It is said that valuable things come in small boxes, but never in my wildest imagination did I…read moreconceive of a place like Stellina. 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 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 Stellina, in Downtown Roanoke, is a perfect example. Stellina (which means "Little Star" in Italian) is a secretly hidden little bar within the very popular Italian Restaurant Fortunato, but with its own entrance through a door on the right of the restaurant. Its only indication of its name is a small letter board behind one of its front windows, stating its name and hours of operation. This bar was constructed with reclaimed wood from the Old Crow distillery and opened in December of 2016. Since then its gain a reputation as the ideal spot for hand-crafted cocktails in a cozy and intimate atmosphere. It seats only about 20 people, with 7 at the bar. Not that long ago it gained recognition by being featured in the New York Post as one of the world's best small bars. All that I can tell you about this place doesn't do justice to the experience of visiting the place for the very first time. After stepping inside, I was mesmerized by the simple yet effective, elegance of the establishment, complimented by the beautifully dressed young lady, server/bartender. Her elegant style and mysterious personality contributed to the character and ambiance of this one-of-a-kind relaxing place. The very hospitable young lady welcomed me and handed me the drink menu, while asking me if I also planned to dine there. I answered in the affirmative and asked her if they had any Mocktails. To my surprise, she pointed out that one side of the Drinks Menu were all non-alcoholic drinks, including mocktails, bottled mocktails, wine by the glass, and beers. I ordered one of the mocktails and by the end of my meal, I think I must have tried a few. She then brought me Fortunato's menu, and I ordered the Fritto Misto as appetizer and the Pork Milanese as my main entrée. I enjoyed both course immensely. A lady employee brought me the food from Fortunato's Restaurant through a door that led to the restroom area of Fortunato's Restaurant, pass the kitchen. For dessert, that Which I consider the "Grand Finale" of a wonderful fine dining experience, I ordered their Tiramisu and Hot Chocolate. They were absolutely mouthwatering. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to return in the near future.

Tried to get reservations at Fortuna, but could not. Stellina offers their menu and is right beside…read morethem. Stellina is small and on a Friday they were packed in. Scored at the bar which worked fine for me. Service was lukewarm, but still ok. Service started out slow and improved. However, no check-ins were performed at all. I was given a cocktail and food menu. I knew I wanted an Old Fashioned and dropped an order for their lamb meatballs. Shortly after I decided on the eggplant Parmesan main. My drink with Rittenhouse Rye bourbon was tasty, just not much of it price at $17 steep too! I also ordered a specialty hot rum drink with pumpkin spice at $10 that was amazing! The meatballs hit quickly and were devoured! So yummy! About 15 minutes later the main dropped and was huge! Really quality and flavorful for a vegetarian dish. Overall the food was better than the service and prices were stretched. 3.5 rounding down due to service.

Sometimes in the smallest of places one finds the most exquisite food and the most precious of…read moredining experiences. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also 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 Brood Restaurant and Bar in the heart of Salem, Virginia is a perfect example. Hidden in a small but cozy spot with a small but beautiful bar of only a few chairs, off East Main Street in Salem, Virginia, is one of my favorites fine dining restaurants: Brood Restaurant & Bar. The name means: "the children of a family," or "the chicks of a hen." It is meant to describe a warm place where people gather and feel just like in the best of homes: safe, cared for with unconditional love, and well fed with food that is made from the heart. A simple wood framed glass door with the restaurant's name written on it in capital letters with a classical font, is all one sees from the outside. But once you open the door and enter you encounter a space with lots of character coming from an exposed red brick wall and lovely dark wood hardwood floors. The furniture is elegant but comfortable. And the people treat you like if you were right at home; practically one of the family. On this occasion I arrived 15 minutes early to my five o'clock reservation time, yet I was greeted and received with open arms by a hospitable gentleman who seemed to be the bartender but with the distinction of the manager of the place. I was taken to my table in a perfect location in the wall facing the middle of the restaurant. The bartender prepared me a Guason Mocktail that all I can say is that it tasted devine. To dine I ordered their Sea Scallops appetizer with a roasted garlic emulsion and a bacon and fried onion crumb. Followed by an Arugula Salad. And the main entrée being the Steak and Frites. Everything was amazingly delicious and served in the appropriate timing. The scallops tasted out of this world in its unique sauce. The salad was wonderful. And the steak, an 8oz CAB Manhattan cut New York Strip cooked medium-rare and served with vaudouvan compound butter was one of the tastiest steaks of this nature that I have ever had, along with some fries with a cut that brought out the best of them. My server and bartender visited my table at the right times to see that everything was to my satisfaction and see if I needed anything and when he was busy made sure to send one of the other servers who all worked very efficiently as a team. Even at the end of my meal when the restaurant was almost completely full. For dessert which I consider the "Grand Finale" of a great meal, I had their Belgian Waffle Bread Pudding. It was amazing. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality food. Needless to say I highly recommend this restaurant which has become one of my favorites for its delightful ambiance, exquisite food, and excellent customer service, together leading towards an extraordinary dining experience.

Love their food first off. The staff there can guide you if you don't know what to order off that…read moredelicious menu they have to offer. It is beautiful in there and presentation is presenting. Service is better than the A-1 sauce in my fridge & so is their sauces Their food is better than a lot of other restaurants in the area as well. Remember this is locally owned so that says a lot. You'd be a little bit silly if you choose another restaurant ... can't lie lol especially if you're a food explorer! Their delicious desserts BTW goodness I ate like three different plates

Today was my first time eating at this restaurant and although I love their Downtown Roanoke…read morelocation one, and have giving it 5 Star reviews, this one I feel deserves only 2 Stars at best and that's giving it too many because I feel it's one of the worst Seafood restaurants I've ever eaten at. From the time I arrived at their parking lot that where I parked was not even paved but full of rocks and dirt, I started questioning in my mind, how would it be inside. When I entered through their back door, it was their bar area and some high tables and chairs for people to eat in that area, but I didn't see anyone to greet you nor a sign to say "Seat Yourself." So I kept walking forward. There were a couple of pool tables along the way with customers playing pool. When I reached up front, the Host wasn't at the Host station but as I waited there standing up, one of the servers came by, greeted me, and took me to one of the booths. She handed me a copy of the menu which you could tell were run down around the edges. Only the Summer Food Specials one was in good condition. To drink I ordered a Sweet Iced Tea. It tasted watered down and had no lemon slice in it. Yet the server was so nice that I felt sorry for her because she had nothing to do with the quality of the drinks nor the food prepared there. The ambiance of the place was Ok, but not as nice as the one in Downtown Roanoke. I didn't like that other than the booths all their tables and chairs were the high kind. Another thing, my favorite item in their Downtown Roanoke restaurant menu was not even in their menu here. I invite you to read and view my photographs and video of their Downtown Roanoke restaurant to see the difference. For food I ended up ordering the Piggyback Scallops (bacon wrapped Scallops) and as the main course, their Seafood Platter with fried Jumbo Golf Shrimps and Cod Fillet, with rice pilaf and onion rings as side, and it also came with two Hushpuppies. My server goes back to put the order and next time I see her she is bringing me my main course and forgetting about my appetizer. When I mentioned it to her she tells me she'll go put the order in now. To be brief the Cod Fish was the only item that looked and tasted fresh. The shrimps where somewhat soggy, the onion rings looked awful, the rice pilaf was lukewarm and the Hushpuppies were burnt outside and raw inside. The scallops didn't taste fresh wrapped in mostly raw bacon. I asked for tater tots as a replacement for the onion rings, and even them were not cooked well. And if this wasn't enough, my Keylime Pie I ordered was not fresh. It was mushy like if it had been left out for a while. I invite you to view my photographs because a picture is work a thousand words. After I paid and was leaving and walked by the kitchen I glanced in and it didn't look that clean to put it nicely. Then when I went to the restroom to wash my hands it was also not very clean. I felt I wasted my money there and wouldn't recommend this restaurant nor plan to return.

Christina took great care of us until her shift was done. She didn't even rush us to tab out with…read moreher, we had to ask so we could tip her out. Originally went to Macado's in Salem and it was unbearably warm. Only had national brands on tap. Schooners weren't cold. Came here because it smelled like someone shit in the front of All Sports. Glad we came here next! Everything is clean. AC and fans running. Patrons and staff are fun and bubbly. We were immediately offered a food menu and I regret we never got hungry enough to use them. The music is upbeat and fun. The beer, liquor, Red Bull and food selection is massive and all encompassing. If you can't find exactly what you want here, there's a problem.

Great spot for drinks. Everyone was super friendly and the atmosphere was very welcoming.read more

Legends is back to karaoke and dance music and great times lot of great memories here!!read more

There's a reason they built a parking garage in Vinton…read more.. Live music. Best burger in Roanoke. Fun and clean. Hoping the Town of Vinton will allow table games and sports betting soon.

Stop letting people bring there dogs in with them. Nobody wants to deal with other people dogs…read morewhile they are playing. I get that you are not doing good business and trying to get anyone through the door but letting people bring there pet is too far especially for people with allergies to pet dander.

When I first reviewed this Downtown Roanoke Restaurant, I focused on their drinks and food. But…read morethis 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.

I was told to check this place out while I was in town. When I arrived they had a trivia contest…read moregoing 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.

It was a great time with the guys. Line dancing karaoke and line dancing. The food here is good as…read morewell would recommend

I love coming to sidewinders to dance! The food is delicious especially the Sidewinder fries!read more