Cafe Appalachia recently opened a second location in downtown Charleston. The original is located in South Charleston. But, both are more than just restaurants.



"Café Appalachia ... is a social enterprise that is open to the general public as a coffee house and popular breakfast and lunch destination.

The Café offers farm-to-table foods grown on-site and/or locally sourced. ReIntegr8 participants are trained at Café Appalachia and Café Appalachia Catering, where they learn how to grow food, prepare wholesome, nutritious meals and gain valuable skills and employment experiences.

Café Appalachia allows you to experience their garden-raised meals in your own home through GrubHub or business through its catering services, Café Appalachia Catering. The Cafe' hosts private events such as wedding rehearsals, receptions, bridal and baby showers, holiday parties, board retreats, and more," reads the website.



The downtown location is fairly small, with just a handful of tables. But the standout visual is a wall decorated with mountain imagery and a powerul quote.



The menu features standard sandwiches, salads and breakfast items. I ordered the "flat iron steak - Seared flat iron cooked to medium rare, sliced thin and served cold. Wrapped in naan, topped with baby arugula, fresh tomatoes, shaved parmesan and a house made parmesan horseradish aioli." I really enjoy horseradish, so that is what sold me here. The sandwich was pretty average; not bad, but nothing you couldn't make at home - and there's nothing wrong with that! It is fairly healthy, too, so bonus points. If you're looking for a good standard sandwich, this is for you. If you're looking for something with big and bold flavors, you might want to find out how to punch it up.



Grade: B