This was a disappointment and given the almost universally positive reviews, I'm not sure if my…read moreexperience 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.

This contemporary and relaxing bakery and coffeehouse located in Blacksburg, Virginia, specializes…read morein 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.

This place is amazing! Food and drinks are wonderful, the place is so cute, and artist goods are…read morebeautiful. Staff was kind and attentive.

This is a chill spot to have a cup and a bite. I had a BLT and added an egg. The sandwich was so…read moretasty and the bread was good and sturdy. The bread had just the right amount of toast to it. I'd even in Radford again, I'd totally return.

Everything was perfect! The staff was so friendly and the food was amazing. They offer a free snack…read morewhile you wait.

What fun to discover a cafe that serves beignets and chicory coffee in Christiansburg, of all…read moreplaces. Brew Da Bean is like a little slice of New Orleans up in here. I'm usually a black coffee gal, but I decided to get a latte-ish drink because I needed something that photographed a little better. The Cafe Nola is l espresso shots topped with cream, so it looks like a latte but it's even more decadent. It was very tasty, and went well with the beignets and beignet chips I ordered. The beignets here are more like mini elephant ears, but they're still worth a try. I liked the beignet chips a little better -- they're nice and crispy, and dusted with powdered sugar. I visited during breakfast, so I also got a bacon, egg and cheese panini. It was good but the bread could have been a little more toasted, if I'm being nit-picky (and when am I not?). The panini came with fries, which were delicious. There is lots of seating at Brew Da Bean. If you can't find a place to sit in the main dining room, just walk down the hall and you'll see a whole other room with tables.

I love this place! It's very non-formal, as it should be. The atmosphere is very vibrant, welcoming…read morewith plenty of seating. With that being said, this isn't McDonald's, don't expect your order to be quick. Walk in with expectations to wait. The gentleman who works here typically is on his own, be respectful. This a good team But it's worth the wait. I always order Sausage, egg & cheese on an everything bagel. My boyfriend loved the Asiago cheese bagel. Their donuts are delicious! Especially with a sip of their coffee. Yum! Get here early before their sold out. I don't want you to be disappointed! Our boys orders strawberry smoothies with a mix of different flavors. I really enjoy here and be back!

This place is great! The man working was extremely welcoming and kind, and made some great…read moresandwiches. I got the Savory Sandwich and I highly recommend, it was loaded. My boyfriend liked his breakfast sandwich as well. Will definitely come back next time I'm in the area!

Seating can be a challenge if you get here mid morning on a weekend but the food is worth the…read morepotential wait. Some of the specials are crazy, like French toast with pickled jalapeños, but somehow it worked. The baked goods selections are worth checking before you leave as well!!

It saddens me to leave a negative review about Our Daily Bread, but my most recent experience was…read morevery disappointing. I have lived in Blacksburg my whole life and ODB has been a go-to bakery for most locals for a while. Serving a variety of pastries, cakes, breads, and offering lunch, brunch, and dinners. They have a lovely variety of options for customers to enjoy. The bakery primarily serves French pastries and caters to French cuisine at their meals. Although they offer more than just French inspired food. In the past, my family and I have enjoyed grabbing their cakes for celebrations and individual pastries from their pastries case. But recently, they have not been up to par and have left us very unsatisfied. The cakes have been dry and do not taste fresh at all. On my latest visit I tried a couple of things, all of which were cold, with dry, crumbly textures. It was evident to me that these pastries were not made day-of and had clearly sat in a fridge for at least one night (if not more). I found this to be extremely disappointing as ODB used to have a reputation of serving FRESH baked goods and pastries. I cannot attest for the hot food they serve during meal times, but the pastries and cakes have gone down hill. Over the winter break, I had their NY cheesecake bar (which I've gotten in the past and it was phenomenal) and it fell so short of what I remembered. It was lacking flavor and the crust at the bottom was dry. This past visit, I tried a Napoleon (also have had this before and really enjoyed it), a specialty cake, a scone, and a couple macarons and macaroons. The Napoleon was so cold and the puff pastry was super stale, it practically fell apart the second I tried to eat it. The specialty individual cake slice was also very cold and the cake wasn't moist at all. Again, indicating it was not fresh or made day-of. The scone was also a disappointment as it was dry and lacked any moisture. I thought the macrons and macaroons were fine though. While most of this was disappointing, the price didn't help either. Nothing was inexpensive and the quality was completely missing. So disappointing to leave this review as I used to enjoy coming here for sweet treats. It's sad to see that ODB is unfortunately not what it used to be. I will note that the service is very friendly and they do their best dealing with customers. Could have been more efficient, but I did go during a busier time. I hope they can turn things around, but until then I do not think I will be retuning soon.

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!

Good coffee and GREAT pricing. We visited and enjoyed the overall vibe of the place. The staff was…read moregreat as well.

I had a great stop at Red Rooster Coffee in Floyd and was genuinely impressed…read more I ordered a cortado, and it was beautifully presented -- clean lines, silky microfoam, and perfectly balanced proportions. Thankfully, it tasted just as good as it looked. The espresso was rich and nuanced, and the milk complemented it without muting the flavor. Smooth, balanced, and expertly executed. The barista was knowledgeable and very accommodating, happy to talk through the coffee and make sure everything was just right. That kind of hospitality always elevates the experience. Red Rooster clearly takes their craft seriously, and it shows in both the cup and the service. Definitely worth the stop if you're anywhere near Floyd.

Came I'm to pickup a couple coffees and pasteries. The inside is pretty well setup and they sell…read moreother branded stuff too. The girl at the counter was pretty nice. The coffee was okay. The pastries were bland. Kind of a good but not great situation.

Best donuts and best customer service in VA! If it's nearing the end of their work hours and…read morethey've got too many leftovers, they'll add a few on for free, which always makes my day. Both the yeast and cake donuts are excellent, my favorite is the blueberry cake :)

Great place with much variety! Quick service and the trip to get them was well worth it.read more