This is a lovely gentrified neighborhood that takes one back to the first half of the 20th century…read more It is a small neighborhood geographically, comprising just 7 acres. Houses were generally built between 1906 and 1952. The small commercial area was particularly enjoyable for me. There are a few restaurants and a handful of specialty stores, services and offices. The commercial sector reminds me of the old neighborhood shopping districts that developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries in cities around the US. Those districts were still viable through a good part of my life. Many are still vibrant even now because their utility still exists, but also because their charm attracts people from outside their respective communities, which adds to their commercial sustainability. That's the case for Grandin Village. It's certainly a pleasant place to spend an afternoon. It was an enjoyable, nostalgic experience for me.

All of their food is great, AND they have the best wings in Salem. They are big, juicy, and…read moreflavorful. And they are LESS than the other wing spots in town. Better and less expensive. What more reason do you need to give them a try!

We wanted a little snack after the Ridge Yaks game and a friend suggested Gusto's and WOW it was…read moreperfect! We did the pizza dumplings as an app and split the pizza flight and it was perfect! We have a 2 year old plus a wine, cider and IPA drinker and everyone had options. Our server was friendly and attentive, we enjoyed sitting outside and we highly recommend!

Want to know why the pizza is so good at Mama Maria's? Because the owner/chef is from South Jersey!…read moreAnd Jersey knows it's pizza! Mama Maria's is the pinnacle of Italian food in Roanoke County. The pizza is great. The bakery is great. The service is great. Anytime I find myself driving down I-81. I always stop at Mama Maria's. And you should too.

Dinner one night while we were in town. We were greeted walking in and seated within the same…read moreinteraction. An old school eatery, pretty basic on the inside, nothing fancy just good food and kind service. We started with the Burschetta Napoletana appetizer. It was a traditional style serving. With a slice of toasted bread, fresh diced tomato, onion and chopped basil, with a little evoo drizzle. Very simple and good. Refreshing and tasty a good start. They had Oysters Rockerfeller on the special menu the night of our visit, so we had to give them a try. They were again very traditional, well made and flavorful. For my entree I went for the Salmon Portofino. A beautiful portion, vibrant and full of flavor. A large bowl, with a nice piece of salmon cooked in a wonderful broth. Line caught fish, pan seared and cooked with cherry tomatoes, capers and artichoke hearts. It was a very good meal. 3.5 Stars rounded up for the kind staff. 01266

After looking at their menu on line , we ordered the 14"…read moreRonnie's Pizza . It was delivered very quickly.The pizza arrived warm! Loaded with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. It's the typical thinner crust that restaurants serve in the area with the difference that it is perfectly cooked . Not dry at all! Will definitely order again and try to their other dishes .

I was staying in downtown and read reviews about Leonore and they were really good, so I decided to…read morestop in on a weeknight. When I got there, they were dead, but by the time I left, they were packed. So, clearly it's a popular joint. The staff was helpful and very friendly. Prices are decent there too. They offer a nice mix of Venezuelan and Italian food... seems like an odd combo, but they did a decent job with the items I tried. I love arepas, so I ordered a Pabellon Arepa and a small veggie pizza. The food came up pretty quickly; the pizza was perfectly hot. The crust was the right thickness and had plenty of cheese and fresh toppings on it. The only issue was there was hardly any tomato sauce on it. I asked for a side of tomato sauce to dip into. The sauce was very thin and lacked much tomato flavor. The arepa was packed full of meat. The beef was seasoned perfectly and tasted great. The bun though was kind of tough, sort of like it was stale. The venue is small, but clean and welcoming. Their menu is loaded with many options too. Overall, it was a nice dinner.

If you don't want to fuss with parking downtown but still want a more upscale menu, Montano's is…read morethe place! Their seafood dishes are my favorite like the shrimp alla rios over angel hair pasta or their crab and shrimp dip appetizer. Their avocado caesar salad dressing is also a must. You can tell they make everything from scratch which is incredible considering the large selection they offer! Bonus points too from my husband too for allowing you to choose either draft beer from the bar or a specialty can from their shop out front. His philly cheesesteak paired nicely with a beer from one of his favorite breweries, The Alchemist. Service is also friendly every time. The atmosphere is unique since you enter by the bakery and gelato counter, pass the small wine and beer shop and then reach the hostess stand for the restaurant. The decor may also be a bit dated but, trust me, these things are easily overlooked when you taste your meal! Going out to eat is expensive these days but Montano's offers a good value for exceptional quality.

Recently visited Montano's for the second time and I've enjoyed both of my meals here. Came here…read morewith my family for a meal and everyone enjoyed what they had (with the exception of the oyster salad). I loved the pimento cheese bread I started with and my shrimp and salmon with pasta was very tasty. Standout here was the fried artichoke appetizer...that was delicious. Service was friendly and prices were reasonable. Overall, a very nice evening at Montano's. They handle big parties well (there were six of us) and everyone left happy and with leftovers!

A good friend of mine invited me to dinner for pizza at Highlander Pizza. Located in a strip mall…read morein Cave Spring, Roanoke, Virginia, the restaurant is small and cozy, very clean, with hardwood floors and wth very cute artworks of animals decorating it's wall. The menu is a colorful one sheet of laminated paper They specialize in Halal specialty pizzas, salads, subs, strombols, and calzones. When we arrived the owner greeted us with a warm welcome, took us to our table, and handed us the menu. We ordered a 14 in Steak BBQ pizza to eat and Iced water to drink. When the pizza arrived the pie was fresh and soft, the cheese very cheesy, the BBQ sause just right, and the steak cut in little pieces. After we finished eating it we felt full but not too stuffy. We then each ordered a slice of Strawberry Cheesecake. It was soft and creamy and the strategy sauce on top was very sweet and tasty. The owner was very friendly and came by to check on us at the right times and to fill our glasses with water. This is a wonderful place for when you want to have a very special, one of a kind pizza, or other items, in a relaxed environment, with excellent customer service.

In an attempt to "support local" I settled on Highlander Pizza for the evening. Immediately upon…read moreentering, I realized I should have left as there was no air conditioning and the heat was unbearable given the 90 degree day outside. Strike one, but again, local, so I decided to overlook the extreme heat and hope for the best with the food and service. The server/counter person was not very personable, but not outright rude...indifferent might be a good term...but I contributed it to the heat. Strike two, because a welcoming environment is important. Upon ordering, the server brought out plates, utensils and drinks. Two of the three plates were dirty and there was something floating in my drink. Strike three without question, but the final never again came when there was no care or concern from the staff at all that their dishes were not clean and there were foreign objects in the drinks. Lastly, after a very long wait, the food arrived. It was just ok, not worth the heat, the filthy environment, the dirty dishes, the excessive wait, or the foreign objects floating in the drinks. I generally love to shop and eat local, but it will not here.

We've been having lots of rainy days here lately, days when I prefer to order out and eat at home…read more That was the case today. Thinking of where I might order from, I recalled the awesome food I had from Carrabba's the day I ordered from them once before and decided to once again make an order via DoorDash. Since I loved the last main course I had from them, I ordered it again. It was their New Filet & Shrimp Toscana, medium-rare. It consisted of Fettuccine pasta with spinach and mushrooms, tossed in a roasted garlic cream sauce, and topped with sliced filet and wood-grilled shrimp. This time I ordered their Lentil & Sausage soup as the side rather than the Caesar Salad I had last time. Since I was somewhat hungry, I also ordered their Tiramisu for dessert, which was lady fingers dipped in liqueur-laced espresso, layered with sweetened mascarpone, Myers's Rum and chocolate shavings. I think it was one of the most expensive orders that I have ever made from DoorDash so I was really looking forward to enjoying it. The order was placed at 5:20PM and DoorDash gave me an estimated delivery time of between 5:45PM and 6:09PM. Needless to say I was hungry and as a VIP DoorDash customer I expected the order around that time as usual. But the time went by and nothing. I started to worry that the food might arrive cold and was getting somewhat upset. I received a message from DoorDash that my DoorDasher was delivering another order before she got to me along with a later estimated time. To make the story short, the order finally arrived at 6:40PM in a paper shopping bag. And of course it arrived cold. So I was very upset with DoorDash, not with Carrabba's. Carrabba's did an excellent job packing my order and including their wonderful crusty, artisanal sourdough bread along with their signature herb and extra virgin olive oil dipping blend. So I was required to heat my food in the microwave in order to enjoy it best. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the high-quality of the food prepared and cooked to perfection by Carrabba's amazing chefs, cooks, and kitchen crew. Even with the unfortunate circumstances, I was able to enjoy an amazingly delicious meal. After I finished eating, I called DoorDash VIP Customer Service phone number to explain the situation I had gone through and ask them to make it right. They apologized and added to my account a $30 credit for the long wait that caused my food to get cold and for the inconvenience this had caused me. Despite the poor delivery experience, I am giving this restaurant 5 stars because the food itself was excellent and well-packaged. And I highly recommend the restaurant for their exquisite Italian cuisine.

I had one of the most frustrating dining experiences I've ever encountered at Carrabba's Italian…read moreGrill, and unfortunately, it's not something I can just overlook. From the moment we were seated, the service was noticeably poor and only continued to get worse as the night went on. To start, our server seemed completely disengaged. After taking our initial drink order, they disappeared for an extended period of time. When the drinks finally arrived, it was already a long wait--but what made it worse was that once they were empty, they stayed that way for well over 10 minutes. We sat there with empty glasses, trying to flag someone down, but our server was nowhere to be found. It felt like we were being completely ignored. We had also ordered soup and salad to come before our meal, which is pretty standard. However, those never showed up at all. Not late--just never. No explanation, no apology, nothing. Our entrées arrived, and we were left wondering what happened to the first part of our order. It's basic service to ensure courses come out correctly, and this was completely missed. Throughout the meal, the server would vanish for long stretches of time. Every time we needed something--refills, utensils, even just a quick check-in--it turned into a waiting game. Getting drink refills took forever, and by the time we finally got someone's attention, it felt like more of a hassle than it should ever be. A simple dining experience turned into constant frustration. Overall, the lack of attentiveness, poor timing, and complete absence of communication made this visit extremely disappointing. It honestly felt like we were an afterthought the entire time. Between the empty drinks, missing soup and salad, and the server disappearing repeatedly, this was far from an enjoyable experience. We are regulars at this restaurant and this by far is the worst experience we have ever had at any restaurant we have been to ever! I only tipped something to be gracious but in reality I should have not tipped anything. To make matters worse at the end of the meal is when the waitress showed up eyeing our table like a hawk waiting for me to sign the check. I would expect better from Carrabba's! We would have been better off going to Chic-Fil-a. I would not recommend this location if you're expecting even average service.

One of our favorite places! Service is always great and the food is wonderful. It's charming &…read morepleasant with a cute little bar area as well.

One of the best Italian Restaurants in the Roanoke area, Luigi's is one of my favorite restaurants…read morearound. The owner is very warm, kind, and hospitable, and every time I've dined there I've felt right at home. I've received excellent service in a cozy environment and the drinks and food have been to par with my high expectations of a restaurant of this nature. However, I was a bit disappointed when I dined there this time. Unfortunately the owner wasn't feeling well so she appointment one of her best servers as Host in charge. When I arrived, since I showed up without a reservation, she greeted me by asking what I wanted, if to order for takeout. This was a bit insulting, since I was there to dine in, like always. I then requested to seat in the well lit dining room, in my usual table next to the window. She consented and took me there. Shortly after, a young lady server shows up and greets me. Not giving me enough time to study the menu, she asks what I wanted to drink and what I wanted to order for dinner. Without asking for her opinion, she starts telling me what she thinks I should order as appetizer. It was like she was trying to rush me. I don't know if it was her inexperience or lack of training, but I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and asked the Host to change my server and explained the reason why. My server replacement was completely the opposite. He was the epitome of customer service. Philip had good manners, was respectful, and didn't rush me, taking his time to make sure I had a relaxing and enjoyable dining experience. The first thing he did was introduce himself as my new server. He then repeated my order that my previous server had taken to make sure it was right. I already had my Fried Calamari appetizer on the table. My house salad was with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. My Filet Mignon was to be cooked medium-rare and served with sautéed mushrooms, broccoli, and delicate new potatoes. During my meal, he made sure my Iced water glass was always full, and after my Filet was served and I had a chance of cutting it, he came by to make sure it was cooked appropriately, just like ordered. The Filet was cooked medium-rare, the broccoli was fresh, and the potatoes were delicious, but the mushrooms were not seasoned nor sautéed enough and were somewhat tasteless. For dessert, I had my favorite, the Brazilian Custard Pudding. As I was leaving my server opened the door for me and thanked me for dining there, while the Host stood inside without even having the courtesy to say goodbye. I hope the owner of the restaurant reads this review and takes action to see that her restaurant is run appropriately, and each of her customers is treated as they should.

Excellent Italian,I would highly recommend if you want excellent Italian Food. The staff were greatread more

To start, food was great! Atmosphere so so, service weak…read more The booths have been removed, making a meal with some privacy impossible. Took 10 minutes to get a beer, they ran out of beer glasses. Ugh Food took a long time 30-40 minutes. Not on open table, required a phone call and left a message. Missed the call back, required another call. Not the same Reminis of the past

I dared to go off the beaten paths in search of an Italian family-owned restaurant where they made…read moreNew York style pizzas; and literally across the street from the well known and famous Montano's International Gourmet Restaurant, I discovered this small, nothing fancy, Italian Eatery owned and run by an older couple husband and wife Italian immigrants. 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, 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 Tony Avellino's Italian Eatery is the perfect example. Located in an old but clean, small restaurant space off Franklin Road, in Roanoke, Virginia, with an ample parking lot, Tony Avellino's stands alone there, that for unknown passers-byers could seem not to be open if it were not be for its well lit red "OPEN" sign behind one of its windows. As I arrived and walked in, the place looked empty, so I walked around and looked into a what seemed to be like a storage room that doubled as the dishwashing room and office. I heard some voices and said: "Is anybody home?" Suddenly, this delightful older couple who were Italian immigrants, and the owners of the restaurant came out to warmly greet me, and as they did, the place suddenly acquired another dimension. It reminded me of the trip to Italy that I took with my family when I was a boy, and the beauty of that country, and its people, who made you feel at home in their home. I enjoyed talking with both the husband and wife, and seeing them work together running their family-owned business. They had a colorful menu published but the wife ask me what I felt like eating today: a pizza, their Special Cheese Steak Sub, Pasta, or one of their Half-Pound Burgers. I definitely wanted to try their New York style pizza so I ordered their 12" size Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza with a Root Beer. The husband quickly started making my pizza and allowed me to record the process with photos and videos that I could include in my review. The Pizza tasted amazing. There are times that in simple, quality ingredients, one can uncover an extraordinary flavor. While I was eating, other customers started arriving. Some to eat in, some to take out. What a beautiful site of a couple earning a living through the labor of something they enjoy doing and are good at, and their customers enjoying the fruit of their labor. I highly recommend this restaurant. Go there, support this delightful couple, and enjoy their warmth and wonderful food.

3.5 Stars Great…read morepizza for a local spot. Beware - a little pricy but the pizza had better flavor than a National chain. $31 for a 12" stuffed pizza & order of cheesy bread. WOW! The stuffed pizza w/ pepperoni & sausage had fresh mozzarella which was tasty and the crust was cooked well. Cheesy bread seemed like a hoagie roll sliced up w/ melted cheese - not sure it was worth $8. Store itself looked run down and in need of some renovations. Maybe that's the ambiance they are looking for - the vintage or "we been here forever" look. The staff was friendly, smiling & looked to like their job! I would probably give them another try but would definitely look for specials or coupons to make it all worth while.