"Y’allternative cuisine. Like momaw made it, but she has tattoos and drinks her whiskey straight," reads Black Circle Bistro's bio on Facebook. Honestly, that is enough to make me a fan of this Beckley restaurant. But, I should also try the food. So while in the area, I placed a to go order and picked up a few items off the menu. A few notes: They don't do ice. They don't do lemon. Their specialty is burgers, but they also have other sandwiches, salads and sides. I went with the Granny, which has cheddar cheese, pimento cheese, bacon and pepper jelly. I picked this one primarily because I love cheese and that salty sweet combo. But every burger was tempting – from adding fried bologna to blue cheese pimento to dippy eggs. I didn't do this burger justice because I didn't get a chance to eat it immediately. I had it later on that evening, and while it was good, I know it would be better hot and fresh. What I did get to enjoy immediately was the deviled egg potato salad, which is perfect Appalachian twist on potato salad. A little kick, which I love. I also tried the pickled eggs, which I know can be divisive, but I love that zippy tang. Finally, I need to give a shoutout to their sauces. I didn't even have fries, but I needed to try the Appalachian Goddess, Jana's Garlic & Onion, Pimento and Hillbilly Holy Trinity. Yes, yes and more yes. Grade: A

"At Fish Frenzy, we have something for everyone when it comes to seafood! From shrimp to sea bass, we take pride in using only the freshest ingredients, all expertly prepared by our talented chefs. Whether you’re searching for a nearby shrimp spot or just craving some delicious fish, you’ve come to the right place!" reads the website. The menu is primarily composed of fried appetizers, sandwiches and seafood platter switch include shrimp, oysters, fish and crab cakes. Most come fried or grilled. I ordered fried shrimp, hush puppies, and a crab cake. The shrimp had a light batter, which was not super crisp. I ended up pushing some of the coating off and enjoying the shrimp by itself. The hush puppies were a bit sweet and had a nice golden brown exterior. The crab cake was okay. For a quick, fried seafood bite, this fits the bill. Grade: B

7 Brew Coffee has entered West Virginia, and its ground zero is Beckley.

"7 Brew was born from a desire to change drive-thru coffee into a fun, mind-blowing experience for everyone. We dreamed of serving premium coffee in record time and making new friends while we’re at it. The dream came alive with our first “stand” in Rogers, AR and our 7 original coffees. Today, we’re cranking out all kinds of custom-hand crafted drinks in different locations throughout the country. 7 Brew is so much more than just a coffee stand. It’s the concept of cultivating kindness and joy with every drink – through our service, speed, quality, energy and atmosphere. It’s contagious and it’s changing the drive-thru coffee industry," according to the website.

I ordered a blueberry pomegranate smoothie, which was light and fresh and refreshing. Not too thick or overly sweet. It could even do with a bit bolder flavor. That would be OK in my book. Grade: B

Fruits of Labor has been expanding across southern West Virginia - from Rainelle and Alderson to Montgomery and now Beckley.



"You'll be greeted warmly at all five of our locations which are nestled in four different river valleys across West Virginia. Sometimes by a core staff member, other times by a neighbor in recovery or young person in an addiction prevention program.

Both groups of students participate in our Nationally Certified American Culinary Federation Quality Training Program & Farm-to-Table Café and Bakery.

Each time you visit Fruits of Labor, your purchase invests in our students and allows us to offer this training and certification free of charge," reads the website.



This location is much like the others, offering soup, salads and sandwiches. It has several small tables inside and a bar area touting baked goods. It is also home to a separate spin off downstairs that offers pizza and coffee. I'll have to come back for that one.

For now, I ordered the Bacon & Blue Burger: Made with 1/3-pound Ground Beef, topped with crumbled Amish Blue Cheese, Smoked Bacon, and Baby Swiss Cheese served on our house made Café Bun. I do love some bleu cheese on a burger, but this one was pretty heavy on the funk so it overpowered the other flavors. I would love to see a bacon jam or candied bacon to bring the flavors into harmony. Overall, though, fairly tasty.



Grade: B

Sakura Mankai Café (which means cherry blossoms in full bloom) is a Japanese inspired limited restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, desserts, tea, coffee, and bubble tea.



I stopped here for a quick bite and started with a strawberry boba tea. Actually, instead of a smooth tea, this was more like an icy one. Like a step toward frothy, but not quite to milkshake level. The flavor was nice, but the texture I am not sure on.



I ordered a chicken teriyaki bowl with noodles, onions, and sesame seeds. I'm guessing they don't have a hot cooktop in the back, because the texture of this dish seem to suggest it had been reheated.



It was a bit rubbery and didn't have a depth of flavor that I was hoping for.



Grade: C

There are several Campestre locations - Princeton, Lexington and Beckley. I visited the Princeton location previously, so it was time to check out the Beckley one.



Of course, we started with some salsa. It was mild, but had some decent roasty flavors. We also had to have some queso, which always sets the tone. A deliciously cheesy tone, that is.



For my main entrée, I went with a shrimp and rice dish with vegetables. It's a tried and true dish for me because it's difficult to mess up unless you overcook the shrimp, but it's tasty, somewhat healthy and simple.



I think Campestre is always a step above many of the area's similar restaurants. It always seems fresh and flavorful and creative.



What's your fav dish here?



Grade: A

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to another Gino's location we go. This time, we're in Beckley along Harper Road.



Basically, Gino's is a West Virginia chain, and I'm on a hunt to document every location. I try to mix it up a bit and order some different items. On this day, it was a Philly cheesesteak. The bread was a bit thick/rough, and the quality of meat was average. It ate a little bit dry, so some mayo or cheese sauce would have done wonders. However, it was hefty, had a nice coating of cheese and was fairly satisfying overall.



Grade: B