The Colosseum Salem NH

I was going to Rockingham Cafe Salem, NH for their Reuben, but they don't make their own corned beef anymore. I went with the daily special of Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and veg. It took over 30 minutes to arrive, and the mash was uncooked crushed potatoes, the meatloaf was so dry and dense that I couldn't cut it. The gravy was from a can. When I left, I noticed that The Colosseum Restaurant was next door and it was highly recommended a few days ago.

Plenty of parking.

They have a big bar with booth seating.

The dining room was a bit spartan, but I guess that goes with the name. I wonder if it gets loud when they are busy. It was not an issue at lunchtime.

You get warm fresh bread that was placed on top of the butter, so you get spreadable butter. Linen napkins and good silverware. I got a spoon with the cutlery and to quote an NYT article: "Spoons are for children, amateurs and people with bad table manners in general".

I ordered the lunch Spaghetti Sausage & Meatball (12), but when it arrived, the meatball was missing, but my cute and friendly waitress quickly brought out a meatball. It turns out that she put in the order as Spaghetti & Sausages. So not only did she save me a dollar, but I also got an extra sausage. The pasta was cooked al dented, and the meat sauce was excellent. The sausages are made in house and had a really pleasant texture. They could have used a bit more seasoning. The meatball was excellent, tender and tasty with a blob of cheese in the middle. I was delighted with my lunch here.

Address: 264 N Broadway # 101, Salem, NH 03079 Phone: (603) 898-1190