Sept. 17, 2021

A new bar and grill from the owners of Fat Kid Filly’s opens next week in Salem.

FatKid Saloon opens Sept. 24. Cody Sauers and his wife, Amber, who started their business with a food truck last year, recently bought The Brewery in downtown Salem.

Next Friday is homecoming day for Salem High School, “and there’s usually a big parade down Main Street, so that seems like a good time to be open,” Sauers said.

FatKid Saloon will be open daily, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hours will be 7 a.m. to midnight and possibly 2 a.m. on weekend nights, he said.

The saloon will seat about 100 people, half on the side that includes the bar and the other half in the main dining area. A patio has room for an additional 20 customers.

Fat Kid Filly’s signature spin on a Philly cheesesteak will be the centerpiece of the menu. There will be 10 varieties, along with burgers, wraps and comfort food like hot hamburger, hot pork and hot turkey sandwiches, Sauers said.

The saloon will offer a few salads and a wide range of appetizers from smoked wings to cheese curds.

He’s keeping The Brewery Burger and the pizzas that The Brewery was known for “out of respect for the locals that like it” but also will offer a FatKid Saloon pizza with a different crust and sauce.

Desserts will include 1919 Classic American Draft Root Beer floats and cheesecake dips, which are a deconstructed version of the classic with graham crackers for dipping into the cheesecake.

Breakfast offerings will include everything from stuffed French toast to the All-American with two eggs, two pieces of bacon and two pieces of toast. All meals will come with hashbrowns, and free coffee will be served all day.

The menu will be the same for lunch and dinner, but everything will be half-price from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On Tuesdays, kids will eat for free with the purchase of an entrée. The kids menu will have options such as mini pizzas and chicken strips.

Customers who bring in a receipt for a purchase that day at another Salem business will get a free drink.

“A lot of people think I would lose money on that, but the whole goal is to drive people through the door and, once they’re there, make sure they have a good time.”

FatKid Saloon to offer signature sandwiches, pizza, freezing-cold beer