This was a disappointment and given the almost universally positive reviews, I'm not sure if my experience was an anomaly or if Halwa is benefitting from a college town, grading on a curve situation. I came by last Wednesday morning for a bit of caffeine and a bite to eat before my top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality (down the street at VA Tech) and I embarked on our road trip into Kentucky. I'm a hardcore morning person and it's often difficult to find coffee places that are open before 8am. The primary reason I came here was because they opened at 7am, well before most of the businesses in the area did. That's a point in their favor at least. And it's cute in there. Per my accompanying picture, there's a lot to take in, with tons of items on the walls and on display, and I needed a solid minute or two just to look over the large menu, which featured a lot of different types of coffees/lattes, as well as a significant number of Middle Eastern influenced snacks and pastries. I literally got over there just as the doors opened (promptly right before 7), so I had the run of the place for my short time in there; I have no doubt this place is hopping when students are actually on campus and don't feel like frequenting the obligatory Starbucks for whatever reason. Maybe it's just a personal palate issue but I didn't like anything I had. Since this was a very specific type of coffee establishment, I tried the Turkish Coffee. That one for sure just wasn't my speed - it's a super tiny portion, pretty much akin to a shot or two of espresso, and aside from the first two or three sips, was literally just grounds. My gut says that's just how Turkish Coffee is, and I won't be sampling that again anywhere. I did see some intriguing lattes including one of my all-time chums Rose, so that was probably the call in hindsight. I also selected two food items, both of which were also unfortunately misses for me. One was the baklava, a pastry I'm very familiar with and tend to really like. This was, I'm sad to say, the worst I've had. The biggest issue is that you can barely taste the main ingredients, namely the pistachio and honey. You know what you can taste, see and feel on your tongue though? Sugar. Lots of sugar. For some bizarre reason, they make their baklava here with a layer of this crystallized sugar. I don't know why, but it honestly ruins the item and drowns out the actual flavors you should be tasting. Arguably an easy fix, but I only took a few bites of it. I also got a Lebanese puff pastry, which looked intriguing but just didn't have much of a flavor. This was my first time trying it, so maybe it's supposed to be on the blander side for whatever reason, but it mostly just tasted like dough to me, especially the areas closer to the edge (not all that dissimilar in my experience from a croissant). The service was fine; there was just the one young woman behind the counter opening up for the day, and everything I ordered was provided within a few minutes. I got two coffees (a "normal" one for my chum as well), and the two pastries, which came to close to $30. I think that's a little pricy, especially for a place right off of a college campus, but your mileage may vary. Normally I'd recommend avoiding an establishment where I literally didn't like anything, but my gut says it's still worth stopping by. Just don't get what I got. read more

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This contemporary and relaxing bakery and coffeehouse located in Blacksburg, Virginia, specializes in Egyptian and Lebanese inspired desserts and baked goods. But above and beyond their Middle Eastern pastries and unique drinks like Turkish Coffee and Mango Madness, it is an inviting environment with comfortable tables, chairs, and couches, to spend quality time socializing with good friends or with a laptop connected to the internet with their Wi-Fi, doing research for that special project. After being awarded the Triad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants 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 Halwa Bakery & Cafe is the perfect example. After having dinner with a friend at another restaurant, we decided to come here for dessert. When we arrived, it was easy to find a parking space right around the corner of the Cafe. The place had outdoor furniture to be able to enjoy your food and drink outdoors in nice weather. Inside, the beautiful hardwood floors and exposed ceilings, together with the unique lighting treatment, gave special character to the place, and providing an extraordinary environment in which to better enjoy the moment. On the left of the ordering counter there is a couple of large blackboards with the menu written on them in color chalk. On the right, there are several display cases with Sandwiches and Pastries for one to observe and make better choices. My friend ordered a Baklava Cheesecake and I ordered a Peanut Butter Special Cake. As we sat down enjoying our desserts, that were amazingly delicious, the place was full of people. Some working on their laptops, others socializing, and others simply enjoying their food and drinks. As we were leaving, I saw on one of the walls two framed newspaper articles from The Roanoke Times, with color photographs, on this Blacksburg bakery with Mediterranean pastries. I highly recommend this place as a perfect environment to enjoy some cultural food and drinks, either alone, with your laptop, or with good friends. read more

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Came here twice while visiting VT and it was great - friendly staff and such a staggering selection of drink, snacks, baked goods, and treats. The dining area was a great place to hang out - warm, cozy, and comfy. This is really nice spot to spend some time. read more

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I love this bakery so much and it is constantly in my rotation of breakfast places in Blacksburg. They have a great selection of pastries and coffees which are always delicious and fulfilling. They recently redesigned the inside, which now features more seating, which is good, as it can get crowded during peak season. The food does take a little but to come out, but they only have one or two baristas working at once, so I am ok with a longer wait for the quality. Recommend: Any latte or shaken espresso American Breakfast croissant Lebanese breakfast croissant read more

Spacious cafe! The staff was very nice. I only ordered a tea, so I can't say anything about the food. But they had lots of good looking desserts and pastries! read more

Love this place!!! SUCH cute decorations, plenty of seating. Great vibes, I love hanging out here to meet with people or do homework. Every drink I've tried has been so yummy. The employees are super kind and personable too! Orders are made incredibly fast too read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Vibe inside - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

So many options!!! I had an Arabic Date Sharbat, Cherry Blossom cold brew and a hot pink latte(strawberry and rose)- they were all delicious! read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Menu - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

Halwa is such a cute and yummy spot to grab a coffee and study! There menu is insane and has so many great flavors (pistachio, rose, etc) and there's so many great desserts as well. Tbh some of the best coffee I've ever had! read more

Thank you Halwa for being open on this wintery day!! We are thankful that all the other coffee shops were closed so we could discover this hidden gem of a cafe here in the Burg. Excellent service, great selection of bakery goods and warm beverages. We will definitely skip the commercial coffee shops and go here in the future. Great ambiance and prices too!!! read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Menu - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

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A cute little cafe in the downtown area. The inside of the cafe was nice and cozy with people just hanging out or doing work. While there was one person working to take orders and make our drinks, she was quick and we didn't have to wait long. We got the Lebanese latte and pistachio latte. Both were really good and would highly recommend going there for coffee and just hang out. We didn't have time to try their bakery items but they looked really good! read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Lebanese Latte - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

Amazing variety of food, pastries, coffee, and drinks! And they are delicious!! Some of my favorite coffee drinks that they make include their Turkish coffee, Nutella latte, and Campfire latte! They also have seasonal drinks and sweet treats!! The place itself is super cute, the ambiance is immaculate, and the workers are super welcoming, nice, and hardworking! read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Turkish coffee & Middle Eastern Coffee Cake Bar - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

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Such a great place to sit with a coffee, snack, and do work. The owner, Karmen, is a generous and kind woman and owns a beautiful shop! The food is unique and there are so many options. Pricing is also very reasonable. Overall a wonderful place! Highly recommend. read more

I've come here very frequently over the past few years and I have much to say about Halwa in the time I've spent here: Ambience: I repeatedly come back here specifically for the atmosphere. Halwa is SO cute and well decorated. Over the years, they've upped their seating game big time, and there are now lots of spacious tables to study at. HOWEVER, it can be tough to find a good spot with an outlet available for charging your devices. The only outlets are located on the side walls, and they have extension cords but they are only 2-prong, so not compatible with most laptop chargers. Coffee: The coffee here is objectively not good, if you like real coffee. I've tried a number of drinks (lattes, espresso...) and they are always off. Burnt/sour espresso, the lattes are all milk/foam, etc. I've not yet had a "good" coffee here. Food: Despite the expansive menu, the food here is...not great. The baked goods are hit or miss. They never sell out, so they leave the pastries in the cases for a long time. They're usually not fresh, but I have been pleasantly surprised once or twice... They've recently added a refrigerated cake tower which seems to have fresh stuff-- the limoncello cake was amazing!! Overall though, I find the food to be inconsistent. Service: I've never had an issue with the service here, but I feel like the baristas are just not trained well at making drinks. read more

I was really looking forward to checking out this bakery/cafe in the Blacksburg area. The first thing I noticed was how warm and cozy the interior looked. The owner greeted my sister and I as soon as we walked in. She was really friendly and patient as we took our time picking what we wanted to eat and drink. I ended up going with the hot Banana Foster latte with almond milk and it was fantastic! We also got the kenafa, baklava, and apricot and apple bars. Everything was so good! I really liked that the bakery wasn't super sweet. It was just right. The best part of it all was that the owner bakes everything on her own. What a great addition to the community. I'll definitely be back next time I visit! read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Baklava - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

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What a cute little oasis! Stopped in for a mid day treat with my boyfriend on a Saturday. It was super chill inside, being it's the summer in a college town. Lots of cozy spots to sit. THE MENU IS OVERWHELMING. However, the staff is super friendly and helpful in guiding you on choosing a drink. I got an iced matcha with blueberry and he got an iced dirty chai, both with oat milk. I noted that each cup appeared to have a unique drawing on them, I'm assuming by staff members. HOW CUTE!! Our drinks were perfect, quickly made and very tasty. Cheers! read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Dirty iced chai latte and iced blueberry matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

Great food - prompt service ! The coffees are great - highly recommend the Pistachio coffee !

Just delicious, we shared a loaded baklava with pistachio gelato and pistachios and a Lebanese iced latte with pistachio and rose. What an amazing treat to finish our evening! More than we expected- will be back! read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Loaded baklava with pistachio gelato and pistachios, and Lebanese latte with pistachio and rose. - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

Halwal offers a solid line-up of drinks and treats. I had the earl gray iced latte, which was a well-balanced and refreshing drink. In addition, I had a serving of their almond basbousa, which was delicious but a little sweet for my liking (however, I imagine that was the intention). I sat on the patio, so I cannot speak to the inside vibe, but the patio was nice enough. The one thing I would have preferred is the use of reusable plates/etc. Serving food on paper plates leaves a lot to be desired for the vibe and for the environment. read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Almond balbousa - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

Great atmosphere and Gary coffee and treats. Perhaps a bit overpriced, but hey, thems the breaks in 2023. read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Turkish coffee. Don't drink the grounds! - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

Menu is extensive, service is friendly. It's super cute inside with an unassuming exterior. My friend ordered a drink with two different kinds of milk and they didn't bat an eye. I didn't try their baked goods, but their offerings are really nice, lots of standard issue, lots of specialties. Can't wait to try it again! read more

Halwa Bakery & Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Blacksburg, Virginia

The staff person was working and trying really hard, but was ALONE the morning of the biggest football game of the season. I literally waited 30 minutes for a croissant and Frappuccino (never did get the Frappuccino because I just couldn't stay longer). Again in no way the individual's fault but please do better in managing this great spot. read more

Halwa is a cute coffee shop, the atmosphere is very cozy and definitely nice place to study at. I will say there are not a lot of tables so you might not be able to get one if they're busy. The customer services depends on who's behind the counter. I've had very great experiences, but I also have had bad ones, one being where the employee rolled their eyes at me and sighed heavily after I ordered. I understand everyone has bad days but I will not be ordering if they're working. I've tried a good amount of their drinks but it kinda inconsistent just depends on who's behind the counter. Their pastries are sub-par. I've tried a couple of them and honestly not a big fan of them, they're not the worst, just expensive for what you get if I'm being honest. I would recommend staying away pastries but that just my opinion. Overall I keep coming back because it's a nice place to study at. read more

I always love coming here when in Blacksburg! The staff is exceptionally friendly and they have such a great coffee menu with many specialties and options for non-coffee-drinkers (though I've never had a bad combo here - so definitely explore their recommendations!!). Personally love their unique and abstract seating which is so inviting and great for working, as it's relatively quiet. read more

The ambience is amazing here but the coffee quality is not excellent. Additionally, the matcha is very sweet and is not of great quality. The food quality is very average minus the baked goods, so I don't recommend going for any meals. The people that work here are very nice though, and it is a great study spot. read more

Quiet, great atmosphere, large drink selection. I work from home and frequent this cafe when I need to get things done.

Good pastries, food, and drinks. Ambiance is soothing. Many vegan options. Homemade lemonade is very good.

Everything about Halwa is warm and inviting! It has an extraordinary menu of Middle Eastern and American savories and sweets, coffees and teas, and east-meets-west fusions. The interior and the patio are comfy and relaxing. Best of all, it's dog friendly! read more

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Very large menu with over whelming options to choose from. However, the Coffee is no good! baked goods are lacking freshness, and service is horrible! I do not recommend! read more

Outstanding cafe with a ton of coffee, tea, sandwiches and breakfast breads (and much more) choices. Bonus -your furry friend is welcome! So be careful with the hot drinks, they're served very hot! read more

Excellent cake and savory pastries. The selection of drinks was very good with an interesting middle eastern theme. Went there for dessert with my daughter and then returned the next day for lunch and savory pastry. The decor was warm, cosy and inviting. read more

Adorably cozy and inviting from the moment you enter. We were greeted immediately but needed time to read the extensive menu of drinks. The prices were very reasonable compared to Starbucks and they have just as many offerings. The young lady working there was by herself and 6 orders of drinks and food came in all at once, she was so efficient and friendly. I asked if she made all the baked goods and she commented that her amazing manager was the baker. Everything there doesn't just look delicious, it really is. I will visit every time I come to Blacksburg. read more

This has become on of our favorite cafes to visit when in town. They actually have kanafah which is hard to find. Their hot chocolate with marshmallow fluff is delicious as well. One of our favorite though the date square. Everything else is hot or miss however would like to know what else is good to try once we are back in town. read more

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LOVE THIS PLACE! They have amazing service and the food is devine, plus I LOVE the decorations here.

Got food poisoning and threw up, would not recommend. Ambiance was cute but save your money

This place is way too overrated. The Korean tea was very bland, and I can tell the girls do not know what is the good ratio of the Korean Yuzi preserve and the carbonated water. Overall a very disppointing place because their coffee was too bland also. Some of their bakery items tasted stale and/or not delicous to me. I am afraid of spending my dollars here because of their poor quality. Their quality in beverage and food options are not as good as their interior. read more

Great Turkish coffee and great people! Finally a cozy place with great coffee in Blacksburg :)

Cute atmosphere and yummy baked goods. Got there right at closing so was not able to try coffee. Can't wait to go back and try

Walnut Stale cake was very stale, I dont think they bake fresh every day, cake was at least a week old.

Amazing food, so many options and lots of variety. Love the atmosphere. Lots of very kind people working here!

I love this place! The coffee is great and it's a perfect study/coffee date spot. I haven't tried the food personally, but my friends all love their pastries and especially the cinnamon buns! read more