River and rail is a gorgeous restaurant with an eclectic mix of food choices, all prepared with a…read moregreat deal of tremendous care. My only regret was that I wasn't hungry enough to order more food. The drinks at the bar were fantastic and poured extremely well. I can't wait to come back!

This year I chose this restaurant above all others to celebrate my birthday, and I wasn't…read moredisappointed. It highly went beyond the highest of my expectations, and delivered an extraordinary dining experience. After making an appointment for five o'clock and mentioning that I would be celebrating my birthday there on that day, I wondered how it would be, for everytime I have dined there, their attention to detail has been superb, and their cuisine has been exquisite. The day finally arrived and I was standing by the door at five minutes to the hour. Inside I could see through their large front windows the movement of all the staff getting ready for the opening of the restaurant. At exactly five o'clock, the hostess approached and opened the door for me to enter. She warmly greeted me and apologized for not being able to give me the table I requested because they needed it to unite with other tables for a large group they would be having. But they had prepared another one in front of the open kitchen for me, where I would be able to observe the Chef and other cooks preparing my food. It was definitely to my satisfaction, and when she took me there I was very impressed with the small detail on the table of a Happy Birthday card from the restaurant signed by everyone there and suspended by a little stand. Things like that are priceless in my eyes. Shortly afterwards, my friendly and efficient server Ivy, came by, wished me a Happy Birthday and took my order. To drink I had my favorite Mocktail there, the Butterfly Kisses. As appetizer I ordered the Oyster Wraps. And for my main entrée, the Hanger Steak, my favorite item in their menu and that of all the other restaurants around the area. My server did an excellent job of bringing out my ordered items in a well-paced manner. I noticed the small but significant detail that the chef had of serving me a slightly larger amount of Hanger Steak than the usual, and this meant more to me than any of the other complimentary desserts which are given in most other restaurants on your birthday. The Hanger Steak was so delicious. 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. Also to read my former review where I explain what a Hanger Steak is all about. For the Grand Finale of my Birthday meal I had their Panna Cotta dessert deliver with a burning birthday candle on top, another wonderful detail that many restaurants leave out now-a-days yet is so meaningful to many of us. This was truly a memorable dining experience. One that I will always remember and cherish dearly.

Rosco's is the best place in the town of Welch to eat. I stand on that. Their mac n cheese, all…read moretheir selections of meats, and specials, they are all so good. I was eating it once a week every week for a really long time, but I had to slow down lol. The food is so fresh and wonderful, there has never been anything from there that I have disliked. The service is on point because every single server I have had has been incredible. They go above and beyond to make sure you are taken care of. I would highly recommend Rosco's to anyone who crosses its path!

This is a good place for pulled pork sandwiches, and their collard greens are especially good…read more Everyone is so friendly with us every time we go, and they treat us well. It's a very informal atmosphere where you can be at ease.

Food is excellent!! I've loved everything I've eaten there except the potato salad wasn't a fav…read more But overall, I'll go again and again. Everyone there is so nice and accommodating. The cleanliness could improve but nothing that would deter me from dining there. I think I'd have to say the pork chops and collars are my favs!

Beautiful insides and great customer service, everyone greeted me and made sure my plate was…read morestuffed with food that was hot to the touch.

The upside down pineapple cake was good. We were so hungry that we started with dessert while we…read morewaited for our food to be made. OMG, the collard greens, baked beans and Mac and cheese were on point and worth the trip. Everything was delicious and the portions were perfect. I was stuffed pretty quickly, but I am looking forward to finishing my food later. My sister enjoyed the fried fish, my nephew loved the fried chicken and I had the fried pork chop. The cornbread was big and a great addition to all the plates of food. The service was friendly and the food was made to order. The restaurant is small (4 tables), but more importantly whatever is coming out of that kitchen is finger licking good. We are glad we stopped by and definitely would return if ever in the area.

Good food! I had the catfish, Mac n cheese and cornbread. All delicious. My kiddo had the fried…read morechicken, collard greens and mashed potatoes. The potatoes were a bit bland but everything else was great. We'd come back.

I discovered this charming little restaurant as I was driving around Roanoke, Virginia, in search…read moreof new places to eat that pop up all the time. 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 Bless Ya Soul Soulfood Restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia, is the perfect example. Located off Williamson Road, this restaurant has a relaxed and warm atmosphere, a menu with soul comfort food, and it's owned and operated by a friendly couple. As soon as I entered the door, I was warmly greeted and welcomed by the couple. Was asked to be seated where I felt comfortable at, and was given a copy of their simple but colorful and well-designed menu. They also had a sign up with their Daily Specials and Sides. While looking at their menu I enjoyed reading their slogan "Food for ya soul," and the fact that they mention there that they're open to menu suggestions. I ended up ordering Onion Rings as appetizer and Fried Porkchop with Mac N Cheese as my side. The main course also came with a grilled Texas Toast. The size of the Porkshop was humongous. It was breaded and fried, and served over an aluminum foil inside a clamshell disposable container. I had some problems cutting it because even though it was big, it had a few bones inside which I could not see because they were covered up with the breading. I mentioned this to them but they told me that their customers like to see bones in their porkchops. The Mac N Cheese tasted good but the macaroni pasta was a bit crunched and mixed with the blog of melted cheese. The Texas Toast tasted delicious by the way they had toasted it on the grill. The Onion Rings were not evenly round nor evenly battered and some of the rings were broken into pieces, but the taste was what mattered. After finishing my food I felt full, after all this is how comfort food should leave you feeling. Let's support this young couple I as they eagerly attempt to bring a taste soul into our lives and by doing so even reach our souls.

It's a bit loud in here with the music, game machine, ac, open cooking area, and conversations so I…read morecouldn't hear the server too well. It's a small spot I almost missed while parking to go ro another establishment but decided to check it out since I love soul food. . I don't think it's suitable to dine in because it is so compact and the bar seating area is where they keep their personal items. One of the tables is being used to hold the specials of the day. There are two high seat tables. I tried sitting on it but the seats were not comfortable. The place itself is not large enough to accommodate a walker or wheelchair so any one with one might consider takeout instead. It has a small and limited menu. I was expecting standard soul food but the only a few items on it. The sides are standard and the pork chop is about there is for a standard soul food restaurant. I was hoping for some real soul fried chicken or cornbread. Service was good. Food took about 20 minutes so be sure to allot for time or call in advance. I wasn't happy about the long wait but the pork chop was delicious. Perfectly seasoned and cooked. One of the best I've ever had. Surprisingly a very nice gentleman paid for my meal. I had no idea and I wish I could have thanked him. It has been a rough day so his kindness went a long way with me. I will come back if in the area. I think the food quality should bring business once the word is out. I just hope the small space can accommodate for people wanting to dine in.

From the outside, this restaurant tends to attract people to enter and try it out. And that is…read moreprecisely what I did today. I guess I was impressed with all the food picture posters taped to its front windows. I really had high expectations that I would enjoy it and its food. But there are times that no matter how much you try, you are disappointed. And this was one of those times. Inside, I was impressed with the restaurant's colorful and lively decor, especially its very creative bar design. The place was almost empty with only one family dining at one of the booths. The very hospitable and friendly owner welcomed me, took me to one of the booths and handed me a menu. To drink I ordered a Pineapple Soda. For appetizer I ordered a Beef Patty and Cornbread. And for my main entrée, I ordered from their Specialty section of the menu, The Caribbica Plantain Burger. Between the owner and his wife they served me the different items of my order. The Jamaican Pineapple Soft Drink came in a bottle. As was about to drink it from the bottle when the owner's wife brought me a glass with ice. As I was pouring the soda into the glass, I noticed that it didn't look too clean. Then they brought me a plate with the Beef Patty and a square piece of corn bread. The patty didn't look too fresh. Its dough had wrinkles, like if it was not served fresh but reheated in a microwave. The cornbread was somewhat tasteless. I didn't complain because I didn't want to hurt their feelings, since they were so nice people. The wife of the owner comes by and asked what I wanted on my burger, without telling me that there was an extra fee for some of the items she mentioned. I then notice that a young Asian couple that were dining there got up and went to the counter and spent some time there discussing before they walked out. When the Caribbica Plantain Burger arrived, the first thing I noticed was that it was served with chips, and not with seasonal fries like listed on the menu, and that the sweet fried plantains were not acting as buns like in the menu description. But it looked good so I went on to eat it. As I was eating it, I noticed it did have buns under the plantains, but they weren't that fresh and you could tell that the burger patty came from being frozen and had become dry in the process on unfreezing it. The plantains were the only good thing about this burger. But I didn't complain. I ate what I could, waited, and asked what they had for dessert. It was either Chocolate cake ot Coconut cake. They told me they had ran out of their Rum cake. So I ordered the Coconut cake. When the slice arrived, I noticed it looked a bit dry. Even the frosting was not soft. Like if it was sliced and sitting there for a long time. Then I tasted a piece and what a disappointment. It tasted like insecticide. I could not stand it anymore. I called over the lady server and explained why I would not eat this cake and returned it. The husband came by and asked if I wanted the Chocolate cake instead. I told him, No Thanks. When I walked over to the restroom to wash my hands, I passed by the kitchen and it didn't look very clean at all. Afterwards, I paid my bill, and when I got home, I noticed the following statement written on the bottom of the receipt: "ALL SALES ARE FINAL. No refunds. Same day exchanges with receipt may apply at management's discretion. By dining with us, guests agree to house policies." I definitely not recommend this restaurant at all, and consider it one of my worst dining experiences ever and a waste of my money.

Omg this place is amazing. The best red snapper outside of the Caribbean. Everything on the menu is…read moreso good.

I've had several excellent meals here…read more Strongly recommend: - meatloaf - catfish - corn pudding - baked beans - cornbread - coconut pineapple cake I'm still exploring the menu and the variations by day of the week.

The food was sooo good! We got the fried catfish filet lunch, which included two catfish fillets…read moreand two sides, and split it. Tipped a little extra to make up for split plate. The fish was PERFECT. The woman who was running the place was kind and friendly. Can't wait to go back!

I don't know much about pimento cheese. (OK, I don't know anything about pimento cheese.) But the…read morepimento cheese at Bottom of the Stairs is mighty tasty. I was with a group, and one of the people in the group was a pimento cheese aficionado, and she said it was amazing, so there you go. The pimento cheese is served warm with kettle-cooked potato chips. Because I was in a group, we ordered a bunch of things for the table. The pimento cheese, but also the TOTSchos (tater tots covered in beer cheese, pulled pork and cole slaw), and some smoked wings. All of these things were delicious, but my favorite was the TOTSchos because I'm a tot lover, and I love when the tots get kind of soft from the melty cheese and still kind of crunchy from the spots that don't have the melty cheese. BOTS (what people who live here call Bottom of the Stairs) is known for their smoked meats and barbecue. Some of the people at my table got pulled pork and things, but I was feeling like something slightly lighter, so I got the blackened catfish. It comes with slaw and two additional sides, and I picked mac & cheese and collard greens. Well, my meal wasn't light in the slightest, but it was delicious! The fish was tender and had that smoky flavor from the blackened seasoning. I got the Bots Mule to drink, because if I'm not drinking wine, I like to drink gin. Someone at my table got the Pickle-tini, and they did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed my mule. Gin goes down a treat, I tell you what. Plus! They put your Bots Mule in a plastic BOTS cup that you get to take home. Free souvenir! Bottom of the Stairs exists because there is a Top of the Stairs. At the top of the stairs is an adults-only bar. BOTS is the family-friendly counterpart.

I decided to get the platter with two meats here, from which I selected 1 fried catfish fillet,…read morebrisket (came in 2 pieces), and this came with slaw, and two sides, where I chose tater tots and mac and cheese The first thing that absolutely shocked me was the size of this plate. It was incredibly large. My first thought when seeing the food was "there's no way I'm going to finish this". The catfish fillet stretched across the entire plate to cover basically the entire thing. I didn't expect the brisket pieces to be so large either. Also, the amount of tater tots on the plate was significant as well. That's not even to consider the mac & cheese and slaw coming in separate, decently sized cups. Starting with the brisket, I thought this was quite good. What jumped out to me at the start was how well this seemed to be cooked, with beautiful char marks throughout and excellently charred edges. The pieces I had that really nice smoky flavor, and the fat in the meat (since brisket is rather lean - there wasn't too much of it) tasted really good as well. I do think it was a bit dry, as cutting it with a knife required a little bit more effort than cutting a perfectly juicy brisket was, and i did notice some of the meat to be somewhat tough, but I do think both pieces were pretty solid Moving to the fried catfish, I loved how well the breading was seasoned. It had some pepper and other spices that gave it that extra flavor. I liked this less than the brisket, however, due to a) how paper-thin the breading was and b) how easily the breading broke apart from the catfish itself. The entire fillet seemed like it was on the verge of collapse. After my first cut with a fork and knife, a lot of the breading came off, and a good amount of the inner fish spilled out onto the plate. I did think the fish meat was certainly not dry and tasted pretty good, though The tater tots were also fantastic, and there was a lot of them. the fried batter on these was thick and they were quite crunchy as a result. I also appreciated the relish-like sauce that came with them. Another thing that was really good was the slaw - I found the dressing especially to be really flavorful and the vegetables were done well. I liked the mac and cheese less, though, so when it came to prioritizing, I only ended up eating a few bites of it As I already mentioned, the portion size here was pretty insane, and for a price of only around 15 dollars for everything, I thought this ratio was astoundingly good. I would recommend ordering just one for two people, as even as someone who can eat a lot, I had to leave a lot of the mac & cheese and tater tots as I prioritized finishing the main dishes. They certainly don't skimp on size - whether it's the main meat or a side

This weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Kirk & Soul's Second Soft Opening and it…read morewas amazing. 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 Kirk & Soul, in Downtown, Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. I loved the interior renovations of this new restaurant. Its beautiful hardwood floors contrasts perfectly with the lovely and very elegant black dining furniture, comprised of booths, tables and chairs, and bar counter, all with outstanding black marbalized table tops that give the place class. The restaurant's simple decor seems to emphasize its best features. Its high ceiling painted black also gives it a nice touch. And the large windows that go all around the corner bring in the light making the hardwood floors and table top shine to highlight their best features.The restaurant also has an open second floor, as well as a corner three steps high stage for bringing live entertainment that will provide the place with another exclusive detail to attract its clientele. I had an opportunity to meet the restaurant's manager, Blake, and he had great ideas that, when implemented, could most likely make this place one of the most talked about or highly regarded restaurants in the heart of fine dining in downtown Roanoke. Owner Justin Hayden described the menu of this Second Soft Opening as "a soul food Caribbean-style menu with a New Age twist." It included dishes such as Jerk Chicken with rice and beans, Oxtail Rasta Pasta, Classic Cheese Burger, Loaded Fries or Nachos, Wing Basket with your choice of sauce, and Garden Salad. Hopefully in the future they will also include other Caribbean dishes from other Caribbean Islands such as Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, who have excellent cuisines. Today I ordered the Oxtail Rasta Pasta and a Coke to drink. I was the first one there and had to leave early because I had another commitment. The dish looked and tasted delicious, with just the right amount of seasoning. I highly recommend this new restaurant to all, and am looking forward to returning when it's in full function.

All I can say is catfish catfish and more catfish!!! The hot honey catfish is amazing. The fish is…read morenice and flaky, fried perfectly and the hot honey sauce is the perfect mix of sweet and spice. Also loved the thick cut curly fries on the side. The jerk chicken egg rolls were really great too! Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable and eager to help with anything we needed. I'm from California but would at at Kirk & Soul all the time if I was a local. The place looks like it is a fun night spot too.

Made my first visit in the new location at the mall today. It was so good! Every one of the staff…read morewas so friendly! The food was amazing! I will definitely be back!!

Pulled pork. Green beans. Homemade rolls. My dinner was perfection. The staff was kind, attentive,…read morehardworking, and jovial. The space is centrally located, welcoming, clean, and even with some game tables / game machines (think like the machine where a hook drops down to clasp a stuffed animal) sprinkled around. This is the place to hangout, have a kind conversation, and eat amazing pulled pork.