This little hole in the wall is located between Princeton and Bluefield, in an area called Green Valley. Growing up, this was a favorite of Chris's, and reminded him of earlier times. No offense to Chris, but he loves places that are "comfortable," as opposed to "good." This place packs some childhood memories for him, so I'll try not to be too harsh.

The restaurant, from the outside, looks kind of like a trailer. I would've assumed so, had I not known better. The only entrance, as far as I know, is a wheelchair ramp. There are a few picnic bench-like tables outside with an awning covering. When we went to open the door, a sign caught my eye that said they open at 6:45 a.m. By this point, I was putting two and two together: "Country" restaurant, wheelchair ramp, open at 6:45 a.m. This was old people city. But ... I'm okay with that. Old people restaurants can boast some of the best homemade comfort foods.


When we walked in, the place was larger than I imagined. There were at least three dining areas that I could see. We seated ourselves in the second section while I took in the scenery. A large TV was placed on the wall, and the typical patron was about three times my age. The third dining area seemed to be a Dale Earnhardt, Jr.Sr.(thank you, Chris, for lending me your redneck trivia) memorabilia room. I opted not to go back there.

As we perused the menu, it seemed pretty run of the mill - breakfast, chicken strips, some plated dinners. On their special board, they had "Fish-N-Chips" which caught my attention. I looked through the menu to see they had a fish sandwich for only $3.50. Now, this is where I take the blame. Some homestyle restaurants have killer fish sandwiches. For instance, I got one of the best Coleman's fish sandwiches at a little mom and pop shop. It's definitely a risk ordering fish at a non-specialty store. It's really hit or miss. In this case, it was a miss. A big miss. The square, once-frozen, fish byproduct left something to be desired. You know the taste - slightly freezer-burnt, crispy enough to not taste any flavor and mush of some odd fish flavor. It was probably an off-brand frozen fish chunk deep-fried.

For my sides, I got macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. Comfort food to the max, you can't really go too wrong. The macaroni and cheese had the pseudo-homemade look. Some of the noodles had cheese on them, while others were drenched in the oily butter sauce. The look threw me off a bit - I've made homemade mac & cheese before, but this worried me. The taste, however, was good. It doesn't have that powdered cheese like Kraft. There are some actual ingredients in there. The mashed potatoes were very good. Garlicy, creamy and delicious.

Chris chose a basket of shrimp. Typical, tiny popcorn shrimp breaded with tail still on. Not ideal for popcorn shrimp, since it makes it much more unpleasant to eat. He was pleased, though. He said he used to get chicken strips, which maybe I'll have to try for next time.

For dessert, I ordered a berry cobbler with ice cream. I'm not really sure what to say about this. At first, I was excited, but once I got down to the actual cobbler part, it was kind of a gelatinous texture that seemed very artificial. The edges were formed as if it had been in the corner piece of a pan and just molded there. The blueberries were a little not fresh, so it didn't leave the best aftertaste.

I think I need to try another dish - meatloaf or country chicken - to get the real feel for this restaurant. Because the fish sandwich just doesn't cut it.


Grade: D

Macado's is a southern WV favorite. I have never seen another or even heard of another Macado's besides the one in Bluefield, W.Va., but I am told they do exist. I hadn't heard of this Macado's until Chris mentioned it. I've found out that they exist in West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. And people love them.

One of the main draws of this restaurant is the novelty. And, it's open late. With a bar. The thing about Macado's is that it has a long, long menu with tons of sandwich choices. To be honest, this annoys me. The menu has dozens of creative sandwich names: Johnny Dee, Chicken Cordon Boo, Buffalo Bill, etc. But there is nothing creative about the actual sandwiches, and they all vary by one or two ingredients.

They have a couple types of bread, a couple types of meats, a couple types of cheese, a couple types of sauces, add lettuce and tomato, and you have every sandwich they offer. I also hate looking at a sandwich and thinking, "Mm that would be good without X." Well, they probably offer that sandwich under a completely different name on the opposite side of the menu. It's a little overwhelming to look at the menu and find something you truly like. It's too difficult to navigate. But I think that adds to the novelty.

Regardless, Chris and I went on a Saturday evening. It was one of the few places open late, and there are enough options to satisfy both of us. They have a handful of appetizers, salads, and other dinners, which include lasagna, macaroni and cheese and chicken parmesan. But honestly, if you go to Macado's and don't order a sandwich, it's a little weird. At least, that's the vibe I've gotten.

On this particular day, I was feeling something different so I ordered a "Buffalo Boo," one of the few sandwiches that doesn't come stock with lunchmeat. Instead, it had pulled barbecue pork topped with cole slaw on a kaiser roll. I also put in an order for a house salad. The waitress promptly came back, telling me they were out of the pulled pork. She handed me a menu to re-select. Now I was upset that not only did I not get the sandwich I wanted, but now I had to deal with that menu again.


Lackadaisically, I chose the "Chicken Cordon Boo," which had chicken breast, ham, swiss, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Pretty basic and, well, boring. Chris chose the "Cowpoke," which had chicken breast, cheddar, bacon, lettuce tomato, barbecue sauce on an onion bagel. All the sandwiches come with a pickle spear and a bag of chips. But you can also get potato salad or cole slaw. Since the potato chips are standard, I asked for the potato salad to change things up a bit. The waitress actually forgot, so I got both chips and the potato salad.

Anyway, my salad came out first, and I was pleased. I was actually in more of a salad mood anyway, so I was happy with the lettuce, tomato, cucumber topped with French dressing. The menu didn't actually list a french dressing or similar equivalent, but when I talked to the waitress she said that was her favorite. Luckily I asked or I wouldn't have known. The salad had some crisp bacon on top, which I wasn't expecting from house. It went perfectly with the french dressing. Veggies were fresh, but I wish I had more tomatoes.

Shortly thereafter, our food came out. My sandwich was stacked pretty high, but after my salad, I wasn't super hungry. I ate most of it the next day for lunch. I also took my leftover french dressing home and dipped the sandwich in that to give it some more "oomph." It was tasty. I can't really say anything bad about it, other than it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. If you want a good chicken sandwich, this place is good for what it is. Don't expect some culinary masterpiece, but appreciate a fine sandwich, and you'll be pleased.

Chris's sandwich looked good as well, and he devoured it, so I know he was happy. We didn't do dessert, even though the peanut butter pie looked delicious. Maybe we'll get that next time, with a side of "Hindenberg."

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Grade: B

Located at Pierpont Landing, Penny's Diner is a little out of the way of the main restaurants in Morgantown. On the plus side, there is ample parking, and it's easy to get to. I met my friend Kayla, avid diner-goer, her boyfriend Michael and her friend Megan there for some grub Wednesday night.

I was meeting them there, so I was a little rushed as I walked in. As soon as you open the door, there's a stand with a hostess asking how many, etc., which is nice, considering this isn't what I expected for a diner. The interior is warm, comforting and very clean. There were dark accents of blue with the modern diner booths. The table stuck out over the edge so extra chairs could be added, too.

The menu features typical diner fare - breakfast, sandwich plates, some dinner plates. But Penny's also had a good portion of the menu devoted to Greek dishes. That's definitely different. I decided to be extra adventurous and try the "moussaka," a Greek classic specialty with ground beef with Greek seasonings, layered with eggplant, potatoes and baked in Bechamel sauce. For $14.99. Kayla got a breakfast plate with an omelet and potatoes. Michael and Megan both got gyros.


The dish came with a house salad. The veggies were fresh and crisp, but only boasted one tomato, two cucumbers slices and a few slices of onion. I had it topped with French dressing, which was good, but not homemade. Everybody else cleaned theirs up, though, so they were happy. I just wish I had more veggies to balance out the lettuce.
I was really excited for my dish to come out, because I really didn't know what to expect. Mine came out as a square layered lasagna with feta cheese, olives and a tomato on top. I also had a roll with butter on the side. The layers were eggplant, potato and finely chopped beef with delicious savory seasonings. It was really quite tasty. The meal with kind of heavy, but it fgelt light at the same time. The feta cheese added just the right amount of of flavor and lightness to the heavy, starchy potato and meat. The eggplant kept the meal solid, and it was a new combination of flavors that I was a fan of.

I'm not really a fan of the pricetag - I think it could've been cheaper, but it was good nonetheless. I also ordered a sweet potato cheesecake. Creamy and smooth, the cheesecake was good, but the flavors were slightly muted. It was also a tiny portion for $6. I would order the moussaka again, but the price for the cheesecake wouldn't warrant another order. My bill's total was $22.24, without tip.

Grade: B

Black Bear is a Morgantown local favorite. It has strong ties to both the Morgantown community and WVU (opened by WVU alums), so it's a hot spot nearly every day of the week. I planned a small gathering at Black Bear Tuesday night for my adviser who is leaving the journalism school. I also brought one of my best friends, Kayla. Double bonus.

Black Bear is located on Pleasant Street, right downtown across from 123 Pleasant Street. A parking garage is located next door, but during the school year, it can be a hassle to find parking here. If you can, just walk up. They have an old-school sign out from and a chalk clapboard with the day's specials. If they are having a band playing that night (typical on the weekends), sometimes they'll list them there, too.


Black Bear has a very open feeling. As soon as you walk in, there are a couple dozen tables, including small, large and bar areas, and a small table that has a few menus on it. I grabbed a menu and picked a seat while Kayla decided on what she wanted. I already narrowed it down: the Bear Trap. Maybe because I had been debating on what I was going to order all day at work ...



The Bear Trap is a a honey wheat tortilla with lettuce, roma tomatos, Swiss cheese, cold cut honey smoked turkey, crispy bacon and sweet honey mayo. It's kind of like heaven. My other favorites include: Mr. Teri Yaki, Thai One On, Good Calypso and Gouda Riddance. These aren't typical burritos - they're super creative, with fun, fresh ingredients and fuse modern with traditional. Black Bear offers a ton of vegetarian and vegan options quite easily - most burritos include the easy alternative, such as tofu and fakin' instead of chicken and bacon. There are "build your own" burritos, quesadillas, nachos, salads and salad wraps so you can customize it any way you want.

Kayla thought my choice was so good, she opted for the same thing. The counter is all the way toward the back of the restaurant, but because the faces are so friendly and welcoming, it's not a daunting trip. We ordered at the register, got cups for our drinks and retrieved our toy car to put on the table. Oh yeah, that's the other thing, instead of boring slips or calling out numbers, patrons get a fun, colorful toy to put on the edge of their table so the servers know where to bring the food out. We grabbed our silverware, filled our cups and had a seat at a huge table. The wait wasn't long for our food, but the local art around the restaurant makes the time go past when you're gazing at the beauty.


My burrito was delicious - I knew it would be. Everything here is fresh, most of it is local, so it's helping support local business. The art on the walls helps support local artists. And the food, well that helps support hungry customers. The honey mayo on this burrito is really what sets it off. It's a slightly tangy, sweet spread that just fits perfect with the wrap and yummy veggies, cheese and turkey. The burrito also comes with their homemade slaw - not too mayonnaisey and a little spicy, as well as their baked chips. Perfect sides for this dish. My sandwich, slaw, chips and drink totaled less than $10. That's not bad for the quality of the ingredients and the deliciousness that resides within.

My friend Heather and I also split an ice cream sundae. Vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry made this one a classic. For $4, you can't go too wrong here. And it was enough to please the both of us. They also have beer on tap, but I haven't been able to check that out yet.

This hip, local restaurant helps give back to the community and delivers awesome, creative food that keeps me coming back for more. Check out their Facebook for specials and giveaways!

Other stories to check out:

• Restaurant Road trip
• Best Places to Eat After the Game
• YouTube Video

Grade: A

After Chris and I perused "Princeton Fest," We worked up an appetite and headed to A Taste of Memphis to fill our tummies. Located on Stafford Drive, the main drag for restaurants and stores in Princeton, it is in the main plaza in town. I assume it gets a lot of business, and I know it's a favorite among locals. It boasts BBQ pork, ribs, etc. I've never dined at a "BBQ" restaurant, so when I discovered this place, I was impressed this little restaurant has made a name for itself.

As soon as you walk in, there's a giant display that lists specials and whatnot. I've seen a few restaurants in Princeton have this, and it continues to confuse me. You have to go around this obstacle, either to the left or right, to actually walk back to the counter. I don't understand why it doesn't instead guide you to the area to order and facilitate the consumer instead of blocking them. But that's beside the point.

The interior is decorated, well, tack-ily. With plastic red- and white-checkered tablecloths, piglets painted on the wall and chairs that are all a little off-balance, the interior isn't what sets this place apart. When you get to the counter, there's a menu behind the ordering area. It's always a little awkward to stand in front of the person taking your order while you try to decide what you want above their head. I had been here once before, so I had an idea of what I wanted. It's not a very expansive menu, so we both were able to choose fairly quickly. I put in my order for a large BBQ pulled pork sandwich, a small side of hushpuppies and a small side of mashed potatoes. Chris ordered a salad with pulled pork, as well as a loaded baked potato with all the fixings, including pulled pork. Somehow we totaled around $25 quite quickly.

We took our cups to the fountain drink dispenser and chose a table. At the table, there is a roll of paper towels (ahem, napkins), some BBQ sauce, and other typical condiments. We didn't have to wait long before our orders were out. Serve in plastic red mesh baskets, we had a little feast on our hands. When we here previously, our only complaint was that we didn't get enough food. That was our fault - we didn't order enough. The portions weren't huge, which was expected considering the prices. But we over-ordered this time.

My sandwich was a good, healthy portion. Both hands were required for this one. The pulled pork was a little on the dry side, but as long as there was enough of their signature sweet BBQ sauce, the combination was pretty tasty. I added a little more BBQ sauce on my plate so I could dip the sandwich in to make sure every bite had ample sauce. This is not my typical choice of food - in fact, I rarely like pork. But the BBQ pulled pork is enough to make me change my game plan. The hushpuppies, I think, are the stars here, though. Hushpuppies are a treat in Morgantown, as the only place I know that sells them is Long John Silver's, which I don't frequent often. A Taste of Memphis' hushpuppies are cooked golden brown, moist and seasoned on the inside and are served with a honey spread that adds a taste of sweetness. Delicious. The mashed potatoes are buttery and salty and filling. The meal was so filling in fact that I couldn't finish it. I had to take a few breaks to finis the sandwich alone. The hushpuppies were gone first, and I had some mashed potatoes to spare.

Chris's salad was served in a large tortilla shell, with lettuce tomato cheese and BBQ pork inside. He devoured this and was pleased. His loaded baked potato was a meal in itself with the butter, cheese, sour cream and meat piled on top. He made it a good way through, but he had leftovers as well.

For a meal out of the ordinary and to fill you up, check it out. It's not upscale dining by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a fun break from the norm.

Grade: B