A very strong experience at Fortunato for a celebration dinner. The restaurant accommodated a group…read moreof 7 with a few days notice. The business is located downtown Roanoke. Parking is free off street, or paid at nearby garage. The entry way was clear of debris. Our party was immediately seated and we quickly decided to move table from a smaller private, but loud room to the main room. I found the atmosphere and decor of the room to be nice. The waitress was on top of things with drink orders. They have one of the strongest bourbon selections in town. So I had to get an Old Fashioned. Drinks pushed out within 10 minutes as we finished browsing menus.my Old Fashioned was quality and completely authentic. Super tasty! There were a few orders of pizza and I ordered a house salad with Egg Plant Parmesan. Our waitress kept glasses full of waters. She was upbeat and energetic. Food pushed out for the entire table around the same time in less than 30 minutes. Everyone was pleased with their entrees. The Egg Plant is a vegetarian dish. I'm not a vegetarian, but appreciate the dish. It was huge and so good! When time for desert multiple items were ordered. The waitress prepared a special dish of ice-cream with candle for my son. That was totally not expected and very thoughtful of the staff. I had the Salame chocolate and others had tiramisu. Both excellent, I tried. The bill was dropped in a timely manner. The amount was family affordable in my opinion. I would absolutely return and recommend.

Always a favorite and this trip did not disappoint. We weren't sure what time we would finish up…read moreour work on this particular Thursday evening so I waited to check for a table last minute. Thankfully we were able to get it with just a 30 minute wait or so. I had dreamed of arancini all day long only to find it was not on the menu any longer unfortunately! Heartbroken. All of our dishes were still delicious of course but please bring back the arancini! Service was impeccable, lighting and cocktails on point, still on my short list of all-time faves! Can't wait for our next visit!

Really good pizza spot. Staff is very nice. Pizza slice is huge and good price. Very good flavor…read more Dough and crust was the best part. The ambience is pretty cool as well with old pizza shop vibes.

Stopped in for a slice yesterday with my nephew while visiting the area. Definitely large slices…read moreand the dough was perfect. The sauce was good and the cheese ratio was lacking a bit for my taste. Great service & had a cream soda for the first time in 10+ years. The long table in the middle was dirty, so we decided to take out food to go when it was done.

One of our favorite places! Service is always great and the food is wonderful. It's charming &…read morepleasant with a cute little bar area as well.

One of the best Italian Restaurants in the Roanoke area, Luigi's is one of my favorite restaurants…read morearound. The owner is very warm, kind, and hospitable, and every time I've dined there I've felt right at home. I've received excellent service in a cozy environment and the drinks and food have been to par with my high expectations of a restaurant of this nature. However, I was a bit disappointed when I dined there this time. Unfortunately the owner wasn't feeling well so she appointment one of her best servers as Host in charge. When I arrived, since I showed up without a reservation, she greeted me by asking what I wanted, if to order for takeout. This was a bit insulting, since I was there to dine in, like always. I then requested to seat in the well lit dining room, in my usual table next to the window. She consented and took me there. Shortly after, a young lady server shows up and greets me. Not giving me enough time to study the menu, she asks what I wanted to drink and what I wanted to order for dinner. Without asking for her opinion, she starts telling me what she thinks I should order as appetizer. It was like she was trying to rush me. I don't know if it was her inexperience or lack of training, but I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and asked the Host to change my server and explained the reason why. My server replacement was completely the opposite. He was the epitome of customer service. Philip had good manners, was respectful, and didn't rush me, taking his time to make sure I had a relaxing and enjoyable dining experience. The first thing he did was introduce himself as my new server. He then repeated my order that my previous server had taken to make sure it was right. I already had my Fried Calamari appetizer on the table. My house salad was with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. My Filet Mignon was to be cooked medium-rare and served with sautéed mushrooms, broccoli, and delicate new potatoes. During my meal, he made sure my Iced water glass was always full, and after my Filet was served and I had a chance of cutting it, he came by to make sure it was cooked appropriately, just like ordered. The Filet was cooked medium-rare, the broccoli was fresh, and the potatoes were delicious, but the mushrooms were not seasoned nor sautéed enough and were somewhat tasteless. For dessert, I had my favorite, the Brazilian Custard Pudding. As I was leaving my server opened the door for me and thanked me for dining there, while the Host stood inside without even having the courtesy to say goodbye. I hope the owner of the restaurant reads this review and takes action to see that her restaurant is run appropriately, and each of her customers is treated as they should.

I can't find the words to begin to describe my dining experience at this Italian restaurant. It is…read moreone 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.

DW and I went in for dinner on a Friday night around 1830. After waiting for a table for half an…read morehour 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.

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.

After looking at their menu on line , we ordered the 14"…read moreRonnie's Pizza . It was delivered very quickly.The pizza arrived warm! Loaded with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. It's the typical thinner crust that restaurants serve in the area with the difference that it is perfectly cooked . Not dry at all! Will definitely order again and try to their other dishes .

I was staying in downtown and read reviews about Leonore and they were really good, so I decided to…read morestop in on a weeknight. When I got there, they were dead, but by the time I left, they were packed. So, clearly it's a popular joint. The staff was helpful and very friendly. Prices are decent there too. They offer a nice mix of Venezuelan and Italian food... seems like an odd combo, but they did a decent job with the items I tried. I love arepas, so I ordered a Pabellon Arepa and a small veggie pizza. The food came up pretty quickly; the pizza was perfectly hot. The crust was the right thickness and had plenty of cheese and fresh toppings on it. The only issue was there was hardly any tomato sauce on it. I asked for a side of tomato sauce to dip into. The sauce was very thin and lacked much tomato flavor. The arepa was packed full of meat. The beef was seasoned perfectly and tasted great. The bun though was kind of tough, sort of like it was stale. The venue is small, but clean and welcoming. Their menu is loaded with many options too. Overall, it was a nice dinner.

We've been having lots of rainy days here lately, days when I prefer to order out and eat at home…read more That was the case today. Thinking of where I might order from, I recalled the awesome food I had from Carrabba's the day I ordered from them once before and decided to once again make an order via DoorDash. Since I loved the last main course I had from them, I ordered it again. It was their New Filet & Shrimp Toscana, medium-rare. It consisted of Fettuccine pasta with spinach and mushrooms, tossed in a roasted garlic cream sauce, and topped with sliced filet and wood-grilled shrimp. This time I ordered their Lentil & Sausage soup as the side rather than the Caesar Salad I had last time. Since I was somewhat hungry, I also ordered their Tiramisu for dessert, which was lady fingers dipped in liqueur-laced espresso, layered with sweetened mascarpone, Myers's Rum and chocolate shavings. I think it was one of the most expensive orders that I have ever made from DoorDash so I was really looking forward to enjoying it. The order was placed at 5:20PM and DoorDash gave me an estimated delivery time of between 5:45PM and 6:09PM. Needless to say I was hungry and as a VIP DoorDash customer I expected the order around that time as usual. But the time went by and nothing. I started to worry that the food might arrive cold and was getting somewhat upset. I received a message from DoorDash that my DoorDasher was delivering another order before she got to me along with a later estimated time. To make the story short, the order finally arrived at 6:40PM in a paper shopping bag. And of course it arrived cold. So I was very upset with DoorDash, not with Carrabba's. Carrabba's did an excellent job packing my order and including their wonderful crusty, artisanal sourdough bread along with their signature herb and extra virgin olive oil dipping blend. So I was required to heat my food in the microwave in order to enjoy it best. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the high-quality of the food prepared and cooked to perfection by Carrabba's amazing chefs, cooks, and kitchen crew. Even with the unfortunate circumstances, I was able to enjoy an amazingly delicious meal. After I finished eating, I called DoorDash VIP Customer Service phone number to explain the situation I had gone through and ask them to make it right. They apologized and added to my account a $30 credit for the long wait that caused my food to get cold and for the inconvenience this had caused me. Despite the poor delivery experience, I am giving this restaurant 5 stars because the food itself was excellent and well-packaged. And I highly recommend the restaurant for their exquisite Italian cuisine.

I had one of the most frustrating dining experiences I've ever encountered at Carrabba's Italian…read moreGrill, and unfortunately, it's not something I can just overlook. From the moment we were seated, the service was noticeably poor and only continued to get worse as the night went on. To start, our server seemed completely disengaged. After taking our initial drink order, they disappeared for an extended period of time. When the drinks finally arrived, it was already a long wait--but what made it worse was that once they were empty, they stayed that way for well over 10 minutes. We sat there with empty glasses, trying to flag someone down, but our server was nowhere to be found. It felt like we were being completely ignored. We had also ordered soup and salad to come before our meal, which is pretty standard. However, those never showed up at all. Not late--just never. No explanation, no apology, nothing. Our entrées arrived, and we were left wondering what happened to the first part of our order. It's basic service to ensure courses come out correctly, and this was completely missed. Throughout the meal, the server would vanish for long stretches of time. Every time we needed something--refills, utensils, even just a quick check-in--it turned into a waiting game. Getting drink refills took forever, and by the time we finally got someone's attention, it felt like more of a hassle than it should ever be. A simple dining experience turned into constant frustration. Overall, the lack of attentiveness, poor timing, and complete absence of communication made this visit extremely disappointing. It honestly felt like we were an afterthought the entire time. Between the empty drinks, missing soup and salad, and the server disappearing repeatedly, this was far from an enjoyable experience. We are regulars at this restaurant and this by far is the worst experience we have ever had at any restaurant we have been to ever! I only tipped something to be gracious but in reality I should have not tipped anything. To make matters worse at the end of the meal is when the waitress showed up eyeing our table like a hawk waiting for me to sign the check. I would expect better from Carrabba's! We would have been better off going to Chic-Fil-a. I would not recommend this location if you're expecting even average service.

Excellent Italian,I would highly recommend if you want excellent Italian Food. The staff were greatread more

To start, food was great! Atmosphere so so, service weak…read more The booths have been removed, making a meal with some privacy impossible. Took 10 minutes to get a beer, they ran out of beer glasses. Ugh Food took a long time 30-40 minutes. Not on open table, required a phone call and left a message. Missed the call back, required another call. Not the same Reminis of the past

Stopped by Table 50 with a coworker and had a really enjoyable experience. We started with a couple…read moreof appetizers, and they were excellen and a great way to kick off the meal. The entrées were right on par with some unique dishes. One of the biggest highlights was the bar. They have a fantastic bourbon and cocktail selection, and the atmosphere around the bar was even better than the dining room. It had a lively, comfortable vibe that made the whole experience even better. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit and would definitely come back.

Since a few years ago I've been celebrating my Birthday's Eve by dining at one of my favorite…read morerestaurants. This year I happened to go to Table 50, located on Market Street in the heart of Downtown Roanoke. Table 50 is one of those fine-dining restaurants in all the sense of the word. It is known for its upscale, progressive American cuisine that uses locally sourced ingredients from the nearby farmers' market. It offers an elegant atmosphere with features like copper tables and brick walls. Exquisite food like filet mignon. And exceptional customer service. After making my reservation through the OpenTable app, I showed up the following day right on time. A young lady hostess greeted me at the Host's station and after confirming my reservation took me to my table at a corner of the restaurant. My eloquent server Trent came by soon after to give me a warm welcome and take my drink order. I asked him to see if the bartender could make me a Pina Colada Mocktail. When he brought me the Mocktail, he took my food order. As a starter, I ordered the Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops served with a Parmigiano-Reggiano & Brandy Cream Sauce. Followed by a Mixed Green House Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. And as my main course the Bienville Filet, a Certified Angus Beef 8oz Filet Mignon served with Fried Shrimps, Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes, and a New Orleans style parmesan cream sauce. My server then went to place the order and came back with a rectangular shape plate filled with a sliced baguette and little bowl of whipped butter. I always say that the quality of a restaurant's bread and water is an indication of the quality of its cuisine. My server did an exceptional job at bringing out all my items at the proper pace. And all was amazingly delicious. For the Grand Finale dessert, I asked for the Chocolate Mousse Torte. This is one of my favorites desserts out of all the restaurants around. My server brought it out on.a white plate with the words Happy Birthday written with a chocolate dip. It was delicious, even though this year they didn't include a candle on top. As if this wasn't enough, after paying and going to the restroom to wash my hands, as I was headed towards the door, my server runs by me and opens the door, thanking me for my visit on this special occasion and wishing that I come back soon. What a way to end an outstanding dining experience!

Overall we had a good experience here while on an overnight trip in Roanoke. I loved the…read moreatmosphere, live music, and food. But when we first arrived there was no one at the host stand, nor a sign to seat ourselves. We lingered there a good five minutes, making eye contact with servers/staff, yet no one came to assist us. Finally my husband approached a server who was setting up tables to see if we were supposed to seat ourselves. She came over to us and seated us. Service was a bit slow so I'm wondering if they were simply short staffed that night. We also had two kids with us and had to ask for a kids menu, though we were glad that they had one. Our server was very pleasant and we enjoyed the food. My husband and a split the Southern Belle burger and a Sonoma salad with blackened chicken. The burger was SO delish and the salad was great too. We would definitely return if we find ourselves in the area again!

After being awarded the Triad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last…read moreyear, 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. Consistency in the dining experience of a restaurant is something very important. It is something that the restaurant has to earn every time a customer enters through its door. As easily as a restaurant can win a customer over, it can also lose him and his loyalty to the restaurant. Sadly, this is what happened to me during this visit. I had missed having lunch, that day, so I arrived at around 4:30pm to have an early dinner. A gentleman greeted me and had me take a seat at a table of my choice. I went and sat at a booth facing the kitchen. I think it was the same place I sat the first time I ate here with a friend. The same gentleman performed as my server. He came by and asked me what I wanted to drink. I asked him if they had any Mocktails. He answered me that Mocktails are not the drinks that people usually drink there, but that he can have them make one for me at the bar. I described the one I would like to have and right after give him my food order. I ordered a Hunter's Burger, with a fried egg, smoked bacon, and American cheese, among other ingredients. And tater tots to accompany it. After putting in my food order he goes to the bar and comes back with my Mocktail, which was extremely acidic, but he had already walked away before I could tell him. So I stirred it hoping that this would fix it. But as the acidic liquid reached my throat it made me caught and gave me an unpleasant sensation. The server brings me the Hunter's Burger, my main course, with the tater tots. The tater tots are not cooked well. When I try to hook one up with my fork, it just splits in half. The Hunter's Burger bun was not big at all, and the patty was extremely small that you could hardly see it without opening the buns up, and that is what I did and discovered that the egg was not fried evenly but the yolk had been broken while being fried and was not soft. I tried to make the best of the situation and ate the burger with a fork. If all this wasn't enough, the server approached me with something in his hand that I think was my bill and asked me if I wanted something else. I told him that I wanted the Fried Oreo Cookies with the Vanilla Ice-cream. He brings me them with so little ice-cream that it had melted in the middle of the Fried Oreo Cookies. What an awful dining experience this has been compared to last time, which I still remember today. And today's experience, I just want to forget. I hope the owner of this restaurant reads this review and takes a look at my photographs that accompany it, and takes action to remedy it so that this doesn't happen again and tarnish the Image of what I once thought was a great restaurant.