The story below is a preview from our November/December 2016 issue. For the full story view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
As Roanoke evolves as a destination town, so too do its dining offerings. This year’s winners in our reader polling in 79 categories reflect the diversity and excellence that continues to mark the Roanoke Valley’s collection of great places to dine for every taste preference and price level.
Best Overall Restaurant
- Platinum: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Gold: The River & Rail Restaurant
- Silver: Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar
Best New Restaurant (opened since July 2015)
- Platinum: Fortunato
- Gold: The Athens Corner Grill
- Silver: The Green Goat / Al Dente (since closed) (tie)
Top Chef
- Platinum: Aaron Deal (The River & Rail Restaurant)
- Gold: Matthew Lintz (Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant)
- Silver: Stephen DiMarco (The Regency Room at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center)
Best Overall Staff
- Platinum: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Gold: The River & Rail Restaurant
- Silver: Luigi’s Italian Gourmet Restaurant
Best Diner, Drive In or Dive
- Platinum: Texas Tavern
- Gold: Community Inn
- Silver: Angelle’s Diner
Best Farm-To-Table Menu
- Platinum: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Gold: The River & Rail Restaurant
- Silver: Bent Mountain Bistro
Best Outdoor Dining
- Platinum: The Quarter / Village Grill (tie)
- Gold: Billy’s
Best Sunday Brunches
- Platinum: The Regency Room at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
- Gold: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Silver: The River & Rail Restaurant
Best Food Truck
- Platinum: Bruno’s GastroTruck / Star City Pig Out (tie)
- Gold: Rock & Roll Diner Food Truck
Best Appetizers & Small Plates
- Platinum: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Gold: The River & Rail Restaurant
- Silver: Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar
Best Biscuits
- Platinum: The Roanoker Restaurant
- Gold: The Homeplace Restaurant
- Silver: Famous Anthony’s
Best Biscuits (Chain)
- Platinum: Hardee’s
- Gold: Bojangle’s
- Silver: Red Lobster
Best Breakfasts for Dinner
- Platinum: The Roanoker Restaurant
- Gold: Pancake House Williamson Road
- Silver: IHOP
Best Barbecue
- Platinum: Three Li’l Pigs Barbeque
- Gold: Star City Pig Out (Food Truck), Wildwood Smokehouse (tie)
Best Barbecue (Chain)
- Platinum: Mission BBQ
Best Ribs
- Platinum: Star City Pig Out (Food Truck)
- Gold: Wildwood Smokehouse
- Silver: Village Grill
Best Ribs (Chain)
- Platinum: Mission BBQ
Best Buffalo Wings
- Platinum: AllSports Cafe
- Gold: Macado’s
- Silver: Mac & Bob’s
Best Buffalo Wings (Chain)
- Platinum: Buffalo Wild Wings
Best Chicken
- Platinum: The Homeplace Restaurant
- Gold: The Roanoker Restaurant
- Silver: Lucky Restaurant
Best Steaks
- Platinum: Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse
- Gold: Coach & Four
- Silver: The Great 611 Steak Company
Best Steaks (Chain)
- Platinum: Outback Steakhouse
- Gold: Longhorn Steakhouse
Best Hamburgers
- Platinum: Burger in the Square
- Gold: Beamer’s 2, Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill (tie)
Best Hamburgers (chain)
- Platinum: Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint
Best Hot Dogs
- Platinum: Roanoke Wiener Stand
- Gold: Texas Tavern
- Silver: Fork in the Alley
Best Pizza
- Platinum: Grace’s Place Pizzeria
- Gold: New York Pizza, Inc.
- Silver: Benny Marconi’s
Best Grilled Cheese
- Platinum: Pop’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar
- Gold: Wildflour Restaurant & Bakery (4th Street) Wildflour Cafe at Towers (co-winners)
- Silver: Famous Anthony’s
Best Sliders
- Platinum: Beamer’s 25
- Gold: Texas Tavern
- Silver: Awful Arthur’s Seafood Company, Macado’s (tie)
Best Deli
- Platinum: The New Yorker Delicatessen
- Gold: Brambleton Deli
- Silver: RT Smith’s Fine Delicatessen
Best Gyros
- Platinum: Athens Corner Grill
- Gold: Abrakababra
- Silver: Zorba’s Small World Cafe
Best Soups & Salads
- Platinum: Wildflour Restaurant & Bakery (4th Street), Wildflour Cafe at Towers (co-winners)
- Gold: 2nd Helpings
- Silver: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
Best Chili
- Platinum: Texas Tavern
- Gold: Roanoke Wiener Stand
- Silver: Wildflour Restaurant & Bakery (4th Street), Wildflour Cafe at Towers (co-winners)
Freshest Seafood
- Platinum: Awful Arthur’s Seafood Company, Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant (tie)
- Silver: Harbor Inn Seafood
Best Special Diet Menu Items (gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc.)
- Platinum: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Gold: Wildflour Restaurant & Bakery (4th Street), Wildflour Cafe at Towers, Firefly Fare (tie)
Best Cakes / Baked Goods
- Platinum: Bubblecake
- Gold: Wildflour Restaurant & Bakery (4th Street), Wildflour Cafe at Towers (co-winners)
- Silver: Bread Craft
Best Candy Store
- Platinum: The Candy Store
- Gold: chocolatepaper
- Silver: Baylee’s Best Chocolate
Best Chocolate Store
- Platinum: chocolatepaper
- Gold: Baylee’s Best Chocolate
- Silver: Katie’s Ice Cream & Chocolates, The Candy Shop (tie)
Best Ice Cream & Milkshakes
- Platinum: Pop’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar
- Gold: HIT’S Frozen Treats (since closed), Katie’s Ice Cream & Chocolates (tie)
Best Dessert Menu
- Platinum: Wildflour Restaurant & Bakery (4th Street), Wildflour Cafe at Towers (co-winners)
- Gold: The River & Rail Restaurant
- Silver: Montano’s International Restaurant, Our Daily Bread Bakery & Bistro (tie)
Best 460 / Bonsack area Restaurant
- Platinum: Cafe Asia (Bonsack)
- Gold: Sal’s Italian Restaurant
- Silver: Jersey Lily’s Roadhouse
Best Botetourt County Restaurant
- Platinum: Three Li’l Pigs Barbeque
- Gold: Tizzone Wood-Fired Kitchen & Wine Bar
- Silver: Town Center Tap House
Best Downtown Roanoke Restaurant
- Platinum: Lucky Restaurant
- Gold: Table 50
- Silver: Metro!
Best Hollins/North County Restaurant
- Platinum: Hollywood’s Restaurant & Bakery
- Gold: Lews Restaurant
- Silver: Veranda Bistro
Best New River Valley Restaurant
- Platinum: The Palisades Restaurant
- Gold: Our Daily Bread Bakery & Bistro, The Black Hen & Bar Blue (tie)
Best Salem Restaurant
- Platinum: Blue Apron Restaurant & Red Rooster Bar
- Gold: Mac & Bob’s
- Silver: Macado’s
Best Smith Mountain Lake Restaurant
- Platinum: The Landing Restaurant
- Gold: Mango’s Bar & Grill, Moosie’s (tie)
Best Southwest City/County Restaurant
- Platinum: The Green Goat
- Gold: The River & Rail Restaurant
- Silver: 419 West
Best Vinton Restaurant
- Platinum: New York Pizza, Inc.
- Gold: Red Jasmine Thai Cuisine
- Silver: Dogwood Restaurant
Worth an Hour or Two in the Car
- Platinum: The Homeplace Restaurant
- Gold: The Swinging Bridge Restaurant
- Silver: The Palisades Restaurant
Best Chinese Restaurant
- Platinum: Szechuan Restaurant
- Gold: Cafe Asia / Cafe Asia 2 (co-winners)
- Silver: Red Palace
Best Japanese Restaurant
- Platinum: Kabuki Japanese Steakhouse
- Gold: Wasabi’s Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
- Silver: Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse
Best Multi-Asian Menu Options
- Platinum: Cafe Asia / Cafe Asia 2 (co-winners)
- Gold: Taste of Asia
- Silver: Metro!
Best Pad Thai / Stir-Fry
- Platinum: Red Jasmine Thai Cuisine
- Gold: City Corner 2
- Silver: Thai Continental Cuisine
Best Sushi
- Platinum: Ben Gui Sushi
- Gold: Wasabi’s Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
- Silver: Cafe Asia / Cafe Asia 2 (co-winners)
Best Indian Restaurant
- Platinum: Taaza Indian Cuisine
- Gold: Nawab Cuisine of India
- Silver: Indika Cafe
Best Italian Restaurant
- Platinum: Luigi’s Italian Gourmet Restaurant
- Gold: Fortunato
- Silver: Sal’s Italian Restaurant
Best Mexican Restaurant
- Platinum: El Rodeo
- Gold: Alejandro’s Mexican Grill
- Silver: Rancho Viejo
Most Unique Ethnic Restaurant
- Platinum: Carlos Brazilian International Cuisine
- Gold: El Cubanito
- Silver: Cedars Lebanese Restaurant
Best Classic American Fare
- Platinum: The Roanoker Restaurant
- Gold: Famous Anthony’s
- Silver: The River & Rail Restaurant
Best Traditional Virginia Food
- Platinum: The Homeplace Restaurant
- Gold: The Roanoker Restaurant
- Silver: The Regency Room at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
Best Local Coffee Shop
- Platinum: Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea
- Gold: Sweet Donkey Coffee House
- Silver: CUPS Coffee & Tea
Best Craft Beer Selection
- Platinum: Blue 5 Restaurant
- Gold: Wasena City Tap Room & Grill
- Silver: Soaring Ridge Craft Brewers
Most Creative Cocktails
- Platinum: Lucky Restaurant
- Gold: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Silver: Metro!
Best Wine List
- Platinum: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant, Montano’s International Gourmet (tie)
- Gold: The River & Rail Restaurant
Best Martinis
- Platinum: Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse
- Gold: Lucky Restaurant
- Silver: 419 West
Best Margaritas
- Platinum: El Rodeo
- Gold: Alejandro’s Mexican Grill
- Silver: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
Best Happy Hour Drinks
- Platinum: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Gold: 419 West, Lucky Restaurant, Macado’s (tie)
Bar Where Everyone Knows Your Name
- Platinum: Community Inn
- Gold: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
- Silver: Luigi’s Italian Gourmet Restaurant
Best Anniversary / Date Night / Special Occasion Dinners
- Platinum: Carlos Brazilian International Cuisine
- Gold: Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar
- Silver: Local Roots: A Farm-to-Table Restaurant
Best Bachelor/ Bachelorette Party
- Platinum: Corned Beef & Co.
- Gold: Metro!
- Silver: Blue 5 Restaurant, Sidewinders Steak House & Saloon (tie)
Best Live Entertainment
- Platinum: Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill
- Gold: Blue 5 Restaurant
- Silver: Sidewinders Steak House & Saloon
Best Late-Night Eats
- Platinum: Texas Tavern
- Gold: Macado’s
- Silver: Benny Marconi’s
Best for a Private Party / Celebration
- Platinum: 419 West
- Gold: Montano’s International Restaurant
- Silver: Blue 5 Restaurant
Best Family-Friendly Restaurant
- Platinum: Famous Anthony’s
- Gold: The Roanoker Restaurant
- Silver: The Homeplace Restaurant
Best Kids’ Eat Deals
- Platinum: Famous Anthony’s
- Gold: Macado’s
- Silver: Montano’s International Restaurant, Town Center Tap House (tie)
Best Picnic or Tailgate Food
- Platinum: The Roanoker Restaurant
- Gold: Star City Pig Out (Food Truck)
- Silver: Three Li’l Pigs Barbeque
Best for Watching the Game
- Platinum: AllSports Cafe
- Gold: Brambleton Deli, Mac & Bob’s, Town Center Tap House (tie)
Best Take Out
- Platinum Co-Winners: Cafe Asia / Cafe Asia 2 Gold Szechuan Restaurant
- Silver: The Roanoker Restaurant
Restaurant With Can’t-Miss Daily Specials
- Platinum: 2nd Helpings
- Gold: Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill
- Silver: Our Daily Bread Bakery & Bistro, The Roanoker Restaurant (tie)
