Belmonte’s Italian in Weirton is a well-loved local eatery offering fresh, homemade pizzas, specialty Panwiches, hearty pastas, and pantry goods. When you first walk in, there's a ton of goods for sale - homemade pasta sauces, soups, and breads. Plus freezer-friendly meals like stuffed shells and lasagna. Belmontes Italian offers a plentiful storefront that feels more like a neighborhood deli than a sit-down restaurant. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the space is dotted with products for purchase. The food counter is efficient, though not designed for lingering. I packed one of the freshly made specialty pizzas from the rack. I'm not sure if pizza is the best term, since it was more like a bread with toppings and no sauce. While the crust was nicely baked and the ingredients were clearly fresh, the overall flavor fell a bit flat—I found myself really missing the richness and balance that tomato sauce usually brings. It wasn’t bad, just underwhelming compared to what I was expecting from a specialty pie. That said, I’d go back to try one of their more traditional pizzas or house-made pasta dishes, which seem to be where they really shine. Have you been? Grade: B

Tun Tea House is a boba tea & treats spot in Weirton.



Boba tea—also known as bubble tea or pearl milk tea—is a sweet, flavored tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. It’s known for its chewy tapioca pearls (called boba) that sit at the bottom of the cup and are sipped through an extra-wide straw that is stabbed through the top plastic seal.



Black tea: Bold, malty, slightly bitter—pairs well with milk and sweeteners. This is what I usually go for.

Green tea: Light, grassy, slightly floral—often used in fruit teas.



I ordered a Brown Sugar Milk Tea which has light black tea, milk, brown sugar syrup and tapioca pearls covered in brown sugar syrup. Rich, sweet, caramelized.



Grade: A

Peking Nagoya is a Chinese buffet in Weirton. Fun fact: I used to work at the former K-Mart that was next door throughout high school.



So, I have been to this restaurant throughout its various name changes in various forms. The decor is standard for Chinese–American restaurants with some big chandeliers and half-wall partitions throughout the dining space. I haven't noticed much of a change in the food over the last 15 years, but I wanted to check out this latest rendition.



I ordered coconut chicken, general tso's chicken and honey chicken to split with the family. Plus, steak hibachi with rice & veggies.



Every entrée was pretty average. The quality of the chicken is usually what sets the food apart for me. But these were a bit stringy, at least as far as the chicken goes. The steak hibachi was OK. I did like the veggie mix, but the steak was just kind of steamed so it didn't get much of a sear.



The steak lo mein may have actually been my favorite because the steak seemed less soggy and the noodles had a slight bite to them.



Grade: C

Sometimes when I visit Weirton, it looks like a whole different world. When I was growing up, there was a Walmart where there is now a whole shopping plaza, which includes Crazy Mexican Restaurant & Grill.



This restaurant describes itself this way: "Authentic Mexican fair, margaritas, beers, main dining, mezzanine seating, patios and party room." 



I placed a big order for a bunch of different things to take back to my family. While I waited inside, I took in how large this place really is. There are colorful decorations criss-crossing the dining room, which drew my attention to the second level of dining. I don't know that I've seen a Mexican restaurant this big! 



I had to wait for quite some time for my order, but once it was finally ready, I was excited to take it home and chow down. First up: These hard tacos with steak. Hard tacos are not my favorite, but my mom enjoyed this slightly elevated take on the classic ground beef taco. 



One of my favorites was the arroz con pollo. Chicken + rice + queso = always tasty. I can only imagine how much better this dish could be if it was peppered with plump, juicy hunks of chicken breast rather than the slivers of chicken that are usually a bit dry.



We also had a burrito California, which is a giant burrito with all the fixins: steak, avocado, onion, rice, beans, etc. Dad was a fan of this with all of the variety. And the barbacoa street tacos - cilantro and white onion on corn tortilla - were tasty, but also a bit dry. 



Chicken chimichangas were topped with lettuce and tomato, and it. all kinda became a bit soggy, but it wasn't bad. I mostly moved those off to the side, because they don't add much flavor, and enjoy the simple chicken chimichanga.



Finally, a taco salad with ground beef. I didn't try this one, but mom enjoyed it. Overall, this place was fairly average - but I did enjoy the extra fanfare.

Grade: B

"Every summer Wednesday since 1969, members of the Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church Men’s Club have gathered at the Serbian Picnic Grounds along King’s Creek outside of Weirton.



In a long, cement block building, they mill about in the dawn light, eating donuts, drinking coffee, and reading the morning paper. They’re here for a weekly fundraiser they call a “Chicken Blast,” for which they roast 300-400 chickens and sell them to the Weirton community (WVPB)."



When I was young, my family would go here often during the summer. They have a little playground where I would have fun with friends, while the adults would chat and play cards.



It's really a simple fundraiser that has turned more into a cultural phenom. It's a whole process that the locals know by heart.



Staring at 6 a.m. on summer Wednesdays, people can call 304-748-9866 to reserve their chicken. They then have to be picked up by 6 p.m. and cost $8. My dad and I made the trip so I could relive this childhood experience. He knew just where to go, and we got in line, and our chicken was ready to go.



The chicken is like a small rotisserie chicken that is hot, tender and moist. Each person could enjoy their own. It as fun to participate again and get a tasty meal. Plus, we also saw this cool Peter Tarr Furnace on the way.



Have you been?

Wing It, located in Weirton, focuses on - wait for it - wings! I went here a month or two back (when yes, it was still snowing) while at home visiting family. I ended up going here because they made it SO EASY. You can order right online, and they have a drive-up window. In the times of COVID-19, it's so simple and safe to get some dinner this way. 



So, I ordered a half pound of boneless wings in honey BBQ - a classic. And I picked them up right at the window. This was honestly a huge portion, and they had a nice crispy coating. The flavor left a little to be desired. I love honey BBQ, but this wasn't especially flavorful. I wish there was more or it was more bold - but that's on me. Next time, I'll try another.

Have you been?

Grade: B

Located in Weirton, Sweet Temptations offers specialty cakes and dessert items, as well as light lunch fare like sandwiches and soups. 



I had already had lunch, so I was in the market for some dessert. I did see that they were offering chicken salad, meatballs, hot dogs, chili and more.



On this particular day, they had cupcakes, some turnovers, cakes, and a handful of other sweet offerings. The little temptation that stuck out to me was a strawberry cheesecake. It looks like a little tiered cake. How adorable is that? 



The dessert was good - though the texture wasn't as creamy as I had hoped. And, overall, the process of ordering was a bit odd - no one was in there, and then when the woman arrived, she was curious how I knew about the place. After I ordered, I was blocked in trying to leave. But, they make a decent cheesecake.

Grade: B

Dragon Palace is a Chinese restaurant in Weirton off of Penco Road. On Christmas, my parents and I decided to try a new tradition of no-mess, no-stress Chinese food.

After looking over a menu I found online, I called in a few different orders of items that I thought sounded good and headed up north to pick them up.

The space, while I didn't eat-in, was really cute. It was decorated for the holidays and looked welcoming. I'd gladly return and eat in.


So here's some of what I ordered: Sesame Noodles. These were a simple appetizer. A light lo mein with a bit of sweet.

And then there were a few orders of crab rangoons - no sauce - but nice and creamy.

Peking chicken was boneless white meat chicken with a sweet and spicy BBQ-esque sauce and cooked onions. Very tasty.


A crowd favorite was the walnut chicken, which had a creamy coconut-esque sauce and breaded white meat chicken, pineapples and walnuts.

Plus, I got an order of "Crystal Shrimp," which was breaded and tossed in a sweet brown sauce with carrots, pea pods and onions. Delish.

Finally, vegetable lo mein was stocked with corn, carrots, peas, broccoli and more. YUM.