I had the privilege of dining and reviewing this family-owned restaurant in its initial stage of…read moreoperation, just 3 days after opening its doors, and right after having moved to Roanoke and rented the space for their new restaurant business, when its menu was just a variety of empanadas and milanesa steaks. I invite you to go back and read that significant review accompanied by some of my photographs of the restaurant and its food. It is extremely rare for one to have had the opportunity to follow a restaurant from such an early stage.
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 it would be appropriate this year to go back to this restaurant and write a follow-up review, since my initial review was one of my reviews that contributed to me obtaining this highly esteemed Award.
Argentinian people are known for their love of eating. Social gatherings are commonly centred on sharing a meal. Invitations to have dinner at home are generally viewed as a symbol of friendship, warmth, and togetherness. This in particular reflects the significance of this family-owned restaurant's name: Familia Argentina. This Argentinian family is opening its doors not only to share its food with their customers, which is one of the things they are most proud of from their culture, but also to share their friendship with all of us, since homemade food is seen as a way to show affection to their guests.
When you think of Argentinian cuisine, the first thing you think of is steak. That is why I was happy to see that they have expanded their menu with different kinds of steaks, such as skirt steak. NY Strip, Ribeye, and Ribs. They also now have in their menu, their famous "Parrillada Argentina," which is a combination of Skirt Steak, Ribbs, and Chorizo, totaling over than 1lb of meat. Some of their other very popular menu items include their Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches and their Choripan with Chimichurri sauce. Their new menu also include a page of Lunch Special and a few delicious desserts. As a matter of fact the cover photograph of their Yelp page is one of my photographs of their Creamy Strawberry dessert.
Today I arrived for an early dinner and received a warm welcome by the wife and co-owner of the restaurant. We talked for a while about the restaurant's progress and I complimented them on their new expanded menu. I had already visited the restaurant right after the new menu was brought out and had tried out their delicious "Parrillada Argentina" main course and their Creamy Strawberry dessert of which I was surprised by its creamy richness.
After we stopped talking and catching up with things, I ordered two Ground beef and one Knief-Cut Meat empanadas as appetizer, and a Beef Milanesa a Caballo. I love this dish, because it reminded me so much of the "Bistec Empanisado" (Cuban Breaded Steak, a type of Country Fried Steak) my grandmother used to make me when I was growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The "A Caballo" part meant it came with two fried eggs on top. It was served with fries, and was practically the size of the dish it was served in. To drink I ordered a Dr. Pepper.
Good thing I had skipped lunch that day because I was able to eat the whole thing, and I enjoyed it all the way. With lemon juice on top, that steak tasted amazing. However, I was so full that I skipped dessert. While dining, I forgot to mention that the husband, chef, and co-owner of the restaurant also came out to say hello. I had also met him the first time I came by the restaurant and had given him some suggestions. Such as placing larger photographs of the main menu items on one of the front windows to familiarize the public with Argentinian cuisine.
In conclusion, once again I had a wonderful dining experience at this relatively new restaurant. Loved those tasty Empanadas and the Breaded Steak with Fried Eggs on top. I highly encourage you all to go try this family-restaurant out and give them your full support. I can assure you that you'll be glad you did.