I was looking for a great hotdog place and stumbled into absolute heaven…read more 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 The Scalded Dog Houtdog Co. in the Bonsack area of Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example and a dream come true. Owned and operated by a local father-and-son duo, Nick and Landon, The Scalded Dog Hotdog Co. is a popular mobile food business based in the Bonsack area of Roanoke, Virginia. Nick and Landon launched the business with the simple goal of creating "a really good hotdog." The food trailer officially debuted at the Ace Hardware on Brambleton Road in Southwest, Roanoke. Following its early success, the business partnered with Lowe's in Bonsack operating as a regular weekend fixture. But due to strong community demand, they have expanded their operational hours to a Friday-Monday schedule and have built a second, much larger trailer to scale up operations. Their name plays on the classic Southern and Appalachian idiom "run like a scalded dog," which means to move incredibly fast or bolt suddenly. Their menu focuses on unique, elevated hotdog creations. Some of their most popular items include: The Scalded Dog (A signature creation crafted by Nick and Landon), Mango Diablo (A specialty sweet-and-spicy dog), The Carolina (A classic Southern style dog), and the Chicago Dog (A traditional city-style build), among others. As well as the newly introduced: The Smokehouse, an all beef Jumbo sized hotdog collaboration with Big Daddy's BBQ, featuring their sliced all beef brisket, white cheddar Mac, topped with their signature gold sauce, and sweet n spicy pickles.They have also currently introduced sides such as their Street Fries and Triple Churros. Today I drove in my pearl white Lexus to their location in the parking lot of the Bonsack Lowe's. There I was fortunately enough to meet Landon, one of the co-owners of the business, and also the co-designer of the business logo together with his father who are both gifted artists as well. The father also owns the Image Ink Studios tattoo parlor, located on 4118 Franklin Road, in Roanoke, Virginia, where they specialize in custom black & white and color ink tattoos, as well as Laser removal and skin rejuvenation. Landon was inside the large, new trailer when I arrived and gave me a warm welcome, also explaining the menu to me and the items they had ran out. It seems they have become so popular that you have to get their early if you want to make sure they have a particular item from the menu. For example, when I got there today, they had ran out of their now famous Smokehouse Hotdog. Besides all the different named hotdogs that they have, one can also customize one of them by adding from the list of free toppings or from another 50 cent toppings list. I ordered The Chicago, The Coney, their Triple Churros, and their Sweet Cream Orange Dreamsicle to drink. And conveniently paid using Tap On with Google Pay. I sat at one of their picnic tables and enjoyed my meal there. Everything was amazingly delicious. The hotdogs were delicious, and the churros, one of the best I've ever had. 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. In conclusion I had an exceptional dining experience and highly recommend this place for when you feel like having "a real good hotdog," and other amazing comfort food, cooked and prepared by very friendly and hospitable individuals.

When I first saw this food truck as I was driving down the road I had no idea of what I would find…read moreinside. Yet after stopping, I found a lovely Honduran couple which owned this family-owned business with an interesting menu with such desirable items that would not only make you want to stay for dinner but also make you want to come back for more in the near future. Located off Williamson Road in the Northwest area of Roanoke, Virginia, this taqueria food truck not only makes great Mexican tacos, like its name implies, but other delicious items as well, such as Quesadillas, Burritos, Tortas, Carne Asada, Pollo con Tajadas, and such delightful Specials as Yuca con Chicharron, Tacos Dorados, and the Typical Honduran Dinner. After parking my pearl white Lexus in their small but very convenient parking lot, I headed towards the food truck which also had a closed-in patio with four picnic tables with large red umbrellas so customers could stay and dine there if they wished. Everything was so clean and organized. The food truck had its name together with their phone number in large print written on it. A small sign with its Hours of Operation, and a nice size sidewalk sign with its menu clearly displayed. When I arrived, Leticia, the wife and co-owner of the food truck opened its window and greeted me with a warm welcome. I returned the welcome by immediately speaking Spanish and making her comfortable by speaking her language. We engaged in small talk like it's tradition and she introduced me to her husband, cook and co-owner of the food truck. Then she took my order. I ordered the Yuca con Chicharron (Yuca with Pork Rinds). These are different than the pork rings found in the menus of American restaurants. Here the pork rinds also contained the pork meat as well. And the Yuca served with it came fried. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the food and the food truck with its anchored location. This was going to be an appetizer but the serving was so generous that it was a main entrée by itself. I also ordered some tacos with carnitas and with Chorizo. After all if this was a taqueria how could I leave without having tried some of their tacos. The wife together with a relative prepared the Yuca con Chicharron on one side of the interior of the food truck while the husband cooked the meat for the tacos on the grill located on the other side. To drink I ordered an Horchata, a very popular cold sweetened non-alcoholic beverage. This sweet, creamy, and spiced drink is made from white rice, water, cinnamon, often blended with milk, almonds, or vanilla. This particular one was the Honduran version which contained some other ingredients that made it so special and unique. When the food was ready and after paying with my credit card, I took it to one of the picnic tables which the husband had opened the large, red, umbrella, and started by eating the Yuca con Chicharron. It was so yummy and plentiful. It filled me up. I dranked the Horchata and took the tacos homand orgaze with me to eat at night. I highly recommend this food truck for its clean and organized arrangement, amazing variety of menu items, delicious food, and excellent customer service by a very friendly and hospitable couple and co-owners.

Food Trucks there are many, but few that go the extra mile to have a grill and Grill Master, next…read moreto the truck, to give the meats that extra flavor that only the fire and smoke of burning charcoal can give. El Guero's Food Truck which has currently moved to a new and permanent, primary location next to the One Stop Market #2 at 4331 Williamson Road in Northwest Roanoke is one of those few. Specializing in autentic, handcrafted Mexican street food, including a special menu "From the Grill," which includes "Pollo al Carbon" (Charcoal-Grilled Chicken), "Costillas al Carbon" (Charcoal-Grilled Baby Back Ribbs), and "Carne Asada" (Charcoal-Grilled Sirloin). They are also well known for their massive megaquesabirrias, burritos, tortas, and traditional tacos, as well as for their Aguas Frescas of different flavors such as Melon, Piña, and Mango, among others. Their operating hours here are Fridays 11:00AM - 8:00PM, Saturdays 9:00AM - 8:00PM, and Sundays 9:00AM-5:00PM. While primary stationed at the above address on Williamson Road, they occasionally pop up at other local spots like Salem Walmart. One can track their daily whereabouts on the El Guero's Food Truck Facebook Page or give them a call for more information at (540) 588-4944. They also do catering for private events. I visited this family-owned spot for the first time today. From the moment I stepped out of my pearl white Lexus, I was hit with the incredible, mouth-watering aroma of chicken cooking over one of their charcoal grills, and I knew I was in for a treat. I invite you to view my photographs and videos accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its amazing food. A friendly lady greeted me from the window of the Food Truck and handed me a copy of their menus. Taking advantage of their charcoal grill I ordered their Combo #6 of a pound of Carne Asada (Sirloin) with Charro Beans, Rice. Tortillas, and Sauce. I decided to take it to-go and enjoy it at home with a friend that would be visiting later on. It was a pleasure watching how one of the Grill Masters cooked the thinly cut pieces of Sirloin on the charcoal grill. After he was finished cooking he brought it over to the Food Truck so the lady there could put the finishing touches of a grilled onion and a roasted pepper. I paid using one of my credit cards contactless using my Google Pay. And drove back home to enjoy the meal with my company. In conclusion I highly recommend this Food Truck of authentic handcrafted Mexican street food and am looking forward to returning to try one of their famous Megaquesabirrias.

Roanoke, VA and the Yelp community as a whole, we need to talk about El Guero's Food Truck. This…read moreMexican-cuisine food truck is the real deal. As you pull up to it, you will instantly notice the grill master smoking ribs, chicken, and steak on the side of the truck. As you walk up to the order window you will smell the savory-smokey smells coming from the grill. The staff at the window have been friendly every visit. You cannot go wrong with ordering anything on the menu. They have the usual staples such as Tacos Traditional, featuring Corn Tortilla, Steak, Onions, Cilantro, and Lime with Hot Sauce, and Tacos Americanos, for those with a less exciting taste. If you like Birria, then you need to try the Megaquesabirria, featuring 12" Flour Tortillas, Birria, Cheese, Onions, Cilantro, and Lime with Consommé and Hot Sauce. Now, all of these items are delicious, but the best of the best are the Costillas al Carbon (Charcoal-Grilled Ribs) and the Pollo al Carbon (Charcoal Chicken). Both dishes are four servings worth and come with Rice, Charro Beans, Tortillas and Hot Sauce. My wife and I love to share an order of these, and we each get two meals from them. And the cost? The Ribs are $30 and the Charcoal Chicken is $24. These are excellent prices for large portions and phenomenal quality. They package the food so well that it is still warm when you take it home, but you can also eat at their picnic tables as well. If you want some authentic Mexican BBQ in Roanoke, VA, look no further than El Guero's Food Truck.

After much anticipation the new Wawa opened its doors in Salem, Virginia on Thursday, September…read more3rd, 2026. As soon as I found out I made sure to be there for its Grand Opening Day. Even though I wasn't able to be there for the Grand Opening ceremony itself, when I arrived the store was packed with members of the community enjoying all that this Pennsylvania-based convenience chain had to offer Southwest Virginia for the very first time, like their famous Made-to-Order Hoagies, fresh coffee, and breakfast sandwiches, among other things. When arriving, I was impressed by its simple, ultramodern designed building surrounded by parking spaces with two entrances, with its gas station right in front of the building. I found a parking spot in the back of the building and walked around to enter through the front entrance. Once inside, the store had a modern, specious, and bright interior design with many self-service stations, such as one where you could make your own coffee, and one where you could pickup a Grab & Go Breakfast. For the convenience of its customers it had touchscreen ordering with the use of digital kiosks to customize your food order easily and quickly. Then when your order was ready you could pick it up at the pick-up counter. I invite you to view my photographs and videos accompanying this review for a better sense of the place and services available. Besides having a check-out station in the middle of the store with very efficient customer service associates who were very helpful in checking you out, they also had Self-Checkout machines monitored by cameras. You were also encouraged to download the Wawa app and join the Wawa Rewards to earn points and savings. The company mascot, Wally the Goose, was nowhere to be seen while I was there but I did see a Wawa Hoagie walking around and greeting the customers. There were many signs with Grand Opening specials, as well as you could get a Free any size Coffee up to this Sunday. As I was walking around I talked to a 79 year old customer whom had been a fan of Wawa for years when he lived in Pennsylvania, and I could see in the expression of his face and tone of voice how happy he was in once again being able to have a Wawa in his neighborhood. And I anticipate that soon Wawa will win over many local fans due to its well-known consistent quality and exceptional and quick customer service.

Brand new store. Clean and modern. Great choice of ready to eat and made to order food. Gas prices…read moretied with lowest on strip.

Top notch hotdogs, great prices, awesome owner and gives his tips to the SPCA...love this hotdog…read morestand!

Not to sound cheesy, but Home Run Hot Dogs is a home run! I have mentioned in previous reviews that…read moreI am a big fan of supporting local businesses, and money spent at this gem of a hotdog cart is an excellent way to feed money into the local economy. The owner/chef Robert Evans can be found most Saturdays and Sundays serving up his delicious hotdogs outside the Roanoke, VA Best Buy. Robert uses all-beef hotdogs and steams the buns as they should be. He has all the toppings including chili, Bertman Ball Park Mustard, onions, jalapeños, cheddar, and much more. The hotdogs alone are worth a visit to this food cart, but the prices are the icing on the cake. A double combo features two hotdogs, chips, and a drink for the low price of $6. What adds to this great business is Robert's enthusiasm. He is super friendly and loves to talk with his customers while preparing their food. He's an avid baseball fan and enjoys discussing the great American pastime with his patrons. Take my word for it, Robert's Home Run Hot Dogs cart is a fun time any weekend it's open.

This Food Truck is owned by a Honduran couple, Maximo and Jose, and named after Maximo's sister who…read morealso works there. On their time off they work driving for Lyft and one day that I had to take a Lyft, Maximo was my driver and mentioned the food truck, and gave me a copy of their menu that he had just picked up from the print shop. So today, since we are in Hispanic Heritage Month, I decided to go visit this food truck and try it out since the food in the color brochure looked very good and inviting. 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 La Cocina de Goyita Food Truck in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. Food Trucks are not easy to find. Not all of them are in the same place all the time. Sometimes they move around and advertise where they're going to be in certain dates. Oftentimes they don't have a website of their own for us to find their scheduled days and hours of operation or phone number where we can inquire where they can be reached. But La Cocina de Goyita has it's act together. It uses the address and is listed on the web as being located in the Fresh Asian Super Market off Williamson Road. This address can also be found in their Yelp site. The Food Truck is modern and huge size compared to others. It has plenty of parking and one can also park in the parking lot of a strip mall located next to it. If you're in the mood to eat outdoors, it has three picnic tables covered with a tarp to protect from the sun or rain. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its food, which by the way it specializes in Authentic Honduran Cuisine. On one side of the Food Truck it has its menu with large pictures of the items and their phone number in large print, for I noticed while I was there that they had many customers that called in their order and then came to pick it up. Interestingly enough, I noticed that none of their menus had the prices listed on them. One had to ask before they ordered and if you paid with credit card they will tell you that you would be charged a dollar extra. When I arrived Jose was there and gave me a friendly greeting in the middle of cooking and preparing many phone orders which he had received for pick up. I ordered an Horchata to drink and a Chuleta dish (Pork Chop) as my main entrée. Then I went to eat it at one of the picnic tables. The pork chop was big and thick, well seasoned, and with only a small bone. It was served with rice, refried beans, Honduran cheese, and house salad. To my surprise he also included a large slice of avocado cut in half and a cooked jalapeño pepper. Everything was very good and the price was $16 including the extra dollar for paying with credit card. By the time I paid, Goyita had arrived and I got to meet her. I highly recommend this place for the variety and quality of their food, seasoned and cooked to perfection, and with very friendly service.

No hagan caso a esos comentarios negativos, la comida en la cocina de Goyita está deliciosa!!!!!…read moreCualquier platillo ahí lo preparan muy rico!!! Es comida hondureña, y las MEJORES BALIADAS DE ESTADOS UNIDOS. 100% Recomendable gente :)

Tacos Rojas started 14 years ago when Octavio Rojas moved to the United States from Pueblo, Mexico,…read moreand opened the first Tacos Rojas location on 13th Street SW in Roanoke's Mountain View neighborhood. That first location opened around 2012 inside a small, unasuming space that was formally a convenience store. Octavio runs the business with close family members, including his wife, daughters, brother, nephews, and nieces. The business has grown from that single neighborhood spot into a regional favorite with multiple locations across the Roanoke Valley, including restaurants in Salem, Vinton, Keagy Village in Cave Spring Roanoke, Hollins in North Roanoke, and the Roanoke City Market Building. The restaurants are known for homemade, traditional Mexican dishes like street tacos, birria, large burritos, and fresh salsas. And have gain great popularity for combining a casual, welcoming atmosphere with scratch-made food. Today I happened to be in Salem to do some errands and try out the Tropical Sno Hawaiian Shaved Ice, which happened to be located in this restaurant's parking lot. Since it was around lunchtime and the Shaved ice place didn't open until 12 noon, I decided to visit Tacos Rojas and have lunch there. The restaurant was very clean inside and decorated with paintings that I later found out were of family members. It had a nice size main dining room and another spacious one that could be set-up to accommodate larger groups. A young lady greeted and welcomed me at the Host's station and took me to one of the booths. I ordered a Virgin Mango Margarita to drink, and by the time she came back with some freshly made chips and salsa, I was ready to order. I ordered the Lunch Special of the Day which was a California Burrito with Beef. While I waited I enjoyed their amazing salsa with the chips. The Mango Margarita was also delicious with the prefect flavor and consistency to comfortably flow up the straw. The California Burrito was gigantic in size and very good. It filled me up but I still had space for a flan for dessert. Made in-house the Flan tasted amazingly delicious. I invite you to view my photographs and videos accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality of their food and drinks. The restaurant also had a stage setup and I was told it was mainly used for group parties and special occasions. In conclusion, I enjoyed my lunch dining experience there and look forward to returning another day for dinner to try out one of their other larger dinner items on their menu.

Excellent food in a great atmosphere. Service was wonderful and our needs were attended to with…read morecareful attention to detail. Highly recommended!

This place is great. I'm from Louisiana and this is the closest thing to a Louisiana style snow…read moreball that I've had on the east coast. So good. If you're in Roanoke it's worth the drive.

There is no better place to go on a hot Summer day than to a shack that sells comfort American…read morehometown food like burgers, fries, and hot dogs, together with refreshing desserts like Hawaiian Ice and Ice Cream. 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 Hang 10 Hawaiian Ice & Cream in Roanoke, Virginia, is the perfect example. Located in Roanoke's Historic Wasena neighborhood, near the Green Goat Restaurant, in a quiet place off the Roanoke River Greenway, Hang 10 Hawaiian Ice & Cream is one of the Star City's greatest hidden gems. At first it was not easy to reach. I set my Lexus GPS to their address 805 Winona Ave SW, Roanoke, VA and it had me going in circles without really reaching my desired destination. Then I tried with my Samsung cellphone and finally I was able to reach the place. It has plenty of parking spaces off a wide street that leads to the neat shack. Just in front of the building it has a green grass area with bluish green picnic benches with red and blue patio umbrellas. The building itself is kind of a neat shack with aluminum panels as the outside wall with a light blue and red name sign hanging from one of those construction iron poles. But once inside, one finds a clean, colorful place with beach motifs like surfboards and a floatie in the shape of a pineapple that as you know is the symbol of hospitality, warmth, welcome, and friendship. The seating area is full of light blue color picnic benches, and there is a long yellow counter behind which is the open kitchen area where all the food and drinks are prepared. Two young gentlemen greeted me and gave me a friendly welcome. They briefly talked to me about the place and showed me where the menus were, which were enlarged and posted all over the place. Since I had already eaten dinner and had come for ice-cream, I ordered a scoop of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice-cream in a cup. As I ate my ice-cream, other customers came by, and I tried to photograph some of the interesting ice-cream creations they ordered. I invite you to look at my photographs accompanying this review for a better sense of the place and its very unique products they sell. From their Autentic Hawaiian Shaved Ice, to their Frozen Lemonade, to their Hershey's Ice Cream and Shakes, to their Soft Serve and Dole Whip, and more. All these not counting food items like their burgers, hot dogs, and hand-cut fries. In conclusion I highly recommend this "one of a kind" Eatery. It has a wonderful selection of comfort and refreshing food, desserts, and drinks, a friendly and welcoming environment, and excellent customer service.