Sidecar — Restaurant in Roanoke

I dont get how this place has so many high reviews.

Wife and I went here for our anniversary dinner and we had the absolute worst experience ever with our waitress that gave everyone else around us decent service but for us, they ignored all night.

We started our meal at the bar and the bartender was really nice. Did an excellent job and was personable. We ordered an appetizer because we didnt think the table would be ready so soon as we were there 30 minutes early. The hostess came and we were asked if we wanted to eat at the bar or proceed to our table. We wanted a table because it's a special night. In the words of Julia Roberts, big mistake, HUGE.

We are sat down at a table in a dark part of the restaurant that has the loudest group of people ever, specifically one patron that if my wife had that voice we would never make it past 1 year of marriage, but that's not necessarily the fault of the restaurant.

As we sit there 20 minutes rolls by and a woman comes up and purs water in our glasses and says, "You already ordered appetizers right?" We respond in the affirmative and she just leaves. No introduction, no explanation of the menu, no conversation with us whatsoever. Didn't ask us if we wanted anything else to drink or a wine or anything. Another staff member delivers our appetizer to us. The appetizer, manages to have a burning hot serving dish, but the actual food is room temperature. How they can manage that, confounds me. The appetizer was okay, nothing amazing.

The "waitress" comes back and flat out says "You ready to order entrees now?".

Didn't ask us how the appetizer was.

We ordered and she left. About 10 minutes later we get our food. Salads brought out at same time as our entree. The salad was half fresh and half wilted with brown spots. It was extremely bitter and under dressed.

I ordered the burger and the wife ordered the New York Strip. They claim to use Prime beef for the strip, my wife spat out a few bites for being inedible gristly meat. My burger is a grease slick with the bottom half of the bun being drenched to the point the bread was disintegrating. They didn't rest the burger patty before placing it on the bun or put an adequate sauce layer on it to protect the bun from the meat juices when it redistributed after cooking. The burger patty wasnt great and it was too heavy, you get meat and bread with more meat and bacon jam. This was more of a personal issue as I'm sure for others it would have been great.

Now in any restaurant I've been in. If someone at the table only had a single bite of their entree the waitress asks how the food was. This invites the patron to either praise or criticize to allow a restaurant the opportunity to receive important feedback. Not with our "waitress". She proceeded to ignore us until we had to grab her attention and tell her we needed a box for my wife's fries.

She brings us a check and I pay and we leave. She never asks us about anything, never thanks us, never even acknowledges us as human beings. This "waitress" is an insult to wait staff everywhere. She doesn't need to ever work in the service industry. We would get better service at a Waffle House and im sure the food would be better there.

TL;DR DO NOT GO HERE FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION BUT IF YOU DO,...

The ambiance of the venue is perfect for younger people, or those who want to have a modern and somewhat sophisticated eating experience. I would say that the ambiance is really the highlight of the restaurant; not the food.

The service was quick and genial, but (slightly) pretentious.

The appetizers were quite good. I had what was essentially a charcuterie plate with various cheeses, some bresaola, and thinly sliced chorizo. If you've ever had similar plates, you'll know they'll add some peripheral things like crackers and jams and the like. It was enjoyable, but not as good as the charcuterie platter that you can get at Local Roots.

I had fries that seemed to have been fried in duck fat, along with some CURRY ketchup. Allow me to tell you, that this is how you will want to eat fries for the rest of your life. Very good idea.

The entrees and the sausage were pretty lackluster. The special for the day was pasta with a curry sauce and lamb meatballs. From this I cemented into my head that pasta and curry will never go together. It was a pretty awful combination, with most of the issue coming from the ridiculous texture, and what seemed to be heavy cream in the curry contributing to the difficulty of eating. It honestly tasted like Velveeta mac and cheese with curry powder in it. The lamb meatballs weren't anything to write home about either.

My girlfriend had something similar to spaghetti alla pescatora, but unfortunately it fell victim to a common theme among the errors committed by Americans trying to cook Italian food - WAY too much of a garlic flavor, and the sauce was way too sweet. Given the location, the seafood in the dish also left much to desire. Keep it simple and use the best available ingredients when making this kind of food. If a dish includes something you know you can't get decently fresh/good in the area, put something else on your menu, especially if you are trying to hold your restaurant to a high standard.

The sausages, which I guess they're supposed to be popular for, weren't very good either. The few I tasted were just dry and bland. They are also eight dollars each for a small link (this is not a good price).

The drinks were okay, but again, nothing to write home about.

Again, I think the ambiance really carries this restaurant. Some improvements need to be made to the selections on the menu. I just barely rated this four stars.

Keep all of this in mind when trying to find a place to eat for your...

Sidecar is, if nothing else, hip. Tucked away from the central Roanoke restaurant scene, you wouldn’t find it if you weren’t looking, which means that this jewel stays fairly hidden in plain sight. The vibe is some mixture of renovated former jazz club meets French bistro. It’s elegant but unpretentious. Popular but not crowded. Upscale but relaxed. This isn’t a Cheers reboot, and it isn’t a Le Bernardin wannabe; it’s a vigorous eatery for people who want a good drink and a solid meal that is both delicious and entertaining in its variety.

Clearly, the bar car of sentimental railroad culture is the inspiration for the ambiance, decor, and menu selections. Wine selection is thorough without having to sit through a master class on “how the oak reserve of ‘84 just wasn’t up to standard” to appreciate it. The signature cocktails are the star, well composed and beautifully presented, but top-shelf liquor and house-made mixers/garnishes come at a price, so if you’re looking for $2 high ball night, this isn’t your game. True to the classy-humble vibe though, beer selections are equal parts familiar, intriguing, and accessible.

When it comes to the dinner menu, this is way more fun than a pedestrian steak and baked potato salute to routine. Think “choose your own adventure,” but make it dinner. Small plates, house made sausage, charcuterie, and a la carte fresh seafood preparations can be built out into a bit-by-bit “taste all of the things!” meal or paired with an excellent full or petit size entree. Great variety. Everything manages to satiate yet remain light.

Go here. Order the Crown Jewel or the sidecar. Do at least 3 Oyster sidecar. And, for sure, 2 eggs mimosa. If it’s hot out, get the sea bass. If not, the pork cheeks or the roast lamb dip. Get the dessert, especially if it involves dark chocolate.

This is a meal that’s worth...