The Fork in the Alley

Dave Richardson, CITY Magazine

Roanokers are flocking to Fork in the Alley! Polished professional chefs quickly prepare interesting and exciting dishes before your eyes. The Welsh Rarebit is a sumptuous Celtic beer and cheese fondue from Great Britain served with toasted focaccia bread. The artichoke and spinach dip is a served with focaccia bread glazed with olive oil and fresh garlic, truly delicate, creamy and wonderful. However, families and singles in the area are drawn to the restaurant for their oak- and hickory-smoked brick oven pizzas. The pizzas are cooked within minutes and are presented hot and bubbling at your table.

The stylistic look of this tavern style restaurant is complemented by rich, polished hardwood rafters and floors. The restaurant comfortably seats 24 inside and ten at the bar. The biggest draw is the outdoor dining experience. The restaurant seats 50 under its covered porch, unrivaled, the most comfortable outdoor dining in the area.

You would never expect someone to get excited about hot dogs and chili, unless they haven’t been to Fork in the Alley. The mad dog is a hot Italian sausage with Dijon mustard, out-of-this-world perfectly spiced meaty chili and pepper relish. The D.C. Dog is a mouthwatering half-smoke sausage with chili, cheese and coleslaw. They offer a variety of hot dogs that are simply the best this side of Chicago! The chili is part of the key to the hot dogs success. Please sample their authentic chili con carne or their delicious white bean chili with chicken and verify – I testify! The chefs’ skill with Southwestern and Americanized cuisine is beyond superior.

The Fork in the Alley is the brainchild of restaurant consultant Sam Eaton and Dr. David Trinkle. Sam Eaton, the creator of the award-winning Red Coyote is the executive chef and general manager of Fork in the Alley. Sam’s skill with seafood, pizza, and Southwestern Cuisine stretches back some 22 years to his beginnings in San Francisco and Aspen. Eaton and Trinkle took a year to put the restaurant together, and their “team player” approach is an important part of their assured success. “This restaurant came into being because of a lot of help and hard work from all my friends in the restaurant business”, says Eaton.

The menu offers a large variety of delicious foods for cheap, however, you can sample a number of haute entrees such as Jamaican Pot pie stuffed with curry herbed beef and ricotta served with wilted spinach or Chipotle Chicken con Crema served with tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms in a chipotle and white wine cream sauce. This restaurant is a must for anyone watching their Ps and Qs. The restaurant features music on the deck, great times, good drinks, and terrific food – all of which are highly recommended!

Fork in the Alley is located in South Roanoke beside the 7-eleven on Crystal Springs Ave. 2123 Crystal Springs Avenue.
Call (540) 982-FORK for pick-up, catering, large parties, and music schedules.