Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall on Electric Road in Salem, Virginia, Papa's Pizza is truly…read morea diamond of an Italian restaurant and one of the best kept secrets of the City of Salem. After having been selected as number 4 of the Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I also was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at the 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 Papa's Pizza in Salem, Virginia is the perfect example. This family-owned and operated Italian Restaurant, located in Ridgewood Farms Shopping Center is one of those rare gems of the City of Salem, Virginia. For some time now, on my way from Roanoke to Salem, Virginia on Electric Road, I would ride by this "Pizzeria Italiana" in my Lexus wondering how its cuisine would be. Then today, while I was driving, took the turn that lead me to the Pizza shop. As I arrived, a beautiful blue sky with white clouds framed the building where the restaurant was located, almost like warning me that I was up to something good. Inside, the place was clean in a relaxed environment, with the dining room in the shape of Virginia and containing both tables and booths, behind a low was that led you through the ordering line. They had a couple of tvs with videos showing some of the items on the menu. And the main decoration items were framed American and Italian flags next to two pizza paddles with Best of Virginia Winner and Readers Choice Award. Behind the ordering counter, a friendly young gentleman greeted and welcomed me and provided me with a menu. I ordered a House Salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and a 10" Personal Supreme Pizza. And l had a softdrink to drink. I went and sat at a table and the order taker / server first brought me the salad and then the pizza to my table. The salad was so fresh and delicious. You have to see it to believe it. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. And the pizza, the pizza was amazing! From the perfect crust cooked to perfection, to the fresh ingredients placed in generous amounts, to the splendid tasting pizza sauce and cheese. I then went to their dessert refrigerated display case and ordered a slice of their Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. The perfect dessert for the Grand Finale of an extraordinary dining experience.

Definitely my favorite pizza spot in Roanoke , the food is delicious, staff is great, the pizza is…read morefantastic

Visiting from out of town and glad we found Lydia's. Delicious lunch. We both got sandwiches…read more Host staff and wait staff were both friendly and efficient Would definitely eat here again.

The restaurant was easy to find and there was plenty of parking and it looked really nice. I had…read moregreat expectations. The young lady who served me was very friendly. But the spaghetti was overcooked almost to the point of being inedible. And the meat sauce just didn't have much flavor. In fact, it tasted a little bit sour. I gave up after a few bites. The salad, though, was very good.

This place is in a pretty dead shopping center far away from anything. There are a couple of tables…read moreif you want to eat indoors, but I got takeout. I came seeking an arepa, the South American grilled corn sandwich of note that is hard to find in this area. By getting takeout and taking it home with me, I probably waited a bit too long on it, but the arepa was still quite satisfying. The best thing in it was the beans, warmly spiced with a note of bay leaf, but cheese and plantains made for a rounded flavor experience, of course accentuated by grilled corn. Their more conventional pizza and garlic bread delivered basic satisfaction. I also enjoyed a cake slice with finely chopped nuts the next day. The arepas are far more notable that the pizza, but if offering pizza and locating themselves in a mall next to a karate studio and an orthodox church is what it takes to get some diversity in the local culinary scene, I'm for it.

The food was amazing and the service great and very friendly. There was about 4-5 tables and a…read morepickup for to go orders. There were also great lunch specials that were very reasonable

Great ambience Great food and portions…read more Wine and cider options Gluten free options Friendly staff

Food and service was very good! The restaurant is small but very clean! We will definitely return!read more

Frank's is hands down one of the best spots in Salem. The pizza is classic New York-style, thin…read morecrust, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. Everything is always fresh and the service is quick and friendly. We've tried pizza, wings, calzones and subs and it never disappoints. Portions are generous and it's such an easy go-to for takeout or a casual meal. If you're searching for the best pizza near me in Salem, VA, Frank's is the answer.

I was really looking forward to dining at this pizza place, especially because I was led to believe…read morethey had the best New York Pizza in the area. But what I discovered was it was nothing like a New York style pizza, and not at all the best pizza around. The fact is I lived for over 25 years in Boston, Massachusetts, and frequented the Italian neighborhood of Boston which is called the North End, that it is also widely known as Boston's Little Italy, due to its rich Italian-American heritage and abundance of Italian restaurants and bakeries. There, at the pizza place next to the Little Italy Market, I've had the best genuine New York style pizza ever. And I also visited New York frequently, and have actually eaten a New York style pizza in New York City often, so I guess you can say I know first hand the look and taste of a New York Style pizza. I arrived at Franks Pizza on East Main Street, Salem on a Saturday early evening, and parked at the City of Salem Farmer's Market Parking lot, conveniently located across the street, and where you get 2 hours of free parking, Monday - Saturday, 6AM-6PM. As I entered the place I saw an open window on the wall with one of the cooks making a pizza, I stopped there on the way to the main counter to ask to be seated. The person making the pizza was kind of rude and asked me to move on, not allowing me to see how he was making the pizza. When I arrived to the main counter, the server, who was a very nice gentleman, greeted and welcomed me and asked me to sit in any booth available. Practically all the booths were empty except one where two older ladies were dining at. I found this a bit odd, on a Saturday early evening, when good restaurant are already beginning to get full. The gentleman treated me well, handed me the menu, got me my softdrink, and took my order. I ordered a House Salad with Balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and a Special 12" hand tossed NY Style Pizza. As I was waiting I noticed there was no music in the background to make for a relaxing ambiance. Instead you could here the cooks back in the kitchen talking loud in Spanish, which I guess they didn't know I was understanding all the nonsense they were saying. That loudness coming out of the kitchen didn't create a relaxing ambiance. The salad arrived shortly, inside a plastic black bowl, and it was the highlight of the meal. I invite you to watch and listen to my video clip and photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its food. Then the pizza arrived. My servered delivered it by placing it on a stand. At first it looked good, but a bit too white on top. It hardly had any sauce at all, and thus hardly any flavor from the lack of sauce and quality meats. The Italian sausage and pepperoni lacked flavor probably due to the low quality. It was full of cheese, that's for sure, but also lacking flavor. The dough of the crust was bland and burnt, not at all tasty. Some customers, for whatever reason, might like their pizza this way, and might not mind the loud noise coming from the kitchen, and the lack of music creating a relaxed environment, and I respect that. But in my opinion, with so many other good pizza places around, even in the least expected alleyways, I would not waste my time and money here.

My favorite local restaurant in the entire southwest Virginia region. Primarily family-owned…read more Delicious menu items that sre consistent every time and friendly staff. I've been to Italy and this restaurant is the closest to going to Italy anyone will ever get, from flavors to ambiance. At lunchtime this restaurant also offers a buffet which is a great idea if you're a first-time diner. ALWAYS save room for their homemade gelato!! Their gelato is best I've ever had outside of Italy itself! We love, love, love this place. (Also, squeaky clean bathrooms)

The welcoming atmosphere at this Italian restaurant was evident from the moment I walked in. I was…read moregreeted by the Host with open arms, and this brought back happy memories of the time I visited Italy with my parents when I was growing up, and I was immersed in the true spirit of Italian Hospitality. As I was seated at the table of my choice, it made me feel as comfortable as the other guests there that you could clearly see were satisfied repeat customers. My server Suzana, who later I found out was from Bosnia and carrying a child, had such a friendly and warm personality, and attention to detail, that she was the ideal server that one could ever imagine. The menu featured a variety of exquisite options, and I selected the following: a Coke to drink, the Fried Calamari as appetizer, a House Salad with homemade Italian Vinaigrette dressing, and as my main entrée Scallops Fiorentino. My server also brought me soft freshly baked bread with three dips to dip the bread in. The food was amazingly delicious and served in large portions at reasonable prices. My server checked on me at the appropriate times and always kept my glass filled up to the rim with Coke. As the Grand finale I had their famous Pumpkin Tiramisu which is only made during this time of the year, together with a small homemade Mango Gelato. Both desserts tasted marvelous. In conclusion, I highly recommend this Italian Restaurant for an unforgettable dining experience.

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.

My steak and cheese was delicious and my husband's pizza was good too…read more Always get good service. Take out gives us quiet ambiance.

Stopped by for a bite during a drive from DC to NC... what a great find (thanks, Yelp!). Incredible…read morestuffed crust pizza for sale by the slice... and warmed in their pizza oven very quickly. No wait... wonderful staff... clean restroom. The sauce is simply out of this world... wanted to drink the side sauce! Yummmmmm. Thank you for the wonderful service. Bon appetite!

Great food and great service would highly recommend this place if you like to traditional and…read moreauthentic Mediterranean food

Ordered to go. Started with the Greek salad and the Grilled Chicken Pita Wrap. The salad was a…read moregenerous serving, fresh and well prepared. Feta, olives, salad greens with tomato and some peppers with sliced onions. A decent salad to start. The Grilles chicken was cooked nicely, stuffed in a fresh pita with lettuce and tomato along with a nice yogurt dressing. This is a large wrap and totally splitable. I had half a wrap leftover for my lunch the next day. I wanted something sweet too, so ordered a slice of Baklava aling with a piece of Pecan Pie. Both were okay, the baklava was the better of the two. The pie was okay, on the small side for what was charged. This is a decent place to grab some mediterrean style food, served its purpose. 3 Stars it met my needs and was pretty good overall. 01022

Really great pizza and super friendly service! Love the drive thru - it's so convenient!read more

Quite honestly was disappointed by this order. Was told that this was one of the better local…read moredelivery places in the area... Yet the order was put together haphazardly, items were not described accurately on the menu, nor by the person taking the order, and food quality was mediocre. If someone is ordering a to go order over $25 like they INSIST -, it's downright stingy and mean spirited to not provide any napkins or silverware whatsoever. I understand Restaurants like to claim that they are struggling, but that's hardly a reason to be mean spirited and allow someone to spend over $30 in food and not put a single napkin into their delivery order. Let alone utensils with which to eat the food. That's just either lazy, stingy, greedy, or unthoughtful. The pita and hummus is hardly pita, whatever that giant baked dough mess was that got shoved into the bag, unsanitary without any proper protection - was bland, and fat to doughy and heavy to be proper pita bread. They don't have lemon for the seafood or shrimp, and the cocktail sauce is in little ketchup packets made mostly of chemical ingredients, no real food content and not healthy. And again with the stinginess, they provided two little tiny ketchup packets for 10 shrimp. So not enough even for the shrimp that you've ordered. It basically allowed me to dip for shrimp. Was told that "everything is made fresh" but I think that they're deceiving themselves that this is wholesome, edible food. The cannoli was soggy and inedible. We threw out half of it. The bread mess was bland and again, not proper pita bread, shrimp was fine but with no lemon or cocktail sauce, just bland fried shrimp. Nothing special. On top of that they had a seven dollar delivery fee despite the fact that they are five minutes away from where we were??!? In NY and Boston delivery upcharges are three dollars or five dollars, so seven dollars in Roanoke Virginia just feels again, unnecessary and greedy. So for approximately $25 worth of food, if you're also paying the driver, you're spending a $12 + upcharge for mediocre food with no utensils or napkins or proper condiments. Definitely do not recommend. Thank you.