Just as colorful tulips bloom to greet the spring, charming family-owned restaurants emerge,…read moresurprising us with fresh new menus. This is the case when I was driving down Williamson Road this afternoon and happen to see a sign that read: "Ana's Kitchen / Cosina Latina." Since I hadn't have lunch yet, and it was getting late, I decided to stop and try this restaurant out. So I pulled up in my pearl white Lexus to one of the parking spaces in front of the restaurant, and went in. The place was small but very clean and well lit. It had a lovely floor, with a couple of booths, and some tables with chairs. The walls were decorated with Latin American Flags and a long sign that read; "Bienvenidos," which stands for "Welcome." On the left of the room it had an Open Kitchen behind a counter, where customers went for Take-out orders. A modern large screen color TV that seemed as suspended in the air, had on a Latin music video playing. As I walked to the counter I was greeted by a very friendly and hospitable, charming lady who happened to be none other than the owner / chef, Ana in person. After giving me a warm welcome she had me seated at the table of my choice with a menu. Soon after I had a chance to look at the menu, my server, a very friendly, young lady came by to take my order. To drink I had a "Maracuya." (Passion Fruit Natural Drink). It was delicious. One of the best drink of this kind that I've ever had. My server served it out of a very clean juice dispenser located on one of the sides of the counter. To dine I had a special appetizer which the owner brought me. It was a piece of meat next to a small salad with lettuce, chimol, three slices of avocado, and lemon. Then as my main entrée I had a "Chuleta Frita." (Fried Pork Chop) Served with refried beans, rice, lettuce salad with avocado, chimol, and Green Plantain Slices. Everything was cooked to order and the vegetables were so fresh and crispy. The pork chop was a bit overcooked and its shape not very clearly defined but it might have been that particular cut. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. My server did an excellent job in coming by to see if I needed anything and if the food was to my satisfaction. I was very impressed by the items on the menu, and I saw a few that I would like to return to try. For dessert I had a "Macheteadas," a typical Honduran dessert, which I tried for the very first time and was simple but delicious. One can clearly say that Ana's Kitchen delivers a genuine, home-style Latin cooking with a friendly and efficient customer service.

Family run, sweet little well kept secret for Latin food !!! The food was exceptionally tasty &…read morefresh !! Serving sizes are good. The pricing is very reasonable!! The restaurant is very clean, bathrooms also. I'd recommend 10 stars if you could

This Food Truck is owned by a Honduran couple, Maximo and Jose, and named after Maximo's sister who…read morealso works there. On their time off they work driving for Lyft and one day that I had to take a Lyft, Maximo was my driver and mentioned the food truck, and gave me a copy of their menu that he had just picked up from the print shop. So today, since we are in Hispanic Heritage Month, I decided to go visit this food truck and try it out since the food in the color brochure looked very good and inviting. 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 La Cocina de Goyita Food Truck in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. Food Trucks are not easy to find. Not all of them are in the same place all the time. Sometimes they move around and advertise where they're going to be in certain dates. Oftentimes they don't have a website of their own for us to find their scheduled days and hours of operation or phone number where we can inquire where they can be reached. But La Cocina de Goyita has it's act together. It uses the address and is listed on the web as being located in the Fresh Asian Super Market off Williamson Road. This address can also be found in their Yelp site. The Food Truck is modern and huge size compared to others. It has plenty of parking and one can also park in the parking lot of a strip mall located next to it. If you're in the mood to eat outdoors, it has three picnic tables covered with a tarp to protect from the sun or rain. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its food, which by the way it specializes in Authentic Honduran Cuisine. On one side of the Food Truck it has its menu with large pictures of the items and their phone number in large print, for I noticed while I was there that they had many customers that called in their order and then came to pick it up. Interestingly enough, I noticed that none of their menus had the prices listed on them. One had to ask before they ordered and if you paid with credit card they will tell you that you would be charged a dollar extra. When I arrived Jose was there and gave me a friendly greeting in the middle of cooking and preparing many phone orders which he had received for pick up. I ordered an Horchata to drink and a Chuleta dish (Pork Chop) as my main entrée. Then I went to eat it at one of the picnic tables. The pork chop was big and thick, well seasoned, and with only a small bone. It was served with rice, refried beans, Honduran cheese, and house salad. To my surprise he also included a large slice of avocado cut in half and a cooked jalapeño pepper. Everything was very good and the price was $16 including the extra dollar for paying with credit card. By the time I paid, Goyita had arrived and I got to meet her. I highly recommend this place for the variety and quality of their food, seasoned and cooked to perfection, and with very friendly service.

No hagan caso a esos comentarios negativos, la comida en la cocina de Goyita está deliciosa!!!!!…read moreCualquier platillo ahí lo preparan muy rico!!! Es comida hondureña, y las MEJORES BALIADAS DE ESTADOS UNIDOS. 100% Recomendable gente :)

This is probably our favorite restaurant in Roanoke. Delicious food and drinks, try the guava…read morejuice! The owners are so kind. We keep coming back and are never disappointed with the food. Also highly recommend trying the vinegar hot sauce, it's delicious and they sell it by the bottle!

Amazing!! Authentic and pure Puerto Rican food. I know because I am boricua and I can tell…read more Delicious and fresh. Is like tasting the island. My new favorite place.

Pupusas and a sparkling clean dining space? Yes, please! This restaurant clearly takes pride in…read moretheir business. I really enjoyed the pupusa loca and fried banana dessert on my recent visit. I would like to try the shrimp pupusa next time or maybe the carne asada plate. The service was friendly and efficient. I will definitely be back!

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15. So this year I…read moredecided to search for local Hispanic family-owned restaurants and the first one I discovered was a Food Truck specializing in Salvadorian cuisine but also including other Latin American dishes as well. Hidden in a tiny spot off Williamson Road in Roanoke Virginia is the Pupuseria La Chalateca. 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 the Pupuseria La Chalateca in Roanoke, Virginia, is the perfect example. The Spanish word La Chalateca refers to a woman from Chalatenango, a department orbits in El Salvador. This Food Truck is owner and operated by a really nice woman from that part of El Salvador, and thus its name. Her sister also works with her here. Located in a small area next to La Oficina Latina, one can hardly notice the Food Truck there. But I followed it's address on my GPS and it lead me to its location with a small three car parking lot, but with plenty of areas to park in its surroundings. As soon as I arrived I walked to the Food Truck which had the menu painted on the truck itself with painted photos of each item. As I was reviewing the menu a very friendly lady opened the window of the Food Truck and gave me a very warm greeting and welcome. I immediately talked to her in Spanish and she was relieved that I spoke her language. After some talk I ended up ordering Pupusas with Chicharron (pork) and Queso (cheese). And to drink I ordered an Horchata. (A typical drink of the area). A pupusa from El Salvador is the nation's beloved national dish: a thick, hand-formed corn tortilla filled with various ingredients like cheese, beans, or pork, then cooked on a griddle until browned. Traditionally served with a tangy cabbage slaw called "curtido" and a mild tomato salsa. In front of the Food Truck was a wooden picnic table with an umbrella to protect customers from the sun. So there was where I ate my food as soon as it was done. The pupusas were the best that I have ever tasted. They were hot, moist and tasty. Who would ever have imagined that food this good would have come out of this food truck! While I was eating several To Go customers ordered and took took their food to go. So obviously the place had already a good clientele. The owner told me that she is looking for a brick and motor place to open a restaurant there. I told her with this excellent cooking I'm sure she'll do well there. In conclusion, I highly recommend this Salvadorian cuisine. The owner/chef, not only is very friendly and has a wonderful personality, but cooks amazingly good. I myself am looking forward to returning real soon to try out her other items from the menu.

I ordered online. For some reason, the order for my beverage didn't convey to them, but I showed…read morethem the email receipt and they got it for me quickly. I came seeking pupusas, and theirs were deliciously grilled and delivered satisfaction. The price was a bit high for lunch, but I could not accuse them of shorting me, either with respect to the abundant flower buds embedded inside the pupusa, or the pleasantly pickled sides. I took a chance on a tropical fruit I'd never heard of, and I got a ton of it that took me two days to drink, with a fascinating flavor and enough pulp to make it clear this was real fruit (although I'm guessing they add sugar to these things). I wish their menu made it clear whether the beans were vegetarian and I could have done with the ability to mix and match pupusa flavors rather than getting three of the same one, but my basic craving was fulfilled.

One of my wife and my favorite places. Friendly, inviting staff. Locally owned. Clean, well…read moremaintained dinning room. Great flavors! Honduran and other Latin dishes

Tacos Rojas is the best local Mexican restaurant chain for authentic tacos in the greater Roanoke…read moreValley. I'm thrilled that this new location has just opened in Hollins as it is practically in my backyard. If you have a craving for high quality tacos, you can't go wrong with ordering Cheesy Birria, Al Pastor, or Carnitas Tacos. The only drawback is that they do not give tortilla chips with salsa to every table like most Mexican restaurants in the area do. You have to pay separately for an order of them if you want them. Aside from this, there is nothing like enjoying high quality tacos and an ice-cold drink out on the patio at Tacos Rojas when it is hot outside.

Rojas tacos, asada.. Just get them. Prompt service. The…read morefastest I've experienced in a long while. Friendly and knowledgeable. Clean and nicely appointed traditional Mexican restaurant. Look at the picture of my margarita. Just soak it in. It tastes as good as it looks..

This is a lovely family-owned restaurant located in Keagy Village, a relatively new and modern…read morestrip mall in Cave Spring, Virginia. Even though there are several Tacos Rojas around, each one is owned and operated by a different family member, with the same menu, but slightly different ambience and decor. What I liked about this restaurant was the modern yet simple exterior architectural design, and small but warm and cozy interior. Its location is also very beautiful, where from the back window you can see a beautiful landscape surrounded by mountains. A friend and I decided to go visit this restaurant for an early dinner the day after 5 de mayo and overall we weren't disappointed. We were fortunate enough to have been greeted and welcomed by the owner himself who was very friendly and kind. We sat at a table near the back of the restaurant and at the time were the only customers there. A basket of Tortilla Chips and Salsa was brought to our table and they were very fresh and delicious. My friend ordered a dish with two Chimichangas, one beef and one chicken, and I ordered the Carnitas Burrito. The food was very good and my burrito was humongous, although its temperature was somewhat lukewarm and this detracted from its flavor and rating for this restaurant. There is no reason for an empty restaurant to be be serving lukewarm food. For dessert we both had a slice of their Flan, which had the right consistency, flavor, and temperature. Overall this was a very clean and cozy restaurant, with a small bar, in a beautiful location, with an appropriate decor, serving quality Mexican food. If the manager listens to my constructive feedback and takes action, I would no hesitate in returning and highly recommending the restaurant for its food and great service.

My wife and I visited Taco Rojas for an early dinner. It was our first time there, and we were…read morethoroughly impressed. We ordered the Big Quesadillas, which were incredibly generous in size and bursting with flavor. The service was exceptional, and we left feeling grateful for the delicious meal and the friendly staff.

For some time now I had been trying to track down a Food Truck called "Empanada Nirvana." I had…read moreheard many good things about this Food Truck, mainly that it had Authentic, Award Winning, Puerto Rican Food and one of the best Empanadas around. Having lived in Puerto Rico for around ten years when I was growing up, I knew very well how flavorful the Puerto Rican cuisine was and how delicious were their empanadas. But this was one of those food trucks that wasn't anchored in a particular spot, but floated around from place to place, and by the time I got the information of where it would be next, it had already been there and gone. But it just so happen to be the day before April 8th, National Empanada Day, when I discovered this food truck owner's telephone number, contacted him, and found out that the following day they would be parked outside the Parkway Brewing Company in Salem, Virginia. So I made plans with the owner to definitely be there to finally try out his food, including his famous empanadas. When I arrived there in my pearl white Lexus the following day, it so happen to be National Empanada Day, and I finally got to see the "Empanada Nirvana" Food Truck. I found his nephew inside the truck making the necessary preparations to open up the truck for business as soon as his uncle returned from doing some errands. The uncle and owner of the Food Truck finally arrived and I had the opportunity of meeting him, after all this time of searching. He was very friendly and welcoming, in the true Puerto Rican Spirit. I found out he was a New York Rican, which means from a Puerto Rican family who grew up in New York. He told me how he was based in Roanoke, Virginia, but his service area also covered Vinton, Salem, Christianberg, Blacksburg, Lynchburg, and Bedford. How his business website was in Facebook and there he had his telephone number posted as well as would post where he would park his Food Truck next and that he was exploring the possibility of someday having a brick and mortar restaurant in Roanoke. How besides the different kinds of empanadas he had for sale, he sometimes also had in his menu specials like Arroz con Gandules and Lechon, and sides like yuca, tostones, and maduros. Tostones being fried green plantains and maduros, fried ripe plantains. I had three of their famous empanadas to try them out: ground beef & cheese, chicken & cheese, and Italian sausage & peppers. First of all, each of them were of a generous size, the size of an authentic Puerto Rican Empanada. The dough was also the authentic one and I know by experience. And the filling was well seasoned, flavorful, and juicy meats and cheese that gave them the magic touch. I got filled up after eating the three of them. After finishing them up I found out that next Wednesday, April 15th their food truck would be stationed at Virginia Western Community College. Now that I have their phone number and the knowledge of how to track their Food Truck location down, I will definitely be dining there more often. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the food truck and the quality of their food, look them up in Facebook, and go try them out. Their empanadas are truly genuine and delicious.