The Poca Gino's Pizza & Spaghetti House was next on my list, and, y'all, I'm really tired of Gino's. BUT, when I start a list, I have to complete it. So, we're going for it.



I think I've been sleeping on the actual pizza at Gino's. It's not bad, actually. I usually opt for something ~different~ but the pizza is pretty decent. I usually am a mushroom girl, but a friend recently ordered a supreme pizza, and it hit the spot. So, I went for a pizza with all the veggies and some meats on top, and it just really is a whole different flavor of pizza. Tons of texture and very veggie-forward, instead of mostly cheese. The only thing I didn't love is when I got a harder piece of pepper - like the core. Overall, though, this is a nice way to mix up my regular order.

Grade: B 

Mama Roma Pizzeria and Restaurant in Buckhannon is an Italian-American restaurant complete with a character tossing pizza on the window and red/white checkered tablecloths inside. 



"Mama Roma Pizzeria and Restaurant is a place where you can simply relax and enjoy the company of your favorite people while enjoying traditional Italian food at its best. Our team is pleased to welcome you – and honored to serve you. We know many of you by name and view all of our customers as family. Nothing brings us greater joy than sharing the tradition of good food and hospitality with our guests while sharing experiences and making memories!"



The menu features pizza, pasta, subs and a whole host of entrees categorized by their protein. The menu is pretty huge, and I can't imagine someone not finding something that caught their fancy - chicken marsala, sausage cacciatore, veal scallopine piccata, eggplant rollatini, and so many more. 



If pressed, I think one of my favorite pasta shapes is rigatoni, which is what I was drawn to on the menu. I went with the rigatoni with vodka sauce - their house pink sauce (which is usually their red marinara and white combined). 



So, I was loaded up with my entree, a soup and a side of garlic bread.



First, I enjoyed a simple soup - a minestrone with carrots, onion and more.



Not bad - nothing too notable, but not offensive either.



The garlic bread was tasty - I loved the soft rolls, though they did get a biiit too dark on some portions.



And now for the main attraction - the largest portion of rigatoni I've ever been served. I enjoyed the sauce - a little sweet, a little acidic, lots of good flavor. The rigatoni were a nice al dente, so not so soft they just lost all texture. But, regarding texture, I would've loved maybe some veggies or something to break up the carbs. I could've added chicken or sausage, but I wasn't feeling it on this day. In retrospect, it would help with that mouthfeel. 



All in all, a fairly decent meal that is comforting and filling. 

Grade: B

Merry Land Express in Beckley is a Chinese restaurant that serves up standard Chinese-American fare.



The menu does have some interesting items that you might not see everywhere like fried bananas sesame balls and even curry chicken.



They do have a buffet available but I opted for some takeout options.



The first thing that we started out with was the fried cheese wontons which are always go to for me because they are delicious and each place does them just a little bit differently. I think that I'm the only person who doesn't love the actual fried portion of the wonton so I really appreciate the foldover style as opposed to pinched style because I feel like you get more filling. These were good but I do miss the crab that is often found in other wontons. The egg rolls were standard and had a lot of cabbage filling.



I also ordered the sesame shrimp, which is shrimp, breaded and fried, covered in a spicy, sweet sauce with sesame seeds on top. I have been avoiding chicken that tends to be stringy or chewy because it's just not sitting well with me lately. But shrimp kind of avoids those issues. I do wish that there was a little bit less breading. because that can overtake the flavor. But otherwise, I still enjoyed this dish. I liked the sauce. And I really like the little bit of texture that the sesame seeds add.

Grade: B

Teriyaki Madness is a chain restaurant that has just recently launched two locations in West Virginia. There is one in Fairmont and another opening in Beckley.



But the Barboursville location just opened, and I was excited to check it out - because as you know, Asian flavors are some of my favorites.



I first became really interested in chicken teriyaki when I was visiting the Pacific Northwest. Chicken teriyaki is charbroiled chicken thighs in a sweet soy sauce and usually paired with some veggies and rice.



It is super common in the cities and can be found in all sorts of shops. And, here, you can't really find anything quite like that. But a good chicken teriyaki is a perfect late night snack or couldn't even be a healthy meal.



Teriyaki Madness is a chain restaurant that features chicken teriyaki, of course, but also eggrolls, wontons, fried rice and other goodies. First I ordered some fried rice, but the texture was a bit too mushy for me. I think it steaming inside the container didn't do it any favors. So, I switched gears and opted for the chicken eggroll, which was pretty tasty. It paired with a nice little sweet sauce and the texture was not lacking



We also ordered some of the cheese wontons, which were fairly small and pretty crispy so there wasn't a ton of filling inside, but I still enjoy the flavor and might order the larger size next time.



Finally, the main entrée was a bowl of sautéed veggies, white rice, and both teriyaki steak and chicken. I really enjoyed the steak and the chicken, and it was super filling. And I really enjoyed the white rice to go with this; I think that it helps the flavor of the proteins stand out while adding just a nice little textural component. I generally really like the veggies that accompany a dish like this, but in this case they were not super flavorful and did not seem super fresh. So I think a little bit more seasoning could really help out in this case. Overall not a bad meal and one that could definitely satisfy a craving in a pinch.

Grade: B

Johnny D's Waffles and Benedicts is known for its red velvet waffles.  



If you’ve been to Johnny D’s once then its almost a sure bet to say that we will see you again. Chances are you’re going to see more than one thing that you want. Today it may be a Red Velvet Waffle, tomorrow it could be one of our breakfast skillet creations, and then next week maybe you just want a box of cupcakes. We take pride in giving our guest a dizzying amount of options to chose from and know that variety is the spice of life.



The red waffle has been voted the best waffle in the state, so I needed to check it out. At what point is it a waffle versus a flat, textured piece of cake? I generally hate these arguments about what food classifies as what, because I don't think everything fits into neat buckets. BUT, I know this tasted just like a piece of red velvet cake with a bit more texture! It even was topped with cream cheese icing. 



The best part, though, is that I got a side of sausage, which added some much-needed salt to the meal. Totally acceptable for a waffle. Maybe not so much for cake. 



Pretty good waffle? For sure. Best waffle in the state? Debatable.

Grade: B

Big Mike's Soul Food in Myrtle Beach was quite the experience. I placed a pick-up order online and then pulled up to the restaurant. That's really where the adventure began. 



"Big Mike’s Soul Food is Myrtle Beach’s down home spot dishing up big plates of southern comfort food as well as southern hospitality. We have a variety of dishes that are sure to fill up your soul. Some of our staples include: fried chicken, collard greens, fried fish, corn bread and much more. On your way out the door we want you to remember Big Mike’s as: Soul Food the way his mother made it!"  



Once I arrived, I saw a huge line. Surely, these were people waiting to order, right? Negative. These were people who already ordered and were waiting for their food. After waiting for what was easily an hour, I received my plate and left the crowded lot to dig in.



While my breaded shrimp were a bit lackluster - not super flavorful and a bit mushy - the sides were all delicious. The mac and cheese has melted cheddar on top, the potato salad was creamy but zingy, and the sweet potatoes were sweet and soft and delicious. 

Grade: B

Peaches Corner says it's one of the most historic restaurants on the Grand Strand.



"Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach has seen a lot of changes over the years. Ripley’s sits where Sloppy Joe’s used to serve hot dogs and Bingo. The lights and sounds of the Pavilion vanished a decade ago. But some things haven’t changed.

​One of those is Peaches Corner, a small restaurant that has occupied the intersection of Ninth Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard for over 85 years. The family-owned icon has served food at all hours of the day to generation after generation of visitors and locals, alike. Visitors often use Peaches Corner as a means of giving directions on Ocean Boulevard. It was started right here in Myrtle Beach back in 1937 by Peach Justice or Mama Peach as she was known to everybody in town. There were actually three of them— one in Myrtle Beach, one on Folly Beach and one on Carolina Beach in North Carolina. This is the only one that has lasted since then.

Eunice and Johnny Burroughs purchased the small restaurant on the corner in 1943 and it’s been in our family ever since. And now three generations, soon to be four, have served foot long hot dogs, cold beer and a variety of other foods to millions of customers who have sat along the same counter and booths watching folks walk up and down the boulevard.

In the early ‘40s Peaches Corner thrived only during the summer months. They worked hard to pay off the mortgage on the building. When other businesses struggled to pay rent during the tough times, Peaches was always paid for. And to do that it meant everyone worked long hours during the summer months before the tourists went home. Eunice and Johnny worked seven days a week during that time. In the summer, they even lived upstairs. They always told the employees, nobody working at Peaches is allowed to get married or die during the summer...they needed all of the help they could get during the 90 days of summer."



This place is pretty busy, and a bit gruff. I welcomed myself to a seat at the bar, and it took a few to be acknowledged. I wanted to keep it simple - and cool. It was a warm day with lots of walking, so peach ice cream seemed fitting.



I ordered two scoops. They arrived in two separate containers with spoons. Which made it a little awkward for me to sit there and eat one right after the other. But, the ice cream itself was fine. There were a few hunks of actual ice in there, which was not my favorite. I enjoyed the light flavor, overall. 



Grade: B

One of the benefits of eating at the beach is the bountiful seafood available. In Myrtle Beach, there are quite a few places, but one specific style kept coming up: Calabash.



"Calabash-style seafood is lightly breaded and fried and typically served buffet style. The seafood is always accompanied with the ever popular side dish-hushpuppies. Corn meal is used instead of flour to give the seafood a light coating. The seafood is then fried in hot oil until it becomes golden brown."



There were two that kept coming up in my search: 
The Original Benjamin's Calabash Seafood: Myrtle Beach Buffet and Captain Benjamin's Calabash Seafood Buffet. I went with the former just because I saw they were takeout friendly. And during the midst of COVID, I was not trying to sit in a buffet with a ton of folks.



When I arrived, I told them I wanted to do takeout, and they handed me a bunch of boxes to head to the buffet and gather whatever I wanted. The buffet was huge, with multiple islands, stations and options. The buffet has nearly 200 items, like: 



Crab Legs
Blackened Salmon
Crab Cakes
Oyster Rockefeller
Steamed Oysters*
Scallop Cakes
Stuffed Flounder
Stuffed Shrimp
Seafood Special
Parmesan Tilapia
Shrimp Fried Rice
Steamed Clams
Cajun Crab Legs
Shrimp Scampi
Craw Daddy’s
Clam Strips
Seafood Wontons
Jumbo Shrimp
Fried Flounder
Fried Scallops
Blue Crabs*



Peel & Eat Shrimp
Clam Bake
Coconut Shrimp
Fried Oysters
Fried Calamari
Carved Ham
Ribeye Steak
Baked Chicken
Ribs
Barbeque
Fried Chicken
Chicken Tenders
Pepper Steak
Macaroni & Cheese
Mashed Potatoes
Yeast Rolls
Hushpuppies
Zucchini & Squash
Green Beans
Asparagus
Corn on the Cob
Shrimp & Grits
Fresh Salad Bar
Kickin’ Crab Bisque



Clam Chowder
Vegetable Soup
Potatoes Au gratin
Steamed Rice
Tomato Pie
Red Potatoes
Deviled Eggs
Cole Slaw
Sweet Potatoes
Soft Serve Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ranger Cookies
Brownies
Banana Pudding
Cheesecake
Key Lime Shots
Red Velvet Cake
Carrot Cake
Oreo Delight
Chocolate Pudding
Lemon Pound Cake
Strawberry Cake
Fresh Fruit
Cupcakes
Chocolate Truffles
Peach Cobbler
Coconut Cake



Everything is blurry because I was juggling all these boxes and the lighting is pretty low, so apologies. But, once I took all my goodies back to the hotel, I was able to see what all I scavenged.



First of all, they do supply a whole order of hushpuppies, which could be a meal in and of themselves. I like mine to have a hint of sweetness, but these were not bad.



Look at that spread. It's just literally a little bit of everything. The appeal of this place is the sheer amount of food. It's insane. I took a bite or two of each thing before retiring. It was all decent. Nothing was mind-blowingly delicious, but nothing was bad. Lots of fried seafood, which was all fine. Plus, perks for such a good variety. 



Grade: B

Burky's Grill is a '50s inspired counter service restaurant in Myrtle Beach that features burgers, hot dogs, fries, and ice cream. 



This wasn't a destination restaurant, but it was open when I was driving by and a cheeseburger sounded just perfect. And, if you look close, it looks pretty familiar to Huntington's Ritzy's.



"Folks who have been coming to us for decades still know us as Ritzy’s, and we don’t blame them, because we’ve been carrying on the same tradition of making fresh, delicious food made quickly as Burky’s Grill. With our classic 50s atmosphere, it's not hard to notice that we like to do things old school here. But we don’t just mean with our award-winning burgers and hot dogs. We go all out with Classic Car Nights and a free scoop of ice cream with every kids meal. So come on down for a quick, hearty meal and enjoy yourself. After all, we’re just a block from the beach!"

The burger was simple with cheese, onion and ketchup/mustard/mayo. It was smooshed, which I actually like - haha. I don't love burgers that have such a thick patty that everything else is out of proportion. This was a happy little burger, and I could've put away two or three more of them. A decent version. 

Grade: B