An excellent coffee shop requires a combination of high-quality coffee, a welcoming atmosphere, and…read moreexceptional customer service. Its success depends on skilled baristas who are knowledgeable and friendly, a comfortable space with amenities like Wi-Fi, and a menu that offers variety beyond just coffee.  After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea in Salem, Virginia, is a perfect example. I arrived at the City of Salem Farmer's Market parking lot, which is adjacent to the back entrance of Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea. And parked my Lexus there after reading the sign that one could park there for 2 hours free, Mondays through Saturdays 6AM - 6PM. After entering through the back door, I noticed that there was a small private dining room there and a hallway with its wall full of paintings from local artists for sale. The hallway lead to a wooden furniture with display shelves with the Coffee Shop t-shirts, mugs, and bags of coffee grains for sale. The environment was comfortable and welcoming, created through elements like clean spaces, good lighting, and appealing decor of artworks for sale from local artists. Their granite counter and very nice pastries display cases gave the place an elegant look together with its original hardwood floors. I waited in line in front of the ordering counter until it was my turn to order. I was welcomed by friendly and professional staff, who were very knowledgeableabout their products. I young lady who took my order and a young gentleman who served my coffee. I ordered a Breakfast Plate with two fried eggs, over easy, four bacon strips, and a white toast with butter. And to drink a Mocha Coffee. The young gentleman who made my coffee recognized me from when I did a review of their Downtown Roanoke location, and made me feel at home. The cook in the kitchen did an awesome job cooking my eggs over easy, (just the way I like them), and the four strips of bacon, even though they were very skinny and for that reason shrank somewhat. The medium Mocha Coffee was amazing. Someone who I believe was the Caffee Shop manager was very kind and helpful, and brought the plate to my table. After enjoying my food I went back for something sweet and ordered one of their Cinnamon Rolls which were made in-house. It was one of the best cinnamon rolls that I've ever had. I finished drinking my Mocha Coffee while enjoying the cinnamon roll. In conclusion, I had an extraordinary dining experience there, and highly recommend this Coffee Shop for breakfast, lunch, or even for an afternoon snack. Everything about the place was wonderful. But above all, their customer service was exceptional.

I stopped in here to get a vanilla latte to go. The girl behind the counter was cheerful but her…read morecountenance changed when I didn't give her the tip she was expecting. I asked for an extra shot of espresso but I don't think she gave it to me as I didn't taste it. The place is very hip and had tons of seating. They are in the historic district so it was nice place to go to. I would go to this place again if I was in the area.

Great coffee, hip vibe, comfortable seating and lovely staff. Good place to catch up with a friend…read morein a relaxing setting. The wi-fi was a little slow however.

Always a great place to have some coffee here around a quaint neighborhood. Service is great and…read morethe steamed milk is always spot even with extra hot request. Will be trying their roast beans once I have finish my batch. Hopefully, an update to this review with more about different coffee/beans.

Didn't realize how extensive this menu is! We only ordered apps for today, but the crab Rangoons…read moreand spring rolls really hit the spot! Excited to try the boba and sushi next! The atmosphere is quite quiet, so we chose to take it to go, but the design and interior is so fun and funky! Highly recommend!

Originally I came to this shop with a friend to have some Gelato for dessert, after an early…read moredinner, but what we found was an Asian family-owned business with a very interesting decor and an extensive menu. Conveniently located on 1 W Main Street, in the heart of Salem, Virginia, right next to the farmer's market, Lucky Cat Cafe is a charming buble tea and homemade gelato store with a cozy atmosphere and a wide selection of other items, such as ice-cream, coffee, hot chocolate, fresh sushi, mochi donuts, macaroons, and other sweet treats. They have a free parking lot and free street parking. The cafe is decorated in anime style with lots of posters and figurines for sale. As first-time visitors we were very impressed with the store's vibrant decor and welcoming ambiance. It is the perfect spot to visit with family or friends, to share quality time with while enjoying one or more of their delicious and refreshing treats. At the Lucky Cat Cafe we can find something for everyone. When we first arrived, an Asian lady who seemed to be the owner, greeted us behind the counter and gave us a warm welcome. She answered all our questions and invited us to look around the store. When I found out she was of Chinese origin I said "Xie Xie" to her that means Thank you. I also expressed my pleasure in visiting her Asian family-owned business and her appreciation for this was returned with a big friendly smile. Even though I had invited my friend here for a Gelato. As soon as he saw the Mochi donuts he ordered two, inviting me for one of them. I asked for the original flavor, and loved the texture as well of the flavor of the Mochi donuts. Then we went to the Gelato freezer display case, and looked at all the interesting flavors they had. My friend had a scoop of the Taro Gelato in a cup and zI had one of Mango, my favorite fruit. I asked for the bill and paid with my credit card. Tip was optional by clicking a spot in the payment computer. The Mango Gelato was so delicious. It was very creamy and refreshing, with just the right temperature. While eating the ice-cream at one of the round tables with my friend, I noticed the cleanliness of the place. When we finished with the Gelatos, I told my friend that I wanted to support this Asian family-owned business some more and invited him to a Buble Tea with Bobas. He had the Matcha Tea with Lychee Bobas and I had the Mango Tea with Mango Bobas. They were very good and refreshing and the owner appreciated our business. While we were there other customers came by for Gelato as well and to look at all the small figures they had for sale. In conclusion. I highly recommend this Cafe and Ice-cream Shop for their fresh, flavory, and refreshing menu items and their amazing customer service. They seem to enjoy seeing customers go to their store and make you feel right at home there.

I will not be returning to this Starbucks location. Nothing against the employees, but general…read morecustomer service is extremely poor. I simply requested a light roast drip, but their machine for that had "exploded" yesterday. They offered a roast Americano instead. That was no problem and I accepted. I am disappointed by the fact that I paid well over five dollars for a week Americano. It is not even worth drinking. I thought Starbucks was supposed to be a decent coffee shop. While I have been disappointed there many times before, this last visit reinforces my notion to never go back. Drip coffee at a gas station is so much more worth it.

Generally, the service is friendly and courteous. The experience is typically, above average…read morecoffeehouse experience (like most Starbucks). The cleanliness is hit or miss. Sometimes it's spotless and other times in a little wild disarray.

best people ever I love it They are always so happy…read more And Melanie and Patrick are the best ever!!!

This was my first stop so I sorta pregamed the menu so I'd know what to order. All that to say I…read moregot there and sorta fumbled through my order but the server was so friendly and made me feel at ease. I ordered a cookie butter coffee. It was yummy but sooooo sweet. Next time I'd 1/2 the add ins / flavors. The ambience? It's a drive thru so it is what it is but it was a fun little spot to try. Prob would not be my daily coffee stop but a fun treat for sure

I'm sure this place is great mid day, but in the afternoons it's rowdy and full of aggressive…read moreteens. it took over 30 minutes just to receive a coffee. great selection of ice cream and crepes and bubble tea flavors. Unfortunately I won't return for coffee, as there are too many local options with more selection and much faster production.

Lucky cat Tea is the best bubble tea shop in all of Salem. The service is excellent. The cute shop…read moreis just such a vibe. Everyone there is so nice and kind and full of so much diverse people and unique individuals. I totally recommend this place to everyone. My favorite bubble tea to get is the lavender with tapioca pearls. I'm a regular, and this place is honestly to die for you really gotta stop by one day. They also have mochi donuts now and I had a milk tea one and it was literally the best thing I ever tasted.

I have mixed feelings about this Starbucks. When I arrived for the first time, the place was clean…read moreand very well organized. They had all the tumblers and mugs neatly placed on the display shelves and stands. I was very impressed with the large size of the store and variety of the nice looking and comfortable furniture. As a Reserve Status Starbucks member, today was Triple Star Day, so I went to their counter and ordered an Iced Caffè Mocha Grande and paid with my app's Starbucks account to be able to get the Triple Stars for every dollar spent. Then I sat down at one of the comfortable seats, and enjoyed drinking my coffee while I studied the New Reward Program from Starbucks explained in their app. As I did so, I discovered a Reserve Status exclusive drink: The Ube Tiramisu. So I went and ordered one to celebrate becoming a Reserve Status member. The barista wasn't aware of this so inputed some of the ingredients in the register but some details of the ingredients of the recipe were missing. To top it off, he charged me 200 Rewards Stars to pay for it without me asking him to use Stars to pay for it, thus not allowing me to take advantage of my Triple Star Day offer. When I discovered this in the receipt, I went back and asked him to return my 200 Stars and charge the dollar amount of my drink from my account. He said it was not a problem and did it. I trusted he had done it and sat down to drink my coffee. After I finished drinking it, in no time at all, I noticed my glass was filled with ice up to the top, thus it had had very little coffee. I went up and brought it to the attention of the store manager and showed him my glass, and he insisted that was how it was done. I got upset at his insistence when you could clearly see the glass full of ice that left very little room for the coffee. So I left and when I got home and reviewed my account, noticed that the barista hadn't given me back the 200 Stars, that he had taken away, even though he had charged me for the coffee. I immediately called Starbucks' Headquarters Customer Service, and told their knowledgeable and hospitable customer service representative my story and he apologized for this store doing this to me and made it right. For this reason I am giving this store 3 Stars, when it should have been less, but I do so with a buyer beware, and am not sure I will return there again.

I was having a pretty rough morning and they were busy so I ended up having to wait for a minute…read morebut I went inside to order and the guy who took my order (I think his name was Dre) was so sweet and made my day a lot better!

One of our new local favorite hangouts!!! The interior is set up in such a fun and loving way. The…read morebubble teas are great and freshly prepared utilizing only the finest ingredients. We come here at least once per week. Customer service is excellent and you feel valued from the moment you walk in. You must check them out!

My husband found this place while working. He always told me about it and finally we visited…read moretogether and I can't express enough how amazing the drinks and food is here! Took me by surprise that they have Pho here too!! We will have to come back for that. The barista was super helpful and sweet, didn't loose patience despite the many questions and changes we made. We ordered Thai tea w/regular boba pearls (my favorite), Mango Tea w/mango poppers (popping boba), and a Watermelon Freeze. We also ordered one Egg roll and one Korean Corndog. Everything exceeded my expectations. The drinks were amazing and the snacks we got were delicious! You have to come heck this place out! Everything from the decorations of the establishment to the cups used for the drinks screams to me how the owner is giving their all to make this place a great place to grab a drink & a bite! It's a very welcoming place, relaxing atmosphere will most definitely be back soon!

What a delight to sit for a delicious meal with a delicious dessert or not! You will leave full and…read morehappy. My favorite is their quiche!! They have sandwiches and salads, too. Fabulous desserts and lots of bread to purchase. Everything is fresh.

First time at this location. The downtown location closed and they consolidated…read more As their name implies they do a lot with bread. So lot of options with bakery items during my weekend visit. They have a strong brunch menu and also a fun coffee menu. Ordering is at the counter and was extremely friendly and helpful. The dining atmosphere is casual and comfortable. The area was clean. They also have outdoor dining. My party of three all ordered different items from chocolate chip packed, oh my that cake is huge! Scrambled eggs, quiche and I had an omelette. I was not in love with my omelette unfortunately. It lacked flavor. My pancake latte was amazing! 3.5, rounding up. I will be back.

Brewing companies, there are many in this neck of the woods, but very unique, one-of-a-kind ones,…read morelike this one, rarely do we find one. I happened to find this one while searching for the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck. It just so happened that I found out that the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck was going to be stationed outside the Parkway Brewing Company this past Wednesday during National Empanada Day and so I researched this place to learn more about it. I found out that Parkway Brewing Company is a craft brewery in Salem, Virginia. Established in 2012, it is well known for its distinctive ales and a vibrant tasting room with a large beer garden, live music, and food trucks. It operates a 30-barrel brewhouse, producing a large range of beers from IPA to lagers. Located near the Roanoke Valley Greenway, it attracts runners and cyclists, and has become a community hub for outdoor enthusiasts and beer lovers. When I arrived in my pearl white Lexus, the Empanada Nirvana Food Truck was already parked outside, but had not yet opened, so I went inside the brewery to explore its building. There I found a casual, low-key environment with an industrial-chick interior featuring a fireplace and garage doors that opened to the outdoors, to an area with picnic tables and sun umbrellas. Inside there were also several colorful modern murals and a wide counter where customers went to order and pay for their beers. They had several menus as well as display coolers with some of the beers being sold there. The friendly and knowledgeable young lady behind the counter did an excellent job explaining what they had, including the non-alcoholic options. While going to the restrooms, one passed by a window where you could see the brewhouse. Along the way there were also shelves filled with souvenirs of the place. In the room where the fireplace was, there was also a stage for live performances, which usually took place at night. I loved the ambiance and vive of the place and am looking forward to returning to one of their music live performance and some of their beers, and knowing that they also carry non-alcoholic ones will allow me to enjoy the evening and drive back home safely.

An excellent brewery. We loved every beer we sampled. The place looks fun. We were there on a…read moreMonday. I would love to be here during a weekend to this place hopping. I need a place like this near me.