Roanoke Date Night

Before Christmas, I was spending time with my parents before moving.  While staying with them, I joined them on their Friday “date night.”  Most Friday’s, Mom and Dad start the evening at Burger in the Square and then head to dessert at Yogurt Café, making for a great food night of heavy and light.

Burger in the Square

Burger in the Square is one of the best places in Roanoke to get a hamburger.  The website even goes so far as to say that they are Roanoke’s “most awarded burger,” and I’d believe it.  Nothing fancy, they just serve good quality hamburgers.   This shows in the their 3 rules: 1.) beef is ground fresh everday; 2.) they always inspect the ingredients; and 3.) they treat the customers like they were friends.  The third rule in particular true; the woman taking my parents order knew they were regulars and remembered what they usually order. 

I’ve been their twice and tried two different burgers.  Most recently, I got “The Three Cheese Burger,” featuring Provolone, Swiss (although I substituted Pepper Jack), and American.  This is a super cheesy burger (as the picture shows) and has long strands of gooey goodness that stretch out with each bite.  It is so cheesy that if you aren’t careful, the bun might just slide off.  

Though good, the burger I got on a previous visit, “The BBQ Barbeque Burger,” was my favorite.  I love bbq sauce and I love bacon, so how could those two things on a perfectly cooked juicy burger be a bad choice? 

Yogurt Café

Like many, I’m a fan of the new wave of frozen yogurt cooling the country.  Although it can very easily turn into a less that financially fiscal dessert if you pile on too many toppings, as a modest post palate teaser it can be a great way of a little something sweet and satisfying.  After a big ole cheesy burger, frozen yogurt can be especially pleasing. 

Mom and Dad’s frozen yogurt stand of choice is The Yogurt Café, which is near Burger in the Square.  They usually keep about eight yogurt flavors, with the eight split up into sets of two for twisting options.  Then, there are crunchy cereal topping options (like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruit Loops, and Cookie Crips), the more traditional toppings like fruit, nuts, and sprinkle variations, as well as a warm section for hot butterscotch, fudge, and caramel. 

I wanted to try a twist of the mint yogurt with the blueberry and top it with fruit and nuts, but Dad thought that sounded weird.  And, truth be told, I’m a sucker for warm caramel and butterscotch, which wouldn’t have worked with mint and blueberry.  So, I got the Cake and Cappuchino twist topped with nuts and caramel--warm, yummy, melty goodness.

All in all, a great combination and I can see why it is my parent’s Friday night combination of choice.  I was just lucky they let me come along!