Rarely does one find a restaurant that is so unique, that from the time you walk in, you feel right…read moreat home. 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 Hanging Rock Tavern is the perfect example. Little did I know that this smokehouse-style restaurant, known and loved by the Roanoke County community for its American classics, craft beverages, and live music, and that had temporary closed due to partnership changes, had quietly re-opened two weeks ago, with a new menu, under new ownership, but run and operated by the previous owner Greg, and with a new General Manager Chris. I arrived around one o'clock in the afternoon for a late lunch. Minimalist yet inviting, the restaurant's facade featured a sleek, unadored wood sign, its name and logo intricately carved and softly backlit, for a warm, sophisticated glow. Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately struck by the warm welcome from a hospitable lady who greeted me at the door, making me feel right at home as she offered me any table I desired and handed me a copy of the menu. Not long afterwards, my server Mary greeted me to take my order. She recited the day's specials and mentioned there might be only one serving of the special brisket left. Despite liking several other special entrées, I immediately ordered the Brisket because I loved it and wanted to try their version. To drink I ordered a Cherry Coke, which was my favorite of the Coke brand which they carried. As I looked around, I was fascinated with the place, with its well sorted bar, its stage for live music, its diverse and enticing menu, its relaxing ambiance. The perfect place to enjoy a drink with a meal, listening to live music. My server arrived with my drink, and with it she brought a small paper bowl filled with in-house made kettle potato chips. They were so crispy and tasty. Them my main entrée was served. It contained a generous amount of well seasoned and cooked Brisket, with in-house made, fresh mashed potatoes, and green beans. As I was eating, the former owner and now right hand of the new owner came to visit my table. We engaged in conversation and that's how I found out they had re-opened only two weeks ago. After finding out who I was, he invited me for a tour of the outdoor of the restaurant in the back. After completing finishing eating my amazing Brisket with mashed potatoes and green beans, I enjoyed a slice of cheesecake with strawberry syrup for dessert. It was so soft and moist, the perfect cheesecake. As I was taken to the tour in the back, as was fascinated my the large space they had there. I got to see the Smokehouse. It was made with quality wood and was very clean inside. They also had an outdoor bar, a Herb Garden, and lots of picnic tables under wooden roofs. I was also told that way in the back they also had a larger parking lot for the convenience of their customers. Wow! What a wonderful place. I thanked him for the tour and we went back inside to say goodbye to everyone who I had met and had made this an extraordinary dining experience.

The food, service & outside area for entertainment. Everyone should try this establishmentread more

Reasonable prices and good selection of beers! Good atmosphere for both a larger group or a quick…read moredrink. Plenty of TVs spaced around the indoor area. Chill patio outside but there were quite a few bugs in the summer.

We really enjoyed the beers here. There are a lot of different styles to choose from. Nice beer…read moregarden out back to enjoy your favorite when the weather is nice. Plenty of board and card games to play. Dog friendly. Nice staff. Great service.

Brewing companies, there are many in this neck of the woods, but very unique, one-of-a-kind ones,…read morelike this one, rarely do we find one. I happened to find this one while searching for the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck. It just so happened that I found out that the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck was going to be stationed outside the Parkway Brewing Company this past Wednesday during National Empanada Day and so I researched this place to learn more about it. I found out that Parkway Brewing Company is a craft brewery in Salem, Virginia. Established in 2012, it is well known for its distinctive ales and a vibrant tasting room with a large beer garden, live music, and food trucks. It operates a 30-barrel brewhouse, producing a large range of beers from IPA to lagers. Located near the Roanoke Valley Greenway, it attracts runners and cyclists, and has become a community hub for outdoor enthusiasts and beer lovers. When I arrived in my pearl white Lexus, the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck was already parked outside, but had not yet opened, so I went inside the brewery to explore its building. There I found a casual, low-key environment with an industrial-chick interior featuring a fireplace and garage doors that opened to the outdoors, to an area with picnic tables and sun umbrellas. Inside there were also several colorful modern murals and a wide counter where customers went to order and pay for their beers. They had several menus as well as display coolers with some of the beers being sold there. The friendly and knowledgeable young lady behind the counter did an excellent job explaining what they had, including the non-alcoholic options. While going to the restrooms, one passed by a window where you could see the brewhouse. Along the way there were also shelves filled with souvenirs of the place. In the room where the fireplace was, there was also a stage for live performances, which usually took place at night. I loved the ambiance and vive of the place and am looking forward to returning to one of their music live performance and some of their beers, and knowing that they also carry non-alcoholic ones will allow me to enjoy the evening and drive back home safely.

Great beers and close to great hiking! We were there on a weekend when there was live music so it…read morewas pretty crowded but we still found a place to sit outside. I would definitely recommend checking it out!

Loved this brewery (full disclosure, the band that was playing- Night Shift- was amazing and the…read moremain basis for this review!). The beer was good and the ambiance was fun. Lots of bonus points for being dog friendly! Also enjoyed the fire pits and Cornhole games! Service was friendly and efficient.

We were visiting the area and wanted to check out a local brewery…read more We arrived shortly after 7pm after parking in a small parking garage down the street since their parking lot was full. It was a beautiful fall evening and there were a good number of people enjoying both the outdoor and indoor spaces. We made our way inside and were impressed they also had a live band playing on the stage. We looked around a bit, enjoying the industrial feel of the building and the music. We took a place in line and ultimately I chose a pint of the Bareback Bronco IPA. We love good swag so we made our way to look at the offerings. My wife quickly commented on their cute and clever designs which are printed on soft, comfortable cotton shirts, hoodies, etc. They also had a good selection of assorted discount t shirts available in small, xxl and xxxl sizes. The band engaged the audience with the Chris Stapleton favorite, Tennessee Whiskey which was fun. We ultimately decided to enjoy one of the high top tables outside while I drank my beer, which I enjoyed and ended up purchasing an additional 4-pack for our long weekend in Roanoke. Great stop, if you enjoy local breweries, make sure to stop in. We noticed they are also open Sundays. We did see some people with food that appeared to either have been delivered or they brought with them.

The BEST craft brewery in Roanoke! And just in case the rotating in-house styles aren't calling…read moreyour name, Blindhouse carries a handful of stellar beers from other craft breweries around the country as well as a few ciders and/or wines. Their pizzas are also delicious! Cheese, pepperoni with hot honey and suprema with bacon, veggies and chili oil are all wonderful pairings with their brews. On a recent Thursday evening, there was also a bluegrass jam happening in the taproom. So fun!! Love this funky little gem.

Tasty beer and welcoming atmosphere. As an added bonus, a bluegrass jam is held there 1st and…read more3rd Thursdays, 6 to 8:30.

Relied on Yelp for restaurants and decided on Mac & Bobs. Popular local place and Sam took good…read morecare of us. We beat the college crowd getting there before 6PM. My Caesar salad was very good as was my chicken parm. My wife opted for Tai chicken bowl( nice little kick). Both portions were good sized. Plenty of alcohol options so we choice beers and wine with our entrees. Going forward, we shall make this a regular stop on our way North.

Place is cute inside, it's spacey and there's a dining area + a bar area. It is incredibly loud if…read moreyou go past 7pm so be mindful of that (lots of college kids including myself + friend groups watching the games). It also gets busy quick! If there's one thing this place can't mess up it's some chicken tenders. They are a staple here. I think they are ridiculously priced, but they are also ridiculously good. The honey mustard is a must with them. I have not been really impressed by the other menu items I've tried, I've gotten a calzone in the past and the fish and chips and they were both average. Service is always 50/50, either someone who is super attentive or someone who will ignore you and never refill your glass for the majority of the time you're there. Overall this place is kind of average, it's $$ for what it is but it's fun with friends. 100% recommend those tenders though.

Low key brewery with about 30 beers on tap, so there's something for everyone. Very reasonably…read morepriced for craft beer. You also can do a flight of 4 which is what I ordered. There was one beer is did not care for (and I'm not normally one to leave beer behind) and the bartender noticed and let me choose another beer which I really appreciated. There were a few food items, but that's definitely not their bread and butter, so I opted for elsewhere for dinner. The vibe is pretty chill. They have a few TVs so watching the college World Series and the World Cup was nice! Definitely recommend for an afternoon beer in downtown Roanoke.

There's one side of the area that's more of a dark DJ area which is pretty loud. The brewery side…read morewasn't too loud, we sat at the bar. Very friendly and we got 2 free plastic cups. Beer was pretty good. Overall, a nice casual place for a couple of decent beers, we had stopped here for after dinner drinks. We got a flight and most of them were mild and flavorful. I can't quite recall if I had a favorite but would stop back by if we were ever in the area again.

In Roanoke for the day and needed a beer…read more Scale: 1-5 Beer: 5 - I had the NE IPA that was good. Saw a porter and ESB that I will try next time. Atmosphere: 5 - Relaxed vibe. Nice outdoor seating. Service: 5 - Quick and informative. Food: N/A Cultural/Political Agenda (1-5): 5 -Everyone is welcome. No preachy nonsense or virtue signaling, just beer, as it should be.

We enjoy visiting local breweries and decided to stop in at AFOG on a Sunday evening at 6:30pm…read moreafter calling and confirming their hours. The brewery was easy to find and we originally thought it was housed inside an old school building but later learned it was previously a health services building. In addition to AFOG, there are also residential apartments in the remaining adjoining part of the building. There is a large outdoor area where a birthday celebration was happening amongst a small group. We proceeded inside and were immediately greeted by Sam. She helped me identify the IPA options and i immediately chose their Millennial Serum, which is a hazy imperial style that I enjoy. We looked around a bit, snapped some photos and looked at their swag. I'm a big tie dye guy and I was happy to see they had a great selection of AFOG tie dye shirts in my size. We decided to sit at the bar while I enjoyed my beer and chatted about our day. We also enjoyed talking with Sam and learning more about the brewery. We learned they are soon opening their second location in Buchanan, Virginia. Great stop, we felt welcomed, the beer was delicious and I have a new tie dye that will remind me of our time in Roanoke.

The mussels carbonara is out of this world! You can't go wrong here! The staff is amazing and…read moreextremely knowledgeable about the menu!

Love this place. Passing through and hungry so we relied on our Yelp app to get us to a great place…read moreto eat. This place did not disappoint. Appetizer of freckles was delicious which is fresh, fried pickles with a delicious homemade sauce. Portions are huge. Our main course was grilled chicken house salads which included perfectly cut vegetables such as heirloom tomatoes. Delicious dressings which seemed to be housemate. Bonus-bathrooms are decorated beautifully and super clean. Highly recommend.

we visited the restaurant and was a little disappointed in the food but our server Tori was…read moreoutstanding. she was so friendly and kind that we would return just for her.

we had Tori as our server and she did a wonderful job. checked on us regularly and kept our drinks…read morefull!