Tasty Tuesday: BT’s aims to please all crowds after nearly 40 years in business

BT’s is a staple for more than just college students in the New River Valley

RADFORD, Va. – There are some businesses that build us, whether you go as a kid, college student or adult. BT’s in Radford is one of those spots. It’s been open since 1983. Recent owners, Todd and Kelsi Jones, have been broadening its reach since taking over in 2019.

Manager, Ashley Maitland, tells us they “Focus on being a family restaurant before anything else. Having this big, wide space, it allows us to have room for families as well as catering to the college students.”

They’ve broadened the already-diverse menu too by adding breakfast within the last year.

“The breakfast burrito, our pancakes and we have a good cheesy grit bowl that comes with bacon and scallions. That’s a huge hit. Our BT’s breakfast has a little bit of everything from potatoes, bread egg and protein.”

The crew at BT’s is a well-oiled machine, ranging from Radford students to kitchen staff that have been around for more than ten years. They certainly know how to keep things fresh daily.

“We have a new soup every single day, new lunch specials, a catch and stuff like that.”

There aren’t many places where you can go for pancakes and then a catch of the day, but BT’s covers its bases well.

For lunch and dinner, you can go for anything from a “Barbeque sandwich or some sort of pasta. We have a huge chicken quesadilla, pork chop duo and shrimp scampi.”

BT’s delivers to a radius that covers Exits 105 to 109 on I-81, but it’s the BT’s experience that will have you going back for more.

Maitland says, “It’s kind of like Cheers. Everybody knows your name.”

She did say, like many restaurants, they’re always looking for help. You can contact BT’s here if you or your student are looking for work.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.