Guesthouse Lost River is a fabulous B&B located in Lost River - just a couple hours outside DC and Baltimore.

They get folks from all over to this unique, beautiful retreat nestled in the hills.

Their restaurant has received numerous awards, and it's been on my bucket list for quite some time. They're also known for their pop-up donut Sundays, which I'm dying to try.



The restaurant is beautiful, and the menu has so many delicious options.



Ultimately, I went for the Agnolotti Rucola - spinach & ricotta agnolotti, lemon, ricotta cheese, fresh basil & local organic Arugula. And for dessert - a maple pecan creme brulee! Mmm. Have you been?

A month or so ago, I traveled to Lost River to check off a few restaurants on the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list. Unfortunately, The Inn at Lost River's General Store was closed for the season. I was devastated, but resolved to come back as soon as they were open. 

Lost River is quite the trek from Morgantown, so I called a few times to confirm they would be open before making the drive. And, once I got there, I let out a huge sigh of relief to see the "open" sign hanging out front of the shop.


This beautiful shop features local products, wines, and other goods. Seriously, there are some great products here; I fell in love.

They also have their cafe! Some quick breakfast items like bagels or muffins are available, as well as sandwiches, salads, paninis and BBQ.

The BBQ is why they made the unique list, so that's what I went with - as well as the side of baked bbq lima beans and cole slaw.


I looked around the shop a bit more, before selecting a seat amongst the beautiful products to enjoy my meal. The BBQ is actually quite tasty and piled high on the bun with some extra sauce on the side. The BBQ lima beans, which I was super skeptical of, were crazy delicious. Did not taste like lima beans or baked beans (neither of which I like), but I liked these! The crisp chips and pickle were perfect complements.

If you have some time, check out this place. It's beautiful, supports local artisans and churns out some darn good food in the most pleasant setting. Just the way the line shined in on a cool day, showcasing these beautiful items up for purchase, while getting my fill of delicious food, made my day.

Grade: A

Lost River Brewing Company is actually located in Wardensville along this very cute stretch of shops. I don't know that I have ever had a Lost River beer before, so I had no idea what to expect. And, as soon as I walked in, I was impressed.

First of all, this place is beautiful. There's a huge bar with wooden stools, large dark wooden beams down the center, tall tables and decorative lighting that makes it feel warm, yet sleek. Plus, paper on the tables with crayons.

The menu is also incredibly diverse. They serve everything from salmon tartare to a jumbo soft pretzel. Bison meatloaf. Chicago hot dogs. If I were to run a restaurant, it would be the same way - just all of my favorite things in one place (ice cream, sushi, queso, pasta carbonara).

I didn't want to stuff myself too full because of the various stops we had planned during this day, so I instead ordered an appetizer of macaroni and cheese, a cup of the Maryland Style Crab soup and a side of hush puppies. Plus, of course, samples of each of the beers.

Let's start with the macaroni and cheese. It was a cup full of cheesy cavatappi noodles with caramelized shallots, cheddar and feta. Delicious.

The soup had these giant hunks of white crab meat and tons of veggies. Additional optional Old Bay on the rim. Definitely received the seal of approval from my Maryland native friend.

And the hushpuppies. Light, flavorful and so, so good.

Onto the beer. Easy enough: All of these were delicious. From a dark coffee beer to a lighter hoppy beer, they were all on point.

So, go. Go eat everything on the menu. Go drink all of the beers. Tell them they're your favorite. They'll probably like that. Enjoy.

Grade: A

The small community of Lost River has an impressive showing on the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list - about three in the area. So, I planned a day trip with Lisa to cross off as many as I could. First up was Lost River Grill. 

This motel, bed & breakfast, restaurant combo had me a little lost at first, when Apple Maps erroneously instructed me to turn right, but returning back to that main road and just traveling a little further got me right back on track.

We arrived pretty early in the day, so breakfast was still being served. The Lost River Grill has your typical eggs, bacon, sausage and pancakes up for grabs. And, of course, I went for "West Virginia's Texas French Toast" for two reasons: 1. I obvi love French toast and 2. It has West Virginia right in the name. How can you go wrong? I also ordered sausage patties on the side.

The French toast, overall, wasn't bad. There were six small triangles topped with powdered sugar that turns into a translucent glob of sugar when syrup drenches the plate. At first, I was totally into it. I started shoving forkfuls into my mouth.

I started to get a sort of almost musty taste? I'm wondering if the powdered sugar has hung around too long. Either way, it wasn't super pleasant. But, the sausage patties were so killer. I pushed the French toast off to the side (what remained of it at least) and focused my efforts on that sausage.

Step 1: Cut piece of sausage.
Step 2: Dip in all the syrup.
Step 3: Enjoy.

But, before we could leave, I had to check out that dessert case. One piece of pie had a pie crust, with a chocolate mouse and then a whipped cream with peanut butter cups. Yessss.

Overall, the French toast was a just a bit off, the sausage was very good, and the dessert was even better. A welcoming place with speedy service in the an area where there's not a ton going on was a pleasant surprise.



Grade: C