Elephant Walk: top-notch food, service

The Elephant Walk Restaurant & Lounge is tucked inside the Holiday Inn near Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County. The hotel owner, Peter Radjou , also owns and operates Taaza Indian Cuisine , which is located not far from the hotel.

This neatly designed restaurant has two dining areas. One is used specifically for the breakfast buffet while the other features a spacious bar and lounge area. Diners have the option of choosing a cozy booth or high-top table near the fully stocked bar or a traditional table . F lat-screen televisions on the walls are set to mute while soft music plays in the background.

The menu

Everything on the menu at The Elephant Walk is made to order. The reasonably priced menu features a nice variety that includes appetizers , flat breads , soups and salads , sliders , burgers , quesadillas , wraps and pitas , sandwiches , baked-to-order pizzas , healthy choices , entrees and desserts . Prices range from $5.95 appetizers to $17.95 for the most expensive entree. A daily breakfast buffet costs $8.95.

The food

Being the hamburger fanatic that I am, I was immediately drawn to the half-pound applewood bacon and cheddar cheeseburger ($7.95), which came with a side of french fries. The burger, adorned with fresh lettuce, tomato and onions, arrived shortly after I placed the order. The burger was surrounded by crisp golden fries.

When I took my first bite of the burger, I found it to be juicy, flavorful and topped with crisp bacon. The golden fries, with a gentle dusting of seasoning salt, were cooked perfectly.

My second visit was just as good as the first. My attentive and knowledgeable server, Mathew, recommended that I try the New York-style Reuben ($6.95) with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing served on grilled rye bread. I decided on sweet potato fries as my side.

My dining partner chose the tri-salad plate ($5.95), which consisted of chicken salad, tuna salad and fruit salad situated on a bed of lettuce. The Reuben proved to be spot-on and was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. The bread, grilled to perfection, was the perfect vessel for the moist and tender corned beef slathered with creamy dressing. The delicious sweet potato fries were crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

My guest enjoyed the chunky chicken salad filled with crisp bites of green apple and the tuna salad, which included diced black olives. The accompanying fruit salad was vibrant, fresh and sweet, which was surprising at this time of year.

On my next visit, I decided to try something on the menu that grabbed my attention from day one, which was the smoked red hot chicken ($11.95). Mathew, again my server, explained that the heat in this dish could be intensified at the customer’s request. Being adventurous , I told him to kick it up a notch from the normal heat level. Oh, boy, did the chef oblige!

The Indian-spiced smoked chicken, served on a bed of sauteed peppers and onions, was braised in a tomato and herb sauce and served with basmati rice and steamed green beans and carrots. My piping-hot meal arrived shortly after I finished my fresh house salad . The chicken was undoubtedly the star on the plate. The spices on the very moist meat popped with each succulent bite. The fluffy rice and crisp steamed vegetables accented the spicy chicken perfectly.

I will definitely return for this dish alone.

The bottom line

I’m calling this my sleeper restaurant of 2012. If you want to avoid long waits for good, quality food, then this is the place you want to visit. The service during all three visits was impeccable. I will undoubtedly return to The Elephant Walk in the near future.

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