The River and Rail Restaurant

I will say first and foremost, our waitress was amazing. BUT It was so hot in this restaurant, it was hard to enjoy anything. We were informed the staff had been e-mailing the owners for months and nothing was being done. The HVAC system is apparently broken. We were told the Kitchen was 107* and the chefs looked like they were really struggling. I felt horrible for them. Our poor waitress was also dripping sweat. Not a good look for a restaurant with such amazing reviews.

A wee bit pricey but VERY good. Service was outstanding and the food was excellent. I won’t hesitate to recommend to friends and family.

Dinner tonight - cocktails, scallops, trout, cornbread, panna cotta, tasty Pinot Gris wine, espresso martini.. a perfect dinner, and excellent service. We will be back later this week.

Excellent food and drinks. Plus the service and atmosphere was top notch.

River and Rail is a pleasant Roanoke surprise! While in town for work it was suggested to me. I had the snack board which was wonderful and the wagyu Denver steak. It's rare to see a Denver steak on the menu so I was interested. Fantastic cook on the steak. Super flavorful. Bartenders were terrific too.

Great, modern, farm to table restaurant in Roanoke. We both had the jar of pickles to start which I devoured (all for a healthy microbiome). For mains, I had the trout which was crispy, and moist, sides were well cooked and flavorful. The reason for a 4 is my husband thought the hanger steak is a low cost cut of meat and was $$ here, he thought it tasted ok, but not as good as his previous nights prime rib. For dessert I had the chocolate panna cotta with cherries and it was one of my favorite desserts I have ever had!! So rich and fudgy, not a wobble in sight 😜
The server was incredibly knowledgeable and was very nice to put up with my several questions about gluten free and ensuring the trout was a fillet with no bones.
From an atmosphere perspective, the restaurant looked lovely. We opted to sit outside and talked to a lovely lady who owned a local Inn. It was a wee bit chilly but very much enjoyed the peacefulness 💗
Would definitely recommend

Stopped here with a friend for an excellent dinner. The restaurant is on a nice block with upscale stores with lots of parking. The inside has plenty of seating but was not too loud while we were there. The staff were very attentive and very helpful. Drinks were excellent. Food was paced well and made it easy to finish despite our slower pace. The oysters were great, the cornbread delicious. We split the duck and the trout. Both were excellent. Good potion size without over filling. Would highly recommend this restaurant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great Cocktails and Food. The atmosphere is great, and everything is worth the price.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pickles

I’m Cuban, visiting from warm Miami. Having traveled half of the world and almost every city within the US, here are my remarks:
I ordered Corn Bread for starters, and Pork Ribs for the main course. I cannot explain the level of excellence in the flavors. Definitely the place to go to if you’re looking for REAL GOOD food.
PS: Staff is extremely charming, welcoming and interactive… treated me like a King.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Really enjoyable. Hit on all fronts. Compared to other Roanoke restaurants, this is one of the tops.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Black Angus Hanger Steak

Wine dinner was phenomenal!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Good restaurant for a special occasion. Portions have decreased significantly in the last three years, but prices went the other way. Oyster plate: half in number and also size. Scallops: >$30 for three scallops.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 5

This place is wonderful - from the atmosphere to the absolutely DAZZLING menu!!!

The atmosphere is warm, yet has a touch of modern appeal.

The menu - where do I start?!

I chose the wild striped bass, with turnips, leeks in a creamy, peppery sauce. ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!! The bass was cooked beautifully, with a crispy skin, and the turnips had a wonderful sear on them - I had to refrain from licking the dish clean!

My fiancé got the hanger steak with carrots, mushrooms and blue cheese (rare). It was cooked to temp and absolutely juicy! The mushrooms radiate excellence all on their own! Thankfully, we shared!!!

Finally, our waitress, Caroline! She was exceptional - knowledgeable, honest and very kind!!!

Overall, it was a delightful experience! Would recommend, 11/10!!!

Edit: the coconut jalapeño lime sorbet is literally the best thing ever!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Hanger Steak, Jar of Pickles

Dinner was perfect

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

All was wonderful!!! We never miss this restaurant when passing through Roanoke!!!! Wait staff was great!!!! The homemade tonic water for a vodka tonic was the best! Thank you for a great time!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5