Thelma’s Chicken and Waffles gives its bar a new identity
Roanoke Times file photo
If you’re looking through entertainment listings and think you’ve spotted a new bar in downtown Roanoke, don’t be fooled.
Thelma’s Chicken and Waffles has had a bar since it moved into its downtown space from the Orange Avenue location, but it recently gave the bar a name: Top Shelf Sports Bar.
Bar manager Kisha Barlow told me that many customers didn’t know about the bar because it is located in a room separate from the main dining area. Naming the bar, she said, gave it the attention it needed to generate more sales. In addition to the new name, it also now has seven televisions for viewing sports.
The bar frequently holds open mic nights and other live acts.
While we’re on the topic of downtown restaurants, did you see this blog post that food writer Lindsey Nair published about Downtown Roanoke Restaurant Week. Many of the restaurants downtown have agreed to offer specials beginning today, including a $10 lunch with an entree, side dish and a drink or dessert.
January 21, 2013 - 12:00 PM
They charge a cover for their “open mic”…this is known as “paying to play”.I’ve lived all over the south and never had to pay for a true open mic night.Just another scam from a money grabber.As for the chicken and waffles only Gladys Knight’s place in Atlanta is serving the real deal.
If you have been in Thelma’s there is no way that people don’t know there is a bar there. I haven’t been back to the bar area since I went once and they told me they were out of alcohol and the place was completely empty :-/
Sounds like a good idea. They weren’t utilizing the bar area that well before, which is a shame for such a nicely built area. And there was a potential for confusion since the bar’s corner entrance, which lacks a hostess stand, is a lot more prominent than the door they currently have set up as the main entrance. Giving the bar a separate name should help with both of those issues.
Running a chicken and waffles place is a world of difference from running a bar, and a large one at that. I hope it works out.
Any idea when work will begin on the Riverside project across from VTC?
The bar is pretty easy to spot when you walk in, but I go for the food!
You can’t get much more “real deal” than the chicken at Thelma’s. I’ve been there several times, and always enjoyed their food. The service leaves a little to be desired (i.e. slow), but the chicken and waffles are right tasty!
Thelma’s was a dump before and is a dump now.
So exceedingly excited about Shoe Store opening in Vinton!!! Now, I don’t have to drive all the way across Roanoke to try shoes before I buy shoes. It’s a wonderful day in the Vinton/Bedford County neighborhood.
pretty much the same here. . . bad BAD experience there. . .won’t be back. . .
in other news. . . does anyone know what is being constructed on SW side parking lot of the GE plant in Salem? On Shenandoah Ave.
Why go to Thelma’s Waffle House and pay the restaurant to entertain their customers. If you want outstanding chicken and waffles, go down to the”Downtown Soul”in Vinton. I’M SURE THAT ALL U WOULD PAY is for wonderful food, and great, friendly service.
Thelmas has made it for 10 years in this tough economy. While other restaurants are closing by the day, Thelmas is still making it. They must be doing something right. And for the hatefulness and crude comments on this site i would ask you to please look at your life and please think of what people might say about that if it was for all to see. It just surprises me and is unfornuate how people hide behind a computer moniter. Get a life
Amanda, a longtime lunch favorite in Salem is gone!
Miss Kittys Cafe. I drove by yesterday and it was cleaned out, repainted and work being done.
Any way you could sleuth out what is going on? Thanks!
@Salemite: Sorry your favorite lunch spot is gone! If I can get in touch with the owners or the landlord l will let you know what I hear.
@Roa10: The Riverside project should be breaking ground any day, but I will call to see what’s up. Thanks for asking.
Kisha, the bar manager, called this morning because she wanted to clarify a few things that readers have left in comments. She said that although Thelma’s used to charge $5 for open mic nights, they are no longer doing that. She also said that the restaurant has been operating under a new management structure since November.
Thelma’s is a disappointment. A new name for the bar won’t change anything. Bad service and average food. Cindy I agree with you about Downtown Soul.
I have eaten at Thelmas and Waffles at both location old and new. I have eaten twice at the location on the market and I haft to say the service is extremely poor and the food was cold. Not at all a good experience. They do not have enough help to keep regulars coming back.
Thelmas used to be great in it’s old location along Orange Ave. Since the opening of the new location near the market things have gone down in a hurry. The place used to be among the tops in terms of all the social media reviews. (Yelp, trip advisor, etc.) just look at how poor the reviews have been in recent months. My last trip there I am fairly certain we would have better food and service at the local Waffle House. Cold waffles and raw chicken on the last visit. Never again.
Oh me,the old place on Orange rocked some great food-not so much now.
Last time there the ladies room smelled like urine and was dirty.No TP either.
Got a chicken sandwich that was plopped on white bread with limp lettuce and so dry…
Thelma’s was once one of my favorite restaurants in Roanoke. Now, it’s a train wreck. It’s disappointing that it’s gone downhill so fast.
provolone, I’ve heard it’s parking lot upgrades and a walking trail, nothing terribly fancy.
@Jess: Thanks for the info. I hadn’t had time to call on that yet.
I have only ben in Thelmas once with a date before Christmas we both ordered chicken and Mac & cheese it was nasty and the server was EXTREMELY RUDE I NEVER WENT BACK AND I NEVER WILL !!!!
I have eaten at Thelma’s many times. Food has always been good and service is a little slow and lacking. Last trip we ate at the bar, very limited on beverages, but they were TOP shelf. New manager waited on us and she needs an education on tending bar,making drinks and smiling. She was pleasant when she was there. The previous bar tender, Tony was very pleasant and knew how to mix drinks. We never had to wait for service. Service was extremely slow, took way to long to serve food or to get a drink. Don’t need to worry about overindulging. I will go back again just because I like the food and hope that the new manager has had time to hire bartenders and that the kitchen has enough help to get food prepared in a reasonable amount of time. Would be a shame to waste such a wonderful bar area.
I did a little homework on the some of the review sites. One person mentioned how poor the reviews are in recent months. If you go back 5 months on Yelp (most popular one review site) You have 26 reviews on Thelmas. 12 reviews gave 4 out of 5 stars. 10 reviews gave 5 out of 5 stars. Now that does leave 4 reviews that wasnt the best. Maybe the restaurant was busy, low on staff, or maybe just having a bad day. But looking at the reviews on the sites, I think Thelmas couldnt be happier with all the support. I will keep supporting them as most of all of Roanoke does and as do all the out of towners who cant keep saying enough kind words on the service and how good the food is. Keep it up Thelmas. You went from a shack on Melrose, to a not so clean place on Orange and now to a beautiful restaurant downtown. And by the way, way to go on all the awards in the Roanoker magazine!!!!!!! Way to beat out the Homeplace on the best fried chicken around. They had it for 20 years!!!! Great job Thelmas
I’ve always thought that the problem with that spot is that it’s too big, and the rent is probably correspondingly high. I wonder if there isn’t a way to split the bar area off and lease it to a different entity? It’s plenty big enough to be it’s own destination.
Is the Downtown Soul people keep referring to the one that closed in downtown Roanoke. Just wondering on why people keep referring to it if it couldnt make it in downtown Roanoke. Why would i go to a restaurant that is closed when you have Thelmas serving the same kind of food and most of all it is OPEN and is always packed. You cant hardly get a table on the weekends. Everytime i walked by Downtown Soul it was empty.
@John: Downtown Soul reopened in Vinton.
The food at Downtown Soul was very good.
If you have had a good experience at Thelma’s great. The people that have had a negative experience have the same right to voice here as you.
Sorry but I have not had a good experience at Thelma’s 2 out of the 3 times I tied them. I have not tried them since the move but do to my experience with them and reading half the people echoing the same problems I had with them there has been no reason to give them a 4th chance.
Just because a place has been around awhile and is “making it” (do we forget the shut down last year) doesn’t mean it’s a good place to eat.
I could make a list of places that have bad food and bad service yet still are here. Some have been around a very long time even though there is nothing special about the food.
Amadnda, what’s the word on Ernie’s? I heard on the news this morning that they sold to the place out of Harrisonburg and they will be closing soon or closed already. I would be interested to know the exact timeline on the change over to the new place.
@Original Greg: I’m guessing you saw our story last week that reported Ernie’s owner had an offer to sell to Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint. I heard from the Jack Brown’s owner last night that Ernie’s has closed and Jack Brown’s is signing papers today. I will be talking with the new owner on Friday, so stayed tuned.
AMANDA YOU ROCK THERES A NEW YOGURT PLACE OPENING NEXT TO KROGER IN VINTON THERES TOO MANY YOGOURT PLACES IN ROANOKE !!!!
Thanks Amanda. I read your article last week but I was shocked to see the report that Ernie’s had closed allready I’m glad someone else is going into the spot but I didn’t expect it to happen that fast.