Blacksburg Restaurants in and around Hokie Town

Blacksburg, VA, is home to Virginia Tech--a large university with around 30,000 undergrad students. All of those hungry Hokies have to eat somewhere. Visitors to the area will not be disappointed in the food in this college town. In this journal, I review the top restaurants in the Blacksburg area: Gillie's, The Farmhouse, The Homeplace, Carlos', Mike's Grill, The Cellar, and Backstreets.

Quick Tips:

Best of Blacksburg Restaurants:

Best Vegetarian: Gillie's
Best Upscale Food in Unique Atmosphere: The Farmhouse
Best Homecooked Meal: The Homeplace
Best Restaurant (Upscale): Carlo's
Best Cheap Eats: Mike's Grill
Best for Large Groups: The Cellar
Best Italian Food at Good Prices: Backstreets

Best Way To Get Around:

Gillie's is THE place for vegetarians in Blacksburg. Here you will find inventive dishes--all meat-free except for a few featuring seafood. The atmosphere is casual bistro-type. Prices are very affordable, with all entrees under $10. It's great for groups of friends, couples, and even families earlier in the evening. The food is excellent. For my vegetarian roommate and me, our favorite was the wild mushroom béchamel. This dish features pasta, a variety of mushrooms, and a delicious white-wine sauce. Another of Gillie's strong points is its bread. All the bread is baked at the very popular Bollos bakery next door. A variety of choices--many multigrain--are available. Breakfast is extremely popular at Gilles. A friend of ours claimed the French toast was the best she had eaten in her life. Every time her parents came to visit, they went to Gillie's for French toast. A breakfast brunch features the French toast and many other choices every weekend from 8am to 2pm. Non-vegetarians normally enjoy Gillie's too. However, only bring non-vegetarian friends with a sense of adventure. Even the pizza is made with organic ingredients. It's very tasty but not for those who only like Pizza Hut.

Hours are: Breakfast 7-10:30am, Lunch 11am-3pm, Dinner 5-10pm. Weekend Brunch 8am-2pm.

The Farmhouse gets its name from its atmosphere. This restaurant is housed in an actual old farmhouse, renovated into an eatery. From the time you walk through the door, you will enjoy the homey feel. Some of the rooms are large, restaurant-style areas catering to larger groups. The décor is fancy, with a farmhouse-parlor style. Other tables are housed in individual rooms. Each of these rooms consists of a restored horse stable with bench-style seating and cozy lighting. These "stables" are perfect for couples looking for a romantic and secluded dinner, or for families with young children. The more isolated location will give the kids the freedom to speak in their normal tone. They will also love the fact that they are eating dinner in a horse stable. The food is outstanding. Meat is the mainstay. For top-of-the-line cuts of beef, there is nowhere like the Farmhouse. This location is very popular with Virginia Tech students, especially during special occasions like graduation, homecoming, and parent’s weekends. At these times, reservations are absolutely essential. In fact, you should try to get a reservation anytime you come here, especially on a weekend night. To beat the crowds, head out during the week or on a weekend during VT’s winter break (mid-December to mid-January). The location is about a 15- to 20-minute drive from the VT campus area of Blacksburg. For fine dining in a unique atmosphere, the Farmhouse is a wonderful choice.

When you come here, come hungry. The Homeplace has long been the mainstay for hungry college students looking for a taste of home. The Homeplace is a short drive (about 30 minutes) from Virginia Tech, nestled in a gorgeous mountain setting. In fact, to come here for the scenery would be enough. The Homeplace gets its name not only from its cooking but also its location and residence - the building is a country home. It serves up family-style meals to groups of any size. For a set price of $11 per person, you get all-you-can-eat fried chicken, biscuits with apple butter, mashed potatoes with gravy, mac’n’cheese, beans, and corn. For an extra $1 per person, you can add on a second meat selection (the ham is very highly recommended). You wash it all down with unlimited pitchers of lemonade and iced tea. Dessert is also included in the price and usually features some kind of pie a la mode. The food is excellent and this place is also a great value.

For vegetarians like my old roommate and I, you will still love this place. While the meat is the main feature, the side dishes alone make a great meal. For large groups (including college students) and families, this place is a particularly good find. Hikers passing through on the Appalachian Trail will also LOVE this place. Note that the Homplace is NOT open on Sundays (we learned this the hard way in college).

Carlos is one of the best restaurants my husband and I have ever eaten at. The food is Brazilian style. It is inventive and delicious. The menu features a variety of poultry, meat, and seafood options. Vegetarian options are available, as well as featured dishes such as pasta tropicanna and vegetarian paella. Do not skip dessert here. The key lime pie was wonderful. For that matter, don't skip the appetizers or soup either. When we were here, we had the specials, stuffed artichoke and shrimp bisque, both delicious. The prices are high but well worth the splurge for a special occasion.

If you are trying to escape the crowds at B'burg's only fancy restaurant (The Farmhouse), a 40-minute drive to Roanoke for the best food in the area is not a bad option. The atmosphere is smart-casual. It is nice for a couple for a romantic evening out, a business dinner, or celebrating with family. Families with children may feel more comfortable eating here early in the evening or for lunch, however. Carlos is open from 5 to 9:30pm Monday to Saturday for dinner and 11:30am to 2 pm Monday and Wednesday for lunch.

If you want to take in a good, filling lunch fast, come to Mike's. Calzones and burgers are the thing to try here. The burgers are big and well-known. The calzones are gigantic and enough for two or three meals. Students, visitors, families, and everyone else will enjoy this place. The atmosphere is pizza-parlor style. The location is within walking distance to the VT campus.

The Cellar has good food with ample menu items (American-Italian). The food is better than average. The Cellar has two parts to it - the upstairs, which is a "nicer" restaurant section, and the downstairs (cellar) that caters more to students and has a large bar. The downstairs is nice for large groups because there are several large tables that can seat groups of 20 people or more with no problem.

The downside to the Cellar is the service, or at least it was when we were there. You usually have to go out and search for your waiter/waitress to get the check or a refill. This is not true in the upstairs section, where the service is more prompt. Overall, it is a good value, especially for large groups. Its hours are from 4pm to 2am daily. For a free coupon, go to http://www.the-cellar.com/coupon.cfm.

Backstreets is a solid choice for B'burg dining. The food is better-than-average to good in quality. A particular favorite is the baked spaghetti. If you like baked spaghetti, you will enjoy this place for sure. The calzones are another good option. The atmosphere in Backstreets is nice for conversation. It is a popular location on parent's weekends and graduation weekends, good for groups, families with kids, and couples. Walking distance to the VT campus.