Criminal Cuisine

Restaurant goers in Salem are now paying to be put in jail. Well, sort of.   The historic Salem jailhouse has been converted to The Great Escape Restaurant, an Italian mobster-themed dining experience providing diverse and delicious dinners

Built in 1813, the Salem jailhouse is America’s second oldest jail, and was still housing inmates until 20 years ago when it was abandoned.  Recently, The Great Escape Restaurant celebrated its first anniversary. 

Founder and general manager, Shane Andruskiewicz, a Salem native, was inspired by Clink, a prison-themed restaurant in downtown Boston, and wanted to open a similar restaurant on the North Shore.  He spent many years in the restaurant managing business and wanted to create a new spot for tourists and locals to enjoy a unique dining experience.  The historic jailhouse was the perfect place.

“It’s fun and unique,” said Andruskiewicz.  “You can go anywhere and get steak.  You can’t go anywhere and get steak the way we do it, the “Mafia Steak’.”

Andruskiewicz is at the restaurant almost every night and enjoys interacting with customers.

“My favorite part is meeting the guests and getting a chance to talk with them and get to know them,” he said.

The atmosphere in The Great Escape is creative and authentic.  The original walls, floors and cell bars bring a realistic feel to the mobster-themed restaurant.  The sheriff’s office was converted into the main dining area and decorated with posters and artwork.  Behind the main dining room, a small walkway leads to the old laundry room, which is now a full-service bar set in a cave-like environment.

Fredie Barbosa , head of the culinary team at The Great Escape has compiled his favorite recipes from over 20 years to create the restaurant’s menu.  Each dish has a mobster-themed name such as, “Scarface,” a plate consisting of shrimp, fresh tomatoes and garlic in a white wine sauce over linguini.  Fans of the popular television series 24, recognize the name “Jack Bauer” on the menu: a chicken dish covered in mozzarella cheese and a creamy lemon herb sauce.  “The CIA and KGB” is a combination dish of salmon and scallops smothered in a creamy dijon mustard sauce served with roasted potatoes, is also favorite.  Recommended by my waiter, Matthew Harrington, I had the Pappardelle Mare E Monti, a homemade pasta dish with shrimp, scallops and a cherry tomato sauce.  The ingredients were fresh and flavorful.  It was to die for. . . or at least put back in prison for.  After eating a meal here, it’s hard to return to Lane.

Harrington began serving Escapees since the opening of the restaurant on Sept. 20, 2010.  He loves working in this jailhouse because of the atmosphere and history that engulfs it. 

“It attracts many curious people from around the world,” said Harrington.

He recalled a family from France who was enamored by the historicity and nostalgia of the restaurant.  Harrington is excited to share stories with the guests of Civil War Confederates being imprisoned and hung in the backyard of the jailhouse. 

Service at The Great Escape is exceptional, from the free valet parking to the charming wait-staff, each Escape guest feels far from punished.  The average meal here costs between $16-$24.  Coming away from such a dining experience may feel like a crime, but it’s one worth committing.