This cafe is a small location but a prominent one in Roanoke's downtown. It was open when not a ton of things were, and had an impressive menu including numerous vegetarian and vegan options. Sometimes it's the simple things in life, though, and rather than go for a more complex platter when I found that you could get a bagel with falafel in it, I found my breakfast. There is a za'atar bagel available, which adds an extra flavor note to what was a compelling and filling breakfast. Their display of desserts was sufficiently impressive (and several of these were labeled vegan as well) that I decided to sample a baklava labeled as the Burma flavor. I couldn't figure out what the sweet pistachio mix had to do with Myanmar, but whatever was in there was good. I did not get a beverage in part because I didn't read the whole menu; maybe I missed out. Regardless, the food they offered was great for vegetarian diets, substantial, and delicious, and you'd struggle to find better in this part of the country or in most other parts of the country. read more

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The interior is a little busy because there are a lot of items but staff are nice and patient. He offered free chai samples to everyone. The chai was not too sweet and had a nice light cinnamon/clove flavor but the tea wasn't strong enough for me. They have 16 flavors of homemade baklava and Dubai chocolate and Dubai chocolate strawberries. I ordered a four berry banana smoothie, sample 1, gyro burrito and an iced Turkish coffee to go. There were two sizes of coffee on the menu but he immediately charged me the larger size without asking if I wanted that. I figured I needed the caffeine since I barely had any sleep so it was fine but just be mindful to anyone else. I've had Turkish coffee in Turkiye so I know it's strong and knew what I was looking for. Unfortunately the coffee neither strong nor good tasting. It had a nutty flavor profile and felt watered down. I finished half the cup during the day and was still very tired. The berry smoothie was good and tasted like berries. If you don't like bananas in your smoothie, you can still get this one because it doesn't taste like bananas at all. The sampler 1 included hummus, baba ganoush, salad, falafel and tzatziki. The hummus is fine. The baba ganoush was lacking in terms of flavor and I was disappointed because I really like baba ganoush. The falafel were crispy and moist. The gyro burrito was full of rice. There was only eat in one quarter of the burrito which seems a little ridiculous considering it was around $11-12. There were barely any vegetables in the burrito. Maybe that was my fault for getting a "fusion" item instead of a shawarma or a platter. The lamb gyro meat didn't really have a lot of flavor. read more

Unfortunately, very disappointing coffee and chai. The beverages felt watered down and not like how you would normally expect from a cafe. The syrups weren't mixed in, and the straws were too flimsy to mix it in. My chai was too sweet for me and wasn't something I really wanted to finish. My boyfriend alternated between my drink and his own which he said was more balanced. Service was quick. read more

Cello Coffee House & Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

This spot has an excellent menu of of Mediterranean fare - my fav. We actually had dinner plans somewhere else but when I saw their menu with hummus and schwarma and gyros, I asked if we wanted to just dine here instead. The staff were friendly and happy to answer questions. I ended up ordering quite a few things - the hummus with chicken schwarma with pita, a side of chicken schwarma, a fattoush salad, a lamb gyro, tea, and then we had Turkish coffee and two types of baklava for dessert. The hummus was good and the pita was warm and fresh but it barely had any chicken so I felt wasn't worth $10. It was also served on plastic disposable plates for dining inside... not especially good presentation and horrible for the environment. The gyro was OK - good and large size for $9.50 and came with a side salad. The fattoush was $10-12 and was VERY good. Huge portion, fresh, deliciously seasoned and enough to share. This was the highlight - I'd come back for this. They have pastries and cookies and brownies and several flavors of house-made ice cream also. The Turkish coffee was good and tasted pretty authentic - our baklava was very chewy and hard and couldn't be cut with a knife/fork. It wasn't the best. We spent around $85 or so here and I don't think it was worth the price. Would come back for only hummus and fattoush in future. read more

Cello Coffee House & Cafe - Hummus with Chicken Shawarma - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

The desserts are amazing!!! The many different variations of baklava are simply delicious. Reminds me of when I was in bakeries in Greece. An absolute must and I'm definitely picky about my baked goods. Their fries are also perfectly crisp and thin. Delicious. read more

So much under one roof! Coffee, smoothies, ice cream, amazing baklava, food Ordered: Fattoush Salad Have a little seating area in front and it was a beautiful fall day so enjoyed our food and treats and Roanoke read more

Cello Coffee House & Cafe - Fattoush Salad - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

This Coffee and Mediterranean Cafe, in a small restaurant space but with a multitude of products, is located in a key address near the corner of Campbell Ave and Market Street in the heart of Downtown Roanoke. With plenty of on street parking as well as a paid parking lot near by, one can say it is conveniently located. When one passes it's store front what impressed me the most was the colorful decorated front window with neon lights and color pictures of some of its food products. And products they are full of, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So one day I decided to visit this restaurant for an early dinner. When I entered the place I found that its dark hardwood floors and red brick walls gave it a warm and friendly environment. It was clean and well lit but with few tables and chairs to sit both in the inside and in a small fenced outside seating are in front of the restaurant. It also has a counter in front of the window with stools where people can sit and enjoy their food while looking to the outside and watching people pass by. In front of the counter behind some food displace cases there was a small table with menus and a sign that said: "When you're ready to order, order here." A young lady behind the counter took my order when I was ready. I ordered a Mango Smoothie to drink; an order of Falafel Bites as apappetizer; and a Chicken Shawerma Platter, that came with a side salad, as the main course. The owner and cooked came by to say hello and then went in to prepare the food. In the meantime a few other customers came by to order some desserts to go and others to eat inside. When the food was ready I was called to the counter to pick it up and take to my table and then pay for it using a credit card machine located on the order table that I mentioned before. The Mango Smoothie was made and sealed by a machine and had a smiley face on top. The Falafel Bites were freshly fried and well presented inside a plastic basket with a tiny bowl full of a certain sauce to dip them in. The salad was fresh and well presented in a disposable plate. And the same with the Chicken Shawerma Platter. Everything tasted good and was well presented. For dessert I had ordered a Walnut Baklava that had some coconut on top. It was hard to choose from with the extensive variety of sweets available. At the end I was too full for some coffee but would have liked to have tasted some because I saw hoy it looked from some other customers who had some. read more

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Super cute coffee shop with middle eastern cuisine! I read the great Yelp reviews and decided to stop in here today. I got an iced latte and a za'tar bagel with cream cheese. The iced latte was too sweet for me. I asked for just milk and there was definitely some kind of sweetener once I tasted it. It wasn't bad, just not what I thought I ordered. The bagel on the other hand, was delicious! If you have never had za'tar seasoning, get it here! It is so tasty! The bagel had so much flavor with the za'tar on the top. I would definitely get this again. If I am back in Roanoke, I would love to come back! They have great middle eastern food options and I definitely want to try their falafel! read more

Cello Coffee House & Cafe - Za'tar bagel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Joe was wonderful. Very inviting and recommended some great options. 10/10 will come here again. Came for coffee, left with coffee, an espresso milkshake, a brownie, and an INCREDIBLE walnut baklava. Breakfast options sound enticing enough to return. This place is a vibe and Joe is good people for SURE read more

Cello Coffee House & Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Really yummy treats. We tried the dubai chocolate baklava, the strawberry dubai cup, the pistachio croissant, a chai boba drink, and a few other treats and all of it was yummy!! read more

First time going, Absolutely incredible food. Everything was fresh, everything is clean. The bagels, the falafel, the gyro meat, the backlavas! 14/10 I will be back 100 times. read more

Love drinking my morning coffee here. Must try for morning walk or heading towards work read more

Incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the shawarma ammania was amazing! All homemade and delicious.

A bit of time here for a snack and to use their wifi and electricity to charge my phone. So I took up one of the very few tables inside (social distancing!) where there was an outlet. I got a quick snack, which turned out to be a gyro sandwich. And yes, I did have some of the pita bread (that needed a bit more baking). Nicely loaded with meat, onions, lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce. Messy and delicious. Cello has set their payment station back from the counter with a rope line and printed menus ensuring a proper distance between the staff behind the counter and the customers in the lobby. Coffee, pastries, ice cream and drinks in the cooler. Nice spot for a rest and a late lunch. [Review 13803 overall, 1124 of 2020, number 1237 in Virginia.] read more

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Stumbled upon this quaint coffee/lunch spot to grab a quick coffee before my trip and I loved it. The menu is pretty expansive so I asked the barista if she had any recommendations and she was really kind. I ended up going with a tried and true iced vanilla latte with oat milk and it was delicious. I am definitely going to return for some lunch or smoothies next! read more

Have come here so many times and they never disappoint!! With so many coffee options and flavors, I've never had the same drink twice! Would recommend that everyone try a Turkish coffee at least once! Baklava and desserts are delicious (and the house made, decadent gelato!). Definitely a must stop in Roanoke! Am fast menu read more

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Owner is rude. Boba tea is not good at all. The only thing I liked was the brownies. Probably won't ever go back

Cello Coffee House & Café has delightful Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, aromatic coffees and teas, and delicious desserts. It is a fun café to stop by if you are in the downtown Roanoke, VA area. The Chicken Shawarma Sandwich makes for a good light lunch with its featuring of Middle Eastern spices, tahini, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and garlic sauce. The Hummus with Lamb Gyro is a favorite appetizer for anyone like me who loves garlicky and zesty foods. While the portions are not that big, you can't go wrong with trying the Lentil Soup, Lebneh & Zaatar, or a Gyro Platter for satisfaction. As for drinks, I prefer a Strawberry Malt Laziza or an Iced Turkish Coffee. And for dessert, the Baklava selections are great with the Walnut option being my favorite. The last thing to note is the friendliness of the owner and his family. Every time I have been in there, the owner had a smile on his face and was very welcoming. He lets customers try free samples of his homemade ice cream, which is tasty. All in all, Cello Coffee House & Café makes for a nice quick-stop location in downtown Roanoke. read more

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My favorite place downtown. It's almost impossible to describe why. Thinking about it it's all just fine. But it just comes together in the right way with all the unique aspects. Turkish coffee and Zatar bagel just isn't something you get anywhere else. The counter you pay at makes no sense at all. There's like a table in the way blocking you from ordering. Why is it there? That's the best part tho. Brings everything together it's awesome. Just a unique genuine place. read more

I love coffee shops, and I love Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food. This place has both all in one! Cozy atmosphere, and I love the decorated guitar. Just sayin'. I got the Hummus with Chicken Shawarma. It came with little pickles which were very good. It was worth every penny. I have never had orange sauce on my hummus before, but whatever it is, it is delicious. I can't wait to come back. Next I will try their Turkish coffee. read more

Cello Coffee House & Cafe - Hummus with Chicken Shawarma - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Five stars because of the baklava. Buy all of it, buy all the pistachio, no regrets. I don't usually love baklava all that much, mainly because it's usually so soggy and overly sweet thanks to all the honey. Even I find it too sweet and kind of cloying. But their pistachio baklava? Absolutely incredible. It's homemade, the phyllo dough is crisp, the pistachio filling is incredible, and every bite is heaven. I wish I had bought 20 pieces to bring back home because it was so delicious. Seriously go for the baklava. Their menu also looks incredible but I didn't get to try anything because I was so full. The coffee's pretty decent too but seriously it's all about the baklava. read more

Perfect find after a day of adventuring downtown and needing a quick pick me up. We stumbled upon this place because the small wiffing out the door was irresistible. Seriously people, they must be pushing their oven vent onto the sidewalk because our noses knew right away there was something in there our bellies needed. And we were right. We were greeted by the owner and his curious son. I asked what that smell was and the owner let out a little laugh and told me it was the baklava.... ya'll. You need to get you some, right now. He gave us a sample while we decided what flavor we wanted. We decided we wanted all of them so he arranged us a beautiful togo box. I knew there was something else back there that just came out of the oven so I asked what else was hot and fresh, he laughed again and brought us an order of the freshest falafel I have EVER had. The exterior was just the perfect crunch, while the inside was still soft and fluffy. We each ordered a coffee and went on our way. We didn't make it that far before we had to stop and try out our bounty. So good we went back the next day to grab some snacks for our road trip! Unfortunately they didn't make it very far. Never let a good thing go to waste. read more

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I had an iced Turkish coffee half-sweet and a chicken shawarma sandwich which were both delicious. The owner is very kind and gave me a sample of the blackberry ice cream which was amazing! I stayed until about 7:30 doing remote work and felt welcome. Will be going back regularly. read more

So happy I found this hidden gem. I was in town for a conference and it was so hard to find good coffee after 3pm and good food. When I walked in I asked the owner questions about the menu and he stated everything is homemade. I enjoyed the family feel you get when you walk into this place. It's a literal mom and pop cafe. The first day I went I got the Nutella Turkish Coffee. I enjoyed it so much and wanted to try the food and went back the next day. I ordered the Shawarma sandwich with fries and the Nutella Turkish coffee again. Absolutely amazing the two sauces that came with the sandwich was such a good hit! They even sell homemade ice cream I did not get any but did sample and it was so flavorful! read more

Cello has the best customer service I have experienced. The owner was so kind and it made me feel like Roanoke was a small town. The food was amazing and I drank the best chai I had ever had. I 100% recommend this coffee shop. It is very authentic and has an amazing atmosphere. read more

I'm sorry, but this was disappointing... This is the shawarma ammaniah. The photos I saw on the website or on Yelp (I forget) showed this particular shawarma sitting next to a bed of fries, and appeared much larger. It arrived ice cold, but I believe that's Door Dash's fault and not Cello's.. but I think the servings are pretty skimpy to say the least. Had it not been cold, I would have enjoyed the flavor despite the skimpy portion. I'm on the fence about trying again one of these days. If I do, I'll re-review. read more

Cello Coffee House & Cafe - I'm sorry, but this was disappointing... This is the shawarma ammaniah. Skimpy to say say least. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Cute place. Just had cold brew but was good! Has seating outside and staff was super helpful and friendly.

I tried the coffee and espresso at Cello Coffee house. DREADFUL. The coffee was cold, bitter, weak, and tasted like dirty dish water. I suspect they use low quality and old beans that aren't stored properly, brew their coffee and leave it sitting for hours, and don't use enough coffee grounds when they brew coffee. At $5 a cup I expect a lot more. I have honestly had better coffee from gas stations and grocery stores. The espresso tasted sour and gross as if their machine was covered in scale and grime. They probably don't clean out their machine or espresso baskets properly - just dirty tools, bad beans, bad grinder, and don't pack their espresso properly. The staff seemed to know very little about their coffee, the ingredients in a latte or cappucino, what type of milk they had, or how they make their beverages or desserts. Poorly informed staff make poor food. The staff kept asking me over and over again if I wanted to buy their pastries after I said no - this kind of persistent high pressure sales was annoying and unwelcome. Do NOT purchase coffee or espresso from this place. Go to Mill Mountain Coffee across the street or one of many other coffee shops in downtown Roanoke. read more

We stopped here for a cup of coffee, a cup of tea, and a little dessert. Although there were only 2 other patrons sitting at a table waiting for their order, we felt rushed by the person taking our order. There are (Covid) barriers up to keep you away from the counter. I ordered a macaron and it was chewy, not crisp like they should be. read more

I wish I would have come here sooner! Their chai latte is delicious and the fresh hummus is the best in Roanoke. Can't wait to go back and try other items from the menu! read more

We were on the hunt for evening coffee and this was one of the few places still open after 4-5 p.m. or so. I ordered a chai tea and shot of espresso on the side. The guy made my chai tea with the espresso which annoyed me. He seems reticent to fix my friend's drink so I didn't even bother to ask him to correct my chai tea. Generally speaking, he didn't seem happy to be there. read more

The owner refused to let me stay with my service dog. He was incredibly rude about it so I asked for a refund and told him that hit was not legal to deny entry to a service animal, at which point he began insulting me and cursing at me. Of course I do not wish to be anywhere I am not welcome and I would have left without a fuss, but his disrespectful behavior should not go unchecked. Anyway, I cannot recommend this place in any way. read more

Good people and good food, don't miss out on this place. Don't got much else to say except go and support.

Such a cute little spot! Got the egg and cheese bagel and white mocha coffee. 10/10 for both! So delicious. The coffee was one of the best I've ever had. read more

Cello Coffee House & Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

I had mixed feelings about this restaurant. Had it delivered through Door Dash. -Classic Hummus & Pita- hummus was phenomenal but only 1/2 cup of hummus and I typically share appetizers. Pita with hummus was 1 ( one ! ) small pita bread cut in 2x3" peices, again not enough to share, but again delicious. -Greek Salad entree is one of best in Roanoke. Super fresh, variety of greens, lots of cheese and olives. Yum. Red pepper dressing did nothing for me -Gyro sandwich ( sandwiches being their thing ) was disappointing. Again with small size pita, skimpy on meat, and what kind of Tzatzaki sauce is this ? Delivered with bread soggy, so get sauce on side if you want it crispy. I think there are more phenomenal dishes on menu and I plan on trying more appetizers read more

The food is PHENOMENAL! You've got classic Lebanese food, plus breakfast bagel sandwiches, smoothies, and a whole range of espresso drinks. I had the spinach Lebanese pies, hummus, falafel burrito, grape leaves, and a pistachio baklava and cannot wait to go back. Can't believe Roanoke has food this good. Also, PLENTY of vegan options! read more

Ordered an iced Chai. The gentleman behind the countered told me it was the best and homemade. He wasn't wrong! So delicious! Will certainly be back read more

Outstanding espresso drinks and the Turkish coffee is delicious. the sampler was abundant and delicious, the espresso chocolate baklava delectable, and the Ammaniah filling and well-prepared. The proprietor is a real gentleman and very helpful. read more

Just a friendly heads up, The hours are different than posted, tried to visit at 6pm on a Thursday and Yelp said they're open but they were closed. Will try again next visit. read more

Stopped in this place one day for lunch with my husband and daughter. We had an amazing lunch and coffee. We got baklava for dessert which they make in house. It was fantastic. Went back a few days later to get a tray of baklava for my mother as a gift. It was beautiful and so good she loved it. read more