2024 Dining Awards

This list of winners is the delightful outcome of an epic culinary showdown that unfolded on TheRoanoker.com during the summer of 2023. Thousands of voracious voters rallied together to champion their beloved local gems in the region. We tip our chef's hats to these passionate supporters and hope they continue to savor their local favorites!

Best Appetizers

Best Small Plates

Best Salads

Best Biscuits

  • Platinum: Scratch Biscuit Co.
  • Gold: Crystal Spring Grocery Co.
  • Silver: Scrambled  (TIE)
  • Silver: Gina’s Food with Flavor (TIE)

Best Brunch

Best Barbecue

Best Wings

Best Fried Chicken

  • Platinum: Gina’s Food with Flavor
  • Gold: Lucky Restaurant
  • Silver: The River and Rail Restaurant     

Best Burgers

  • Platinum: FarmBurguesa
  • Gold: Burger in the Square
  • Silver: Texas Tavern  

Best Pizza

Best Steakhouse

Best Tacos

Best Chili

Best Bar Food

Best Sandwiches

Best Seafood

Best Pasta

  • Platinum: Fortunato
  • Gold: Remini’s
  • Silver: Sal’s Italian Restaurant

Best Sushi

  • Platinum: Ben Gui Sushi
  • Gold: Café Asia 2
  • Silver: Wasabi’s

Best Chinese Restaurant

  • Platinum: Szechuan Restaurant
  • Gold: Café Asia 2
  • Silver: Red Palace

Best Japanese Restaurant

  • Platinum: Kabuki Japanese Steakhouse
  • Gold: Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse
  • Silver: Ben Gui Sushi

Best Thai Restaurant

  • Platinum: City Corner 2
  • Gold: Thai Continental Cuisine
  • Silver: Taste of Asia

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

  • Platinum: Viet Sub
  • Gold: It’s Pho Time
  • Silver: Pho Viet Nam (TIE)
  • Silver: Pho Saigon (TIE)

Best Indian Restaurant

  • Platinum: Taaza Indian Cuisine
  • Gold: Nawab

Best Italian Restaurant

  • Platinum: Remini’s
  • Gold: Fortunato
  • Silver: Luigi’s Italian Gourmet Restaurant

Best Mexican Restaurant

  • Platinum: Tacos Rojas
  • Gold: El Rodeo
  • Silver: Alejandro’s Mexican Grill

Best Greek / Mediterranean Restaurant

  • Platinum: Athens Corner Grill
  • Gold: Petra Mediterranean Grill
  • Silver: Cedars Lebanese Restaurant

Best International Restaurant

Best Diner

  • Platinum: Texas Tavern
  • Gold: Angelle’s Diner
  • Silver: Chip & Jo’s

Best Bakery

  • Platinum: Bread Craft
  • Gold: Our Daily Bread
  • Silver: On the Rise Bread Company (TIE)
  • Silver: Evie’s Bistro and Bakery (TIE)

Best Special Occasion Cakes

  • Platinum: Evie’s Bistro and Bakery
  • Gold: Wildflour Café at Towers
  • Silver: Kind Baking Co.

Best Desserts

Best Fine Chocolates & Truffles

Best Candy Shop

  • Platinum: chocolatepaper
  • Gold: The Candy Store
  • Silver: Mast General Store

Best Ice Cream Shop

  • Platinum: Blue Cow Ice Cream Co
  • Gold: Pop’s Ice Cream and Soda Bar (TIE)
  • Gold: Katie’s Ice Cream & Chocolates (TIE)

Best Shaved Ice

  • Platinum: Hang 10 Hawaiian Ice & Cream
  • Gold: Chillin’ Shaved Ice

Best Local Coffee Shop

  • Platinum: Sweet Donkey Coffee House
  • Gold: Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea
  • Silver: RND Coffee

Best Local Craft Beer Selection (Restaurant)

Best Brewery

Best Winery

  • Platinum: Valhalla Vineyards and Wine
  • Gold: Stoney Brook Vineyards
  • Silver: Well Hung Vineyard

Most Creative Cocktails

  • Platinum: The River and Rail Restaurant
  • Gold: Lucky Restaurant
  • Silver: Sidecar

Best Mocktails

  • Platinum: The River and Rail Restaurant
  • Gold: Sidecar
  • Silver: Lucky Restaurant

Best Wine List

Best Martinis

Best Happy Hour Deals

Best Brunch Drinks

Bar Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Top Bartender

  • Platinum: Henry Hill Jr., The Pine Room & 1882 Lobby Bar at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
  • Gold: Rachel Kidd, Fortunato (TIE)
  • Gold: Jackie Gentry, The River and Rail Restaurant (TIE)

Restaurant with the Best Live Entertainment

Most Diverse Menu

Best Pet-friendly Patio

Best Fine Dining

  • Platinum: The River and Rail Restaurant
  • Gold: Alexander’s
  • Silver: Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse (TIE)
  • Silver: Bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar (TIE)

Hidden Gem

Food Trend You Love

  • Platinum: Small Selections/Plates
  • Gold: Farm-to-Table/Locally-Sourced Ingredients
  • Silver: Food Trucks (TIE)
  • Silver: Pop-Ups (TIE)

Best Family-friendly Restaurant

Best Breakfast Menu

  • Platinum: Scrambled
  • Gold: Scratch Biscuit Company
  • Silver: Our Daily Bread

Best Place for Lunch

Best Place for Healthy Eating

Place You Could Visit 24/7/365

Best Restaurant Decor

  • Platinum: Sidecar
  • Gold: Bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar
  • Silver: Macado’s (TIE)
  • Silver: Lentini’s (TIE)

Best Date-Night Spot

Best Outdoor Dining

  • Platinum: Treehouse Tavern
  • Gold: Village Grill (TIE)
  • Gold: The Green Goat (TIE)

Best for Watching the Game

  • Platinum: AllSports Café
  • Gold: 202 Social House
  • Silver: Village Grill

Best for a Private Party / Celebration

Best Food Truck

  • Platinum: Mama Jean’s BBQ
  • Gold: Salty Lobster & Co. (TIE)
  • Gold: Rock & Roll Diner (TIE)

Best Takeout/Curbside Service

Best Late-Night Eats

Best Farm-To-Table Menu

Restaurant With Can’t-Miss Daily Specials

Best Vegetarian Menu

Best Vegan Menu

Best Allergen-Friendly Options

Best Festival for Food

  • Platinum: Local Colors
  • Gold: Roanoke Greek Festival
  • Silver: Roanoke Wing Fest

Best Downtown Roanoke City Restaurant

  • Platinum: Sidecar
  • Gold: Billy’s
  • Silver: Alexander’s

Best Roanoke City Restaurant (Outside Downtown)

Best Southwest Roanoke City/County Restaurant

  • Platinum: Montano’s International Restaurant
  • Gold: The River and Rail Restaurant
  • Silver: Remini’s (TIE)
  • Silver: Fork in the Alley (TIE)
  • Silver: Bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar (TIE)

Best Roanoke County Restaurant

Best Salem Restaurant

  • Platinum: Mac and Bob’s Restaurant
  • Gold: Gina’s Food with Flavor
  • Silver: Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse

Best Vinton Restaurant

Best Smith Mountain Lake Restaurant

  • Platinum: Mango’s Bar & Grill
  • Gold: Napoli Cowboy
  • Silver: Moosie’s

Best 460 / Bonsack Area Restaurant 

  • Platinum: Sal’s Italian Restaurant
  • Gold: Café Asia
  • Silver: Chicago Bob’s

Best Botetourt County Restaurant 

  • Platinum: Tizzones Wood-Fired Kitchen & Wine Bar
  • Gold: Town Center Tap House
  • Silver: Lentini’s

Best Hollins/North County Restaurant 

Best New Restaurant (opened in the last 18 months)

Best Overall Restaurant

Best Overall Staff

Top Chef

  • Platinum: Michael Whittaker, The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
  • Gold: Tyler Thomas, The River and Rail Restaurant
  • Silver: Nathaniel Sloan, Bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar