R T Smiths

If you love amazing, delicious delis then this is the place for you. They only use Boar’s head meats and cheeses. The Madison and Southwest were both ON POINT.

The absolute best breakfast bagels in the city. I used to get them every day until I changed bed jobs and it broke my heart. Family owned and the staff is unbelievably kind. The daily specials are great and the service is fast.

Will be back later to update. Go here. Now.
Ok, I’m back. This place was awesome. We walked here from Hotel Roanoke where we were staying for the wedding of the century. Under new owners, this place is striving to make a name for themselves and it was delicious. They boast real Coke flow — not the diluted stuff you get in a fast food joint — the real fountain deal. They just need to add Coke floats to the menu! Delicious Coke, delicious coffee and the food was made quickly, made to order and yummy. I had the Northeast and my husband had the Griffin. Plenty of meat on each sandwich. The new owner stated that they spread the Boar’s Head meat across the entire sandwich vs. just in the middle of the sandwich — this may «appear» to be less meat, but I can assure you — there was plenty. Totally worth the very little amount we paid.
It was a pleasure speaking with the new owner and getting a bit of a history lesson and just general conversation that you don’t get everyday. We will definitely be back to Roanoke and this will be our first stop for grub.

Really enjoyed this deli and a conversation with the owner as we were passing through Roanoke. Our family sampled meatball subs and the reuben and loved them both. Highly recommend stopping in whether in Roanoke or passing by on I-​81.

I’ve always been a huge fan of RTs especially the Madison ave but I went today and was fairly disappointed. The saddest part was the lack of meat on my sandwich. The old owners would pile it on but not anymore. I hope things turn around soon.

RT’s has become our favorite place to grab a quick lunch! I recommend The Champ, but the reuben is to die for! Hubby only orders The Southwest… his loss for not exploring the other delicious choices.
Friendly staff and owners … nice ambiance … clean, clean, clean!
The only drawback is we are not experiencing the diversity of downtown dining choices because we head straight to RT’s.

Stopped in on a whim during a trip to Roanoke and was very pleasantly surprised. The sandwiches were pretty basic but made with real quality ingredients. I had a Madison Ave, roast beef and mozzarella on a garlic hero. It was an excellent sandwich a lot of taste. Husband had a Star City club which he proclaimed to be the best turkey sandwich he ever ate.

Fantastic food delivered by a great couple! Did you know they also do catering for groups from small to large!

I moved to Roanoke in 2007 from the NJ/​NYC area and the two things I missed most food wise were delis and diners. When RT Smith’s opened the deli part was taken care of. They take time in building their sandwiches right. They use great meats and local breads, and really have the flavors spot on. The have the best Italian sub, reuben, and meatball parm in town!

I’ve heard this place has very good sandwiches. I went here on a whim one day to check it out. I decided on the BBQ sandwich. It was pretty good. The only problem is that their sandwiches are out of my price range.

A group of folks have brought the flavors and feel of another New York style deli to the Roanoke Valley. Many people in the area have always thought of The New Yorker as Roanoke’s New York Deli, but now there is a new option in Downtown Roanoke. R.T. Smith’s, located on Campbell Avenue near the corner of Campbell & Jefferson, is serving up some of those popular sandwiches, meats, and baked goods for which delis are so well known.
I’ve been to R.T. Smith’s a few times, and my most recent visit was the best. I ordered the Reuben sandwich and a side of pasta salad. Instead of getting the typical sauerkraut on my sandwich, I substituted coleslaw — so I might have actually ordered a Rachel, but whatever. The sandwich came on toasted rye bread and consisted of corned beef (all of the meats are Boar’s Head), swiss cheese, coleslaw, and thousand island dressing. There was a generous portion of corned beef, which had a good salty, smoky flavor, but didn’t overpower the other ingredients. The cheese provided a tang, coleslaw added sweetness, and the dressing made it creamy and rich. There’s a reason so many restaurants serve their own variation of a Reuben or Rachel, and the version at R.T. Smith’s is a winner. My pasta salad was also very good, but they appeared to be going with a «less is more» approach with the serving size. The sandwich, side, & drink combo was around $ 9.00.
The menu features a number of other items I’m very interested in trying. They serve breakfast, including the classic «Bagel & Lox» combination, which intrigues me. They also offer various daily specials that are a bit more filling than the typical sandwich, such as a veal cutlet. And then there is the counter full of cookies, pastries, and other sweets that are quite tantalizing.
I appreciate that R.T. Smith’s is a New York Deli that is actually run by New Yorkers. I’ve had a chance to talk with two of the three owners and I love how they are working hard to make their restaurant an authentic New York Deli. They have many different items shipped in from New York and the menu is made up of New York favorites. It’s another feather in the cap of Downtown Roanoke’s restaurant offering. Now, you can grab an apple at the farmer’s market and walk over to R.T. Smith’s and get a taste of the big apple.

Daily homemade specials and wonderful sandwiches.