Just the other day as I was walking down 2nd E Main Street in Salem, Virginia, I encountered an…read moreinteresting Gift Shop with the same name as its address: "2nd on Main." But as I discovered when I went inside, this was not the usual gift shop. After being awarded the Yelp NC Triad Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, 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 2nd on Main, in Salem, Virginia, is a perfect example. Located in the historic Brooks Byrd Pharmacy building across the street from the Salem Farmer's Market, this extraordinary gift shop offers a variety of one-of-a-kind nostalgia and modern treasures. Inside, a friendly young lady greeted me and welcomed me to the store. She explained that this was a special place for unique finds.That it was founded with the idea of bringing joy to the community by supporting creative local craftspeople and artists, through showcasing and selling their products. And quite a variety of products I found there as I looked around. From jewelry, to clothing, to artworks, to artistic home decor, just to name a few. I invite you to view the photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the quality and innovative merchandise. After you visit the store, I'm sure you'll find something nice for yourself or to give as a gift to the special people in your life. If you're an artist or craft person, and have a special talent to create unique art or crafts, by all means contact the owners by filling out a form on their website at www.2ndonmain.com. And who knows, soon you might find your cool stuff being showcased on the shelves at 2nd on Main.

Please support your bookstore!! I live in a country that has no bookstore. There are a couple of…read moreshops in the resort towns that sell books abandoned by travellers or people moving out of the country, but no bookstore. So I was absolutely thrilled to be in this one during a recent visit stateside. On 9 Sept, I spent hours inspecting every inch of every shelf... I even forgot to have lunch. Despite my "loitering" no one followed or questioned me (yes, it has happened that I've been surveilled in a bookstore after the first hour of shopping). I had a few questions about the location of certain items. The store manager, Clayton Richmond, came to my aid and had a few recommendations even. I appreciated his time and attention as it was very helpful. The two women at checkout were also incredibly and genuinely friendly and helpful. I think is also a reflection of Mr Richmond's management as well as the work ethic and disposition of the women themselves. This would be my favorite happy place if I lived in Roanoke. Thank you for a great visit.

B&N in Valley View (Roanoke, VA) has to have the worst customer service on the planet. Teresa, the…read moreManager, is the rudest woman I have ever spoken to. The night before we reserved a book at end of the day. My husband drove 2.5 hours to pick the book up when they opened and they sold it out from under us. This was for a little girl and now we have to tell her that this store didn't abide by their policies and sold it to some man whose hold had expired the night before. Teresa was yelling, rude and was blaming us!! Teresa has no business training staff or having any contact with anyone from the outside world. She's a terrible human being!

Wow! Just did some Black Friday shopping that feeds people and not Mr. Bezos! Unique Boutique items…read moreare new or nearly new name labels. Yes they cost more but I guess about 75% cheaper than retail. My son, the professor, loves the Orvis brand stuff he finds. There's also plenty of great choices at typical thrift prices. The salespeople are typically friendly and enthusiastic. They dress nicely too; I thrift a lot and the folks here seem to be the nicest. There's always plenty of high quality dog beds and slings at discount prices. Won't ever go anywhere else for those items!

Good treasures always adding new stuff. Prices are good most of the times. Check it out!read more

This Antique and Collectibles Mall in the heart of Salem, Virginia, has over 50 venders, with clean…read moreand well-organized booths in a spacious layout that creates a welcoming environment where you can view and shop from a diverse collection of fine antiques and vintage items, such as clocks, glassware, gifts, jewelry, and advertising memorabilia, to name a few, which value is derived from their age or historical association. As soon as I entered the retail business, there was a friendly and knowledgeable lady staff member behind the counter who welcomed me and told me to feel free to ask her any question that I might have about any item in the shop. As I walked around, what impressed me the most was the good quality condition that most of the items were in. And the well-organized that the vender booths were in, allowing the accommodation of a great variety and number number of items. I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its merchandise variety. Some of the venders were around arranging their booths with new items related to the Holiday Season. The lady owner of one of my favorite booths for the items it carried also happened to be there at the moment. When I asked the staff lady if she could open one of the locked display cases for me to take a closer look of an item I was interested in, she pointed out that the lady vender happened to be there at the moment and called her to see if she could open me the display case for me with her key. I was interested in a brass shield of the Commonwealth of Virginia. After I examined both sides to verify it was in good condition, the owner told me she could probably give me a discount if I liked it. I asked her how much she could leave it for, and she lowered the price from $75 to $60. And I quickly accepted. I was lucky she was there and gave me a discount, but most of the items I saw there were reasonably priced. A must-visit! I highly recommend spending time here to see the amazing collection of interesting items. You're bound to find a special something for yourself or a one-of-a-kind gift.

Great selection of antiques! We located some hard to find items we had been seeking. Very friendly…read moreand kind staff. Glad to have made the trip!

I had seen so many TV ads about Grand Home Furniture, that today when I saw one about their…read moreLa-Z-Boy recliners at 50% Off Sale, I decided to drop by the store to check it out. After being awarded the Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, 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 Grand Home Furniture in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. Located off Valley View Blvd almost across the street from Longhorn Steakhouse, this furniture store is one of the largest that I have ever seen. Many people are intimidated by the humongous size of this furniture store and its magestic entrance, and have never dared to enter the place. But because of its size, it also has a large selection of furniture of all prices and a large sales force that have been trained in Sales and are waiting patiently near the entrance to go after the first customer that comes in through the entrance. This can be a little intimidating to some people. Arriving around mid-afternoon, there were plenty of salespersons waiting at the door. The first one to reach me was one named Royce. He was very friendly and greeted me with a smile. I told him that I had heard about their La-Z-Boy 50% Off Sale and was looking for a nice leather recliner to watch TV comfortably at home. The Salesman was very knowledgeable about La-Z-Boy recliners because he was transferred from their Tanglewood Store a couple of weeks ago and yet he knew where to go to show me La-Z-Boy's best leather recliner. He asked me to try it out and showed me how the remote control worked. He then went about showing me a couple of other recliners to compare with the first one. Definitely, the first one was the most comfortable of them all. I asked him for the measurements of the recliner so I could see if it would fit in my space. He showed me the slip that had this information andvI took a photo of it. Then I asked him to write down the total cost for me with the 50% discount, taxes, and delivery fee of $150. Either he was not listening well to my request or didn't feel comfortable with numbers, because he brought back his card with one total price on it. Before I left he gave me another of his business cards and asked me to go back to him if I decided to purchase this item. I told him I much appreciated his time and that I would. As a former Professor of Salesman, it was interesting the different techniques that he used to get me to purchase this item today, but the most important of all, to listen, he neglected. But that's alright, without the benefit of a college education. He did his best, and if I decide to purchase the recliner, I go to him for his effort. I definitely recommend this furniture store for its variety of furniture of all price categories and quality, the beautiful display rooms, and the excellent customer service details that they have with their customers, like offering them something to drink, giving them a period where they can return the item if they don't like it for a refund, and a 5 year period of repairing anything wrong with the product.

Very pleased with our purchase! Didn't like the warehouse setting BUT the prices out way the…read morewarehouse experience. Got great service!

This quaint independent bookstore is located at 112 Market Street in a small building right next to…read morethe Historic Roanoke City Market Building in Downtown Roanoke. I have always been fascinated by bookstores, especially ones of this size and nature. So today I decided to walk in to explore it first hand. One of the things that impressed me the most was how clean and well organized it was. From the shinny windows of its storefront to its clean floors and shelves. As I entered, I received a warm welcome by a young lady employee with a nice personality who you could tell she loved her job. She most enthusiastically explained what they had available and where everything was. They carried bestsellers, new fiction, and non-fiction, classic and local interest books, along with high-quality used books. BNF features books about the Roanoke and New River Valleys and the works of local authors along with a special selection of Appalachian fiction and non-fiction. They also provided special orders service, helping find hard-to-find books, and book club specials. Their collection also includes the works of more than 50 local and regional authors and the surrounding areas. Book No Further isn't just a bookstore; it's also a gathering place for the community. The shop regularly hosts book signings, author talks, and book clubs, featuring celebrated writers and spotlighting new talent from the Blue Ridge region. Before leaving I had the privprivilege of meeting Doloris Vest, one of the co-owners of Book No Further Bookstore. I thanked her for the great contribution she is providing to the Star City of Roanoke and its community with her engaging bookstore. Books open windows of knowledge and opportunities as well as provide value and entertainment to all of us. With her creative imagination by incorporating different book clubs, community members gatherings, and many other diverse events, she is contributing to the quality of life of this community and to making the City of Roanoke so special.

This fun little bookshop was in the heart of Roanoke's downtown area. There was a smaller upstairs…read morearea with (from what I recall) children's books, while the lower half held fiction and other genres. There were also fun trinkets such as stickers and bookmarks. The staff was helpful and friendly. Would definitely visit again when in town. While the downtown area itself is relatively small, there are tons of shops and restaurants to explore. So if you're interested in visiting this bookstore, consider coming with an appetite so you can make an evening of the adventure!

After being awarded the Triad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last…read moreyear, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, I decided that this year 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 young established ones that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And The BiblioPub is the perfect example. Located on Campbell Ave, in Downtown Roanoke's West End District, almost next to the Locker Room Lofts, The BiblioPub calls itself a Bookstore, Coffee Shop, and Beer & Wine Lounge. With a Cafe Menu divided into Sandwiches, Coffee and Tea, and Beer & Wine, it also stocks current pastries and sweets from locally owned bakeries. As soon as I found out of its existence, and reviewed its website, I immediately headed over there to discover what this place was all about. What I found completely amazed me. A large open space with furniture arranged in such a way as to create warm and cozy spaces where people can go to read, eat, drink, view and purchase used and new books, and socialize with one another in a cozy and comfortable environment where they can get together with old friends or meet and make new ones. A welcoming and friendly staff consisting of two ladies were situated behind the bar counter, where they greet and meet with their customers, take their orders, and bring the orders to the tables where they are seated. If the order is for an alcoholic beverage, I saw them checking the person's ID before processing it. They also were chatting with the customers seated at the bar drinking some beers. There are bookcases full of used and new books, reasonably priced, so one could get a sense of the book there and decide if to purchase it and take it home with them. Since I already had dined, I ordered a lemon muffin and a large Iced Café Latte. After paying with a credit card, I went to sit down with my muffin and one of the staff brought me the coffee when it was ready. I believe this is a wonderful concept for a place where one can go, enjoy reading a good book, have a snack or light meal, cool down with an Iced Coffee, beer, or a glass of wine, while socializing with friends in a safe and cozy environment.

What a great addition to Roanoke! My mom was visiting from out of state and she is a little…read moreparticular about coffee shops...she loved this place. The classy, eclectic decor is super fun and our baristas were so kind. She ordered a dirty chai and I got a regular chai. Both were delicious and they had dairy-free options. I'll be coming back for a beer or glass of wine and some snacks next time.

Ring purchased from vendor ID A223-P5150 was misrepresented. It was listed as sapphire and opal…read morering. Testing the "sapphires" showed that the stones were NOT sapphire. Further investigation showed that the dark stones are black opal potch. When we called to complain we were not given vendor information so we could call directly. We left our name and number and as of today 12/16/25 (six days later) we have not heard back from the vendor. BEWARE OF THIS VENDOR AND DO NOT PURCHASE JEWELRY FROM THEM.

Located in Virginia's Market Square East Shopping Center on Orange Ave in Roanoke, Virginia. The…read moreRoanoke Antique Mall is the largest Antique Store in the Roanoke area. The store is comprised of many booths of individual dealers of antiques and collectibles with a great number of diverse items for sale, mostly Americana. Included are books, clothes, jewelry, furniture, US currency, and collectibles of all kinds. Their prices are very reasonable and oftentimes one can find many items on Sale. One can walk around and enjoy the great variety of many unique items, and purchase those that capture their attention or would make a good addition to their particular collection. They have staff available to answer any questions you might have and to assist you with your purchase items. I recommend the place for all to visit and explore things of the past, to find a valuable item that you can use to decorate your home with, to find an item to add to your collection, or to begin a collection of your own.