10 Best Restaurants in Roanoke, VA

By VacationIdea Staff on June 22, 2022 - Updated

Syda Productions/stock.adobe.com

When it comes to romance, Roanoke and the Roanoke Valley in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains packs a punch with spectacular natural scenery, fine dining restaurants, world-class wineries and plenty to see and do. Climb up to the summit of Mill Mountain to see the landmark overlooking the city known as the Roanoke Star, or the Mill Mountain Star, to watch the sunset before heading to one of these excellent restaurants that promise a romantic wining and dining experience.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1.The River and Rail Restaurant

Located in the former Lipes Pharmacy space, the River and Rail Restaurant is an intimate bistro serves local, seasonal Southern fare and handcrafted cocktails in a stylish, modern space. The charming restaurant boasts a beautifully restored interior with an open kitchen adorned with hanging cookware and canned produce, creating an inviting and romantic ambiance. The eatery serves a daily-changing, Southern bistro-style menu of farm-to-table fare prepared with the finest locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients and regional produce like house-cured meats and cheeses, pickled vegetables, and house-made condiments. The full-service bar offers a beverage menu of inventive cocktails with a Southern influence, as well as local and imported beers and casual wines from around the world. The River and Rail Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, daily.

2201 Crystal Spring Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24014, Phone: 540-400-6830

2.Alexander's

Set in a beautifully restored vintage building that was once Roanoke's largest office supply company and has now been transformed a retro-chic, bohemian oasis, Alexander's is the go-to spot for sophisticated, unpretentious dining. Established in 1979, the elegant restaurant boasts a traditional fine-dining setting with white tablecloths, gleaming silverware, and warm lighting, along with antique décor and light fittings, creating an intimate and romantic ambiance. Seasonally-inspired menus boast prime quality Virginia-aged meats, fresh seafood, and locally sourced organic produce, and the food is paired with fine wines from around the world and classic cocktails from the full-service bar. Alexander's is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and lunch and dinner on Wednesdays.

105 S Jefferson St, Roanoke, VA 24011, Phone: 540-982-6983

3.Ben Gui Sushi

Located in the Old Country Plaza, Ben Gui Sushi is a contemporary Japanese restaurant that serves fresh handmade sushi, sashimi, and teppanyaki in a sleek, wood-floored space. The restaurant is decorated in sleek and stylish décor and serves a menu of Japanese cuisine such as Bento Boxes for lunch, consisting of soup, salad, seasonal tempura and California rolls, and an array of hibachi, sushi, sashimi, rolls, tempura, teppanyaki, and other fresh seafood dishes for dinner. Diners can watch the expert sushi chefs preparing specialty rolls at the open sushi bar, and a range of drinks from sake to classic cocktails are available. Ben Gui Sushi is open for lunch and dinner, daily.

4353 Starkey Rd, Roanoke, VA 24018, Phone: 540-772-6888

4.Billy's

Billy's is a classic Georgetown pub with a full wooden bar and a buzzing vibe that serves inspired American cuisine and a wide range of drinks in a comfortable, yet refined atmosphere. Located on the corner of Salem and Market Street in Downtown Roanoke, Billy’s boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with great views of the Market Building, historic architectural features, massive mirrors on the walls, and dark wood trimming, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The seasonal menu features appetizers like grilled oysters on the half-shell, mac, and cheese with country ham, and grilled chicken wings, followed by entrées of prime steaks, seafood such as flounder filets with garlic and parmesan cheese sauce, and pasta dishes. The full-service bar offers a wide range of casual wines from around the world, craft and draft beers on tap and by the bottle, high-end spirits, and classic cocktails. Billy's is open for lunch and dinner daily.

102 Market St SE, Roanoke, VA 24011, Phone: 540-206-3353

5.Coach & Four Restaurant

Coach and Four Restaurant is a family-friendly restaurant that serves classic New American cuisine such as prime steaks and seafood classics in comfortable, colonial-style digs. The restaurant has a cozy dining space with wooden tables and chairs, and a full-service bar where diners can enjoy a pre- or post-dinner drink. The seasonal menu features a variety of fare ranging from prime meats and chicken to fresh seafood, imported pasta and sauces, fresh salads, and vegetarian options, and sweet desserts, with a special menu for kids. Four seafood specials are offered daily; the food is accompanied by an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. Coach and Four Restaurant is open for dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, and lunch and dinner on Sundays.

5206 Williamson Rd, Roanoke, VA 24012, Phone: 540-362-4220

6.Frankie Rowland's Steakhouse

Frankie Rowland's Steakhouse is a long-standing steakhouse that has been serving the finest cuts of aged steak, prime rib, and beef for years. Boasting traditional steakhouse décor with dark wood and leather accents, elegantly dressed tables and gleaming silverware, the steakhouse serves a menu of thick house-butchered cuts of USDA choice steaks, free-range chicken and pork, fresh seafood and a range of vegetarian options. The full-service bar has an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. Frankie Rowland's Steakhouse is open for dinner only, Monday through Saturday.

104 S Jefferson St, Roanoke, VA 24011, Phone: 540-527-2333

7.Lucky

Lucky is a charming farm-to-table eatery that specializes in Country French and Southern American comfort fare, paired with great wines, craft beers, and classic cocktails and served in a warm and welcoming setting. Owned by friends, Hunter Johnson, and J.P. Powell and helmed by Chef TJ Daveldek, Lucky embodies high-end comfort food and craft cocktails and has been providing Roanoke with a refined dining experience for over seven years with modern dining spaces, stylish décor, dim amber lighting, and an intimate and romantic ambiance. The full-service bar has an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. Lucky is open for dinner, Monday through Saturday.

18 Kirk Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24011, Phone: 540-982-1249

8.Luigi's Italian Gourmet Restaurant

Luigi's Italian Gourmet Restaurant is a family-owned and operated restaurant that serves both classic and contemporary Italian cuisine in a warm and welcoming setting. Loved by locals and visitors alike, the casual eatery specializes in authentic Northern and Southern Italian cuisine with starters of Italian tapas like broiled sea scallops, bruschetta, and fried oysters. Entrées include pasta primavera Bianco, chicken picatta, mussels Calabria, steak al gorgonzola, pan-seared lamb loin chops, and Frutti de mar, and desserts of Tartufo, spumoni, and chocolate decadence torte. The cuisine is paired with a variety of casual wines from Italy and other wine-growing regions, along with craft beers by the bottle, and made-to-order cocktails, which can be enjoyed in the main dining room or on the outdoor patio in the summer. Luigi's Italian Gourmet Restaurant is open for dinner, seven days a week.

3301 Brambleton Ave, Roanoke, VA 24018, Phone: 540-989-6277

9.Nawab Indian Cuisine

Nawab Indian Cuisine brings the rich tastes of India to the tables of Roanoke. Committed to preserving the culture, tradition and culinary flavors of Nawab Indian cuisine, the restaurant has established itself as the top curry connoisseur in the region. The richly varied menu pays homage to the tastes and flavors in India with made-from-scratch dishes using high-quality ingredients, wholesome sauces, and house-toasted spices and traditional spice mixes. Signature dishes include paneer tikka, vegetable pakora, biryanis, tandoori, and specials of Punjabi curry, saag, tikka masala, and vindaloo. Nawab Indian Cuisine is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

118 Campbell Ave SE A, Roanoke, VA 24011, Phone: 540-345-5150

10.The Regency Room

Located in the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Curio Collection by Hilton, the Regency Room is the epitome of fine dining. The esteemed AAA Four Diamond, award-winning restaurant presents sublime cuisine, world-class wines from around the world, impeccable service and hospitality and an elegant, romantic ambiance. Renowned for dishes like Peanut Soup and Spoonbread, the restaurant uses only the freshest, locally sourced ingredients and regional produce available to produce seasonal menus of chef-driven cuisine, which is accompanied by a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence wine list, and classic cocktails made with top-shelf spirits. The restaurant serves sumptuous breakfast, lunch buffets, and superior a la carte dinners, daily.

110 Shenandoah Ave NE, Roanoke, VA 24016, Phone: 540-853-8280

11.Table 50

Located in the historic 19th-century Wigmore building in the center of the Historic Roanoke farmers’ market, Table 50 offers an upscale dining experience in a comfortable and casual atmosphere. Using only the freshest, locally sourced ingredients and regional produce available from the farmer’s market and further afield, the culinary team creates mouthwatering, farm-to-table dishes that promise to delight. Boasting hand-forged brick walls and copper tables, the restaurant exudes a vibrant ambiance in which guests can savor the cuisine, along with fine wines from around the world, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. Table 50 is open for dinner only Monday through Sunday.

2135, 309 Market St SE, Roanoke, VA 24011, Phone: 540-904-2350

10 Best Restaurants in Roanoke, VA

The River and Rail Restaurant, Photo: The River and Rail Restaurant
Alexander's, Photo: Alexander's
Ben Gui Sushi, Photo: Ben Gui Sushi
Billy's, Photo: Billy's
Coach & Four Restaurant, Photo: New Africa/stock.adobe.com
Frankie Rowland's Steakhouse, Photo: Frankie Rowland's Steakhouse
Lucky, Photo: Lucky
Luigi's Italian Gourmet Restaurant, Photo: Luigi's Italian Gourmet Restaurant
Nawab Indian Cuisine, Photo: Nawab Indian Cuisine
The Regency Room, Photo: The Regency Room
Table 50, Photo: Table 50
Cover Photo: Syda Productions/stock.adobe.com

More Ideas: The Taubman Museum of Art

The Taubman Museum of Art is an art museum located in the heart of downtown Roanoke that is dedicated to preserving the art of the region. Formerly known as the Art Museum of Western Virginia, the Taubman Museum of Art was established to encourage the local community and visitors to Roanoke to enjoy the city’s metro mountain mix of arts, culture, and outdoor fun.

Designed by architect Randall Stout, the Museum is constructed to honor the naturalistic elements of the Roanoke region. The point of the Roanoke Star is reflected in the 77-foot glass peak in the atrium, while the undulating roofline is reminiscent of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Taubman Museum of Art features a permanent collection of 19th and early 20th-century American art with more than 2,000 works of art across a range of media from modern and contemporary paintings, design, and decorative arts, and photography.

Dating from the mid-19th to the second quarter of the 20th century, the American art collection features exceptional works from a variety of art movements, including American Impressionism, the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Hudson River, and American Realism. The collection includes well-known artists such as Normal Rockwell, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, and John Singer, as well as a small sub-section with collections by self-taught artists. Other acclaimed artists featured include John Singer Sargent, John Cage, Thomas Cowperthwaite Eakins, Purvis Young, and Petah Coyne. The Museum also features several smaller collections including Southern folk art.

The Museum features 11 galleries that host 15-20 exhibitions per year featuring artists such as Norman Rockwell, John James Audubon, Kehinde Wiley, and Sally Mann. There is also a range of hands-on, creative experiences for young visitors in the Museum’s interactive learning space, Art Venture.

The Taubman Museum of Art offers a range of educational programs, classes, workshops and ventures for visitors of all ages.

Art Venture is a family-friendly exploratory gallery that provides young visitors with an interactive hands-on learning environment where visitors can draw, paint, build, create sculptures, connect music with art, display artwork, and investigate 3D printing and printmaking.

Art Venture features 15 interactive stations, including a Pre-Toddler area, Music, and Visual Arts section, a Giant Dry Erase Board, Painting, Drawing and Printing, a Color Wheel, and Community Display Area, among others. Each station has curriculum-based activities that engage and stimulate learning from visitors between the ages of 12 and 17 years.

Programs for children and families at the Taubman Museum of Art include Strolling into Art, Saturday Tours, Art Venture Winter Break Week, Artful Journeys, and Young at Art. A variety of tours can be arranged at the Museum, ranging from customized tours, corporate offerings, team-building trips, college groups and private tours.

Programs for adults at the Taubman Museum of Art include Adult Studio Workshops, Yoga at the Taubman, Drop-In Volunteer, and Info Sessions, Art by Night, Mindful Art Making and Arts Fusion. Teen programs include Teen Workshop Series, including Drawing, Clay Making, and Mixed Media Mash-Ups, Art by Night, and Open House.

The Taubman Museum of Art also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including Wine and Dine, International Wine Festival, Bourbon and Bacon, Monster Art Rally, and Sidewalk Art Shows. Art Go Bloom is a special four-day event featuring fresh floral masterpieces inspired by works from the Museum’s permanent collection. The event features one-of-a-kind floral arrangements that reflect the ephemeral blooming of flowers, paintings and sculptures of more than 20 works of art in the Museum’s collection.

In addition to the Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke offers a variety of attractions for visitors to enjoy, including the Mill Mountain Zoo, the O. Winston Link Museum, the Virginia Museum of Transportation, and Center-In-The-Square, a multi-cultural complex with a planetarium, a professional theater, and museums.

Back to: Best Things to Do in Roanoke

110 Salem Avenue SE, Roanoke, VA 24011, Phone: 540-342-5760

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