We were looking for a place to have a bite after a long drive. Lews was recommended to us for good…read morefood. The food did not disappoint, but the lack of attention to the dining space makes it difficult to consider returning. With improved cleanliness and upkeep customers will be willing to return.

Take-out customers get preference for dine-in table people, who are left watching their fingernails…read moregrow, awaiting long periods for food which is not always good. "Ambiance" can only be described as "run down". We have patronized this place for many years (at least once a week) when things were better, but that has ENDED!

Post 5 visits…read more Service- lacking. Both the young white woman and the Latino give you the impression they are annoyed you have stopped in the establishment. And don't you dare take some time to think about your order Açaí bowl- they win. Better than fruits and roots and better than tropical smoothie. Smoothies- have that "real" taste. Some of them hit the Jamba Juice spot Food - adequate Parking- lots of easy parking but It is on a main road so you'll have trouble getting out. Walkable, near Salem library. They have little things like Cards and candles to buy inside Not my fave place but I would come back

Discovering this Elderberry's has been like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow…read more After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I also was 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 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 Elderberry's in Salem, Virginia, is a perfect example. This casual café located on West Main Street in the historic Downtown Salem, near Roanoke College and the Salem Farmers Market is not your ordinary café. Housed in an attractive contemporary building painted purple with lots of windows and their logo, which is their name written with a special font (also named Elderberry, characterized by its rounded, playful, and slightly stretched appearance) in bluish-green color, this casual, cozy, women-owned, local restaurant business, specializes in smoothies, wraps, salads, fruit bowls, grain and mac & cheese bowls, freshly baked goods, special coffees, signature lattes, as well as in catering box lunches. Besides this, they also sell various unique merchandise, such as, bee butter, a variety of scented candles, tumblers, stickers, the CHEMEX Six Cup Classic coffeemaker, and Elderberry's Hoddies, just to name a few. I arrived for the first time in my pearl white Lexus on a late Wednesday morning to have a late breakfast-early lunch, and was able to park in one of their parking spaces directly in front of the restaurant. As I walked in the restaurant, I was fascinated by the many homemade, colorful menu signs all around the place. A young, friendly, gentleman, wearing a Mohammed Ali black t-shirt and a Little Green Hive black knit cap, greeted and welcomed me behind the ordering counter and took my order. I ordered a medium Mocha Coffee (made hot with whole milk and dark chocolate), and a Turkey Bacon Wrap. My order was rang up in their modern credit card terminal and I paid with my Harvard Alumni World Mastercard. As I waited for my order to be made, I looked around the place and suddenly watched as the employee was making my Mocha Coffee. It was like an artist creating a work of art. And I was lucky to be able to record it with my cellphone camera. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality of their food and drinks. The Mocha coffee was served in a simple yet elegant white cup and had the nicest design on top. But even though it looked fabulous, when I took a sip of it, it tasted extraordinary! Like none I've ever had before. And I have had many Mochas in many places. One time in a high-end fine dining restaurant, the manager sent one of their employees to purchase a bar of high-quality chocolate to be able to make me a Café Mocha because they didn't have one listed in the menu. The Turkey Bacon Wrap was also very good. Made with fresh ingredients from the tortilla of the wrap to the fresh items it contained. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would find such a quaint and one-of-a-kind place here, and experience such a unique and extraordinary dining experience. I'm looking forward to returning and I heard they will be opening one in downtown Roanoke soon.

I heard of a new Mediterranean Barbeque (halal) restaurant that reasantly opened a couple of months…read moreago in a small strip mall located in East Vinton, Virginia. And as soon as I found out, I headed that way to go and try it and see what it was all about. 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 525 Shawarma Virtical BBQ in Vinton, Virginia, is the perfect example. This family-owned restaurant is owned and operated by husband Omar and his wife Norra who are Russian immigrants. When I arrived the wife had gone out to do some errands, so I only had an opportunity to meet the husband Omar. He had a black beard and a big smile. One of the friendliest persons that I have ever met. He warmly welcomed me to his restaurant which though small, was very clean, bright, and organized with comfortable furniture and contemporary decor, and with a very unique white neon light ceiling lamp. At the time there was a couple with a third person having an early dinner. They were seated up front close to the large windows of the restaurant, and for some reason they looked to me as repeat customers. I went to the ordering counter and looked at the menu to see what to order. It was a simple menu with only three choices for the main meal, to have in either sandwich or platter, and a couple of sides. But from my experience of new family-owned restaurants, they open them this way and then, little by little expand their menu and drink choices. That was the case of an Argentinian family-owned restaurant I discovered that opened not so long ago in downtown Roanoke with one type of steak in many styles and empanadas. And now a days has a variety of steaks and other items on the menu and are waiting for their liquor license to open the bar area as well. I ended up ordering a Beef Shawarma Platter with a side of Hummus. Even though the rice and salad was included with the platter, the side of Hummus was charged separate. The salad had a selection of very fresh ingredients and was wonderfully prepared, and came with a small bowl of salad dressing on the side. It tasted wonderful. I think the owner was able to see how much I enjoyed it that he offered me a second complimentary one, which I graciously accepted. The Hummus which was made in-house was one of the best that I have ever had, if not the best. The Platter came with the beef and rice and a pita bread on top. The beef was well seasoned and cut in very small pieces.The rice was the Jasmin rice style with a tint of yellow from the seasoning. The portions were very generous. The pita bread was fresh and warm and I enjoyed eating the Hummus with it. For dessert I had pieces of their Baklava which were also made in-house. They were like none that I had ever had before. So fresh and with what only I can describe as a gourmet characteristic. What an amazing dining experience I had in this place that probably not too many people are aware of. The owner provided exceptional customer service that complimented his exquisite Mediterranean cuisine. I highly recommend this restaurant and encourage everyone reading my review to go try it out and give them your support. For places like these are like gems that enhance the quality of life of all those who live here and those who visit. Vinton is a better place because of small businesses like this one.

The 525 Shawarma Restaurant Review…read more The 525 Shawarma Restaurant is a wonderfully thought out business. It is exceedingly clean, welcoming, and full of life. The aroma greeted me before I even opened the door, and once I stepped inside, I knew I was about to enjoy something special, and I was right. The owner is very kind, outgoing, and friendly. The meat on the turn looked delicious, and I decided to try the Chicken Shawarma. I was not sure how it would hold up for my drive home, so I waited to eat, but once I did, I realized it travels beautifully and would have been perfect on the go. The chicken was juicy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned, wrapped neatly with just the right balance of sauce. Everything about it felt fresh and carefully prepared. I look forward to making this restaurant a regular stop in my monthly rotation. Alhamdulillah, the Vinton area has gained an incredible place for authentic and flavorful food. I am excited to try their falafel and hummus next. I wish the owner continued success. You have brought something wonderful to the community.

They have made my bowl wrong twice now and they always have an attitude when they want to remake itread more

Good place to go if you want to wait 30 minutes in the drive through for a $7 drink. The peanut…read morebutter cup smoothie tastes like my grandmas basement. The mocha madness was actually kinda good tho ngl but it has a strong coffee taste so if you're not into that I'd skip it. Just go to the Starbucks right beside this place to be honest, better deal, better taste, better time.

They for some reason have a different name, "little green hive" which confused me. Well this was…read morealready a bad sign: All the chocolate chip cookies I bought were stale and smelled weirdly on top of how cookies are supposed to smell and taste. Their green smoothie with protein powder was meh.

I liked this place so much that I came back again the following day with my dad. Being from out of…read moretown (Virginia Beach) for the holidays I had a lot of family who wanted to meet up and spend some time together and I really didn't feel like going out to a restaurant where I was going to be rushed out after finishing - I wanted to be able to get a drink or snack and sit for an hour or two and not have someone trying to rush me out the door. I immediately thought of this place as it's a mid-point for my dad and where I was staying while in town. We met up over here and I this time ordered a sandwich. I got the roasted chicken croissant which had cheese, spinach, tomato, and some really good artisan mustard or something. The sandwich came with a pickle spear and veggie sticks which are like funions (sp?) but made from much healthier veggies. They were good to me but my dad loved them. This little meal was $6.96 I believe. I also ordered another white chocolate raspberry mocha - yum - but I already talked about that in my previous review. This drink was $3.75 or $3.95 but it's A LOT of drink because they serve it in a large cappuccino mug. MMmmmmm. My dad ordered a breakfast sandwich, a bacon, egg and cheese. The same guy who helped my mom and I the day before was there and asked my dad when he brought my mocha what bread he wanted - they had a ton. There was a plain bagel, a sun-dried tomato bagel, toast, english muffin I think, etc. etc. He listed like 6 things my dad could get it on. He chose the sun-dried tomato bagel at the barista's suggestion and he loved it. His breakfast sandwich was about $3.50 or so. My dad also ordered hot loose leaf black tea which came out steeping in a little pot which had about 2 and a half cups in it. This was $2.00 or so. I mention the prices because this is a reasonably priced place with really good service and food at a decent price. It's what I always look for in a local coffee shop. My dad and I enjoyed our sandwiches and sat and talked and I checked my email on my laptop with the free wifi and showed him some pictures for about two hours total. We were never rushed and we had a very pleasant time here just as my mom and I had the day before. There were ebbs and flows as far as how many people were inside and in line over the two hours we were there but we had a chance to chat with the friendly barista who recognized me from the day before for a while and I asked about this business. Apparently the owners bought into a franchise portion of the coffee shop which I want to say has another 3-4 stores in Georgia but they are very adamant about fresh coffee, fresh food, good service, and a good mission. I believe one of their main issues is charity for African children... I saw some photos around as well as a few religious quotes but very few and not enough to seem preachy. I asked about the business and the barista (I wish I knew his name) mentioned that it had picked up as the Daleville Towncenter was growing and would probably be more busy after the apartments and townhomes are finished in the next few years and more homes and shops move in. He said during the spring and summer the outside firepit area will have some live music sometimes and they will perhaps stay open a little later (they now close at 9pm). Again, I had a great experience here, the service was phenominal and the food and drinks were very good and reasonably priced. I think my dad enjoyed himself too. Plus the views of the beautiful mountains are all around through the large windows in the seating area... and it's gorgeous to see perched on the hill as this shop is across Rt. 220 from CVS and Food Lion. This will be a favorite haunt of mine when I'm in town from Virginia Beach.

Was able to order a cake for my dad's birthday in advance on the website that was super quick and…read moreeasy to use. It might be my favorite cake I've ever had! The perfect density and the ganache is so rich and flavorful.

I picked up a slice of death by chocolate cake and it was extremely mediocre. The slice was very…read moresmall and dry and completely overpriced at $9 (I live in DC and would have thought it was overpriced at home!) The frosting was the best part...and I don't even like frosting! The interior was nice and inviting and the staff was friendly but I definitely won't be going back.

Craving authentic Vietnamese? It's Pho Time! Expect a warm environment with friendly staff who make…read moreyou feel right at home. While their pho is absolutely comforting with amazing noodles, another stand out is their banh mi. It's more like Banh Mi Time! The bread is crispy on the outside but packed with flavor on the inside. Each sandwich made with fresh herbs, pickled carrots, and flavorful protein options. Good portions. Whether you're stopping in for a quick lunch or a cozy dinner, It's Pho Time delivers. Loved their take out and would certainly consider them again in the future.

I'm not an expert on Vietnamese Cuisine but I heard of a casual Vietnamese restaurant with a simple…read moremenu featuring Vietnamese dishes like pho and spring rolls and decided to go give it a try. It's Pho Time is a local, family restaurant, located in a strip mall of Williamson Road in Roanoke, Virginia. I found out that in Vietnam, pho is enjoyed at any time of day and serves as a common ground for people from all walks of life. Thus, the reason for its name: "It's Pho Time." When I arrived to this small, but clean and very simple decorated restaurant I saw a sign: "PLEASE SEAT YOURSELF." As soon as I sat down, who seemed to be the owner of the restaurant and gave me a warm welcome with a big and friendly smile. He brought a form with him and explained how here one ordered by checking the items on the form, taking it to the counter and handing it in, and waiting at your table to be served when ready. Then he answered any questions that I had about the items on the menu, and asked what I wanted to drink. I asked him for a Mango Smoothie with Boba Pearls. To my surprise they had it on the menu and this drink had become a favorite of mine since the first time I had it in another Asian restaurant called Wok N Roll Kitchen located in Downtown Roanoke. Filling out the menu / order form, I ordered Two Pork Spring Rolls as appetizer and a Glazed Pork Dish as the main course. Once I handed the form to the owner, he called out the items and family members working in the kitchen took care of preparing it and bringing it to my table when ready. The Pork Spring Rolls were amazing. I enjoyed the texture of the thin wrap, the flavory pieces of pork they had inside, together with the fresh and crispy veggies. This was served on a plate with a peanut base sauce. My main course was also very appetizing. It was a bowl full of white rice and Glazed Pork with lettuce, cucumbers, pickled carrots, dalkon, the house sauce, and an over medium fried egg. During my time there many people came in and ordered takeouts and others who seemed like repeat customers stayed and enjoyed their meal there. At the end I threw the the plastic bowl in the trash and put the tray on a pile of trays there. Then I went to the counter to pay and say my goodbye, thanking the owners and his entire family for such a wonderful meal and dining experience. I highly recommend this restaurant for its amazing food and extraordinary service, and plan to give them a visit again when I feel that ... "It's Pho Time."

Dropping our son to college. Somehow saw Yelps Top 100 sandwich places in the USA. Just a short…read moredrive from Virginia Tech in Salem. Located in beside a gas station. Going in we asked the locals what to get- everything. That didn't help with great selection of sandwiches and wraps. The place has some hand carvings on the wall- Nepalese. The owner is very pleasant and helpful. We chatted a bit after we got our sandwiches to go. We got three sandwiches- the Brooklyn, the Manhattan, and Chicken tandoori. All sandwiches were amazing. But the chicken tandoori stood out the most- amazing flavors!!! Highly recommend it. We also got some fries. They also sell cookies and some Punjabi snacks. Definitely will hit this place again when we come visit.

Great food! Service is always good. Would definitely recommend. Now I'm just putting words to get…read moreto the 85 characters.