"1"^^ . "2012-01-11T00:00:00"^^ . "0"^^ . . . "Salem's is a great place for lunch or dinner. It is a cavernous space, easy to get to in the strip. Small off-street parking lot for those who drive. It's set up cafeteria style, with all of the selections on giant chalk boards hung from the ceiling.\n\nIt can be a little overwhelming at first, but the guys behind the counter are super friendly and helpful if you need any assistance or have questions.\n\nI usually go with my friend Nutbar, who is a hard-core carnivore, and he always gets a lamb dish, usually a gyro or shish kabobs. I get the falafel sandwich or the vegetarian curry. The portions are huge, the ingredients are fresh, and everything is perfectly seasoned and cooked. They always have a good selection of desserts, the baklava is good. The hummus and naan is delicious. The tabouleh is good, has a bit more parsley in it than I'm used to, but very fresh tasting.\n\nIt can sometimes be a little chaotic at the cash register, where people pick up to-go orders as well as people like me who are eating on site. But it's always a minor inconvenience. Everything is served in styrofoam containers, helpful because often I can't eat everything.\n\nAs other reviewers have mentioned, this is strictly a no-frills place in terms of decorating. Dropped ceilings, rows of simple tables and padded restaurant chairs, and a few Steelers memorabilia on the walls. But you don't come for the ambiance--you come for the food!\n\nThis is the middle eastern counterpart of Spice Island, which also has great food in a kind of basic ambiance environment. The prices, like Spice Island, are very reasonable.\n\nBe sure to stroll through the market after your meal--they have a great selection of middle eastern groceries and ready-to-eat food."^^ . "4"^^ . "2"^^ . .