Your 2025 Dining Awards Winners

This list of winners highlights the results of our exciting reader poll that took place at TheRoanoker.com during the summer of 2024. Thousands of enthusiastic voters rallied behind their favorite local spots, showcasing the community's love for the region’s culinary treasures. We raise a toast to these passionate supporters as we keep savoring the best local flavors!

Best Appetizers

Best Small Plates

  • Platinum: bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar
  • Gold: Sidecar
  • Silver: The River and Rail Restaurant

Best Salads

Best Biscuits

  • Platinum: Scratch Biscuit Co.
  • Gold: Scrambled
  • Silver: Crystal Spring Grocery Co.

Best Brunch

  • Platinum: The Regency Room at Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
  • Gold: Billy’s (tie)
  • Gold: Scrambled (tie)

Best Barbecue

  • Platinum: Mama Jean’s BBQ
  • Gold: Pok-E-Joe’s
  • Silver: Three Li’l Pigs Barbeque

Best Wings

  • Platinum: AllSports Café
  • Gold: Pok-E-Joe’s
  • Silver: Mama Jean’s BBQ

Best Fried Chicken

  • Platinum: Lucky Restaurant
  • Gold: Gina’s “Food with Flavor” (now closed)
  • Silver: The Hatch (tie)      
  • Silver: The River and Rail Restaurant (tie)

Best Burgers

  • Platinum: Farmburguesa
  • Gold: Burger in the Square
  • Silver: Pok-E-Joe’s

Best Pizza

  • Platinum: Grace’s Place Pizzeria
  • Gold: New York Pizza
  • Silver: Papa’s Pizza

Best Steakhouse

Best Tacos

  • Platinum: Tacos Rojas
  • Gold: Tuco’s Taqueria Garaje
  • Silver: Taco Riendo

Best Chili

Best Bar Food

Best Sandwiches

Best Seafood

Best Pasta

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

Best Sushi

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

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: Wasabi’s

Best Thai Restaurant

  • Platinum: City Corner 2
  • Gold: Thai Continental
  • Silver: Nakhonthai Cuisine

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

  • Platinum: Viet Sub
  • Gold: Pho Viet Nam
  • Silver: It’s Pho Time

Best Indian Restaurant

  • Platinum: Taaza Indian Cuisine
  • Gold: Nawab

Best Italian Restaurant

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

Best Mexican Restaurant

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

Best Greek / Mediterranean Restaurant

  • Platinum: Paul’s Restaurant (tie)
  • Platinum: Petra Mediterranean Grill (tie)
  • Gold: Cedars Lebanese Restaurant (tie)
  • Gold: Falafel House (tie)

Best International Restaurant

Best Diner

  • Platinum: Angelle’s Diner
  • Gold: Texas Tavern
  • Silver: Ernie’s

Best Bakery

  • Platinum: Bread Craft
  • Gold: Our Daily Bread
  • Silver: On the Rise Bakery

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

Best Ice Cream Shop

Best Shaved Ice

  • Platinum: Hang 10 Hawaiian Ice & Cream
  • Gold: The Rad Shack
  • Silver: Hawaiian Shaved Ice Salem

Best Local Coffee Shop

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

Best Local Craft Beer Selection (Restaurant)

Best Brewery

Best Winery

  • Platinum: Chateau Morrisette
  • Gold: Well Hung Vineyard
  • Silver: Valhalla Vineyards and Wine

Most Creative Cocktails

  • Platinum: Lucky
  • Gold: Sidecar
  • Silver: Brood Restaurant and Bar

Best Mocktails

  • Platinum: Brood Restaurant and Bar
  • Gold: bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar
  • Silver: The River and Rail Restaurant

Best Wine List

Best Happy Hour Deals

Best Brunch Drinks

  • Platinum: bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar
  • Gold: Billy’s
  • Silver: Scrambled

Bar Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Top Bartender

  • Platinum: Henry Hill at 1882 Bar, The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
  • Gold: Kelly Cassell, Montano’s International Gourmet
  • Silver: Steve Cadora, Brood Restaurant and Bar

Restaurant with the Best Live Entertainment

Most Diverse Menu

Best Pet-friendly Patio

Best Fine Dining

  • Platinum: Brood Restaurant and Bar
  • Gold: Alexander’s
  • Silver: Sidecar

Hidden Gem

Best Family-friendly Restaurant

Best Breakfast Menu

  • Platinum: Scrambled
  • Gold: Our Daily Bread
  • Silver: Scratch Biscuit Co.

Best Place for Lunch

Best Place for Healthy Eating

Place You Could Visit 24/7/365

Best Restaurant Decor

  • Platinum: Brood Restaurant and Bar
  • Gold: Sidecar
  • Silver: Macado’s

Best Date-Night Spot

  • Platinum: Brood Restaurant and Bar
  • Gold: The River and Rail Restaurant
  • Silver: Sidecar

Best Outdoor Dining

Best for Watching the Game

  • Platinum: AllSports Café
  • Gold: Mac and Bob’s
  • Silver: Village Grill

Best for a Private Party / Celebration

Best Food Truck

  • Platinum: Mama Jean’s BBQ
  • Gold: Mountain Grille
  • Silver: Taco Riendo

Best Takeout / Curbside Service

Best Late-Night Eats

  • Platinum: Texas Tavern
  • Gold: Pok-E-Joe’s
  • Silver: Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill

Best Farm-To-Table Menu

  • Platinum: bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar (tie)
  • Platinum: The River and Rail Restaurant (tie)
  • Gold: Brood Restaurant and Bar

Restaurant With Can’t-Miss Daily Specials

Best Vegetarian Menu

Best Vegan Menu

  • Platinum: Fruits & Roots Juice & Smoothie Bar
  • Gold: Queen’s Vegan Café
  • Silver: bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar

Best Allergen-friendly Options (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free)

Best Festival for Food

  • Platinum: Local Colors
  • Gold: Roanoke Greek Festival
  • Silver: Roanoke Lebanese Festival (tie)
  • Silver: Roanoke Wing Fest (tie)

Best Downtown Roanoke City Restaurant

  • Platinum: Sidecar
  • Gold: Billy’s
  • Silver: Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill

Best Roanoke City Restaurant (Outside Downtown)

Best Southwest Roanoke City / County Restaurant

Best Roanoke County Restaurant

  • Platinum: Treehouse Tavern
  • Gold: Hollywood’s Restaurant & Bakery
  • Silver: Remini’s

Best Salem Restaurant

  • Platinum: Brood Restaurant & Bar
  • Gold: Mac & Bob’s
  • Silver: Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse

Best Vinton Restaurant

  • Platinum: Pok-E-Joe’s
  • Gold: Dogwood Restaurant
  • Silver: Pollard 107 South (tie)
  • Silver: New York Pizza (tie)

Best Smith Mountain Lake Restaurant

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

Best 460 / Bonsack Area Restaurant

  • Platinum: Sal’s Italian Restaurant
  • Gold: Café Asia
  • Silver: Top Dawgs Pub & Deli

Best Botetourt County Restaurant

  • Platinum: Tizzone Wood-Fired Kitchen & Wine Bar
  • Gold: Town Center Taphouse
  • Silver: Three Li’l Pigs Barbeque

Best Hollins / North County Restaurant

  • Platinum: Hollywood’s Restaurant & Bakery
  • Gold: Lews Restaurant
  • Silver: Mike’s Deli (tie)
  • Silver: Don Ho’s Restaurant & Lounge (tie)

Best New Restaurant (opened in the last 18 months)

  • Platinum: Brood Restaurant and Bar
  • Gold: Six & Sky
  • Silver: Pollard 107 South

Best Overall Restaurant

  • Platinum: Brood Restaurant and Bar
  • Gold: The River and Rail Restaurant
  • Silver: Sidecar

Best Overall Staff

  • Platinum: Brood Restaurant and Bar
  • Gold: The River and Rail Restaurant
  • Silver: bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar

Top Chef

  • Platinum: Ted Polfelt, Brood Restaurant and Bar
  • Gold: Nate Sloan, bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar
  • Silver: Madison Ruckel, Mama Jean’s BBQ