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.

Sent birthday cupcakes yesterday via order and delivery. Everything was superb! They were…read morebeautifully made and the birthday girl was thrilled. Thanks for making my gift so special. MVL

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!

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 :)

Carol Lee donuts is probably my favorite donut shop ever. They have a pretty decent selection of…read moredonuts at very low prices, and the workers sometimes throw in an extra. There is no seating in the building and there is a standing line to the counter. The donuts sell out quickly, so make sure to go early to ensure you get your treats. It's a must go for anyone in the area and is a favorite of locals and students alike.

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.

They have the most delicious pastries! And their sandwiches are incredible! One of our favorites is…read morethe cinnamon roll! You must try this place. And the owner Valeria is so sweet! It's such a cute little shop with plenty of tables.

I have used Baking is for Lovers for several orders for my daughter and they do an amazing job!…read moreCakes and cupcakes are beautiful and delicious. They deliver, which is really helpful. And the owner is super responsive. Highly recommend!

Great, fresh bagels a walkable distance from downtown. I particularly like the jalepeno cheese…read morebagels, but all of them are really good. They also often have other baked goods for sale that are delicious as well. There is no seating inside or outside, but the counter service is great. They also often go to the Wednesday and Saturday farmers market with a great selection of treats.

This place's website notes that this is not a brunch cafe but a bakery. So if you want your bagel…read moretoasted with butter, you'll have to take it home and do it yourself. This was fine for my needs, and indeed I like places with a narrow focus, but it might come as a surprise to some. The space was minimal. I was a bit surprised to see bagels packed in threes; I was expecting to be able to pick them out by flavor one at a time. I was also a bit surprised that the cinnamon rolls their website promised didn't seem to be there, though a few other intriguing baked goods were on sale. Ultimately, I took some mouthwatering rosemary and sundried tomato bagels along with some plain ones for comparison, as well as a chocolate babka cake. The bagels had that bit of sourness that makes them worthwhile, and a nice bit of browning. The babka cake, which I worried would not have enough chocolate, delivered satisfaction on a per-bite basis. What I wanted out of my baked goods is pretty much what i got.

I ordered a pretty elaborate birthday cake for my son and Stephanie, the owner didn't hesitate a…read morebit. Other places I've tried in the past were unable or unwilling to do the designs that I asked for so he ended up with a regular old birthday cake but not this year! This year he got exactly what he wanted thanks to Stephanie at Sassy Cakes. I always support small businesses and this is definitely a small business I'll keep in my contacts. She is friendly, creative and had my cake ready in 2 days. Thanks Stephanie! This year I got to give my son the best cake ever and he loved it. Not only was it awesome in appearance, it was moist and delicious as well. I'll never buy a cake anywhere else again!

From the owner: Our business specializes in custom designing the clients cake as close to their ideas as possible…read more We do the pretty, elegant and fluffy stuff just as well but our specialty is creating the non-traditional wedding and special occasion Cakes that most shops can't or won't create! If you're a Goth, like horror movies, skulls or anything that most people seem to be non traditional or "weird" we specialize in creating your vision for the cake you've always wanted! If you need a wedding or special occasion cake and want it to be made according to your ideas call us today. To see our gallery of photos visit our website at www.sassycakes.net today!