Annette's Westgate Cafe

(Please also read Part 2 -- August 2012)

Annette's Westgate Cafe is one of the oldest restaurants in Salem (established in 1953). Formerly on Wallace Road in West Salem, they moved to their current Edgewater location a few years ago.

Annette's boasts huge breakfast items, and their cinnamon roll might be one of the largest I've ever seen. Their large roll is about $6 and has to be at least a couple of pounds in weight.

Cinnamon roll, anyone?

Always on a search for good use of green chiles, I ordered a veggie Rajun Cajun burger ($8.99): a veggie patty seasoned with secret cajun spices, melted provolone, lettuce, tomato, onions, and their house sauce (mayonnaise, mustard, and a sweet relish), on a lightly toasted bun. It came with a dill pickle spear and one side (I got their cole slaw).

Burger and soup portion of the menu

Rajun Cajun burger (veggie patty)
Side of cole slaw

Barely any green chiles in there (hidden in the cheese)

I asked the server if they got fresh green chiles and roasted them in some capacity. To my dismay, they get the Ortega green chiles out of the can and pretty much put those on the burger instead. The search for a good green chile cheeseburger continues. The burger and the slaw were OK, but aside from the lovely cajun spices on the veggie patty, Annette's failed to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. I may still try their breakfast items at a future date.