It is said that valuable things come in small boxes, but never in my wildest imagination did I…read moreconceive of a place like Stellina. 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 uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Stellina, in Downtown Roanoke, is a perfect example. Stellina (which means "Little Star" in Italian) is a secretly hidden little bar within the very popular Italian Restaurant Fortunato, but with its own entrance through a door on the right of the restaurant. Its only indication of its name is a small letter board behind one of its front windows, stating its name and hours of operation. This bar was constructed with reclaimed wood from the Old Crow distillery and opened in December of 2016. Since then its gain a reputation as the ideal spot for hand-crafted cocktails in a cozy and intimate atmosphere. It seats only about 20 people, with 7 at the bar. Not that long ago it gained recognition by being featured in the New York Post as one of the world's best small bars. All that I can tell you about this place doesn't do justice to the experience of visiting the place for the very first time. After stepping inside, I was mesmerized by the simple yet effective, elegance of the establishment, complimented by the beautifully dressed young lady, server/bartender. Her elegant style and mysterious personality contributed to the character and ambiance of this one-of-a-kind relaxing place. The very hospitable young lady welcomed me and handed me the drink menu, while asking me if I also planned to dine there. I answered in the affirmative and asked her if they had any Mocktails. To my surprise, she pointed out that one side of the Drinks Menu were all non-alcoholic drinks, including mocktails, bottled mocktails, wine by the glass, and beers. I ordered one of the mocktails and by the end of my meal, I think I must have tried a few. She then brought me Fortunato's menu, and I ordered the Fritto Misto as appetizer and the Pork Milanese as my main entrée. I enjoyed both course immensely. A lady employee brought me the food from Fortunato's Restaurant through a door that led to the restroom area of Fortunato's Restaurant, pass the kitchen. For dessert, that Which I consider the "Grand Finale" of a wonderful fine dining experience, I ordered their Tiramisu and Hot Chocolate. They were absolutely mouthwatering. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to return in the near future.

My best friend Becca and I were looking for the perfect place to celebrate her 23rd birthday in…read moreRoanoke. We had originally settled on Fortunato's, but upon arrival at 6pm, the pleasant hostess had informed us that there was not a table available until 8:30. While she was seeing if there was space at the bar, another young woman said, "There's a table at Stellina!" We already knew that Stellina shared the same menu, so we were pleased to walk over there. A young man greeted us and said, "Sit wherever you like!" But there was only one table available. It was a great table, positioned by a window that let us see a glimpse of the city. Cocktail menus were already on our tables, and the young man asked if we wanted food menus as well. We said yes, and ordered The Obituary, a gin drink, a vodka drink that I cannot remember the name of, the house bread, Lumache a Forno, and Bucatini all'Arrabiatta. While waiting for our food, I got to admire the space. It was a small space decorated with a beautiful purple-lit wallpaper, christmas lights, and a colorful overhead light. The room was dark, but our table was tastefully lit with a small lamp. The wallpaper looked as if it had some floral print on it, but upon closer inspection, it was actually a collection of people's faces, which was charming. But perhaps the most striking element of this bar's atmosphere was the music. I immediately heard a trippy beat that was familiar to me, and upon shazaming it, found out it was Interia Creeps, by Massive Attack, one of my favorite 90s trip-hop bands. The music continued to impress me, and has inspired to start a spotify playlist called Stellina's Songs. Some of the standouts include: Army of Me - Bjork Never Let Me Down - Depeche Mode Lovesong - The Cure It's No Good - Depeche Mode The ambience of this dark, 90s music paired perfectly with the dark yet pleasant atmosphere of the restaurant. Our drinks were cold, our food was hot, and it was all quite delicious. I got to try both dishes and both drinks, and was perfectly satisfied. The gentleman that greeted us checked on us frequently, as well as another woman. Overall, the experience was classy and pleasant. The restaurant seemed popular among an older crowd. Nevertheless, this is a great place for anyone of any age to grab a drink or a bite to eat while feeling like an elegant member of society. This is truly a gem that Roanoke has to offer, and my experience could not have been greater.

All I've got to say about this place is "there are apparently people here that think that we are…read moredoing something that we shouldn't be doing." Dollar beers, cheap liquor, and the cold shoulder from the locals... What more could you ask for? Stop in for a big TV, and a fine "Welcome to Salem."

Doesn't really get going until 10:30 or so, but the club got rockin' after that. Cute barhops and…read moredancers, a fun drag show, and surprising mixed crowd: women, men, mixed, neither, and old and young. The dance floor was hopping, and the dj's kept it bouncing! First time my partner was at an LGBTQ+ bar, and he had a great time!

Went here for the first time recently for a drag show and was not disappointed. The queens put on a…read moregreat show and even hung out with the crowd for a bit after their performance. The DJ was also fantastic. Obviously, being a lesbian, I'm not quite their target audience, but found the patronage to be very welcoming. The line to get in moved quickly and the cover was very reasonable. That being said, the drinks were slightly pricey for the strength and quality, and it was a bit difficult to get the bartenders attention despite it being not very crowded. Will definitely come back over the summer to dance and hang out with the community.

Great spot for drinks. Everyone was super friendly and the atmosphere was very welcoming.read more

Not even worth one star. Horrible service, bartenders rather smoke then work, dirty, and 100 other…read morebars that have cheap drinks where I feel safe and not have to worry about getting robbed or hurt.

There's a reason they built a parking garage in Vinton…read more.. Live music. Best burger in Roanoke. Fun and clean. Hoping the Town of Vinton will allow table games and sports betting soon.

Clean, congenial clientele, user friendly gaming, bright ambisince, customer service efficient,…read moretasty menu, a good package, adequately staffed! No pickle ball or ping pong tables is the only serious omission!

I was told to check this place out while I was in town. When I arrived they had a trivia contest…read moregoing on, I didn't participate but sounded like fun. The service was good. Sat at the bar and had a burger which was pretty good.

When I first reviewed this Downtown Roanoke Restaurant, I focused on their drinks and food. But…read morethis time around I couldn't help it to discover why this place is the center of Roanoke's night life. 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. I arrived on a Thursday evening with a 6:15pm reservation which I'm glad I had made because later I found out that this place gets to be a full house on Thursdays. A young lady host greeted and welcomed me at the Host's station as soon as I arrived. She checked my reservation and had my table all ready for me. Located in the middle of this very popular Restaurant Bar, gave me a nice view of the entire place, and with a light high above I had a perfect lighting to photograph my drink and food as part of my review of the place. My server Jillian arrived soon after I was seated. She had a wonderful personality and welcomed me with a friendly smile and very pleasant attitude. After answering me some questions about their Mocktails, I ended up ordering their Raspberry Burro. For dinner I ordered their BBQ Bacon Chicken Kababs with a side of their special fries and a salad. While I was waiting for my food to arrive I observed the place quickly filling up and I found out that tonight was Music Bingo and Live Music at 9:30pm with no cover charge. It brought me back to my college days in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the night life was a thing to look forward to. Suddenly I discovered the key of Martin's popularity and the important role it plays in contributing to making the City of Roanoke a Star City indeed. I enjoyed my drink and the Chicken Kababs with the side of special fries were amazingly delicious, as well as the salad. They have a good variety of quality items on their menu and their chefs amazingly deliver. I invite you to read my first review where I celebrate their Cuban Sandwich and Slaw, and view my photographs that accompany my review. What a night. Besides the food, I enjoyed playing the Music Bingo, which one of the card titles was The 1970's. One of the best years of my life, when I attended High School in San Juan, Puerto Rico and College in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. During that time I also won a Saltwater Fishing Tournament at the young age of 17 by catching a 405 pound Blue Marlin off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. It was the best of times for me. My server Jillian provided exceptional customer service, checking on me at the appropriate times. For dessert I ordered their Glazed Doughnut Bread Pudding, and it was so good, I can't wait to return to have it again. What an extraordinary dining experience I had that night. I highly recommend this restaurant and bar for when you feel like having a good time, alone or with family and good friends. I promise you will be able to sabor what a Five Star review is all about, and experience for yourselves why Martin's is one of the City of Roanoke's most precious gems.

For a total dive bar, these folks have an amazing kitchen, producing good bar food late into the…read morenight. I ordered wings, and they were large, freshly cooked, succulent. Lots of choices on seasonings and sauces too. The staff is very friendly! Yo say this place is low key and laid back would be an understatement, but don't judge this book by its cover.

i ordered boneless wings and fries, the wings were pretty good but the fries were bland and stale…read moretasting. i only got like 4 wings with my order so it was mostly fries.

I love coming to sidewinders to dance! The food is delicious especially the Sidewinder fries!read more

It was a great time with the guys. Line dancing karaoke and line dancing. The food here is good as…read morewell would recommend

Great casual restaurant in the Hotel Roanoke. The lobby bar is also great and I had a terrific…read morecocktail there (Virginia Vardier, maybe?) with super service and a very chill vibe. This review will focus on the actual restaurant, where I had lunch with my husband and our friend. It was quiet the day we were there so we got a lot of personal attention. We started with unsweetened iced teas and then since we weren't starved, we ordered some appetizers to share. We had: -deviled eggs (good but the filling was too solid and cold...I like the yellow to be a little creamier and light); -fried cauliflower-the star of the show; it tasted almost like a sweet Korean fried chicken; -Butternut squash salad- also delicious, with nicely roasted butternut squash chunks and a really good dressing; -Pimento cheese dip- excellent dip served with toast. Pimento cheese isn't much of a thing in NYC where I live so I've been trying it every time I see it in Roanoke. We really liked everything we had and the service was so nice. The room itself is gorgeous and feels historic. I'm a fan.

Our server was Angela and she was a delight! We had the…read moreHearth Pumpkin salad & loved it. I had the Reuben (lotsa meat) with a side of mashed sweet potatoes that was awesome.. we fought over that. Virginia Ground Burger was tasty, it is grass fed so a bit gamey compared to grain fed in case you're not used to that. The fries were fine & the fry sauce was yummy!

During my last visit to this restaurant I was very impressed with the quality of the food and…read morecustomer service that I received here. They even gave me a tour of this very unique restaurant. I invite you to read that review and view my photographs that always accompany my reviews. 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. Unfortunately, this time around things weren't so great. First of all, when I arrived at 6:00pm on a Saturday for dinner, there was no one at the Host's station to welcome me and take me to a table. I waited for a while and still no one came to greet me. I walked in and finally a server greeted me and I asked her if a could be seated in the dining room whete the pizzas brick over was. That was the place where I sat during the first time That I reviewed this restaurant. She happily took me there and had me sit at a booth. To drink I asked her for a Margarita Mocktail, which she asked for the bartender to make and it came out very good. As an appetizer I asked for the Boom Boom Shrimp with the Boom sauce on the side, just in case it was too hot & spicy for me. The shrimps were delicious: soft in the inside and just the right amount of crunchiness on the outside, and the sauce also had just the right amount of spice. For the main course I ordered the All-time Combo Sub Roll with a side of Spiral Fries. The bread of the sandwich was not fresh and they put very few meats inside compared to the plentiful amount they had included last time I was here. This was a disappointment because I had come especially because I had enjoyed my sandwich last time. Then when I finished I ask my server if they had anything for dessert and if they had the Peanut Butter Pie, since I ordered it last time and loved it. She went back to see and since they didn't I ordered a piece of their Carrot Cake and asked if they can include ice-cream with it. When my server came back with it I asked for a spoon to be able to eat it. First of all it was a very thin slice and dry inside.A would say that a piece of Carrot Cake from the Golden Corral would have been 10 times better. The topping wasn't too creamy either. And the vanilla ice-cream, even though they charged me extra for it, wasn't even a scoop, but you could see they were a collection of leftover scoops from the container in the freezer. What another disappointment about this place. I hate when a place is not consistent with the quality of their food nor service. After my server brought my bill and I paid it with my credit card. As I was walking out, someone, I think it must have been the manager, yelled out ":Thanks for Coming." Yet never was I visited and ask how my food had been. Needless to say, my dining experience this time had not been good. I hope the manager reads this constructive criticism of my follow-up review and takes action to remedy what was done wrong, for after some time I will give it another try, and it needs to have consistency if I were to recommend it.

Food is always good! Love the atmosphere. Elijah has been one of the most impressive bartenders ive…read morehad in awhile! Will definitely go back on their workdays!