Next Door Bake Shop — Restaurant in Blacksburg

Picture this: I had just trudged through my 8am and 9am classes after a long night out on the town. I still felt dehydrated from the several rails I drank with my friends at TOTS, knowing all too well that I’d regret it in the morning. I finally got out of my last class and the only thing I could think of was putting food in my stomach. I pondered what place in Blacksburg could provide a satisfying breakfast that wouldn’t upset my already sensitive stomach. Then, as if it had fallen into my brain from the sky, it hit me. “Next Door Bake Shop!” I shouted while crossing of the Turner’s Sea of Hungry, Depressed Students. I could not believe I had said that so loud. It felt like the entire building stopped for a full 5 seconds to stare at me. Trying not to draw more attention to myself, I kept my head down and quickly walked out the door. Once outside, I let escape a sigh of relief, shook off the embarrassment of the moment past, and began my journey that would undoubtedly lead to a full stomach and a refreshed mindset. Once I had reached my destination, I admired the sign above the door with a smile on my face and cheerfully entered. I was immediately greeted by a bright smiling employee that said “hi welcome to next door bake shop!” I knew right then and there that I was in the right place. I looked around and was awed by the vibrant colors all over the walls and the delicious smells of freshly brewed coffee and toasted bread that inundated my nose. The sounds of laughter and happy students holding meaningful conversations completely erased the memory of the grim atmosphere of Turner’s Place from earlier. I could not believe these were some of the same students I had seen blending into the background of Bruegger’s Bagels. I ordered something I thought would be completely ordinary, a bacon, egg and cheese bagel and a caramel latte. Once the cashier had taken my order and payment was made, she smiled back at me and told me “I’ll have that ready for you shortly! I’ll be sure to make it with love 💝” emoji and all. I looked towards the back corner to find that there was an impromptu shop of clothes jewelry and other such trinkets. I could have spent the entire day browsing their small but beautiful array of goods in this cozy little corner of the shop. Before I could find something I wanted but didn’t need, my order was ready and my attention quickly shifted to my food. Once I took possession of the treasures I’d come for, the employee smiled once more and with a soft voice said “I hope you enjoy your food and the rest of your day”. Yes ma’am, I will now, I thought to myself. I sat down at a nearby table and began to unwrap my bagel. It looked exquisite, I could only hope it tasted as good as it looked. As I took my first bite I could taste all of the individual components coming together to create an explosion of delicious flavor in my mouth. Complete euphoria. I tried to enjoy the sandwich the best I could, but it was gone too fast. Even though I was entirely satisfied and my stomach was full, I desired more. It took everything in me not to order another sandwich, but I was able to calm my desire for another with the help of the sweet caramel latte that warmed my hand as I took small sips. Indeed, this small shop had made my day infinitely better with no more than another regular order for them. From that day on, I’ve adored this place that brings joy to my otherwise dull days of classes. Next Door Bake Shop changed me life for the better, and for that, I’m...

I had such high hopes walking into the shop and left empty handed. I came from Europe to be with my son on his birthday next week. I haven’t celebrated last four of his birthdays with him as we are stationed overseas and he is in school at VT. So, I want to make this birthday very special and someone recommended this bake shop for a cake. It was a Saturday, it was decently busy when I came in, a young man talked to me about a cake but had to get several answers from his manager as he wasn’t sure of the answers himself. When I inquired about a specialty cake, he told me he would have to check with his manager again at which point I told him I will take a moment to decide what exactly I wanted. Few minutes later I was ready and this time asked to speak to the manager right away because I saw no point in taking the young man’s time (he was busy with a line of customers placing their orders) since he informed me earlier that manager would know best. I was told that the manager is rather busy with the orders, I had to wait a bit. He came over and was clearly not happy to be pulled away from what he was doing. He rushed me through my questions, not really helping me and the whole time I had a feeling he couldn’t wait to get rid of me. He said that he can’t tell me if they can make a cake for me, that the baker has to tell me. Ok….can I talk to the baker please? Oh, baker is not here. Ok…how do I get in touch with the baker? He blurted out an email address and left. I get that he was busy, but that is no way to treat a customer, especially not the manager. I was prepared to spend couple of hundred dollars if need be for this specialty cake, but instead, I will take my business elsewhere. I was so disappointed at the lack of customer service and do not plan...

The good: Coffee, free refills on medium and large, the sandwiches/pastries

The bad: Espresso drinks (in my opinion)

Extended Review:

I have probably gone to this coffee shop more than any other in the Blacksburg area. A very convenient location, awesome staff, and free refills on medium/large coffees (don't get small!). If you have time between classes and need to do work, this is the place to go. It is comfortable, conveniently close to campus, and has the best food in any coffee shop in Bburg.

Oh the food, you ask? Yeah, it is just paninis/bagels/pastries, sure, nothing fancy. But it is good for a coffee shop. The pastries are about as expensive as Starbucks prices but they are larger and probably twice as good. The lemon cream cheese cupcakes are my favorite thing to get. The paninis are more expensive, but good and fill you up. They come with chips and, when paired with a coffee, will cost a tad over $10.

They have 3 coffee offerings - house, decaf, and flavor of the day. The house has a nutty taste and is probably a medium roast. It isn't too strong for people who hate that motor oil coffee (speaking of which, if you DO like motor oil coffee, I suggest Mill Mountain).

As for their espresso, I only got a couple times, but it was meh. I like espresso drinks that have strong, interesting flavors but don't go overboard on the sweetness. This espresso was a bit too sweet for my taste. I prefer Starbucks/Mill Mountain's espresso over this. Note: You may disagree so try it for yourself.

Overall, go here if you want a comfortable environment, coffee refills for hours, or you have work to do and don't like that boring...