Pomegranate

Delicious dinners for both my husband and myself. We started out with the Bruschetta, which was delicious. Sangria and red wine, great value. My husband had something new on the menu tonight, a shrimp & sausage pasta dinner. I had the black and blue salad, also fantastic! Wait staff was wonderful. Highly recommended! Our first time here, while traveling back to NJ.

My hometown since 1941. David Obenchain’s feed mill most of my life.
Behind the Railway station.
Maybe it’s a hometown feeling.
Traveled most of the World since 1940.
Tonight, perfect calamari, outstanding pork chop, Grgich Chard. What could be better? Thank you.

I had a road trip through the western part of the state recently and after hearing about a small town that had an amazing restaurant to stop by, I did. And I am sooooo glad I did.
Alejandro was a great waiter. Suggested the Frisk for my particular wine palate, a win! The crab entrée and asparagus was amazing! The ambiance was amazing, wonderful patio seating near old railroad tracks, fans above, subtle but visual lighting, quiet exterior.
Can we get one in the DC area please?!

Great place off the beaten path. The ambience is nice, and they have indoor and limited outdoor seating. They also have an event space. It’s great American fare with a twist. Locally owned and operated by an owner with a passion for what they’re doing.

First, please correct the location of this great restaurant. It’s actually in the little town of Troutville, not Salem, and about a mile from the spot on the Unilocal map that supposedly indicates its location.
So… We were on I-​81 and pulled off to find a nice spot for supper. Something nicer than a Ruby Tuesday’s, please. We found this place (no thanks to the Unilocal map) in the cute little town of Troutville, still just a short hop off the interstate.
It was delightful! Great service, nice chat with the owner, bartender makes interesting sounding concoctions, food is wonderful. The «signature» salad of grilled romaine was perfect. Steamed clams were worth the trip. The trout someone else ordered looked fabulous, too.
Definitely a come-​back-​to place!!!
Tip: this is not an expensive place — do yourself a favor and ignore the three dollar signs. We found it to be very reasonable.

I cannot tell you how disappointed we are in Pomegranate. Everyone I know was very excited to have a ‘nice’ establishment open in our area and it was nice when it first opened. However, once the original chef left, the food quality has suffered. My husband and I have given this place numerous chances only to leave disappointed. The staff (with the exception of the weekend host) are lovely and attentive which is a plus, however, the atmosphere leaves much to desire. They have large spots installed in the track lighting which shines directly in your face. On two occasions, we asked that the lights be dimmed because of the extreme brightness and heat coming from them. The first time our server replied thank you and said she had the same complaint over and over. We were there on a Saturday evening and there were only two other tables occupied and they were across the room and both had requested the lights be lowered. Immediately after our server lowered the lights, the host crossed the room in huff and turned the lights brighter than before! He scolded the server and told her that other customers couldn’t see to read the menu! She tried to reason with him to no avail and explained that he was only there on weekends which always caused her tips to be lower. We had a miserable dinner and left early with spots in our eyes! It was quite uncomfortable and our dinner check was approx. $ 150.00 before tip. We tried the restaurant again a few weeks ago and after the worst experience we have ever had in a supposed upscale restaurant, we will NEVER return. I ordered the ‘house’ salad which is grilled asparagus with Ceasar dressing. It was disgusting. It was not fresh but rather soft and mushy. The tops were burned and the burned taste permeated the dressing. I did not complain, but when our server inquired if I had not liked it, I simply replied it was not for me. My husband and I both ordered baked chicken which arrived tough, anemic looking skin and a tasted of boiled rather than roasted chicken. Mean while, a woman arrived at the ‘wine bar’ which is in the lobby, with a small boy around 4 – 5 years old. He climbed down from the bar stool and began to play with what appeared to be a large marble. Whatever it was, it was loud as he continually bounced it on the floor repeatedly while he mother loudly scolded him and begged him to sit down and finish his dinner. The server related to us that this woman was a continual problem and that she had died be some marketing for the restaurant and now felt that she had the run of the place. Apparently the owner agrees since she stood there and chatted with the woman. So far, the lights are bright and hit, the food isn’t good and a child is allowed to play at the wine bar. The next thing we know, a birthday party for a young girl, about 9 or 10 years old arrived with balloons and all. They were a party of 9 and even though the restaurant was maybe a third filled, they were seated beside us. Of course the children were excited as they skipped back and forth to the restroom, etc. The server apologized stating that business had become so bad that the owner felt like she had to accept any reservation. While we were eating, the owner approached and ask me to explain what she should do differently! Both my husband and I were shocked, but once I gathered myself I answered that we had come for a romantic dinner and we were disappointed by the atmosphere. She glanced around the room where there are dingy and messy curtains strung on a curtain rod to close off the back portion of the restaraunt (which would have been a great place for the birthday party), super bright track lights shining in our face while another child played loudly in the wine bar that is completely open to the dining area and a mostly empty restaurant and replied that she disagreed! She then offered us free desert which we thanked her for but declined. The server tried everything she could to make our evening nice, but she cannot do it alone. I did tell her that although the owner accepted a birthday party she had turned away several executives from my husband’s company a few weeks before. My husband suggested they go there since they wanted something with good service and a few drinks. Several were in town from the company’s office in another state and weren’t interested in the usual fare. There were 8 or 9 men and the restaurant was TOTALLY empty at 5:30. Whoever was doing hosting duties looked frazzled and said she was expecting a large party later and couldn’t accommodate them because she didn’t have a server! They left, went to Coach and Four and have vowed to never return to Pomegranate. We have come to the same conclusion. We have been accosted by drunks on the front porch and glared at by the owner for not accepting desert so it is obvious that she is blind to reasons for her business problems. I do not recommend this place to anyone who expects a nice evening.

Food does not justify the price! Sorry I do not agree with the other ratings! Very expensive! Waiter gave me a hard time and attitude when I said the scallops were not cooked they were still slimy! Really!

Perfect for date night or getting together with family and friends. My boyfriend and I had tuna for an appetizer, an eggnog martini, a 007 (orange alcohol drink), a burger with steak fries, and the pork medallions with broccoli and maple mashed sweet potatoes. Yes, we were hungry and celebrating.
We agree that it was all delicious! Boyfriend’s comment, «This is one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Medium rare can be tough to make and it’s perfect.» Definitely farm to table! My favorite was the maple sweet potatoes. So yummy!
We’ll be back for more with others soon!

We’re from Roanoke and wanted to try something different for a special event. Everything about this place was amazing! My rack of lamb was cooked perfectly (truly medium rare), the baked brie with apples was amongst the best I’ve had (baked brie is one of my favorites, whether it’s sweet or savory), I even loved my grilled cauliflower, which usually isn’t a favorite. The atmosphere is low light and open, the staff were friendly. I was surprised by the portion size because most restaurants of this caliber offer smaller portion sizes than Pomegranate and I think it may have to do with their location. Located in Troutville, I would imagine they have to cater to regional expectations in that regard. I was getting full about ¾ of the way through my meal but I was determined to eat it all because it was just so damned good! We even went in for dessert (strawberry pie) and dessert is a place where sometimes even very good restaurants fall down — either offering something made at a local bakery or something that tastes like an afterthought. Not so here — the strawberry pie tasted fresh and finished off the meal perfectly. According to my girlfriend, the owner has a special talent for wine pairings (I had two beers and a martini and my wine palate isn’t as well-​developed as hers). The biggest takeaway is that the entire experience felt well thought out.
If you live in the Roanoke area, it’s well worth the drive to experience this place and we’ll definitely put this on our short list of restaurants we’ll frequent often.

Love this place. 5 star food the best in the valley. Beautifully decorated. A real gem!

I am so glad we decided to have dinner at Pomegranate. We were only in this area for the weekend and came across the restaurant by doing a little searching online. The menu looked interesting, so we gave it a shot. When I say that this was one of the best meals we’ve ever had in a restaurant, I am not exaggerating. I had the salmon, my wife had the roasted half chicken. Everything from taste to presentation was spot on. The sides were just as amazing, as was the dessert. All the food that came out of that kitchen was absolutely delicious. On top of that, the service was excellent… from the second we walked in the door to the moment we left. We loved the décor and ambiance as well. Upscale and casual at the same time, our kind of place! We went on a Saturday night, there was no live music (I think they do that on Friday), just great food and great service. Next time we are in the area, we will definitely return to Pomegranate. Can’t wait, highly recommended!

I’ve been wanting to write a review for a while about my husband and I’s experience at pomegranate. We went here for a very special occasion it was our two year wedding anniversary. We were greeted by staff at the entrance and sat down. Our waitress was very busy that night with a lot of tables in different areas. She was pleasant. When I got my filet mignon, I was expecting a very tender piece of meat. It wasn’t. It was very though and hard to even cut with my knife. My mashed potatoes were also cold. When we addressed the issue with the waitress she said she would add a complimentary dessert… I picked the bread pudding and it was hard as a rock. Like it was day-​old bread that had been microwaved and hardened. All I wanted was a nice meal to celebrate with my husband and I was very disappointed in the food here. We will not be going back to pomegranate unless we start hearing different. Maybe they need a new chef!

Normally, this is where I write something witty but I’m feeling lazy (I’m behind on my reviews and shoveling Ritz crackers into my mouth). I really wanted to like this restaurant. I drove 20 minutes to get to Pomegranate and was hoping for something better.
My friend and I ordered the shrimp risotto fritters and calamari. They were out of the papusas. The calamari was decent, nothing noteworthy. The shrimp risotto fritters were ok. Neither appetizer was particularly memorable. I went with the crab cakes while my friend went with the pork loin. The crab cakes had a good amount of crab but just didn’t wow me, and the lemon pea purée was essentially flavorless. The pork loin was essentially a pork chop. It was unimpressive and definitely something that I could have cooked at home. The best thing that I ate was the bread pudding made with cream from the crème brûlée. Now this is something that I definitely recommend.
Service was great. If this place wasn’t so far away from me, I would give it another chance right away, but as it stands now, it will be awhile before I try it again. The food was only ok and not worth the drive out there. If it were closer… maybe…

On our trip we spent the night in Troutville and were pleased to find this gem. We had Crab cakes, Fish tacos, and fig & goat cheese salad and crème brûlée. Such a wonderful evening.

I was in Troutville for a business meeting in March and took a party of 12 on a Tuesday night and it could not have gone any better. The owner and his staff were as accomodating as they could possibly be. The food was very good and so was the wine list. I would suggest you try it. Looked like it would be a great place on a Thursday-​Saturday night.

Great food and great service. We had a big party and I can’t say enough good about the food or hospitality experienced at this restaurant. Alejandro the manager went WAY WAY out of his way to make our night special. Really very accommodating. Adrianne our waitress was great. Took care of a big party and was on top of everything. Food was fantastic as were the apps we started with. People raved about the steak. I had the pork and was great. Deserts very good too. Even the coffee is something to mention — great coffee at end of the meal and its served in the biggest cups I’ve ever seen.
Would definitely go back!

Ok, so we tried this restaurent again (been of 4 or 5 times in the past, bar restaurant and outside) due to four wonderful Daily Deal coupons from the Roanoke Times. They have two new chefs, one being Tony Pope, who has a broken bone and did not cook.
We were restricted to a four course tasting menu, so went ahead and took the wine flight with it. Salad good, Duck confit good but not true confit. interesting lentil and mushroom thingy underneath, hubby liked that a lot. I don’t like fish so my substitute was filet, No one told me what I was getting or asked my how I wanted it cooked. I guess I was not in the driving seat. That said, it was good, bearing in mind I can eat rare and raw meat, if the preparation is right and this was. My son would have fainted dead away on the spot. Others had sea bass and enjoyed it. Dessert good.
On the whole a good experience, better than previous visits Wait staff good. Wine flight, nothing memorable and a little pricey for the amount poured. Cocktails over priced, lacking inventiveness and strength. Overall impression expensive, décor, food and ambiance does not live up to high prices, but nice for a change if you don’t want to drive downtown.
We will try again, but at this price there are other restaurants to spend our money in. I had hoped that this would be a place for us to stop by for a martini and a couple of wonderful snacks on a regular basis, but perhaps not.

Four of us visited for my birthday celebration, and as soon as we saw the menu pricing we expected stellar, quality food to justify it. I’m afraid not. I had the rack of lamb, pretty presentation, but outside of rack had been coated with bread crumbs, some of which had burned, so the burnt toast odor greeted our noses. The lamb was perfectly medium-​rare but the meat in and of itself was tasteless, so I had to bathe it in the reduction sauce to eat it. One companion had the quartered chicken dish, another the 10 oz. filet mignon. In all cases the sauces, reductions were entirely too salty. Everyone raved over the salad with apple; my house salad was ordinary. Our fourth person tried to dine on the fried olive tapas and shrimp fritters; the shrimp fritters looked good but were mushy inside and I sampled one. Not the slightest hint of a shrimp flavor, more like seasoned dough. The waitress was happy to remove that item from our bill. Two of us had the Pomegranate martinis, very good, but again, pricey for our area.
The service was a team effort and was very efficient, the ambiance was pleasant, but I have to agree with other reviewers about the cushions on the chairs; they don’t support and after only a few minutes you’re sitting in a hole. I actually exchanged chairs with another at an empty table nearby and the same thing happened. You get the feeling that these cushions are collapsing from years of use, but we all know this is a new restaurant and that is inexcusable. More than anything, I regret that my family members spent so much on my birthday dinner for food that just doesn’t measure up. We expected better than this.

We headed out to Pomegranate not knowing it was «Prom Night»! Fortunately for us, we were seated in the «Casual» part of the restaurant where the bar is located. The restaurant was very dark, but had good ambient lighting. There was a mix of table sizes, an assortment of chairs, and a lot of open floor space. A small candle filled a glass votive holder situated on several red glass beads, thus giving off a glow that looked like giant pomegranate seeds. Cute touch.
The waiter promptly greeted our table and said he would be right with us. He appeared to be the only one servicing the entire room. There were two fellas playing guitars and singing on the stage. They were very talented and could have filled in for John Mayer whenever needed. If they were not there, the ambiance would have been a little dull in this area. Something that did not seem to match the restaurant was the giant flat panel TV displaying boxing and Nascar themed shows. Not really what the pâté-​calamari crowd is looking for.
The waiter was personable and funny, as he could be when he stopped by in hurried paces. We ordered an asortment of beverages including the pomegranate martini, a beer, and two types of wine. All of these were quickly brought to the table. Everything was nicely presented, except for one of the glasses of wine. The glass was dirty, and should not have gone out to the table. (However, it was so dark, I am not shocked this was unnoticed.)
Small plates were ordered —
Calamari — nice full plate served with COLD red sauce. The calamari would have been better had it been served with a HOT red sauce, or some pesto (IMO).
Pâté — nice full plate of pâté served with dijon, cornichones, and chutney with crackers. Everyone loved this dish!
Shrimp and Grits — another nicely sized portion of shrimp and grits with a non-​traditional styling. Everyone seemed to like this dish as well.
The bar area was undergoing some type of treatment that the waiter said would later be reflective when black lights were used. This may later ad to the ambiance of the bar area in the casual dining room, and could add some more charm to this warehouse space.
I also echo Larry C’s comments regarding the chairs. We noticed that the bottoms of the padded chairs are unsupported and your hiney seems to fall into a saggy place, which is not very comfortable. People seated in other chairs did not have this issue, so watch out for these saggy bottoms when you go!
The cost of the beverages seemed pretty steep for Troutville — $ 10 for a martini. This is not NYC, afterall.
I would definately go back, but would probably not dine in the regular dining room since the cost of the dinners is very pricey! Some items are upwards of $ 30, without any sides etc.
BTW — the restroom is pretty fancy for Troutville, so check it out!