The kid was home from college, and after we hit the local thrift, we were looking around for some…read moreOxford grinds. The street situation precluded a few spots downtown, and since we weren't in the mood for our go-to taco place, we decided to head out to the Family Diner. The walk-in was awkward on our part- cash register or hot bar line first? A sweet call from the kitchen of "Y'all's first time?" got us headed in the right direction. Full disclaimer: I've been nostalgic for the southern cafeteria lately. While talking to some food industry friends last week, we realized there is something powerful about the food we all remember from K and W. And while Family Diner doesn't have a giant dining room or a 5-snake velvet rope line to get to the counter, it does take me back. Here's how we made our choices: the hot bar was a choice of three types of chicken- the baked and fried were tempting until the gentleman serving us says: "We can fry you fish to order. Flounder, trout, and catfish." The chicken got skipped for a plate of flounder (plentiful plate, btw), and a side of the Mac and cheese and cooked cabbage. The kid sampled the catfish plate, same sides. Sweet tea. And yes ma'am, I'd like the cornbread. Done. We sat down at a table in the main, cozy dining room. The first thing that I noticed: this place is clean- tidy, even. There was a super polite young man moving around and busing tables, tidying up unassumingly and doing it in a way that is lacking in some finer dining places I've been in recently. The food came out, piping hot. I used one of the malt vinegar packets to douse my flounder (a cafeteria habit) and dug in. The first bite was light and flaky, cooked perfectly. Nothing greasy-tasting, at all, just clean. The sides were great- nothing over seasoned, and like cooking at home, there was room for you to season things to your taste. Well played, Family Diner. The owner (I think? She was the one who guided us down the right path when we walked in) came out to make sure that we were happy, and yes ma'am, it's great, and holy cow, you just dropped this cornbread into the skillet and fried it? Yes, we will be back. It's unassuming, and it's just what the doctor ordered. It's a cafeteria, but it's clean and polite and makes you feel good that you ate there. It's soul food, but not just from an ethnic standpoint- it makes me happy and full and feel welcome and I'll be back.

Very congenial staff and excellent home-cooked meals! The fried chicken was mist and delicious…read more We'll be back!

Nana Karen's on Main has a warm, home-style atmosphere that makes you feel welcome right away. The…read morefood tasted fresh and comforting, with generous portions and classic flavors. Service was friendly and attentive, creating a relaxed and enjoyable experience. A wonderful spot for a satisfying meal that feels like homemade cooking!!!!!!!

More of a 4.5. I had the breakfast wrap and it was uniquely delicious! My son had the corn beef…read morehas omelette and loved it. We shared the red velvet waffle and it was the perfect ending to breakfast!

This was the first time coming here and it was very good. The service was exceptional!!! The food…read morewas hot when it came out. The table had Ribs, corn pudding, collards, baked beans, hamburger steak with onions and gravy, macaroni and cheese and gizzards. All was said to be delicious.

This is definitely a hidden gem! The food was delicious. My entire party enjoyed their food. You…read moremight give it the side eye- doesn't look like a typical lil spot you might go too. We said- let's give it a try and we were so glad we did. I walked in and said- that man is lickin all his fingers- lawd must be good! He didn't lift his head up from his plate! We left happy, satisfied and full! Just before we left- another table ordered ribs- man...fallin off the bone! The wings are cooked fresh- breaded in house. The collard greens season with pork meat- delicious. The good folks were so nice- very pleasant and helpful. The restaurant has a quiet small setting. Not loud but comforting. Please go in order some food and enjoy! Prices are fantastic too. We will definitely be back!

We were in town for a concert and the reviews sounded good. When we arrived a rather sketchy guy…read moreaccosted us in the parking lot. We told staff about it and they said they would handle it. They said it would be about a 45 minute wait but we were seated in about 15. We had a lovely dinner. The food was very good and it was a pleasant upscale but not fussy atmosphere.

We went here because they offer a variety of food for people requiring special diets including. Our…read moreserver wasn't good. She gave me a long death stare when I asked for my fish without aioli and lemon instead. Initially I thought she didn't hear me so I repeated the request for just lemon. She finally spoke and it was to tell me that "aioli is sauce." Yes, I am aware. It's a mayo based sauce and I don't like mayo. My husband ordered unsweetened tea which she forgot. After 20 min we requested it again which she promptly brought sweet tea. He took one swig and almost vomited. He then politely asked for UN-sweet tea and she kept pointing to the glass insisting "That is sweet tea." Instead of arguing just do your job and don't assume that we don't know what we are talking about. He finally got the UN-sweet tea. We saw another table had an issue with her. Half the food on people's tables came out in cafeteria tins, the rest on plates. It was very OK food with poor service.

After being ranked 4th among Yelp's Top 50 Most Prolific Elites of 2025, a distinction recognizing…read moremy 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 and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to go back and write follow-up reviews on those restaurants that impressed me the most during 2025, and The River and Rail Restaurant located in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example of one of them. Going back to this restaurant after the great honor that I had received from Yelp, made me recall the first time that I dined here. I invite you that after reading this review, you go back and read that one, and view my photographs accompanying it, because it's one of which I am most proud of, and an experience that I will never forget and forever cherish. I arrived at the restaurant on time at five o'clock sharp and as I waited for them to open I had an opportunity to meet and chat with a couple who had been loyal customers of this restaurant for years since it first opened. They, as well as I, were aware of the beautiful location of the restaurant on one of the most exclusive neighborhoods of Roanoke. As soon as the doors opened, I allowed them to enter first and then when the host came back she gave me a warm and friendly greeting, welcoming me back, and took me to an ideal table, where I had a perfect view of the entire restaurant, from their open kitchen, to their bar, to the entire dining room and entrance, allowing me to capture in photographs the real feel of the ambiance of this cozy, yet elegant, upscale Southern, New-American restaurant known for its scratch-made dishes using locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, including house-cured meats and pickled vegetables, as well as very creative cocktails. Shortly after I was seated, my delightful server Caroline arrived, and after a warm greeting took my order. To drink I order their Strawberry Fields Forever Mocktail. As appetizer I ordered a half dozen Oysters together with their famous Oyster Wraps. And as my main entrée, the Painted Hills Filet, cooked medium-rare. All the staff seemed so happy to see me and the manager came by to say hello and congratulate me for my outstanding Yelp accomplishment of 2025. My excellent server made sure that my order was well-paced, came by at the appropriate times to fill my glass with water and see if all was to my liking. Everything tasted amazingly delicious. Starting from the unique taste of my creative mocktail, to my flavorful appetizer, to my exquisite Filet main entrée that was so tender and cooked just right. The chefs in this fine dining restaurant are amazing and the quality of their meats is top notch. For dessert I had one of my favorite desserts, since I first had it there, their Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta. This dessert is absolutely mouthwatering. What an extraordinary dining experience I once again had there. Fine dining at its best. For those very special occasions, I highly recommend this restaurant. Or you can always make any day special, by dining there.

The River and Rail is a small establishment so I'd recommend making a reservation no matter the…read moresize of the party or the day. The food comes out fairly quick, the menu is concentrated while still offering a large variety of options. The cocktails are good, though neither of us ordered from the cocktail menu, they have a full bar so you can order whatever you please. Service could be a little more vocal/communicative but it seems staff is perhaps limited? It was good but there's room for moderate improvement for sure. The Chicken Liver Mousse was absolutely amazing and I'd return again and again specifically for this dish (go ahead and order extra bread to come with it)!!

I have been to this place a wide variety of times, and every single time they have impressed me…read more It's beautiful inside, the staff are wonderful and accommodating. For the food, everything I've had has been a 10/10. My go to is a half order of the biscuits and gravy! It is always so flavorful, the biscuits are giant and fluffy. The gravy is seasoned perfectly. My second go to, as well as my girlfriend's is the hot honey fried chicken biscuit. Portion wise that thing is hugeee, most of the items are so they are absolutely worth what you pay! The chicken is so tender and crispy, breading is amazingly seasoned as well. This paired with the jezebel sauce is heaven on earth. I cannot express how much I love this place, their food is wonderful, their biscuits are massive, and their service is great. Only issue I've ever had was my delivery order never showing up (not their fault but the delivery drivers) and they immediately comped and replaced my meal. 100% recommend.

Never again. Was excited to try this place as this is my 1st time visiting…read more Pros - ABSOLUTELY NONE Cons Coffee is absolutely disgusting Freezing cold insids inside Food wasn't hot Unseasoned eggs Overseasoned fried green tomatoes Undercooked French toast Severely undercooked bacon that they refuse to cook well done and gave a lame excuse as to why they couldn't. Bacon was all fat. Save your money and go somewhere else!

Great food, a little loud but good service. The waitress…read morewas amazing. Just need to have a space that people can actually talk without being drowned out from all the kitchen noise

Main Street buffet is a cute small buffet with home southern cooks food. From fried chicken, fish…read morean lots of veggies an homemade dessert. It's always very clean an service is always great. Its casual dining at its best.

The best home cooking in town! I absolutely love the breakfast here. My wife and I go as often as…read morewe can. The salmon is second to none and the potatoes and gravy will have you in heaven! Great food, good people, reasonable price. If you like down home southern cooking, you will not be disappointed!

All I had was the Mac n cheese because I didn't know they were cash only....heads up it's cash only…read more. The Mac n cheese was amazing and I wish could've ordered more. If I come back I definitely bringing cash and supporting this place. The food smells amazing and it really has that home feel. Give them a shot and try them out and must I say that Mac and cheese was really good

Power was out at home thanks to rolling blackouts, so needed a place for a hot meal on a cold…read moreChristmas Eve morning. I'd been following them on Facebook, and saw that they were open. I drove down, seeing that not much else was going on in downtown Reidsville, but a few cars outside the cafe. When I walked in, I was greeted immediately and informed that a booth had a wait, or I could opt for the counter, which I chose. I was presented with a menu and ordered a hot cocoa to sip on. I decided on the Carolina Sampler, as it was my first visit, I was hungry, and I didn't know when the power would be back on at home. Breaking it down by item..the scrambled eggs were the softest I've probably ever had cooked on a flattop, the bacon was crispy, the way I like it, the sausage patty was decent, but not otherworldly, the ham was a bit on the salty side, but better than too sweet. The hashbrowns were good, but I forgot to order extra crispy (been a while since I was out for breakfast). The grits, sawmill gravy, apples, and biscuits were all very good in flavor and texture, and the hot cocoa was rich without being too sweet. Definitely have to get the gf down here some time.

Good southern food. In a lot of ways, a trip down memory lane. Very nostalgic and great atmosphere…read morewhere people are talking to each other instead of glued to their phone.