When I first reviewed this Downtown Roanoke Restaurant, I focused on their drinks and food. But this time around I couldn't help it to discover why this place is the center of Roanoke's night life. 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 it would be appropriate this year to go back to this restaurant and write a follow-up review, since my initial review was one of my reviews that contributed to me obtaining this highly esteemed Award. I arrived on a Thursday evening with a 6:15pm reservation which I'm glad I had made because later I found out that this place gets to be a full house on Thursdays. A young lady host greeted and welcomed me at the Host's station as soon as I arrived. She checked my reservation and had my table all ready for me. Located in the middle of this very popular Restaurant Bar, gave me a nice view of the entire place, and with a light high above I had a perfect lighting to photograph my drink and food as part of my review of the place. My server Jillian arrived soon after I was seated. She had a wonderful personality and welcomed me with a friendly smile and very pleasant attitude. After answering me some questions about their Mocktails, I ended up ordering their Raspberry Burro. For dinner I ordered their BBQ Bacon Chicken Kababs with a side of their special fries and a salad. While I was waiting for my food to arrive I observed the place quickly filling up and I found out that tonight was Music Bingo and Live Music at 9:30pm with no cover charge. It brought me back to my college days in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the night life was a thing to look forward to. Suddenly I discovered the key of Martin's popularity and the important role it plays in contributing to making the City of Roanoke a Star City indeed. I enjoyed my drink and the Chicken Kababs with the side of special fries were amazingly delicious, as well as the salad. They have a good variety of quality items on their menu and their chefs amazingly deliver. I invite you to read my first review where I celebrate their Cuban Sandwich and Slaw, and view my photographs that accompany my review. What a night. Besides the food, I enjoyed playing the Music Bingo, which one of the card titles was The 1970's. One of the best years of my life, when I attended High School in San Juan, Puerto Rico and College in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. During that time I also won a Saltwater Fishing Tournament at the young age of 17 by catching a 405 pound Blue Marlin off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. It was the best of times for me. My server Jillian provided exceptional customer service, checking on me at the appropriate times. For dessert I ordered their Glazed Doughnut Bread Pudding, and it was so good, I can't wait to return to have it again. What an extraordinary dining experience I had that night. I highly recommend this restaurant and bar for when you feel like having a good time, alone or with family and good friends. I promise you will be able to sabor what a Five Star review is all about, and experience for yourselves why Martin's is one of the City of Roanoke's most precious gems. read more

See all

I was told to check this place out while I was in town. When I arrived they had a trivia contest going on, I didn't participate but sounded like fun. The service was good. Sat at the bar and had a burger which was pretty good. read more

Great menu, very casual vibe. Be aware that you'll need to eat before 6 on weekends unless you've made reservations as they tend to fill up due to the live bands that play there every weekend. Our server was very friendly and quick to take our order and bring our food. Two of my friends ordered the French onion burgers and said they were excellent, one ordered the meatloaf and didn't care for it as they said it had a weird spice in it they didn't like. I myself only ate appetizers and the cheese curds were excellent, the Mac and cheese was ok and the truffle fries very good. It was a good experience. read more

See all

Great spot with location for live music. Great customer service, excellent food and good company. Looking forward to returning and trying more food. read more

See all

We went here to eat on a Monday night while in the area visiting family. It was PACKED! Our server was Megan and she was absolutely amazing. She was completely slammed with tables but still never missed a beat. Drinks were never empty, service was fast, and she was so incredibly sweet and gave us a wonderful, personalized experience even though I'm sure she was stressed with how busy she was. The food was great, too. We got the bbq platter for two (not currently listed on the menu, but they were still able to make it happen - and Megan accommodated our requested substitutions like a champ). It's not often that we get a large platter of food and can honestly say that everything on it was AMAZING. The meat was tender, flavorful, and juicy. Everything, even down to the broccoli (a substitution), was delicious. I cannot recommend this place enough. We will definitely be back whenever we are in town again, and we will definitely be requesting Megan. read more

This establishment is located in the city of Roanoke, in Southwest Virginia. It is located directly in the downtown area. Martin's is a bar/restaurant which features food, mainly American food, and live music. In my opinion, it is the best bar/restaurant in the downtown area. It is easily accessible by the I-581 highway, which runs in a north-south direction through the Roanoke area. There is some street parking directly outside the club, as well as some parking garages that are located in the downtown area. Inside the club, there is a large dining area as well as a small stage. read more

Loved the staff and drink selections. I love that they had gluten free options such as Happy Dad Hard Seltzer! read more

Martin's Downtown - Great selection of Happy Dad and delicious food! - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Lots of good choices! They catered my wedding and did a fantastic job, I was so impressed. Very professional and made everything very easy for me. read more

DoorDash order. Review to follow.. Tennessee whiskey salmon was definitely 'the Bomb', even though not entirely fresh since delivery. The potato salad, to my taste, could have used a bit more mustard, and the coleslaw a little more creaminess. read more

Martin's Downtown - Tennessee Whiskey Salmon, Deviled Egg Potato Salad, Cole Slaw - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

The food is super overpriced and super bland. Mixed drinks are overpriced and watered down. Beer is also overpriced. Food wasn't bad but for how expensive it was it sucked. $19 entrees that taste like $8 entrees. Service wasn't bad but wasn't good. Ambiance is ok read more

Fried chicken mac-n-cheese is delicious! My wife brought it home from a luncheon, I reheated it and devoured it all!

Food was good, drinks were cold, staff was fun, and bad was great! Our waitress was the best very good personality!

Not sure how the food would've been because as we sat there waiting to order all we could hear is some lunatic screaming at somebody in the kitchen. I never heard abusive words coming out of somebody's mouth as I did that night. I asked the waitress what was up when she came to take our order and her reply was that it was Brandon and he always has a whipping post and it's some new kid tonite. Not sure who Brandon is, but thanks to him there's a handful of customers that won't be returning. Word of advice for the future. If you have to scream at somebody in that manner, you deserve the stroke you're about to give yourself and better answer would be to respectfully excuse the employee from their duties and replace them. I hope whoever that was sues you. The food doesn't matter when that's the atmosphere you provide. We never bothered ordering. read more

Waitress was great. The place was clean. The food came fast and was really good. Probably best cheese curds I ever had. The wings were good, but not spicy which is a bit of a bummer. Overall not a bad place to have a few drinks and wings. read more

Martin's Downtown - Hot honey and blackberry habenero wings with cheese curds. - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

I love this place and the food is great but.... Sometimes it's too loud-great crowns and my friends and family also love the place

Always a good vibe with great service drinks and food. I loved that they had Sauvignon Blanc. My hamburger was so good as always. I don't live in Roanoke anymore but when I visit I always make time for Martin's . read more

Just a solid local establishment. A bar with live music. Decent service, solid bar food. The burgers snd ribs are all good stuff. Not sure abiut the vegetarian options though. read more

Martin's Downtown - Korean Korean Sticky Ribs - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

because they have Raven behind the bar, true story The halftime show 'vocalists' may suck and you may have to push a couple frat boys off you to stand at your table/bar space/anywhere but truly, Raven and her bartender friends win this experience Band was 50:50 on playing hits well that are 50% older than them. Keep Rebel hard coffee on rotation; please! read more

Martin's Downtown - three glasses of iced coffee - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

See all

So this happened back in August on my birthday. I rarely get dressed up but went out by myself, went and had dinner then went to Martin's. There was a guy there who was being a little much, and I can't even believe how the bartenders handled the situation. With class, smoothly, and swiftly. I have never felt so safe at a bar in my entire life as a woman. I had the absolute greatest birthday, and a huge part of that is just being able to be myself and feel comfortable in this space. While it should be the standard, it often isn't and this place is a shining example of how to enforce healthy boundaries while having a great time. Great spot, great music, great food- but if you're a woman who likes to take yourself out on dates just know this is a safe space you can have fun in without a care in the world. The staff is AWESOME, fun, professional. The people who go there are great. I walked away just freaking blown away by the experience I had and just had to share that. We should all be able to go out and have fun whether in a group or solo, and they made my birthday really special for me. AWESOME. Truly awesome. I love you guys. You're my best friends forever now. 5 stars, gold medal, trophy. read more

Long wait time they need to attend dashers more very unhappy will not be picking up here again

Wanted a casual restaurant with a variety of choices and Martin's delivered. Service was excellent and my burger hit the spot.

The location is perfect to eat and walk off a bit of dinner. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced. The eggrolls and Korean rib appetizers were perfect. We were all fighting for the last one. The burgers were cooked perfectly, and are server was quick and kind. Crystal did an amazing job keeping up with our table of 5. Highly suggest this for locals and travelers. read more

Cheap burger special and great draft beer. Service is usually pretty good My only complaint is that the drink specials end before the band goes on, so the place usually clears out before the music starts. Which is a real shame, as I have seen some good bands here. read more

Martin's Downtown - Philly special burger and pasta salad - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

See all

Great spot for food and drink! My wife and I were on our anniversary trip and looked up a spot for dinner. Martin's did not disappoint! First off the bouncers were great. We happened to walk in as a band was getting ready to play. We only wanted to eat so the guys did not charge us a cover to just come in and eat. Second the manager was incredibly helpful bringing out our drinks and food to help out our waitress while she was busy. The food was also delicious. I had a burger and substituted the bison in place of the ground beef and it was full of flavor. I highly recommend checking out Martin's when you are in Roanoke! read more

Martin's Downtown - Anniversary trip stop at Martin's! - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

I love the Live Music they have here & the people working are always super friendly. The bartender with a couple diamond rings took care of us VERY WELL -- while original one who served us never checked up on us once after she took our order. We initially came here after dinner for a drink & some vibes. We got some appetizers that was also VERY good. Id come back for sure. They only have live music every other day in the week, so I'd call em and check if you're coming here specifically for the live music. read more

Great atmosphere, friendly staff. The music was fun and funky. The menu items were delicious, favorites being the Garcia Margarita and the Soul Rolls! Highly recommend! read more

Service is always great. Music bingo nights are fabulous! If you order one thing it HAS TO BE the old school cheese fries. They're INSANE. Have been coming here for 4 years just to get them!!!! Beer choices are good. Lots of food options for pickier eaters or bigger crowds. read more

Came in late to Roanoke and didn't know where we could catch a bite to eat I found this restaurant on grubhub and after reading the good reviews and only having less that 25 minutes to order we ordered a chicken salad , wings and fries Our order came and it did not disappoint The salad was fresh , the wings were crispy and had the right amount of sauce on it and the curler fries were not what I expected when I ordered fries, however I did enjoy them I am glad we found this restaurant and that the meal was enjoyable read more

See all

Hands down the best place in town to get Mac & cheese. They make it consistently the same way every single time and the people are always nice and the service is always fast. I always intend to make a good photo of this mac & cheese but I can't help myself with being in the minute I see it read more

Martin's Downtown - Cajun mac & cheese - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Fun place. Staff is amazing. Food very very good. Drinks even better. Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ...............

We don't get to Roanoke more than twice a month from Smith Mountain Lake. Normally it's for doctors or the big box stores so going out to lunch is a big deal. This week was Restaurant week in Roanoke, so we wanted to take advantage of trying a new spot. We enjoy and know good food. I had the fish and chips my wife had the open face Prime Rib sandwich and a side salad, The food was excellent and the service good. Worth stopping in for lunch will try dinner later this year... read more

Really good food. Maybe a little pricey, but you get good sized portions. I didnt get a drink but their cocktail menu looked really good.

Great spot to take anyone! Great options and service. Great for sports fans and beer drinkers.

What a great experience! Excellent drink selection, fantastic food and entertainment! Trivia night on Tuesday is a blast, and they have a band playing right after! The gentleman (Mr Canada, i'm ashamed to say I forgot his first name) behind the bar was top notch! The entertainment was great, but it's the quality of his service that will get me to return! Ps: I love that it's family owned! I don't support corporate restaurants, I prefer locally owned! And this is my new favorite place! Well done! The owners should be very proud of their staff. read more

Wish I would've gone to Chick-fil-A or McDonalds over this. If you're going out to buy drinks or looking for a good time come here, but if you're just trying to get food don't. The wings were average & the overpriced Mac & cheese dish was underwhelming. It took me ages to even get the bartender's attention in order to pay because she was too busy socializing. They should close the kitchen and just hand out nuts with the drinks. Side note- I came here during COVID. The place was packed (no tables) and no one was wearing masks except for the employees. I'm from a major city so maybe these people haven't been impacted from the virus as hard, but they really should not have bars crammed with people open. read more

See all

Hubby and I were looking for something to do Saturday night since we were staying in the area. I don't know if Roanoke has a nightlife scene or what but this seemed as close as we were gonna get (it being Covid/middle of winter and all). I was actually pleasantly surprised. They had a band playing and no cover charge. The band was alright but we were mostly there just to enjoy our drinks. We sat at the bar and the bartenders were really friendly and attentive. We mostly just ordered drinks but we did try their Tijuana Street Fries. Ehhh. It wasn't the greatest but I mean it's bar food so I wasn't expecting 5 stars. The carnitas and guac definitely lacked flavor but the fries with the corn was better. Overall it was chill vibe, nothing too crazy. Would go back if I'm ever in the area again. read more

Martin's Downtown - a crowd of people at a bar - Sports Bars Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Finished the night here on Friday celebrating the fantastic day we had. Fiancé got a new job and we scored a sick deal on a house rental so we decided to go out. Well we had no intention to stay out all night but we were having such a good time that well we ended up leaving after 2 am lol. Live music. Good vibes. Service was fast and super cheerful. Food we got was on point very high quality and tasty. Really enjoyed the cheese fries which I am not usually into them but the girl wanted em. They were definitely thick steak fryish thick but with a nice crisp and super fluffy interior. I definitely got trashed drinking several of the cherry coke drink on the cocktail list. Stiff enough and easy going down! The girl got the jalapeño pineapple mule thing. It was good. I tried it. The jalapeños was very mild. I could see some people saying it was a little too mild but I'm not into spicy drinks so I'd say it was on point for someone like me who isn't much of a pepper fiend. Definitely my wallet took a hit there. I felt like death when I started the next morning at the Texas tavern which if you know you know..... definitely had a great time so much so I lost track of the time. Pretty great spot will most definitely be back with more frequency as I'm moving into the city from out in the county and will be able to walk here as living out in the sticks which renders it irresponsible to hang out and get my drink on. read more

stopped in while traveling through va for live music and dinner and martins downtown brought both! fun friendly atmosphere with some of the most delicious bar food ever! drinks had a heavy pour and food was hot, fast and delicious. service was prompt , courteous and helpful with the menu. ask for tavia, she was fabulous! read more

Always a great experience when we visit, Brittany M. is the best server!!! She checks in frequently and is so friendly. Food is great and trivia is a good time read more

Not a bad place if you like music often! Not always great but good drinks and mixed age group. It's worth stopping in and checking out. Cheers read more