Today I took the road less traveled and ended up in a little gem of a family-owned and operated,…read moreneighborhood restaurant since 1982 by David and Penny Price. Located in Salem, Virginia, this warm and cozy restaurant with window view to the Roanoke River is known for its popular burgers, especially the "Hot Rock," and other casual American fare like sandwiches, subs, hot dogs, onion rings, and crispy fries. Small in size, yet it has received many awards throughout the years, including "Best Burger" from The Roanoker Magazine in 2013. When I arrived to the place, I parked my Lexus over a bed of rocks parking lot, right outside, in the front area of the restaurant, and walked towards it. Inside, there was a small foyer with a bulletin board that had a copy of the menu, some Best of Salem Gold Awards, and some business cards from members of the community and customers of the restaurant. Then there was a bar on the left with a pool table on the right, and many Sports memorabilia on the walls of the establishment. It seems the owner was a great fan of the Virginia Cavaliers. Then in the back there was the dining room with a few tables, and a couple of them had a window view of the Roanoke River. Shortly after I arrived the friendly and very hospitable owner, came out of the kitchen and gave me a warm welcome, asking me to take a seat where I liked. I went and sat at one of the tables with the window view. To drink I ordered a Coke and to eat I ordered their famous "Hot Rock" Burger at the owner's recommendation when I asked him what he would recommend for this my first time dining there. The description on the menu of this burger was a "Hand formed fresh lean ground beef, provolone cheese, grilled onions, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, hot peppers, Italian dressing on pita bread." It was served with potato chips and pickles, or for an extra price you could have it with crispy fries or onion rings. I ordered it with onion rings. While I waited, I looked around at all the pictures and memorabilia on the walls, and I looked through the window at the Roanoke River water flowing. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. When the food arrived, everything tasted fresh and delicious. The burger was cut in half for convenience in eating it. The onion rings had a thick batter that kept them together and were easy to eat. The owner came by to check on me and see if the food was of my liking. We also talked about how he has owned and ran this restaurant for over 43 years. At first the restaurant was also opened at night, but now it's only open from eleven in the morning until two-thirty in the afternoon daily, and closed on Sundays. This makes it easier on him now that he's older, but you can tell he enjoys to continue running his restaurant and serving his customers. Because of its quality food, reasonable prices, and friendly service. I can see why this little restaurant is a local favorite for lunch or a casual meal and I completely give it my total support and urge you to do the same.

Food is pretty good. It's what you'd expect. Loved the service, very sweet older man kept drinks…read morefilled and made sure we were all good. I'd recommend giving this place a try

Minority owned by a husband and wife, although if you ask the husband he says she is the boss!…read more The menu is ever changing. Just as they opened the owner brought out a plank with the newest additions, from a creek burger to a pickle burger with ranch and toppings. My wife had the pickle burger and said it was delicious, while I had the bacon cheese burger with thicker cut bacon. (Note this is not what was listed in the other yelp write ups, the owner said the thick cut was replaced with a slightly thinner cut.) The fries weren't much to speak of, shoe strings but they were hot! Everything was. All was delicious. If you see this place, read the menu and enjoy!

Great place great staff great food. Great venue. Mark it a stop awesome and it's local who doesn't…read morewant to support local

Food was good. Server was very good and polite, helpful. Nice place for family and friends. Will be…read moreback when in the area again.

Visiting Salem, told by the hotel to give Angelles a try. Was feeling like pasta so I ordered the…read morechicken Parmesan, came with a side salad. Salad had very fresh vegetables. The chicken parm came out fast and hot. I would guess there was nothing homemade about the dish and the spaghetti sauce was a little in the watery side, the bread with the dinner helped clean up the sauce. The server was very pleasant and attentive, she was kind enough to invite me back for brunch while I was in town for the weekend. The venue itself was quiet with a subtle sound of country music as background noise. I felt things were clean but I did not stray far from my booth. I think the salad and courteous server would bring me back for another try.

We stopped here tonight after traveling from Florida -arrived tired and hungry! The young lady who…read morechecked us in was great. Our waitress was Mackenzie- she was very busy with waiting on large tables yet she was calm and very friendly. Excellent service. Very empathic knowing we had been traveling for 12 hours. Watching other servers and they were all very friendly and calm! I had the fish tacos and my husband had a burger- both very good. Prices are reasonable and service is excellent. We have eaten here in the past when traveling back to Connecticut. Would recommend!

Place is cute inside, it's spacey and there's a dining area + a bar area. It is incredibly loud if…read moreyou go past 7pm so be mindful of that (lots of college kids including myself + friend groups watching the games). It also gets busy quick! If there's one thing this place can't mess up it's some chicken tenders. They are a staple here. I think they are ridiculously priced, but they are also ridiculously good. The honey mustard is a must with them. I have not been really impressed by the other menu items I've tried, I've gotten a calzone in the past and the fish and chips and they were both average. Service is always 50/50, either someone who is super attentive or someone who will ignore you and never refill your glass for the majority of the time you're there. Overall this place is kind of average, it's $$ for what it is but it's fun with friends. 100% recommend those tenders though.

Food was excellent, my scrambled eggs were perfect, bacon was nice and crisp without being over…read moredone, and their biscuits and pancakes were light and fluffy!! Our service was quick and attentive! Not a fancy place but a great find for a quality country style breakfast!

Food was great, server was very friendly. Restaurant was clean and well managed. I had the veggie…read moreomelet my husband had the double cheeseburger both were 10!

Great food! Service is always good. Would definitely recommend. Now I'm just putting words to get…read moreto the 85 characters.

Dropping our son to college. Somehow saw Yelps Top 100 sandwich places in the USA. Just a short…read moredrive from Virginia Tech in Salem. Located in beside a gas station. Going in we asked the locals what to get- everything. That didn't help with great selection of sandwiches and wraps. The place has some hand carvings on the wall- Nepalese. The owner is very pleasant and helpful. We chatted a bit after we got our sandwiches to go. We got three sandwiches- the Brooklyn, the Manhattan, and Chicken tandoori. All sandwiches were amazing. But the chicken tandoori stood out the most- amazing flavors!!! Highly recommend it. We also got some fries. They also sell cookies and some Punjabi snacks. Definitely will hit this place again when we come visit.

Brewing companies, there are many in this neck of the woods, but very unique, one-of-a-kind ones,…read morelike this one, rarely do we find one. I happened to find this one while searching for the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck. It just so happened that I found out that the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck was going to be stationed outside the Parkway Brewing Company this past Wednesday during National Empanada Day and so I researched this place to learn more about it. I found out that Parkway Brewing Company is a craft brewery in Salem, Virginia. Established in 2012, it is well known for its distinctive ales and a vibrant tasting room with a large beer garden, live music, and food trucks. It operates a 30-barrel brewhouse, producing a large range of beers from IPA to lagers. Located near the Roanoke Valley Greenway, it attracts runners and cyclists, and has become a community hub for outdoor enthusiasts and beer lovers. When I arrived in my pearl white Lexus, the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck was already parked outside, but had not yet opened, so I went inside the brewery to explore its building. There I found a casual, low-key environment with an industrial-chick interior featuring a fireplace and garage doors that opened to the outdoors, to an area with picnic tables and sun umbrellas. Inside there were also several colorful modern murals and a wide counter where customers went to order and pay for their beers. They had several menus as well as display coolers with some of the beers being sold there. The friendly and knowledgeable young lady behind the counter did an excellent job explaining what they had, including the non-alcoholic options. While going to the restrooms, one passed by a window where you could see the brewhouse. Along the way there were also shelves filled with souvenirs of the place. In the room where the fireplace was, there was also a stage for live performances, which usually took place at night. I loved the ambiance and vive of the place and am looking forward to returning to one of their music live performance and some of their beers, and knowing that they also carry non-alcoholic ones will allow me to enjoy the evening and drive back home safely.

Great beers and close to great hiking! We were there on a weekend when there was live music so it…read morewas pretty crowded but we still found a place to sit outside. I would definitely recommend checking it out!

Charming balance of authentic Mexican food and a classic American diner! The fajita omelette was…read moregenuinely one of the best omelettes I've ever had. Fresh ingredients and incredible chorizo, plus great presentation. Our server was so kind, and service was speedy.

If you haven't stopped in yet, you're missing out, just like I was! Great location for locals or…read moretravelers right off I-81. Stopped in on a Monday morning for the first time. Immediately greeted by smiling staff and a very large menu, including breakfast specials! I had lighter fare while my guest enjoyed the stuffed strawberry French toast. Food arrived quickly, coffee and waters never went empty. Looking forward to coming back for lunch and dinner.

Today, we visited Burger in the Square and arrived just in time to beat the rush. Our waitress,…read moreAlyssa, provided some of the best service we've experienced in a long time. Our drinks were perfect and served promptly. My wife ordered the Mushroom Burger, and I went with the Texas Chili Burger. I was absolutely famished, so I strategically took my burger apart and ate it in stages; it was simply too large to eat normally! The onion rings were excellent, offering a great crunch and fantastic flavor. My wife couldn't even finish her meal because the portion was so generous. The restaurant was clean, the tables were spotless, and the atmosphere was quiet enough for us to plan our next few days without distraction.

Superb burgers, wide variety, plus other sandwiches. Burger was juicy and the bun is great. You are…read moregreeted when you enter, the server was very energetic and knowledgeable. The restaurant is clean and very comfortable.