So literally, I just got home from Sweet Tooth Cafe & Cakes, and I went there on happenstance after…read moremy sewing class because I was so close to Sonic. We do not have one where I live, so I naturally get excited every time I'm near one, and I make it my mission to stop and get a slushie. I traditionally get the lemon slush or the lime slush.
But unbeknownst to me, Sonic redid their menu. Since there isn't one close to my house, I had to update the app and sign back in. Then I tried to order my usual drink, but because it had been more than 90 days since my last visit, my previous order was gone.
So I started looking through the menu, only to realize the lemon frozen slush and the lime frozen slush were no longer there. I literally spent over 30 minutes sitting in the Sonic stall scrolling through the app because you have to order through it to get the half-price slushes.
Now they have these new slushes with some type of tea concentrate, and I already know I don't like green tea. I didn't want to risk paying for something I probably wouldn't enjoy, especially since there wasn't an option to sample it.
So I opened my Maps app to see what was nearby. That's when I noticed that a young lady I'd been following on Instagram had her Italian ice shop close by. I thought, "Oh my goodness!" It was less than a mile away, so I drove over to Killa Italian Ice & Smoothie and picked up some lemonade and a slice of cake.
After that, I thought, "Let me see what other small businesses I can support while I'm over here." I wasn't really interested in any of the other food options because they were things I could already get in Woodbridge. So I searched for bakeries and found Sweet Tooth Cafe & Cakes, just a short drive away.
I walked in, and to my surprise, they had a full restaurant menu in addition to their baked goods.
Let me tell you, these people were so amazingly welcoming the moment I walked in. "Hey, sis!" "Hi, welcome!" I immediately felt at home, and I honestly haven't felt that way in an establishment in a very long time.
I ended up telling the young lady behind the register about my whole Sonic adventure, and she said, "Well, let me let you try my chicken curry salad."
Now, I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't like chicken salad, so I said, "Okay."
Let me tell you...that chicken curry salad was banging. I was like, "Oh wow. This is good."
As we kept talking, I looked over the menu and realized I didn't want my usual comfort foods like pizza, collard greens, or macaroni. I wanted to try something different.
So I ordered their Chicken with Attitude with rice and cabbage.
The chicken had a Middle Eastern rustic flavor. It was roasted, incredibly tender, and unlike anything I'd had before. It's definitely a different taste and probably an acquired one, but I really enjoyed it.
Although I'd only had that sample of the chicken curry salad, it was so good that I ordered half a pound of it to take home, along with a piece of pound cake. Like I said at the beginning, I DO NOT EAT chicken salad, but it completely surprised me.
But beyond the food, they brought me a complimentary lemonade while I was sitting there eating. It tasted so fresh, like freshly squeezed lemon with other fresh fruit over ice. It was absolutely delicious and refreshing.
Everywhere throughout the restaurant were little signs about genuine kindness. The whole place just felt welcoming.
Being from Alabama, I grew up with Southern hospitality. You make eye contact, greet people, and make them feel at home. That's not meant to discredit businesses in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. This area is a melting pot of people from all over the world, and culturally, not everyone expresses hospitality the same way.
But when I walked into Sweet Tooth Cafe & Cakes, every single person embodied that welcoming spirit. It wasn't just one employee. It was the people behind the counter, the people coming out of the kitchen, and even those arriving for work.
I just remember thinking, "Wow."
I felt safe.
I felt welcomed.
I felt wanted.
I felt at home.
I felt like family.
More than the food, I felt like I had found my tribe. I found my village.
I honestly wish I lived closer because, if I did, I'd probably be there every day. Since moving to this area in 2009, that's the feeling I've been missing.
If I could recommend Sweet Tooth Cafe & Cakes a million times over, it wouldn't just be because of the food. It would be because of the sense of belonging. It's that feeling of walking into a place where everybody knows your name, even when they don't.
If you're going through something, this is the place to go. Not just to feed your belly, but to feed your soul.