We were in town overnight and a friend said "you HAVE to go to Scratch Biscuit!" And we are so glad…read morewe did...it was the perfect breakfast after a late night at the Avett Brothers concert at Elmwood Amphitheater. The service was incredible fast, accurate, and friendly. The biscuits were delicious with the perfect amount of crunch, flavor, and yumminess. And the grits, well they were some the best I've had in a long time. The coffee was also spot on.

Love the seating area outside, dog friendly! Nice large biscuits- super hefty that'll keep you full…read morefor a long time. Wait wasn't too long. Nice variety on the menu for everyone, from breakfast tacos, plates, French toast to biscuit sandwiches. Loved it for a casual group breakfast.

I have been to many restaurants that I've enjoyed but this one stands in a class by itself…read more Starting from its sofisticated yet relaxed ambiance, to its exquisite food prepared by knowledgeable cooks, to its extraordinary customer service by friendly servers. One always has a delightful dining experience here. Today, I decided to dine there on the way to going to watch the Actic Productions musical of Into The Woods which was being performed at the D. Geraldine Lawson Performing Arts Center in Fincastle, Virginia. I arrived soon after they had opened at four in the late afternoon. A friendly young lady greeted me at the Host's station right at the entrance of the restaurant and after asking me where would I prefer to seat, took me to the table of my choice. Studying the menu it was not easy to choose what to get from the great variety of dishes. But by the time my sever Kaylee arrived with a big smile and welcoming attitude I had made my decision. I would start off with a Mojito Mocktail to drink. As appetizer I ordered their Coconut Shrimp, followed by a House side salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. And as my main entrée, their 8oz Filet cooked medium-rare. I asked the server for the items to be spaced out and to have the salad before the main entrée. The Mojito Mocktail tasted wonderful. As I was enjoying it a young gentleman server assistant brought me the Coconut Shrimps and they looked amazing. They were enormous in size, very crispy on the outside and fresh and moist in the inside. One of the best that I have ever had. 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. Then came the salad which also looked and tasted wonderful. Almost right after bringing me the salad, they brought me the main entrée of the Filet cooked to perfection with a loaded Baked Potato. I don't like when this happens, but the food was so good that I patiently ate it and then asked to speak to the manager. There was no manager on site but the person in charge of the kitchen came to see me and I explained the concept of timing to him as a constructive criticism, letting him know that everything was so exquisite that I was not upset, just wanted him to know so that in the future when this is corrected both the other customers and I could have a more pleasant dining experience and enjoy our food better. For dessert I had their Strawberry Shortcake and it was amazingly delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in the middle. This was the Grand Finale of an excellent meal. The incident of the timing, suddenly didn't seem to matter that much because they took my feedback gracefully and I was able to teach them a lesson in fine dining. In conclusion I continue to highly recommend this restaurant and am looking forward to returning to try one of their other amazing items from their menu.

I stopped in because my mother loves seafood and there is a shortage of seafood restaurants in the…read moreArea. Ordered the oysters and Calamari. The calamari wasn't cooked crispy enough for me but it was fresh. My mother had the fried oysters and fries. She loved it! The service was great. The decor was nice. Bathrooms were clean. They have a bar off to the side of the dining room. What a creative name for the mountains!

Welcoming atmosphere with comfortable seating inside and out. Yummy baked goods ( danish, mini…read morequiche, scones,...) and other treats house made. Coffee and tea was very good.

Sweet Donkey was amazing for a Friday early morning coffee date. I got a hot mocha and my date got…read morethe drip coffee. Both drinks were excellent and got us moving for the day. I like getting hot mochas and have tried over 30 cafes. This one was good since it wasn't too sweet, but I wish more chocolate notes came through. At $7, I also thought it was on the higher end of the cafe price ranges.

Great food and service! There quite nice and I love there food every time! With the newer bar…read moreportion it makes it even better with the new portion being cleaner and having nice ambiance!

I've been here many times but it's been over 5 years since I did a review. Still great service and…read moregood fresh ingredients. The place is nice inside too. The only thing I don't like about their breakfast is there is no platter that includes gravy you have to pay $3 more for it. The gravy is great and the bacon is cooked perfectly

10/10 quick and friendly service! Portions are incredible for the price point. Took an entire…read morecollege soccer team of 40 girls and it was less than $200. They accommodated us and if we're ever back in Roanoke we will be back!!

I enjoy having breakfast at Ernie's for its warm and cozy ambiance. As soon as I enter the place I…read morefeel right at home. The sever already knows what I usually have to eat, and she serves me a freshly brewed cup of coffee as soon as I have a seat at my favorite booth. Ernie's on the Market is owned and operated by Bill Kopcial, a former Roanoke City firefighter and his business partner Scotty Smith. They are wonderful individuals. Bill always greets me when I'm having breakfast and he stops by. Just the other day, I ran into him and his family at McAlister, where they were having dinner. My usual breakfast there is two fried eggs over easy, with bacon, homefries, and white toast. I also enjoy their omelets. On weekdays they are one of the few restaurants that open at 6:00AM, so it gives you an opportunity to get a head start of the day. The server is a very friendly and hospitable young lady, who is always looking after her customers to see if they need a coffee refill or would like a glass of iced water to enjoy with their food. Today I had the usual breakfast. No matter how the cook prepares my breakfast, it always tastes so good. The white Texas toast is always fresh and soft, and the eggs and bacon tastes just right. I also enjoy looking at the historic photographs on the brick wall and their flamboyant decor. Their prices are reasonable enough to be able to leave a well deserved good tip. And one always leaves the place with a good feeling.

This place is wonderful and unexpected in this small town. The food is delicious and the staff goes…read moreout of there way to make sure you enjoy your time with them. We've been there several times and enjoyed every one. You've got to try the Catfish. It was unbelievable!! Can't say enough about this place. Love it!! Go and enjoy!!

Today I happened to have taken the road less traveled and it led me to a whole new world in dining…read moreexperiences. One which I can only describe with one word: Extraordinary! After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also 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 1772 Rooftop on Main, a very unique restaurant and bar, located in the historic town of Fincastle, Virginia is a perfect example. From the moment I heard about this place I couldn't help stop thinking about going there one day and having a memorable dining experience. One like none other ever before. The owners of this restaurant had that rare creative imagination of coming up with the concept of a restaurant and bar located in a historic building with lots of character and charm. Starting from its quaint handcrafted bar and dining room located next to its semi-open kitchen on the first floor, to the rooftop open dining patio with stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the historic Fincastle Courthouse, originally designed by Thomas Jefferson. This together with the uniqueness of the rooftop patio having a bar made out of an old Beechcraft V Tail Bonanza plane that was purchased from Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke, Virginia. Once a fully functional aircraft is now the center of attention of the 1772 rooftop dining patio. After making a six o'clock reservation for a Friday evening to this family-owned restaurant and bar, I checked on my cellphone and driving on the alternative route of 220 it would only take me 31 minutes to get there from Roanoke, Virginia. I enjoyed the ride in my pearl white Lexus Luxury Edition listening to music on its powerful radio. When I arrived it didn't take long for me to find a huge parking lot conveniently located about a block away from the restaurant. Once inside, a friendly young lady greeted me at the Host's station and confirmed my reservation. I asked to be seated at the indoor dining room where I could see their kitchen and observe their operation, and then I would visit the rooftop on my way out. She leadi me pass an area of beautiful wooden shelves with item for sale, and through a hallway into the indoor dining room and bar, where she handed me the menu. It didn't take long for my server, another young lady, to welcome me, answer some questions about the menu, and take my order. The menu was not large but full of very desirable items that would want to make me return to try them all. I ordered a Pepsi to drink. A House Salad to start off with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. And an 8oz tender top cut Sirloin, their Baseball Sirloin as my main entrée. It was served with whipped potatoes and sautéed zucchini & squash. The salad was simply amazing. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. The main entrée was also exquisite. They had a wonderful team of chefs who knew how to bring out the best in every dish they prepared. For dessert I had a slice of their Peanut Butter pie. It was delicious but brought frozen and thus hard to eat. I would suggest they do something to thaw the pie a little like they do in other restaurants for the customers to better enjoy the dessert dining experience. When finished eating, I paid with my credit card and went upstairs to the rooftop. It was wonderful. A full-house of customers enjoying a good time together, with good food and good drinks. All the servers were very friendly and welcoming, creating the ideal ambiance for an extraordinary dining experience and night out.

The Blue Ridge Diner was a great stop for our trip to Floyd! We were in and out super fast and the…read moreserver was excellent. I loved the true small town feel this place has. I don't even live in Floyd and the amount of people that talked to us and asked us questions while we were visiting was so nice. The food is standard diner fare. I wish we had more time because the breakfast menu looked great and seemed to be very popular.

Slick little, retro diner in the heart of Floyd. At breakfast there yesterday. Great food and…read moreservice. A real throwback. Only thing that was missing was a mimosa.

I'm a fan of First Watch and do seek them out when traveling due to their consistency of being…read moreabove average. So when in Roanoke, Virginia I found they had a location. They also have another location in nearby Salem. I used the app for getting in line which typically works flawlessly. My time to arrive was 15-20 and upon arrival in that frame a table was ready. A host seated us with menus and silverware. Our group of four looked over the menu as a waitress arrived minutes later. She got the drink order and arrived back in short order. We were ready to order. I cannot remember what everyone got, but I had the Spring chimichurri special and added an avocado. The dining room was packed as was their outdoor patio. The noise was elevated, but not piercing. We had a table near the patio. I enjoyed my coffee as we waited for brunch orders. It's impossible to not be impressed with the hard working staff as they quickly moved through the dining room. After around 15 to no more than 20 minutes the food hit the table. The millionaire bacon is always a huge hit and recommend. Everyone's dishes were correct. My dish overall looked smaller than I've had before. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. The avocado add was two tiny pieces which was disappointing. When our waitress checked in I alerted her the avocado add on was underwhelming. She immediately addressed it with additional. She also got another water craft. Checkout was efficient up front. In my opinion First Watch offers a higher level service, good and atmosphere. I plan on returning with additional visits in Roanoke coming up this Summer.

There are times when I wake up early in the morning feeling like having a special breakfast in a…read moreclean, inviting, and welcoming environment, with eclectic gourmet recipes that excites my taste buds. After having been selected as number 4 of the Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I also was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at the 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 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 Roanoke Virginia is a perfect example. Located in the Ivy Market Shopping Center, a small, high-end, new construction, outdoor shopping mall, in Southwest Roanoke, with other exclusive stores and restaurants such as Mellow Mushroom, Earth Fare, Taziki's Mediterranean Café, Walgreens, and Carilion Clinic Institute for Orthopedics and Neurosciences, First Watch is an award-winning breakfast, brunch, and lunch restaurant, serving a chef-driven menu of elevated classics and seasional specialties, always made to order. This morning, I woke up early and was at the restaurant as soon as it opened at seven o'clock in the morning. It was still dark out, but the bright light coming out from its windows was the best indication that it was open and ready for customers to arrive. As soon as I was seated at the table of my choice a friendly and very hospitable, young lady greeted me and asked what I wanted to drink..I asked for a cup of coffee and a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice. To eat I ordered the Chimichurri Steak & Eggs Hash, with the eggs cooked over easy, and the steak medium-rare. I love the warm and welcoming ambiance of this place. Everyone is so friendly and kind. And the chef always comes out with culinary masterpieces. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of the food. In no time at all my server arrived holding a plate with something on it that looked like a culinary work of art. The chef had once again overexeeded my high expectations of how the menu item would look, and as I would quickly find out, of how it would taste. My server came around at the appropriate times to see if I needed anything. What could have improved is that she brought me the bill and placed it on the table, without asking me if I was ready for it. I was thinking of having something sweet at the end, but because of this, didn't. Hope management takes this constructive feedback only as an improvement of their otherwise wonderful restaurant. Other than this, I had an extraordinary dining experience, and highly recommend this place for a top-of-the-line breakfast or lunch.

Freaking delicious biscuit with chicken and I add an egg. Oh my god! Too bad they were out of…read morecinnamon rolls, guess you have to get up really earlier.

Enjoyed this small restaurant for a quick breakfast. I got the sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit…read morewhich was small but filling. I didn't think they are rave worthy but I enjoyed it and would go back to try a different one. The cashier seemed like the owner and she was very nice!

Truly amazing food, everything seems made from scratch. Staff gets to know you and is very…read morefriendly. My two personal favorites are the chocolate croissant and the garlic rosemary sourdough. I could eat here every day and not get tired! Manager Brett also manages that place insanely well. Clean, organized, and efficient. Kudos to the team!

I have been to many bakeries in my lifetime, many wonderful ones located in cities like San Juan,…read moreMadrid, Rome, Paris, Brussels, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Miami, and Washington, DC, among others. I have truly enjoyed dining in each and every one of them. But Bread Craft, located in the Star City of Roanoke, is in a class of its own. After being ranked 4th among Yelp's Top 50 Most Prolific Elites of 2025, a distinction recognizing my consistent community engagement and high-quality contributions, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants, businesses, and establishments, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to go back and write follow-up reviews on those places that impressed me the most during 2025, and Bread Craft Bakery, located in Downtown Roanoke, is the perfect example of one of them. Bread Craft is a premier, artisan European-style bakery established in 2006 by owner Alex Eliades, who besides having a passion for baking, has over 25 years of baking experience, and leads the bakery focusing on traditional slow-fermentation techniques. The bakery is known for its high-quality, scratch-made sourdough, pastries, and Croissants. It evolved from a wholesale operation into a popular 6,000 square foot café on Church Avenue, also supplying local restaurants. The bakery specializes in Franch and German-style baking, utilizing sourdough as a natural leavener. It servers breakfast and lunch items, including sandwiches, salads, and some creative breakfast egg entrées. They are open Wednesdays through Sundays from 8:00AM - 2:00PM and are well known for running out of items before the end of the day. For this review I visited the Bakery / Café for breakfast on two consecutive Wednesdays. The first Wednesday I arrived too late to be able to have their Chorizo & Eggs Cocotte from their Breakfast menu. Breakfast is only served until noon, and I found out about this on that day. So instead I had a Cheese Danish and a house-made Mocha Coffee. Both items were delicious. On the second Wednesday I arrived much earlier for breakfast. Luckily, right before a whole rush of customers arriving to place Take-out orders. As soon as I walked inside I immediately felt comfortable with its clean and contemporary architectural design and decor, and an exposed red brick wall that gave it a warm ambiance. One can see that the owner spent a substantial amount in renovating the place when they moved here, and that they took good care of it, because it looked as if it had just opened for the very first time yesterday. While I was looking over all the baked items they had, I received a friendly greeting and warm welcome from a lady behind the counter who seemed to be the manager and took my order. To start I ordered a Chorizo Quiche which happened to be the Quiche of the day, and a house-made Mocha Coffee. Then since I was planning to turn this into a Brunch, for my main entrée I ordered their Chorizo Cocotte from the Breakfast menu. And for dessert I had a Chocolate Hazelnut Croissant that was simply irresistible. Everything tasted amazingly delicious, especially since I love Chorizo. The Quiche had an amazing crust with the eggs inside cooked with the perfect amount of chorizo. The Chorizo Cocotte was served in an elongated bowl with two poached eggs over Spanish sausage, accompanied by three slices of freshly made Baguette. And if all this wasn't enough, the Chocolate Hazelnut Croissant was the perfect ending dessert to this fabulous put together Brunch. Oh and the coffee was the best of the best. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. What an outstanding dining experience I just had at Bread Craft. Wonderful ambiance, amazing food, and extraordinary customer service. I highly recommend this Bakery/Café whenever you're in the area. I'm absolutely certain it will become one of your favorites bakery.