Anson "I'm not a playa, I just eat a lot" P.'s Profile
DateSalem, VA 24153
(540) 375-0055
Blue Apron Restaurant / Red Rooster Bar
Category:
American (New)
1 Previous Review:
-
2/19/2011
Brought a friend here, thinking that the Red Rooster Bar area would be more for young people. I don't think I could have been any more wrong. After that shock, we decided to eat here.
I had the bouillabaise. The seafood in it was a little overcooked and the whole thing was just really oily. My friend got the ribeye and judging by his facial expression, I can pretty much gather that he thought it was just ok...that and he used the words "it's just ok". I can honestly say, the best thing about dinner was the bread and butter. I'm not sure which cocktail I ordered, but I remember it being really sour. One regret that I had was not ordering dessert as the couple next to us appeared to be having orgasms eating their dessert.
Service was good. The bar area is really small and not by any means a place to go and meet people. I might head back here eventually to try something else on the menu...but right now, I'm not in any rush.
I will have to come back for dinner and try more of their pasta options before rendering a final verdict, but definitely worth a visit for lunch.
I tried the beef wellington and it was ok. The puff pastry was nice and flaky but the meat didn't wow me. In a word: meh. I expected a lot better for 22 bucks. One of my dining companions went with the salmon while another fellow diner tried to get a lamb dish. He went through 3-4 options before finding an entree that they were not out of. Overall, we all thought the food was just ok. We had a http://restaurant.com coupon thus making the whole night worth it. I would highly recommend acquiring such a coupon before coming here.
The service was good. The place looks nice on the inside. Parking is readily available.
If you go here, make sure you get the amazing wings. Essentially they are two whole chicken wings stuffed with an eggroll mixture consisting of cellophane noodles, mushrooms, and pork. They are awesome. I've also gotten the Queen noodle soup (egg noodles with roast pork, roast duck in broth). It was ok. I've also had the triple combination and rice (white rice with roast duck, roast pork, and bbq pork). Simple, yet tasty. My friends have gotten the duck noodle combination and the duck krapow. What's awesome is that some of their dishes have a fried egg on top. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I challenge you to find a dish that isn't made better by a fried egg on top. The prices here are pretty cheap.
This place is mainly a takeout place. It is a really small place They have a counter and two tables. During the day, it's a large salad bar and hot food bar roughly costing 5.59 per pound of food. They do a couple of Chinese and Thai options during lunch. They have a pretty extensive Thai menu for dinner and you'll find dishes that the other restaurants in town don't have.
This place is definitely worth trying and it is competing for my favorite Thai option in Roanoke. I'll have to try more dishes on their menu.
Roanoke, VA 24012
(540) 343-8888
Thelma's Chicken and Waffles
Categories:
Soul Food,
Breakfast & Brunch
2 Previous Reviews:
-
1/22/2011
Note: This place has moved on up to the east side...to a deluxe apartment in the sky...ok, so I took a lame joke and ran with it. Sue me. The point is...this place has moved to 315 Market Street in the downtown area of Roanoke. The food is still awesome. However, I can't help but feel that something is missing. I think it's the ambiance. I miss the chicken shack vibe. For me, the fancier things get, the less tasty things get. Ah well. At least, I can still get my chicken and waffles.
-
7/3/2009 First to Review
Most guys that I know fantasize about women that they see on television and movies. Sadly, I am no different. However, I fantasize more about food that I see on television more than females. A lot more. When the words chicken and waffles were uttered in the same sentence, I was already in the car ready to go before anyone else could suggest something else. Why the hell have I waited so long to try this delicious combination?
What else would I order but the chicken and waffles? I ordered up the leg and thigh with waffles and fried potatoes. They didn't have any more thighs, so instead I got 2 legs. This is the type of chicken that doesn't need any sauce or additional flavorings, different from what you would expect from Popeyes. So in essence, I'm not cheating on Popeyes. The skin was crispy and flavorful. The waffle had good texture and wasn't mushy. Combine the syrup and butter on the waffle with bites of the chicken and I was in flavor heaven. Now, what could you possibly choose to wash down such a meal? Only the nectar of the gods...sweet tea.
Now before we even sat down, a lady who had just finished dining told us to get the buttermilk pie. She looked like she had just had a religious experience. We tried it and I must say that it was damn good. It was like a thickened egg tart that you'd get at dim sum. Very tasty.
The service was excellent. You better believe I drank more than one sweet tea. We had a chance to chat with who I presume was one of the owners and he was really nice. He mentioned that the place had been open for about 5 years. He even discussed possibly expanding. I told him that we really needed a place like this in northern Virginia. I just need more people to go down to Roanoke and suggest it too. Who's up for a road trip to Roanoke?
We tried a few things. Here's a quick run down. We ordered the baba ghanouj (eggplant dip). Maybe it was a misunderstanding, but I had to ask for bread. I'm not sure how one is supposed to eat baba ghanouj without bread, but like I said, it might have been a misunderstanding. It wasn't bad. The bread was freshly baked and was very good. We tried the hummus and it was meh. I think it ranks somewhere between Double Apple (good) and Isaac's (bad). The lamb kabob was good, mild in flavor. Overall, the rice and salad that came with it were average. My two dining companions liked their falafel wrap and half chicken.
Just a note, the Italian menu items outnumber the Mediterranean items almost 2 to 1. The service was ok. The food was a little slow getting out, but we'll chalk that up to the opening week kinks. Try parking in the back (accessible via the small driveway) if the 3 spaces in the front are taken.
Overall, not a bad experience. Would be willing to give it another try.
As soon as I heard about this place, I ran away from work and made a b-line to satisfy my pho craving. And in the pho wars that plague Roanoke, I think this place takes the lead by a miniscule amount. The pho here won't blow anybody away, but I think it's slightly better than the pho at Pho Saigon and Cafe Asia. Two things. 1) The broth is decent and doesn't taste like chicken broth. 2) They leave the meat a little raw to cook in the soup like a real pho place. I thought the cuts of eye round steak were superior to the two aforementioned places. I tried the pho ga (chicken pho) and it wasn't too bad...pretty cool that they offer this option. The cha gio (Viet eggrolls) were decent and came with the requisite nuoc mam (fish sauce). I decided to gamble a little and get the quail...and this was a fail in my book. They burned the bejebus out of the quail. Carmelizing is one thing, but this took it to a nuclear level. But really...it's about the pho so I can't fault them too much for this one...or just choose not to.
Service was good. It's still early, and I'll try some of the other things on the menu as they become available. Right now...for tonight...I declare this place the winner of the pho wars...but not by much.
Anson has no friends.
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"I have no standards, so one star from me is really a kick in the crotch"
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1614 Useful, 1038 Funny, and 1284 Cool
Roanoke, VA
Yelping SinceNovember 2007
Things I Lovebacon, xbox 360, meat, steak, fried chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, buffets
My HometownAnnandale, VA
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm reading on the toilet in my fortress of solitude
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI put ketchup on my hotdogs and hamburgers and I'm not ashamed to admit it
My Second Favorite WebsiteCurrent favorite is http://thereifixedit.com/
My First ConcertTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles....no, I'm not joking.
My Favorite MovieThank You For Smoking
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I go out of my way to buy knockoff girl scout cookies.
Most Recent DiscoveryWhen girls pass gas, it does not smell like cinnamon and flowers.
Current Crush
My two dining companions and I came with the intention of trying a bunch of dishes. I got the spicy fried oyster gumbo and the lobster on top of risotto. My two friends got the NY strip and the lobster bisque, as well as the butternut squash soup and the seared duck. The lobster bisque was ok as well as the gumbo. However, everything else was amazing. My lobster was cooked just right and the risotto was the right texture. My only complaint about it was that there was just not enough of it. I'm a growing boy and have been known to steal off other people's plates. The NY strip was pretty good, pretty flavorful but I think the best dish was the seared duck...oh so tender.
And yes...I rectified my error of the first trip. I tried the dessert. One of my companions ordered two desserts for himself... and I approve. The apple cobbler was very good and the ice cream on top was the perfect accompaniment. And those of you who follow my reviews know that I love a good girly drink. And I would recommend to you the Parisienne Blonde. And I say this in the most manly way possible.
Service was a little slow and thankfully, I had a reservation. Bottom line: I will definitely be back.
TLDR: Anson had a better experience than the first time and will be back.