Friday
5:30 p.m. | Craft Beer Tour
Every Friday, Tour Roanoke offers a four-and-a-half-hour whirlwind tour to three of seven of the area’s go-to craft breweries, with a pick-up location at the Roanoke Visitor Center (right across the street from Hotel Roanoke). Along the way, you’ll hear the history of beer in Roanoke, then end with the final stop at the city’s iconic Texas Tavern for the last tasting and a complimentary cheeseburger.
10 p.m. | Late-Night Snack at Pine Room Pub
If the burger wasn’t enough to soak up the suds you just ingested, the late-night menu from this Hotel Roanoke pub will do the trick. With a gentleman’s club vibe – owed to the fact that it was once a World War II Officer’s Club – the restaurant specializes in shareable apps (crab dip, sriracha chicken wings, nachos), as well as sandwiches accompanied with the hotel’s signature apple slaw.
Saturday
10 a.m. | Tour Taubman Museum of Art
Futuristic with sharp angles of steel and glass, this downtown icon sticks out among the sea of ho-hum brick buildings. Home to a permanent collection that ranges from contemporary Roanoke artists to 3,000-year-old Egyptian ceramic figures, the most interesting gallery may just be the “Mixed Bag Gallery,” a rotating collection of 130 jewel-encrusted Judith Leiber purses – status symbols among celebs and first ladies.
1 p.m. | Stroll Market District
The downtown walkable Market District is lined with retail stores and specialty shops. Spend a few hours browsing high-end contemporary boutiques, like 310 Rosemont and La De Da with brands like Frye and Free People. Finish up with lunch at Table 50, serving farm-fresh American cuisine, then grab dessert at Chocolatepaper, home to gourmet chocolates from around the world.
5 p.m. | Play Pinball at Center in the Square
This six-story building in downtown Roanoke is home to a 6,000-gallon aquarium, rooftop gardens, and four museums. While you could spend a whole day here, tonight, you’re just going to check out the building’s newest addition: The Roanoke Pinball Museum, open until 8 p.m., where you can play more than 50 old-school pinball machines, ranging from the 1930s through 1990s.
8 p.m. | Dinner at Tuco’s Taqueria Garaje
This colorful eatery blends the art and vitality of Mexican street art with the kind of sophistication you would expect to find in Manhattan. In addition to its expansive menu of Latin American dishes, Tuco’s offers more than 90 different types of tequilas and mezcals.
Sunday
11:30 a.m. | Brunch at The Regency Room
Ornate columns, rich drapery, white tablecloths, and chandeliers make Hotel Roanoke’s signature restaurant one of the most elegant in the area. The Grand Buffet Sunday Brunch features a live pianist, a rotating selection of favorite breakfast items (biscuits with gravy, smoked salmon, homemade granola, etcetera) and chef-manned omelet and roast beef carving stations. This AAA four-diamond spread is so popular that it has won “Best Sunday Brunch” in The Roanoker Magazine for the last 13 years and was voted “One of the Top 100 Brunches in the Country” according to Yelp.
