Garden Song Eco Café has closed permanently. It has reopened as Giggles the Bus and Crepe Stand.
I’m always looking for a local place to try, so when my niece suggested we get crepes at Garden Song Eco Café as we passed through Roanoke, Virginia, I couldn’t resist!
My niece had heard about the café from a friend, but it was her first time, too. Her recommendation was based on our mutual love of crepes, which she had heard they served.
The Café
We had to plan our visit carefully since Garden Song Eco Café is only open on weekdays from 11:00AM to 3:00PM. The café shares a building with a few other businesses. It’s centered on the block and the sign for Garden Song Eco Café is so small that we nearly missed it!
The interior of the café has the comfort of a home. Live plants line the windows (and anything else that’s stationary).
The shelves are stocked with jars of southern-inspired treats and natural care goodies.
It feels like stepping into a friend’s home!
As we approached the menu, we were both surprised to discover that it was largely vegan!
I don’t suppose I have to say it, but we aren’t vegans. Otherwise we likely would’ve scoped out the menu early to be sure it met our needs. We aren’t opposed to eating vegan foods, though, so we moved forward with our order.
We asked about additional outdoor seating as the one table we had already passed out front wasn’t large enough to accommodate our party.
Exiting the back to find additional seating, we discovered the true beauty of the café was actually in its garden!
We found a table near the door and enjoyed the shade of a small tree. (It looked perfect for climbing!) Mint plants lined the ground beside us and a mural brought a pop of color to this sort-of-secret garden.
Our Lunch
The food soon arrived and we couldn’t wait to try our crepes. We ordered three crepes, hoping to maximize the variety we each got to sample, but we soon realized this was too many. They were large, stuffed full, and very filling!
The savory crepe we chose was the Pesto Crepe. It was filled with pesto, tomatoes, greens, and coconut cheese and seasoned with Herbes de Provence.
Frankly, this vegan and gluten-free crepe didn’t actually taste like a crepe. It was denser and firmer with an almost nutty flavor. It almost tasted like a wrap. Regardless, it was delicious!
The coconut cheese, which none of us had ever tried, didn’t really have any cheese-like qualities, aside from being close to the same color. It added a different texture to the mix, but tasted and felt more like egg, ironically enough.
My five-year-old agreed. He couldn’t get enough! (He loves eggs.)
Then we tried the two sweet crepes, one with fruit and cream and one with my personal favorite, apple butter.
If you aren’t familiar with apple butter, it’s a thick, caramelized form of apple sauce, generally used as a spread like jam. Don’t worry, vegans — the “butter” refers to the consistency, not the ingredients. I have such fond childhood memories of Labor Day weekends spent at apple butter cook-ins, adults taking turns stirring the pot for days on end.
This particular apple butter tasted like it contained honey or perhaps agave. It was unusually sweet, even for apple butter, and we gobbled up every bit!
The whipped cream in the fruit crepe turned out to be whipped coconut cream. We couldn’t really tell the difference except in thickness. This crepe was my niece’s favorite.
Our Experience
All in all, I’d have to say that time I accidentally ate at a vegan restaurant turned out to be a great experience! You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy the food at Garden Song Eco Café and I’d recommend a visit to anyone passing through.
If it’s too cold to enjoy the café garden, you can also place an order online for pickup.
Plan Your Visit
Garden Song Eco Café Giggles the Bus and Crepe Stand
Roanoke, Virginia
Location varies (see website)
