Food & Drink
Roanoke food and drink openings we can source. We will not invent a biscuit shop to fill this page.
After about 14 years in southwest Roanoke, Wasena City Tap Room planned to lock up for good at 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, according to a Facebook post covered by WDBJ. It kept regular hours through its last weekend. WDBJ reported no reason for the closing.
Taco Fest ran Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Elmwood Park. WDBJ says ticket sales and vendor fees covered the day, and leftover proceeds go to Huddle Up Moms for rent help, its diaper dash, and a van to get diapers to mothers without a ride. Live music, a beer garden, and a kids' area were part of the mix.
WDBJ's Hometown Eats stops at Vinton Cafe on E. Lee Avenue, where Keriann Campbell and family opened in November 2025 in the old Our Daily Bread space. Burgers at breakfast, French toast whenever, crepes and a gift shop of local makers. Hours are Monday–Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for now, with dinner and a patio still on the to-do list.
WSLS says the valley's first Wawa is at 1941 W Main Street in Salem and opens Thursday at 8 a.m.; the first 250 customers get a free T-shirt. Mayor Renee Turk joined a VIP "Taste of Wawa" Wednesday, and Feeding Southwest Virginia talked partnership plans.
The Roanoke Rambler counted the ledger: Beamers 25, Unleashed, and Tuco's Taqueria are gone from downtown. In 2026, The Haven took the old Awful Arthur's on Campbell, Dorothy turned a flower shop on Church into a bar and kitchen, and Salem's Parkway Brewing opened a taproom in The Bower. Same district, opposite outcomes on different blocks — we will not invent a biscuit shop to even the score.
