Great coffee, hip vibe, comfortable seating and lovely staff. Good place to catch up with a friend…read morein a relaxing setting. The wi-fi was a little slow however.

Always a great place to have some coffee here around a quaint neighborhood. Service is great and…read morethe steamed milk is always spot even with extra hot request. Will be trying their roast beans once I have finish my batch. Hopefully, an update to this review with more about different coffee/beans.

Coconut Cake is like Heaven!…read more Wow, first time getting anything from this shop and very impressed. Ordered a 9" round 3 layer coconut cake for my wife's birthday, her favorite! I am not a food critic, so I will describe it as best I can. Beautiful appearance - fluffy white cake. Icing is just the right amount of sweet without being heavy like some icing. Feels almost light but has substance. Texture is smooth and pleasant. The cake itself is a off-white cake that has a combination of lightness with some density to it, but again not heavy. I'm and older guy and this is the best cocunut cake I have ever eaten. Just the right balance of flavor, texture and deliciousness, but not the overpowering sweet like many children's desserts and candies have. Thank you for a great product and timely, pleasant service! Love the appearance of your shop, and I do plan to return and try other products.

The downtown, brick-walled space has charm, and the baked goods appeared to have quality. My…read moreexperience 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.

What a delight to sit for a delicious meal with a delicious dessert or not! You will leave full and…read morehappy. My favorite is their quiche!! They have sandwiches and salads, too. Fabulous desserts and lots of bread to purchase. Everything is fresh.

First time at this location. The downtown location closed and they consolidated…read more As their name implies they do a lot with bread. So lot of options with bakery items during my weekend visit. They have a strong brunch menu and also a fun coffee menu. Ordering is at the counter and was extremely friendly and helpful. The dining atmosphere is casual and comfortable. The area was clean. They also have outdoor dining. My party of three all ordered different items from chocolate chip packed, oh my that cake is huge! Scrambled eggs, quiche and I had an omelette. I was not in love with my omelette unfortunately. It lacked flavor. My pancake latte was amazing! 3.5, rounding up. I will be back.

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.

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 love next door bake shop! It's the perfect place to run in and catch up with friends over a…read moredelicious bagel and coffee! Love treating myself to one of the pastries too. Everyone is so nice, and there is plenty of seating options! I highly recommend if you're in Blacksburg!

Part 2 of 2 for W in alphabet series for W is for Westlake Coffee & Cafe. This breaks my current…read morealphabet series of places gone to with my girlfriend from the beginning of our relationship up to Easter 2025, but I had just reviewed Smith Mountain Lake Coffee recently from last 4th of July week visit in 2024 and wanted to compare the two from visiting on the 4th of July itself in 2025 here. Westlake Coffee & Cafe was a bit of a mixed bag for me and perhaps more of a 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up in this case as I'm giving some benefit of the doubt and some things exceeded expectations. Also, a prior Yelp reviewer essentially said great sandwiches, nice staff, etc., what more could you ask for, and only gave 3-stars; never stated any reason why it was a mediocre 3-stars, so another reason I'm rounding to 4-stars. Also, I gave SML Coffee 3-stars, and I wanted to distinguish that Westlake Coffee & Cafe was superior to me. My girlfriend & I were staying at her parents' home around 4th of July 2025 and wanted to eat out for lunch. Lunch options are a bit limited, but we saw this online, menu, reviews, & seemed like a decent choice. My g/f's mom warned us that they are very slow, so have your patience. I said I know I read that online could take 30 minutes. Also, the portions are big and might consider splitting sandwich. When we arrived, I ordered a chicken salad sandwich & g/f got a turkey caprese both on sourdough bread. We figured we'd eat half of ours & switch to try each others. Also, I said we could split a large Caramel Latte, but it seems like I was charged 70 cents more than the posted price. My g/f believes that it was a 4th tier not on the menu. $5.25 small, $5.75 medium, $6.45 large, & not printed on the menu was a 4th tier Extra Large as it does say Extra Large on the receipt. This extra 70 cent discrepancy bugged me, but I'm going to give them the benefit of doubt per what my g/f thinks. The woman cashier was cordial, but wasn't quite as nice as Smith Mountain Coffee. I asked for water while we were waiting to another person, which I interacted with 2 staff members, the one I asked & one who handed me the water, who were friendlier. As for the wait time, this exceeded our expectations of the long 20-30 minute wait, it was more like 10-15 minutes, and while that's not great, I was pleasantly surprised when the food & drink was ready. The quality of the iced latte was far superior to the drink I got at SML Coffee. Huge win to Westlake on that! The sandwiches were better than the wrap I got at SML too. The sandwiches use Boar's Head Meats & cheeses. The chicken salad sandwich was great, and my g/f Turkey Caprese was solid too. As it turns out, we both liked what our original choice better than the other, but both of us like both. This is a small place with very limited seating, so better to take to go if it makes sense, but it's nicely decorated with comfortable seating. Also, the original cashier was friendlier at the end. She might've been slightly stressed with orders & our couple of questions. Overall, in spite of a couple of negatives, we'd return when down here.

Stopped in while visiting friends at Smith Mountain Lake and was disappointed. We paid $9 for two…read morelarge black coffees, which would have been fine if the coffee had been good--but unfortunately it was some of the worst coffee we've had in a long time. We enjoy supporting local businesses, but for the price, we expected a much better cup. Hopefully this was just an off day.

Global Blend is my absolute favorite place to meet friends for coffee and even for a light lunch…read more The space is beautiful, the ambiance delightful (including the expansive wrap-around porch), and the mission eternal. Everything that I have tasted there is top-notch quality. Don't miss the experience! You will return.

I've been to many coffee shops and savored some wonderful cups of coffee, but none of them compares…read moreto the uplifting experience I had when I visited the Global Blend Café. The Global Blend Café is located in The Go Center, the hub for the nonprofit organization Global Partners in Peace and Development, whos main goal is to show and share God's love here and around the world. When I originally decided to visit this Café for the first time, I wasn't aware of the above, just curious about the quality of their coffee and of their one-of-a-kind breakfast and lunch menus. If I was impressed by these at first, at the end of my last sip of coffee I would be even more impressed when I found out about their work and that one hundred percent of the Café's proceeds benefit local initiatives like prayer walks, Sunday bible classes and their Global Adventure, a three-floor interactive experience for kids and their international ministry partnerships that aid with projects like building water wells in India and Uganda. After talking with the Global Blend Café's manager, Kenzie Morisette, I realized that this independent café offers something that chain coffee shops can't: a real sense of place where neighbors connect and memories are made over thoughfuly crafted cups of coffee. It's a mission-driven Café where we can go to relax in their cozy seating areas, connect with friends, shop at the Nation's Hope Store, and explore cultures and causes worldwide. It's a place where great coffee meets a global purpose. On this day a friendly young lady greeted me behind the counter of the Café when I arrived. After viewing their menu I ordered an Iced Samoa Signature Latte that contained coconut, caramel, and chocolate. And to eat I ordered their American Breakfast with my choice of Croissant, Bacon, and Cheddar Cheese. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality of their food. After paying with my credit card they gave me one of those beepers that shake when your order is ready. And when it did I picked it up at the pick-up station and took it to one of the tables inside. The sandwich was exquisite. One of the best if not the best breakfast sandwich that I have ever had. So fresh and tasty. And the coffee, what can I say? Simply amazing! This is one of those places that you can't come just once. That you haven't quite finished eating and you are already planning on when to return. I highly recommend this Café to all for it's relaxed and peaceful ambiance, its wonderful food and coffee, its extraordinary customer service, and its meaningful purpose.

The interior is a little busy because there are a lot of items but staff are nice and patient. He…read moreoffered free chai samples to everyone. The chai was not too sweet and had a nice light cinnamon/clove flavor but the tea wasn't strong enough for me. They have 16 flavors of homemade baklava and Dubai chocolate and Dubai chocolate strawberries. I ordered a four berry banana smoothie, sample 1, gyro burrito and an iced Turkish coffee to go. There were two sizes of coffee on the menu but he immediately charged me the larger size without asking if I wanted that. I figured I needed the caffeine since I barely had any sleep so it was fine but just be mindful to anyone else. I've had Turkish coffee in Turkiye so I know it's strong and knew what I was looking for. Unfortunately the coffee neither strong nor good tasting. It had a nutty flavor profile and felt watered down. I finished half the cup during the day and was still very tired. The berry smoothie was good and tasted like berries. If you don't like bananas in your smoothie, you can still get this one because it doesn't taste like bananas at all. The sampler 1 included hummus, baba ganoush, salad, falafel and tzatziki. The hummus is fine. The baba ganoush was lacking in terms of flavor and I was disappointed because I really like baba ganoush. The falafel were crispy and moist. The gyro burrito was full of rice. There was only eat in one quarter of the burrito which seems a little ridiculous considering it was around $11-12. There were barely any vegetables in the burrito. Maybe that was my fault for getting a "fusion" item instead of a shawarma or a platter. The lamb gyro meat didn't really have a lot of flavor.

Unfortunately, very disappointing coffee and chai. The beverages felt watered down and not like how…read moreyou would normally expect from a cafe. The syrups weren't mixed in, and the straws were too flimsy to mix it in. My chai was too sweet for me and wasn't something I really wanted to finish. My boyfriend alternated between my drink and his own which he said was more balanced. Service was quick.