Great coffee and place to hang out with friends. Also there…read morepumpkin cheese cake muffins are a must try!! Also very friendly staff!

I just went into this establishment today for the first time. Let me just say I have never felt so…read moreunwanted in a place of business in my 51 years on this green earth! When I walked in it was like they were deers caught in headlights. I'm looking like damn is there something in my face or nose. I mean if you don't want black ppl in there just say that. Anyway I would never step foot back into that place again. You don't have to tell me twice Dolee noted my love!

Located in Roanoke's Historic Old Southwest neighborhood, Evie's Bistro and Bakery is not your…read morecommon restaurant. It's a place where locals have gathered for years to spend some quality time with family and friends, in a cozy environment with an eclectic French bistro decor, and offering exquisite homemade food dishes and memorable in-house made desserts. Today, I felt nostalgic, and decided to go have dinner there. As soon as I stepped inside, I felt relaxed and the sign at the entrance that read "Please Seat Yourselves!", created an ambiance of feeling right at home. Shortly after I sat down at my chosen table, my friendly and welcoming server, Alyssa, came down to bring me the menus and take my drink order. I ordered an original Coke and asked her if she could bring me a glass with ice. Somehow, I find that any kind of drink tastes better drinking it from a glass. Alyssa, my server, had a warm and hospitable personality, and fit right in this neighborly establishment. After consulting with her on what to have from the menu, I ended up ordering a cup of Mushroom Bisque, one of the Soup Du Jours, to start off with. And as my main course, the Meatloaf Dinner, with the two sides of their special Potato Salad and Black Beans with Rice. The Meatloaf came with a delicious bordelaise sauce. The Mushroom Bisque soup was amazing! It had many pieces of mushrooms and was very flavorful. Next time I think I'll have a bowl. The Meatloaf was one of the best that I have ever had. Even better than the ones I've had at some of the most prestigious and expensive restaurants. Simply, exquisite. The Black Beans were perfectly seasoned, and the Potato Salad was also very tasty. For dessert, which I consider the "Grand Finale" of any meal, I had a slice of their exclusive cake named "Better Than Sex." It was amazingly delicious! I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to view the cake and read about what it was made of. I also ordered a slice of their Peanut Butter Pie to take home and have as a night snack. In conclusion, I highly recommend this neighborhood Bistro and Bakery. They have a wonderful menu with an amazing Daily Specials one as well. All these, together with a relaxed ambiance and excellent customer service, contribute to an exceptional dining experience.

Went with my daughter, who I was visting! Walked a bit to get some pastries and immediately was…read moretargeted with slurs and racist remarks. Don't know if it was my hat or shirt that set them off. Regardless, horrible people working at this miserable establishment!

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

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.

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.

The people working are really friendly and the cookies are always so delicious!!…read moreI am definitely going back!!

love the cookies and the service is fast And everyone is so welcome to you when u come into the…read morestore

After dining with two friends at 202 Social House in the heart of Roanoke, Virginia - one of them…read morewho had parked in the same parking lot as me - invited me to get ice cream since we still had time left on our parking. So, after my other friend 's husband came to pick her up, we walked over to this highly successful ice cream spot, which I was the first to review almost three years ago, to have an ice cream cone. I still remember the first time I was here when they had reasantly opened. The very friendly and welcoming owner greeted us behind the counter. Little did I know then that he was not new to owning restaurants. Afterwards through friends I found out that the owner's name was Joe Migdadi and that he also owned Cello Coffee House & Café down the street. When we arrived. The employee on duty gave us a warm greeting. Sensing his place of birth, I immediately returned his greeting with "As-salamu alaycum", an Arabic phrase that translate to "Peace be upon you." He was very happy of my knowledge and use of this expression and answered back "Wa alaykumu s-salam," which translates to "And unto you peace." We ordered two single scoops of Bunny Tracks out of the 12 ice cream flavors they had. And my friend offered to pay for them since I had paid for dinner. The ice cream was delicious and as we ate them we talked about when they first opened, and how by selling Fresh Brewed Coffee, Bubble Tea, Smoothies, Ice Creams of many flavors, Cheese Cakes of many kinds, Baklava, Brownies, Cookies, Dubai Chocolates, and many other treats, in this well-located spot in downtown Roanoke, they were able to be successful and at the same time satisfy a need in this community. I highly recommend this place and encourage you to give them your total support.

Dropped in for some ice cream on a whim saw the baklava and got very excited. It was a false and…read morepathetic hope. An $8 serving of Bakala was one (meager) piece served cold, hard, and bland; just like the service.

On a hot summer day this place is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. What better…read morethan a smooth, fruit-flavored frozen dessert made from water, sugar, and real fruit juices or purees. Simple things in life like this refreshing product are what bring the best joys to our lives. After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants, businesses, and entertainment venues, 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 Jersey Water Ice, located in the Northwest of Roanoke, Virginia is a perfect example. Today I was finally able to meet the enthusiastic entrepreneur who came up with the idea of starting this business for the benefit of all those in his community and those who find out about it like I did searching for cold, refreshing items that will help me keep cool in these hot summer days. Darren Wiggins, a friendly Atlantic City, New Jersey native with a strong love and affection for the City of Roanoke is the sole owner of Jersey Water Ice and the person who had the vision of starting this business in his neighborhood to uplift the people of his community and bring them the joy that only refreshing water ice and comfort food can bring. He came to Roanoke in 2009 and started JWI in 2018 operating out of a van he turned into a foodtruck serving what he saw as a need in his community: a lite flavorful icy delight. Most famously known and sold as "Italian ice," in most parts of the US, however traditionally called water ice by residents in Philadelphia and South Jersey. Having a granular but silky texture that sits between a slushy and a firm sorbet. At first I had trouble finding the little eatery located on 622 11th Street NW, but I gave the owner a call and he gave me clear directions how to find it and even though he was about to close for the day he was graciously enough to wait for me so that I could try his amazing and refreshing product. When I arrived he greeted me with a warm welcome. The eatery was small but very clean and cozy with beautiful hardwood floors and a couple of lovely hand-made benches. All the food was put away since he was about to close but I put my attention to the display freezer where the water ice were stored. He had flavors such as Lemon, Mango, Cherry, Blue Raspberry, Cotton Candy, and Pina Colada, among others. I ordered a small cup of the Pina Colada. It was so soft, creamy, and refreshing, as well as very tasty. After he closed the eatery and we were outside still talking, a car with one of his loyal customers stopped to see if the place was open. He chatted with him and invited him to come back the next day. We talked about his ideas for expansion and then we said goodbye and he drove off in his Cadillac as I stayed a while longer finishing my water ice. In conclusion I highly recommend this place when you feel like eating comfort food and refreshing water ice. The owner is very welcoming and positive, and has a wonderful personality and from looking at the menu, great food and cold, refreshing treats.

Kind service, a friendly face and amazingly tasty and refreshing treat. I love everything about…read morethis establishment. . highly recommend to anyone looking for a sweet refreshing treat.

Stopped by Bollos on Tuesday morning! Thankfully they have early hours and I was able to swing by…read moreright around 7. I parked on College Ave (metered parking doesn't start until 9am) and walked a short half block to the entrance. I was promptly greeted when I walked in and the lady working offered to answer any allergy questions. They specifically list out allergens and restrictions on each sign (gluten, nuts, vegan, etc). There is a plethora of fresh baked pastries to choose from as well as coffee. I had trouble deciding but opted for a GF peach scone and a GF strawberry banana muffin. The muffin was delicious and the scone was also pretty great, kinda dry...but that's just how most scones are! I'll definitely be coming back and trying more of their gluten free options (they have them on Tuesdays and Saturdays!

I went here approaching 11am- and there was only one empty table- so it was quite busy! The music…read morewas low and the place was not as loud since most people were studying/ but there were some quiet conversations- so the ambience and vibes were a good halfway point between calm and lively. I ordered a vanilla latte with whole milk. As you can see, the latte art was very cute, and it was not like EXTREMELY hot- it was perfect sipping heat. Also very affordable! The muffin was ginormous, and yummy- had to split it with a friend. And I love that there was a toaster and a microwave to heat up any of your goodies! Will be back again!