Lilyann’s Steakhouse: More Than A Meal

Every now and then, revitalization stops being an abstract hope and becomes something you can touch.

My daughter and son-in-law took me to dinner in Rocky Mount, my first visit to a fairly new restaurant called Lilyann’s Steakhouse. I walked in curious. I left deeply moved.

Lilyann’s is ‘grown-up’ in the best sense of the word. The kind of place that tells you, gently, that someone cared. About the food, yes. But also about the room you’re sitting in. About how long you might want to stay. About whether Rocky Mount deserved something beautiful.

Even before the first plate arrives, you can feel that this place was built with love at its center.

On an ordinary Tuesday evening, the restaurant was full. Conversations rising and falling, tables lingering, the unmistakable hum of a place people have already decided to return to.

Even with a full dining room, the acoustics are a gift. You can speak easily, listen fully, and feel connected without effort. I appreciated that there is no loud music to try and talk over.

I confess that sometimes I grow discouraged by how slow revitalization can feel. Progress rarely arrives with trumpets. More often it comes inch by inch, decision by decision, risk by risk. Which is why places like this matter so much. Believing in Rocky Mount’s future is confirmed at Lilyann’s.

Lilyann’s Steakhouse is the result of a dream shared by friends Greg Williams, Tolston Williams, and James Olivieri. For more than fifteen years, they imagined bringing an upscale dining experience to their hometown. That vision finally found its home at the Gateway Center, a commercial space that now feels less like a development and more like a promise kept.

139 Gateway Blvd, Rocky Mount, NC 27804

Inside, the space is warm and confident without being showy. An open kitchen invites you to witness the care being taken, not hidden away but shared. The menu, crafted by Executive Chef Michael Williams, offers dishes that feel celebratory, generous, and sure of themselves. This is food meant to be savored, not rushed.

Picture Above: The Wine Bar Within the Restaurant Serving Soon

And the staff. Our waitress, like the others we observed, moved with a quiet confidence that comes from being trained well and trusted to do the job right. Very Nice!

Close your eyes and you can imagine yourself in New York. Or better yet, Chicago. The kind of service that makes you feel comfortable. Welcomed. At ease.

What struck me was not just the excellence, it was the presentation. The white table cloth, the table setting, the wine glass, signaling you have come to a place not to eat, but to dine.

From the founders, Lilyann’s is not simply a business venture. It is a statement that says, We believe Rocky Mount is worth investing in. Worth staying for. Worth coming home to. This is the kind of belief every small business that chooses Rocky Mount can carry with it. And it is the kind of belief we need to become contagious.

As I sat there, surrounded by thoughtful design, gracious service, and food made with pride, I felt gratitude, relief, even a few tears. When people take a chance on Rocky Mount, when they build something rooted in love and memory and hope, it steadies all of us who are waiting for signs that the future is still arriving.

Sometimes revitalization looks like scaffolding and plans and meetings. And sometimes it looks like a beautifully set table, waiting for us to gather.

Lilyann’s is one of those places.

And I am thankful it is here.

One last surprise waiting for Spring

Thank you to dear daughter, Claire and (son)George Greer for a wonderful Merry Christmas gift, and to Greg Williams, who graciously gave me a tour. Little known fun fact that Greg shared, ALL the light fixtures are Italian, however, the light bulbs for them are hard to find. …..My opinion, the results will be well worth the search.