I can't find the words to begin to describe my dining experience at this Italian restaurant. It is one of those very unique restaurants that far exceeds the highest of your expectations. 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 Sal's Italian Restaurant in the Bonsack area of Roanoke, Virginia is a perfect example. Located at the Kroger Bonsack Shopping Center, it sits just off US-460/Orange Ave East, in the northeastern part of the Roanoke Valley. Locally-owned and operated by the Scotto family, who originally came from Italy, this unasuming yet award-winning restaurant serves authentic, homemade Italian food in a warm, family-friendly entertainment, offering dine-in, dine-out (in its beautiful outdoor patio), take-out, and catering services. After arriving and parking my pearl white Lexus in their very convenient parking lot, I walked over to the restaurant which had colorful balloons near the entrance with a sidewalk blackboard announcing its Sit Down Buffet (Mon - Fri), all you can eat from a group of items, brought to your table. All for $14.99. I've always dreamed of having a buffet where you wouldn't have to get up, and here they had it. Once inside, they had a small foyer/waiting room, with the walls filled with framed Award Certificates, together with magazine and newspaper articles about the restaurant, its genuine food, and its local family ownership. As I entered through another door to the restaurant itself, one of the sons of the founder of the restaurant (who passed away on July 3rd, nine years ago) gave me a warm greeting, took me to one of the booths, and placed copies of the menu on the table. The background music gave the place a festive ambiance together with the oak hardwood floor and well lit dining room. Soon after, my server Ashley arrived with a friendly smile, to take my order. To drink I ordered an Iced Rootbeer. And to dine, I started out with a Fried Calamari appetizer; followed by a house salad, Italian garlic bread, and as the main entrée their Homemade Meat Lasagna. The fried Calamari was lightly breaded and fried so you could actually taste the fresh Calamari after dipping it in the mild marinara sauce. One of the best I've ever had! The house salad was good but only had one cherry tomato and one slice of cucumber. The tomato based salad dressing was amazing. Their Italian Garlic Bread tasted wonderful. And their Homemade Lasagna was truly one of the best if not the best I've ever had. The pasta was freshly made. The ground beef was perfectly seasoned. The tomato sauce was just the right flavor. And the cheese which covered it helped make it amazingly delicious, like none that I ever had before! My server served all the items at the appropriate time and provided drink refills every time my drink was low. For dessert, the "Grand Finale" of my meal, my server brought a large round tray, with all the desserts so I could visually see them as she described them. I picked the Chocolate Bomba: a vanilla and chocolate premium ice cream ball with a cherry inside and surrounded by a chocolate shell. It was really something extraordinary and sweet. But what was greatest of all was the human touch by this family-owned restaurant. The wife of the late founder of the restaurant as well as her other son and chef made it a point to come to my table to say hi, introduce themselves, and have a short but meaningful conversation. I highly recommend this restaurant where I had an extraordinary dining experience and am already looking forward to returning to taste some other amazing items from their menu. read more

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DW and I went in for dinner on a Friday night around 1830. After waiting for a table for half an hour or so we were seated. Clearly they were busy, think it's a popular local dinner spot. We ordered from a comprehensive menu organized by its protein inclusion. Meal was fine, garlic knots were a bit disappointing. Our plan is to go back on a calmer night. read more

Excellent. Best eggplant parmigiana ever!!! Had some great wine too! They were able to take care of our party of thirteen multiple generations with grace!!! Highly recommend!!! read more

We had a delicious dinner with garlic knots. The chicken Marsala was thin and so tender. The service was excellent and friendly.

Great place the servers were very friendly and food was excellent. Really the only complaint is the salad portion. There was literally one single slice of cucumber and one cherry tomato. SMH read more

Sal's Italian Restaurant - The food was delicious. The salad was lacking. - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

One of the best Italian food restaurants in the area!!! If you are ever close by it's worth checking out.

We're so happy with our first experience here! The pizza was fantastic, and the calamari was incredibly tender and fresh -- you can tell it's breaded in-house. Excellent job! It's refreshing to see a true family-owned and operated restaurant where you can feel the heart in everything they do. From the tablecloths and linen napkins to the two forks and real cheese (none of that fake stuff so many places use these days), everything was beautifully presented. The prices were very reasonable, too. Our XL pizza had eight giant slices -- one was plenty for me, and three for my sweetie, so we'll enjoy the leftovers this week! The dessert tray looked delightful, but we were already full this time. We'll definitely be back soon to indulge in dessert. Everything was plated attractively and looked as appetizing as it tasted. read more

Sal's Italian Restaurant - Dessert tray - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Dine in experience was great but the take out was disappointing. Ordered pizza on 3 different occasions. Each one had overcooked crust. The overcooked crust overwhelmed the sauce and toppings. I would recommend trying dine in at this restaurant. The staff were nice and courteous. The building was clean and well decorated. More to be desired with take out orders. read more

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Visited this spot for the first time for dinner, The staff was incredibly organized and professional. They have a solid menu variety--I highly recommend the traditional lasagna if you like pasta. ​The vibe here is great: clean, inviting, and it smells amazing the second you walk in. It's a very welcoming environment that isn't too loud or "over-the-top." Whether you're looking for a casual lunch or a nice dinner, this is the place. A huge thank you to the cooks and servers for the hard work--it was well worth the tip. Definitely check them out! read more

My wife and tried this for place a few times years ago and wasn't impressed. We figured we'd give the another shot and same results. My Fettuccine Alfredo takes like milk pasta and my wife's Chicken Carbonara tastes like oil. We've had better experiences at other Italian restaurants across town. We will not be returning to the place. read more

Sal's Italian Restaurant - Fettucine Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

I was waiting on an oil change and my children started to get hungry and restless so we walked over to Sal's for lunch. I was pushing a large stroller so I requested to be seated outside as to not have to lug the stroller inside and the staff very warmly obliged this request. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and went over and beyond to make for an excellent dining experience. We were served free garlic knots with ample garlic and quality olive oil. The salad was fresh and the house Italian dressing was delicious. They make several of their own dressings in house. We ordered a Medium cheese pizza and it seemed much bigger than described on the menu. The server was very attentive and kind. The food was excellent especially for the price, which ended up being less than $20. We are not over on that side of town often but will be stopping by when we are. Do patronize this establishment, you will not be disappointed. read more

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I went in for lunch. They have an all you can eat special or you can order off of the menu. I got the chicken parm dish with angel hair. It was a good lunch portion. The canoli is wondeful@ I did talk with the owners who are very nice guys. read more

My wife and I found Sal's when she had a craving for Italian food. It's a little place that you could easily overlook in a small mall but missing it would be a shame. Anyone who's eaten in an old-style Brooklyn Italian resaturant will feel at home here. They make a red sauce that's old world delicious. The staff is very friendly and menu is varied enough that if you can't find something you like, you're just not hungry. The owner, Josephine, was happy to tell her story about moving from Brooklyn and bringing her passion for good food with her. The staff was down-to-earth and happy to help. The prices were very reasonable and the portions were quite large. Next time we're in Roanoke, we'll definitely eat there again. read more

As someone who grew up when red sauce Italian restaurants were everywhere, it's becoming increasingly rare to find these places, where Italian comfort food prevails. I'm talking lasagna, parm dishes, basic salads with house dressing, meatballs. If you know, you know. Sal's fits that category well. Kind of easy to miss heading out of Roanoke, but glad we made the effort to find it in a shopping center complex. Our meals were great, service was outstanding, and the wine on special, a house red, was great. If you are like me and miss these places that were once staples of local dining, give Sal's a try. read more

We went for an early supper on a Saturday evening. I arrived first and was greeted by a very unhappy looking woman who didn't get any less dour as the evening wore on. A server set me up quickly with a table for 7 and I thought I might enjoy a Campari and soda as an aperitif while I waited for the rest of the family. This Italian restaurant doesn't have Campari... I asked for a vermouth on the rocks instead, Cinzano or Martini and Rossi, you know, the famous Italian vermouths. Sour woman came and told me they don't have these sorts of things, "Here is our wine list." I had a beer instead. So already I sound snobby, but they are an **Italian** restaurant. Reading the menu, I started cringing with episodes of Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares in my head. The menu leans heavily, heavily, on pizza, pasta, and sauces. Italian food is so much more. Most entrees come with a salad that is Olive Garden-esque and poorly presented, languishing in the bottom of a cereal bowl. Apparently once a restaurant gets off on the wrong foot with me, I'm not very forgiving. I apologise, but I'm also not exaggerating my disappointment. One child wanted the kid's cheese ravioli plate with alfredo sauce instead of marinara. The cheese ravioli is $6.99; there is an alfredo pasta dish on the child's menu for $7.99; the ravioli with the Alfredo sauce substitution was $11.99. Make of that what you will. I got a small (10") cheese pizza. It was larger than 10" and heavier on the sauce than the cheese, which made the center too soggy to be able to pick up a slice and eat it (the tip flopped down so that I couldn't put it in my mouth). I tried to eat it with a knife and fork, but the knife would cut through all but the very bottom of the crust. Sawing back and forth I was burning more calories than I ate. Finally, I flipped the tip over the top of the slice toward the crusty rim, picked it up and ate it that way. My niece was unable to cut into her Stromboli and ended up tearing it in half and eating it like a hand pie. The crust tasted nice but requires a steak knife to eat. Clearly other people have different expectations of a restaurant (I'm looking at you, Ms Dour) and Italian ones in particular because Sal's is popular and there was a line waiting for tables. So take my review with a grain of salt and dine at your own risk. Shout out to Ari!! Ari was a new server when we ate there. We presented her with four adult women, all chatting our heads off, a middle-schooler, and two toddlers. She did awesomely and was tipped accordingly. read more

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Went for a birthday party dinner on a Friday night and had reservations. Table was ready when we arrived and the waiter and staff were super friendly and attentive. The starter salad was a little skimpy, but the Lobster Ravioli is great! No complaints on anyone's food and everyone enjoyed it. Will definitely go back and try another dish! read more

We live close by and I've been here many a day. Pizzas are awesome. So are Stromboli's. Tonight was a special night and we ordered a nice bottle of wine - red blend Patamar. It was every bit of 5 stars. I ordered the sea bass special with crab meat and shrimp. Excellent. In a light white wine sauce - yummy. My husband had a very delicious and succulent red spicy arrabiatta sauce with calamari. The garlic knots were amazing as usual. I have never had a bad meal here and give it 5 stars each visit ! Mangia! read more

Great little restaurant, nice atmosphere, don't stay for the pizza though, it's the PASTA that really checks all the boxes, and the staff were fantastic, always keeping the glasses filled. Great Birthday Dinner. read more

We got a few appetizers: caprese, stuffed mushrooms and garlic knots. The only appetizer that is worth it is the garlic knots. The caprese doesn't say it comes with balsamic vinegar on top but it does and it's thick and not delicious. I prefer my caprese without it so if you don't like balsamic vinegar make sure to request it without it. The tomatoes weren't super red either. I would not order it again if we ever came back. The stuffed mushrooms were like $6 and you got 5 of them... really? That's it? I was thinking like a basket or something but nope. I would not order those again either. If you want a side of alfredo to dip your bread it it's $5 for a tiny ramekin, not a bowl. You are probably better off getting a kids meal hold the pasta for $7 if you want alfredo to dip your bread into. My alfredo with penne was good but my husband didn't even eat his chicken Fresca because it was too bitter/wine tasting. I tried it and did not like it. He basically took two bites and couldn't eat anymore. We were sat by the side door that leads out onto the patio, we asked if we could sit outside and I guess the extra 6-10 ft they would have had to walk was too far because they weren't seating anyone outside anymore. Instead it was legit freezing and cold. The ac was blowing straight at us at 66 degrees. The people at the table next to us thought it was cold too but they were not as cold as us since it went over their head and shot directly at us. I mentioned this when we were checking out and the lady at the register just shrugged and was like what can you do? I was like I dunno turn the air down a little so we don't freeze? Overall the food was ok but the ambiance was not good enough to really want to come back. And apparently the card for William Byrd my husband's cousin had just expired so we didn't even get the 10% off even though he had the new one at home and didn't realize it expired 8/31 and he needed to put the new one in his wallet for 9/1. Watch out for those expiration dates and ask to sit away from the ac unit if you don't want your food to get cold and your children and yourself to freeze if you do decide to go here. read more

The food was absolutely amazing! Both my girlfriend and I enjoyed what we ordered. I ordered the Pasta Alla Pic Poc and it was 10/10. The garlic knots were also 10/10, homemade and just great. The service was also awesome, our waiter was nice and quick. Loved it he ambiance and music. 5/5. read more

Food was generally good and was busy. Pasta was a bit over cooked for one dish. And the creme brulee was not fully bruleed (just the center was caramel color) but the custard was perfect texture. The mussels were a tad salty, but I'm sure for majority of people it would be fine. I would eat it again. I'd go back and try other dishes, a few seemed interesting and I had hard time deciding on main dish. read more

Always enjoy eating at Sals becuase it's rustic old Italian the way you see it in NY and NJ

Service for lunch was great. Food was amazing!!! Owner came around checking to make sure everything was good and ok. Each one in the party thought their food was great so im mot exaggerating. Temperature was good and tasted like it was fresh. I think a small side salad should be added to the meals and we never got the bread and butter that was listed with the selections we got. But then found out the owner switched our selections from dinner to the lunch portions. And this was plenty of food regardless. I still give it a 5 star because none of us were bothered by the slight change and the food out did that. read more

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Amazing real pizza! We love the garlic knots too! It is the best authentic Italian restaurant in Roanoke.

Great salad Not great pizza, sauce had too much garlic, not a great crust just my opinion.....not worth the money .....Dominos is close to Sals just FYI read more

Stopped here on a whim in passing as we were looking for a place to eat. Atmosphere was nice & italianesque despite being in a shopping plaza. It was fairly busy on a Sunday afternoon but we were immediately seated & waited on. I ordered a Greek salad for my meal. At $13 I expected something more substantial. I thought it was a pretty sparse salad. Mostly iceberg lettuce with a few small black olives, a few crumbles of cheese & onions. I thought maybe we would get a side of bread or something for $13 but that was it. Just the salad. It was more the size of a side salad. They didn't have Greek dressing so I got Italian dressing. Overall, it didn't seem much like a Greek salad & I walked out still hungry. Our waiter didn't check back with us at all during our meal. Not sure that I'll go back. If I do, I'll try something else I don't recommend getting the Greek salad as your meal. read more

Absolutely loved this place! The portions are great and the food was delicious. Definitely an excellent Italian restaurant..the server was wonderful as well. read more

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I just finished eating here and let me tell you. I was the only person on the patio and my server made sure everything was okay and my drink was filled at all times. I got the bruschetta pizza and thought it was great, the tomato sauce and great flavor and the Doug was cooked to perfection. I highly recommend this spot to anyone in town looking for a small business to eat at. read more

Sal's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

We're from outta town and checked out reviews for Italian Restaurants in Roanoke. This place is family owned and had decent reviews so we ordered takeout. It was great! We had pasta with meat sauce and meatballs. The sauce was slightly sweet and very tasty. The meatballs were perfect. The guy at the front desk, he was one of the owners, I think, was very nice and actually interested in where I was from. We had a good conversation! We also ordered dessert. My wife had lemon blueberry cake and described it as 'the perfect finish'! I also wanted lemon blueberry cake but, alas, she got the last piece. DRAT!! I settled for a chocolate cannoli, which was way, WAY better than the lemon blueberry cake(don't tell my wife). I may just move to Roanoke so I can eat here more than once a year! read more

May 18, they catered my wedding they delivered on time. The food was piping hot. The food was excellent. I will definitely have them other parties. We were very happy with them. and you will be also read more

We took a pizza and salad home. Pizza dough was ok but the sauce was pretty bland. Don't waste your money on a salad here. They're using Aldis or somebody's REALLY cheap lousy bag salad. SO disappointed when we opened it up at home. Plus we ordered the homemade Italian dressing and they gave us ranch. The pros: clean place. Friendly staff. Generous wine pours and affordable wine by the bottle to go. Honestly if this place was in an area with some competition I'd only give it two stars but it's just ok for around here. read more

Amazing service, atmosphere and food, especially the baked penne and pasta vesuvio. Make sure you try the mozzarella sticks and garlic knots! read more

Everything was fabulous . We had a party of 15 and every person loved there food even the 3 kids!

This is a decent Italian restaurant. The decor and the service are both very pleasant. I'm afraid that, aside from the delicious garlic knots, the food didn't really blow my skirts up. The salad was the packaged variety, with an uninspired house dressing. I had the tortellini alla pic pac, and I could be mistaken, but the pasta was identical to the frozen kind you buy at Kroger. The tomato and cheese sauce was fine, but not memorable. However, others at my table who ordered the cheese steaks were delighted with them. The good news is for a reasonable price, you get a lot of food. What I took home was plenty for dinner when reheated. Bathroom report: The ladies' room is a "one-seater", but large and with tile that matches the dining room. Very clean, with nice prints and a changing table. read more

The food was very yummy. The garlic knots were heavenly. We were so hungry I didn't get any photos however we all got something different my daughter even got dessert and said it was amazing. Brian was a great waiter all staff we came in contact with were really friendly read more

Food and service is awesome. Highly recommend. I have been looking for a place like this for sometime.

I went last night for the first time and it was amazing! Super friendly and very delicious

What a lovely time we had at our first time at Sal's yesterday. My son is in LOVE with the steak and cheese sub and wants to come back weekly (it was not only tasty but also a substantial amount of steak). I got the sit down lunch buffet...from the salad dressing to pizza like I haven't had since NY, and especially the garlic knots, it was fabulous. Stephanie took great care of us and the atmosphere is open, light, friendly and happy. A fun and upbeat place to get wonderful food! Highly recommend this place. read more

Sal's Italian Restaurant - Steak and cheese sub, garlic knots, pizza. - Italian Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

What a great experience! The food was so delicious and plentiful. All four of us were happy with our meals. I am a vegetarian and had multiple options that weren't just basic "fettuccine alfredo" which is often the case at Italian places. Prices were very reasonable and we even got a free appetizer by checking in (it was a special at the time). Servers were great and the atmosphere was nice. It was a little strange being at such a nice restaurant in a strip mall. Maybe one day they will be able to move to a stand-alone restaurant. We brought out of town guests here for dinner and were very happy with the choice. read more

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Last night was the first time I had been here. I had heard only good things, and now I know why. The food was cooked to perfection and the portions are plentiful. I highly recommend the crab ravioli. Our server Stephanie did a great job as well. Thank you. We will most definitely be back. read more