The restaurant was easy to find and there was plenty of parking and it looked really nice. I had great expectations. The young lady who served me was very friendly. But the spaghetti was overcooked almost to the point of being inedible. And the meat sauce just didn't have much flavor. In fact, it tasted a little bit sour. I gave up after a few bites. The salad, though, was very good. read more

Located in a beautifully designed building, with a majestic stone accent entrance and both cement tall stairs and side ramp leading to two impressive large black doors with glass and ornamental iron rod details, on Riverview Drive, in Salem, Virginia, Lydia's Italian Kitchen's was named after the owner's young daughter. The interior design of this exquisite Italian restaurant is very simple and contemporary with stone accents in the host station and bar. The furniture is also light wood contemporary with light wood and black chairs. And the decor is some paintings on the walls and some framed photographs. As soon as my friend and I entered the restaurant, the host, a young lady with a big smile welcomed us and took us to one of the tables in the main dining room and gave us copies of the menu. The room had large windows all around which let the light in, as well as plain builtin ceiling lights. It also had some contemporary ceiling fans. While we were reviewing the menus, our server, Hannah, arrived and gave us a warm welcome and took our order. We both had glasses of Iced water to drink, and Chicken Parmigiana as our main entrée. This included a house salad with poppyseed dressing and a basket of garlic bread. The salad ingredients were very fresh and the homemade salad dressing was amazing. The garlic bread was soft and very tasty. And the Chicken Parmigiana was cooked to perfection with a marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese that were delicious, as well as the accompanied spaghetti and sauce. Our server came by at the appropriate times to check on us and fill our glasses with Iced water. For dessert my friend had the Salted Caramel Cheesecake and I had the Tiramisu. Both were made in house and amazingly delicious. I highly recommend this Italian restaurant. The ambiance was very elegant and comfortable at the same time, the food was amazing, and the service was excellent. read more

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Food was pretty average. Nothing very special as it was more off-brand Italian. Service was decent, as the server was nice and did her job. Food was a little bit of a wait and we were the only customers in there. The environment is soothing, with it feeling like it's true Italian, and the music is on point. Overall, nothing special or extraordinary, just a normal place to get a bite read more

Visiting from out of town and glad we found Lydia's. Delicious lunch. We both got sandwiches Host staff and wait staff were both friendly and efficient Would definitely eat here again. read more

Really nice atmosphere. We were there at the end of a night but they were very inviting. The service was great. The food was pretty mild in flavor. But it was all good. Just not great. This would be a nice place for a date. read more

Food delivery has been excellent. Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, scallops Leggero, and eggplant Parmigiana were all very good. The homemade blue cheese salad dressing is the best in town. read more

I've eaten at Lydia's several times, it's always been a great experience. The wait staff is polite and helpful and attentive. The food is simply wonderful. I recommend Lydia's I think that you will not be disappointed , simply the Best. read more

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Our food was delivered by Door Dash. The order was wrong and missing items. Lydia's manager told me I had to work it out with DoorDash and then place a new order. Lydia's should have made it right and dealt with DoorDash themselves. Instead, we were left empty handed. Plus, the food was meh. The cheese cake was about a half slice for $8!!! read more

Located close to our hotel so thought it would be good to try. Server was nice & very attentive. We ordered a Lydia's pizza to go. We ordered extra sauce,extra cheese. Took pizza back to hotel. Pizza had almost NO sauce, after ordered extra. It had pepperoni, sausage ,which were cut in disks, so not every piece had sausage on it, also 6 pieces of mushroom... BIG MISTAKE.. never eat at that restaurant again it was $25 wasted Went to Kroger & ate delli read more

I ordered a simple pepperoni pizza from Lydia's. The GrubHub delivery went smoothly. The pizza was good, not great. They were extremely skimpy on the pepperoni, two per slice for a $23 pie seams sparse. read more

The service was fantastic, the atmosphere was comfortable, and best of all the food was delicious! We went here on a whim while driving through town on a road trip and had one of the best meals we've ever had! read more

The pizza is unusual. Square, cut into 3"x3" pieces. We had the Hawaiian, and I added jalapeños to 1/2. Takeout took about 20 minutes from order to ready pizza. My wife did not care for the sauce, which was pretty sweet, I thought. The sauce, not the wife. (Well she is sweet, too). It was hot, well-cooked and had lots of ham and pineapple, although the pineapple was not especially tasty. Conveniently close to Hilton Garden Inn. I don't think we'll order here again, but it was mostly OK. read more

Lydia's Italian Kitchen - 5-seat bar - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

First trip to Lydia's and we were not impressed. They were out of a few menu items. The food was average and was not inexpensive. Our server was excellent however. The atmosphere was non existent. Bright lights made it feel like an employee cafeteria. read more

Do not order a reuben. Dried out meat too tough to chew, sandwich was dry and tasteless. Service was lacking at 1130 am. No drink refills, no sweetner for tea when requested. Could not eat this horrible lunch. Would not recommend. read more

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much before I came here but after eating their food, Lydia's has become one of my top 3 favorite restaurants in Roanoke. We started with the fried calamari and bruschetta as appetizers. The calamari was crispy, cooked perfectly, and the marinara sauce was 10/10 on the delicious scale. The bruschetta was refreshing and light. For our entrées, we got the Fettuccine Alfredo and the Ziti Alla Rosa. Let me just start by saying these sauces are out of this world delicious. I wanted to find a comforting pasta and this place delivered. It's everything I could ever want -- the pastas were creamy, cheesy, smooth, and the portion sizes were fairly large. The chicken with the fettuccine Alfredo was cooked well and had tons of flavor. The ziti was also delicious. The pink sauce went above and beyond to elevate the dish. Both pasta dishes were served with a House or Caesar salad and dense but delicious breadsticks covered in garlic and butter. We finished off the night with the chocolate lava cake. Although we didn't get the "lava" experience, the cake was decadent, rich, warm, and gooey. We were scraping the plate until the very end. If you are on the fence about this place, please let me push you over to the side of daring so you too can enjoy their delicious food. read more

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Food was just OK Think the pizza looked good but we didn't order that Just traveling through area and was a random stop read more

An expressive entrance with a dramatic door adornment, but does not follow inside. It is nice, but bland. Sadly bland does not need there. The food is good, but could use a few extra herbs. The breadsticks did not seem to have butter on them, but an oil that gave them an artificial flavor. The salad was the highlight with fresh mixed lettuce greens a a selection of several house made dressings. The staff was nice and the prices were good for the plentiful portions. read more

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Food was tasty, service was good. The Ambiance was a little weird - didn't look like your typical Italian restaurant however it was good. We would go back for sure. read more

Wonderful gluten free menu ! I had delicious GF chicken Alfredo pasta ! Hubs had antipasto and garlic bread and both were sizable portions -I guess supposed to be shared YUM ! read more

Great white pizza. Fresh Veggies. Ricotta cheese and fresh crisp bread . Awesome hot from oven and ready to eat . Very good and large portions. Leftovers for days . Reheated great . Tastes as fresh the second and third day reheating. read more

For the past couple of years when we visited this restaurant I order the Scallop Leggero, $26. The entree was always excellent and I had plenty to take home for lunch the next day. The last couple of times I have visited this entree was a smaller portion, dry and the scallops were very small. I know you can do better for the price of $26. read more

I placed an order over the phone for pickup. When I arrived at the restaurant, I noticed a more elegant entrance than I had expected. The aroma of the restaurant was amazing and I knew the food was not going to disappoint. The order was ready promptly and I took the food home. It was excellent! I would highly recommend Lydia's to anyone. I will most certainly be visiting again. read more

This place has quickly become our favorite Italian restaurant! The fettuccine Alfredo is the best I've had in Roanoke. I also love the Cheesesteak and the salads. The bread is delicious. Dressings are homemade and wonderful. Staff is very friendly and attentive. read more

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We enjoyed, nothing to write home about, though. Portions weren't very big. Prices are a bit high, but if you're craving Italian, it'll do the job. read more

Sadly, I must downgrade Lydia's following a recent visit. The service is still cheerful and efficient. However, abandon hope all ye who order lasagna! Unless this is a regional version of the popular dish, any resemblance to actual lasagna is purely coincidental. Instead of deliciously layered noodles, meat, cheese and sauce, lasagna noodles are rolled up with cheese inside (meat costs extra) and covered with tomato sauce. The noodles are tough and the sauce is acidic, which is typical of a tomato sauce that has sat on the stove for too long. My friend made the same comment about the sauce on her spaghetti. For some reason the bread sticks were tough and chewy. The salad was nice and fresh, except the bleu cheese dressing seemed to be mayonnaise with a few small bleu cheese chunks in it. Yuck. And for heaven's sake, servers, don't bring me a fresh soda before asking if I want one! This arrived at the end of the meal and ended up being wasted because I had no interest in drinking more. read more

Lydia's was the only place I would ever order spaghetti. I just loved it. But something changed in the sauce. It is so SPICY HOT I can not eat it. First time it happened, I thought it was just a bad batch but it's not. Multiple times now. So last night I knew to avoid the spaghetti, I ordered the Succulent Shrimp in Garlic with marinara sauce. Just like Steve H's review here. $21 and could not eat it. Same SPICY HOT sauce and thicker than molasses. I was expecting spaghetti in a lighter sauce....not HEAVY and THICK. And definitely not the same SPICY HOT. I'd have been better off ordering spaghetti with meatballs and save myself $8 because it was the same sauce (only they threw in 3 bits of fresh tomato). I was extremely disappointed. I didn't eat it. Even the small shrimp were ruined by the hot spice...could not taste one bit of "garlic shrimp". My partner had lasagna. He can tolerate spicy hot more than I can (he orders Vindaloo medium hot in Thai restaurants). His lasagna's sauce was spicy hot too he said. Even spicy for him. He did not like it. If sweet or tangy sauce is what you like, do not order anything with a red sauce. I did ask our server to ask the chef what changed but I didn't hear back from her. I did tell her I could not eat it and I would just take it home and partner could eat later. There was no offer to remedy the situation nor did I request it (was being polite. Wish I did in hindsight, however, server never came back to ask us how everything was). But...server knew later that I couldn't eat it Now their salads are great. Blue Cheese dressing out of this world. Lots of mixed greens. Good size. And chilled. Breadsticks which I normally don't eat because I get full on my meal, were fresh and hot....and good. I ate a few since my meal was uneatable. Decent atmosphere. We had to wait for a table. We told them we didn't mind waiting. Then they stuck the two us at a large for 5 or 6 peep round table. They did that once before and we hated it and hated it again last night. I'm not just there to eat but to enjoy the ambience and my dinner date. They should understand that if they consider themselves more than casual fast food. I'm spending a good deal of money, I'm not there to just eat. At least ask the patron if that seating arrangement is okay for you. I told her I didn't want to take up such a big table and the answer was "the manager said it's okay". We have frequented this place a lot but this was the last time we will go there. They don't understand their customer unless you outright throw it in their face. Dropping 50 bucks for 2 peeps is a lot of money for a horrible table and food I couldn't eat. Oh and by the way, it was my birthday dinner. Added later: My partner was going to eat my SPICY HOT spaghetti. It was so hot even for him that he threw it out. $21 down the drain. read more

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I went here for the first time with a friend from out of town. The calamari was very good as was the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. I was told that the spaghetti with sausage was excellent. read more

The food was very good. The staff was friendly and the waitress kept our drink glasses filled. Clean including the rest rooms. Nice and cool which was a plus on a hot day. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is the music is terrible, really bad, and too loud! read more

Lydia's Italian Kitchen - Italian Hero - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

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Enjoyed a delicious meal tonight at Lydia's. Fresh salad, gluten free garlic shrimp in tomato sauce and my husband had a build your own pasta. Fabulous! Service from Kenzie was spot on. Really lovely meal from a great local restaurant. Wished we lived closer!! read more

Great food and service! They handled our large graduation party with ease and efficiency!!

The lasagna was less than stellar. The lasagna noodles were not fully cooked, gummy and chewy. It ruined the entire dish. I have eaten at Lydia's many times and this was my first bad experience. I can't say I want to try it again after this. read more

Tisha, the Host, gives warm welcomes. Lydia's has nice dining seating options. The ambiance of Lydia's feels as if I'm away on vacation. My wife loves the Fettuccine Alfredo. My son and I love Lydia's Pizzas. read more

I have to keep a special diet, which is difficult in an Italian restaurant that is as great as this one is! The menu accommodated, my gluten-free and dairy free food intolerances, and the service was friendly and prompt. Good value for what I received, too! read more

food was good. service was a little slow. ambience was poor needs more decor. gluten free pasta was good and gluten free pizza was good and the gluten free cake was very good. read more

Such a delightful place for lunch or dinner. Amber was our waitress with spot on service. The 3 meatball appetizer was one of the best foods ever. Perfect meatballs, and the sauce! My grilled chicken salad was big and tasty. Everything coming out of the kitchen looked and smelled fantastic. We will be back! read more

Having to keep to a keto diet is often challenging, and while I ultimately decided on the antipasto salad, the staff was most delighted to work with me which is wonderful. Speaking of wonderful, that's what the antipasto salad was; a generous portion. My wife had the chicken Caesar salad and said it was perfectly grilled with a superb Caesar dressing. A nice, homey restaurant. read more

A regular "go to" for us for pizza night, or for a great Italian entree. Everything we have tried is good or better than good. The only ding is the takeout boxes are flimsy and don't travel well. I think they're meant to be "green" but they are flimsy and absorb moisture. They just aren't very appealing. Other than that 5 stars. read more

I was staying at a local hotel for business. I ordered around 3pm. I ordered lasagna and pepperoni pizza balls. I checked the box on the order to get utensils and napkins as I was in a hotel. The delivery drive dropped the order at the front desk. When I got it, it was cold. The pepperoni pizza had no pepperoni in them. The lasagna was lasagna rolls, not lasagna. I also did not receive any utensils, its kind of hard to eat lasagna rolls with no fork! I would NOT recommend this place for a delivery order!!!! read more

Food is cheap and low quality And not fresh ordered pizza and garlic balls Cheap cheese on pizza wasn't 100% Mazzarella And Jarred garlic not fresh on their garlic ballsKind of a shame all that money put into re modeling and serving low quality food never eat there again way overpriced for the quality. And all the wine rights when you walk in the too heavy of a front door. Think they spent more money on the remodel than they do on quality ingredients kind of sad. Have to go all the way to vent and to New York pizza to get good pizza or Bototout at Sal's Dont waste your time or money. read more

As someone who needs to be gluten free this place gets my vote!! I checked with three other Italian restaurants in the area. None of them accommodated gluten free or reduced gluten. Then I remembered seeing Lydia's. It was a lot closer to Roanoke than I thought, not really out of the way at all. And the staff made it totally worthwhile. They were very helpful in ordering and were well versed about GF and the ingredients used in their dishes. And the food was super great! I had an Alfredo dish and it was terrific! The noodles were perfect too. Given the quality of food and the caring staff I would recommend them wholeheartedly! read more