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.

One of my favorite spots! Great food! Have been coming here for 45 years and other restaurants…read morewould have a hard time beating these burgers,dogs, subs, pitas,french fries and other food they serve. You should definitely take the time to try, oh and a ice cold beer goes really well with and food choice!

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

Really great food and wonderful atmosphere. Stopped while we were traveling and were thrilled with…read morethe place. Our server was super friendly and very helpful. The onion rings were amazing! Plenty of room for parking our travel trailer.

My brother and I were in town and decided to grab dinner at Angelle's. Hannah T was such a…read moredelightful, diligent server and offered great suggestions for our meals. We were so impressed with the food and service that we decided to return for breakfast the next morning. Malena H gave the same excellence in hospitality as Hannah. The breakfast was phenomenal! Hats off to the servers, staff, and managers who keep customer service their top priority.

We enjoyed this establishment in June and decided to eat here again. This time we found a parking…read morespot quickly and the restaurant was not busy. Service was great- we both started with Caesar salads- good with little dressing. I got a Reuben sandwich which was excellent and my wife got a vegetable panini. Both were consumed given a day on the road. I got a Cabernet and my wife got some ipa's. Still good and will continue to be a stop next June when we head North.

No reservations needed for two people on a Wednesday around 6:00pm . First time trying this…read morerestaurant. We had a very friendly waitress, Kristina. She had a great attitude and that always makes dinner more enjoyable. The restaurant is big and the booths are comfortable. Noise level was medium . The fried mushrooms are very good, the Black and Bleu burger accompanied by steak fries was tasty and the Sirloin steak was mediocre. I had to add pepper and salt to make it better . Tasted like a frozen steak, but still edible .( not worth $25.99) The Ultimate Chocolate Cake was very good and it was perfect to split between two . Although they don't sell bottled spring or sparkling water , I Will definitely return and look forward to trying other items on the menu.

We went there every day of our stay for breakfast…read more Cute diner with hard working staff. Expect a wait but they turn tables quick enough. It is worth it. Large portions of well made food.

Having recently moved to Roanoke, we headed here on a recommendation from son and dil. The diner…read morewas busy but spots were open for us. From a great comprehensive breakfast menu and over a big cup of coffee, we ordered. I had the "Little Boy" that include 2 eggs and 2 either bacon or sausage. A pancake and biscuit w sausage gravy accompanied the eggs and bacon! She had chip beef gravy over toast, a hard to find favorite of hers! Service was quick, pleasant and efficient, the breakfast was yummy, ample and a great experience! Glad we discovered a nice old school diner w a great menu, great vibe and service!

Sometimes in the least expected of places one can find the tastiest of foods and the friendliest of…read morepeople. This is the case with Cafe Express, in Salem, Virginia. Located in a standalone building next to a 7-Eleven/Gas Station at 206 Apperson Drive, Cafe Express is a small, family-owned and operated New York Style Deli, run by a husband-and-wife team who immigrated from Nepal years ago and for 18 years have worked hard to make this small, unasuming deli, one of Salem's most precious culinary hidden gems. At first I didn't think nothing of it. Its storefront and location are not that impressive, but after driving by it many times, one day I just had to stop and try it out. From the very beginning, after parking in a space right in front of the deli, I was very impressed by its cleanliness. Its front windows and glass door were so clean and shiny that they were like mirrors reflecting their surroundings which in part was the gas station. But don't be fooled by this. In the past I've discovered exceptional eateries located at gas stations small strip malls. Once inside, I was fascinated by what I saw. There were three beautiful wooden relief carvings on the walls, framed magazine articles of the deli and its owners, framed Award Certificates including one from Yelp, a Buddha artwork on a plate, and a beautiful oil painting, painted by none other than by the owner himself. Both Prakash Malakar and his wife Sarojani gave me a warm welcome and made me feel at home. Eager to learn about their place of origin and culture I ask them about this.The owner explained how they came from Nepal, which is located in between China and India. Afterwards, his wife showed me the menu and the Specials written in colorful chalks over a chalkboard. I was attracted to their "Pastrami Royale and after she explained what items it had, I went ahead and ordered it along with some fries and a fountain softdrink. Not exaggerating, it was one of the most delicious sandwiches that I've ever had. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its amazing high-quality food. For dessert I had a small bowl of their homemade rice pudding. After I finished eating I paid with one of my credit cards via my Google Pay which they accepted and left them a nice tip. In conclusion, I highly recommend this place for its warm and comfortable ambiance, great menu, exquisite food, and remarkable customer service by a kind and friendly couple.

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.

An excellent brewery. We loved every beer we sampled. The place looks fun. We were there on a…read moreMonday. I would love to be here during a weekend to this place hopping. I need a place like this near me.

For a moment there, Garcia's Bistro had its regular customers heartbroken at the news that it had…read more"closed down permanently," but fortunately, not long after, the beloved spot pulled off a miraculous comeback, returning to the neighborhood better than ever before. This popular family-owned restaurant is well known for its blend of Mexican and American cuisine, welcoming atmosphere and excellent service. It's amazingly designed menu has a very creative selection of entrées, like none that I've ever seen before in any restaurant. Its flavorful food is served in generous portions, by cooks dressed in black professional attire, that together wirh its elegant presentation, help create that unique "bistro" experience in a warm and friendly atmosphere with a diner-like feel. As soon as I found out the good news that the place had opened once again, I had to be one of the first ones to go visit and dine there. It seems that the two partners had split up. One stayed running this restaurant and the other chose to remain with their food truck. The only changes that I noticed were that some of the signs in front of the building were torn down and temporary homemade ones were put up. They had changed their business logo although their name remained the same, with the addition of the numbers 581. They already had menus with the new logo printed out, and their cooks remained the same, maintaining their elegant black professional attire. I was warmly greeted by a friendly lady employee as soon as I walked in. She remembered me from the last time I had dined there, and immediately detected my happy feelings of seeing the restaurant opened again. After being seated at one of the booths, she took my order. I had a Coke to drink, the Cancun Shrimp Chorizo Dip with Tortilla Chips as appetizer, and the California Burrito with added Chorizo as my main entrée. It was all very well presented and amazingly delicious, as always. 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. The server did an excellent job checking on me to see if everything was of my liking and to see if I needed anything, including a softdrink refill. All the customers that came in expressed great joy at the re-opening of this well-liked restaurants. For dessert I had a slice of their Coconut Cake. It was amazing. At the end the owner who had stayed with the restaurant arrived and I expressed my gratitude and well wishes for the restaurant's future success. I highly recommend this Bistro to all. If I lived closer, I would be here dining more than once a week. It's that good!

Was close to hotel and had good ratings. Staff were really nice. Food was not good at all. Got…read morethe turkey ruben and buddy got a burger. It looked like they split one order of fries in half for us, ruben was very basic like you could get at a Wawa and way too much sauce which i think was just thousand island dressing. Fries we had were greasy and not much flavor. Restaurant itself im generally OK with dinner or local dives because they tend to have great food but this one needs to improve on everything. Food just meh, Restaurant looks like a converted waffle house. They can do a lot with what they have but really needs work.

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.

My friend and I visited Burger In The Square on 9/3/2026. The food was delicious as well as my BIG…read moremilkshake! To me, the most outstanding rememberence was Server "K.D.". From the moment he introduced himself to the moment we said "goodbye", K.D. was very sociable, efficient, kind, and funny! My friend and I both agree K.D. is a special man and a genuine pleasure to talk with. K.D., please keep up your outstanding positive attitude - it truly means a lot and we hope to be seated in your section next time!!