After learning that a Tortilleria had opened it's door in our neighborhood, I immediately headed…read moredown there to see what it was all about, since this type of business is very well known in Mexico and Central America, but not that visible in American cities. When I arrived the place was closed with a handmade sign on the door that read: "Lo Sentimos, Por Hoy Se Nos Termino La Tortilla." (We're sorry, We have ran out of Tortilla for today). After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Tortilleria La Loma in Northwest Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. A tortilleria or tortilla bakery is a shop that makes and sells freshly made tortillas. These establishments are native to Mexico and Central America and are now also found in some places in the United States, and provide a fresh alternative to the tortillas found in supermarkets. Their quality and taste are often considered superior to store-bought versions due to their freshness and fewer additives. Tortillas is a type of unleavened bread because it is made without a rising agent like yeast, and use corn or wheat flour, water, and salt as their primary ingredients. Located in Town Square, a strip mall in Northwest Roanoke, Virginia, featuring a variety of shops, restaurants and other establishments, including the well known Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet, this hidden gem in the Star City makes fresh, hot tortillas daily for sale to the public, special events, and wholesale distribution to businesses. They have a website on facebook with the slogan "Tortillas Suaves y Ricas." This is the way they communicate with the public and their customers. Their delicious authentic tortillas made from scratch daily have attracted the attention of the community in a short period of time from opening. They also sell various bakery goods from Nachitos Bakery and famous popsicles from La Michoacana, as well as cheese and meat ingredients, and special items like pork rinds and lard. I returned the following day in the afternoon and was lucky to arrive before they ran out of tortillas, but the owner of this family-owned business wasn't there for me to meet and interview. However I was able to meet their very friendly and pleasant employee, purchase some freshly made tortillas, and make arrangements to return on Wednesday morning to meet the owner and hopefully get permission to photograph the back of the house Tortilleria operation and write a follow-up review. For the time being, the tortillas I brought home and were still warm when I got there and I tried a few with cheese and they tasted amazingly delicious.

I was looking for a great hotdog place and stumbled into absolute heaven…read more After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And The Scalded Dog Houtdog Co. in the Bonsack area of Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example and a dream come true. Owned and operated by a local father-and-son duo, Nick and Landon, The Scalded Dog Hotdog Co. is a popular mobile food business based in the Bonsack area of Roanoke, Virginia. Nick and Landon launched the business with the simple goal of creating "a really good hotdog." The food trailer officially debuted at the Ace Hardware on Brambleton Road in Southwest, Roanoke. Following its early success, the business partnered with Lowe's in Bonsack operating as a regular weekend fixture. But due to strong community demand, they have expanded their operational hours to a Friday-Monday schedule and have built a second, much larger trailer to scale up operations. Their name plays on the classic Southern and Appalachian idiom "run like a scalded dog," which means to move incredibly fast or bolt suddenly. Their menu focuses on unique, elevated hotdog creations. Some of their most popular items include: The Scalded Dog (A signature creation crafted by Nick and Landon), Mango Diablo (A specialty sweet-and-spicy dog), The Carolina (A classic Southern style dog), and the Chicago Dog (A traditional city-style build), among others. As well as the newly introduced: The Smokehouse, an all beef Jumbo sized hotdog collaboration with Big Daddy's BBQ, featuring their sliced all beef brisket, white cheddar Mac, topped with their signature gold sauce, and sweet n spicy pickles.They have also currently introduced sides such as their Street Fries and Triple Churros. Today I drove in my pearl white Lexus to their location in the parking lot of the Bonsack Lowe's. There I was fortunately enough to meet Landon, one of the co-owners of the business, and also the co-designer of the business logo together with his father who are both gifted artists as well. The father also owns the Image Ink Studios tattoo parlor, located on 4118 Franklin Road, in Roanoke, Virginia, where they specialize in custom black & white and color ink tattoos, as well as Laser removal and skin rejuvenation. Landon was inside the large, new trailer when I arrived and gave me a warm welcome, also explaining the menu to me and the items they had ran out. It seems they have become so popular that you have to get their early if you want to make sure they have a particular item from the menu. For example, when I got there today, they had ran out of their now famous Smokehouse Hotdog. Besides all the different named hotdogs that they have, one can also customize one of them by adding from the list of free toppings or from another 50 cent toppings list. I ordered The Chicago, The Coney, their Triple Churros, and their Sweet Cream Orange Dreamsicle to drink. And conveniently paid using Tap On with Google Pay. I sat at one of their picnic tables and enjoyed my meal there. Everything was amazingly delicious. The hotdogs were delicious, and the churros, one of the best I've ever had. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality of their food. In conclusion I had an exceptional dining experience and highly recommend this place for when you feel like having "a real good hotdog," and other amazing comfort food, cooked and prepared by very friendly and hospitable individuals.

Pupusas and a sparkling clean dining space? Yes, please! This restaurant clearly takes pride in…read moretheir business. I really enjoyed the pupusa loca and fried banana dessert on my recent visit. I would like to try the shrimp pupusa next time or maybe the carne asada plate. The service was friendly and efficient. I will definitely be back!

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15. So this year I…read moredecided to search for local Hispanic family-owned restaurants and the first one I discovered was a Food Truck specializing in Salvadorian cuisine but also including other Latin American dishes as well. Hidden in a tiny spot off Williamson Road in Roanoke Virginia is the Pupuseria La Chalateca. After being awarded the Triad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And the Pupuseria La Chalateca in Roanoke, Virginia, is the perfect example. The Spanish word La Chalateca refers to a woman from Chalatenango, a department orbits in El Salvador. This Food Truck is owner and operated by a really nice woman from that part of El Salvador, and thus its name. Her sister also works with her here. Located in a small area next to La Oficina Latina, one can hardly notice the Food Truck there. But I followed it's address on my GPS and it lead me to its location with a small three car parking lot, but with plenty of areas to park in its surroundings. As soon as I arrived I walked to the Food Truck which had the menu painted on the truck itself with painted photos of each item. As I was reviewing the menu a very friendly lady opened the window of the Food Truck and gave me a very warm greeting and welcome. I immediately talked to her in Spanish and she was relieved that I spoke her language. After some talk I ended up ordering Pupusas with Chicharron (pork) and Queso (cheese). And to drink I ordered an Horchata. (A typical drink of the area). A pupusa from El Salvador is the nation's beloved national dish: a thick, hand-formed corn tortilla filled with various ingredients like cheese, beans, or pork, then cooked on a griddle until browned. Traditionally served with a tangy cabbage slaw called "curtido" and a mild tomato salsa. In front of the Food Truck was a wooden picnic table with an umbrella to protect customers from the sun. So there was where I ate my food as soon as it was done. The pupusas were the best that I have ever tasted. They were hot, moist and tasty. Who would ever have imagined that food this good would have come out of this food truck! While I was eating several To Go customers ordered and took took their food to go. So obviously the place had already a good clientele. The owner told me that she is looking for a brick and motor place to open a restaurant there. I told her with this excellent cooking I'm sure she'll do well there. In conclusion, I highly recommend this Salvadorian cuisine. The owner/chef, not only is very friendly and has a wonderful personality, but cooks amazingly good. I myself am looking forward to returning real soon to try out her other items from the menu.

Don't let the name confuse you. Taqueria Rosita is much more than a place where they sell delicious…read moretacos and Mexican food. It's a restaurant with an amazing Hispanic food menu, serving the most popular cuisines from Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador. This local, woman owned restaurant had it's humble beginnings from a food truck, and now it finally has a location of its own. Conveniently located in one of the establishments on the popular Williamson Road in Roanoke, Virginia, the restaurant enjoys a large dining space as well as a nice size space along side it to rent for private parties as well. This room contains a music and disco lighting system, as well as it's being prepared with a full bar. The restaurant was easy to find because its front exterior is painted purple with a yellow and gray awning, and it's almost across the street from the 7-11 on Williamson Road. There are plenty of parking up front and around the restaurant. As you enter the restaurant through a couple of glass doors, there is small foyer painted bluishgreen with a large gold WELCOME sign high above on the wall, a mirror, a glass table with a lamp and a hand ornament doing the shape of a heart, and some kind of an artificial plant inside a long pot. Then as you senter the restaurant itself it is painted the same color with a long beautiful granite floor (the type you would find in Latin countries) with many live plants next to the front window. As I walked through the long and narrow dining room of the restaurant with booths on the walls of both sides and tables with chairs in the middle they was a family eating on one of the booths and another customer was leaving with a To Go orders. At the end there was a counter where a friendly young lady greeted me and told me to have a seat at any table when I told her I was eating in. I went and sat at a booth. The colorful menus were already on the table of the booth. All the main items listed had photos and descriptions of them which helped greatly for the customers who weren't familiar identify them. I was surprised to find many popular dishes of other Hispanic countries besides Mexico on the menu. Items such as Baleadas, Pupusas, Tajadas con Carne Molida, to name a few. Then my server arrived with a basket of Tortilla Chips, greeted me with a smile and asked what I wanted to drink. I asked her what fruit drinks they had and when she mentioned Mango, I asked for one of those, even if it wasn't on the menu. When she came back with it I ordered El Cipote as my main entrée. It seems like this is a popular Honduran dish. I invite you to view my photographs of the menu to read and see all the items it contained. I wasn't about to visit a Taqueria restaurant for the first time and not try their tacos, so I asked my server if they could prepare me a couple of pork tacos as an appetizer. She was so accommodating that she went to the kitchen and in a reasonable time brought the tacos to me. They looked beautiful and tasted amazingly delicious, full of plenty of meat, and accompanied by cooked onions and a slice of lime. Their Chips with Salsa were also very good and unique. The chips were thicker than any other I've ever had and the salsa had just the right thickness and flavor with little chunks of the ingredients as well. When my main entrée arrived it looked like a Culinary Masterpiece. It was served on a long circular wooden tray and contained: fried pork chunks served with rice with pigeon peas, beans, sweet fried (ripe) plantains, sausage (chorizo), pico de gallo, jalapeño, and corn tortillas. Each item tasted amazingly delicious and together they made for a wonderful dining experience. I believe any day can be made special with a wonderful meal. And this was precisely one of the few restaurants where I have experience this happen. For dessert I ordered a flan, after walking over to the dessert display refrigerator and seeing the size and look of the flan. It was the largest and one of the better tasting flan that I've ever had. While I was dining I noticed that the restaurant had an adjacent party room that they rented out for functions or parties. It had a wonderful music and disco lighting system, as well as a full bar at the end. (They are in the process of obtaining their liquor license). I asked if they could turned the lights and music on so I could get some video clips to include in this review. Watch the clips for yourself. Amazing music sound and colorful lighting system. After I paid the bill with my credit card at the cashier counter, I thanked the manager, who by the way had come by my table to say hello and to see that everything was to my satisfaction, and took my doggy bag they had prepared for me to take home with the food I couldn't eat there, and walked outside to take a look at a truck that I had seen parked their selling some type of fruits. It seems they had a custm In conclusion, I highly recommend this restaurant for all the above reasons.

Outstanding Mexican/Central American food made fresh! We've eaten in every Mexican restaurant in…read morethe Lynchburg area, have vacationed in Cabo twice and lived in San Antonio for five years. This is the real deal!! Th

The Pupusa is the national dish of El Salvador, Cental American. They are a cross between tamales…read moreand quesadillas. They are a masa dough cakes (cornmeal flour) that is mixed with water to make a corn masa mixture; thick griddle cake or flatbread They are usually stuffed with delicious things like refried beans, shredded pork, or cheese. Pupusas are traditionally served with curtido, a pickled cabbage slaw, and salsa roja, a tomato-based sauce. Pupuseria is the restaurant that specializes in making and selling pupusas. Just as Taqueria specializes in making and selling tacos. But also can have other items in the menu. Today a friend of mine and myself decided to go try them out for the first time at the Pupuseria Las Delicias in Roanoke, Virginia. This restaurant is housed in a white one storage building with the top painted light blue and white, the colors of the El Salvador flag. In front of the building they have a cozy cemetery outdoor dining area to use in good weather. As we entered the restaurant we were warmly greeted by a young Salvadorian lady who took us to our table and handed us copies of their menu. It was short but with enough items for an opportunity to taste and enjoy Salvadorian food and some non-alcoholic drinks as well. We both ordered an Horchata cold drink and as our main course the Chicharron con Queso (Pork with Cheese) Pupusas. They were served 3 on a plate, accompanied by a jar of curtido mentioned earlier here. I liked the thick texture and the corn, cheese, and pork flavors. The curtido was the perfect side item. And what impressed me most was how filling they were. Since there were no dessert listed on the menu, I already had planned to go elsewhere for dessert. It was a nice first experience having this national dish from El Salvador and I recommend all those reading my review to visit this restaurant and try them out, as well as some of the other items on the menu. You will certainly come out satisfied.

Saw this spot while getting gas and had to check it out, we love Pupuserias, they are amazing and…read more'Las Delicias' did not disappoint. Actually the flavor and amount of meat stuffed into the pupusa is amazing, it's filling, even though it may not look so, they will fool you. They fill the pupusa up with goodness. It's a really cool chill vibe, the restaurant is very clean and decorate me nicely, wish a nice outdoor patio. You should for sure give 'Las Delicias' a try it's beyond good, it's beyond great, it's extraordinary. Come check out the yumminess and see what you've been missing. A Salvadoran delicacy now in your own backyard, don't miss it

For weeks and even months now I had been waiting for this moment, and last week, as I was driving…read moreby the new site of QDOBA Mexican Eats, located across the street from Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke, Virginia, and after seeing a crowd inside, I stopped and asked someone who seemed important, When would the opening-day be? He answered that they were training their employees that day and will be all week long, and that they would open today, Monday, February 23, 2026. So today, around lunch time, I got into my Lexus and drove over there. When I arrived, I was very impressed by their small, cozy, red brick building, that was completely renovated inside, and now had a beautiful contemporary decor. There to greet me behind the counter was a very cordial gentleman, their manager, along with a few young ladies and gentlemen who were all very welcoming and eager to serve. They didn't have a physical menu yet, but you could see an enlarged version of it, high above on backlit signs, which also included videos of some of the food on the menu. But I actually didn't need the menu because between the manager and the employees, they did an excellent job explaining what they had and how to order. Since I had downloaded the QDOBA app, I received a free order of Queso and Chips. To dine I had a Bowl with Brisket as the protein for $12.95 and a portion of Pork added as well for an extra $3.95. Then they had all these items from which you could choose to top it on. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality and variety of the food. As I walked in line in front of the ordering counter I told two young ladies what to add. To drink I had a large Softdrink and for dessert a Chocolate Chip Cookie. All the food was very tasty and delicious. I sat and ate it at their simple, yet elegant and relaxing, contemporary dining room. The manager stop by to check on me and see if everything has been to my liking. Everything was so good and I particularly enjoyed their Chips and Queso. The Chips were thin and crispy and the Queso had some seasoning inside that gave it an amazing taste. Since it was so much, I pour a little over everything in my bowl. I highly recommend this place and definitely think it was worth the wait for the restaurant to open up. Today was the Soft Opening. In two weeks the official Opening will be held.

We've been here twice now, and both visits were top-notch. The service has been consistently…read moreamazing, attentive, friendly, and genuinely accommodating. My wife has alpha-gal, and they went out of their way to make sure her dietary needs were handled carefully, which we really appreciated. On top of that, the food was excellent both times. Definitely a spot we'll keep coming back to!

This El Rodeo on Electric Road is part of the Arellano family's local chain of Mexican restaurants,…read morewhich introduced Tex-Mex to the Roanoke Valley in the late 1980s. The original El Rodeo opened on Williamson Road around that time and due to community demand, the family expanded and operated additional locations across Roanoke and Salem. Their newest and most beautiful of them all, Rodeo Chico, is located at the Daleville Town Center, in Daleville, Virginia. I've had an opportunity of dining and reviewing almost all of them except this one. Today I decided I would go and try this one out. Located at the Brambleton Center, an elevated development in Cave Spring, Virginia, that also includes the Virginia Co-Op Extension, a Recreation Center, and The Bridge Church Roanoke, it is by far their largest restaurant in this area if one includes its extensive outdoor dining area with a solid beautiful gazebo with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place, its creative architectural design, its amazing views, and its high-quality food. After driving in my pearl white Lexus up the hill, I parked in their parking lot in the back and walked around the wraparound porch of their building until I found the entrance. But before I went inside I walked around their extensive outdoor dining area with beautiful views. Once inside a friendly gentleman at the Host's station greeted me and showed me to a comfortable booth next to a window in the bar dining area of the restaurant. The perfect location to be able to capture photographs of their food in natural light. Afterwards I visited their main dining room which was already almost full in the late afternoon / early evening. After I was seated, Freddy who had served as my host, would also be my server. I ordered a large Virgin Mango Margarita to drink, which looked wonderful and tasted marvelous. I enjoyed munching on their basket of Tortilla Chips after dipping them in their red and white salsa as well. Few Mexican restaurants serve the white salsa. For my main meal I ordered the Carnitas, which contained tender chunks of pork and their photo in the menu made them look so good. They came with rice, beans, guacamole salad, pico de gallo and flour tortillas. I drank my Mango Margarita and enjoyed my chips with salsas while I waited and it didn't take long for my main entrée to come out. It looked delicious: both in quality, quantity, the way they were cook and presentation. All of a sudden, after just taking a taste of these carnitas, this restaurant had become one of my favorites Mexican restaurants. My server did an excellent job checking on me to see if everything was all right and check if I needed anything. The amount of food was so generous that I asked for a container to take some home with me. For dessert I had a Flan and it was also large and delicious. The prices were so reasonable and the amount of food so generous and good, not to talk about the exceptional service, that I made sure to leave a good tip when I paid with my Harvard Alumni World Mastercard. In conclusion, I highly recommend this Mexican restaurant for such an extraordinary dining experience that I had today and look forward to returning many times more.

The food and the service is always excellent here! If you ask for it they bring it with a smile…read more We love coming here!

I took the road less traveled only to discover a woman-owned food truck of a lady named Maria, from…read moreChihuahua, Mexico. Chihuahua's cuisine relies heavily on premium beef, hearty ranch-style meals like discada (mixed meat dish), and premium local cheeses such as asadero. It is the birthplace of the Burrito in Northern Mexico, where wheat is grown and cattle is raised. Perfect for flower tortillas with meat which made for a mess-free wrap and the original burrito. The word "burrito" translates to "little donkey" in Spanish. One of the most popular stories in Northern Mexico traces the creation of the burrito to a street vendor during the Mexican Revolution named Juan Mendez, who sold wrapped food in Ciudad Juarez to keep them warm, carrying his ingredients and wares in a basket on his donkey. While traditional Mexican burritos were small, minimalist, and typically filled just with meat, beans, and chile, it exploded into a global phenomenon in the United States. In the 1960s the Mission Burritos were invented in the Mission District of San Francisco. These giant burritos wrapped in foil added rice, beans, sour cream, and guacamole to the mix. The California Burritos popularized in San Diego focused heavily on the meat and are famous for having french fries stuffed directly inside them. And the Breakfast Burritos most recently created in the 1970s at Tia Sophia's in Santa Fe, New Mexico, packing tortillas with eggs, bacon, and potatoes. At the Burritos Paso Del Norte Food Truck, Maria provided me with much of the above information which I later researched. It was fascinating to learn all these interesting facts about the burrito which are reflected in the food truck's name, but in their extensive menu they they also have other well known items such as Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales; and other less known items such as Platillo Norteno, Quesabirrias, and Machetes. I particularly was very impressed with the Machetes which I had never heard about. I found out that the machete is a massive, elongated quesadilla that measures 18 to 24 inches in length, and is named for its resemblance to the long, sharp agricultural blade. Originally hailing from Mexico City, this hearty street food has become very popular in Mexican fondas, taco trucks, and specialized restaurants. It is made with a thick, handmade corn masa (dough) giant oval tortilla. The bottom half is packed with a generous layer of Mexican melting cheese (queso Oaxaca or Chihuahua) along with meats (like carne asada, chorizo, or campechano mix). The empty half of the tortilla is folded over the fillings, and the giant half-moon-shaped quesadilla is cooked on a sizzling flat top until the cheese is perfectly melted and the exterior is crispy. As you can imagine, I ended ordering one of these with asada con chorizo (steak with Mexican sausage). To drink I ordered a Mexican Horchata, a non-alcoholic drink consisting of ground white rice, water, milk (or evaporated/condensed milk), cinnamon, and vanilla. It tastes like a sweet, cinnamon-spiced rice milk. Since it was a bit windy, I took the food with me to eat at home although there was a table with some chairs for dining there. The Machete was amazingly delicious but so big, that I couldn't eat it all in one seating. The food truck is a couple of days a week at 2901 Franklin Rd and also moves around to other locations like the flea market at 5411 Williamson Rd and others. Search for them on Facebook for information on where and when they will be. You also can request them to come to your home and serve the food for your party.