Let me tell you! I was skeptical about the place, but man, this is the best jerk chicken I've ever…read morehad! It could be a little spicier! The service was quick and easy. After we get our order, you can pick up and sit anywhere you want.

One of our favorite places to eat in Roanoke! Always delicious! The jerk chicken is cooked…read moreperfectly and is not overly spicy. The plantains are amazing also!

A new restaurant has risen from the ashes of another. After a period of closure and renewal, the…read morespirit of Aly Baba Restaurant is reborn as Zico's, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes to offer an elevated dining experience. 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 Zico's Restaurant in Salem, Virginia, is the perfect example. Zico's is conveniently located in the corner of 4th Street and Roanoke Blvd in Salem, Virginia. Immediately after hearing of the change, and attracted by its new name and logo, I drove to this location to experience first hand Zico's cuisine. The restaurant has a nice size parking lot right in front of it. Its owner and chef, Zico is a native Egyptian, with a warm and friendly personality, who specializes in authentic Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Italian cuisines, as well as Pizzas. As I entered its door he was the first one to give me a warm greeting and welcome me to his restaurant. It had one red brick wall, imitation hardwood floors, simple ceiling lamps, and a very interesting movable large TV screen with a beautiful outdoor Cafe scene. The background music perfectly complements the relaxing and cozy environment. In the main dining room it has very elegant and comfortable booths all around, and in a separate banquet room it has tables and chairs all lined up. The menu has an excellent variety of items representing the different cuisines. I ordered a Beef Shawarma Platter that came with a salad and Pita Bread with a special in house salad dressing and cream for the Pita Bread. The salad was so fresh and moist that it was a pleasure eating it. The Beef Shawarma was cooked with a special sauce made with cooked onions, green and red peppers, and some seasons that gave it an amazing flavor, one only equivalent to high-end restaurants with sofisticated and award winning chefs. The rice was also a good quality rice with wonderful flavor. I enjoyed the food so much that till the last grain of rice and savored evey minute of it. For dessert I ordered their only in-house made dessert, the Tiramisu. It was amazingly delicious. Like no other that I ever had. What an extraordinary dining experience. I have dined in the best restaurants and yet this restaurant's cuisine is exceptionally outstanding to the point of exceeding even the highest expectations. I highly recommend it and am looking forward to returning to try it's Italian and Greek cuisines.

You HAVE to try Zico (or Aly Baba, as I knew it!). The food…read moreis consistently top-notch. I highly recommend the kofta, which is perfectly seasoned and cooked, the incredibly flavorful shawarma, and the magnificent mussakaa--it's rich, comforting, and authentic. Beyond the delicious food, the standout feature is the service. The owner is the friendliest you will ever meet, always taking the time to make you feel welcome. It's that kind of genuinely warm, inviting atmosphere that keeps me coming back again and again. Whether you're a long-time fan of Aly Baba or discovering Zico for the first time, you won't be disappointed! This is a must-visit spot.

It is said that good things come in small packages, and this tiny Mediterranean and Middle Eastern…read morerestaurant perfectly embodies this saying. Since it opened its doors in 2017 in Salem, Virginia, this small but very popular, family-owned restaurant by Egyptian immigrants is known for its fresh made-to-order gyros, falafel, and Greek salads, just to name a few. Today I had the opportunity to visit this restaurant and discover the qualities that make this tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere so popular. Because of its small size, most of its customers orders are take outs. But it also has a counter inside with around 3 to 4 stools so that customers who prefer to eat their food in the restaurant can. When I arrived, I parked my Lexus in a space right in front of the restaurant and noticed that there are not that many parking spots around. That is another reason why most of its sells are take-out orders. Customers can either call in their orders and drop by to pick it up, or park for a few minutes, make their order, and watch it being made, and then take it with them to enjoy at home. In good, warm weather, they do have two picnic tables outdoors where their customers can eat. Inside, I was able to meet the husband of the family who runs the business. He was very friendly and kind, a native of Egypt with a wife and 5 siblings. He gave me a warm welcome and took my eat-in order. The menu (which had Halal food) was displayed inside a Coca-Cola stand. To drink I grabbed a Mountain Dew from their drinks display refrigerator they have with Coke products. To eat I ordered their Gyro Special: Gyro meat served with rice and a small salad. It came with a special salad dressing and a sauce to put on the meat. The kitchen and the restaurant itself were very clean and all the ingredients used were very fresh and quality products. I sat on one of the stools, in front of the counter and watched him prepare my food. After paying for it with a credit card, I began to enjoy eating it. The salad was very fresh, made right before my eyes. The meat was Broiled right then and there, and the rice had a yellow tone and tasted unbearably delicious! As I was eating, the owner/chef put up a sign on the counter that read: "Please wait. I'm praying. thank you." I then figured out he must be Muslim and as soon as he finished praying I said to him: "As-salamu alaykum." He appreciated my nice words. While I was there, two other customers came in and ordered takeout food. For dessert I ordered an in-house made Baklava. The shape didn't look so good but the flavor did taste good. He told me that I could eat it with my hands but since they didn't have a restroom to wash my hands afterwards, I asked for a plastic fork to eat it with. Their prices were very reasonable and their portions very generous. I paid for the Baklava and thanked him for the wonderful service. The food was so genuine and delicious that whenever I'm in this area next time, I will definitely stop by and dine there again.

Best gyro I've had in years. No frills. The meat shines in its simplicity: seasoning and texture…read more The ingredients in the pita were fresh and proportioned well, and the tzatziki (as another reviewer pointed out) was top notch. I also got a pita and side of hummus, and the hummus was special. I didn't ask, but I think the oil may have been grapeseed? Either way, delicious. The proprietor was kind and took pride in his specialty. I wish there was a bathroom, but you have to appreciate the intimacy of a "hole-in-the-wall" corner shop, which I say with the upmost respect.

Food was amazing authentic Jamaican cuisine. Service was excellent. Nice ambiance for a small…read morelocally owned restaurant. I would recommend the curry chicken, oxtails and the curry goat

The first time I visited this new hometown restaurant, I found it closed with a sign on the door…read morethat they were at their Church's Summer Camp and would be closed during this time. Today, after making sure it was opened, I decided to go visit and have lunch there. When I arrived and entered through their door, I found a clean yet simple decorated restaurant with my favorite Bible quote hanging from one of the walls. There were a couple of customers waiting to be seated, and one was waiting for a to go order. Then Andrea, the owner's wife, came out of the kitchen and told us to sit wherever we liked and gave us copies of the menu. It was all so informal and without protocol, yet after later meeting the owner, David Gusler and his wife Andrea, in more depth, I was impressed with their beautiful hearts and Christian behavior. They made us feel at home in this restaurant. Greeting us and talking to us about the items on the menu. More customers were coming in, and some of them were steady customers, while others like me were just trying out the place for the first time. I enjoyed the relaxed homey atmosphere and the wonderful personalities of the owner and the flavor of good homemade food.

Haven't been here in a few years; great to see the same wait staff and more importantly I was…read moreremembered, Wow! Fantastic VT memorabilia for a great college atmosphere. Good is super fresh and made with love, with a portions easily for two.

Abby's was great. Love to support locally owned small businesses. Friendly service, great food and…read morefantastic prices. Love.

One of my favorite Nepalese spots. The butter chicken momos are to die for. Rest of the menu is…read morequite good too. Decor is nice and cultural. And the restaurant itself is huge and spacious. Tons of seating. Service is quick and the staff are helpful.

Great food, friendly service, reasonably priced...did I mention the great food??…read more We came midweek on a Yelp suggestion, they are 45 minutes from us, and we are scheming trips to Blacksburg VA. You should go...

Great food and great service would highly recommend this place if you like to traditional and…read moreauthentic Mediterranean food

Ordered to go. Started with the Greek salad and the Grilled Chicken Pita Wrap. The salad was a…read moregenerous serving, fresh and well prepared. Feta, olives, salad greens with tomato and some peppers with sliced onions. A decent salad to start. The Grilles chicken was cooked nicely, stuffed in a fresh pita with lettuce and tomato along with a nice yogurt dressing. This is a large wrap and totally splitable. I had half a wrap leftover for my lunch the next day. I wanted something sweet too, so ordered a slice of Baklava aling with a piece of Pecan Pie. Both were okay, the baklava was the better of the two. The pie was okay, on the small side for what was charged. This is a decent place to grab some mediterrean style food, served its purpose. 3 Stars it met my needs and was pretty good overall. 01022

we were originally looking for greek food for dinner tonight and this came up on apple maps. the…read morefood was absolutely delicious!!! the bowl is a very generous portion with fresh veggies. the place is clean and the gent working was extremely kind. we will be back!!

I heard of a new Mediterranean Barbeque (halal) restaurant that reasantly opened a couple of months…read moreago in a small strip mall located in East Vinton, Virginia. And as soon as I found out, I headed that way to go and try it and see what it was all about. 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 525 Shawarma Virtical BBQ in Vinton, Virginia, is the perfect example. This family-owned restaurant is owned and operated by husband Omar and his wife Norra who are Russian immigrants. When I arrived the wife had gone out to do some errands, so I only had an opportunity to meet the husband Omar. He had a black beard and a big smile. One of the friendliest persons that I have ever met. He warmly welcomed me to his restaurant which though small, was very clean, bright, and organized with comfortable furniture and contemporary decor, and with a very unique white neon light ceiling lamp. At the time there was a couple with a third person having an early dinner. They were seated up front close to the large windows of the restaurant, and for some reason they looked to me as repeat customers. I went to the ordering counter and looked at the menu to see what to order. It was a simple menu with only three choices for the main meal, to have in either sandwich or platter, and a couple of sides. But from my experience of new family-owned restaurants, they open them this way and then, little by little expand their menu and drink choices. That was the case of an Argentinian family-owned restaurant I discovered that opened not so long ago in downtown Roanoke with one type of steak in many styles and empanadas. And now a days has a variety of steaks and other items on the menu and are waiting for their liquor license to open the bar area as well. I ended up ordering a Beef Shawarma Platter with a side of Hummus. Even though the rice and salad was included with the platter, the side of Hummus was charged separate. The salad had a selection of very fresh ingredients and was wonderfully prepared, and came with a small bowl of salad dressing on the side. It tasted wonderful. I think the owner was able to see how much I enjoyed it that he offered me a second complimentary one, which I graciously accepted. The Hummus which was made in-house was one of the best that I have ever had, if not the best. The Platter came with the beef and rice and a pita bread on top. The beef was well seasoned and cut in very small pieces.The rice was the Jasmin rice style with a tint of yellow from the seasoning. The portions were very generous. The pita bread was fresh and warm and I enjoyed eating the Hummus with it. For dessert I had pieces of their Baklava which were also made in-house. They were like none that I had ever had before. So fresh and with what only I can describe as a gourmet characteristic. What an amazing dining experience I had in this place that probably not too many people are aware of. The owner provided exceptional customer service that complimented his exquisite Mediterranean cuisine. I highly recommend this restaurant and encourage everyone reading my review to go try it out and give them your support. For places like these are like gems that enhance the quality of life of all those who live here and those who visit. Vinton is a better place because of small businesses like this one.