The lounge on Roanoke’s Oak Street is the brainchild of Co-founders— and friends for 40 years— Gabriel Miller and Jonathan Condos. The place has cozy nooks to the upscale bar where bartenders craft cocktails with names honoring The Rô on Oak’s homage to music. There’s just one catch: don’t call it a speakeasy.
“The speakeasy has been done to death,” Miller said. “Speakeasies are supposed to be quiet and hidden. We want you to know where [The Rô on Oak] is.”
The details
Miller said he and Condos had a goal in mind when designing the decor: a beautiful New York bar that meets a Hollywood Hills home where Led Zeppelin is playing. Music, it turns out, is the secret sauce to the lounge.
Miller said he has curated more than 125 different playlists depending on the time of day to keep the vibe going.
For happy hour, the playlist might include tracks such as low-key rap combined with house music. As the night develops, so does the music. Another playlist combines old-school country—think Willie Nelson—with classic rock from Aerosmith. For late night? Miller said artists like The Notorious B.I.G. keep the energy up long into the evening.
The drink list
Cocktails are named after popular songs and song lyrics that have stood the test of time. Smoke on the Water combines tequila, mezcal, curaçao and maraschino with coconut and lime and is smoked tableside. Start Me Up is the lounge’s take on an espresso martini. And speaking of Aerosmith, the Dream On is made with vodka, aperol, Licor 43, passion fruit and lemon.
Classic cocktails fill out the drink menu and include a negroni, an old fashioned and a mai tai. Miller said patrons can also come in and discuss what they’d like to drink with the bartenders and they’ll make a drink based on their flavor profile.
“We have great bartenders that give our patrons what they’re feeling,” Miller said. “That’s how it should be.”
The menu
While people come to a lounge to typically unwind with a great drink, Miller and his staff have also curated the food menu to be perfect pairings. He said popular items include flatbreads and the wagyu meatballs. He also said people are surprised with how good the Rô Burger is, which is made from wagyu beef and served with truffle fries.
The Rô on Oak is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. From Thursday through Saturday, it’s open from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Happy hour is from 4 to 6 p.m. every day and includes half-price drinks and food. A private room, as well as the entire lounge, can be reserved for private events.
