When I was growing up in Roanoke, Virginia, some of the best restaurants from my childlike point of view included the Ground Round and ShowBiz Pizza (now called Chuck E. Cheese). In attempt to keep up with the Joneses, Roanoke has acquired a variety of new restaurants in order to maintain its growing population. Some of the newest restaurants currently enjoyed by Roanokers include Annie Moore’s Pub (Roanoke’s first Irish pub since 2004, as far as I know), Carraba’s, Abuelos, Panera Bread, Zaxby’s, Taaza Indian Cuisine, and soon to arrive is Cheeburger Cheeburger.
Who knows what Roanoke will host next? I’ll tell you, however, the restaurants I’ve been to that I’d absolutely love to see in Roanoke.
Showmars
Founded in 1982 by George Couchell, Showmars is located mostly around Charlotte, North Carolina. Showmars is a restaurant of delicious American cuisine, though my favorites from their menu are their Greek specialties. Showmars offers plenty of burgers, some wrapped in warm pitas; entrees for pork lovers, chicken lovers, and seafood lovers; mouthwatering Greek cuisine; and even breakfast yummies. Very good food at very reasonable prices!
Cheeseburger in Paradise
Virginia offers more Cheeseburger in Paradise locations than any other state! The problem for me is that there isn’t one in Roanoke. The closest one to Roanoke is Charlottesville. This franchise, licensed with permission from the one and only Jimmy Buffet, sings out with a kicked-back, relaxed island atmosphere inside and out. I say we bring the island spirit a little further inland Virginia with the bamboo, tropical water scenes, bright colors, sailcloth, nautical sports paraphernalia, Tiki bar, and live music performances that give Cheeseburger in Paradise its island-like environment. The menu offers cuisine full of cocktails, American favorites, fresh fish dishes, and Caribbean-style house specialties.
When I visited the Cheeseburger in Paradise in Virginia Beach, VA in August 2006, it didn’t take me long to find my favorite dish: the Tropical Mixed Grill Satay, which included several skewers of marinated chicken and steak on a bed of greens and a special coconut curry dipping sauce. Unfortunately, from what I can tell on their website, Cheeseburger in Paradise no longer has this entrée including steak; now the entrée is just Tropical Chicken Satay. Despite this sad news for me, I would still love to see a Cheeseburger in Paradise in Roanoke to enjoy its food and atmosphere!
http://www.cheeseburgerinparadise.com/
The Cheesecake Factory
The only thing I’ve ever had from the Cheesecake Factory was a slice of Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake…it was a piece of Heaven in itself. I’ve heard it’s pricey but that the food is scrumptious. Even if all I could ever buy were slices of cheesecake, I’d love to have a Cheesecake Factory here in Roanoke! (Maybe it’s wishful thinking…)
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/default.asp
The Melting Pot
Save up for this one! Another upscale restaurant, but the experience of dining at a Melting Pot is one that cannot be duplicated! I dined there once for dessert only and that night I had the awe and excitement of a child. Whether you are familiar or unfamiliar with the concept of fondue, you’ve got to dip into the nearest Melting Pot to treat yourself to one of the tastiest experiences you’re likely to have. Choose from a variety of cheese-based dipping sauces, bouillon broth (such as Caribbean-style, European-style, French-style, etc.) for your entrée, and one of the rich chocolate dipping sauces for dessert. I must add that the best dippers are the desserts – cheesecake, fresh strawberries, bananas, pineapple, brownies, pound cake, and marshmallows! Hey, Roanoke may not be a “big city,” but I know we have good taste! The Melting Pot would be one of those “special occasion” restaurants.
http://www.themeltingpot.com/
Those are the major four restaurants on my mind right now. I’m sure I’ll find even more restaurants in my future travels that I’d like to bring to Roanoke. Otherwise, I’ll just have to keep traveling out of town to the places that have these restaurants and this article will simply be a mini-restaurant review for anyone who might be interested in the above four restaurants!
