48 Donley is a modern American restaurant located in downtown Morgantown’s Wharf District, right along the rail trail and waterfront. Coincidentally, this is the same building I spent many years working in, so it was interesting to return to this space in a whole new way. The interior has clean lines and contemporary finishes that are softened by lighting and natural textures. The result is an upscale vibe that still feels comfortable. I enjoyed the Seabass - pan-seared seabass, truffle parmesan mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, balsamic tomato mint salad and beurre blanc. Each bite layered delicate, buttery fish with a luxurious, umami-rich creaminess from the truffle parmesan potatoes, lifted by the tangy-sweet balsamic tomatoes and fresh mint. The asparagus added a subtle char and crisp contrast. Grade: A

Escobar’s is a stylish bar and restaurant located in downtown Morgantown that blends an elevated dining experience with a lively nightlife atmosphere. Known for its craft cocktails, wood-fired pizzas, and shareable small plates, Escobar’s is popular spot for late-night gatherings. I ordered a crab fondue with lump crab meat, cream cheese and sherry wine, which had a nice presentation. The crab fondue had a rich, comforting base, but the execution fell a tiny bit short. I wanted just a cleaner flavor of each of the ingredients. Grade: B

Mountain State Brewing Co. is an established brewery that was first located in Thomas and has since expanded to pubs in the North Central West Virginia area. Most recently, MSBC opened its newest pub in Star City. This is their second location in Morgantown; the first of which is in the Wharf District. I worked in that area for years, so I was a regular at that location. And one of my absolute favorite dishes anywhere is their hummus. It is garlicky and bright - and literally the best hummus I've ever had. So I decided to get a sampler of dips. Spinach Dip - A cheesy blend of spinach and artichokes, topped with cheddar jack cheese. Served with tortilla chips. Pretty good. Pretty standard. Garlic Hummus - Our original garlicky hummus garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of black pepper. Add a side of house made tapenade. Served with pita. The best hummus to ever exist. The only hummus I will eat. Buffalo chicken dip - fine. The thick congealed layer of cheddar was not easy to eat, but you can't really go wrong with buffalo chicken dip. Beer cheese - Housemade Amber Ale Queso served with tortilla chips. This was a solid selection. Velvety smooth and cheesy. Grade: A

Kidz Funland is an indoor kids’ fun center in Morgantown with a wide variety of activities and games designed to entertain children of all ages. In addition to standard kid-friendly snacks, Kidz Funland offers a small menu that leans into Vietnamese-inspired items and specialty drinks. Think eggrolls, boba tea and BBQ pork baguettes. Not what you might expect! Those are the ones that were exciting for me, but there are plenty of other options, like pizza, hamburgers and smoothies. I ordered a Korean corn dog, which instead of a cornmeal-heavy batter, it had a rice-flour batter that fried up light, chewy, and slightly sweet. The hot dog inside was replaced by mozzarella cheese, so when you bite in, you get a dramatic cheese pull. It was rolled in panko for extra crunch. So indulgent. But a sauce is needed. I also had a brown sugar boba, which is a milk-based drink featuring tapioca pearls cooked in a rich brown sugar syrup with deep notes of molasses and caramel. The syrup is swirled inside the cup before milk is added, creating a striped look and layered sweetness. Grade: B

House of Shawarma is a food truck in Morgantown on Chestnut Ridge Road that serves Mediterranean favorites like falafel, chicken bowls, gyros and, of course, shawarma.

Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish made from thin slices of marinated meat—most commonly chicken, beef, lamb, or a combination, stacked on a vertical rotisserie and slow-roasted. As the meat cooks, it’s shaved off in thin pieces and typically served wrapped in flatbread like pita or laffa, or plated with sides.

The flavor comes from a spice-forward marinade that often includes garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and sometimes cloves or allspice. Shawarma is usually paired with toppings and sauces such as tahini, garlic sauce (toum), pickles, onions, tomatoes, and sometimes fries, depending on regional tradition.

The cooking method is closely related to other vertical-spit dishes around the world, including Turkish döner kebab and Greek gyros, all of which share a common ancestry in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. I had to try the signature chicken shawarma sandwich with turmeric, paprika & garlic sauce. But, if I'm being honest, I'm mostly here for that garlic sauce. For me, this is really the star of this dish. It adds so much flavor and that creamy texture. I could have done with another serving of it. Or two. Everything was fresh and flavorful - but more sauce and filling would kick it up a notch. Grade: B

The GOAT Country Roads Pub is a sports bar & grill located in the Suncrest Towne Centre in Morgantown. It’s designed as a fun place to eat, drink and hang out with friends — especially for WVU games. The pub is part of a partnership with the Country Roads Trust NIL collective, meaning a portion of its revenue helps support WVU student-athletes through the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) program. I stopped in here for a snack and was spoiled for options: wings, cheese sticks, fries, eggrolls, quesadillas, mussels, stuffed peppers, buffalo chicken dip, nachos, deep-fried pickles, Brussels sprouts, chicken tenders - and these are just the appetizers. I ordered Scotch eggs, which are a British-inspired appetizer made by encasing a boiled egg in seasoned sausage meat, coating it in breadcrumbs, and then deep-frying it until golden crispy.

The crunchy exterior gives way to juicy, flavorful sausage and a perfectly cooked egg inside — fun, texture heaven and hearty flavors. I also ordered the bang bang shrimp - crispy, fried shrimp tossed in a creamy, sweet-and-spicy sauce. The sauce tasted like a combo of mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha, giving it a rich texture with a mild heat and slight sweetness. Grade: A

7 Brew is a new-to-West Virginia business focusing on drive-thru coffee. Beckley is home to the first location, and now Huntington has the most recent 7 Brew.

7 Brew specializes in a wide variety of drinks beyond just coffee — including espresso beverages, cold brew, smoothies, Italian sodas, energy drinks, teas, lemonades and shakes — all of which can be customized with many flavor options. My order: peach smoothie. Lightly sweet, almost floral, but clean and refreshing flavor.

Mo Betta BBQ is barbecue spot located inside The Market in Huntington that has shuttered since from my last visit.

Prior to this location, they had a spot in Winfield, which has also closed.

The menu was fairly unchanged from one location to the other: beef brisket sandwiches, brisket Philly sandwiches and pulled pork BBQ sandwiches, plus sides like mac & cheese.

It was a generous portion of pulled pork sandwich that I received, as well as the macaroni and cheese. The barbecue sauce is flavorful - thick and tangy. Though the pork was a bit fattyand began to lean toward the greasy side.

While the food was average, the service left more to be desired. I had placed an online order, which wasn't even started by the time I arrived and it was supposed to have been finished then. The cook had been in the back playing on their phone while wearing gloves and then didn't change the gloves before preparing my food. Something that was hard for me to swallow. Grade: C

Taqueria 84 is located inside The Market in downtown Huntington, delivering bold, authentic Mexican flavors in a laid-back, fast-casual setting. Known for its street-style tacos made with house-made corn tortillas, the restaurant's menu spans crowd favorites like birria, al pastor, carnitas, tortas, burritos, and quesadillas. I ordered 3 Tacos: Fish, Al Pastor and Shrimp with Sour Cream, Pico De Gallo & Chimichurri. I think I needed to get some more salsa and sauces to combat the dryness. But I appreciated the variety of proteins available. Grade: B

The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) is the world’s largest barbecue organization, founded in 1986 to promote and sanction competitive barbecue events while maintaining consistent rules and judging standards.



It is the world’s largest organization dedicated to barbecue. Founded in 1986, KCBS sanctions hundreds of BBQ competitions each year across the U.S. and internationally, sets standardized rules for competition barbecue, and oversees the training and certification of judges.



I am a nerd who loves learning and food and new experiences. So, I set out to become certified in Indianapolis last year, which was the closest class I could find.



In the class, we learned how to evaluate chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket based on appearance, taste, and tenderness.



Appearance looks for appetizing color, neatness, and presentation. For chicken, it should look moist and well-prepared without burnt skin, pooling sauce, or obvious defects. Taste evaluates overall flavor balance, including seasoning, smoke, and sauce, with no single element overpowering the others or leaving unpleasant aftertastes. Tenderness (or texture) assesses whether the chicken is properly cooked: the meat should be moist and bite cleanly without being mushy, rubbery, or undercooked, and the skin should bite through easily rather than pull away or feel leathery.



Ribs should look neatly cut, evenly shaped, and appetizing, with a pleasing sheen but no excessive sauce, burnt edges, or obvious flaws. Taste looks for balanced flavor, where seasoning, smoke, meat, and sauce work together without bitterness, harsh smoke, or overpowering sweetness or salt. Tenderness is about proper doneness: the meat should bite cleanly from the bone with slight resistance, not fall completely off the bone or require excessive tugging, and it should feel moist and satisfying rather than dry or mushy.



For pork, the meat should be neatly pulled or sliced, moist, and visually appealing, with no large chunks of fat or charred sections, and an even color that reflects proper cooking and smoke. The meat should be flavorful but not overly salty, sweet, or smoky, with no off or bitter tastes. Tenderness considers how easily the meat pulls apart or bites; it should be tender and juicy without being dry, stringy, or mushy, and should maintain a pleasing texture that complements the flavor.



When you pick up a slice of brisket by the ends with your fingers or tongs, you’re looking for a clean, natural bend where it breaks between the lean (flat) and the fattier (point) sections. A properly cooked brisket will bend slightly and tear at the natural grain, showing it’s tender but not overcooked. If it falls apart too easily, it may be overcooked and mushy; if it resists and bends poorly, it may be undercooked and tough. This visual and tactile check helps judges confirm that the texture matches the score given for tenderness.



Examples of prohibited or illegal garnishes include lettuce cores, stems separated from leaves, endive, red‑tipped lettuce, and other vegetation not on the approved list; foreign items like carrots, flowers, or decorative produce are not allowed either. The rule exists to keep the focus on the meat itself, and judges are trained to check only whether garnish is legal — not to score based on it.



Judges are expected to take only as many bites as necessary to fairly evaluate appearance, taste, and tenderness. Typically this means one to two bites per sample, though a judge may take an additional bite only if needed to confirm tenderness or resolve uncertainty



Judges may only have water at the table—no soda, coffee, gum, mints, or flavored drinks—so nothing interferes with taste. And those bottles of water have to be laying on their sides.



In KCBS competitions, ancillary categories are optional, non–main-meat contests held in addition to the four official categories of chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket. These categories are not required for a contest to be KCBS-sanctioned and do not count toward the overall Grand Champion, but they add variety, creativity, and extra prize opportunities for teams and judges. Common ancillary categories include dessert, sauce, beans, wings, steak, anything but (ABT/Anything But the Four Meats), and sometimes specialty items like bacon, seafood, or kids’ Q.



The first level is Certified Barbeque Judge (CBJ), which is earned by completing the KCBS judging class and passing the exam. CBJs are eligible to judge KCBS-sanctioned competitions and are the foundation of the judging system.



KCBS has developed an online Judge Certification Update Program (JCUP) for all Certified BBQ Judges (CBJ). This Continuing Education (CE) program helps CBJs have the opportunity to learn the most current judging methodologies and standards.



After gaining experience, judges can advance to Master Certified Barbeque Judge (MCBJ). This requires judging a minimum number of KCBS contests, maintaining good standing with KCBS, and completing any required continuing education. MCBJ status recognizes consistent participation and experience at the judging table.



Judges can also move into leadership roles such as KCBS Contest Representative (Rep) or Instructor, which involve overseeing contests, enforcing rules, and training new judges.



Who else is a KCBS certified judge?