Martin's Downtown — Restaurant in Roanoke

This was my first time at Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill and it was awesome. I happened to go in on a Tuesday were they do a Bourbon/Whiskey and BBQ special, which was great. I started with some Cajun Fried Oysters as soon as I took a bite, I realized I was in for a good time. The Oysters were fresh, not a frozen product, nice crispy breading and a plump juicy oyster inside with a cajun remoulade on the side to dip, which complimented each bite. I decided to go with the ribs and was very happy I did, I got a traditional BBQ sauce, they also offered Carolina style, ribs we meaty, not dry or a lot of fat, great char on the outside that went really well with the sweet, tangy BBQ sauce. My meal also came with 2 sides, they had a great assortment of options here, I decided on the baked beans and green beans. The baked beans were awesome, big chucks of high quality bacon and a slight sweetness, I would probably say they make them inhouse, really really good. The green beans were fresh, not canned, and sauteed with some garlic and cooked perfect. A lot of times side dishes can be an afterthought, but not here, next time I am going to try the Devil'd Egg Potato Salad. A band started playing Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, which were awesome, they probably had 7 to 8 members in the band, horns, drums and everything and the sound was great, not too loud at all, I was sitting at the bar and could very much still talk and converse when needed. Plenty of room to dance if you wanted or find an area to just chill. It is a great place to catch a show and you have lots of opportunities, as they have music most nights. Staff was extremely friendly and nice. Very prompt, courteous service with all my interactions. Vibe was really cool, everybody was having fun. Great selection of craft beers on draft and craft beers in cans and bottles. Looking forward to getting back for some really good food, drinks and a show really soon. ...

Came into town to meet up with some friends. They told me about a band and I have not heard of. Maybe because I was married for 30 years. Had dinner, I got the cheeseburger and the deviled eggs potato salad. Both are very good. But it was the band Crobar Cane that blew us all away. A couple of my friends knew some of the band and I was surprised to hear they are a local band. If you like Allman Brothers, Dicky Betts, Outlaws, Marshall Tucker and Crobar Cane's own songs then you are set for a non-stop display of jamming. I mean literally. I will tell you that it is a small area and the bar and dining room with a stage. Being downtown in older buildings you have to do what is necessary to get open. The crowd was big and all wanted to be in front of the band. Of course you are sitting at the table and no way you can see. But I don't think it matters. I come to listen to the band not the see the band necessarily. Would be nice but not necessary in this case. I am telling you this band is good. I heard Allman Brothers as good as it gets. I mean they are great instrumentalists and sing right fine too. Great service from our nicer than nice server. And not just her either. They all were coming around to get dishes and empty glasses. I like that kind of service.

Of course I expect to show my appreciation in the form of a tip. Not a thank you only as I saw some just get up and leave. Very rude.

I actually recommend Martin's Downtown and especially when you hear Crobar Cane is playing. You can count on...

We went a couple weeks ago on a Monday night and I was looking forward to trying it. I was impressed with the variety and selection in the burger section of the menu. For a place to offer half price burgers every Monday, it’s surprising to see so many on the menu you can choose from. Some of the options include: The Wisconsin Cheeseburger (pepper jack, cheddar, & provolone), Philly Cheeseburger (mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, & provolone), Bistro Burger (havarti, mushrooms, whole grain mustard on an English muffin), and The Pitts-burger (coleslaw, French fries, tomato, & provolone). I ordered The Western – a burger topped with smoked bacon, house BBQ sauce, cheddar, and an onion ring. They also have good variety with their side dishes, but I ordered the traditional staple – French fries.

The presentation of the burger was great. The combination of the onion ring, bacon, and BBQ sauce made for a nice picture with lots of different color. Unfortunately, I wish it had tasted as good as it looked. For as many different flavors as I had on the burger, I was hoping I would be able to taste more of them. The meat seemed to lack seasoning or any sort of grilled flavor and the BBQ sauce was relatively bland. The hamburger bun also didn’t do much for me – it tasted a little stale and could have used a minute in the toaster. I had high hopes as I was seeing people’s orders delivered to the table and even higher when my plate was served, but it just didn’t live up to...