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"!)

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.

Someone local recommended Pronto Caffé & Gelateria to us on our first day in Lexington -- and I…read moretruly regret waiting until our last day in town to make a visit. This little shop is fantastic. From 8 AM into the afternoon, they offer delicious coffee, tea, hot chocolate, pastries, and snacks that feel both cozy and elevated. We had hot chocolate, tea, coffee, a pain au chocolat, and a butter croissant -- everything was warm, fresh, and absolutely perfect. It was so good that a few miles down the road, I seriously considered turning around to get more. The staff was incredibly friendly and patient, answering all of our questions without rushing us (there were enough staff working that there was no line). The atmosphere is clean, bright, and inviting -- the kind of place you want to linger in. Next time we're in Lexington, this will be a daily stop. Highly recommend.

This café had some conventional breakfast options, but also offered the appealing ability to get a…read moregelato ice cream sandwich over a brioche. I went ahead with that, and it was both redundant of classic ice cream sandwiches, but also delivered a highly pure dairy flavor typical of quality gelato. I got a Matcha to balance out the sweetness. While it looks a little foamy on top, it was a very strong, almost grass flavored beverage that was appropriate to the circumstance. Some premade grab and go food options may be decent, but did not appeal to my needs at that time.

I spent two hours here as my first "office" of the day and nursed a delicious light roast the…read moreentire time. This is a big place and while it's a little busy in the front area near the counters, there is a back room that I pretty much had to myself for some Zoom calls and Yelp reviews. Coffee was great, wifi worked very well and it was a great spot to spend some time. I'd definitely work from here again. [Review 19590 overall - 1427 in Virginia - 561 of 2023.]

Someone more discerning will have to judge the quote from Forbes as being one of the top 10 coffee…read moreroasters in the US, but it was a pretty good latte! The staff was friendly even though just before closing time at 5PM. The were cleaning up but still allow me to use the restroom. The building is over 100 years old with old wooden floors and a warm ambience. The coffee shop is somewhat of an institution in Lexington having been in this location downtown for over 25 years! Definitely worth checking out- and leave the help a big tip if you can.

I was perambulating downtown Lexington on a magnificent, sunny Saturday in mid October and…read morestumbled upon AppAppalachian Sage. Thirsty after hoofing it for several miles, I thought I'd Quentin my thirst with a pressed juice. I decided upon the super-sized, 32 ounce Rockbridge Adventure which consisted of action, granola, pineapple, strawberries, and coconut. My thirst was adequatelyassuaged, and i enjoyed the taste and coconsistency . There were other choices which contained banana which in my opinion overpowers the taste. I was waited upon immediately and served fairly promptly. have posted some pics of the interior.

Appalachian Sage is a hidden gem in Lexington. The food (açaí bowls) is amazing, and you can really…read morenotice the quality ingredients. The service is fairly quick, and they are very kind. The ambience has to be my favorite part. This place is perfect for a little brunch date, as the inside is very aesthetically pleasing. My only reason for not giving it a 5 star is because of the price (a little on the expensive side). I highly recommend this place though.

I love this cozy bakery. I stopped here with my family for breakfast and loved the artwork posted…read moreabout. We came for a simple breakfast but found it was really really delicious. My 6yo daughter had the waffles, I got the twoseez which was basically toast, scrambled eggs and bacon (which said daughter took), pre-teen son had a bagel sandwich, and wife had an omelette. My wife's omelette was extremely flavorful. What really made it wonderful was the owner's kindness and honesty. Knowing we were tourists asked us what we planned on doing and when mentioning the near by safari park, he said "oh don't play to feed the animals" which was exactly what we needed our kids to hear because two week prior the kids had a field trip to a petting zoo and my daughters class including her all got sick and I didn't want a repeat of that on our vacation... so thank you dude. But also he gave some insider info on where else to go around and that was also appreciated.

Best cake we've ever eaten. Got it for our daughter's birthday and it was very reasonably priced…read moreand the owners are so kind! I also had their cinnamon roll, yummy!

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.

Cute place from the outside - Red/White and Blue that carries inside too. Seating outside is via…read moreumbrella protected picnic tables. Seating inside is counter or at small tables surrounded by a pillowed banquet. Ordering is placed at the counter and food will be delivered to you. We enjoyed a cheeseburger, a BLT on white toast and a sharing size of onion rings. The food was tasty and served at the correct temperature. The major disappointment were the donuts. These were not cheap at $1.50 each. While they looked good they tasted bad. Overly sweet frosting that reminded us of Pillsbury frosting purchased from the supermarket and the donut cake itself was flavorless and stale tasting. We happily discarded these saving ourselves calories on a bad treat.

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.