Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse

GREAT PINEAPPLE MARTINIS. Unfortunately, our second bottle of white wine had not been stored in the wine cooler so it was served room temperature. The server brought me a glass of ice!!!
Watch your credit card statement. We ate dinner there last night and we were triple charged for our meal… When I called the restaurant, I was told that Jessica the manager was too busy to talk to me. The hostess suggested that I call back Monday.

So I don’t write many reviews; however, I use Unilocal quite a bit and read a lot of reviews for my own benefit whenever I go out of town. I used to love this place. I come down to Roanoke quite a bit for conferences and when I do I always skip Conf festivities the first night to go to Frankie’s (as I like to call it). My last time the service was bad. The food was great. Now tonight, a Thursday evening, the whole restaurant was closed including the bar. Who does this?! I’ve been around the restaurant world for a long time. A Sun, Mon, Tues, or even Wed night sure. Perhaps even a Thurs but with the bar open. 4 other people walked away saying they wouldn’t be back. Outside we all decided to go to Billy’s. I didn’t know the people outside, and as it turns out Billy’s is a great alternative. I’ll be coming to Billy’s from now on. Perhaps it’s a manager scheduling problem, but ultimately it’s an owner problem. Hope they turn it around …

Though the food and service was great as I remember from my last visit there, it was VERY disappointing that, for my birthday this past Saturday, my husband made a reservation for 2 and we were sat in the back room (which I did not even know existed) at a 4 top table next to two huge parties of families with tons of children at them. Half the tables in the nicer front room were empty when we arrived and left (annoying to say the least). There were even empty 2 top tables in the brightly lit back room (killed the ambiance of the restaurant) we sat in that were not even offered to us. No idea what prompted them to make those choices but if you have to make a reservation in any future instance, I would recommend specifically asking for a table in the front, MUCH NICER, part of the restaurant.

Excellent. I went in expecting to get a nice steak but ended up getting a seafood special. It was a shrimp scallop and crab trio in a cream sauce.

Still ranks as one of my top steakhouses in the country — yes I rank it that good. Always try to go there if I am in Roanoke and have the opportunity.
I can not think of a bad thing on their menu and their signature pineapple martini is one of the best.
Do not miss the opportunity to go here. Some may rank this as expensive but for a very high end steak house the prices are very reasonable (even a little below prices at the big chain comparable like Ruth’s Chris or Morton’s).

Came in from NYC for business and client took us all to this place.
Super super friendly waitress (Rhianna) and extremely thorough and attentive, very well versed in the menu.
Of course we all ordered steaks and they were very good. I guess being from NYC, I am spoiled …. But it was very good, not exceptional…
Sides were excellent and the wine pairing was equally as well done.
Overall, it’s worth the $ …

I cannot express in a paragraph how much I LOVE this restaurant! Their food is impeccable and delicious, certainly a step above their competitors. Their martini menu is quite extensive and remarkable. It’s a must for any and all who are looking for quality cuisine and drink in the area. Also, if you want to have an even more spectacular experience you must request Helen as your server! In the short time we had the pleasure of dining with her we quickly formed a friendship. She it witty, charming, and very charismatic! She truly made our experience!

Visited for a Special Occasion. Ambiance/​décor was
conducive for fine steakhouse dining. Table service was extremely attentive and proper. Our Tomato/​Mozzarella salad was sized adequately to be split,
likewise our Strip Steak and Cottage Fries. Steak was cooked as requested, tasty enough, but for the price I expected it to offer more «melt in your mouth»
tenderness. Satisfying last course of complimentary
dessert and really superb coffee.

Steak was not to perfection. Ordered med rare and was medium plus plus BUT it was still very good. The steak looked so good I choose not to send it back. They felt very bad because I have been to over 250 PRIME steakhouses and expected better. Bar tender Jen was outstanding! They did offer to make the steak $ right but I refused. Skip SHULA’S and do this. You won’t be disappointed!

The best steaks in Roanoke. Yes, they are expensive but tender and delicious. I’ve only had one tough steak and the manager made things right. I usually order the Cowboy Ribeye. What a great, and large, piece of beef. I also usually get a half order of sautéed spinach, which isn’t on the menu but they will prepare it for you. The service has always been excellent, and one of the bartenders even remembers my first name. And they have the best martinis in town. Since I almost always order a Sapphire martini that may seem like a silly claim to make but it’s true nonetheless.

Incredibly disappointed in this venue. I booked a private dining event for 30 people approximately 8 weeks prior to the event. I had a signed dining contract that was returned to the venue and moved forward with planning. A month before the event, after invitations had been sent, the restaurant called and stated that the room was double booked and our event was canceled. They explained that they had been trying to get in contact with us, but we have no record of any communication. The manager and her staff were caught in several lies when explaining what went wrong. When it was finally made clear that our party would be the one to be canceled the manager had a staff member call instead of handling it herself. They offered nothing to offset the inconvenience and provided no help in recommending a different venue.
By year end I will have hosted roughly 60 dinners across the country for my work and have never had something like this happen. It is unacceptable and unprofessional. I will be sure that my company and/​or any of my affiliates never use Frankie Rowland’s dining space in the future.

As I came in I was greeted with smiles and joy. Service was spectacular. The only problem was my steak was rare when I said medium rare.

I had previously visited and was extremely disappointed with the service level my group received. I have since been back a few times and I am very happy I gave them a second chance. I’ve had two of my all time favorite steaks here. Always ask if thy have any unlisted cuts that might be available off-​menu. While some issues with the host/​management staff still exist, the wait and bar staff have always been great.

Wow… a great piece of meat. The 10 oz filet was prepared perfectly. Stellar Caesar salad and potatoes au gratin were solid. Great spot in Roanoke.

I can’t eat at Frankie’s enough… I don’t even know what else to say.
It’s not cheap, but in your daily life of Mcdonald’s and Burger King drive-thru’s, how often do you actually treat yourselves? Probably not often enough! Frankie Rowland’s certainly has one of the best steaks that I’ve ever indulged in.

My food was delicious.. . but very, very salty. I mean salty. The bread. Salty. The scallops. Extremely salty. Steak was understandably salty (and very delicious). The mashed potatoes were absolutely amazing. The broccoli was steamed perfectly. The atmosphere was nice… but perhaps I shouldn’t have gone on a Friday night. The dining room was extremely loud. There was nothing romantic about my visit. My date could barely hear me. Personally. The food was too salty and the atmosphere was bunk. Ill give it **** because the food was great. I just can’t stress how salty the food was. Make sure you ask for water with your wine.

Can not say a single bad thing. Just made reservations for our anniversary ¹⁰⁄₂₃ and were way too excited! We always get the same table and the same dish every time. The potatoes gratin are almost the whole reason we go it’s amazing! Always get the gnocchi appetizer hope it’s Gorgonzola sauce this time!!! Also please try the bottled still water Laurissia it’s from a spring in Italy you won’t regret it. We love love LOVE Frankie’s!!!

I was really blown away by the prices but it was my birthday and I wanted to eat somewhere special. Frankie’s was so worth it. You will leave full of delicious meat. Tried lamb for the first time here and it was good. It was 22 oz which was about 9 or so pieces of lamb chops and I had to ask for a doggy bag. Sharing is encouraged. Many of their sides are actually made for sharing. A table next to us got onion rings and they got a heaping serving, enough to feed the whole table of 6! Ribeye steak was also really good. But what was really amazing was their scallops. I got a side of scallops in their parmesan cognac sauce and the scallops just melted in your mouth. Huge scallops cooked to perfection. I definitely would love to come back to try a seafood dish because I imagine it will be as delicious as their meats. The service is also very nice — it exceeded my expectations. Everyone is super friendly and helpful. Eating at Frankie’s will overall be a great experience!

Oh. My. Word. From the moment we walked in… Fabulous. Upon checking on we were given the option of being seated right away or going to bar. I know, up selling but a nice experience at the bar. Very friendly staff. When seated for dinner the experience continued. Very nice helpful staff. Wine list is fantastic Meal was perfect and the best steak I have had in 10 years! We will be back! Highly recommend!

Hands down, best meal in Roanoke. Great food, vibe, and friendly service. Starting with the delicious bread and butter and ending with the bananas foster dessert, everything was 5-​star. The bruschetta appetizer was excellent and came deconstructed with a bowl of hot cheeses, tomatoes & garlic, and balsamic. We split the 14oz fllet, which was melt in your mouth tender. We had a side of cottage fries; which were a nice accompaniment for the filet. Great martinis too according to the mr. So if you have something special to celebrate or are looking for an excellent meal in downtown, this is the place.