Thursday, September 24, 2009
Christiansburg coffee shop is a cozy place apart
TOM ANGLEBERGER Special to The Roanoke Times
Jabo's Coffee and Cafe has a lot of options, such as coffee, milkshakes, scones and sandwiches.
Tom Angleberger knows what he likes. So we've asked him to eat at NRV restaurants and write about them. If you have a restaurant to recommend,
e-mail him. Tom Angleberger
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Jabo's Coffee and Cafe is in an unlikely commercial building between Christiansburg and Blacksburg.
Step inside, however, and you find yourself in a cozy little coffee shop that seems well-removed from U.S. 460 Business just outside.
"Pour yourself a cup of happy" is the slogan here, and a group hanging about in the comfy foyer appeared to have had a rather large cup of it.
A chalkboard and ancillary signs display a caffeinated array of options: Cafe Mocha, Cremosa, Brazilian Peaberry, Guatemalan decaf. I don't drink coffee, so I can't tell you a thing about all that.
I did, however, have lunch: a veggie wrap with a vanilla iced tea. The veggie wrap was nice and fresh -- lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and pickle wrapped in a spinach tortilla. The drink may have been nothing more than regular tea with a shot of vanilla syrup, but it was a nice change of pace.
Other changes of pace, noncoffee drinks and treats include: hot apple cider, frozen hot chocolate, smoothies, frappes, root beer floats and milkshakes.
The breakfast menu features bagel variations, scones and biscotti. The lunch and dinner menu offers sandwiches and wraps, such as turkey bacon and chicken salad, along with soup and salad.
Jabo's offers free Wi-Fi and a small reading library, which included three Bibles and an Agatha Christie mystery.
One caveat: I'm not sure how else to say this, so let me come right out with it.
There was a dog in the restaurant. It appeared to belong to a customer and did not seem to be a service animal. Its presence didn't seem to concern anyone.
And, other than a few yaps, it didn't affect me that much, either. But you'll have to decide for yourself if that bothers you.
Bottom line: Jabo's Coffee makes a nice spot for friends -- both two- and four-legged, apparently -- to meet for a treat.
