I had the privilege of dining and reviewing this family-owned restaurant in its initial stage of…read moreoperation, just 3 days after opening its doors, and right after having moved to Roanoke and rented the space for their new restaurant business, when its menu was just a variety of empanadas and milanesa steaks. I invite you to go back and read that significant review accompanied by some of my photographs of the restaurant and its food. It is extremely rare for one to have had the opportunity to follow a restaurant from such an early stage. 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 it would be appropriate this year to go back to this restaurant and write a follow-up review, since my initial review was one of my reviews that contributed to me obtaining this highly esteemed Award. Argentinian people are known for their love of eating. Social gatherings are commonly centred on sharing a meal. Invitations to have dinner at home are generally viewed as a symbol of friendship, warmth, and togetherness. This in particular reflects the significance of this family-owned restaurant's name: Familia Argentina. This Argentinian family is opening its doors not only to share its food with their customers, which is one of the things they are most proud of from their culture, but also to share their friendship with all of us, since homemade food is seen as a way to show affection to their guests. When you think of Argentinian cuisine, the first thing you think of is steak. That is why I was happy to see that they have expanded their menu with different kinds of steaks, such as skirt steak. NY Strip, Ribeye, and Ribs. They also now have in their menu, their famous "Parrillada Argentina," which is a combination of Skirt Steak, Ribbs, and Chorizo, totaling over than 1lb of meat. Some of their other very popular menu items include their Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches and their Choripan with Chimichurri sauce. Their new menu also include a page of Lunch Special and a few delicious desserts. As a matter of fact the cover photograph of their Yelp page is one of my photographs of their Creamy Strawberry dessert. Today I arrived for an early dinner and received a warm welcome by the wife and co-owner of the restaurant. We talked for a while about the restaurant's progress and I complimented them on their new expanded menu. I had already visited the restaurant right after the new menu was brought out and had tried out their delicious "Parrillada Argentina" main course and their Creamy Strawberry dessert of which I was surprised by its creamy richness. After we stopped talking and catching up with things, I ordered two Ground beef and one Knief-Cut Meat empanadas as appetizer, and a Beef Milanesa a Caballo. I love this dish, because it reminded me so much of the "Bistec Empanisado" (Cuban Breaded Steak, a type of Country Fried Steak) my grandmother used to make me when I was growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The "A Caballo" part meant it came with two fried eggs on top. It was served with fries, and was practically the size of the dish it was served in. To drink I ordered a Dr. Pepper. Good thing I had skipped lunch that day because I was able to eat the whole thing, and I enjoyed it all the way. With lemon juice on top, that steak tasted amazing. However, I was so full that I skipped dessert. While dining, I forgot to mention that the husband, chef, and co-owner of the restaurant also came out to say hello. I had also met him the first time I came by the restaurant and had given him some suggestions. Such as placing larger photographs of the main menu items on one of the front windows to familiarize the public with Argentinian cuisine. In conclusion, once again I had a wonderful dining experience at this relatively new restaurant. Loved those tasty Empanadas and the Breaded Steak with Fried Eggs on top. I highly encourage you all to go try this family-restaurant out and give them your full support. I can assure you that you'll be glad you did.

I'm new to Argentine food, but the smells drew me in. Service was friendly and everything we tried…read morewas great. Tomato empañada was tasty and my entree and the milanesa was both delicious and huge. (It's similar to a country fried steak.) I'd definitely go back.

There are many top restaurants in this Star City of Roanoke and I can proudly say that this is one…read moreof my favorites. I have been a loyal customer since the first day it opened. And every time I return, I keep wanting to come back for more. Located on the 6th and 7th floors of the Center in the Square building, this restaurant provides an elegant yet relaxed ambiance in which to enjoy an exceptional dining experience. Today I made an early dinner reservation on my OpenTable app for 4:45PM, asking to be seated at the same table that I always seat at if it's available. After parking my pearl white Lexus at the Center in the Square Garage, conveniently located next to the building where the restaurant is located, I went through a connecting door and took the elevator to the 6th floor. Once inside the restaurant, two friendly young ladies greated me at the Host's station and one of them remembered which was my favorite table and took me there. Soon afterwards the manager saw me and gracefully came by to say hello and thank me for coming to dine there. I responded with: "It's always a pleasure to do so." Not long afterwards my server Sam, another friendly and very efficient young lady, came by to greet me and take my order. To drink I had a Bees Knees Mocktail. They make the best cocktails there. That's why the bar is always full. To dine I started off with a Steakhouse Wedge Salad, followed by a Shrimp Cocktail, and then by the main course: a Filet Mignon cooked medium-rare, with a Grilled Lobster Tail Steak Enhancement. I asked for everything to be spaced appropriately and my server made sure that they were. The Steakhouse Wedge Salad was delicious with bacon lardons, cherry tomatoes, red onions, gorgonzola, and with house-made buttermilk herb dressing. The Shrimp Cocktail was amazing. It had 1/2 Lb. of poached and chilled fresh Jumbo Shrimps with Cocktail sauce and a slice of lemon. And the main meal was extraordinary. The Filet Mignon was cooked medium-rare to perfection and the Lobster Tail enhancement was just the right size of tender lobster meat removed from the shell and served with a little bowl of melted butter. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality food, well prepared. My server came by at the right moments to check on me, and the manager also came by my table to give me a visit and make sure all was to my satisfaction. For the Grand Finale I ordered the Bananas Fosters Beignets dessert: a fresh Croissant dough with Caramelized Bananas, served with vanilla ice-cream and Brown Sugar Caramel. Everything tasted amazingly delicious and I was able to enjoy an extraordinary dining experience. I highly recommend that you try this place out. Who knows, it might even become one of your favorite restaurants as well.

Overpriced and underwhelming. The menu reads like it's high class, but it's really just overpriced…read moreaverage food. The service is terrible, every employee I came across acted like they hated their job. The drinks at the bar don't live up to their descriptions and aren't particularly unique. The views are nice,, but you can get that without a high price tag and stuck up ambiance other places in town.

The steaks are so delicious, went with husband for our Anniversary. Had great serviceread more

After having a decent experience for dinner a few months back, we went here for Mother's Day brunch…read moreand were very disappointed. First off, I asked for no cheese on my eggs for the steak and eggs, a $52 dish. I was told "no "substitutions". It's not a substitution, I asked that they leave cheese off. Nope, not possible. Instead I opted for the "churro French toast", which was bland, soggy French toast without any churro flavor, accompanied by either pre-cooked or microwaved bacon. Hardly worth $34. The waitress clearly didn't want to be there - complete lack of personality, bordering on a poor attitude. What should have been a nice brunch for the two moms in attendance was done in 45 minutes. This place needs to stick to dinner because clearly brunch is not in their wheelhouse. The restaurant itself is nice and in a great area, and the bar looks like it would be a great spot for drinks and appetizers, but I'm not sure I would go back.

River and rail is a gorgeous restaurant with an eclectic mix of food choices, all prepared with a…read moregreat deal of tremendous care. My only regret was that I wasn't hungry enough to order more food. The drinks at the bar were fantastic and poured extremely well. I can't wait to come back!

This year I chose this restaurant above all others to celebrate my birthday, and I wasn't…read moredisappointed. It highly went beyond the highest of my expectations, and delivered an extraordinary dining experience. After making an appointment for five o'clock and mentioning that I would be celebrating my birthday there on that day, I wondered how it would be, for everytime I have dined there, their attention to detail has been superb, and their cuisine has been exquisite. The day finally arrived and I was standing by the door at five minutes to the hour. Inside I could see through their large front windows the movement of all the staff getting ready for the opening of the restaurant. At exactly five o'clock, the hostess approached and opened the door for me to enter. She warmly greeted me and apologized for not being able to give me the table I requested because they needed it to unite with other tables for a large group they would be having. But they had prepared another one in front of the open kitchen for me, where I would be able to observe the Chef and other cooks preparing my food. It was definitely to my satisfaction, and when she took me there I was very impressed with the small detail on the table of a Happy Birthday card from the restaurant signed by everyone there and suspended by a little stand. Things like that are priceless in my eyes. Shortly afterwards, my friendly and efficient server Ivy, came by, wished me a Happy Birthday and took my order. To drink I had my favorite Mocktail there, the Butterfly Kisses. As appetizer I ordered the Oyster Wraps. And for my main entrée, the Hanger Steak, my favorite item in their menu and that of all the other restaurants around the area. My server did an excellent job of bringing out my ordered items in a well-paced manner. I noticed the small but significant detail that the chef had of serving me a slightly larger amount of Hanger Steak than the usual, and this meant more to me than any of the other complimentary desserts which are given in most other restaurants on your birthday. The Hanger Steak was so delicious. 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. Also to read my former review where I explain what a Hanger Steak is all about. For the Grand Finale of my Birthday meal I had their Panna Cotta dessert deliver with a burning birthday candle on top, another wonderful detail that many restaurants leave out now-a-days yet is so meaningful to many of us. This was truly a memorable dining experience. One that I will always remember and cherish dearly.

Friendly staff..amazing food...very warm and classy atmosphere! Definitely will visit again when…read moreI'm in town.

I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world, but in none have I had such a wonderful…read moredining experience like I always do at Bernard's Gastropub & Eatery. 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 bring them to the attention of the public, but also to return to those special ones, that have made a difference in my life and highlight them, for the benefit of the public, so they too can have an opportunity to appreciate the qualities of a one-of-a-kind fine dining experience. And Bernard's Gastropub & Eatery in Downtown Roanoke, is a perfect example. Bernard's was born out of the love of two culinary aficionados turned professionals that in someway have managed to create a restaurant with an environment that transmits this intimate love to the hearts of their customers through the attention to detail in its extraordinary customer service and amazing culinary masterpieces. Today, I felt like dining at this restaurant, which I admire for its consistency in always far exceeding my high expectations of what a fine-dining restaurant should be all about. Not knowing if they would have a table for me at this late time on a Saturday early evening, I drove in my pearl white Lexus to the nearest private parking lot and gave them a call to inquire as if they could give me a reservation for the next ten minutes. A gentleman, who later I found out was named Matthew, and would be my server, answered the phone with a very polite and welcoming voice; answering my question of what was the special dish of the day and to come on down, that my reservation was assured. As soon as I arrived to the small, very elegant foyer in front of the Host's station, he came out to greet me and instantly recognized who I was. My only request was that he give me a low table because at my age seating at a high table was a bit uncomfortable. He went back to see what he could find and ended setting me up with what I consider one of the best tables of the house, and I was so appreciative of his last minute accommodation. The menu was already setup on my table. He poured water from a special bottle into my water glass and asked if I wanted something else to drink. I asked for a Mocktail and since he also was a bartender, he prepared me one of the best mocktails I've ever had. To dine, I started out with their Mussels Carbonara appetizer, which came in a bacon parmesan cream sauce that was simply amazing, and served with toast points. As my main entrée I had the Dinner Special of the Night, the Seafood Trio. It had a delicious, giant size crab cake in the middle, scallops, and shrimps, with parmesan risotto sautéed heirloom tomato, spinach, and nice size asparagus, with a burre blanc sauce. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the high-quality of their food and magnificent ambiance of the place. Everything was so delicious that only one word could ever describe them: priceless! For dessert I had their very famous Butterscotch Banana Pudding, which the chef makes at the moment ordered. It looked spectacular and tasted amazingly delicious: a culinary work of art. What a great way for the Gran Finale of an extraordinary dining experience!

Stopped by Table 50 with a coworker and had a really enjoyable experience. We started with a couple…read moreof appetizers, and they were excellen and a great way to kick off the meal. The entrées were right on par with some unique dishes. One of the biggest highlights was the bar. They have a fantastic bourbon and cocktail selection, and the atmosphere around the bar was even better than the dining room. It had a lively, comfortable vibe that made the whole experience even better. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit and would definitely come back.

Since a few years ago I've been celebrating my Birthday's Eve by dining at one of my favorite…read morerestaurants. This year I happened to go to Table 50, located on Market Street in the heart of Downtown Roanoke. Table 50 is one of those fine-dining restaurants in all the sense of the word. It is known for its upscale, progressive American cuisine that uses locally sourced ingredients from the nearby farmers' market. It offers an elegant atmosphere with features like copper tables and brick walls. Exquisite food like filet mignon. And exceptional customer service. After making my reservation through the OpenTable app, I showed up the following day right on time. A young lady hostess greeted me at the Host's station and after confirming my reservation took me to my table at a corner of the restaurant. My eloquent server Trent came by soon after to give me a warm welcome and take my drink order. I asked him to see if the bartender could make me a Pina Colada Mocktail. When he brought me the Mocktail, he took my food order. As a starter, I ordered the Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops served with a Parmigiano-Reggiano & Brandy Cream Sauce. Followed by a Mixed Green House Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. And as my main course the Bienville Filet, a Certified Angus Beef 8oz Filet Mignon served with Fried Shrimps, Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes, and a New Orleans style parmesan cream sauce. My server then went to place the order and came back with a rectangular shape plate filled with a sliced baguette and little bowl of whipped butter. I always say that the quality of a restaurant's bread and water is an indication of the quality of its cuisine. My server did an exceptional job at bringing out all my items at the proper pace. And all was amazingly delicious. For the Grand Finale dessert, I asked for the Chocolate Mousse Torte. This is one of my favorites desserts out of all the restaurants around. My server brought it out on.a white plate with the words Happy Birthday written with a chocolate dip. It was delicious, even though this year they didn't include a candle on top. As if this wasn't enough, after paying and going to the restroom to wash my hands, as I was headed towards the door, my server runs by me and opens the door, thanking me for my visit on this special occasion and wishing that I come back soon. What a way to end an outstanding dining experience!

First time trying Lucky and I'd give it a 4.5 rounded up to a 5. The menu is local farm based so it…read morechanges seasonally and is a bit limited. I was disappointed because I was hoping to try a soup or scallops I'd seen in Yelp pics but they weren't in the menu this time. Which is the roll of the dice you pay for fresh creative menus. Dining area and bar have a nice vibe with attractive art work. Dim lighting and smaller tables make it cute for a date or a solo business diner like myself. The lucky cube drink was creative and tasty. Brussel sprouts were also unique with a tahini sauce on top and perfectly crispy chickpeas. I'd seen "Smoke in Chimneys Trout" on a few menus in Roanoke this trip but never heard of that before. Looked it up and learned something new. They are trout that are local and prized for living in a lime stone aquifer rather than a river. Giving them a clean light slightly sweet taste, no essence of mud that can come with other river fish. I've never ordered trout in a restaurant, But when in Rome... Lol. The fish itself and the portion was really good. Wish I could remember my waitress' name. She was knowledgeable and just had a really warm, friendly energy.

I came in for the fried chicken because other reviews were very positive .. the coating was v…read morecrunchy , plus , however it was really burnt ! Ir was really over cooked ; plus had little flavor . Needs a little salt and pepper .... Better chicken at Popeyes or Bojangles .. Mashed potatoes were excellent . I wa not impressed with the Kale and still think there may be fatback in it ... even though the server swore there was no pork on the dish .. anyway you can try for yourself .. maybe I just came on an off night . My server was very nice ( Alyssa ) BTW.

Just the other day I attended a local party where they served Marco's Pizzas, and there I…read morerediscovered the amazing flavor of the pizzas from this contemporary pizza chain, which I had the privilege of reviewing when it first opened in Vinton, Virginia, more than a year ago. Marco's Pizza is a counter-serve chain with a menu of specialty or custom pizzas for takeout or delivery, located in the popular Lake Drive Plaza in Vinton. Then last Friday, I had the urge to eat their pizza once more, opened their app in my cellphone, and noticed all the exciting unique features that their app had, such as the "light bake," if you like the crust to come out lighter and softer than the usual. The first thing I did was select from one of their deal offers: "$3 Off Any Specialty Pizza." Then I picked their "The Works" Specialty Pizza, medium size, with regular crust and light bake. It contained Pepperoni, ham, green peppers, Italian sausage, mushrooms, bacon, and onions. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a sense of the high-quality of their pizzas and ingredients. It was so easy and convenient, ordering it on their app for delivery. And not only did I get Marco's Rewards points for the order, but I also automatically got 30 points for $1 spent at the Fetch app. The pizza was delivered at the time promised by a very friendly and efficient driver by the name of Roxy. It was handled very well and was delivered out of a keep-warm special container in a quality box with Marco's Pizza logo and a professional photo of a pizza printed on the box. There are times like this one when you enjoy ordering out and eating in the comfort of your home. And that is precisely what I did. I opened the box saw those amazing hot slices filled with a generous portionof high-quality toppings. I placed a couple of slices on a plate, went and sat down in my comfortable recliner, and enjoyed eating the slices while watching my large screen Sony BRAVIA TV which stands for "Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture." I loved the taste and texture of their crust, and all of the ingredients on the pizza were so fresh and tasty. I highly recommend this pizza shop for there delicious pizzas and other high-quality items in their menu, easy ordering system from their app, and friendly and efficient customer service and delivery.

The pizza was decent: it's a take out and delivery so no dining in…read more Double pepperoni was very salty and the sauce was just ok. It's one of those places we would go to if that's all there was but would try something else. Friendly staff and quick order turn around. Plenty of parking in busy plaza. It's a very small spot so walker and wheelchairs may not be feasible unaccompanied.

This spot was fantastic! Brought friends for a celebration meal and it was great. Pregnant friend…read morehad attentive accommodations made for temp of food and mocktails without having to ask, there was tons of variety on the menu and everything was absolutely delicious. Prices were great for the quality, definitely do lots of plates to share. The tomahawk was so tender and flavorful, dipping sauces for frites were plentiful. Only complaint was on the mussels themselves being quite tiny. Nice cozy vibe and not too loud.

Sidecar in Roanoke is a great spot with a unique, creative menu and tons of tasty options. Sitting…read moreat the bar was the highlight for me though. Service was excellent and the staff were fun and knowledgeable to talk with. The bourbon selection is fantastic, with a wide range for any level of interest. I travel to this area for work frequently and have a hard time wanting to go anywhere else for dinner.

I love coming to Billy's, especially for Sunday brunch. They have a great bloody Mary bar! And on…read moreSundays, they serve prime rib, and eggs for brunch. You can't go wrong with any of the Benedict's or the candied bacon either.. The bartenders are fantastic at mixing drinks and the pours are always strong... if I'm not drinking a bloody Mary I'm usually drinking an Irish whiskey. If you get the chance to try their lobster mac & cheese go for it!

Originally had reservations for a different place for dinner but landed on Billy's and wow, so glad…read morewe decided to change our plans and dine at Billy's. On special they were offering Black Grouper and one option for how to prepare it was blackened and it was absolutely amazing! Also, they had a special dessert, Key Lime Cheesecake and my lady had the filet... it was all perfect, exceeding our expectations.