We just found Frank's At Brambleton a few months ago, and we've returned several times already…read more The food is always good, and the service is excellent. The place is BUSY all the time, which means that it's GOOD. The staff is pleasant and our server and my wife and I were making each other laugh the whole time. Love it!!!

Very decent pizza, loved the topping options, will request well done next time. Like that they have…read moreeggplant parmigiana.

The food is made fresh with a family atmosphere. The service is excellent. I actually ordered…read moresomething not on the menu. It was a Greek Calzone with Spinach, Feta, and more.

Stopped in to try a different place for lunch. Going in, it appears a lot of their business is…read moretake-out as there weren't many people at the tables. We ordered a burger and a chicken gyro. Both were excellent. And the fries were hot and crispy. The decor and atmosphere weren't as good as some other places, but the food was very good. The menu has lots of different options, probably too many. But we enjoyed the meals we chose very much.

The restaurant was easy to find and there was plenty of parking and it looked really nice. I had…read moregreat 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.

Located in a beautifully designed building, with a majestic stone accent entrance and both cement…read moretall 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.

Sometimes it is in the least expected places where we find the most amazing food. So today I set…read morecourse to 7th Street, Salem, Virginia, in search of that little restaurant in an alleyway producing some very unique quality pizzas. 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 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 Gusto's Pizza in Salem, Virginia, is the perfect example. I arrived at their parking lot first. It was located on the left side of the restaurant's building and had a mural of a caricature of a pizza with a slice coming off of the pizza. On the left side of the colorful mural was painted the Salem baseball field and scoreboard and on the fence of the field the words "EAT LOCAL" were printed with white paint on it. As I parked my car and walked around toward the front of the restaurant's building, I noticed that it had a patio with outdoor seating up front surrounded by a natural color wooden fence with the letters of the name Gusto's in black glued onto the fence. I reach to an open area of the fence that lead to the entrance of the restaurant after passing by the outdoor dining patio with outdoor tables and chairs. Inside I discovered a newly remodeled, clean and cozy restaurant with a small bar. It had the main dining room and then another small open one a couple of stairs up in the back with booths and tables and chairs. The restaurant had a very pleasant and relaxed environment and you could tell that most of the customers eating there were locals enjoying a Friday night out. The hostess/server young lady, Marisa greeted me with a friendly smile and gave me a warm welcome, and walked me to my table and handed me a copy of the menu which contained a nice variety of items. I was undecided whether to have the Meat Lasagna or a Deluxe/Supreme Small Pizza. After consulting with her, she recommended that I have their New York-style pizza because they make their own pizza dough from scratch, fresh ingredients, and cooked in a stone oven. It did not take long to convince me. I also ordered a small house salad.with their very own made Ranch salad dressing. I invite you to view my photographs and video clips accompanying my review to get a better sense of the place and the freshness of the food. As I waited for my pizza, I ate my salad which was fresh and delicious, and observed how the restaurant was filling up, and many customers were stopping by to pick up their To Go orders. When the pizza arrived, it was like no other I've ever had before. Their in-house made dough made the crust taste very special and very gourmet and all the ingredients tasted fresh and top quality, including the cheese. I enjoyed it so much that I ate it all. My server came by at the appropriate times and brought me a refill of my Cherry Coke which she had made at my request with Coke and a cherry syrup. In conclusion, I highly recommend this place for an amazingly unique and delicious pizza and other good food, an excellent customer service, and an extraordinary dining experience. I definitely plan to return.

Great ambience Great food and portions…read more Wine and cider options Gluten free options Friendly staff

I have mostly gotten take-out, but what I like is the solid, consistently all-around good food and…read moreauthentic dishes and flavors. I love meatballs, and will order them extra for eating later. Portion sizes are good. I always stop there if I have to visit the NRV Hospital. The timing of service for take-out is good.

First time visitors and won't be the last time. Pizza was GREAT and the service was outstanding!read more

I've been here now 3 time since it opened and I put their pizza and subs/sandwiches as some of the…read morebest in Roanoke Subs are better than New Yorker which has gone down hill over the years Better than Tony Avelinos and any of the Franks

This family-owned pizzeria just opened about a week ago in The Shoppes at West Village, a popular…read moreopen-air retail center on Electric Road in Roanoke, Virginia, featuring stores, restaurants, and services. Conveniently located near Tanglewood Mall, this seems like the perfect spot for a pizza restaurant in the area. The owner, Alfonso Greco, and his wife and co-owner, Josephine, immigrated in 1986 from Calabria, Italy to Long Island, New York, and for over 40 years have been in the pizza business in New York, Miami, North Carolina, and now in Roanoke, Virginia, where they came to be closer with their family. In North Carolina, Greco currently owns three locations of his pizza shop, Franco's. Today, as I was driving by West Village, I noticed that the pizza shop that had been in preparation for its grand opening, was finally open. So I quickly made a U turn and went to try it out. Located at a corner location of the building that also houses Café Asia 2, one of my favorites Asian restaurants, it has a beautiful and very impressive outdoor sign, high above its entrance. Inside, it has the traditional counter with the ordering area up front, the pizza making counter on the side, and the kitchen in the back, where they have the oven, and also cook their appetizers and other Italian dishes such as their Homemade Lasagna, Eggplant Parmigiana, and Fettuccine Alfredo, just to name a few. Their dining area consists of tables and chairs (no booths) and some extra-large poster prints as well as some smaller framed photographs. Their staff were all very friendly, starting from the owners themselves, who have done the perfect job of bringing the Italian hospitality into the ambiance of this cozy restaurant. I was asked to have a seat at any table and my friendly server shortly came by with a copy of the menu and to take my drink order. I ordered a Dr Pepper and my server also brought me a glass of ice to go with it. To dine I started with the Fried Calamari appetizer. The Calamari slices were from large-size Calamari with a very thick and crispy batter, and they were served with a homemade special sauce that was amazingly delicious. As my main course I ordered a Personal Franco's Special New York Style Pizza. It had all the ingredients listed on the menu, but it also included some red peppers, that gave it lots of flavor. The dough was freshly made in-house and had the right consistency. The only thing I didn't like was that the bottom of the pizza was a bit burnt, but other than that, it tasted delicious with all those fresh, quality, ingredients. Even though the wait time was a bit long, it is understandable since they are new to open and have been inundated with customers due to their novelty. For dessert I had the Tiramisu. My server confessed that they bring it in from the outside and that the Cannoli is the only one they make in-house. Even so, I found the Tiramisu tasted delicious, almost like home made. In conclusion, I like this pizza place, and the friendly and hospitable staff and owners make me want to support them even better. While the slow service and burnt pizza bottom are areas for improvement, I wish them the very best and encourage you to give them your full support.

Went for a late night dinner and got a simple pepperoni pizza and some garlic knots. The food was…read moreprepared quickly and the staff were friendly. The pizza was tasty but the garlic knots could've done with more seasoning. I will definitely come back and try out more of their menu.

I ordered a cheese a regular cheese pizza after a long drive from PA, wanting some local pizza to…read moreeat and this place seemed reputable. However, after I got back to my hotel 20 mins away opened the pizza box and my order was messed up they gave me the wrong pizza, I called back the store to correct my order and the cook was very rude telling me I have to pay delivery fee even after I wasted 40 mins driving to/from the store. I don't eat pork, he tried telling me that the topping on the pizza was beef (pepperoni, sausage, and bacon) really. I don't recommend this place poor customer service and there's no true ambiance looks a little run down. Look at this photo and tell me if this looks like any beef toppings. Even if I ordered a cheese pizza, how slow can one be to screw up just a regular cheese pizza.

It is said that good things come in small packages, and this tiny Mediterranean and Middle Eastern…read morerestaurant perfectly embodies this saying. Since it opened its doors in 2017 in Salem, Virginia, this small but very popular, family-owned restaurant by Egyptian immigrants is known for its fresh made-to-order gyros, falafel, and Greek salads, just to name a few. Today I had the opportunity to visit this restaurant and discover the qualities that make this tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere so popular. Because of its small size, most of its customers orders are take outs. But it also has a counter inside with around 3 to 4 stools so that customers who prefer to eat their food in the restaurant can. When I arrived, I parked my Lexus in a space right in front of the restaurant and noticed that there are not that many parking spots around. That is another reason why most of its sells are take-out orders. Customers can either call in their orders and drop by to pick it up, or park for a few minutes, make their order, and watch it being made, and then take it with them to enjoy at home. In good, warm weather, they do have two picnic tables outdoors where their customers can eat. Inside, I was able to meet the husband of the family who runs the business. He was very friendly and kind, a native of Egypt with a wife and 5 siblings. He gave me a warm welcome and took my eat-in order. The menu (which had Halal food) was displayed inside a Coca-Cola stand. To drink I grabbed a Mountain Dew from their drinks display refrigerator they have with Coke products. To eat I ordered their Gyro Special: Gyro meat served with rice and a small salad. It came with a special salad dressing and a sauce to put on the meat. The kitchen and the restaurant itself were very clean and all the ingredients used were very fresh and quality products. I sat on one of the stools, in front of the counter and watched him prepare my food. After paying for it with a credit card, I began to enjoy eating it. The salad was very fresh, made right before my eyes. The meat was Broiled right then and there, and the rice had a yellow tone and tasted unbearably delicious! As I was eating, the owner/chef put up a sign on the counter that read: "Please wait. I'm praying. thank you." I then figured out he must be Muslim and as soon as he finished praying I said to him: "As-salamu alaykum." He appreciated my nice words. While I was there, two other customers came in and ordered takeout food. For dessert I ordered an in-house made Baklava. The shape didn't look so good but the flavor did taste good. He told me that I could eat it with my hands but since they didn't have a restroom to wash my hands afterwards, I asked for a plastic fork to eat it with. Their prices were very reasonable and their portions very generous. I paid for the Baklava and thanked him for the wonderful service. The food was so genuine and delicious that whenever I'm in this area next time, I will definitely stop by and dine there again.

Best gyro I've had in years. No frills. The meat shines in its simplicity: seasoning and texture…read more The ingredients in the pita were fresh and proportioned well, and the tzatziki (as another reviewer pointed out) was top notch. I also got a pita and side of hummus, and the hummus was special. I didn't ask, but I think the oil may have been grapeseed? Either way, delicious. The proprietor was kind and took pride in his specialty. I wish there was a bathroom, but you have to appreciate the intimacy of a "hole-in-the-wall" corner shop, which I say with the upmost respect.