First when you walk in you are greeted by wonderful staff. They also make you feel like it doesn't have to be fully fancy and fine dining you can relax but still be dressed up. They have different parts of the restaurant for however you are feeling like the bar is more relaxed and nice. We got the private room aka the Brooke room (our waiter). Brooke was the best server super relaxed and understanding even when she's busy with 3 other tables. The food was very delicious, and the only feed I gave it 4 stars was because of price. Overall was a great experience and if I am ever back in town I hope to come back again. read more

One of the best Italian Restaurants in the Roanoke area, Luigi's is one of my favorite restaurants around. The owner is very warm, kind, and hospitable, and every time I've dined there I've felt right at home. I've received excellent service in a cozy environment and the drinks and food have been to par with my high expectations of a restaurant of this nature. However, I was a bit disappointed when I dined there this time. Unfortunately the owner wasn't feeling well so she appointment one of her best servers as Host in charge. When I arrived, since I showed up without a reservation, she greeted me by asking what I wanted, if to order for takeout. This was a bit insulting, since I was there to dine in, like always. I then requested to seat in the well lit dining room, in my usual table next to the window. She consented and took me there. Shortly after, a young lady server shows up and greets me. Not giving me enough time to study the menu, she asks what I wanted to drink and what I wanted to order for dinner. Without asking for her opinion, she starts telling me what she thinks I should order as appetizer. It was like she was trying to rush me. I don't know if it was her inexperience or lack of training, but I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and asked the Host to change my server and explained the reason why. My server replacement was completely the opposite. He was the epitome of customer service. Philip had good manners, was respectful, and didn't rush me, taking his time to make sure I had a relaxing and enjoyable dining experience. The first thing he did was introduce himself as my new server. He then repeated my order that my previous server had taken to make sure it was right. I already had my Fried Calamari appetizer on the table. My house salad was with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. My Filet Mignon was to be cooked medium-rare and served with sautéed mushrooms, broccoli, and delicate new potatoes. During my meal, he made sure my Iced water glass was always full, and after my Filet was served and I had a chance of cutting it, he came by to make sure it was cooked appropriately, just like ordered. The Filet was cooked medium-rare, the broccoli was fresh, and the potatoes were delicious, but the mushrooms were not seasoned nor sautéed enough and were somewhat tasteless. For dessert, I had my favorite, the Brazilian Custard Pudding. As I was leaving my server opened the door for me and thanked me for dining there, while the Host stood inside without even having the courtesy to say goodbye. I hope the owner of the restaurant reads this review and takes action to see that her restaurant is run appropriately, and each of her customers is treated as they should. read more

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Delicious food and top notch service. Old school Italian, and a quite charming dining experience

Food is wonderful, service is great. We always enjoy dining there. The bar is a lot of fun too!

A couple across the dining room was celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary. (They left in time to catch Wheel of Fortune). The folks two tables away were there for their 56th anniversary. And then there was us. Luigi's, considered the premier Italian eatery in the area is the go-to restaurant for celebrations. The owner -- I think they call her Mama -- is gracious and lovely. The servers are enthusiastic. Ours worked at Luigi's for twelve years. The other waitress, 36 years! Good ambience with soft music, linen tablecloths, outdoor seating .... and average food. (The best in Roanoke, isn't likely to be the best in NYC or other large cities.) The dressing on my Caesar salad was too mild. I jazzed it up with anchovies. Chicken saltimbocca, one of my favorite dishes, didn't taste like saltimbocca. The chicken was dry, the sauce prepared with too much flour, and unlike other recipes, no spinach. T's chicken a la Luigi -- a tad too much basil -- was somewhat better, but came with mushy, unseasoned broccoli. No pasta. Luigi's received accolades from the anniversary celebrants and the desk clerk at our hotel. Don't get me wrong. Our meal, enjoyed with a well-priced bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, was okay. Just not stand-out. read more

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We ended up here because most of the places in Roanoke were closed Christmas Eve. First thought we were expecting a pizzeria. As soon as we stepped in, we realized if was more fine dining. Parking lot of spacious with some disabled spots. No problem maneuvering inside unless you're outside in the patio. Tables are closer in there so it could be hard to zig zag. Friendly staff and they were able to accommodate us even without a reservation. We got lucky because it was empty but it soon got packed. They said it was the busiest night and they had a special menu for tonight. He got the seafood scampi and I got the chicken parm. Both came with salads and mine also came with spaghetti. We also ordered calamari. The food was decent. I can't say it was spectacular but I will say it was better than most places and the portions are generous. I would definitely come back again. I didn't see the regular menu but I'm sure to find something I would like. The desserts are also very generous. The fudge cake was massive and clearly enough for two people. The patio area is lovely. It's like a Florida room that's covered and warm. It does lead out to the courtyard where people smoke. That was the only part I didn't like; my seat was at the door and you can smell the smoke when the doors opened and also feel a cold breeze. read more

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We visited the restaurant on Saturday night for our anniversary and I can't say how disappointing our evening at Luigi's was. The service was lacking right off the bat, finally a waitress came flying up to the table saying the waitress who was supposed to cover us wasn't working very hard. Everything from then on was rushed and haphazard. We ordered a veal dish, over cooked. We ordered three seafood dishes, all three sub par. Over cooked seafood. Very poor quality for the pricey entrees. At this point there was really nothing to be done but finish what we could salvage and pay our bill. Very disappointing to say the least. If you are short staffed then you should not fill all your tables no doubt read more

Loved this place because it felt like home. The owner of the restaurant was there and she was just absolutely kind to us. We brought our baby along with us and she was so helpful in accommodating us. The food was delicious and we loved the chocolate truffle cake. Will definitely come back here to visit again. The staff was incredible as well. read more

Luigi's Italian Gourmet - Italian sausage - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Absolutely the best Italian eggplant Parmesan I have ever tasted. A very cozy atmosphere.

This is the best restaurant in Roanoke, bar none!!! I have been coming here for at least 10 years,,, and this is a place id come back to for the food service and overall the best experience for having a delicious and luxious service anywhere. Susan Wildfong its a 5.00 read more

i dont know if it was just that day and i may have been busy, but i dont know how. we waited for like 10-15 minutes after we had a reservation and came on time. we also waited over an hour for our food to arrive and we only had a table of 3 people total and our dishes were nothing crazy. i got chicken alfredo and in all honesty, waiting for over an hour for no flavor and dry chicken was not good. i couldnt even finish it and i felt bad because it just felt like a complete waste of money. there was no flavor on the chicken and it just looks like they cooked the chicken and pasta and slapped sauce and parsley on it. ambience was fine, just wish they would give actual water glasses instead of ones that are too small while youre having dinner and the waiter or waitress has to come by each table frequently. giving 2 stars for the waiter who was very nice and looked very stressed. i hate to say it but i can make chicken alfredo better at home. read more

Luigi's Italian Gourmet - chicken alfredo - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

I wanted lasagne. When you want true Italian, you go to the mountaintop. That would be Luigi's. Haven't been here for 7 years. We recently moved back to the Valley and this was my first choice for a nice restaurant! Of the four of us, we had lasagne, chicken Marsala, plus shrimp and scallops scallopini. IT WAS ALL GREAT. The Caesar salad was outstanding! read more

My two teenagers and their group of friends made a reservation for 6pm for dinner before prom. Prom started at 7pm. They were seated right away, but they still didn't have their food two hours later. Nothing! They ended up having to get their food ToGo so they could rush and still get to prom before doors closed at 8:30pm. It took me going it to complain for them to still take them 20 more minutes to bring out their ToGo food out and get them their checks. They didn't even get to eat before prom. What a horrible prom dinner experience! Shame on Luigi's. read more

Luigi's was for many years and many visits, our go-to for special occasions and upscale Italian cuisine. Although a small space, it has had a lot of charm, and certainly the owner, a tiny Italian woman, exemplifies that charm in her graciousness and personal attention as she visits every table. Space is tight, and that can sometimes create some unwanted noise, but it is not overwhelming. We have eaten at Luigi's 3 times in the past 6 months. Sadly, this was probably our last visit. Food was simply mediocre. That is not true, it was just not good. My veal saltimbocca (a long-time favorite) has for our past two visits had a watered-down soupy sauce. Tonight, the veal was tough and significantly overcooked. But the biggest issue was the ingredients that were used. The dish is supposed to include green pepper. There was none. Yellow and red peppers were used (and mostly raw) and they provided a very different flavor that was bitter. It was just not good. My husband did not initially receive the dish he ordered as the waitress wrote it down incorrectly. When we waited 12 minutes for the replacement, the chicken cacciatore that finally came was not good. My spouse said the chicken was dry and tasted like a frozen chicken breast that was boiled. The accompanying sauce was also missing green pepper and had little color. The waitress said the green pepper that the restaurant had ordered arrived, but the green peppers looked bad. (Note to manager - That is when you should make the trip down the street to Kroger to buy some, not substitute something into a recipe that provides a different flavor!). There was no acknowledgement of a birthday celebration at our table, although that information was noted on our reservation. We had to ask for additional bread, and additional water. Next time, we will go to Montano's. Even Olive Garden is better. read more

My parents went there back in the 1980's and had a few meals back then. It was always amazing food and the owners were such amazing people! If you want some amazing food and amazing service, head over to Luigi! read more

Waitresses were sweet but this place is so old and gross and WAY overpriced. I live right outside of a big city and have had much better food for way less. A lot of old people eating here and it's very telling about the business. read more

They have authentic Italian food on the menu. Ordered mushroom stuffed with crabmeat (good) Baked Rigatoni Siciliano with eggplant (good). Food was hot and freshly made to order. Garlic bread was very good and the Chocolate cake with raspberry sauce (AMAZING must try) and Tiramisu were the best It's $$ place. 3 stars because not a lot of vegetarian options. But I chose without meat and they followed instructions. Stuffed Mushrooms, salad, rigatoni, Truffle" Cake read more

Luigi's Italian Gourmet - 6 Layer Chocolate Cake Raspberry drizzle - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Perfect old school Italian joint complete with closed in bar with regulars chain smoking, watching sports in the evening. I had the chicken piccata which was served with some delicious homemade bread and a small house salad. The bartender must have been a staple since she literally knew everyone's names and what they drink as soon as a new patron would enter. My friend ordered a chicken alfrado but rather than placed on standard pasta he asked for cheese ravioli...it came out just as ordered but when the bill arrived he was charged for 2 full entree portions which was never discussed while make the order. He was not happy and in the future will ask but a $20+ lesson to learn nonetheless. I understand why she charged what she did but still should have said something if the business is at all interested in keeping new clientele. I guess with her knowing everybody it didn't matter to her but still not the correct way to handle a food substitution situation. read more

This place really good for a random beer. And food if you like Italian pizza or pasta.

Entree was good. Garlic bread was not. The orange paste in the middle of the bread was cold and the bread was not fresh! Do not go if you are looking for service. Waitress seemed very forgetful and preferred to chat with her "regular" customers. read more

Great food and outstanding service. it's kinda like a step back in time, in a very positive way

Chicken Parmigiana was just okay. Chicken was good but the pasta and sauce were watery. Chicken francese was bland and sauce did not seem to have any lemon taste. Very different experience from our past visits to Luigi's prior to 2020. read more

Been eating there for years whenever I visit Roanoke. Food is still good, but prices keep leaping up to the point I'm spending $80.00 per person. Sorry, but that is just way too much when there is equal or better at a much lower price. Drinks are small, weak and expensive. Paying a lot for a tiny glass of cheap wine. As for the dining experience reservations are a waste of time if they are crowded. Even if you show up on time you will wait, and wait and wait. The tables are so jammed on top of one another it's difficult to sit. I have started eating at other restaurants lately. I have discovered another Italian restaurant nearby and started frequenting the place. read more

We went to Luigi's for dinner during a little weekend getaway, and it was AWESOME! Don't let the outside fool you, the inside is beautiful and elegant. We ordered the Penne Alla Vodka and the Shrimp and Chicken, which were both excellent. Don't skip dessert, the chocolate cake was killer!! read more

Luigi's Italian Gourmet - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Always above and beyond. Our server was a little scattered, maybe inexperienced, but the food more than made up for any little lapses.

Excellent service and food. Authentic Italian ambience too! Everything about this place reminded me of old school Italian

2 stars only because the sauce was tasty. The customer service was seriously lacking and the eggplant could be used to resole shoes!! Visiting family in Roanoke who suggested Luigi's for takeout. Tried calling, twice, to order ahead but got a recording both times instructing about making reservations. Decided to just drive there to place the order. Commented to the hostess about the attempts to call and she explained it rolls to the message if it rings more than 4 times and that we should have tried again. I wanted to suggest that maybe they should improve their phone system but I held back. Ordered two entrees of eggplant parmigiana and was told it came with side salad and plain bread, that we could upgrade to garlic bread for an additional charge. Asked for the plain bread with our meals, but got home to find NO bread at all. Bread might have been a way to salvage the meal because the sauce was tasty, but the eggplant was so tough we had to use steak knives to cut it! The eggplant was so bad they shouldn't be serving it IMHO. read more

Absolutely the best Italian food in Roanoke, service and hospitality outstanding and I'm hard to please

Absolutely the most delicious food I've had in my life. The clams casino was amazing. I ate two orders my self. I got the veal alla Marques for my entree. Omg I can't even explain how good it taste. Absolutely speechless. Our server Morgan was above and beyond excellent from her Attentiveness ,friendliness and over all wonderful attitude. If you haven't ate there it's a must try. I promise you won't regret it. read more

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My review is mixed. I really love the traditional ambiance, white tablecloth etc. The service is also usually very good. And all the meals I have tasted have been good (the avocado dressing is amazing!). So high marks for all that. However, I have recently been told to go gluten free, and that is hard to do here. Apparently sometimes they have GF pasta but not always. And the staff doesn't seem to know a lot about GF. For me it is not life threatening, but I have friends who are not as fortunate. Seems just a little more effort could make a good place even better. read more

Came on a Sunday for a reservation dinner. We had to wait 15 minutes after our scheduled time to get our table and this place was packed beyond belief. They had every table filled but the way the tables were spaced out, we kept having to take turns with people seated at the table adjacent to ours to move over so the other party could get out. The waiter was kind and kept apologizing but our food took 2.5 hours to get to our table from the time we ordered. We ordered an appetizer of the stuffed mushrooms which came out after 20 minutes, then we didn't see our entrees for another 2 hours. The food was luke warm at best and honestly was nothing special. I think the restaurant is trying to perceive the image of a fine dining experience but the execution is missed entirely. I had instant purchase regret once the food came because this place is on the pricier side and I could have gotten a better dinner elsewhere for half the price. Between the cramped quarters and the lackluster food with a high price tag, I don't think I'll be returning. read more

Lovely service - attentive and friendly. I thought some of the menu items were a bit pricey, though. Six small stuffed mushrooms for $12? A $3 charge for a small basket of garlic bread that was a bit dry and not very garlicky did not win points, either. The homemade ravioli was decent, though, and a friend at the table said the spaghetti and sauce were perfect. The "Brazil Pudding" was one of the best flans I've ever eaten - very rich and smooth. A pleasant experience overall.... Bathroom report: The ladies' room was attractive and very clean. read more

I want to thank the faithful followers of Luigi's and Yelp! for recommending this excellent restaurant. We stopped here early in the week just as they opened for dinner. The staff was friendly and attentive without being over the top. Meals came out in a timely manner and everything was as expected. What I mean by that is the food was delicious, hot and without any special interpretation by the chef. When you ask for Fettuccine Alfredo there is no surprise. It's quiet And intimate and classic Italian. Don't worry about the scruffy neighborhood remarks. You won't have a problem. Everyone knows not to cause a problem in la familia's front yard. read more

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This restaurant is a must go to! The food is fresh and made to order. The facility is clean, fresh flowers and linen on the tables and very well maintained. We had the Lobster a la Luigi and Beef Braccolini. I mean, wow!!! And the garlic bread and totally fresh salad are just icing on the cake!!! The ownership is totally committed to delivering a great experience. Thank you and we will be back!! read more

One of the best wine lists in the area. Kind and professional staff and family owned. Always a staple that I know will have great food for us!! read more

Best place in Roanoke for Italian food!!! Went here for dinner on Mother's Day and it was terrific! I had the shrimp fra diavalo (spicy) and it was just the perfect spice level. They make a fantastic long island ice tea as well! The whole family was very pleased with the service and terrific food! We will be going back again very soon! read more

Luigi's Italian Gourmet - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

My birthday. Hadn't been here since before Covid. As awesome as I remember. Kate, our waitress, was so good. Food was absolutely delicious. Can't wait to go back. read more

Ordered takeout and was very quick and easy to pick-up. However food is overpriced and not the quality we expected from previous reviews. Caesar salad was good but the other salads did not have dressing. Entrees we're far below our expectations. The seafood scampi was overly seasoned and tasted like they poured an entire bottle of wine on top. Manicotti was burnt and had similar tougher consistency to a crepe rather than pasta. Disappointed is an understatement. read more

What a find-in town many times but first time visiting Luigi's. Such a cute place, formal but not pretentious, so welcoming and friendly. Cocktails (martini and 7&7) expertly made. Didn't do appetizers though there were lots of interesting choices. A party of four, wait staff was so gracious! Food- Italian perfection! Veal piccata (crispy thinly cut veal with a side of expertly cooked spaghetti with marinara), Penne ala Vodka with shrimp- again, expertly cooked with a pale pink vodka sauce with large shrimp and capers; cannelloni-handmade shells (think crepes) with delicious meaty sauce and just the right amount of ricotta and marinara and, finally, the "house special" Lasagna-a large portion with meaty sauce, layers of (again) expertly cooked pasta and plenty of mozzarella on top. So good! Service was perfect (spaced appropriately and just the right attentiveness) and who I assume was the owner stopped by the table twice to check on us! Will be back, time and time again! read more

Delicious!! I had the ravioli with white and pink sauce. I asked them to make it spicy and they did! It was so good! I'll definitely be back. They also have a nice patio. read more