When Chris was at work recently, I wanted to explore the area. I usually don't do this without him because 1- I get lost easily 2- I am bound to always get lost. But he was working one of those 12-hour days, and I was wanting something other than McDonald's or Wendy's for lunch. A friend suggested Dick's Swissburger. I had heard of this place, but the only address I could find for it was "Rt 52 N," which doesn't give me much to work with. However, with my handy-dandy iPhone, my friend dropped a pin on the map so I could find it exactly.

From Princeton, it wasn't too tough to find. I went past the mall, made the next right to go toward Bluefield. Then I was on the main drag in Bluefield and made a left to go up a small hill (across from Bluefield State College) and across that bridge for a little while until Dick's Swissburger was on my right.

I actually saw the sign first and had to look for the building - it's kind of swallowed up by the larger building beside it. But I pulled up and it's kind of an empty lot - maybe park wherever you want? There was one spot open at the front so I parked and went inside.

As soon as you walk in, there's a bar area where you order your food. A few menus are up at the front. I went for, you guessed it, the Swissburger - 1/2 pound beef, lettuce, swiss cheese, tomato, mayo, onion, pickle and mustard. For $5. They only take cash here - luckily, I stole a few bucks from Chris JUST IN CASE this was the case. And it was.

The two women working were super nice and helpful. I told them I'm not from the area, but I heard good things so I wanted to check it out. They made some small talk with me about WVU and my nail polish, then I went to find a seat. It seems as though they have two main dining areas - two small rooms. One is at the very front with some windows, while the other is window-less. The tables and chairs are basic for a burger joint. I only waited a few minutes before one of the women brought me a basket cradling the massive burger I just ordered.

Their burgers are made with seasoned angus, and you can certainly taste the beef. It's not overpowered by any of the condiments, so if you want a huge slab of meat, this is your place. Everything was really tasty, too. I don't know if I've had a burger with just swiss, sans cheddar/American, but it was good. It was melty and warm and coated the meat in that slightly sweet, creamy cheese. Ingredients were top-notch - fresh tomatoes, lettuce, etc. The burger here is clearly the star, though. That flavor is most prominent. I actually added a little ketchup because they had some at the table. I couldn't even finish this burger, so I got a to-go box. The service was awesome, and the food was great. Want a good, homemade burger? This is your place. This is everything I love about West Virginia restaurants - quality food, awesome service and the rest is up for grabs.


Grade: A