The downtown, brick-walled space has charm, and the baked goods appeared to have quality. My experience left something to be desired. Arriving several hours before closing, I found only a couple of loaves on sale, and a long line to get with them. I managed to snag the last one that wasn't plain white bread, and thought I'd add a slice of pizza as it looked appealing. While the ingredients were there, the little toaster oven they used barely warmed it up at all. I ate it there, but I'd suspect it would have been much better if I'd gotten it to go and cooked it properly myself. They don't open all that early on weekdays and I've struggled to make it in, and on the weekend, they struggled to meet expectations. Perhaps on a different day, they could do a better job of getting the right baked goods into my hands. read more

On the Rise Bread - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

For some time now every time I passed by this bakery located on Market Street in the heart of Downtown Roanoke, I would try to look inside the store, but the screen doors and the reflection of the windows didn't allow me to, and I never saw anyone going in or out the bakery. So I never thought anything about it, and never had an reason to. But today I said to myself, I have to take the road less traveled and go inside. And when I did, I discovered the best kept secret of Downtown Roanoke. A bakery that brought me back to years ago, when I visited Paris, France. With beautiful original hardwood floors and exposed red brick walls, high ceilings, and wonderful lighting treatment, the restaurant projected a warm and cozy feeling with the right ambiance to relax and have a cup of homemade coffee accompanied by a piece of freshly baked bread, bagel, or danish; or even better, the creative discovery of the Sweet & Spicy Bacon with Caramelized Onion Scrambled Egg Pizza. Which I definitely ended up ordering and enjoying with a large cup of Cafe Mocha, which was only 25 cents more than the small cup. And was one of the best Mochas that I have ever had in any coffee shop, yet along in any bakery. The solid white with tones of black marble tables and black chairs, contributed to make the ambiance of the bakery the right place in which to enjoy a breakfast none other than those I once enjoyed in Paris, France. As I enjoyed my breakfast dining experience, steady customers came in to have breakfast as well, and many others to order takeout. One even came to order a beautiful made cake which they also pride themselves of having, as well as one of my favorites, the Peanut Butter Pie. And last but not least was the young lady server behind the counter. She warmly greeted me when I arrived and answered all my questions about this quaint local business, and many of its products, which were many. And who prepared the amazing Cafe Mocha. And brought it to the table of my choice, together with the amazingly delicious, first time discovered, scrambled egg pizza. I also had an "Asiago Bagel" with Cream Cheese and a Cherry Cheese Croissant. The other employees and one that I think could have been the owner, I was able to greet with my eyes and a smile, seemed so friendly and also contributed to make me feel at home. I highly recommend this cozy Bakery Cafe who also has wraps, hot paninis, sandwiches, soups, and salads on its menu to enjoy for lunch. What an extraordinary dining experience! I will never again walk by an unknown food establishment without stopping by and walking in. For it is those who take the road less traveled who discover and enjoy the best in life. read more

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Man I have a love hate relationship with this place. It's a bakery but the bread is always hard and that drives me insane. Not like toasted but like old. I've yet to catch it fresh. Maybe it's me. BUT the food is good. My favorites are the Italian sub minus the hard bread and I LOVE the local farmer salad. I add feta, red onion, and those lovely hot cherry peppers to the salad and it is absolutely delicious with the garlic vinaigrette. Service is always good! read more

My "hot" panini (French quarter) was not even warm. Tomato Cheddar soup is awesome as usual. I just wish my sandwich was grilled well.

Straightforward coffee shop on a very busy street. I stopped in here on a chilly day to get a coffee and warm up. The space was fairly minimalist and there was a table for two available. Unfortunately, it was close to the door and stayed a little cold, but it was better than outside! I got a vanilla latte and they got me a nice frothed vanilla latte that did the trick! The process of ordering and gathering our drinks was a little confusing. We put in our order, then got a number, but then had to go up to get our drinks. Not a big deal, but I got the impression that the staff was trying to just get our orders quick and that was just one of the byproducts. One thing to note is that the name of this cafe on the menu is different than what is on their menu. But I don't know them well enough to know which is correct. Overall, if you're looking to get a well-made coffee, this place is a great choice! read more

On the Rise Bread - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

I was recently in Roanoke for a quick little weekend trip. We decided to check out the center in the square are for the day. It was absolutely FREEZING today. After walking around in the cold we decided to stop in for a nice hot drink. I decided I hadn't had a cappuccino in a while so that's what I ordered. A 16 ounce cappuccino freshly made for under $5 is a great deal. This is a small local business that's has a wide array of food items as well as delicious coffee options as well. The staff were super friendly and it was literally a matter of minutes until our drinks were delivered to us. Great little coffee shop in the heart of downtown Roanoke. read more

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Okay, we got coffee and it was actually pretty good. Given that we came later in the day, we were unable to try any of their breads and they did not have any baked goods to cater to our dietary restrictions. The people working there seemed like they wanted to clock out and did not acknowledge our party at all. It seemed like a place that we needed to order quickly and leave and that is exactly what we did. read more

Turkey Brie panini is quite delicious and the service was fast and friendly!! Tomato soup was just okay

Good food and nice bakery for some artisan breads. The sandwiches, soups and salads all have nice flavors. Sometimes the flavors in the spices with sweet items can be off, but most things are delicious. The baguettes and Alexander rolls are wonderful and crispy. As well as their fresh pizzas sold by the slice on a focaccia styled crust. read more

Stopped in while visiting the Roanoke City Market. The sticky bun was delicious, but the ham and cheddar scone needed more ham/cheddar/flavor. The 12oz oatmilk cappuccino and regular hot chocolate were not good. Service at the ordering counter was brusque, probably because it was during the lunch rush. Cafe seating is comfortable with plenty of tables. read more

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So I strolled in at 8:30 AM looking for a fresh pastry and bakery selection and was not disappointed. There was a line which always means a good thing, the coffee was piping hot and fresh and the selection is vast. I enjoyed a delicious asiago bagel with veggie cream cheese which was toasted to perfection and they had an enormous amount of pastry selections. They have a fabulous lunch menu as well and staff was super friendly and smiling. Quick to get your order done and even brought my order out to me and handed it to me which was a super personal touch! A great experience in Roanoke! read more

On the Rise Bread - Great atmosphere in this historic building - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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He told me this was once his favorite pizza and wanted my opinion. It's located downtown so parking can be tricky. It's a tiny coffee shop type of establishment with wooden floors. No one said anything to us as we were in the front of the line. No greeting, nothing. We placed our order and was handed a placard. As we sat and waited, I looked around and saw many baked goods in the large fridge and on the back wall. Fresh breads, cakes, etc. I was a little disappointed that the baked goods were all out in the open and uncovered. He got the feta pizza and mine had blue cheese and spinach. Mine came with a slightly burnt crust. I don't mind it but for $5 a slice, I was hoping it wouldn't be burnt. It's a very thick and doughy crust. They clearly used fresh ingredients as toppings. The menu says you have to order an entire pizza a day in advance. We both agreed that the pizza was just OK. I would return because it's in a nice spot downtown and to try the baked goods. I would skip the pizza next time. I'm giving it a 4 because I like location and concept. The workers never even acknowledged me so I have to knock off a star for that and the burnt crust. read more

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I came here twice this week, but not because my first visit was so phenomenal I just had to go back for more: the Tuscan Veggies panini sandwich from my very first visit was burnt and was missing a side for my takeaway order, which really is bad for any customer to find out after finally sitting down for lunch. I called and the staff apologized, and I ended up going back the next day for a second time. Did they redeem themselves with the Italian sandwich? Yes and no. The baguette was dried out, and taking a bite off that rubbery baguette and chewing it hurt my jaw so much. The dressing was nice and understated. Tomato wheel really should be more substantial than what I got, which was a bit of a marvel given just how thin it was. Nice ham and salami, and the pepper had a major kick to it. At almost $10 though, I can think of several places in downtown where I'd get more value and enjoyment for my precious lunch time. Here's the thing: this place seems to have much potential, and I'd like to try their baked goodies, but I'm not sure if I'd ever get their sandwiches again. read more

On the Rise Bread - Burnt Tuscan Veggie sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Always good to eat here. Tomato/ cheddar soup is great . Get a quart to take home each time visiting here. Delicious. All tomato cheese pizza is great ask to heat them up.pastries are good and good to take home. All little high priced but worth the extra money . Roanoke like to brag their food is good. Most is not eatable and you will have to through away after paying a very high overprices item.,this is worth the extra money. read more

A favorite except today, it's 29 degrees outside, my soup should be piping hot. It can always cool, especially with the ceiling fans on high. Grilled cheese should be grilled, hot and melty; I can literally count the slices of cheese. While I appreciate the speed with which it was served, I'm not in a hurry and I'm one of two customers currently dining in. My overall goal was how quickly can I eat so it doesn't get any colder. I know you all can do better! read more

Stopped in today for a quick bite with my wife to get us through between lunch and dinner. Chose this place as it was the first place we found that had a fountain Coca Cola machine and we both wanted a soda. The place is best described as a small store front with approximately 15 tables (mostly 4 tops). They are sat pretty close together so if it's crowded you will have to compete for conversation. I felt is was a little dark inside. We ordered two sodas and a ham and cheese scone. The scone was lack luster, it was very dense which is good for a scone but we found one small piece of ham in the scone and could not taste the cheese. The young lady at the counter was knowledgeable but forgot to tell me to wait for my scone so when I walked off she had chase me down. They had some really good looking brownies and stuffed cookies which looked really good but I chose the scone unfortunately. Don't know if I'll come back. read more

I ordered the Pina Colada sheet cake to celebrate my husband's birthday and it couldn't have been any greater! The cake was AMAZING, beautifully decorated and so very yummy! Thank you On the Rise! I will be back! S. Snead read more

The pastries are low quality and often stale. Espresso drinks are poorly made and overly bitter. No reason they need to use all disposable dishware...it reduces the quality of the experience and is extremely wasteful (who serves a plastic fork and knife with a croissant??). There's just no point in going here when you have Breadcraft down the road and other higher quality breakfast options. read more

I was not impressed by this place. For Regular coffee, you serve yourself from a pump canister that everyone touches. It felt dirty in there. Definitely overpriced. $6 for a small coffee. I expected better and I won't go back. read more

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Great selection of food from sweet pastry and muffins to savory pizza slices and sandwiches. Delicious! We had pumpkin spice lattes, muffins and pizza all in one meal. A must stop when in Roanoke! read more

They had a nice cup of coffee and a large selection of cookies, brownies and pizzas. I got a salted caramel cheesecake brownie. It was a lot of flavor and a bit too sweet for my my taste. The spot would be a good place to meet up with friends. read more

On the Rise Bread - Bakery area - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

I had just finished w cup of tea at another coffee house but I was craving some baked goods. When I saw this sign, I just knew that I had to come in, even if it meant that I had to drink another cup of tea. There were many items to chose from but my eyes fell on the blueberry muffins, and then it was all over. Too too heavy to stand upright on the plate, they put it top down. That should have been the first clue as to how good it was going to be. This was a real blueberry muffin, not one of those crappy posers who are all muffin and only a smattering of blueberries. This was the real thing with what seemed like almost as many blueberries as muffin. This by itself is enough for me to come back again... read more

On the Rise Bread - Has to be served top down because it is so top heavy. And full of berries!! - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

This is a cute coffee shop right by the Farmers Market. We were going through the different stalls and stumbled onto this shop, and we felt the coffee cravings kick in. We decided to get the Cafe latte with gingerbread syrup added. It honestly tasted like Christmas in a drink so an immediate 10/10. They also have various types of pastries and meal options. In the window, there were cookies, brownies, this MASSIVE CREAM PUFF (just look at the photos), and for savory, I saw pizzas and sandwiches. There's ample seating, so I think it would be a great spot to get your work done and have good food options at the same time. read more

On the Rise Bread - Dessert options - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Bought a blueberry scone small tasteless dry and 4.18 wasted. Disappointed. Wife said it was over baked and a egg wash isn't proper for scones and it's blend was not a true scone. read more

I stopped here while visiting the City Market in Downtown Roanoke. I had walked the entire day and still had a few hours to kill before heading to a wedding. I decided to check this place out and buy a coffee. Even though it was after 2pm, there were still plenty of pastries, breads and pizza slices. I tried large cold brew and could not resist the huge sticky bun coated in pecans. The only thing a bit odd was that the cold coffees were served in hot styrofoam cups. Everything was very reasonably priced with both items totaling less than $8. The sticky bun was divine and really was almost two separate buns stuck together with a sticky glaze and a lot of pecans. It was very moist, nutty and rich. It may have been the best sticky bun I have tried. This bun is definitely shareable or saved for later. Although I did not try the pizza it smelled very good as well. Check out this cute cafe if in downtown Roanoke! read more

On the Rise Bread - Sticky bun - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

We had coffee and peanut butter pie, oh my it was THE best pie ever!!!! I would recommend stopping by for their pie.

The food was overpriced, firstly. The menu items we ordered were the Kicked Up wrap and the turkey and provolone sandwich; I also upgraded to the tomato cheddar soup. The wrap was very lackluster and could have been prepared better at home. There was no taste to it at all aside from the horseradish sauce. The soup was quite good but nothing special. Overall, it was $30 for something that I or anyone could have made at home for a fraction of the price and it would have had way more taste to it. I can say for certain that we won't be back again. read more

This review is belated, because I have been coming here at least once every other week for months. I find this place to be extremely reliable. They are quite good at what they do, and what they do is bread, sweet treats, and lunch items. Almost everything I have had from here has been delicious, but the standouts are the tomato cheddar soup, the black and tan bar, the banana nut muffin, and the blondie. Be aware that the blondie is different from most you have probably had--it's almost more of a very large, thick, and goey sugar cookie, with a consistency close to cookie dough and a crackly-sugar top. These are a go to for me now. Love having this place. My one complaint is that they are not open on Sundays or after four and that they sometimes to run out of banana nut muffins before I can get in. Take my advice--buy a ton of those when you can and freeze them in bulk! read more

On the Rise is a true diamond in the rough when it comes to Roanoke restaurants. In the past week I will have to admit I've been here over 3 times and frequent the place regularly when they have sandwich specials. My absolute favorite is the grilled pimento cheese sandwich special that I always have to double-down on tomatoes and get the tomato cheddar soup to boot. As a ridiculous soup fiend, this place fills my belly with warmth and my heart with love. You can even bring quarts of soup home to friends/family for $11! My favorite is the tomato cheddar, followed by the roasted red pepper bisque, then the potato rosemary. The carrot ginger is tasty, but might be a bit chunky for a ginger soup so I don't order it that much (one of those soups I just want a couple tastes of). The place doesn't stop at soups and sandwiches though - they have a healthy line of salads and pizzas to complement the bread and baked goods they sell. Additionally, craft olive oil and balsamic vinegar are sold in refillable containers as well as those tasty REAL Coca-Colas in the great glass bottles. Located right on Market Square, On the Rise has an incredible location and fills a much needed cafe/lunch void that Roanoke needs more restaurants to participate in. My only wish would be that On the Rise stayed open later - sometimes I really want that tomato cheddar after work! read more

On the Rise Bread - 2 cheese veggie and tomato cheddar soup! - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Another great find in downtown Roanoke. I have to say, I've walked by On The Rise many times in my Downtown Market forays, and it has always smelled AMAZING. Reminiscent of the bakeries that I encountered while traveling around France - and as it turns out, this is the whole point of On The Rise. Their mission statement (found on their menu) states that they bake all their breads in the traditional European style - this means no extra stuff that we Americans add to our bread to make it last longer or make the crust softer (no oil, fat, sugar or the like here). The result is bread that is very crusty on the outside while remaining incredibly tender inside. And do they ever pull it off - On The Rise could go up against any bakery in Paris (bread snobs, take note) and hold its own with very little trouble. On my first visit, I was in need of a fairly quick lunch, so I immediately looked to the sandwich section of their menu (note: this is pretty much the whole thing, minus their pizzas, breads and sweets). They serve hot and cold sandwiches, and have multiple vegetarian options - an important qualifier for me, as that's all I can eat on any menu. The Margherita Panini caught my eye almost immediately, as I am a sucker for its pizza counterpart. I ordered it on Rustic Italian bread from one of the more friendly cashiers I've found in Roanoke, and sat at a nearby table to await my order. It arrived quite promptly in a basket lined appropriately with french language newsprint, and accompanied by a bag of standard fare potato chips (my only pseudo-complaint about the meal). To say that the sandwich was Margherita perfection would be an understatement. It is to be noted that it's pretty hard to screw up Margherita, as is only has 4 ingredients (tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and bread) but oh my did they ever get those 4 ingredients right. The mozzarella was just the right temperature: gooey, but not messy. Not so hot that it becomes messy and squeezes out of the sides of the sandwich, and not so cold that it starts to become rubbery. The tomato was fresh as could be, and tasted much more like the vine ripened garden type than the picked early and gassed till it's red grocery store variety that we're all buying this winter. The basil pesto that dressed the sandwich added the final savory piece to a great set of sandwich stuffings. And that now brings me to the bread - and this is the important part for me. I love paninis, and it's important to understand that in order to get this particular sandwich right, you not only have to start with great bread (as I discussed above, this isn't an issue for On The Rise), but you also have to have a true panini press and know how to use it. The kitchen staff at On The Rise are Panini artists - the bread was toasted PERFECTLY. Just a slight bit of char in the grooves of the sandwich, and golden brown everywhere else. The whole sandwich was a perfect symphony of crunchy, melty, chewy and juicy, and is fated to become one of my regular lunch indulgences. YUM. read more

On the Rise Bread - Amazing Margherita panini at On the Rise Bread Co. - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke is too nice with their reviews here. On the Rise wouldn't make it in a larger city with more refined taste and higher requirements for kinder customer service. We walked in and asked for an entire pizza. They said nope. You have to call ahead. I saw they had raw pizza dough for sale in their cooler. Still, they wouldn't budge. It was before 2pm so I don't get it. They told us we had to buy their pre cooked pizza by the slice. It looked dry and way past its prime. But when you are in the mood for pizza, sometimes human judgement is clouded. We got 4 slices and started to eat them outside in the back alley on shaded tables. It became immediately apparent that we should have just walked away. So, in an effort to make it a tad better, I went back in and asked for some extra sauce to combat the pizza's past due texture. I received stink eye glares and verbal disdain from all 3 gals around the register area defending their great pizza which they said was made earlier that morning. Exactly! and they were happy to tell me sauce was an extra fee. So I suggested they charge me for 3 and give me 4 sauces to take the edge off of our disappointment. The gal with the neck tattoo tossed in a few free snide comments about me and handed my credit card back without charging me for the sauces. Um, Thanks? When I returned to the table, we used the sauces but they were extremely pale in color and highly acidic, not what I consider appetizing and it upset my wife's stomach something fierce so we trashed the slices and went to buy her a ginger ale. Wonder if they messed with us? Probably Maybe we went there on a bad day? Either way, our family and friends won't be back. read more

On the Rise Bread - Skeezy on the sauce ? - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

My fiancé and I recently stopped here for lunch to break up an 8 hour road trip. We're both vegetarian and appreciated that there were several lunch options for us. We both chose the two cheese veggie sandwich which was really good. I have had a lot of two or three cheese sandwiches in my life that didn't impress me, but that was not the case here! I'm only deducting a star because my fiancé paid for a 16oz coffee but there wasn't nearly enough coffee left to fully fill up the cup. The person working counter saw that he couldn't fill it up to the amount he paid for and didn't offer to make more. Granted it was late afternoon, but still. read more

BEST BREAD IN THE REGION. Their rosemary bread is my favorite by far! They also have yummy and such fresh salads that are easy to veganize!!

Great paninis! - Turkey Brie, Margherita. Tomato soup - okay. Potato soup - not chunky! Lots of brownie options!

I'm bummed to have to give only three stars but I stand by this point system. I've come to realize that a majority of Roanoke is very green, they recycle and use earth friendly products. So to my surprise my pipping hot soup was served in a Styrofoam, yes StYRoFoAM container! I'm sure the potato soup had some potential to be great but unfortunately the only thing I could taste was cheap plastic and dash of potato. Plastic, styrofoam in particular leek dangerous chemicals into foods once the original state has been compromised, eg. adding a hot liquid. At the very least change the container for the hot items. Cold items are still okay for styrofoam. The salad was awesome, everything was extremely fresh and the salad dressing was so delicious. As was the bread. They have a handful of single server treats or whole cakes for the daring. Overall the salad is worth a return visit. Soup- not so much. read more

On the Rise Bread - Little Farmer salad and fresh baked bread. - Bakeries Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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We live in Vermont where the coffee is spot on wonderful and I have become really selective and picky about it when we travel . On the Rise has coffee so good that we went back to get more to go for the road . The blueberry scone was a cross between a biscuit and croissant and not sweet ; very tasty . SO we bought two for the road and sandwiches too which were awesome ! One veggie wrap , one two cheese veggie sandwich . We will definitely make a point to stop on our next road trip south . Add to the five stars very friendly service and CLEAN !! ‼ read more

I got the Turkey Brie panini and added bacon ... mouth watering delicious! Instead of chips I opted for the tomato cheddar soup and although not the best pairing with the sandwich, it too was delicious. Will make this stop again when I return to the area ! read more

Just happened to walk by and see this place, so i walked in and ordered a slice of peperoni and portobello mushroom pizza with a fountain drink. Great crust as well as the cheese ! overall makes me think of a ma and pa type of establishment definitely worth a quick snack here it also has a great selection of breads if you wish to take home. They have coffee, and other pastries but haven't tried them. read more

This is one of my favorite sandwich shops in downtown Roanoke! The Margherita Panini is absolutely incredible and my automatic go to. The ingredients - including the bread - are super fresh and pair exceptionally well together. Albeit small, the shop has a great vibe and it's always worth the wait during the noon lunch rush. Anytime I'm in downtown around lunchtime, I make it a point to stop here! read more

Best bread and bakery in Roanoke. Hands down. Their Batard bread is the most amazing bread to make tomato sandwiches with in late summer.... Buy fresh heirloom tomatoes from the market and make open face tomato sandwiches with this bread and some mayo. Heavenly. Their baguette is authentic, crusty, chewy and perfect. Their pizza slices are mouthwateringly fluffly and fresh. Ciabatta rolls, fantastic cookies, you name it. Their cakes are unreal-- they're a splurge at over $20 per cake, but they're amazing and moist and they freeze well. Everyone is super friendly and I love the old fashioned atmosphere. It's a wonderful place to have lunch and people watch on the market. This is a must-try in Roanoke. read more