There are times when one encounters very special restaurants that can only be described as "priceless." And every time one returns to dine there, it only serves to reinforce the perfect attachment that one has acquired from the very first time they dined there and had the pleasure of enjoying an extraordinary fine dining experience. 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 return to those special ones, that have made a difference in my life and highlight them, for the benefit of the public, so they too can have an opportunity to appreciate the qualities of a one-of-a-kind fine dining experience. And Alexander's, in the heart of Downtown Roanoke, is a perfect example. From the moment I arrived and walked through their door, I was greeted in such a way, by none other than Bjorn, the Dining Room Manager himself, that made me feel appreciated and immediately made me feel at home. Neither the coldness of the weather nor the accumulated snow could hinder me from my decision to dine here this evening. I was the first one to arrive after they opened their doors. Since the streets were still icy and filled with snow, I left my Lexus at home and took a Lyft to the restaurant, which was not far from my neighborhood, the Historic Old Southwest. Since it was a slow night due to the weather, the Dining Room Manager himself doubled as my server for the evening. To drink, we discussed my flavor liking for a Mocktail, and he came up with a special one, that ended up tasting amazing. To dine, I started with the Deconstructed cajunese california roll appetizer. It was amazingly delicious! Then I had a Salad vinaigrette, which was included with every entrée, and a French Baguette with a cube of butter. The baguette slices with butter were so fresh, soft in the inside and crispy on the outside, that they confirmed my view that the quality of a restaurant's bread and butter is a reflection of the quality of the restaurant and its cuisine. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food. As my main entrée, I had the Grilled filet of beef, sauce marchand de vin, cooked medium-rare. The filet was cooked to perfection, just as ordered, so tender, juicy, and flavorful. It was a culinary masterpiece from Chef and General Manager, Boni M. Webb, who graciously came out to greet me, and gave me an opportunity to personally celebrate her magnificent cuisine. She reminded me of my Japanese student who obtained the best grade in my Business class at the university where I taught. She was very humble and kind. As the Grand Finale dessert, on the advice of my server and general manager, I ordered their Glace au chocolat. It was wonderful. What an outstanding dining experience I once again had in this outstanding restaurant with a unique combination of exceptional food, atmosphere, and heartfelt service. I highly recommend it, and can't wait to return. read more

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Alexander's is located in the heart of downtown Roanoke. For my purposes I could not have asked for a better location. I had inquired with the restaurant a month or so in advance of my visit (I was concerned about the dress code) and they were spot on. I wore jeans and a buton down and was quite comfortable (and not out of place). It's a very nice restaurant, but it's certainly not "stuffy." Service was excellent. Food was phenomenal. Dinner started with some nice bread (and really good butter), and a salad came with my lamb ragu. It was all really good. The lamb was super rich and very flavorful. My only suggestion would be to serve the ragu over the polenta, and to add more vegetables. As it was, the dinner was "just enough;" I wasn't stuffed but I wasn's hungry, either. Really good dinner! read more

Alexander's - Lamb Ragu - New American Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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My husband and I went to Alexander's for our anniversary dinner and it was absolutely lovely. Since we went in the middle of the week the restaurant wasn't too busy which made the experience feel really intimate. We truly appreciated the service from our waiters and they made us feel so special the entire night. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was warm and charming, and it honestly felt like the perfect spot to celebrate!! We'll definitely be coming back here for any special occasion. Highly recommend! read more

Alexander's - Grilled Filet of Beef - New American Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Food is solid. Portions can be on the smaller side. Pricey for the area but still very good. Great wine list! They need a refresh of the interior but really good service. read more

Oh my gosh!!! I'm still sitting in the restaurant giving this review. The food was OUTSTANDING!! Oh my goodness. Savor the flavors. The taste is explosive. Food, service, and ambiance was a 10 out of 10!! I am traveling, but will definitely return if I come back to this area!! read more

We decided to stop in Roanoke in the middle of a long road trip. Alexander's ended up being a top highlight of our entire trip! From the service to the food, everything was top notch. The ambiance is sophisticated and relaxing with staff working as a team to make sure you enjoy every aspect of your visit. Every bite we took was delicious and you could tell was prepared with a high level of skill and passion. If you are in Roanoke, dinner at Alexander's is a must! read more

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I haven't been in years because of the lack of good parking. The available parking was on street or in a lot-you pay. And because of the high cost. But as I remember, the food was exquisite. And the service acceptable. read more

Lovely dinner for 6. Everyone's dinner was an elevated dining experience. Each and every dinner was absolutely delicious. Sophisticated dishes at a level it's hard to match in Roanoke. read more

Our table was ready as soon as we walked in. The service was timely and the food was excellent. Thank you.

We had an excellent meal and service at Alexander's. We had the rabbit, lamb porterhouse and duck. Every dish was amazing. Service was excellent too! read more

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We came here to celebrate a special occasion. The interior is dimly lit, which adds to the fancy atmosphere. Everything is clean and tidy. Two people in my party ordered cocktails: the Seelbach and the Side Car. I noticed that the menu only has a small selection which made it hard to choose what I wanted because I felt like there weren't many options that stood out to me, but apparently the menu changes twice weekly, so that's interesting. When we were ready to order, one person in my party was going to order for their parents because their parents did not speak English. Our server said okay, but she would like to start with the ladies' orders first. That was a little off-putting, but still fine. I ordered the scallops with Thai brown butter and then asked me if I wanted any appetizers. That took me by surprise because I'm used to getting appetizers for the table, but it wasn't a big deal.Then the server went to my friend's mother and waited for her to order, despite the fact that he had just said he would order for his parents. He ordered the grilled filet of beef with the butter for both of his parents and then the grilled filet of beef with pesto for himself. My two other friends also ordered the grilled beef with butter and one BBQ shrimp for two (but it's for the table). We snacked on the bread from the breadbasket, but I was disappointed with the fact that the bread was cold instead of being warm. The salads that came with our entrees arrived. I really liked the vinaigrette and the black-eyed peas in the salad. The small croutons in the salad were cute and I preferred the small size as compared to the larger ones, but I thought they were too buttery. Not long after we finished the salad, our entrees arrived and we were also given a little croissant. However, I had noticed that my friends' cocktails nor the appetizer did not arrive yet. They mentioned it to the server and she apologized. When she read their order back to them, it appears that she had mixed our order up and explained to us that they were manually giving the staff the orders because the machine was down. We felt bad that she was so flustered and apologetic, so we assured her that it was fine and we can wait. My scallops were good, but the Asian influence such as the fried rice noodles and the seaweed pieces didn't really do anything for me and I didn't really taste what made the Thai brown butter either. I did like the small side of mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. Everyone liked their steak except my friend who ordered the steak with pesto. They thought the pesto was too overpowering. The cocktails came during the meal and the appetizer came towards the end when everyone was finished eating their entrees. My friends like their cocktails. The server asked if we wanted more bread because everyone's favorite part is dipping bread into the BBQ shrimp's sauce, so we agreed to one more basket of bread. The BBQ shrimp was just grilled shrimp with a buttery sauce. I think I was expecting shrimp with some housemade BBQ sauce, but in hindsight, that doesn't seem to make any sense. It's a good dish though, but everyone was too full to enjoy it. Our server got us our check and told us that she took the cocktails off the receipt because of the delay with the cocktails and the appetizer. It was so nice of her and I felt so bad because she was clearly flustered from the incident. We also got some salted chocolates and almond slices complimentary which were good. Overall, it was a good experience and I would come back again. read more

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We were very pleased with our host to our server. A very nice quiet restaurant where one can carry a conversation. I had the pecan crusted chicken and it was so tender and delicious, the other's had seafood and enjoyed theirs as well. We were not in jeans but felt a little under dressed although it says classy. Highly recommend Alexander's read more

We wanted to have a nice dinner out while visiting from San Francisco. Alexander's showed up on our search and it was a solid choice. I had the filet and it was cooked perfectly to a nice medium rare that I ordered. The side of vegetables was also good. My only note is I wish the service was quicker as there were a couple of times we wanted to order something else and the wait was just a little too long - but this was probably the result of covid - they seemed to only have a couple of waitstaff for the whole restaurant. The profiteroles were the winning desserts of the night. read more

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We'd forgotten about Alexander's as of late and saw that they were participating in Roanoke's Downtown Restaurant Week and decided to get take out. We both had the Beet Tartare salad and Shrimp Bolognese. The salad consisted of an ice cream scoop sized ball of the most amazing combination of beets with some sort of horseradish dressing topped with a goat cheese cream...seriously delicious combination. The Shrimp Bolognese was outstanding, big plump shrimp (with the tails off which I always prefer) and mushrooms on a bed of angel hair pasta. They served this with a side of french green beans and french bread. Dessert was a lovely rich chocolate tart with citrus whip cream. We had dinner at Alexander's last year for Restaurant Week with a group of friends and are certain not to wait a whole year to order from here again. A tasty treat awaits at Alexander's. read more

Beware this restaurant. Don't give them your credit card to secure a reservation. I was charged $400 for a no show caused by an accident/al double booking! They take advantage on " special occasions" to try to charge $50 per person for a reservation. read more

Alexander's is an elegant and intimate restaurant. It has an understated yet refined decor. Food and service are superb...probably best in Roanoke (besides my mom's). Their menu changes often and have a good selection of wines. Everything we had was wonderful. See all my pics. We started with a couple of deconstructed CA rolls and ahi tuna. They where artistically presented and were delicious. I had a center cut pork chop with double seasonal veggies (instead of mash potatoes). It's a thick cut like Houstons and was perfectly prepared. Others at the table had rack of lamb, seared scallops, filet mignon and shrimp and crawfish and Tasso penne. Everyone ate all their food! Oh their butter - it is out of this world. I don't eat much bread but I had to eat it just to have the butter - yup it's that good. This is a good place for business, celebrate special occasions and well just a great meal. Service is really on par with the Ritz with the warmth that a few places master. You definitely get your dollars worth here. read more

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Amazing!!! We went here for our anniversary on a Tuesday night. Very romantic atmosphere, great waitstaff, barely anyone in around 6:30pm. Our entrees came with bread and salad, we ordered cocktails (very good - not cheap or sugary by any means), food tasted fresh and quality and worth every penny. We will DEF be going back!!! read more

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The food and service were incredible! I highly recommend for anyone visiting the Roanoke area. My husband and I will definitely be returning! read more

Our wedding anniversary arrived during the pandemic so our reservation at Alexander's was cancelled, but we had something specific in mind so we ordered a curb-side dinner for two. It arrived exactly on time and was beautifully packaged. We managed the plating ourselves and paired dinner with an old bottle of pinot noir we had laying around. A seriously delicious dinner and I was very impressed with how well it traveled. Altogether a memorable anniversary dinner. We look forward to visiting Alexander's again as soon as the restaurant is open. Perhaps even sooner... read more

Staff was incredibly accommodating and so nice. The hostess and the waitress were extremely informative and personable. The food is exquisite and this is a must-experience dining atmosphere when in Roanoke read more

The atomosphere is so-so, but the food is very good. Excellent in fact. You can see the quality in the dishes. Excellent fish and meat. We had scallops on grits, and lamb. Very good. Nice appys as well. And a good wine list. Good alternative to some of our regular haunts in downtown. Worth a try. read more

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Great place to take mom and dad! The server was very polite and attentive. A nice relaxing atmosphere. While the food is not bad, it is bland. Really no flavor or character in the dishes. Considering the price I expect something more. If you have some that wants a plain meal and nonadventureous...this is your place. Again a great place to take mom and dad!! May at least make them happy. read more

The best Crab cakes I've ever had in my life! Service is always great, but omg the crab cakes so amazing

I had an exceptional experience from Alexander's. Bjorn took my order, helped me with a gift card question, selected an excellent wine pairing, and handled my order curb-side too! He was warm but professional - I could not sing his praises any higher! I was nervous with the restaurant given it's "fancy" perception but Bjorn's treatment of me convinced that my kind are welcome at Alexander's too. The food was beautifully and thoughtfully package. The to-go wine was chilled and bagged separately. Bread and butter, salads w/ dressing, and the quintessential chocolates were all included. Entrees were labeled and neatly stacked. Alexander's certainly sets the bar high for "how to handle take-out" in a COVID world. read more

Wow, this is the nicest restaurant I've ever paid to eat at. The food tastes excellent and is presented beautifully. We had four or five people waiting on us. Our drinks were never empty. My girlfriend said the filet mignon (called a filet of beef here) was the best thing she's ever eaten. Portion sizes were small compared to what you'd get at Cracker Barrel or IHOP. We were served a salad and bread before our meal that was pretty good. We were also served croissants with our meal. You'll need to save your pennies and make a reservation here. Expect to pay over $100 to feed two people here, especially if you want appetizers, dessert or wine. read more

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After reading all the wonderful reviews, we decided we must try this place out and we were not disappointed. We were seated upon arrival by very friendly staff. We ordered the deconstructed California roll as an appetizer to share and all I can say is Yum! My husband ordered the veal scallopini and I ordered one of the fillets. Both dishes were prepared to perfection and the vinaigrette dressed greens were so light and refreshing. The restaurant is quaint, well set up and we appreciated not being "squeezed" into a small table for two as is often the case. Rachel took great care of us and was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. The only reason I do not give Alexander's 5 star rating is there was a very limited amount of wines sold by the glass. read more

This may not be a world class restaurant, but its pretty darn good in many areas--service, staff knowledge, drink quality, wine selection, and most importantly, the quality of food. Several of us gathered here recently on an uncrowded week night and enjoyed a cocktail before dinner. Cocktails (Sidecar, Gin Martini, Old Fashioned) were uniformly excellent. We started dinner w/deconstructed California Roll, a specialty of Alexanders. Very nice all around flavors with decent wasabi, moist crab, and sushi rice, and bits of nori mixed in. As others have mentioned, serving sizes are relatively modest, but not miserly. We shared three or four bites each of this appetizer. For dinner all at the table went with the scallops w/horseradish cream sauce, and grilled vegetables. Superb scallops, a restrained (not spicy) horseradish, and an interesting crispy toast layer that the scallops floated on. Vegetables were well cooked and mildly flavored. You might see a theme here--the dishes were not highly spiced or amped up w/herbs, salt, pepper, etc. We tried several desserts and they were very good, if not mind-blowing. The coconut torte was creamy and not overly sweet with a good amount of coconut embedded. The creme brûlée w/berries was also of high quality. Service was uniformly excellent--knowledgeable and friendly. Wait times for drinks and dinner was reasonable. After ordering entrees, it took 30 minutes or so for dishes to arrive. When they did so, they were superb--piping hot and obviously just off the grill. read more

Visited for Roanoke Restaurant Week Special Menu. Food, service and ambience all were excellent as were the wines. Will return soon to try regular menu! read more

This was my first time at Alexandra in over 10 years. We decided to try it for our 32nd anniversary with our two adult children. The service was not great. My son asked for a wine/drink menu and was told they didn't have one. We were not told about the bottle of wines nor any speciality drinks. So we ordered individual drinks. I ordered my favorite lemon drop martini. I was so disappointed. It didn't taste like it had any lemon in my martini and had to ask for lemon slices. That helped a little. We didn't get a menu until 15 minutes after we got our drinks only to find out that they did have a speciality drink on the menu. We also saw the same server opening a bottle of wine at the next table. We were not even offered the option. Finally a menu ! We didn't received our basket of bread for another 10 minutes. Our waitress had her hands full with other customers but not us. You would have thought that the place was packed because of the poor service but it was only half filled ifbthat much. Finally we ordered and I asked about several dishes. I decided to go with a shrimp dish because she told me the shrimp was saute'. It didn't seemed sauté but steamed. The dish was ok but not memorable. My sons and husband's meals were tasty. My husband said his pork chops were great and my sons ate all of their steak entre'. We didn't order any dessert because the service was so slow and we were ready to go. Not one of our best experience on our 32nd anniversary. read more

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There are some darn persnickety reviewers on here. This is at the top of a seriously short list of fine restaurants in Roanoke. It's pricey for a reason. Portions are on par with similar establishments in other cities. Service is second to none in Roanoke (James is probably the most personable server but I've never had bad service). I agree that the old guard of Roanoke likes to eat here but they've been around long enough to know the best places. It's been there a long time but wears its age well. Its not a new place, but its a fine place. I don't always go here for a nice meal because I like the other place too. But when I know I want to take someone for a top notch dining experience in Roanoke, I can't go wrong with Alexanders. read more

Wow. I really really wish they had a bar. I was there on business and dining alone and I feel more comfortable at a bar, but this literally is my only gripe. Food was outstanding. I didn't think I was as expensive as people said...this quality of food is going to be pricier than most run of the mill restaurants. I was seated promptly and greeted by my waiter. Wish I could remember his name - really tall guy, VERY nice. He was attentive without being intrusive, which is tough to do. I ordered a glass of wine (Sauv blanc), and it was great. Ordered the scallops with a half salad and their house made vinaigrette. Salad was a good size, vinaigrette was very nice. Scallops were very tasty, portion was appropriate and I felt the price was fair for the quality of food and service. Everyone was pleasant from the woman who filled my water to the man who brought my food. Everyone asked if I needed anything. Even the patrons were pleasant, a couple who looked my way and smiled and nodded at me (which could be a "nod" to the fact I was sitting alone and it was out of pity but I doubt it) ;) Great restaurant and I'll be back when I return to Roanoke for business. read more

Went here on "date night" with my best friend when she came to town to visit because we love quality food. The service was a little disappointing because it was very slow and there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. The atmosphere was also very old, we were the youngest people in there and got a lot of looks like "what are these youngsters doing in this fancy restaurant" Overall the food was very good. I got the filet and pecan chicken. Perfect portions and yummy sauces. I was disappointed to find how little the menu matched the menu online because I had already picked out what I wanted and it wasn't available. My friend ordered the mixed grill and it was also portioned very nicely. Great food, but not enough of a good experience to want to go back anytime soon. read more

We had never been to Alexander's and decided to give them a try during the recent Downtown Roanoke Restaurant week. We went on Saturday night - it was bitterly cold out so I dropped my wife off and went and parked the car. When I got to the restaurant, she was already seated with a drink in hand, a drink for me, someone took my coat and I was escorted to the table and seated. The ambiance was wonderful with perfect mood lighting and soft jazz playing in the background. The service was outstanding and the food was superb - even though we went with the "fixed" Restaurant week menu, every was plated to perfection and delicious. We had a perfect evening and decided it would be our new spot for special occasions and date nights. Kudos to the entire staff! read more

Such a wonderful and amazing restaurant! Services is Very good and waitress are very polite. Definitely recommend! read more

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We went here last night for a business dinner with a number of my coworkers. We had a reservation but the place was pretty empty. We started with the barbecue shrimp, crab cakes and a cheese plate which were all delicious. Many of us ordered the Mixed Grill special. One of my coworkers ordered the duck - which he believes made him sick. Hopefully it was actually just his lunch :( The lemon marscapone cheesecake was amazing. I am still dreaming about it. I will say that the cadence of the meal was not perfect, but the wait staff was friendly and attentive. read more

I used to live in DC and I have had more expensive meals there that did not come with as excellent service as I received at Alexander's. From the host/hostess pair that greeted us at the door, with one taking our coats, and another leading us to our table, to the waiter's suggestions and careful service, it was a treat. The food was delicious too. I did chuckle when I read in another review that "we were the youngest people in there and got a lot of looks." True, the average age of the clientele is probably much higher than the average age of a yelp user and I did feel like we received a few quizzical stares from many of the gray-haired diners as we entered, but I didn't worry about it. Just dress nicely and enjoy yourself. read more

Consistently excellent for 20 years! The crab cake with salsa is moist and tasty bar none. The lamb is perfect and light. Service is just right. Best in Roanoke! read more

If I want a lovely intimate dinner for a special occasion I always chose Alexanders. The atmosphere is just right every time. I especially love their seafood for its freshness and the variety of ways they serve it but all of their food is delightful. The wine list is amazing and the service doesn't get any better. I sometimes wish their desserts had the creativity and artfulness of the rest of their menu but that's digging deep for a complaint. Go and enjoy! You won't be disappointed. read more

Delicious and beautiful restaurant for date night/celebration. Very clean throughout and the staff is incredible. Would definitely visit again! read more

My boyfriend and I enjoyed a VERY delicious meal here. The food was just divine, such wonderful quality and preparation. I really liked how the food had simple flavors that were just so so delicious. Our service was great. The atmosphere has a very "classic fancy" feel with the formal attire for staff members and white tablecloth linens, which gives the whole place a "for special occasions" feel. I do look forward to going back for another special night. read more