Salem’s Dining Scene: Lively Station adds Lively at the Mill

Eat, Drink & Be Lively

Since opening Lively Station in December 2020, Jessica and Anton Cobb have watched birthdays, weddings, memorial services, baby showers, bridal showers, and countless everyday meals bring people together around their tables.

“It’s been an honor to be a small part of those stories,” Jessica said.

Jessica, a Salem native, and Anton, a Chicago native, launched the restaurant amid the uncertainty of the pandemic. Drawing on their common backgrounds in hospitality, they built Lively around community connection and memorable experiences. Since then, Lively has grown to include an expanding catering business, the seasonal Little Lively food truck at TopWire Hop Project, and, most recently, Lively at the Mill at the Willamette Heritage Center.

The expansion also continues the story behind the restaurant’s name. Lively pays tribute to Thomas Livesley and the historic Livesley Station area, where Lively Station occupies a building that once served as a general store in the early 1900s. Lively at the Mill carries that same appreciation for Salem’s history into another landmark, bringing new energy to the Willamette Heritage Center.

The response to Lively at the Mill has been welcoming.

“We have felt so much love from the community at the Mill, from our regulars to our family and friends coming in to support,” Jessica said. “We have also had such a great welcome from the Willamette Heritage Center team and board, along with the Willamette University staff and students. Guests are loving that we now have
a location downtown and closer to where they live.”

When asked what she hopes guests take away from a visit, Jessica doesn’t mention a menu item or signature dish.

“Cozy,” she said. “We want them to feel like they just came over to a friend’s house for an evening of laughs, good food, and drinks.”

That welcoming atmosphere is matched by a menu that has evolved alongside the restaurant, shaped by Executive Chef Nathan Harding and Chef Jenn Harding, Jessica said.

Guests have embraced favorites like the Station Smashburger, while comfort-forward dishes like the Campfire Mac & Cheese keep regulars coming back. Seasonal specials and rotating offerings ensure there’s always something new to discover.

The collaborative spirit extends to dessert, too. Lively partners with Sewell Sweets on select offerings while also serving house-made favorites like the Lively Ice Cream Sandwich and the Hospitality Cookie.

Experience it yourself at…

Lively Station

3635 River Road S | livelystation.com

Lively at the Mill

1313 Mill Road SE  | livelyatthemill.com

This story originally ran in Press Play Salem issue 28 (Summer 2026)

We run on coffee, curiosity, and community. Fuel our next story (and our next cup) by supporting Press Play Salem.  buymeacoffee.com/pressplaysalem

Author: Carlee Wright

Carlee Wright is a community instigator with a grand love for Salem and notably fashionable shoes (Hello, John Fluevog!) who turns waste into wearable art in her "spare" time.