After a little over a year of opening its doors in Vinton, Virginia, across the street from the…read moreVinton Library, this hole in the wall, family-owned American restaurant with the name of Absolutely Delicious Bar & Grill, has absolutely delivered some of the best smash burgers, hot dogs, and other delicious freshly made American comfort food in this neighborhood and beyond. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I also was 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 Absolutely Delicious Bar & Grill, in Vinton, Virginia, is a perfect example. Today I decided to give them a visit for a follow-up review of the first one I wrote when they first opened. The first thing I was happy to see were picnic tables with colorful patio umbrellas placed in the open space yard on the left of the restaurant. It seems like they are gearing up for expansion and many new things to come for the Spring of 2026, after a very successful 2025, for its high-quality food at reasonable prices, in a welcoming and friendly environment, with excellent service. As usual, as soon as I walked in the place, I was received with a heartfelt, open-arm, very warm welcome, and was given the good news that starting on March 16th their hours will be expanded to 10:30AM - 10:00PM Mondays through Thursdays and 10:30AM - 1:00AM Fridays and Saturdays. They told me about all their plans for the Spring of the new year, including the further expansion of their outdoor patio dining area. My server Justin, the son of this family-owned business, took my order and had me seat down at the counter of my choice. I ordered a Coke to drink, forgetting that they also had Cherry Coke, my favorite. To eat I ordered a Jesse Jones Beef All Beef Hotdog with mustard, ketchup, and relish; as well as a Smokehouse Burger, which had a double smash burgers, BBQ sauce, Bacon, Caramelized Onions, Pickles and two cheeses of my choice. I picked American and Swiss cheese as my choice and they customized it to include lettuce, tomatoes, and ketchup. Then I made it a combo with Waffle Fries and a medium Coke. I enjoyed watching the cook make my food in their open kitchen. Wearing special black disposable nitrile gloves, he grabbed a ball of fresh, high-quality ground meat and put it on the grill; then he used a burger smasher to flatten the ball-sized beef patties onto the hot surface of the grill for maximum searing. During the process, he changed his disposal gloves several times to ensure food safety. He also used a basting brush to butter the burger buns before he heated them on the grill. This not only gave the burger a good taste but made it look delicious. I invite you to view my photographs and videos accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. When I took a bite of my smash burger, it tasted absolutely mouthwatering, or as the restaurant is called "Absolutely Delicious." The same with the hot dog. Best hot dog around! And the waffle fries were amazing. They were well seasoned and shaken after they came out of the frier; soft in the inside and crispy on the outside. The best waffle fries I've ever had. Even better than the ones from Chick-fil-A! They also had me taste their newly introduced Tater Tots; which are a graded potato formed into small cylinders and deep-fried. Their taste and texture were out-of-this-world! Very soft in the inside and just the right amount of crunchinnes on the outside. For dessert I had a couple of Strawberry Cheesecake Rolls. It reminded me of the fried cheesecake commonly served in Mexican restaurants but these also had strawberry filling. I was so pleased with their food and service that I gave them a good tip and paid at the counter with my Harvard Alumni World Mastercard. I highly recommend this little restaurant and urge you to give them your total support. What you'll get back will be an "absolutely amazing" dining experience like never before.

Today while I was working I got a craving for a Hot dog, tater tots and sweet tea. I looked on…read moretheir menu and they had all of it so i door dashed it and it was the BEST! Not to mention the fact i have a box full of tater tots I am going to eat with my dinner tonight of a Hamburger when i get home . First time ever eating here and look forward to the next time. Thank you for a delicious and hearty lunch today Absolutely Delicious!

The food was wonderful and even better service thanks to Ryan our waiter! This place is an awesome…read morerestaurant to have so close to our home in Vinton!

Update: went back for a second time. First time was amazing…read more Second time was heavenly, service was top tier, food was out of this world, best Ruben I ever had in my life. The 6 shooter fries was so flavorful. 10/10 ranks in the top 3 favorite places we eat here in Roanoke. It's my goal now to try everything on the menu.

After several visits to this Macado's I decided to finally write a review about this extravagant…read morerestaurant. According to their website, "Macado's started in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, in 1978 and became popular for its eclectic decor and moderately priced food, especially with the college crowd." The chain emphasizes: "a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for a diverse clientele, including families."  Today, as I was seated in the booth the Host had brought me to and observing the Macado's logo on the paper napkin laying on my table, I thought to myself: What is the meaning of the "Just to be there" located under the restaurant's name in its logo? And I thought to myself that It's possible "Just to be there" might be a phrase associated with the feeling of camaraderie or the comfortable atmosphere that Macado's aims to provide, and thus a popular spot for people of all ages and social classes to get together, eat, socialize, and be merry. I remember the very first time I ate here. It was for a lunch invitation from a good friend of mine I hadn't seen in a while. The first impression I got of the place was amazing. I loved the building where the restaurant was housed and all the interesting decorations. It was almost completely full from the lunch crowd, yet this provided a warm and cozy feeling knowing that so many people had taken the time to come eat here even though they knew it would be crowded. I was fascinated by the large and extensive menu, and after carefully reviewing it, ordered the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Burger. It came with half a pound of meat, a soft fresh bun, and a whole bunch of krinkle fries. It was so big and delicious I can't forget how full I was when I finished eating it. Just eating there for the first time and I couldn't wait to return. I had set such high expectations of the place that many of the other times I visited the place I was disappointed. It could have been by the lack of training of the servers on the Knowledge of and explaining menu items, or by the timing on how to serve them. Or it could be by a mistake from the cook in cooking or preparing an item. Like today, I ordered Bang Bang Shrimp as an appetizer and the shrimp arrived overcooked almost to the point of burnt with the Assian Crisp Noodles a bit stale. So much so that I had to ask to see the manager to formally complain. The manager was a friendly young lady who listened to me and admitted the shrimp could have been fried before they had just changed the oil. And she came up with possible solutions to the question: "What can I do to make it right?" Of which I choose for her to not charge me for the burnt shrimp and the bad dining experience they had caused me. I went on and ate the Lone Ranger sandwich with Onion Rings that were cooked right, and because of the manager's handling of the situation in such an effective way, I am sure to return, because there is something about Macado's that makes you want to "Just to be there."

Avoid at all costs! Not the place we thought it was! They don't value the customer experience or…read moretheir employees. No more money from our regular, daily customers!

really solid bar food!…read more I love the vibe here and the atmosphere makes you want to stay awhile. Definitely a great local spot if you're looking for good bar food and a fun, relaxed place to grab a drink.

We visited the Yard Bird Tavern in downtown Roanoke. Finding a spot can be a bit of a gamble;…read moreunless you're lucky enough to snag a space at the curb, you should expect to pay for parking. ​Atmosphere & Menu ​Upon entering, we found the restaurant pleasantly sophisticated, though it was nearly at capacity. While we opted not to explore the drink menu, we were eager to see what the kitchen had to offer. The menu itself is concise, focusing primarily on wings, sandwiches, and pizzas, supplemented by a few small appetizers. ​The culinary style is quite eclectic. They feature several unconventional toppings and flavor combinations that might seem a bit eccentric at first glance. ​The Culinary Experience ​I decided on a flatbread-style pizza topped with: ​Smoked chicken ​Pickles ​Peppadew-style peppers (which resembled small cherry tomatoes) ​A tangy, zesty sauce reminiscent of an enchilada base with an extra "zing." ​My wife opted for a "build-your-own" pizza featuring red onions, pepperoni, and bell peppers. Although she realized too late that she had forgotten to request light sauce, she noticed the oversight immediately upon the dish's arrival. ​Service Observations ​The service was a bit of a mixed bag. Our waitress was professional but remarkably brisk. She lacked the usual pleasantries or "small talk" one might expect, focusing instead on efficiency. While her haste felt a bit impersonal, I couldn't complain about her attentiveness--she was incredibly prompt at refilling my iced tea the moment my glass was empty. Make sure you bring your pocketbook this pizza brings a sting at the register.

Hot Chicken for the win! The best fries and fried pickles too! My favorite sauce was the scorpion…read morepepper! The wings were large crispy and juicy. Service was fast and courteous. Good spot, highly recommended.

It's inconceivable how on July 20th of this year it will have been a year since the grand opening…read moreof HCK Hot Chicken in Vinton, Virginia and I hadn't heard of it. I can say it's the best kept secret of the Town of Vinton, in Roanoke County, and it's about time that it no longer be a secret. I am determined to go try it out and spread the word. 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 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 young established ones that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And HCK Hot Chicken is the perfect example. Located off East Washington Avenue, in one of the most beautiful areas of Vinton, near William Byrd High School, this restaurant is located inside a long standing convenience store, "Vinton Tobacco & Grocery," and in the same location of a bp gas station, but don't let this fool you, it has its own entrance on the side, its own parking lot, and a drive-thru lane for ordering. Besides this, its owner has done a great renovation job, that this is one of the cleanest gas stations/convenience stores that I have ever been to, and because of this it in no way detracts from the clean, bright, and contemporary ambiance of the restaurant itself. Founded in 2020, in Woodbridge, Virginia, the first HCK (Hot Chicken Kitchen) Hot Chicken restaurant had as its Mission: "Unity through Food." Recognizing the power of food to bring people together. Their belief is that "food unites us and can lift people up." There menu features succulent Nashville-style chicken sandwiches, classic and boneless chicken wings, chicken tenders, chicken and Belgian waffles, loaded fries, loaded mac and cheese, coleslaw, fried pickles, fried donut drops, and more. The owner of the restaurant who warmly greeted me when I arrived told me that all of their dishes are gluten and allergen free. With no MSG and no peanut oil.The chicken is farm-raised, fed only vegetables and grains, with no use of growth-boosting chemicals. When one enters the restaurant, it is nicely designed (with the colors red, black, and white), and with hardwood floors, wood tone tables and chairs, a well organized ordering counter, and a well lit menu high above the counter, as well as with large pictures of menu item just below the menu sign. The very friendly and knowledgeable order taker took my order from behind the counter. I ordered a Nashville Style Chicken Sandwich Combo with the mildest sauce they had. It came with their seasoned krinkle kut fries, a side of good sauce, and a drink. Not bad for $14.49, especially after you taste the food. The chicken was the plumpiest, juiciest, and tastiest chicken that I have ever eaten in a sandwich. The fresh toasted artisan potato bun complimented its flavor. The fries were crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside, seasoned to perfection. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review and see for yourselves because a picture is worth a thousand words. The welcoming and hospitable owner came to see how I had liked the food and I told him how amazing everything had been and that I looked forward to returning to try other menu items such as the Fried Donut Drops. In conclusion, I highly recommend this restaurant for a very unique and wonderful chicken dining experience. Amazing food, clean and comfortable environment, and excellent customer service.

From the moment you step in the door, you are greeted with a warm smile and made to feel welcome!…read moreThe owners and staff are friendly and personable! The food is fresh and delicious! The menu creative and versatile! The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting! This has become a favorite place for my husband and I! Give it a try, you will not be disappointed!

There is nothing as relaxing as going to a cozy Café for breakfast early in the morning. And now…read moreVinton has a new Café named Vinton Café Kitchen & Bakery. As soon as I found out about it I head over there the next morning and what I discovered amazed me. After being awarded the NC Yelp Triad 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 Vinton Café Kitchen & Bakery, in Vinton, Virginia, is a perfect example. The new contemporary Coffee Shop is located in the former Bush Building on 126 E Lee Street, where the former Our Daily Bread used to be and I was surprised to find out that the new owner is the brilliant young lady who used to supervise all the Our Daily Bread restaurants until they closed down a few weeks ago. Her and her husband, the co-owner have totally renovated the place to make it look clean and contemporary with a minimalist modern decor, that includes four large screen TVs of which one has a rotating menu, two has a rotating art gallery of famous artists, and the other is on the news. Their breakfast menu is amazing, starting with the Classic Breakfast, to Omelets, Eggs Benedict, Crepes, Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy, and a great variety of fresh Bakery items, just to name a few. And their lunch menu contain a variety of sandwiches and salads with other lunch options coming soon. On one section of the restaurant their is an area where arts and crafts from local artists are sold, as well as a variety of breads made daily. In the future the owners would like to have an area for local artists to exhibit and sell their artworks, as well as an area that showcase the history of the building and all the businesses that it has had throughout the years. As soon as I arrived which was 5 minutes before the opening time of 7:00AM, the husband and co-owner of the place came out and invited me in, since it was cold outside. Just this simple gesture says a lot about the owners. The wife immediately recognized me from when she met me when I wrote a review of the restaurant she use to manage. She gave me a warm welcome and friendly greeting, inviting me to take a seat at the table of my choice and bringing me a cup of freshly made hot coffee after asking me if I wanted to start with coffee. After viewing the menu, I ordered the Vinton Breakfast with two fried eggs over easy, two slices of bacon, roasted potatoes, and a fresh croissant, just right out of the oven. Everything tasted delicious and I already was thinking of having their Crepes or Eggs Benedict next time. I highly recommend this restaurant Café for it's clean and comfortable ambiance, it's variety of quality and freshly made food, and its amazing service by caring individuals, providing an exceptional dining experience.

OK, I feel like everyone in town loves this place, including myself. They finally accept debit…read morecards, which is amazing. The amount of food you get for your dollar they are feels like we are still in the 1990s. You can totally fill up on less than 10 bucks. I love the Kosher Klub German potato salad. It's always been my toe but recently, I've tried the submarine. And my oh my it is phenomenal.

The New Yorker Delicatessen is practically a landmark in the Star City of Roanoke, Virginia,…read more providing Quality Subs, Deli Meats, and other delicious items at very reasonable prices. I never got to visit it before Covid. But after Covid the dining room is no longer in operation and the Deli is Open for Take Out orders only. Their menu has been practically the same for 30 years, but now they accept credit cards for payment as well as cash. They have one of the largest parking lots of a restaurant located on Williamson Road. Yet it is never full anymore because now the restaurant is Open for Take Out orders only. Nevertheless, after all these years, I was looking forward to going in and discovering what was inside that has continue to attract such a large clientele to the restaurant. With a beautiful Art Deco-Ish Restaurant sign on its parking lot, that entice you to drive in; the architectural solid design of the building structure seems to be reflecting how solid this business continues to be in spite all it has gone through during the Civid era. The restaurant's building design contained many brown bricks as well as tiles making it look warm and solid. As one entered through two larged open doors, the first thing one saw was refrigerated display cases with Deli meats and other food items such as potato salad, cheese cakes. One of their employees greeted me with a smile behind the counter and even though I had a small menu of the place, she showed me a large version of the menu located on one of the walls, when I told her this was my first time here. The decor was very simple with chips filling all the all the wooden shelves around, a framed large portrait of the deceased founder of the restaurant, and many award certificates that the restaurant had won through the years. I ordered a Cheese Dog to go, because of the quality look of the hot dogs stored inside the refrigerator display case up front. And also an Onion Wheel, that had Corned Beef, Pastrami, and Imported Swiss, Served with Lettuce and Onions on a Buttered Onion Roll. For dessert I ordered a slice of their famous Cheesecake made in-house and a Chocolate Bomb. A dessert that I had for the first time at a local Italian Restaurant. Made with chocolate mousse in the center and other layers of chocolate all around, it is one of my favorites desserts ever. When I approached the cashier counter to pick up my order and to pay for it, a very welcoming and friendly lady who seemed to be the manager of the restaurant talked to me a little bit about the history about the restaurant and about its founder and his wife. From there I also got to see the dining area, that even though it was not used at the moment, gave you a sense of how the restaurant looked when it had eat in service. The food items were all reasonably priced. They sandwiches bread was soft and fresh and well toasted. And the deli meats, cheese, and other ingredients were served in generous portions, and amazingly delicious. And the slice of Dill Pickle was a nice touch to the eating experience. The desserts were also amazing, from the Cheesecake made in-house to the Chocolate Bomb who I would definitely return just for this alone. Even though I missed the inside the restaurant dining experience, I definitely highly recommend the amazing food and extraordinary customer service received. Great place to Order Out food for a family gathering or a special occasion party or event.

GREAT food with a great family friendly environment. Offering oven brick style pizza, super subs as…read morewell as calzobes and strombolis. And FREE FREE FREE delivery !

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.

10 out of 10 recommend! This place has the best pastries and bread in all of Roanoke! If you're…read morethinking about trying it, do it! You will not be disappointed! Best almond croissant I've ever had. I am obsessed with the sour dough. They usually have daily specials but you need to get there early (before 10am) to try one before they sell out, especially on the weekend. The have a refurbished old cigarette vending machine in the front, ask the front desk for a token to get a piece of art from it! Tokens are $5 and well worth it and a fun activity! They stock the machine with little pieces of art work from local / regional artists.

This local family business opend around three years ago in a strip mall on East Washington Ave, in…read moreVinton, Virginia. Today I happened to be in the area with a friend and after having dinner at a Chinese restaurant we decided to go there to have ice-cream for dessert. When we arrived we noticed that the Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant shares a large parking lot with the other stores of that Mall, and it's located in the last storefront on the left of the strip mall. The sign high above of the front of the business reads: Lickidy Split - ICE CREAM & MORE. And on the windows it mentions: HOT DOGS and BBQ. So this is not only an Ice Cream Parlor alone, it is also a restaurant selling comfort food ss well. The windows and the restaurant inside were very clean and organized. It had a sign with the names of the 40 flavors of Hershey's Ice Cream available there. The dining area was filled mostly with mostly square tables with different color tablecloths that gave the place a joyful look and unique decor, even though they did not have many other decorations. Since it had a very long open space and plenty of tables and chairs; including a lined up line of extra chairs. Next to the ordering counter, it had a traditional Hershey's Ice Cream freezer full of all the current flavors they currently had. On the wall before the cashier counter it had a Bulletin Board for their customers and other local businesses to post their business cards. It also had some wooden shelves with homemade jams, candies, and earrings made by local artists to sell here. As soon as we were in front of the ordering counter a very friendly young lady came out to greet and welcome us, and to take and serve our order. We both ordered a waffle cone with a scoop of the Premium Gold Caramel Cheesecake Cookie Monster. Although the waffle cones didn't seem made fresh there, they were crunchy, and the ice cream was amazingly delicious. We enjoyed eating them in this relaxed and cook environment. We found that this is definitely the place to go for a good cold and sweet treat on a hot Summer day.

Nice little place with great selections, tried there banana split Needed help to finish lol…read moreFriendly gals , great portions , very clean. And great milk shakes and hot dogs. Take the little ones they'll love it.