A soup and sandwich joint with lots of baked goods -- that's Blue Sky…read more It was a cold and drizzly day when I visited, and a bowl of butternut squash soup was the perfect thing. I also got The Yardbird sandwich after the server recommended it. It's basically just chicken salad and lettuce between a ciabatta roll, but it was simple and great. And what the heck: I can't visit a bakery that has multiple sweets without getting one. I also listened to the advice of the server when she recommended the orange scone. She was right again! It was tender and tasted like a Froot Loop. Blue Sky is located on the corner of a busy street. There are lots of tables, but if you can, sit at the bar that looks out onto the street to see the hustling and bustling college town.

Unplanned but fortunate lunch stop on a road trip from NoVA to NOLA. If you're traveling I-81, it's…read morejust 5 or so miles down Rt. 11, which snakes back and forth across '81, so it's not really a "detour". It's in Lexington, home of VMI, and the shop itself is diagonal from a post office built in 1911 with large columns lining its edifice. Sometimes, when college students leave great reviews, that means good food that isn't too expensive. True here, especially for what you get: generous servings on amazing bakery breads. I had the "Sorry Charlie" on a slice of focaccia -- topped with tomato slices and melted cheese and a satisfyingly crunchy, warm crust, with a simple but nicely refreshing black bean and corn salad. Dessert treats are also worth a splurge. The people couldn't be friendlier with customers of all ages enjoying themselves. (And they have a coffee bar. And a "speakeasy"!)

This is a lunch place that isn't open long hours. It is a distinctive place, in offering a mix of…read morehealth food for special diets in a region that doesn't have a ton of that. Plenty of fresh spices were on display in the tiny shop, which has a couple of indoor and outdoor seats. I found them offering a vegan breakfast menu, which offered the sort of platter I rarely find available for this dietary niche, including breakfast potatoes, a tofu scramble, a piece of some relatively inoffensive veggie sausage, and bread with what I forgot was not butter. A matcha latte has some interesting sweetener that didn't quite exceed my tolerance and was over coconut milk. It was a pricey lunch, but I could not accuse them of failing to deliver on what I understood the promise of the place to be.

My kind of restaurant: Nutritious options with lots of vegetables and fruit, vegetarian and vegan…read moredishes, Mediterranean meals (including falafel and hummus). Everything I tasted was delicious and thoughtfully made. I got the Buddha bowl, which came with roasted sweet potatoes, tempeh, curried chickpeas, brown rice and kale. Eating it felt like a vitamin injection. To drink, I got the hot golden milk, which came with lots of turmeric and ginger. My dining companions ordered different things off of the menu and let me take bites: spring rolls (yum, especially with the sauce), empanada (my favorite), falafel (great) and soup (I didn't taste). They also offer vegan desserts, which I was tempted to try but was stuffed from my healthy lunch. The restaurant itself is very small with not a lot of seating. I'd say maybe eight people can sit down inside, but there are some tables out on the sidewalk for outdoor seating.

We were driving through and happened to stumble upon this hidden gem on graduation weekend. We…read moremanaged to stop right as they opened and were lucky enough to get a table, but it quickly filled up as we were eating. Ambiance was nice, moody speakeasy vibes. Service was fantastic, the menu was super creative, including the cutest drink names. The food was impeccable. If this place looked and smelled like a dive bar, I'd still go back for the food. I'm not a raw fish person but my husband got the tuna tostada and made me try it, and it was great! The lamb chops were perfectly cooked and the sauce, carrots, and pistachios were the perfect complement. The steak sandwich was drool worthy as well.

Very nice place Good food and service…read more They were very friendly and accommodating Pleasant atmosphere we really enjoyed ourselves

The Harvest Salad was one of the best salads I've ever eaten. The salad was loaded with sweet…read morepotatoes, walnuts and goat cheese in bed of arugula. I also enjoyed the Blackberry Refresher which lived up to its name. Club soda mixed with the house's blackberry syrup creates a crisp, bubbly drink. Ingredients are sourced locally from Big Spring Cattle Company, Blue Ridge Bees, Maplewood Valley Ranch, Razzbourne Farms and Verdant Acres. The setting is eclectic with friendly counter service with adequate seating and a large piano. The space is shared with what appears to be an upscale dinner restaurant. Seasons Yield operates in mornings and closes at 2.

The name hints at this, but I still had to figure out that there is a sit-down restaurant that is…read moreopen for dinner, and this bakery-cafe operation takes over the same space for brunch. In addition to baked goods, I was pleased that they offered the option for a breakfast salad. Way to start the day off right. My salad was quite substantial, with nuts, cheese, and sweet potatoes. But I couldn't get out without ordering a pastry as well. They had the sort of maple glaze one usually finds on donuts, but applied it to a croissant. The croissant flaked well, but the maple flavor really took it to the next level. Plenty of other intriguing baked goods were available.

I wasn't even in the mood for beer, but came here anyways and was shocked…read more I went with a friend for dinner here as the options are super limited in Lexington VA. I was already not in the mood for anymore drinking after spending a weekend in a major tournament in Lynchburg. Anyways, for a Saturday evening, this place was pretty packed both inside and outside. We both ended up getting a flight of beers each and every one was great. The food surprised me as my fish tacos was super fresh. The chips and queso was also great. Overall, a must see - especially for the view of the mountains if you decided to eat outdoors.

Brewery # 445…read more Devil's Backbone is a very large operation it seems. They make beer, the make bourbon, and they make food. They just do them all very slowly or at least they did when I was there. We came here on a Monday evening, and it was somewhat busy but there were visible empty tables and a couple spots at the bar. We went to the bar and waited awhile before the bartender asked what we wanted. I didn't ask for a flight because he seemed too busy. Whatever I wanted they were out of, but I ended up with an Imperial 16-point IPA which was quite tasty. I also got some chicken nachos, but I had to go stand in line to order them. They were adequate but not worth the wait. The place was very disorganized. They had workers always standing by the hostess desk, but the bartender was overwhelmed. Seemed like they should have had more than one, after all it is a brewery. Would have loved to try more beer but we just left and went back into Lexington for another round at another place. I don't know maybe it was just a bad night.

Brews were great, pizza tasted good, but it was cold, at least the toppings were, and kind of soggy…read morein the middle. I had to go find napkins and ask for red pepper flakes. The decor was cool, ancient doors covered with tempered glass for tables. The bathrooms were clean. Service was okay, but it was kind of a step up to order place, and I guess napkins and such were help yourself. They had lots of board games, and several people were enjoying them.

Beer snobs rejoice! Heliotrope is a true craft brewery serving clean and complex beers. My hubby…read moreand I enjoy trying all sorts of breweries but, it is always a treat to find a place like this. They have a small variety of styles and some of our favorites are their hazy IPA, salted marzen and plum conditioned sour. The service is friendly and helpful as well. As if all this wasn't enough, wood fired pizzas are also available! And their dough is delicious with that little pillowy stretch to it. It makes for a mouthwatering pairing.

Ambiance is ADORABLE! The service was calm and friendly and helpful. We got a cheddar cheeseburger…read morewith a side of fries and 2 donuts: burger was good! It had all the goods on it (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles). It was juicy but not even a little bit greasy. Ratio of meat was also ideal. Fries were hot and delicious. The donuts were so much better than I expected. I typically don't love cake donuts but these were really soft and not dry in any way and we came around 30 min before they closed so I can only imagine getting them first thing. Highly recommend if you want a good simple burger that doesn't make you feel sluggish after eating.

Popped into Pure Eats for breakfast on my last day in Lexington. They serve breakfast all day…read more First: Get a donut! Or two donuts, like I did! They make the donuts in house, and they are super fresh in the morning. Their classic is the cinnamon sugar donut, but I also got a glazed and both were delicious. That and a cup of black coffee, and breakfast is set. But I thought it would be wise to get some protein, so I also ordered the avocado toast with an over-medium egg. The avocado toast is a single piece of wheat bread (or white bread, if you prefer) with a schmear of herbed cream cheese and mashed avocado (plus an egg if you add one). The avocado toast was good and simple. Pure Eats is housed in a former gas station, and you can tell because it looks like an old fashioned petrol place from the outside. Inside, the dining room is colorful and fun, with table and booth seating, as well as a high-top bar. The people who work here are so friendly, and we chatted about where I was from and where I was going.

We stopped here on our road trip and were pleasantly surprised. We had the fried pickles and the…read morepimento and steak sandwiches. All of it was well prepared and tasty. The soda was fizzy! The best part was the homemade coconut cream pie. The generous slice was delicious, I could tell the crust was homemade. The staff was friendly. Very good, check it out!

This place looked very promising based on the reviews, but unfortunately the experience was…read moredisappointing from the moment we walked in. The host greeted us with a very sour attitude and was anything but welcoming. She slammed our silverware onto the table and immediately made everyone in our party feel uncomfortable. The food was average at best, and the menus were sticky with grease, which didn't leave a great impression. To top it off, the wine glasses were so thick they reminded me of my grandmother's eyeglasses. Overall, it just wasn't a pleasant dining experience, and I wouldn't return.

We stayed at The George's - Livery while in the area. While we were there we ate dinner at Taps. We…read moresat at the bar and enjoyed talking to the bartender. My daughter ordered a Caesar Salad. I ordered the kale salad and added some chicken. My husband ordered the power bowl with salmon. The Caesar salad was a classic Caesar and was good. The Kale salad was amazing. If you like kale, I definitely recommend this salad. The power bowl was excellent too. The added chicken to my salad and the salmon added to the bowl were healthy portions which added to the meal and experience. I would definitely come back.

We stayed at the Georges so Taps was an easy option for food for us. We ordered take out for pick…read moreup online. I wanted to get the skirt steak and fries, but unfortunately that wasn't an option online. I opt'd for the burger, as did my boyfriend, both of our burgers came out with the wrong toppings. Oh well, we ate them and they were fine. Seems like a typical, frozen burger patty. The french fries were very greasy. We also sat outside here for a drink at one point. They have a very cute patio in the back of the restaurant. I got the Lex vegas, it was thick because of the puree. I didn't think about that, it wasn't as refreshing as I thought it would have been. I really didn't have too much interaction with the staff as we just ordered a drink and then online pickup but everyone seems nice and helpful.

We were camping in the area and glad we took the time to have breakfast here! We had the sausage…read moreegg sandwich and the country ham sandwich, both on Texas toast with apple butter and potatoes. Everything was made to order and it shows! The apple butter was a standout, I could eat a whole jar of it. The general store was very cute and reflective of Appalachia. We can't wait to come here again on our next trip.

What' a great place! Loved it!! We stopped in for lunch after exploring Natural Bridge State Park…read more We had a group of 5. Seating was a little challenging at lunch time, but the picnic table on the front porch was perfect. Between us all, we had the BLT, turkey Reuben, California turkey special, and the tuna melt. Oh! And they've got fresh-baked cookies!! All of the food was excellent! The service was perfect. I highly recommend you visit next time you're in the area!