Frios Gourmet Pops is a popsicle chain sprinkled through the south, with a few spots also in Arizona, Texas, Detroit and Wisconsin. 



West Virginia's singular location is in Barboursville. 



There are a number of fruity flavors, like pink lemonade, blueberry cheesecake, pineapple mango, and more. Plus there are seasonal flavors like candy bar, chocolate-dipped cold brew and even pickle. Some are creamy, while others are more icy. 



Once you choose your base flavor, you can upgrade it in a few different ways - you can dip it, drizzle it or dust it. Maybe keep that in mind when you choose your base - whether you wanna go chocolate-y or fruity. 



For me, I went for a fruit punch. I really like fruit punch in general. Like, I'll pick fruit punch over a soda any day. But I also thought this could be a good base if I waned to build on it.



And build on it, I did. I added some of those little dehydrated marshmallows from Lucky Charms. I love marshmallows, but I also liked the added crunchy texture here. 



These are tasty and a good quality (not just all watery). It's a pretty simple, but kinda whimsical and I enjoy that. Something different, special and tasty for a summer treat.

Grade: A

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar has locations across Ohio, one in South Carolina and a new one in Barboursville, West Virginia.



The restaurant features smoothies, bowls, shots, juices, wraps and salads. I'm not into the shots or juices, but I am into delicious things. 



So I ordered a tropical smoothie - "Elite Eight," which has strawberry juice, pineapple juice, strawberries, peaches, mangos and orange sherbet. Sweet, fruity, refreshing. 



I also ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap on tomato basil - tender chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing, shredded carrots, romaine lettuce. This was fine. A little watery and a bit flavorless, save for the hot sauce. Of course, it's a cleaner meal, so none of those extra calories that make things taste really good. 



Grade: B

The Human Bean is a drive-thru chain coffee shop that has a new location in Barboursville. I get the idea behind the name, but for some reason, it's unsettling to me. 



For my first time, I went with a frozen caramel hazelnut mocha. It was great - and comes with a little chocolate-covered espresso bean. I mean, how adorable is that little perk?



I also tried a Canadian bacon, egg, and provolone cheese croissant that was just... a hard pass. As much as I enjoyed the drink, I equally but opposite did not enjoy the sandwich. It was mushy and I don't think fully cooked. 



That averages out to a...



Grade: B

Rocky Tops Pizza has a few locations in the western part of the state: Barboursville, Wayne and Kenova. I've not yet made it to all of them, but I decided to start with Barboursville.



They offer pizza, sandwiches, salads, wings, and a few other appetizers.



They are known for their "Rocky Top's Special" pizza, which has pepperoni, sausage, onions, green peppers and mushrooms. 



It's not unlike a "deluxe" or "supreme" pizza, with a mix of meats and veggies. The one thing that is a bit different is that it seems like the cheese goes over all the toppings here, which I think is not my preference because it's a bit like a treasure hunt. But, average crust, average sauce, average toppings. All together, a fine pizza.

Grade: B

The Mixing Bowl in Barboursville just recently moved from a storefront to a cottage bakery, and I wanted to make sure to share the goodies I got from them.



First off, I was super excited they were doing actual meals. I was able to order a breakfast burrito, as well as a sweet treat.



I think it's tough for bakeries to have a ton of inventory because those items have a short shelf-life. There has to be some real guesswork analysis involved of figuring out exactly how many cupcakes or donuts to put out to make sure you don't run out but don't have leftovers that didn't sell. So while there may not have been a ton of variety, the items that were available were good. 



My cupcake was fabulous - I love anything with cherries.



And my breakfast burrito was good. I didn't receive the fruit topping that was supposed to go on top of the biscuits, but they were good on their own. That bit of sweetness would've helped with the savory burrito. Still, satisfying and filling.

Grade: B

Barboursville has some really great little places.



Recently, they added to that lineup with 1861 Public House.



The pub is really cool; it has like a garage door-esque front window, a very sleek vibe and some mighty fine cocktails.



I had the Pink Elephant, which has blanco tequila, mezcal, simple syrup, lime, pineapple, and raspberry. It was a little strong, but still sweet, for a really nice balance.



I also had a buffalo chicken pizza. And, I know food really isn't their main draw - but this was pretty damn tasty. Sweet drink, tangy pizza = happy Candace. Plenty of toppings, nice mix of textures, a solid little lunch!



Grade: A