Blue Apron Restaurant & Red Rooster Bar

Outstanding food, atmosphere and service. It was tough deciding between several outstanding lunch choices. My wife and I decided to each have the sweet corn soup and curry chicken salad croissant. Both were great choices. A nice upscale lunch venue. Highly recommended.

Incredible jewel in travels between DC and TN. We always plan our journey around a meal here. The quality of the food, the presentation and the service revels any chef owned fine dining experience in a comfortable yet sophisticated setting. It represents the chef’s foods extremely well.

Have enjoyed several visits to Blue Apron and it decidedly occupies the top spot of all Roanoke Valley restaurants I have *ever* been to. Including Chef Switzer’s former restaurant, which was also excellent in its prime.
The dishes meet the mark for well-​traveled palates, with the use of quality, varied and very carefully-​prepared ingredients demonstrating a profound understanding of the chemistry and art of fine cooking. It’s all good, so enough on that. What’s especially remarkable is the easygoing atmosphere, which helps make this place accessible rather than exclusive. The staff are well-​versed in their assignments, and are available, delightful, and non-​intrusive. The wine list offers a fair number of really nice options for truly reasonable prices, and better yet provides many of these by the glass so it’s easy to pair with a variety of dishes. I asked for wine recommendations for some dishes where the base and the preparation left a lot of latitude for wine choices, and was given spot-​on suggestions (that weren’t clustered at the high end of the price list).
I have not only been comfortable coming here with my pre-​teen son, it has also become *his* favorite restaurant (disclaimer– at age 3 he would ask for balsamic vinaigrette dressing on salads). Another birthday coming up (for me)– there’s no other place I’d want to dine for over 100 miles…

Just fantastic. More words will just be filler. Never had a bad experience here always great

Excellent food, service, drinks, and atmosphere. And the pricing is spot on for what you get, if not a little on the low side (but I live in NYC, so everything everywhere else is pretty much a bargain). I look forward to returning next time I’m in the area.

We were lucky to get a table here without a reservation. I’d recommend getting one. My sister and I had the sirloin, my wife had the ahi tuna and my dad had the salmon. My wife and also had a cup of carrot soup. All of our dishes were offered in two sizes. We all chose the smaller-​sized plates and they were just right for us.
The food was great and the wait staff was very friendly and courteous. I was prepared to wait a while for our food, but was surprised at how quickly we were served. The restaurant was clean and tastefully decorated. I have no complaints.

This is my favorite restaurant in the New River Valley.
Blue Apron is an absolute gem in Southwest Virginia that manages to outshine those other critically-​acclaimed restaurants in Roanoke (and the one in Giles County). The food is innovative without compromising palatability. Cocktails are absolutely classic.
Every dish perfectly balanced in flavors, textures, colors, and arrangement. I’ve never had a bad bite of food here: the quality is always consistent regardless of the day of the week, the time of the day, or even if it’s a po’boy sandwich versus a duck dinner entrée.
We tend to get greedy when we come to Blue Apron, so we each get a cocktail and choose our top 2 – 3 choices from the menu. And then we order the small plates, so we can try all of them!

Lovely place. Great food. Friendly, attentive service. Will return in the evening at some point for a drink in their cosy bar before dinner.

Last week drove an hour for lunch at BA. Frisée Salad, something I did not like living in France in the early 70’s, but at the Blue Apron they balanced it so perfectly I forgot my previous dislike of the stuff and wanted more, more. Coconut Curry & Cauliflower Soup – wow, Crisp Duck Leg Confit for me, perfectly crisp, yes. I think the chef here really understands sauces, dressings, pairings, which is why all salads SING with their dressing and all entrees rest on elevated sauces. Their Cranberry, Pumpkin & Croissant Bread Pudding was special, it just was. In fact, Blue Apron is special. One of our favourite restaurants in the country. Can I compare it to Spago in Bev Hills? 40 years in L.A. – I would say, yes you can compare favorably!
There, I said it.

This is our favorite spot for a date night or special occasion. Romantic, rustic atmosphere, delicious food! The prices are reasonable, especially since you can order smaller portions and pay a little bit less. The desserts are also fantastic and just $ 4!

What can I say that hasn’t been said already? The food is fresh and delicious — very well thought out dishes. The cocktails are inventive and the service is impeccable. A must try if in Salem.

Amazing presentation, excellent service, and refined ambiance. The flowers are always fresh, the finest details of presentation observed, and the dishes, complex and expressive.

Went here with my mom while being stuck in Salem for almost a week. What a find! This place is so cozy and nice. The foie gras was absolutely amazing, I got the app size. My mom had gazpacho, which was different from what I’m used to but it was really good. My mom had the shrimp and grits half order. Very good. I had the salmon. The potatoes were small and amazing. If you go for dinner make sure to peak around the corner and look at the cutest bar I’ve ever seen. I actually give this 4.5. We were happy. Pics posted.

This is definitely the best restaurant in the Roanoke area. After living in NYC for several years I had given up hope on finding a nice restaurant in the area. The fried oysters, shrimp and grits, mussels and rack of lamb were excellent. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was elegant. The prices are fair for the quality of food.

Bad traffic forced us off the highway at dinner time and a quick look on Unilocal pointed to this restaurant because of it’s good reviews.
First impressions are great and carry through the entire dining experience.
Service was top-​notch.
We ordered a couple of small salads to start, followed by the shrimp, the scallops, and the duck dinners. All three meals were just exquisite.
The setting is very cozy and serves well for a business meeting, family gathering, or a romantic night out.
The people of Salem are lucky to have such a fine establishment in town. Although a bit out of the way for us, we will be back — guaranteed!
p. s. This is an extremely affordable choice for the quality and overall experience. In New York, Dallas, London, or Tokyo, a similar experience will set you back at least 3 to 4 times as much.

Our favorite place for the 1^st year that we moved here in the Roanoke area from NY. We love their seasonal menu, always something new and fresh and the option that you can always order an appetizer portion or full portion of almost every dish is definitely a plus. It really makes it fun to try out other dishes and not over do it, although we always would order too much. Love their Hudson Valley foie gras. Best foie gras in the valley for sure. Its a must for us every time. We would visit them at least once or twice a month until the foie gras started to show up on our bellies filling in the waistline. It is a fantastic place for a night out with friends or your special one. The atmosphere is great for any occasion. The service could be better but the great food makes up for it. Would definitely recommend this place.

I’m so pleased to have found this gem on Unilocal.
In a land that seems chock full of suburban chain restaurants we were decidedly in the mood for a place that doesn’t have a corporate headquarters somewheres off-​shore. What a treat (!) is this cozy casual yet sophisticated diamond, just 10 minutes from just about anywhere in Roanoke. Here visiting our niece/​daughter/​grand daughter at Hollins, and having driven 12 hours from MA to get here, Mom, Sis, and I were in for a treat.
We sampled a divine Spanish White gazpacho, silky smooth with a taste of lobster, and then a perfect winter meets-​spring-​salad of endive and artichoke, asparagus and quick picked radish drizzled with a pomegranate vinaigrette that was just right sweet-​tart. Did I mention the prosciutto and melon?
For Entrees Mom had a beautiful rack of lamb, Sis the succulent shrimp and grits, and I the decadent duck breast. The proteins, prepared beyond reproach, were presented in complete harmony with the rest of the ingredients, each given the respect, care and precision one would expect from a French restaurant. I like my veggies, and here they do too.
I don’t mean this all to make the food here sound pretentious. There is nothing stuffy here, from the charming location, attentive skilled staff, or talented kitchen. With options for any budget or appetite, Blue Apron is a place where anyone will feel right at home, all the while getting spoilt rotten.

This is the best restaurant in Roanoke Valley and likely in SW Virginia.
I am originally from New York City and this place could do very well there.
One of its best features is that all of the delicious plates can be ordered as half-​portions which increases the amount that you can try. Prices are very reasonable for this quality of food. Fish is fresh, meat is good. They will accomodate picky children with off-​the-​menu chicken strips and french fries.
This is the place to bring your date/​boss/​parents.
Would recommend at least business casual attire, as diners tend to be nicely dressed.

Each time we dine there we are impressed from the very beginning. the hostess warm smile. our attentive waitress discusses the menu items sharing her zest for both the food and wine ready to assist with your pairings. You feel as if she is doing this Special for you. Salads are exciting mix of flavors and the entrees are always complex and great experience.
Great for special occasion

Authentically modern with brick lined walls ~ old hardwood floors and barn type looking doors. Are you lured in yet? What if I told you, you can order half portion sizes and sometimes even less! IMO more restaurants should offer this option.
Seeing «pickled watermelon» in recipes has always intrigued me and I’ve been wanting to try it. I was so delighted to see a Pickled Watermelon Salad when our waitress handed us the menus. It was delicious! Pickled watermelon with cucumber, avocado, and water cress dressed in a creamy feta dressing. Even the hubster liked it!
I ordered the Pan-​roasted Salmon with date and pine nut couscous, zucchini squash heirloom tomatoes and a red wine reduction. While my husband ordered the Wed dinner special ~ beef tenderloin. We both LOVED our meals! With dinners this good no way were we going to pass up dessert! I ordered the Profiteroles which is local vanilla ice cream drizzled in a chocolate sauce and sweet dark cherries on the side, however I switched the vanilla ice cream out for homemade pistachio. It was fantastic! Peach upside down cake with peace carmel sauce was enjoyed by the hubster.
Hands-​down, a dinner worth a 5-​star rating!