To be clear, this is a food truck, and I am rating it as such. It is set up in a gas station…read moreparking lot. They did put out a single table for me to eat there, but it has nothing to offer in the way of ambience. Weather may also be a factor, and when I arrived at the post opening time they were still setting up. The reason I have a high opinion of the place is not any of those things, but that it offers the distinctive home-cooked taste of a cuisine that is not otherwise available in the region to my knowledge. It is vegetarian South Indian and most of the options revolve around lentils and spices. I sampled a preparation I hadn't had before of ildi, a steamed rice and lentil cake, with some mouthwatering spicy powder. My spicy dosa, which I made it clear I wanted really spicy, was indeed fiery, but also possessed the delightful crispness and mix of sour and savory flavors distinctive to this cuisine. I also note that sometimes the salt in sambar overwhelms me but I didn't have a particularly tough time here; the flavors of the spices were enough without the ridiculous oversalting that some restaurants do. It is a taste that I would be happy to come back for in the near term and I would try virtually everything they offer.

I could eat here every day! Another perfect meal! Everything I have ordered has been delicious.read more

Just the other day as I was driving down Brambleton Ave, Southwest Roanoke, on my way to Brambleton…read moreImports to have my Lexus washed, after having experienced a snow and ice storm, I happened to pass by this lively color food truck with the name of The Rad Shack Shaved Ice. Then and there, I decided to stop and visit it on my way back. 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 The Rad Shack Shaved Ice in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. Established in 2023, by Sean W, who also teaches Church History at a Christian school, this veteran-owned food truck specializes in rad hot dogs and shaved ice. Sean and his wife started the business because they value the simpler times in life. Their vision was that "people would make memories by sitting back and relaxing without the cares of the world." And I had an opportunity to experience this first hand, when I stopped by and visited the place. Sean's welcoming and hospitable personality immediately made me feel at home there. He explained the menu, and I would have liked to order one of their Rad Chili Dogs, if it were not that I just had lunch not so long ago, and a Shaved Ice served as a dessert. I ended up having a medium Mango Shaved Ice with vanilla ice-cream, melted marshmallows, and sprinkles. By having it this way, they call it: "Making It A Rad Stack." I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality food and shaved ice. As I was enjoying my shaved ice, a friend of the owner ordered a Rad Chili Hot Dog and it looked so good. Next time I'll have one. While there, I also had the opportunity of meeting Sean's wife and learning about their favorite hobby of running, and his enjoyment of teaching Church History. I've eaten at many food trucks before, but I consider this one special, because it's one where you not only enjoy some quality shave ice or rag hot dogs, but hang out and enjoy some quality time with the owner, family, or close friends.

Wonderful Business. Best Shaved Ice, and so many flavors. Owner is nice and friendly, outgoing…read more We like the coffee shaved Ice with ice cream in the center. My partner will try the hotdogs soon. I highly recommend you try them. Every flavor shaved ice under the sun. With whipped cream, and or ice cream added if you choose. Made my day when I was trapped at a tire place for almost three hours. Go try them! Business is located in Fishburn park, so plenty of parking. Picnic bench outside.

For some reason it's on yelp and says open but when I call no one ever answers. I think that they…read moreneed to update their website.

Better than any grilled cheese I've had in town and the tomato bisque with it makes for perfect,…read moresoul fulfilling comfort food. Perfect!

Minority owned by a husband and wife, although if you ask the husband he says she is the boss!…read more The menu is ever changing. Just as they opened the owner brought out a plank with the newest additions, from a creek burger to a pickle burger with ranch and toppings. My wife had the pickle burger and said it was delicious, while I had the bacon cheese burger with thicker cut bacon. (Note this is not what was listed in the other yelp write ups, the owner said the thick cut was replaced with a slightly thinner cut.) The fries weren't much to speak of, shoe strings but they were hot! Everything was. All was delicious. If you see this place, read the menu and enjoy!

Great place great staff great food. Great venue. Mark it a stop awesome and it's local who doesn't…read morewant to support local

This family-owned Mexican Restaurant is like no other that I've have ever seen before. The family…read moreis from Jalisco, Mexico, and after some time of sharing their native cuisine through their food truck, around March of this year, they opened this brick and mortar restaurant in the Southwest neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. I literally found out about this place today, and immediately made plans to go visit for dinner. 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 Birrieria La Vaca in Roanoke, Virginia, is the perfect example. Jalisco is a state in western Mexico. Known for its capital city, Guadalajara (the second-largest city in Mexico), and its cultural contributions, including mariachi music, charades (Mexican rodeos), the Mexican Hat dance, the wide-brimmed sombrero, tequila, and birria, a traditional meat stew. Its culinary scene is diverse, with dishes like birria (a savory meat stew) and tortas ahogadas (a pork-filled sandwich soaked in sauce) being local favorites. Sweet treats like jericalla is a popular dessert, similar to a flan or custard, with a slightly caramelized or burnt top. Tequila, made from the juice of the blue agave cactus, is Jalisco's best known product. The restaurant Birrieria La Vaca is located on 5th Street, Southwest Roanoke, in a renovated old building. Its front of the building is painted with a unique, dark, bright, red color, so you won't miss it when driving by. As you enter the first thing that catches you attention is their beautiful renovated original hardwood floors and a section of original tiles in great condition. Most of the walls are painted dark, bright red, with one dark red, and one white. The place is very clean with some booths and some tables and chairs, and even a counter area for ones dining pleasure. It has been modernized with two large screen TVs behind the counter. One is continously showing color images of the food from the menu, and the other shows a video with scenes of Guadalajara, Mexico. Then on the two side walls are two gigantic size screen TVs which at the time were showing a soccer game. It also had a modern TouchTunes Jukebox on one of the walls, with a touchscreen so you can select and purchase songs that will be played in the restaurant. When I arrived a friendly young lady with a big smile greeted and welcomed me to the restaurant. She took me to one of the booths and handed me a copy of the menu. Later I found out that she was not only my server but also the daughter of the owner. We talked a little about Jalisco, Mexico, the place where her family is from, and then after she brought me an Horchata that I had ordered to drink along with a glass of water, I ordered the Queso Fundido Con Chorizo appetizer to enjoy with my chips. And for my main course I ordered a California Burrito al Pastor (with marinated pork). The food was all amazingly delicious and different from other Mexican restaurants; they had that homemade flavor to it. Their chips were fresh and reasantly fried. Thin and tasty. Their salsa was a bit too watery rather than thick like in other Mexican restaurants. You could tell that the tortilla used to make the burrito was made in-house because of its flavor and texture. And the pork was seasoned to perfection. For dessert I had their traditional Jericallas. It was served in the aluminum container where it was made. Nothing fancy, but tasty and sweet. Before I left I got to meet the other daughter who also was working as a server, as well as a cousin of theirs who was visiting, and their father. I had a great time and an extraordinary dining experience. Definitely I would recommend this restaurant and I expect to return soon to try out more of the items from their menu.

The food here was really good! Everything came out fresh and tasty, and the flavors were on point…read more My favorite was the Taco Birrias, definitely worth trying. The service matched the quality of the food. I'd for sure come back again.

We drifted off the beaten path to check out this place out traveling between Atlanta and Lexington,…read moreVA. It's a fair bit away from the Interstate, but I can tell you that it's worth the trek. When we got here for lunch, there was a line out the door and the smokers out back hard at work told us this was the place to be. We got served pretty quickly and found a table. The place is neat and clean with a decent amount of seating both inside and out. The missus had a brisket sandwich and I got the pulled pork with slaw, pinto beans and mac&cheese for the sides. The servings are HUGE and that smoke ring isn't just for looks. The meat was done perfectly with the smoky flavor and not dried out. I also tried one of their homemade sausages. Absolutely fantastic! Snappy casing with a filling that included creamy cheese hunks and a level of spicy that was just right. We pride ourselves in having high standards when it comes to BBQ, and this joint didn't disappoint! We've been to numerous BBQ joints including the famous award-winning Big Bob Gibsons in Northern Alabama and this place comes in well over that. We visited with the owner (Kelly) and had a great experience. The staff we interfaced with were both friendly and engaging. I would give this place 6 stars if I could. Highly recommended!

Not sure about the food. I know Mama Jean's is considered one of the best, but I was left with a…read morefull but unsatisfied feeling. Let's break it down. The daily special was a beef brisket cheesesteak. The sandwich was large, the meat copious, and the cheese was well integrated. I think there was mayo on it, because the sandwich was soggy and runny. I ate one half as a sandwich, one half with a fork. No banana peppers to add to the sandwich. The bread was slightly hard, contained the filling, but not the juices and cheese run-off. Very messy. Coleslaw was just a pile of sliced cabbage. Not much taste. Very disappointed for all the hype. Other than salt, there did not appear to be any seasonings. The meat was definitely brisket, but lost its identity in the cheese and bread. Staff was very nice and helpful when ordering, wait was not long even though there was a huge wave right behind us. Drinks are cans/bottles and you pay per. Would I go back? Not sure, I really didn't get a bbq experience from a bbq joint. I think I will try another joint or two before I go back.

I had hoped for better food from this food truck. My spring rolls were dripping with oil and had…read morevery little filling. Our shrimp tacos had 3 tiny bay shrimp the size of a quarter, and no shredded cabbage or any other standard taco filings. The panini looked like they were from a kids menu. They charge a lot for very little food of substandard quality. I would not recommend this food to anyone. Plus, there was no bacon on the menu.

From the owner: Scratch made and locally sourced sandwiches, fusion tacos, soups and salads.read more

I ordered from them online and showed up and it didn't even exist. I called the phone number listed…read morefor their business and it was a wrong number. $20 wasted. It sounded great, but they need to not accept orders if they don't even exist anymore.

Been spoiled by the jerk chicken, don't know which meat to try next, sausage, steak or chicken…read morefilet. Incredible!