People ask me all the time: "What is your favorite restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia?" And my reply, after considering all of the wonderful restaurants in this Star City is ... "Billy's", in the heart of Downtown Roanoke. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I also was 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 Billy's in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. From the very first time I visited and dined at Billy's, I fell in love with it. I don't know if it was its history. Its historic building was constructed in 1912 and originally housed the Ritz Hotel. Then in 1979 John and Betsy Williams opened "Billy Ritz," named in homage to the building's history and a former local saloon. For 29 years (1979 - 2007) the Williamses operated the restaurant, making it a popular downtown fixture. In 2007 the restaurant closed and in 2008 the building was purchased by new owners: Neel and Neal Keesee. Following extensive renovations that preserved its historic character, the restaurant reopened in May 2012 as "Billy's". And since then Billy's operates as a popular downtown dining spot with a focus on fine dining, and is celebrated for maintaining a piece of old downtown Roanoke history while providing modern, upscale dining. Or maybe it is, its refined American cuisine with a focus on steaks and fresh seafood, such as scallops, shrimps, lobsters, mahi-mahi, southern salmon, or catch of the day. Or its drinks, a well-curated bourbon bar with an extensive wine list and signature cocktails. It might also be its elegant and historic atmosphere, with a clasic dining room, a trendy outdoor patio, and private dining rooms to host private events and celebrations. Or even its corner location in one of the most valuable and desired areas in the heart of Downtown Roanoke. But even if all of the above are an important factor in my selection, I would say that last but most important of all is its staff; from its managers, its cooks, its bartenders, and its servers. They are not only knowledgeable, professional, and hospitable, but together form a team with the goal of making you feel at home there and having an extraordinary dining experience. That's why I say: "Any day can be made special by dining at Billy's." This Saturday, I went to dine there after making my reservation in the Open Table app. Even though they could not honor my initial table request for a window view table in the main dining room, the manager was kind enough to accommodate me at a window view table of another very quaint dining room facing the outdoor patio. I believe it was table 54, served by the very friendly, kind, and efficient server, Savannah. She first brought me an amazing drink prepared by my favorite bartender. Then she gracefully took my order. I had Four Bacon Wrapped Scallops as appetizer. An 8oz Filet cooked medium-rare with a Lobster Tail enhancement, Cheddar Smashed Potatoes, and Grilled Asparagus, as my main entrée. And for dessert, my favorite, their famous Crème Brûlée. She did an excellent job in making sure I was well taken care of by coming by at the appropriate times and even when she was serving a large table in the main dining room, she made sure to send the principal host to see if I needed anything. As I was dining, the restaurant's manager came by my table to say hello, and that is something I truly appreciate from any quality restaurant I dine at. What an outstanding dining experience. And even if I was only one customer dining there that busy evening, the following day I received a text message from one of my fellow Yelpers who was in town for a week of conferences and was looking for a place for a "friends' get-together. And without any hesitation I recommended Billy's. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a good word is worth many customers. And thus, I give this restaurant a 5 Star and now you know why. read more

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Always heard about Billy's, so decided to give it a try. As we walked in, we were greeted by Melia, the hostess. She was very cheerful and friendly.I liked how there is actually space between the tables . The restaurant is spacious and nicely decorated. Our waitress Melissa was excellent. She had some great suggestions on what to try as we were first time guests. The calamari was fresh and crunchy. The glazed bacon was delicious. The lamb chop lollipops were ok, too raw. Caesar salad was tasty and one order is enough for 4 people. My NY strip steak was tender and cooked to perfection. I tried a side of risotto and was definitely not disappointed. I find they have a good selection of wines as well. Billy's is definitely a great choice for a nice dinner! read more

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Outstanding crab cakes -- best outside Maryland Ate at Billy's and had one of the best crab cake experiences I've had anywhere. The crab cakes are absolutely phenomenal -- packed with jumbo lump crab, minimal filler, perfectly seasoned, and cooked beautifully. Moist, rich, and letting the crab shine. Honestly, the best crab cakes I've had outside of Maryland, and better than many I've had in Maryland. Also had the Chilean sea bass and a local Virginia wine -- everything was excellent -- but the crab cakes stole the show. If you're even considering them, order them. Worth every bite. We'll definitely be back. read more

I had been here on a visit half a year ago. And the food was very good . Last night I had the Neef short rib with mashed potatoes and a few vegetables on tap.. The beef short rib was about the best I ever ate ! So soft and tender it fell apart ! It had a great flavor and was not too beefy overpowering, despite cooking overnight , per my server . They also braise it and the gravy had just enough red wine to put this dish on top! This dish is a winner and next time I'll try something else . read more

I love this place! This is my absolutely favorite go to in Roanoke for Sunday brunch. They have a really delicious bloody Mary bar for starters. Every week they have a different style of candy bacon, which you just have to try. I always enjoy the steak and eggs, which is prime rib with egg. Serve served my way, but they also have a few different Benedict, which are delicious. The staff is always friendly and helpful, and most of the time if you don't have a reservation, you can get a seat in one of the two beautiful bars they have read more

Billy's - Apple pie cheesecake - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Came here for dinner. I ordered the prime rib. Service is excellent prime rib was fatty and very tough.

Came here the day after Valentine's Day for brunch with 3 of my girlfriends. The drinks were great, the food was fabulous, and the service was great. I love the wood that envelopes the walls and the old school atmosphere that brings back the spark of old time Roanoke! read more

First of all, I'm not sure if there's an event in the room past the wine vault but it is very noisy. Otherwise I would describe the vibe as lively. It's a lovely space. My glass of Sauvignon Blanc was fine, RRR really enjoyed his old fashioned. We've been eating lots of food so we split several dishes. First, the fried oysters, one dozen of them, with two sauces and all of that was delicious. We followed by splitting their shrimp and grits, perfect for us and a wonderful creamy choice. We didn't try much of their menu but the two dishes we did have were wonderful. read more

Tried the lamb shank which turned out to be most excellent! The tender slow cooked lamb was quite tasty with a very rich and flavorful broth. Our server was spot on, attentive and funny. The outside patio offered a relaxing and pleasant spot for the mild night we dined. Parking can be a bit challenging but with a little patience, street spots in the area seem to open up. read more

Billy's is a great restaurant for steaks, whiskey and more! Whether you are alone, or with a party of 12, I am positive you will enjoy the experience. read more

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Upscale dining in a relax atmosphere. Our waitress was very attentive and helpful with selections. Beautiful setting and was able to fit us in without reservations but I would suggest getting one. The food was awesome. My short rib dish was perfect and super tender. Pork chop was done as requested. Overall, nice evening out and great food. read more

Billy's - Glazed Pork Chop with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Just took my family to Billy's for an early Easter Dinner. Brunch was all booked up, and we made reservations for 4pm. We were promptly seated, with only 2 other tables finishing their brunch lunches in the main dining room. Waters came out fast; we ordered an appetizer and drinks. When the drinks came, we ordered dinner. Appetizer took 45 minutes to come while the dinner crowd was being seated around us. 2 tables that were seated 40 minutes after us, got drinks, appetizers and their meal before ours arrived, and we ordered the chef's Easter special. I know the wait staff was changing shifts and they got busy fast, but the waitress kept disappearing and covering other tables. Not the first bad service experience I've had at this restaurant. Took nearly 1.75 hours to be served dinner. Had to flag down our server to check on our dinner. Been going here for years, time for a change. read more

I was in town for a conference and read about Billy's, which was a short walk from my hotel. I heard that they prefer reservations but I was eating solo, so I headed in to the bar. It was a warm atmosphere and the bartenders were attentive and helpful. I started with one of their seasonal cocktails, which was delicious, then got a basket of rolls and my steak with a blue cheese crust, which was absolutely delicious. I then took their chocolate mousse cake to go to eat back in my hotel. I would absolutely come back when back in Roanoke! read more

Billy's - Northern Lights cocktail - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Distasteful experience! Hallway to the restroom smelled like puke. Hostess (brunette) was either stoned, or just not up to the task. She tended to someone who came in after us and was standing behind us in line. Not sure what that was all about. She didn't remember my wife checking in moments earlier. She seemed to have difficulty making one word utterances. The waitress was courteous and professional. She belongs in an upscale place. A man wearing a light colored shirt and patterned tie was bussing tables and serving food. I don't believe he had time to wash between handling dirty dishes and serving fresh food. (The manager perhaps? No situational awareness). The coffee was good. The salad was fresh. The potatoes, served with crab cakes, were quite salty. The lamb shank was flavorless. As we departed, a different hostess (blonde) was very helpful, giving us directions to the stairs to the Hotel Roanoke. Had the manager the wherewithall to inquire about our dining experience, you would not be reading this. Something for management to consider: The hostess is the first point of contact and sets the tone of the evening. read more

I've been to Roanoke many times over the years and had always seen Billy's, but never stopped in until this most recent visit. It's a more upscale type establishment offering steaks and seafood. The menu has the typical items on it, but they do a decent job adding some interesting items, like their seafood platter and blackened Mahi. Service was decent and attentive. The food was pretty good! I loved the spice on the blackened Mahi and their wedge salad was also really good. Their calamari was actually freshly battered and fried, so it wasn't rubbery, hard, overly crusty, or bland. The sauce on it was pretty decent as well. Overall, a very nice experience was had by all - Definitely would return! read more

Billy's - Grilled Seafood Platter - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Wow. Wow wow. This meal was so amazing and the service was great. My filet was so delicious and cooked to perfection. The sauce with the scallops was phenomenal . Run don't walk to Billy's read more

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Came here for a wedding party. Went upstairs to the 2nd floor I believe and had a banquet room. Was such an amazing area and restrooms on the same floor. Had their bloody marry and it was delicious! Also their brunch they offer for big parties was so delicious! Had gravy with fried chicken bacon and omg soo good! Definitely need to come back and try their regular menu. The service was amazing too we had our own server and bartender read more

Billy's - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Been here before and this was the worse service ever. No bread brought to table, waitress only came to table maybe a total of 5 times. We tried to order drinks but the food arrived before the drink was ever delivered. So we canceled the wine and beer. Manager tried to discount the total bill however when charges came through they were more than the signed receipt. I used to recommend this restaurant however I doubt I will now. read more

Great prime rib Great brunch Pleasant staff Cool atmosphere The crab cakes are the bomb read more

Disappointing Dinner with a group of 6. Dining room was at least 80 degrees since the blinds hadn't been closed. Everyone (save myself) ordered alcohol, so I had to ask 3 times, and finally my date a 4th time for sweetener for my tea. Friends said the oysters were good - which they opted for in lieu of paying $60 for 6 scallops a wedge salad with blue cheese was literally swimming in dressing - but maybe exacerbated by the hot dining room? Braised short ribs received high praise (a guest who's in the restaurant business indicated it's one of their best sellers). Sadly, I choose the cheese tortellini stroganoff. Needless to say, desert will be antacids read more

Billy's - It was literally swimming in oil - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

The food was SO good! I went for lunch and throughly devoured my burger. I ordered fries as a side, and they were delicious. The restaurant was clean and well laid out. The ambivalence was hip and classic. Our waiter was friendly and helpful. I can't wait to go back and try the grilled pimento sandwich that my colleague ordered and said was delicious read more

Service is horrendous. Bartender and manager are awful. Food is average at best. I would avoid at all costs. Much better restaurants in Roanoke. read more

Reservations for Sunday brunch. Food was pretty good service was a little slow because it was so crowded. Cool place lots of rooms and tables. The fancy bacon app is not worth it. It just had blueberry jelly on it, kind of weird. Eggs Benedict was delicious. read more

Billy's - The Southwest Omelet - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Food is wonderful. Service is great. Pricing is reasonable. The restaurant is nice cozy seating.

My fiancé and I got into Roanoke late on a Friday night. We walked around the old town area and decided to eat at Billy's. It was completely dead, very quiet with just one or two parties. We were greeted, had the opportunity to sit anywhere, and our waiter was great. He recommended to us entrees and he did not steer us the wrong way. My fiancé also starts his tips high and deducts it by any opportunity of poor service. Let's just say, from the great recommendations to his friendly personality, the waiter got his full tip. He even came back and thanked us, especially for it being a slower night and said we made his day. I would definitely recommend coming back. We both had their steaks and enjoyed them very much. read more

My wife and I stopped going there several years ago. The food had dropped in quality and service was not that great. However, recently I went for a birthday party with family. Had the short ribs. Amazing! Service was great. Place was clean. Really really enjoyed it. I will go back. read more

Food hot and delicious, service spot on with request done quickly. The ambiance glows and the brunch is done well. Sunday brunch is a must.

I had to admit I went to a steakhouse and didn't eat steak. I didn't plan on it to be that way. I just saw the photos for the lamb shank and deciddd to order it. It was a good choice (event he waitress said it was an excellent choice). The lamb was juicy and tender, and the sauce was tasty. It came over a bed of risotto, which was also very good. Service was overall good, although our server was a bit forgetful and the food did take a while. In the restaurant's defense, we were told the kitchen was backed up because in addition to regular Saturday dinner service they had lots of orders from people coming and going to the concert at the nearby park. Understandable. Still, the kitchen forgot two orders and made an extra one by mistake. Everything was made right with help of the manager. No worries. We went tot have a good time and we did. read more

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It was a lunch portion of Blackened Grouper. Not priced on the menu as it was the daily special, but price shouldn't matter and I didn't ask. It was okay, nice, not particularly flavorful but okay. It came with a side....I chose grilled asparagus. 4 spears. Thirty-three dollars? A side plate for bread or rolls, but none was offered. A three-dollar Coke. No refill offered. I tipped properly, but I won't return. Two stars, but five dollar signs. Nice place - quiet ambiance. read more

Consistently good food and good service. Try the bacon wrapped scallops for an appetizer. We will return (and have!)

Came here for my anniversary lunch while running some errands in that area. This spot was recommended by a couple of people that live there . It didn't disappoint at all . Very welcoming staff. What the waitress didn't know , she didn't mind going to ask for me . The alcoholic drink that I got with Red Stag was so super delicious ! My first time having a French Drip & it was amazing ! Also suggest getting Flthe spicy crab and corn chowder ! read more

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We were unreasonably refused service without any communication. 5 of us arrived excited to enjoy some good food and drinks and we were told it would be 30 minutes or so which was fine. We settled into a table in the bar area and ordered a round of drinks when the waiter came over. All seemed fine until the hostess or manager came to offer us an appetizer on the house for the delay. We were very thankful and were patient as it seemed fairly busy. After 30 minutes with no drinks we asked the waiter if our drinks were coming soon. He asked us if the manager had been to our table to "discuss the situation" and we informed him that we had been offered and received a free app. Next a hostess came to let us know that a table was about to be available and to close our bar tab. We had not received our drinks now after 45 minutes, and therefore we didn't have a tab. When we inquired about why we hadn't received our drinks yet, the bartender came over (we hadn't interacted with him at all until now) and he commented that our group seemed to have had too much to drink and that's why we hadn't been served. We were absolutely baffled by this as we had not been served at all. We left after being quiet, reserved, and thankful for the free app. We went to an Indian restaurant down the street which was wonderful. Still completely confused as to where the disconnect occurred. We are all professionals in our 50s, none of us were loud or unruly. read more

Walked through downtown in search of some great food and awesome atmosphere. We nailed it by sitting in the bar area. The bartender was amazing, the food was spot on and we couldn't have been happier. read more

What went well? EVERYTHING!! Myself, wife and close friends in town for short stay in Roanoke while vacationing our way home from NC wedding. Quickly checked out menu at Billy's and decided to check out some other options since many were within walking distance. Jacob was at front desk and was so accommodating with restaurant info and local stuff to do. We quickly returned and were told the inner courtyard we preferred (gorgeous weather that night) was unavailable but were told to wait and they'd see what they could do. Enough preamble.... tried to order the fried green tomatoes with pimiento cheese for Appy and were told it was a lunch item and nighttime chef didn't know how to make it. They actually called the chef and were able to serve us. Delicious! Also shared blue cheese wedge salad which they kindly split for each couple. Entreé's were grilled salmon salad, mahi mahi, prime rib and I ordered the braised short rib. It was served with a spoon because it was so fall off the bone tender. All entrees on point. Waiter was great and accommodating...wish we lived closer to frequent this find more regularly. Just go and enjoy!! read more

Billy's was decent! We walked in for Sunday brunch and were able to be seated although the people after us weren't so lucky, so make sure to get a reservation. I had the sea breeze omelet, which was good. I liked the addition of corn but didn't really taste much of the crab that was added. The biscuit was good, but the prepackaged butter and jam feel hotel breakfast-like, and they were able to put the ketchup in a little dish. The potatoes were tasty, but the portion felt a little skimpy. Overall happy and would come back! read more

Billy's - Sea breeze omelet - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

The food is awesome! But we went for lunch but brunch was still being served so we had to have brunch, mind you it was around 1pm. But that was the only downside. I highly recommend the lobster Mac and cheese! read more

Amazing place! The owner was beyond kind and attentive to our table. The waiter, Caleb, was also so attentive and kind! I ordered crab cake sandwich and it was delicious. My sister got lamb lollipops which were also scrumptious. Mimosas were mostly champagne, which I love!! The atmosphere was lovely. Can't wait to go back again soon!! Highly recommend. read more

Billy's - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Everything was excellent. I had the prime rib, which was connect perfectly as was the asparagus. The drinks were delicious. Katie's service was terrific. I will definitely be back read more

Charming place. Nice place for a date, but also good for big groups. We were a big group. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling too well when we came here, so I didn't eat any steak. I decided to order the rainbow trout. It had a toasted almond breading which was nice. It came with a risotto, which was also good. read more

Billy's - Calamari - Steakhouses Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Great ambiance Service was a little slow but it was a busy night Excellent food and beverages read more

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