Tried a sub in a tub, Italian #13 as a salad. It was SO good. Great team, friendly service, fast,…read moregenerous and attentive. Will definitely be back again, loved everything.

Dude baked these cookies with love this morning. Great cookie! Can't wait to enjoy my sub after…read moremike had his way with it.

Delicious subs, generous portions, friendly owner. One if a kind, our go-to sub shop since we moved…read moreto Roanoke recently

I wish I could give this place a great review but unfortunately, I cannot. Although the guy making…read morea sandwich was really nice the sandwiches were mediocre best and extremely expensive for what you got! We got two small Panini's and one bottled Coke and the total bill came to $28! And if these were amazing, incredible sandwiches, maybe I could swallow that but it's extremely overpriced for what you get.

Delis are a dime a dozen, but sometimes in those rare moments in life, like finding a needle in a…read morehaystack, one encounters a priceless one, and that is precisely what happened to me when I discovered Mike's Deli. This very popular American deli in the Hollins area of Roanoke, Virginia came to my attention through word of mouth, and I couldn't resist to put aside some time to go have lunch there, and experience first hand what a one-of-a-kind deli is all about. When I arrived, I parked my Lexus in a parking space right in front of the deli. Even though it was established in 2012, its physical building looked like new with clean red bricks and a beautiful French window on the right of its freshly painted blue door, and an equally beautiful Bay window on the left, leading to the dining room. Inside, the owner Mike personally greeted and welcomed me with open arms. His friendly and cheerful personality made me feel at home right away. The place had a basic, clean, and unpretentious environment. It's dining room had blue tables with comfortable chairs, and positive, noble words on its wall like: "Thankful," "Blessed," and "Love conquers all things." The menu featured a wonderful, unique variety of hot and cold submarines, sandwiches, and homemade sides. Such as "The Farmhouse," a house specialty with chicken salad, crispy bacon, and creamy Russian dressing. Their homemade desserts such as Baklava and Banana Pudding looked delicious as they were displayed next to a variety of others. After looking at their menu, I ordered a Lemonade to drink, a Ruben Sandwich to eat, and a homemade Banana Pudding for dessert. The sandwich was exquisite, the drink was refreshing, and the dessert was truly amazing. And the service by the owner himself was extraordinary. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its food, and highly recommend you give them a visit. I can assure you, you'll be forever grateful you did. I can't wait to return and try one of their other unique sandwiches on the menu.

Delicious sub at a reasonable price! The Bacon Cheeser Pleaser hit the spot and the Baklava was…read morefresh & delicious. The owner was friendly and down to earth. A welcoming environment and clean dining space. This place is a Roanoke original under the current ownership for 20 years. Was a short walk or shuttle ride from Southern Team where I was waiting on an oil change.

Hidden in the least expected of places I discovered this little gem of local Café. A Café like no…read moreother that I have ever seen before; as unique and valuable as every single diamond. Owned and operated by Sue and Vivian, two lovely and very talented ladies with wonderful personalities, it is located inside of the Antiques & Collectibles Shop "Buy The Season," in Salem, Virginia. I arrived around lunch time in my pearl white Lexus and was able to quickly find a parking space in one of the spaces in front of the extremely large Antiques, Collectibles, Gift, Home Decor, and Furniture Shop. And if this wasn't enough, we can also include "Café." The Café is located in the right corner of the building with its own windows with homemade, red, checkered curtains, and vinyl banner that reads: "Apperson Café / Hot Dogs * Baked Goods." There is also another sign that reads: "Lunch Specials." As I entered through the main front door of the building, I received a friendly greeting from the people running the Antiques Shop. Then as I walked towards the Café the ambiance began to feel warm and cozy, just like those one-of-a-kind, local cafés. I was very impressed by all the homemade menu signs they had up and with one in particular that read: "Happiness is Homemade." The long, glass display case, was full of all kinds of homemade cookies and other desserts. They had sourdough bread loaves made by a group of Mennonites. And basically they had an American home-style cuisine menu, spearheaded by Special Hot Dogs, with other items such as BBQ Pork, Chili, Grilled Cheese, Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad, and homemade soup, among other things. Something very popular are their homemade donuts made from a special recipe given to them by a Mennonite friend. They make these Fridays and Saturdays only, and they are so popular that they always sell out early. I ordered a Chili Hot Dog combo with a glass of homemade lemonade, and chips. The Hot Dog came with toasted buns and were very wide and firm. One of the best Hot Dogs that I have ever tasted. The Hot Dog provider happened to be there at the moment, but they didn't want to reveal the brand name of the Hot Dog, I guess to maintain the exclusivity at their Café. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. Their homemade lemonade was also amazingly delicious and refreshing. They had a station with condiments that you could put on your hot dogs, as well as with macaroni and potato salad. Everything was so good: the cozy ambiance, the hospitable and friendly owners, and the freshly made food, that together made for a delightful dining experience and the desire to want to come back.

Had their special for lunch today. Boars head baked sub, loaded with turkey, pastrami, ham cheese…read morebasil pesto herbs tomato and onion. It alone was a full meal but came with choice of different salads from salad bar. also a drink. Staff are wonderful especially Sophie. Jessica and Autumn make the dinning experience perfect. will return very soon.

We ordered sandwiches, which we foolishly thought would be warm, or at least room temperature. The…read morebread was stone cold, straight out of the refrigerator cold, colder than the deli meat. Maybe we expected too much, but we assumed that a place called the "Bread Basket" would make their sandwiches with fresh, tasty bread. We didn't expect hot out of the oven bread, but if you're going to keep your store-bought bread in the fridge, you can at least warm it up before serving it. It really was the worst sandwiches we've ever had. I get unreasonably irritated every time I drive by the place. The 3 stars were because they had birch beer, which is hard to find around here.

We came here to try their deli sandwiches and while they are passable, they're only just that. The…read moreother "Amish deli" nearer to me, Walker Valley Market, definitely has them beat on portion, food quality, value and especially seating! This place only has outdoor tables and the inside is very small. I can't say it was all bad news, as my guest who got a gluten free sandwich was very happy with it, but the drink selection is also sparse and I'm probably not going to seek this place out again.

Amazing food and great service. The area is so cozy. Great place to go 10/10 would recommendread more

Always consistent. Good drive-in fast food. Very friendly staff. Decent prices…read more Only drawback is it can be tricky getting in and out at lunch time.

After a miss at the New Yorker and trashing my lunch I headed to RT Smith's for a better outcome. I…read moreordered a corned beef reuben. Great marble rye, loaded with quality Swiss cheese and the sauerkraut was outstanding. The corned beef was a mid, just missing any flavor. Tasted like a horseradish sauce was also added which gave the sandwich a bit more life. Very so-so overall....nice owners, very friendly. Look for street parking. Lot at the corner next to the restaurant is $8/hr to park.

A friend of mine recommended this Deli to me and since this is one of the most effective ways of…read morediscovering interesting places to eat, I decided this morning to go check it out for breakfast. The only New York City Deli in Roanoke, Virginia; located almost in the corner of Jefferson Street and Campbell Avenue SE, it is centrally located with on street parking as well as a parking garage nearby. When I arrived to the building where the restaurant was located, it had a small restaurant front with windows on the two sides of the restaurant's door. It had its name painted in the window, as well as a black stand out sign with golden letter fonts: "R.T. Smith's Delicatessen EST. 2011." From outside it seemed like all small restaurant, but once inside, I found that its was actually a long space with an infinite amount of food products and many menus for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant was decorated with many interesting items, menu signs, and a collection items of Star Trek figurines. The owner greeted me with a friendly hello and asked me to pick a table, serve myself coffee, and take a seat. After reviewing the menu while sseated, I ordered the Hot Mess Omelette. It was one of the largest omelettes in the Breakfast menu. Later I found out that they also had Breakfast Add Ons to the Omelette at an extra price. But the Omelette I ordered already had 4 eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, and American & Gouda cheese. When the Omelette was cooked and served on the counter, I went to pick it up and pay the bill on the cashier counter. When I took it to my.table and opened up the container where it was served; I was amazed at the size of it. It was cooked perfectly. I put salt and pepper on it from the antique Coca Cola bottle shackers and began eating it. It was one of the best Omelettes that I have ever eaten! And I have eaten the best of the best. Another of my best was one I ate at the Boston Marriott Hotel that had Lobster meat, mushrooms, and brie cheese. Afterwards, I stayed for a while drinking my coffee and talking to the owner and his wife. They both have wonderful personalities and we talked about the business, their move from New York to here. How they import their fresh bagels from New York and soon they will be importing other items as well. Their hobby of collecting Star Trek figurines and other items. Before I left I made sure to tell them that they had just gained not only a new customer, but also a friend. I highly recommend this restaurant for breakfast or lunch. They serve quality food in generous portions and cooked extraordinary well. And provide with their wonderful customer service an amazing dining experience!

Very good breakfast spot. The service was friendly. The decor was lovely - airy but cozy. Plenty of…read moreseating. The menu offered so many yummy options it was hard to choose. I ordered the lemon ricotta pancakes (OMG sooo good!) and the other person in my party had the pumpkin pancakes, eggs, sausage and a side of biscuits and gravy. All very good. Definitely recommend!

Sometimes it pays to do your research. You end up finding the Oyster with the cultured pearl…read moreinside. And this is exactly how I ended up finding this gem of a restaurant after only two weeks and a half of opening its doors to the public. 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 First Watch in Salem, Virginia, is a perfect example. Located in the Mill Lane Commons, off West Main Street, Salem's busiest retail corridor, First Watch, a daytime cafe known for its gourmet breakfasts and brunches, has just become the new kid on the block of the City of Salem's restaurants. This morning I drove in my pearl white Lexus in search of the restaurant which I found next to the Sheetz in Salem. It was located inside a reasantly built contemporary design building. Inside, it had beautiful hardwood floors, lots of windows bringing in the light, and high ceilings with an amazing lighting treatment. The dining furniture was elegant and comfortable at the same time. As soon as I walked in the door, Jaclyn Gorman, a very cordial and hospitable young lady with a wonderful personality, and the restaurant's manager, welcomed me and made me feel right at home, in this cozy, warm, and hospitable environment. She asked me where I wanted to be seated and after I told her that in a well lit table, she took me to the perfect one, and handed me a copy of their regular menu. In a couple of weeks, she told me they would also be serving from their Seasonal menu. At first I was going to have a regular coffee, but when I saw an advertisement on the table next to mine for a Mint Mocha Iced Coffee, I immediately called her back and ask to have this one instead. To eat I ordered their Chile Chorizo Omelet. It not only tasted amazingly delicious, but also looked the part as well. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. I was assigned a server to follow-up on me, but the manager kept in touch to see that everything was of my satisfaction. The ambiance, the quality and uniqueness of the cuisine, and the excellent customer service all contribured to making this an outstanding dining experience. I highly recommend this place and look forward to returning in the very near future.