Great pizza!!! Loved the thin crust and choice of tasty toppings. Incredibly good tavern style…read morepizza (look that up--it's the other Chicago style). We had brussel sprouts as an appetizer and two pizzas for three people. The sprouts were not only delicious but a big serving--plenty of food for the three of us. Who knew that Roanoke would have such good pizza? Plus a delicious old fashioned made with Woodford bourbon. Check it out!

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.

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.

We stopped by today after seeing the @hungryasian review on Facebook. Cannot believe we got all…read moreof this yummy food for less than $20 before tip. Attention to detail is definitely on the mind of the workers here. Chili had such a great fine grind, sear on burger was perfect and fries were hot and crispy. Will be back! Highly recommend!

My 1st visit to Pok-E-Joe's was this week and it will most certainly not be my last visit. We were…read morea large group so they arranged the back semi-private dining space for us, which was perfect. We started with brisket nachos, Bavarian pretzels and wings (nachos are a MUST). My main course was the smoked turkey sandwich and potato salad for my side which complemented each other well and were amazing. Everything was cooked/smoked to perfection and incredibly tasty! The brisket and turkey were my favorites. There are 4 BBQ sauces on the table so I sampled all, the Texas BBQ sauce was my personal favorite but all 4 are uniquely amazing. We ended with the deep fried Oreos (OH MY), which were incredible and I highly recommend, so save room for dessert. Next time I'll opt in for the pie! Great family restaurant and they also have live music at times. Jordan was our server and he was extremely attentive to such a large group. I'll be back, you can count on that! Thank you for the wonderful and warm hospitality!

I came here for dinner and got a cheeseburger with a gluten free bun. It was delicious!! The burger…read morewas good and juicy, and the bun was soft and didn't fall apart. (They use Udi's buns.) It's so nice to find a local place that offers gluten free items. They also have an allergen menu for other allergies. The rest of the menu items looked good. The service was good. The noise level was moderate at the time, but it wasn't very busy. (They could improve the noise by adding some acoustic panels along the upper part of the walls.) I'll definitely be back for another burger and/or to try another item!

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 !

Vinton's Café Kitchen & Bakery is more than just a place to eat. It's a small-town charm where…read morelocals, family, and friends gather to share quality time together while enjoying some delicious Southern comfort food. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also 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 Vinton's Café, located in the City of Roanoke's neighboring Town of Vinton, Virginia, is a perfect example and a dream come true. Located in the heart of downtown Vinton, this cozy, family-owned and operated hometown eatery has quickly become the talk of the town. It is widely recognized for it's scratch-made Southern comfort classics, exceptional all-day breakfasts, artisan baked goods, and local artisan gift shop. The owner Keriann Campbell sets the warm and welcoming tone for a memorable dining experience and for a desire to want to come back and make it the place to gather with family and friends, to make any day special. Her most close supporters are husband Todd and son Jake. Tom's skills in the kitchen are amazing. His passion for food is the inspiration for some culinary masterpieces. Among some of the more unique and loved items in the menu are the Cafe Cuban Sandwich served on Portuguese sweet bread, and paired with homemade potato soup; The Strawberry Banana Nutela Crepes; The Smoked Salmon Benedict; and a first for any restaurant in the area: The Surf N Turf Omelet. Some of the items on their Fall Special Menu include the Dubai French Toast, The Banana Bread Pancakes, and The Benedict Burger, among others. Their coffee selection is also like no other. Today I visited the restaurant for an early breakfast. A friendly young lady greeted and welcomed me. I ordered an Iced Café Mocha to drink and an Imperial Omelet to eat. It was amazingly delicious. I loved it. Its quality chorizo flavor really stood out together with its fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and special chef's spices. The owner came out to say hello while I was there. She has a beautiful personality and a very creative mind and imagination. As their one-year anniversary is approaching in November of this year, plans are underway to expand into dinner hours and add a back patio for parade viewing and outdoor dining. She also believes in giving our local talented and creative people an opportunity to showcase their items in the gift shop. Currently the gift shop there is showcasing 10 local artisans. 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 and items in their gift shop. In conclusion I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind Café, a cherished gem of the precious Town of Vinton.

I just had the most amazing lunch with my sister! We were celebrating my birthday so we started off…read morethe Mimosa flight then we followed up with chicken Caesar wrap! Oh my good goodness it was delicious! We had Lexie as our server and she too was incredible! I will definitely be back!!! It was an impeccable little restaurant located in the town of Vinton! If you haven't been by yet you are missing out on this little gem.

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.

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.

At one time this restaurant may have been "the place for submarine sandwiches", but sadly not…read moreanymore. Ordered a pastrami and Swiss sub and a ham and cheese sub. Wrapped in paper to go, we were anxious to try them. Foot long seeded roll was this side of stale, lean on the meat and cheese on both and fixings for a subs this size. Sadly $40 for 2 sandwiches and 3/4a went in the trash. Good concept...poor execution.

It pains me to give a deli this review but the pastrami was crazy salty and tough as hell, and…read morecorned beef had no flavor or salt like it was boiled to death, and looked like ham.?Loved the marble rye and kaiser roll, but when they asked me if I wanted lettuce on my hot pastrami I knew I was in trouble. I ordered a slice of cheesecake that they are known for but it was terribly dry and not sweet at all. Whole visit was a miss. There's nothing NY here. The best part of the visit were the two sassy cashiers that talked shit about all the customers and were clearly thrilled to be working there.

After reading the news that Jersey Mike's had taken the top spot in the 2026 American Customer…read moreSatisfaction Index for quick-service restaurants, ending Chick-fil-A's 11-year reign, and that the shift reflects customer's growing focus on consistency, value, and fresh-food offering, I decided to give a visit to this Jersey Mike's for the very first time, to experience for myself what I thought of this news compared to my dining experience there. But I should have foreseen this coming because just the other day in a Chick-fil-A not far from there, I arrived 5 minutes late after they had closed the dining room to the public and began serving drive-thru only, and I told an employee who was throwing out the trash that I had traveled this far just to dine at this Chick-fil-A (and I left out that I intended to write a Yelp review as well), she told me that she could not let me in, to go through the drive-thru. Needles to say, this attitude was not a reflection of the Chick-fil-A I used to know, although this was the first time I had attempted to eat there. I arrived at this Jersey Mike's for the very first time and parked in front of its building. The restaurant was clean and well-organized. An African-American, young lady greeted me and pointed out where I should go to order my food. There, an older, serious gentleman took my order for an Original Itatian Sub, regular size, in white bread, and began making it. Then he passed it on to the lady who had originally greeted me and she asked me what I wanted on it. I was expecting a different question so I waited and then she asked me: "Would you like that Mike's Way?" And I said yes. (Employees are corporate-mandated to ask customers this). She did a great job finishing building my sub, including pickles and banana peppers which I asked her to add. All the items looked very fresh and appetizing. I made it a combo and made sure my MyMike's was inputed to get my Shore Points. When I sat down to eat I noticed everything was fresh except the bread. With all the bread available that they had I would have expected to have been given a fresh piece. Here is where I detected a lack of consistency in fresh food. Yet in other Jersey Mike's this had never happen. It's amazing how one little detail can ruin a perfect score but I'm very particular on the freshness of the bread where I eat. Also, at Jersey Mike's the management protocol emphasizes a genuine enthusiastic, and welcoming atmosphere. I detected a lack of this from the manager and some of the team members where there is room for improvement. I hope corporate reads this review and takes action to correct the details that I have mentioned; because it is the little details that make the big difference.

Food was amazing! The employees were very professional…read more Very clean the bathrooms are clean as well highly recommend

The food was top-notch, my husband was a huge fan of the Key Lime Pie. I had a burger that was…read morecooked to perfection and his Gyro was very tasty as well. We will definitely be going back!

used to be excellent! I would always order the chicken gyro-delicious...grilled pita, seasoned…read morechicken, feta mixed w the tzatziki dressing. I ordered it today, took too long to come out. the pita was not grilled and dry, no feta and the chicken was bland. gross. won't be back.

Truly amazing food, everything seems made from scratch. Staff gets to know you and is very…read morefriendly. My two personal favorites are the chocolate croissant and the garlic rosemary sourdough. I could eat here every day and not get tired! Manager Brett also manages that place insanely well. Clean, organized, and efficient. Kudos to the team!

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.