Tasty, casual fare at Blacksburg’s Mill Mountain

Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea in Blacksburg, though not under the same ownership as the well-known Roanoke-based shops, boasts a well-earned reputation for excellent coffee in the New River Valley. While I have long been a fan of the pungent Mill Mountain house brew, I haven’t sampled much of their food other than the bagel sandwiches, which are quite good.

On a recent visit, my parents, two of my children and I wove our way through the sundry students working on laptops perched among piles of notes, textbooks, and half-empty coffee mugs. We made our way to the only free table at 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday — one of two on the small patio along Giles Road. The table was too small for our party and the traffic along Main Street a bit too loud, but the fresh air made the sacrifice worthwhile.

We decided to sample the sandwiches, soups, and salads. All sandwiches are offered on your choice of a wide range of breads, including wheatberry, rye, and rosemary-olive . Sandwiches are served with chips or pretzels, and they toss in a pickle spear if you so desire. Combos of half-sandwiches with small soup or salad are a good option.

We decided to order several dishes and share them all. First, we tried the black bean burger on whole wheat bread with a side of pretzels ($6.49). The burger was not as dry as bean burgers often are; instead it was just moist enough for the whole black beans and plump corn kernels to hold together between the slices of toasted bread. The burger had a great, mildly spicy flavor .

The ham sandwich was piled so high with fresh, crisp veggies that it was an effort at first to get my teeth into it. Hefty slices of sweet, juicy ham paired with a slight tang of mayonnaise to create a delightful flavor combination. We paired our half sandwich with a small bowl of the soup of the day, vegetable ($5.23 for the combo). The vegetable chunks in the soup were a nice al dente texture, but the broth lacked body.

Next, we tried half of a chicken salad sandwich with a small Caesar salad ($6.49). Small, crunchy pieces of celery provided a perfect foil to the creamy, sweet chicken salad . We had hoped to add a small grilled chicken Caesar salad but had to choose the regular instead because the grilled chicken Caesar is not available as a half salad .

In addition to the sandwiches, we ordered a hummus platter ($4.95). The platter features a large dish of spicy roasted red pepper hummus, a healthy dose of pita wedges and some crunchy vegetables for dipping. The pita was good — very chewy with an ever-so-slight kiss of salt. The hummus itself was a peppery blend of spices and chick peas without too much garlic or tahini .

We followed our meal with a large brownie ($2.39) from the smart-looking dessert case up front. The five of us tore into the sticky, heavenly layering of caramel, brownie and toasted nuts, and ended up buying a second portion to take home.

Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea offers a surprisingly large menu of cafe-style dishes, from sandwiches to salads. The kitchen offers both breakfast ( bagel sandwiches, pastries, etc.) and lunch dishes all day. The food is good, the coffee rich, and the atmosphere pleasant and laid-back. Mill Mountain is the perfect spot for a casual meal or a simple cup of joe.

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