David K.
Yelp
Because 10-15 years ago I used to go to Salerno's almost weekly in a past life, I wanted to give this two stars for "ol' time sake," but my wife insisted otherwise. I hadn't been to Salerno's since 2016 or 17, back when they had red checkered vinyl tablecloths and a split dining room that nonetheless seemed open. I rarely give demerits for service, but we twice started to follow the host before realizing she was actually headed elsewhere on more pressing errands before finally seating us at a decidedly un-level table. Later, at the end of our meal, we saw newly seated customers get bread and olive oil that we never received nor were offered. The food was as I remembered, kinda average family-ish Italian that still represents a reasonable value, but the atmosphere was terrible and lacked that old charm that can't be replicated with a few enlarged black-and-white photos. The space is now divided into a sports bar with high tops and a "dining room." Despite sitting in the dining room, four big TVs were visually blaring sports stuff while strangely annoying music blasted, seemingly always DJs gone wild mixes of three songs at once. They couldn't at least tone that down in the dining room?! I will spare you other details, but I also found the dining room rather chilly and that's not something I'd typically say. Salerno's was never great, but you somehow always found it charming. Now, after long wanting to return, it's unrecognizable, and I will never go back. My wife said, "It was just so bad, all around."