Krispy Kreme Burgers!

One recent weekend "around town," we visited a new greasy-spoon restaurant in Salem. Chili Peppers, an ancillary to a gas station at 206 Apperson Dr., Salem, VA, is a friendly home cooking place inspired by Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We enjoyed deep-fried hotdogs (you can get them wrapped in bacon and further deep fried inside a tortilla) and a Krispy Kreme burger (donut sliced open, hamburger inside). Also on the menu are homemade shakes and homemade chicken salad. Perhaps no good for your diet--but good for your taste buds!

If you go, expect a cozy place. You'll be close to a walkway along the Roanoke River and to Salem's Cuban restaurant El Cubanito if you want to do a good lunch, a long walk, and then a good dinner. Don't let the bars on the window at El Cubanito be off-putting: the food is substantial and warming (but not spicy-hot); the service is welcoming; and the building is "fixed up" inside, having been previously a sporting goods/bait and tackle shop. You'd never know it!