yes, darlings, that’s me) to the dance floor. Crowded, noisy, fun, great for a Friday night.
Also, very fun earlier in the evening or during the week when it’s quiet, to sit at the bar or at a table and have something to eat and a lovely cocktail. I love the apps, they have this cheesy thing that is fantastic, olives and bread, calmari, etc etc. All just great. Justin mixes a lovely cocktail (others too, his isn the only name I know) and the food is great. I’ve never had a reservation, not a problem. Be sweet, and sweetness will find you.
Give it a whirl. it’s a sexy place.

I begin this review with the definition of Strega:
Strega |strg|
noun trademark
a kind of orange-​flavored Italian liqueur.
ORIGIN Italian, literally ‘witch.‘
Now.the second part of the definition, the Italian part «witch».is probably the most accurate description of the majority of the patrons I saw at Strega on Saturday night. Never in my life have I seen more women (ages 25 – 50)!!! I can’t even begin to describe it! For 3 single gals, this was a bit daunting…
Well, now that I got that out of my system, I can rave about the food. I know that a few people before me were less than impressed with the food, but what I had was absolutely delicious. Starting with a salad, I ordered the Arugula salad with lemon juice, olive oil, reggiano, and toasted pignole nuts (pine nuts). The salad hardly had any lemon juice on it, probably 2 shavings of cheese and a few burnt pine nuts, but it was refreshing and I’d rather have too little dressing on my salad than too much.
My friends and I also ordered the Artichoke and Spinach spread with crostini, which was really creamy and delicious. the crostini were different and went very well with the spread. Of course the sparkling Cava I had with it was yummy too!
For an entrée, I ordered the Grilled Atlantic Salmon with French lentils and asparagus. The salmon was cooked perfectly and wasn’t as fishy as salmon sometimes is. Of course I chose the lentils over the butternut squash or rice. because I don’t eat very much meat and the lentils are good for me. and they were fabulous, not overcooked or dry. I love asparagus, so I was pleasently surprised as to how tender they were. The food was not over or under salted, and was seasoned very well.
Our waiter was extremely attentive (and really cute!!!), he even suggested an alternative cocktail for my friend who doesn’t like vodka… He suggested a «Spanish Cosmo», which was VERY strong… I had one sip and so intensely exclaimed «HELLO, I’M DRUNK».a’la Samantha in Sex and the City (when she took a sip of the Staten Island iced tea. you know, in the Fire men contest episode.ok.ok I’ll stop).Anywho, he was very nice indeed, obliging us by taking our picture etc.
Our only complaint, other than the over-​abundancy of women, were the prices. it was a very large bill. but at least the food and ambience were very good!

Oh Strega… how I wanted to love you. I mean LOVE you. I saw your pretty interior with your inviting lounge-​y space, low tables, and a big wide bar and I really, really wanted you to be my new Favorite Place. Unfortunately that’s not the case.
We went on a Thursday night. We didn’t have reservations and when we said that, the waitress/​hostess/​food runner/​etc gave us a dirty look but sat us anyway. You’d think the place was hopping, but there were only people at two other tables and some cougars in the lounge area being obnoxious.
The service was on like super slow speed… it took seemingly forever between the time we ordered drinks and when they actually arrived at our table. The food took even longer. The menu isn’t that impressive and the food is overpriced. $ 17 for steak tips when most of the plate was full of fries? $ 19 for a 5 oz. steak with sides? Though I will say that their roasted potatoes were OUT OF THIS WORLD.
I had hoped to use this place for our rehearsal dinner, but I don’t think I can sit through another torturous dinner here again. Ever.

This place is horrible. I would never go there again. The staff are hateful, and make you feel bad about walking in the door. I’ve never seen a smile out of the owner, she hates Jews and gay people, and was rude to my girlfriend, who is black. She asked her where she was going *on her way to the restroom.
I feel bad for anyone who has to work there. Oh, yea, the food! good luck with paying 11.00 for a vodka tonic.
Oh, and be prepared for numerous spelling errors in the menu.
Dont go there…

We used to love Strega several years ago. Since they lost the amazing chef that was there several years ago, it has been a downward spiral. But we went occasionally until last month. It has been moving more and more down market. More pedestrian menu, lower prices, worse food. We will never go again.
On our final visit, we arrived at 8:45 and I asked when we got there what time the kitchen closed. The waiter told us that it would be open until 10. We sat at the bar area for a drink and ordered an app. Then the waiter came over and said that the kitchen was closed as he delivered our apps at 9:15. I asked for the manager to see if we could get them to take our order since we had ASKED.
The angry owner came over and started freaking out at us that she would go broke if she kept her kitchen open for people who didn’t make a reservation.
I think she hasn’t checked lately to see that they aren’t any longer the place you need a reservation to get a table. And she still wouldn’t let us order dinner. By this time it was 9:45 and getting too late for us to make the 10pm kitchen in most other places in town. She didn’t even offer to make our apps free or anything.
She was so rude. I hope that when she drives the place into the ground someone else will open a new bar there with a restaurant as good as Strega used to be.

I went here with my 2 cousins a few weeks back and was actually pretty surprised when i came on here to review & saw so many poor ones! We walked in (don’t know if the whole dress code thing is still an issue but all 3 of us had on jeans & it wasn’t a problem… maybe cuz it was only 8ish so still early?!) and we were immediately greeted by our waitress (i wish i could remember her name but cant for the life of me!) Anyway she was super sweet & helpful! We don’t see each other that often and so the first 5 min. or so of us sitting there we didn’t even look at the menu. She never made us feel like that was a problem. We finally put in our drink order and decided on some appetizers.
The drinks were good but definitely overpriced… especially for the size, they were super small! We got the fried Calamari & sweet potato fries for our appetizers & i could not be more obsessed with sweet potato anything if i tried so i was glad that they were crispy & not soggy like I’ve had at other places. I only wish i could say the same for the calamari. It was soggy & they also fried hot peppers in there with it which wasn’t listed on the menu & we had no idea about until my cousin ate one. Not really the type of surprise you want when you don’t like spicy food! I’m definitely a sweets person so i conned the girls into splitting the mini cannoli’s with me. Big mistake… I’m not sure if they’re trying to be different in how they make them or if we just got a bad batch, but they were about 95% whipped cream & about 5% ricotta. i didn’t even know they put whipped cream in cannoli’s!
It did stink that once 10pm rolled around they dropped a super cheesy disco ball down, started to play wicked annoying techno music & immediately filled up with bro dudes & chicks that dig bro dudes cuz they’re to dumb to know better. (definitely not my scene) We paid our bill but somehow managed to scream at each other over the music for another hour… Our waitress never bothered us or made us feel like we needed to leave just because our bill was paid (i’ve been to other places that asked us to get up & go to the bar so they could seat someone else at the table so i give props to our girl for being cool about that)
All & All it seems we really lucked out on our visit here. I didn’t see the owner all night so its no wonder why the staff was in such a pleasant mood & we had a good experience… it seems to me that she’ll be the downfall of this place!

I’ve gone to this bar a few times. Even on purpose. Every time it has been the same: loud, crowded, and full of Salem State chicks who think they are in the most happening night spot EVAR! ZOMG!
The most culture this place has ever seen was a one-​act recreation of Tennessee William’s «Street Car Named Desire.» It involved a large guido-​ish townie screaming at the top of his lungs for a beer. «STELLLLAAA! STELLLLAA!» I don’t think it was intentional, but the passion was there.
My friend who works in town (has his own business) say the owner is an absolute psycho. After reading other people’s reviews I guess he is not alone in the opinion.
So why three stars? Because once I was out with a bunch of friends from out of town. We staggered into the place and sat down at the bar an hour before they closed. There was no one in the place for some reason, so we all sat at the bar. The owner acted as if we were inconveniencing her with our business. Completely tanked and loud, I’m sure she wasn’t thrilled with us for good reason. The bartender, a pretty good-​looking cougar, came over and started to take our orders when out of nowhere one of our friends yells «Take your top off!» The bartender shrugged and pulled off her top revealing a leather bustier. The owner glared at her, made a disapproving cluck, and stormed off. Perhaps the reason I keep coming back is in case this happens again.

Went here Friday night with some friends. Never again.
Bad music, the bartenders are steroid freaks who wont serve anyone who isn’t platinum blonde & rocking a 32 DDD cup. Fuck this place. This marked the first time I’d ever NOT tipped someone.
Got a couple beers (no beers, chili) — after giving the bartender a $ 20, he gave me change and as i was about to leave him a few ones for a tip he screams «HEY!» and come back for more money (he undercharged me) normally that wouldn’t bother me — but he was so arrogant.
I saw the owner (crazy bitch) in the bathroom just before closing as she was plunging the toilets (which are ALL gross) she’s swearing & being all crazy. Hey… hire someone to do that, nutty mcnutterson woman.

If I could give Strega a Negative Star I would. I have been a resident of Salem for a few years and frequently went to Strega. Saturday was my last attempt.
1. The door guy who is rumored to be the owner Linda’s brother is completely out of line and disrespectful. If fact he is a bigot and blatantly discriminates against gay people.
2. Linda you are a business owner why do you act like a complete D-​bag to your customers? Remember we pay you for YOUR service not vice versa. Lay off the booze and do your job, here’s a novel idea be NICE!
3. Lack of staff makes it impossible to enjoy your time there; I wonder why no one wants to work at such a dysfunctional «hot spot»?
4. This place is a joke. I will never go back.

For me — the décor kills this place. It’s trying to hard to fit the stereotypical italian mobster feel. The movies constantly being played on the tvs on the back wall, the waitstaff with the «thick» faux accents, and a little mix of the pretentious vibe. I was kinda embarrassed to be italian when leaving here.
The food and wine was good. I went a while ago, so I don’t remember exactly what I ate. I went with a large party made up of mostly out of towners that loved the food. I remember that we had a reservation but had to wait a while for our table. It’s pretty small inside.
I wouldn’t write if off, but for the money — I think there are better places in the North End (like Artu). But maybe I need to give it another chance…

I used to come here a lot because I had two girlfriends who worked here. And every time I went in, I wished they worked somewhere cooler.
You can see what Strega is trying to do with the dim purple lighting, the Alice-​in-​Wonderland seating in the bar area, the ambient music, and the interesting martini menu. But the ingredients don’t add up and one always feels oddly exposed, sleepy, and ostracized when eating or drinking here.
The food is fine – nothing special, and the drinks are indeed tasty although not exactly innovative. But wherever you are sitting, you will feel wrong. The dining area is closed off and too dark, the bar tables are in a high traffic area (meaning you are always having to scoot your barstool), and the lounge area seats look cool but are so big and low that you will be 75 feet away from your closest companion, making conversation difficult.
As for the owner — I would just like to reiterate that she is absolutely horrible, as previously mentioned. She treats her employees like crap *and* she treats her customers like crap. I remember my friends liking that she wouldn’t give free meals to a$$holes clearly trying to scam. But then they noticed that she also wouldn’t comp people with a legitimate complaint. And then they noticed that she started to turn on them, with imaginary complaints and outrageous demands on their time and energy.
So I’ll give it an extra star for effort and good bartenders, but overall I really wouldn’t recommend it.

Wow, I’m a bit surprised at the reviews of Strega… It’s not the most AMAZING food I’ve ever had but I’ve still enjoyed it the three of four times I’ve been.
I totally agree, the atmosphere is funky and weird and the owner is know around town for being a wacko. But that is part of the fun. Other than that, the food is pretty tasty and the drinks are great! Try a martini or the gorrila rita (on the rocks). My favoirte dish is the Strega pizzetta? Pizzete? WTF, pizza! Piizza’s are half price on Tuesdays, which means you can splurge for an extra drink. Strega always has events and is involved in all the towns little fests and contests.

What a strange room. There are just two good seats in the house (for dinner) and those are the round, upholstered corner booths on either side of the so-​called dining room. If you’re not seated there you’ll find yourself dining in a sort of conspicuous purgatory between the bar area and the back banquette. We were leary, at first; our instinct upon walking in was to turn around and walk out again. We hung in there though, because it was early Sunday evening and we predicted a light showing for supper. Thankfully, we were right.
Following an awkward start because the staff was short-​handed, we received our drinks: Pellegrino and an Italian lemon drop martini. Nice enough. Then, we ordered. To start: Nonni’s meatballs and also the molten kasseri cheese crostini. The server mentioned that those were the two best items on the menu, and, for our money she was right. It was hard to imagine that either of those two dishes could have been improved at all. After having enjoyed each of those, further forays into the menu, we feared, would be folly. But, who could blame us? It was supposed to have gotten better from there, no? In any case, we followed those terrific little plates with the arugula salad with olive oil, parmesan, and pine nuts. It proved a tasty interlude before the arrival of our entrees.
Sadly, the chicken marsala and petite filet were just so-​so, each suffering from a lack of seasoning and temperature issues — a cold reduction beneath the filet and a bland, cool risotto accompanying the marsala. We finished them dutifully, but we each wished we’d gone with the marscapone vodka rigatoni. What were we thinking? Still, we were under the spell of the meatballs and crostini so we weren’t feeling terribly offended. To follow, the mini cheesecake was very nice, as were the Rutherford cabernet and Taylor 10 yr. port.
We will absolutely go back, but it will be on a Monday or Tuesday — a night we can request one of the great booths– and rather than playing it safe on the entrees, we’ll shoot for more specialties, possibly forgoing the entrees altogether for more of those perfect little plates.

Honestly the ONLY thing I like about Strega is the drinks, their martini’s are the best.
I had a bad experience with the Owner in September 2006. She wouldn’t give me the time of day when I was trying to book a reservation for 20+ people. Then when she realized that it was going to be open bar and she was going to make some $$$ on this all she became very attentive. And honestly I don’t think the food is that great.

I have never in my life been to a bar that I wanted to walk out of as soon as I got there. Bars have beer and I love beer so I’ll put up with pretty much anything but this pseudo trendy restaurant/​dance club/​pick-​up joint for folks who can’t make it in to Newbury St. is about as pretentious as they come.
Give me a paper bag and a tall boy. I’ll be out back in the alley.

Limited menu. Nice place on the inside– good for a first date. Agree with the previous poster. I was sitting at the bar, and ordered an apple martini, with no sour mix (I just don’t like it that way!), which was $ 10. As the bartender was making it in front of me, just the way that I asked for it, the owner came up to him and told him that he was making it wrong, and that he needed to start over. When I told her no, I ordered it that way, she told me that he could do it «this once» but they were not allowed to make specialty drinks.
Then, later in the night, it got very busy. Our waiter was still attentive. Obviously, there were a TON of people there, and he was the only person behind the bar. Everyone seemed happy. The owner was reprimanding him, telling him that he needed to be faster, and then she practically pushed him to the side and said «I’ll just do it myself, it will be faster» when he was making a drink! I felt so bad for the guy, I left him a 30% tip. The place itself has great décor, and a great atmospher, but I will most likely not go back due to the owner. She was just absolutely horrible to deal with.