Illustration by Aldo Crusher
Best Asian Restaurant
Peking Restaurant
105 Malin Drive, Wytheville, Facebook.com/PekingVa, 276-228-5515
House specialties include sub gum wonton—sliced roasted pork, chicken, and beef sautéed with mixed vegetables and topped with crispy fried wontons—and shredded pork with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and spicy garlic sauce. Seafood lovers can also get a variety of dishes with scallops, lobster meat, crab meat, and shrimp.
second place: Cafe Asia, RoanokeCafeAsiaRoanoke.com, 540-788-4600
third place: Taste of Asia Roanoke, RoanokeTasteOfAsiaVa.com, 540-342-1001
Best Bakery
Sweet Cakes Bakery-Cafe
5140 Kings Mountain Road, Collinsville, SweetCakesBakeryCafe.weebly.com, 276-647-8941
Popular items include homemade croissants, cinnamon rolls, brownies, and other pastries, as well as strawberry milkshake cupcakes—a strawberry cake base with berries and a creamy strawberry frosting, all made from scratch by owner Jennifer Newman. Stop by in the mornings for a breakfast treat of doughnuts or Belgian waffles.
second place: Rising Sun Breads, Martinsville, RisingSunBreads.com, 276-632-2292
third place: Breadcraft Bakery, Roanoke, BreadcraftBakery.com, 540-562-4112
Best Bar
Hugo’s Restaurant and Sports Bar
10 E. Church St., Martinsville, MartinsvilleHugos.com, 276-632-3663
Alongside signature cocktails, enjoy snacks like bang bang shrimp, spinach and artichoke dip, and buffalo chips, as well as larger dishes such as flatbread pizza, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, and wraps. The sports bar also hosts live music, wine dinners, and special themed events.
second place: Milton’s, St. Paul, WesternFrontHotel.com, 276-738-3041
third place: 27 Lions, Marion, 27Lions.com, 276-378-0844
Best Barbecue Restaurant
Wolfe’s BBQ
138 E. Main St., Marion, Wolfes-BBQ.com, 276-378-0823
Opened in 2013, this joint serves Austin, Texas-style brisket and chopped pork, wood-smoked low and slow for up to 14 hours, as well as dishes such as Frito pie and street tacos. Homemade sides include macaroni and cheese, collard greens, beans, and potato salad. Plus, visitors can enjoy live bluegrass music on Tuesdays.
second place: Checkered Pig Barbecue, Martinsville, CheckeredPig.com, 276-632-1161
third place: Bonefire Smokehouse & Musictorium, Abingdon, TheBonefireSmokehouse.com, 276-623-0037
Best Breakfast Restaurant
Scratch Biscuit Company
1820 Memorial Ave., Roanoke, ScratchBiscuit.com, 540-855-0882
In addition to breakfast classics like bacon and egg biscuits and country ham biscuits, the shop offers biscuits with fried catfish, pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes, and fried chicken, as well as with homemade jams and peanut butter. The popular Cowboy Crippler comes topped with brisket, country fried sausage, pulled pork, hash browns, and cheese.
second place: The Sirloin House of Martinsville, Martinsville, TheSirloinHouse.net, 276-638-7778
third place: Clarence’s Steak & Seafood House, Ridgeway, 276-956-3400
Best Brunch Restaurant
The Speakeasy
107 E. Main St., Marion, GFMHotel.com, 276-783-4800
Tucked inside the General Francis Marion Hotel, The Speakeasy offers a Sunday brunch menu that features steak and eggs—an 8-ounce ribeye with a poached egg, hollandaise sauce, and butternut squash hash—chicken and waffles with sriracha honey and artichoke chow-chow, and a French toast sandwich topped with scrambled eggs, candied bacon, roasted tomato, Muenster cheese, arugula, and maple-mustard sauce.
second place: Morgan’s, Abingdon, MorgansAbingdon.com, 276-258-5632
third place: The Palisades Restaurant, Eggleston, ThePalisadesRestaurant.com, 540-626-2828
Best Burger Joint
Fenderz Drive-In
3627 Virginia Ave., Collinsville, Facebook.com/FenderzDriveIn, 276-647-4555
Each morning at this ’50s-style diner, Tim and Stacy Connor buy freshly ground beef from the local butcher for their burgers, cut potatoes by hand for their fries, and make from-scratch batter for their onion rings. The shop also has a complete ice cream station with both soft serve and hand-dipped ice cream for milkshakes, floats, and sundaes.
second place: Burger Bar, Bristol, TheOriginalBurgerBar.com, 276-466-6200
third place: Hugo’s Restaurant and Sports Bar, Martinsville, MartinsvilleHugos.com, 276-632-3663
Best Chocolatier
Blue Ridge Fudge Lady
158 N. Washington Ave., Pulaski, FudgeLady.com, 540-509-5926
Popular fudge flavors include peanut butter, red velvet, and dark chocolate caramel sea salt, alongside more unique selections such as lemon meringue cheesecake, chewy praline, coffee cookie crumble, and strawberry margarita. Owner Robin Burdette also serves preacher cookies—made with peanut butter and chocolate—and peanut butter bonbons.
second place: Cocoa Trail Chocolates, Collinsville, Facebook.com/CTFix, 276-647-1980
third place: ChocolatePaper, Roanoke, ChocolatePaperRoanoke.com, 540-342-6061
Best Craft Brewery
Sugar Hill Brewing Company
16622 Broad St., St. Paul, SugarHillBrewing.com, 276-738-1088
Opened by Greg and Jennifer Bailey in an old hardware store, the brewery boasts a wide range—from the Warm and Fuzzy Scotch Ale with notes of caramel and the fruity Copper Ridge double IPA to the tart Pink Cadillac raspberry gose, the Raven oatmeal stout with hints of dark chocolate, and the complex Hidden River Belgian tripel.
second place: Mountain Valley Brewing, Axton, MountainValleyBrewing.com, 276-833-2171
third place: Studio Brew Brewery, Bristol, StudioBrew.beer, 423-360-3258
Best Craft Cocktails
Lucky
18 Kirk Ave. SW, Roanoke, EatAtLucky.com, 540-982-1249
Lucky’s cleverly named cocktails include works such as the Handsome Devil—bourbon, Lillet Blanc, lemon, sugar, mint, and peach bitters, with an orange twist—and Blinded by the Light, made with gin, pear brandy, rosemary-infused Lillet Rose, Lemon Oleo Saccharum, celery bitters, and lemon oil. For a twist on a classic, try the barrel-aged Boulevardier with Rittenhouse rye, Cappelletti Aperitivo, Cynar 70, and a flamed orange twist.
second place: Milton’s, St. Paul, WesternFrontHotel.com, 276-738-3041
third place: Stone Mountain Distilling, Lebanon, Facebook.com/StoneMountainDistilling, 276-880-0168
Best Dessert Menu
Anthony’s Desserts
284 W. Main St., Abingdon, AnthonysDesserts.com, 276-623-1500
Chef Anthony Perkins’ creations include chocolate mocha tarts with coffee ice cream and Kahlua hot fudge, chocolate crémeux with raspberry coulis, sticky toffee cake, and pies in flavors such as peanut butter, coconut cream, and fresh blackberry. The shop also offers hand-roasted coffee and homemade ice cream.
second place: Blackbird Bakery, Bristol, BlackbirdBakeryBristol.com, 276-645-5754
third place: Dipper’s Ice Cream, Ridgeway, DippersHomemadeIceCream.com, 276-956-6600
Best Distillery
Stone Mountain Distilling
2219 E. Main St., Lebanon, Facebook.com/StoneMountainDistilling, 276-880-0168
Each packaged in a mason jar and bearing a XXX label, selections include 100-proof original moonshine distilled from grain and cane sugar, 100-proof unaged rye moonshine, 80-proof honey rye moonshine, and 90-proof banana brandy. The 80-proof Copper Ridge Honey Oak is finished with charred oak.
second place: Twin Creeks Distillery, Henry, TwinCreeksDistillery.com, 276-627-5096
third place: Five Mile Mountain Distillery, Floyd, 5MileMountain.com, 540-745-4495
Best Farmers’ Market
Abingdon Farmers Market
Remsburg Drive & Cummings Street, Abingdon, AbingdonFarmersMarket.com, 276-698-1434
In its current location since 2007, the market provides a consistent venue for farmers, food vendors, and crafters and artisans to sell their products directly to the public in a community where cows outnumbered people for generations. Vendors must produce their goods within a 50-mile radius of the market.
second place: Historic Roanoke City Market, Roanoke, DowntownRoanoke.org, 540-342-2028
third place: Blacksburg Farmers’ Market, Blacksburg, BlacksburgFarmersMarket.com, 540-239-8290
Best Food Truck
The Pakalachian
Abingdon, ThePakalachian.com, 276-275-1097
Owners Katlin and Mohsin Kazmi, who met while attending Virginia Tech, started the food truck with the goal of combining Pakastani and Appalachian cuisines. The must-have dish that started it at all is Curry Me Down South, a tomato-based Pakastani chicken curry served over creamy mashed potatoes.
second place: Thai This Food Truck, Radford, ThaiThisExpress.com, 540-838-2329
third place: Toni’s Hawaiian Tacos, Abingdon, 808-298-6882
Best Grocery Store
Food City
396 Towne Center Drive, Abingdon, FoodCity.com, 276-628-3654
First opened in 1955 in Grundy, the brand has grown to more than 100 stores. This year, ground is being broken on a new location in Radford, and construction is beginning to update the Abingdon location. For a true Virginia treat, try the store’s crab cakes, made from a former associate’s recipe.
second place: Kroger, Martinsville, Kroger.com, 276-666-4001
third place: Earth Fare, Roanoke, EarthFare.com, 540-970-3499
Best Indian Food
Taaza Indian Cuisine
1910 Memorial Ave. SW, Roanoke, TaazaRoanoke.com, 540-342-4773
The menu combines Indian and Mediterranean cuisines, with dishes like murgh tikka, tandoori chicken with yogurt, garlic, and garam masala; hot shrimp kebabs with garlic and chili paste; lamb with onions, peppers, and couscous; and samosas stuffed with spiced potatoes, green peas, and chickpeas and served with a mint and tamarind chutney.
second place: Nawab Indian Cuisine, Roanoke, NawabRestaurant.com, 540-345-5150
third place: India Garden Restaurant, Blacksburg, IndiaGardenOnline.com, 540-951-5100
Best Italian Restaurant
Rania’s Restaurant, Bar, and Grill
147 E. Main St., Martinsville, RaniasRestaurant.com, 276-638-4462
In addition to classic Italian dishes like lasagna, linguine carbonara, shrimp scampi, and manicotti, Rania’s infuses elements of American, Spanish, and French cuisines into its menu. The Chicken Latino features chicken breast with onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and a mild pepper sauce, served over ziti pasta.
second place: Sal’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, Radford, SalsRadford.com, 540-639-9669
third place: Mamma Mia Italian Restaurant, Abingdon, 276-525-1144
Best Local Gourmet Food Store
The Fresh Market
2207 Colonial Ave. SW, Roanoke, TheFreshMarket.com, 540-344-5490
The market’s butcher offers specials such as corned beef brisket, whole beef tenderloin, veal loin chops, and Irish banger sausage. If you’re hosting a party, reserve pot roast and caramelized onion sliders, strawberry walnut take-and-bake brie, mini croissants, Guinness cheddar, and fresh fruit for in-store pick up.
second place: Blue Hills Market, Abingdon, BlueHillsMarket.com, 276-628-3170
third place: Tinnell’s Finer Foods, Inc., Roanoke, Tinnells.com, 540-345-7334
Best Local Ice Cream Shop
Dipper’s Ice Cream
4970 Greensboro Road, Ridgeway, DippersHomemadeIceCream.com, 276-956-6600
Dipper’s ice cream is a labor of love: peeling, mixing, baking, roasting, and cutting ingredients by hand to prepare mix-ins and swirls, as well as churning the from-scratch bases. Popular flavors include Southern Pecan Pie, Ooey Gooey Buttercake, and Peanut Butter Bang. Also try the strawberry, peach, and apple dumplings and seasonal bread puddings.
second place: Blue Cow Ice Cream Co., Roanoke, BlueCowIceCream.com, 540-400-8558
third place: Wiffle Pops, Wytheville, WifflePops.com, 276-389-8468
Best Local Sandwich Shop
Sweetcakes Bakery-Cafe
5140 Kings Mountain Road, Collinsville, SweetcakesBakeryCafe.weebly.com, 276-647-8941
For a satisfying lunch, pop in for a Big Boy—roast beef layered with two slices of Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and white peppercorn sauce on white bread and toasted. Other options include the Bull Dog—roast beef with pepper jack and pimento cheeses on sourdough—and the Mulberry—Black Forest ham with baby Swiss and house honey mustard on a croissant.
second place: Hugo’s Restaurant and Sports Bar, Martinsville, MartinsvilleHugos.com, 276-632-3663
third place: Sisters Cafe and Gifts, Marion, SistersCafeMarion.com, 276-783-9244
Best Locally Owned Coffee Shop
Zazzy’Z
380 E. Main St., Abingdon, ZazzyZ.com, 276-698-3333
All coffee beans are roasted in house, and the shop’s walls and tables are decorated with works by local artists. For a true morning wake-up, try the authentic macchiato. In addition to coffee and espresso drinks, the café serves a bistro-style menu with dishes like quiche, lasagna, soup, chicken salad, meatloaf, and homemade desserts.
second place: Daily Grind, Martinsville, DGUptown.com, 276-632-0035
third place: Restore Community Coffee, Lebanon, RestoreCommunityCoffee.com, 276-254-3560
Best Mexican Restaurant
El Parral
670 Commonwealth Blvd., Martinsville, Monterrey41.com, 276-632-6408
Popular dishes include the chipotle seafood dip with grilled shrimp and scallops; the nacho fajitas topped with grilled steak, onions, and bell peppers; the burrito Hawaino stuffed with grilled chicken and shrimp, pineapple, melted cheese, and tomatoes; and chicken enchiladas verdes. Plus, don’t forget a tropical cocktail, Mexican beer, or margarita.
second place: Mi Puerto, Marion, 276-783-4844
third place: Mi Ranchito, Martinsville, 276-632-6363
Best Outdoor Dining
Milton’s
3025 Fourth Ave., St. Paul, WesternFrontHotel.com, 276-738-3041
Founded by chef Travis Milton in February 2018 at the Western Front Hotel, Milton’s offers guests three outdoor dining venues. The two terraces on the mezzanine level are decorated with bubble lights and are perfect for cocktail parties. The BackYard is home to a stage that hosts local and regional acts for a summer live music series.
second place: Graze on Main, Wytheville, BollingWilsonHotel.com, 276-223-2333
third place: The Speakeasy, Marion, GFMHotel.com, 276-783-4800
Best Oysters
Graze on Main
170 E. Main St., Wytheville, BollingWilsonHotel.com, 276-223-2333
The Bolling Wilson Hotel’s signature restaurant serves its oysters fried, with plenty of aioli on the side and paired with succotash or other seasonal vegetables. Other popular items on the menu include the salmon; the filet, purchased locally from Laurel Springs Farm; crab cakes; and shrimp and grits.
second place: 128 Pecan, Abingdon, 128Pecan.com, 276-698-3159
third place: Montano’s International Restaurant, Roanoke, Montanos.net, 540-344-8960
Best Pizzeria
Papa’s Pizzeria Italian Restaurant
4288 Fairystone Park Hwy., Bassett, PapasPizzeria.us, 276-629-6992
The most popular pizza on the menu is the Chicken Tuscany, topped with grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, spinach, fresh tomato, Alfredo sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Founded in 1998, the shop also serves pasta, strombolis, calzones, hoagies, chicken Parmesan, and salads.
second place: Bella’s Pizza and Subs, Abingdon, BellasAbingdon.com, 276-628-8101
third place: Jerry’s Pizza Pasta & Grill, Martinsville, JerrysPizza.us, 276-638-3990
Best Restaurant
Milton’s
3025 Fourth Ave., St. Paul, WesternFrontHotel.com, 276-738-3041
Chef Bradley Griffin follows founder Travis Milton’s vision in serving upscale Appalachian cooking with locally sourced ingredients. Guests love the pepperoni rolls—a coal mining town tradition. The restaurant also features the Off the Rails bar, serving cocktails like the Trainwreck and Clinch River Cool-Aid.
second place: Hugo’s Restaurant and Sports Bar, Martinsville, MartinsvilleHugos.com, 276-632-3663
third place: Graze on Main, Wytheville, BollingWilsonHotel.com, 276-223-2333
Best Seafood Restaurant
Captain Tom Seafood
2615 Greensboro Road, Martinsville, Facebook.com/CaptainToms, 276-666-0326
Captain Tom’s menu features seafood staples such as shrimp cocktail, shrimp Alfredo, blackened salmon, Alaskan snow-crab legs, fried catfish, stuffed flounder, deviled crab, oysters, and scallops. Can’t choose? Try one of the restaurant’s seafood platters for a little taste of everything.
second place: Graze on Main, Wytheville, BollingWilsonHotel.com, 276-223-2333
third place: The Pacific Bay Steak & SeafoodRestaurant, Collinsville, Facebook.com/ThePacificBaySteakAndSeafood, 276-647-8217
Best Steakhouse
Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse
104 S. Jefferson St., Roanoke, FrankieRowlandsSteakhouse.com, 540-527-2333
All steak cuts are certified Angus beef—including filets, ribeyes, cowboy ribeyes, New York strips, Kansas City strips, and porterhouses—and are available with béarnaise, Bordelaise, or peppercorn sauce. The restaurant also offers a menu of more than 70 martinis. Try the signature pineapple martini made with fresh pineapple.
second place: Graze on Main, Wytheville, BollingWilsonHotel.com, 276-223-2333
third place: Tavern Restaurant, Abingdon, AbingdonTavern.com, 276-628-1118
Best Wine Shop
Katbird’s Wine & Gourmet
230 E. Main St., Abingdon, KatbirdsWine.com, 276-623-0001
The shop specializes in European wines from France, Spain, and Italy, and offers gourmet foods such as cheese and chocolate as well. Guests can also enjoy tastings at the Martha Washington Inn every two months. The shop and inn partner to host formal, sit-down food and wine pairings themed by country or region.
second place: Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg, VintageCellar.com, 800-672-9463
third place: Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar, Roanoke, MrBillsWineCellar.com, 540-400-7771
Best Winery
Hamlet Vineyards
405 Riverside Drive, Bassett, HamletVineyards.com, 276-629-2121
Founder Virginia Hamlet first planted vineyards in 2010 and began by producing one wine—Pinot Gris. The winery now produces nine wines from six grapes. The 2016 Eltham Meritage, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, was selected for the 2019 Virginia Governor’s Cup Case.
second place: Chateau Morrisette Winery, Floyd, TheDogs.com, 540-593-2865
third place: West Wind Farm Vineyard & Winery, Max Meadows, WestWindWine.com, 276-699-2020
Winners were determined by our Best of Virginia Readers’ Survey in January and published in our Best of Virginia 2019 issue.
