Delicious ice cream and cookies. I had a flight of 4 small scoops of ice cream and a cookie. I…read morehad Maple Pecan, blue Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie & ??? (lol I forgot the 4th one) with a snicker doodle cookie. Every one of the ice creams were so flavorful and delicious. The cookie was great! Nice and chewy. The inside is a bit dirty, the bench cushions look like it has seen some kids with ice cream drippings. It wasn't unsanitary however. Service was great. The girl behind the counter was very nice and pleasant to speak with. I highly recommend giving Rookies a try.

I first reviewed Rookie's (Handcrafted Ice Cream Sandwiches) when it opened at the Patrick Henry…read moreHistoric building in Downtown Roanoke; just across the street from the Social Security building and the Roanoke Public Library - Downtown Branch. I did so after having visited it several times, having had their ice-cream and homemade cookies, and having talked to and interviewed their store employees as well as their truck driver who brings their ice-cream and cookie dough from Lynchburg, Virginia. Now that Rookie's has relocated from their Downtown Roanoke store to Cave Springs, at 3549 Electric Rd, Suite D, I have decided to visit their new location, and write an update review. I urge all the readers to this review to also go back and read my first review and accompanied photographs to learn more about the history of the company. For Rookie's is more than just an Ice Cream Parlor. It's a place where desserts and friends meet to create something memorable. Their employees are encouraged to establish conversations with their customers and answer questions about their company and their products. And their comfortable ambiance and seating area contribute to the enjoyment and extraordinary sweet dining experience while people socialize with family and friends, and share quality time with them. The new location is more family-friendly and has more parking than their previous location. The residents of Cave Springs have welcomed Rookie's with open arms and have become steady customers in a relatively short period of time. I was impressed to find out that it is located in thr same Shopping Center as Cafe Asia 2 Restaurant, one of my favorites Asian Restaurants. Rookie's continues to offer different flavors of cookies, homemade ice cream, and signature ice cream sandwiches, in a clean and simple interior design relaxing environment, and with excellent customer service from their warm, knowledgeable, and friendly staff. Today I visited the new location with a friend and both of us interacted with the servers and had ice-cream sandwiches. Mine was Mint Chocolate Chip cookies with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. The combination of the two made the perfect sweet snack or dessert. During the time we were there chatting and enjoying our ice-cream sandwich, we saw many other customers come in and do the same. It seems that Rookie's made a great strategic move for a win win situation between the company and its customers. A quote from the owner of the community I feel best describes it best: "We believe that community is built on a foundation of celebrating something good and we believe our handcrafted ice cream sandwiches. Ice cream, cookies & milk will bring you together! We're all about the memories made and the nostalgia we hope you feel whenever you tuck in to a treat with friends and family." All of Rookie's ice cream is handcrafted in Lynchburg, and they offer vegan and gluten-free options. Rookie's hopes to continue expanding to other locations, with some customers even asking for a location in North Carolina. I highly recommend this business and its products, and consider it one of the City of Roanoke's gem.

Absolutely a must go! They're ice cream is delicious (note, they do not seem to have soft serve -…read morewhich I LOVE). They do have an opt for ice cream coffees/frappes(?) which is awesome. The cones were a bit hit with our entire group

Stopped by with friends while in the area recently. This little creamery has it going on. The…read moreafternoon of our visit, the place was packed. The interior is open with walk up counter service. A large family style table with chairs and a few small tables along the window to the left of the counter and register area. The staff are all friendly and engaged, there were multiple staff helping folks in three different service lines and that made the wait on line minimal and the service fairly quick. A nice selection of ice creams for most tastes, with a menu board of the daily offerings is posted overhead. After giving the menu a look over, I opted for a two scoop bowl - butter pecan and vanilla. Both were very good and a nice sized serving. My friends and I grabbed a seat at the large family style table and enjoyed our frozen treats. All in all a solid choice for frozen treats and worth the wait if its busy. Its often busy. 4 Stars - recommended 01099

I was roaming around the Grandin village area of Roanoke and found Pop's ice cream next to Gianni's…read morerestaurant. Perfect for dessert or late dinner. Spoiler alert: I ended up getting 2 pints of ice cream for dinner. The price was pretty good, as far as ice cream goes. $8 per carton and that wasn't that bad actually. I arrived here around 5:30pm on a Thursday afternoon. I had just finished my late lunch at Gianni's restaurant next door and needed to find dinner before heading to my airbnb for the night. I didn't want to walk 0.25 miles from my Airbnb to Grandin Avenue later that night, so I just decided to have ice cream for dinner. It worked out very favorably for me actually. I probably spent about 20 minutes here. The ambiance was interesting and felt like a 60's diner. There wasn't much going on at the time, but it was good to be here to be shopping for ice cream. There was a large selection of ice cream that was scratched onto the board in the store. Plenty of flavors but I ended up getting Oreo and chocolate, which was quite heavenly. The restaurant itself was small but clean. Like a 60's diner that kept things true to form. The service was quick and simple while being typical and friendly. I definitely enjoyed and would recommend coming here if you enjoy authentic ice cream in the Roanoke area. For the most part though, the experience here was uneventful. It would be cool if my travels permit me to return here in the future. But for now, I was glad to have come here and experienced the ice cream. I enjoyed the chocolate more than the Oreo, but both were delicious and quite enjoyable. It put a smile on my face for sure. The overall experience here at POP's ice cream in Grandin Village, Roanoke Virginia was very good and made my stomach happy. Although I could have eaten my ice cream at the restaurant, it was close to sunset and wanted to be at my Airbnb for the night before I get lost. It was cool to talk to the dude behind the counter for a couple of minutes before trying to decide what flavors I wanted that day. Just felt a little interesting there, the vibe and the ambiance being there on a random Thursday afternoon being a tourist. It wasn't a long experience here, since ice cream typically is a fast transaction. The flavors change regularly, since they write the flavors on a large chalk board and it seems like it's easy to change at any given time. I love the chocolate of course. Oops. I forgotten that they do have other offerings like actual food items, which I could have bought for dinner, but I was focused on the ice cream, which is very authentic and made in house everyday. If my future travels permit me to return to Roanoke, I will be back to sample other offerings here at Pop's and also try out other flavors of the authentic ice cream that the locals have raved for. Kind of feels like this place is popular with kids and people who love their ice cream. I just happened to come during the slower period, as March isn't usually the time of year to have ice cream in Virginia. For the most part though, my tastebuds wanted the chocolate ice cream for dessert and I was happy to have it on my short trip to Roanoke. Definitely recommended if you are passing through or vacationing in Roanoke, like how I was. POP's Ice Cream and Soda shop is located at 1916 Memorial Ave SW in the Grandin Village district of Roanoke, Virginia. They accept major credit cards as well as cash. As far as parking goes, it is very limited. Your best bet is to find street parking where you can find it nearby in the residential areas and walk on over. It's a walkable neighborhood and doesn't seem like they get a lot of vehicular traffic on any given day. If you enjoy public transportation in the city of Roanoke, you can ride routes 65 or 71 and walk on over after getting off the bus. I got here by walking from the 3rd street bus station, which was 2 miles away. Way to build up that appetite, I guess. The prices here are good and competitive. Supporting local businesses is where it's at here. There's always uber and Lyft if you desire comfort and convenience at your fingertips. If you are here in Roanoke and want to enjoy delicious and authentic ice cream, consider coming over here and enjoy. There's also other things they can offer to enjoy too, but make sure you ask for a menu or else you will miss out on the other stuff Pop's has on their menu. You will not regret it I promise. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+

Walked in on a rainy afternoon right at opening, I have been wanting to try Pop's for a while and…read morethe opportunity presented itself for my visit. Pop's has been a part of the neighborhood for almost two decades now. The proprietor greeted us walking in and was setting up for his day. The interior is a time warp back to when things were simplier, more relaxed and just a better way of life, like when sodas were fountain drinks made by hand. Grilled cheese is the thing here, along with hand drawn fountain drinks, crafted ice cream sundaes, a variety of cones, with a tomato bisque and a daily soup. There are hard menus (old school) and a daily broad overhead behind the register. We both opted for the board special grilled cheese, it was a great choice and then a cup of each, the tomato bisque and the potato soup as the daily special. I had a cream soda with my meal and it was like a step back in time, made fresh with the good ice and a fresh head of cream. Its an ice cream shop, how can you not have ice cream after a good lunch? So, after my healthy meal what better than a hot fudge sundae to balance it all out! This is a really rich dessert and so tasty, vanilla ice cream on top of a big fudge brownie, fresh whipped cream, fudge sauce and topped with a cherry, classic. A cool retro vibe, excellent grilled cheese sandwich options, tomato soup always and a huge selection of fountain drinks, sundaes and ice cream combinations. Well worth a stop. 4.5 Stars - rounded up for our gracious host, recommended and I will be back 01051

A nice place to stop for a quick dessert. It's not a big store but the ice cream was yummy even on…read morea cold rainy day.

I thought this would be a cute little cafe/ creamery to go to with my grand mother. It was not. It…read morewas very very over priced and the prices aren't shown inside the display case. Further more, there's no "customer" restrooms. There's no refunds and the ice cream charges for toppings. Here's a pic of the $6.50 Dubai chocolate.

There is a Homestead creamery which is outside of Roanoke and is affiliated with a farm. However,…read moreit is a long way to get to and is not open on Sundays, so I was glad to find that this shop sells that particular local ice cream in the location that is easier to get to. It is a basically 100% dairy operation so if you are seeking non-dairy ice cream. It is a basically 100% dairy operation so if you are seeking non-dairy ice cream then Blue Cow is a better destination (despite the name). However, if you want a full flavored dairy ice cream, this place delivers. I was a little miffed that their flavors had a Virginia Tech tinge, which is not my affiliation, but the Hokie Berry was a delicious flavor and their mint chip was strong. There isn't a whole lot else immediately around, but this shop was reasonably busy.

I heard about this new ice cream creamery in Vinton, Virginia, that opened a few months ago, and…read moreafter visiting their website, and seeing they had Peanut Butter Ice Cream, decided to go and try it out. The Down Home Creamery is located in a small, modern, red brick, business building on 116 S Poplar Street in Vinton, not too far from the Vinton Library. As one enters the glass doors of the creamery, the decor is modern black and white with accent wood and light color hardwood floors. The place is very clean and well maintained and has a freezer with 24 flavors of ice cream right as you enter and covered with very clean and clear glass doors for one to see and appreciate the different flavors available. It also has many bottles filled with toppings, as well as a variety of Waffle cones and bowls. The atmosphere is very relaxed with fresh air circulation that make you feel comfortable when ordering and eating your ice cream. There was a young lady attendant who greeted me with a smile and took my order of two scoops of Peanut Butter Ice Cream in a Waffle Bowl. The Waffle was fresh and crispy, while the ice cream had just the right smoothness to bring out its flavor at its best. The young lady attendant spent time cleaning the counter as I ate my ice cream in one of the tables of the place. Two other customers arrived while I was their and they were fascinated by the many flavors that they ordered a scoop of several of them. I really enjoyed the place, the service, and the very creamy ice cream. If any of you are like me, that just love ice cream and eating it in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, I highly recommend this creamery. And as for me, I definitely will be coming here some more from now on and tell others about the place.

One of the most beautifully creative gift shop in Roanoke, Sugar Magnolia seems to amaze me every…read moretime I visit it. Today, Black Friday, I was fortunate enough to meet the owners of the place, a husband and wife team who came up with the idea of this store and very successfully have made it come true. The husband deals with the numbers, while the wife is the creative mind and buyer of all the one of a kind interesting gifts displayed in the store. This store has so many categories of gifts that it would be impossible to mention them all in this review, but take a look of the photographs accompanying the review and you will be able to get an idea of them all. After all, it is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Two of the main categories are Chocolates and Ice Cream. I went there today to purchase a box of hand picked chocolates which I myself selected and one of the friendly employees arranged very neatly inside the box. Some other categories of gifts include very lovely, quality Greeting Cards, very nice Souvenirs of the Star City of Roanoke, Stuffed Animals, Magnets with Quotes that touch the heart, Pottery such as mugs, plates, pitchers, cookies jars, and during this special time of the year, Nutcracker, Christmas decorations and ornaments, and other festive items that celebrate the Holiday Season time of the year. There is also an area with Purses, Jewelry, scarfs, soaps, incense, and a diverse variety of other beautiful items, that the wife and co-owner of the store has hand selected on her trips as Buyer. But if all this seems amazing and spectacular, what is even greater are the hand picked and well trained employees of the store. Immediately after you enter the store they make eye contact and greet you with a smile, making you feel comfortable and at home. They help you with any questions you might have and in locating that perfect gift for a family member or a best friend. They serve you that special ice cream behind the counter, for you to enjoy while sitting at one of the small tables or while browsing around the store. The customer service they provide is absolutely amazing, and they are key in providing the ambiance that make this store so special. I highly recommend this store to all. Go in and browse around. Enjoy the beauty of the store and the diverse gift items in stock. I am certain that it won't take long for you to find a gift for that special person in your life, for your best friend, or maybe even a gift to get for yourself.

Great staff, amazing ice cream and adorable shop. My brother and I shared a banana split and my…read moredaughter got some of the chocolate truffles out of the case.

What a great addition to the Roanoke food scene! Located right next to RND Coffee and across from…read moreBloom (Creme Fresh is a collaboration between the two!), and a block from the Greenway. We had so much fun grabbing sorbet and dairy free ice cream in this bright and adorable shop, then leisurely walking the greenway as we enjoyed it. The flavors were fresh and vibrant (especially loved the lavender lemon sorbet!), we loved the fresh and natural local ingredients, the super cute vibe and the friendly staff! We'll be back!!

I stopped by today and this ice cream is absolutely amazing. Roanoke is so lucky to have a place…read morelike this ........ the proprietors are definitely forward thinking as many larger cities don't offer non-dairy ice cream with gluten free cones! Trust me when I say you are not sacrificing anything by foregoing dairy. I had the pumpkin chai and the peanut-butter banana and both were delicious beyond words. So good I had to get a pint for the road. Thank you for bringing this option to Roanoke. I will be a regular.

Bruster's Real Ice Cream is a favorite of my wife's and mine for ice cream and other desserts in…read moreRoanoke, VA. For the people out there that like places such as Cold Stone Creamery, Bruster's is even better in my opinion. The staff is usually friendly and helpful in helping customers make a decision. They will let you sample any flavor if you want to try one. As for the ice cream, it is smooth, rich, and delicious and comes in a variety of unique flavors. They have all the staples including chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, but the rotating-unique flavors are where the real fun is. I am a fan of the chocolate mudslide and the cappuccino and my wife likes anything loaded with chocolate and peanut butter. Most of the time, I order a milkshake, but sometimes there is nothing like the hot and cold combination of cinnamon-vanilla ice cream on an apple dumpling. It is important to note that Bruster's is an outdoor counter-service ice cream shop and the lines can get long during peak season, but the wait is worth it. There is some limited seating to the side of the building featuring red benches and umbrellaed tables. All of these features make this place an ideal summertime stop. The next time you are looking for quality ice cream, be sure to give Bruster's a try.

Friendly staff, great ice cream. All the different flavors makes it hard to decide. Love their…read moreapple pie with a scoop of vanilla!

Sounds like it's official - I went to look online about the progress of the new home of Chris's at…read morethe historic Starkey School building as revealed to me by the owner when I met her when I came in for custard a couple months ago while I was in the area. Read my review - EXCEPTIONAL HOMEMADE CREAMY DREAMY CUSTARD! The article I just read online seems to indicate plans for the shop and business relo are well underway! YAY for Chris's! See the article posted on July 15, 2025 here: https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2025/07/16/chriss-coffee-and-custard-to-move-to-new-location/ Their current building lease expires Aug 30 2025 (apparently sooner than the owners had expected). Anticipated opening date at the new location at Starkey School is January 2026! Very cool and exciting news!! CONGRATS AND BEST WISHES TO CHRIS'S! If the decor, ambiance and vibe of the new location is anything like the current location (and I'm told it will be, and so much more!), I can't wait to stop in when I'm in the area next after the new place opens!

This is one of Roanoke's repurposed industrial buildings; it's a more interesting space than I…read morewould have guessed in advance and you can certainly hang around for a while. The other part that's notable is that this is a business that employs people with developmental disabilities. I surveyed the dessert options and ended up on a seasonal apple pie shake. With frozen custard as a base, it is a smooth shake. The apples didn't quite blend completely, but I wasn't particularly disappointed to have to eat a couple of cinnamon apple pieces at the end of my shake. Their food options are baked goods made in advance, and they do have almond milk for beverages, but I suspect the custard-based desserts are going to be the best offerings for my needs. It is the kind of place where when I offered thanks for my dessert, I got a reply of "my pleasure" and believed it.

Cute little coffee shop in an open space that is also a little market but the market does open up…read moremuch later than the coffee shop. Loved that we could bring our dog in to hangout. The only thing was that the individuals taking our order on two different days and different people seemed a little indifferent. We tried the Purple Haze and the Honey Bee Lattes. Purple haze was delicious but the Honey Bee Latte had a lot of cinnamon. We also tried their Chorizo, Sausage and Cheese Burrito with salsa. Great flavor but there was a lot more egg and not enough chorizo. They also have a lot of pastries and baked goods. We did get a chocolate muffin which was very good. Overall I would recommend, it's a cute spot.

This place is in a sort of indoor mall; they put a sign outside because it doesn't look obvious…read morefrom the street where the entrance is. Ordering online left me with a ready breakfast. Unfortunately, a toasted bagel with butter had the butter on the side, and thus by the time I ate my bagel it was cold and didn't butter the way I wanted it to. Their chai was a syrupy but interesting flavor that emphasized spice more than sugar; at least, the first few sips were before I clumsily dropped it. No blame for them on that. Adding a parfait to eat later was a good decision that gave me energy for the day. They had a wide menu, and while I wanted a bit more from my bagel I could certainly find a quick and easy breakfast downtown here whenever I needed it.