Sybil’s Omelettes

The good people of Salem seem to like this place judging from the packed parking lot & cars parked on the street 2 blocks away. We choose local over chain restaurant any day so we took the unexpected crowd (at 10am on a week day as a good omen). I also assumed with Omelettes as part of the name– and a hundred varieties on the menu-​they would make a darn good one. I was wrong.
I ordered the daily special omelette $ 8.70 2 eggs with sausage, green pepper, onions & cheese. It was over done, under seasoned, and the small amount cheese was still in unmelted grated form. The big biscuit was bland, dry as dust, and the hash browns ordered extra crispy– had the texture of smooth mashed potatoes In the center. Not cool.
The hungry Panda ordered the Hobo scramble $ 10.25 –nicely cook eggs and melty cheddar but lacking in hobos (meaty goodness). Small cup of gravy for another overly dry biscuit.
This should have been Mom & Pop diner food at its best… sad to say the only bright spot here was the lovely staff.

This place definitely has the Grandma’s house kind of vibe: red checkered curtains, Knick knacks on the shelves, plants hanging from the pillars. It’s quite a large dining room but the noise level wasn’t overwhelming. We were quickly sat by the one hostess that didn’t ask if we wanted a booth or a table which left me realizing that I’m a booth person so ugh! We were sat at a half table, half booth monstrosity and given menus. Our drinks were brought out almost immediately.
There’s tons to choose from on the menu, like holy crap! Over one hundred Omelettes, lunch, and then some. We had a lot of questions as we’re both gluten free and the other can’t have pork. They have gluten free bread which was surprising because it seems like no one does in this town. We had some trouble getting answers regarding if they had chicken sausage but they have plenty of non pork products to choose from, just look at the menu, duh!
The wait time was short. The Portion sizes were pretty large so you certainly get what you pay for. The Hash browns were barely crispy on the outside, very mushy on the inside. I tried to make them work with the ketchup but the tomato magic wore off after the fourth bite. The omelette looked dry but was actually pretty decent however it didn’t blow me away. It was really firm, almost over cooked. Very minimal seasoning. I was expecting something special from a restaurant that specializes in Omelettes. I could have made this at home so take my advice: choose an omelette that’s not readily available to create at home; something creative, not basic. Like crab or Chicken Fried Steak. I almost got a Hawaiian omelette which has ham, pineapple, and jack cheese but I went with something more familiar: sausage, mushroom, and cheddar. The gluten free bread was ok for gluten free but very tiny, a common trait of this delicacy.
The service was ok I guess. We saw a few customers having to get up and ask for things, which isn’t a good sign. The interaction with our server, Janell, was not rude but not friendly. We could tell she was not in the mood to «waste time» with customers. Maybe she was having a bad day, maybe she was super busy being the only server for such a large dining room, we just wish she would have had a friendlier touch. I would give the service a 5 out of 10. I really enjoy when the server checks in frequently before and during the meal and she did not. We had a lot of questions about the menu (still don’t know what’s in the Hobo Scramble) and I probably would have sent my hash browns back because they were quite terrible but she never came back to the table until the end when she arrived with the check. Also, you shouldn’t have to keep searching for a refill on your coffee! I was dining with my Mother who’s name is Corinne and every time an order was ready in the window, the chef would call out «order in»… which sounds too much like her name. She looked every time lol
In conclusion, I had high expectations of this place which unfortunately they didn’t meet. We wish the server had smiled more. The food was mediocre at best. I could have saved $ 25 and made the same Omelettes at home. I’m glad I was finally able to try this place after driving by so many times. Not a bad place to eat but it wouldn’t be my first choice. Or my second. Or third.

I’m sorry to say I can’t recommend the food here. Perhaps if I had ordered an omelette, I’d have better things to report, but the corned beef hash is straight out of a can. It looks and tastes just like dog food. Also, they make the biggest, driest biscuits I have ever had. They taste like someone left out the shortening and substituted talcum powder for baking powder. Finally, the coffee is truly awful: all the acid and none of the flavor.

Just yuck. I have lived in this neighborhood for 8 years and have been here 4 times. This will be my last.
Cold coffee. Yuck.
Last time I ordered over easy eggs, they were snot runny. This time I ordered over med and they were over well, cold and burned hash browns, bacon pre cooked. I hate precooked bacon. Especially good bacon like this appears to be.
It’s probably because I have waited and cooked in many restaurants/​cafes just like this and know WHY my food is so lame.
He cooked the hash Browns ahead, set them aside. Egg as overdone, «oh well», put that on a cold plate with those dried out warm hash browns, serve with warming oven over cooked bacon. Gross.
I have ate many a breakfast like this during my working day, too busy to care, needing fuel, but those days are behind me and Word Of Mouth is down the street.
I would have informed the waitress but she didn’t bother to ask me how my food was at any time, so I decided to write a rare bad review.
They also «marry» together their condiments, the sriracha sauce is dark and rotting, Tabasco sauce looks watered down and she is carrying the cream bowl on the top of the coffee pot adding whatever was on the bottom of the bowl to be added to the coffee. Those cream bowls are drug from table to table to counter, might as well put a dirty rag over the coffee pot.
Off to find some good, hot coffee and wait for lunch!

Great greasy spoon diner in the middle of Salem. The décor of the restaurant will remind you of a country kitchen with chicken antiques accessorizing the dinning room. The portions are very generous and entrees could easily be split by two individuals. The menu has page dedicated to different omelette, naturally I chose a bacon and cheese but some selection could include pineapple or seafood. The omelette came with crispy hash browns and a large biscuit. The omelette was fantastic, cheesy and loaded with hunks of bacon. The hash browns were crispy and the biscuit although baked well lacked flavor. Overall I felt everything needed a little salt. Lastly our waitress wasn’t very good. We asked what was In the breakfast burrito and she replied ‘taco meat’ as a San Diegian I chuckled, taco meat could be carne asada, carnitas, or a fried fish. Also we had to ask other staff members to grab our waitress for our tab and to make a to go order nor did she ever check in our table for a half full restaurant.

The food was probably some of the best food I have had. What I liked about it was the combination in the omelet. The chicken, cheese and broccoli was good to look at in the omelet which was cased so neat and pretty like a seashell. Not only was imagining eating it a delight, but eating it was the better delight. It was so good.

Underwhelming. Could eat at Denny’s and get better coffee. It was packed so my husband I figured it would be awesome but I think that’s only because the place down the street had an hour and 45 minute wait (and we tried there first). Nothing is phenomenal or worth mentioning.
*Caveat: Husband thought the bacon was good — «It was thick and not greasy.»

Been a Salem landmark for some time. The interior reflects this! I reluctantly go here with a group from time to time, nothing changes. Some establishments have very few item selections, others too many. This is the ladder with too many options, some just sound down right nasty «I.e. chicken livers in an omelette» wtf? Their drop style Bisquick biscuts are always cold and very dry. I’ll skip to the chase here, everything on your plate has the same taste! As weird as it sounds. The only real good point I can put out there is that the Waitstaff are very attentive and friendly.
In a nutshell, I have been here countless times and can’t bring myself to like it. Will not go here unless I absolutely have to!

Pretty good breakfast… Been meaning to stop here for years… So many choices, just for Omelettes! the waiting time was Close to an Hour

Amazing! These plates are very big! Service was great, friendly, and fast! Definitely my favorite!

Absolutely loved this place! The Signature Omelette was seriously one of the best omelette’s I’ve ever had, with a glorious hollandaise sauce. The muffins were so good! I got the peaches and brown sugar muffin and a side of kiwi.
The service and atmosphere was so welcoming and the food came out quickly! Combine that with super delicoius food, and this has become one of my new Salem favorites.

Stopped here on a whim heading north and totally worth the drive off the freeway. The cream cheese scrambled eggs were decadent. The pancakes were thick and fluffy. Perfect buttermilk taste. Service was on spot, everyone working together, even though they were busy. This looks like our new brunch stop on our way through for now on.

I had a very good Sausage, Onion, Gr. Pepper and Cheddar Omelet #35 with Hash Browns and a huge homemade Bran Muffin. The hash browns were cooked to perfection. The Bran muffin was so soft on the inside with a slight crispness to the top underedge. Above and beyond Heavenly. The Omelet, I asked that the veggies be cooked until dead. I wanted no life in them what so ever. Instead, they came crispy. I hate, yes I used the bad word, raw veggies in my omletes. They immediately cooked me another. This one, veggies done and tasted good but I have no idea how they cooked them. They looked crispy, not a grill mark on them. But like I said, it tasted very good.
They even took half the price off and I got an apology from everyone who walked by. Everyone else in my group, 3 adults 2 children, loved their food.
Even with the veggie mishap, I will be back. It was that good and everyone was great.

I go here quite a bit to meet with our friends on Saturday mornings call the ugly mugs. service is very good. I agree with other people the biscuits and gravy not so good, and I don’t know how they can mess this up when everything else they do is really nice. maybe they should be making the country gravy from scratch and not from a trio package with no sausage added to it. this place can get quite busy on
Saturdays and Sundays so take notice.

A wretched Lynchian throwback to the very worst of the 1980’s. Coffee tasting of Reaganomics and despair, and overcooked uninspired food more oily than a used car salesman’s handshake.
I don’t know what was worse– the dusty trailer park décor, or the dead eyed, neurotic waitresses who shuffled about like extras from the walking dead, with half the personality, but all of the charm.
Looking around at the customer base, it is apparent that ¾ of them have one foot in the grave, much like the establishment. Some would call it quaint, I would call it an abysmal purgatory where the eggs and coffee always arrive burnt.
A fresh coat of paint, a purging of the irritable and shuffling zombie-​like staff, and a healthy dose of quality control would go a long way.
Never has nostalgia tasted so bad.
Like the cinematic namesake, this place has multiple personalities, most of them bad.
I’ll stick with word of mouth.

Ordered 3 orders of biscuits and gravy to go. Yuck! Received 3 orders of stale, rock-​hard scones with the absolute most disgusting bacon gravy that tasted like it was scraped from a vat of grease. All 3 went straight in the trash after one bite, literally.

We always enjoy breakfast at Sybil’s. Their omelettes and hashbrowns are excellent, and they serve homemade biscuits. For about a year they have offered a choice of dark roast or medium roast coffee.

«Classic Salem» could not be more evident in a place like Sybil’s Omelettes. They’ve been around for the better part of 30+ years, in an area of the city where time has stood still and nostalgia recaptured. Antiquated with lots of charm, their breakfast shines in consistency and deliciousness.
As if it weren’t obvious enough, omelettes are their specialty. So much so that there are two full pages in the menu dedicated to it. There are easily over 100 combos that range from meaty to veggie to seafood to downright random. The omelettes are hearty and never too well done (thank goodness!).
Stick with a classic cheese omelette like the Swiss, Jack & Cheddar ($ 8) or go HAM (#1) with some Ham, Pineapple, Peppers, and Cheddar ($ 9.50). Their Signature Omelette ($ 9) is popular, caked with spinach, zucchini, cheddar, and hollandaise sauce which is more intense than it sounds. IMHO, one hasn’t lived till they have a Smoked Oyster, Spinach, and Cheddar omelette ($ 9.75). Adventurous palates should aim for the Chicken Livers, Bacon, and Cheddar ($ 8.75). It’s totally worth it.
Though omelettes dominate the menu, there are plenty of non-​omelette items. Their lunch hour features a decent array of burger, sandwich, and salad options. The Turkey Almond Salad ($ 8) seems to be a standout and their Patty Melt ($ 8) is surprisingly tasty. Though I can’t seem to appreciate the French Dip ($ 8) as much as the Bacon Cheeseburger ($ 9), the Grilled Turkey, Bacon and Swiss ($ 8) might just steal the show.
Still feening for breakfast? The Breakfast Burrito ($ 9) is a stellar hearty option and the «diced» scrambled eggs ($ 8 – 9) are a fabulous addition. Nothing gets me more excited than the Hobo Breakfast ($ 10.25), which is like a farmer’s plate of eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, and some of the crispiest hash browns one could enjoy.
The staff is in short, fantastic. They’ve likened themselves to a Cheers (the show) mentality, where they dedicate some time to really provide quality, personable service. I hadn’t been in years and I still got recognized from my last visit. There is plenty of parking and they close daily at 2pm.
If you’re coming through Salem for any reason, Sybil’s is a local hot spot that can’t be missed. Cheers to another 30 years and more for one of the most celebrated establishments in Salem!
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(#1) Urban Dictionary it if you’re still confused.

Still the best and busiest egg house in Salem. Great service from long-​time servers, (Janelle and Suzie, you ladies rock!). Good food prepared quickly and accurately, fair prices and lots of parking. Do not forget to ask about the muffins!

They’re back!
Somebody at the top finally added more staff, in both the kitchen and front of house. This was a much needed addition.
My good friend and I stopped in around 9:30a this last Sunday and were amazed not only by how busy it was, but also by the friendliness and speed of our waitress. I’m so very, very glad that I gave this place another try. I hated not having my favorite omelette place.