Burgers & Bites is a new downtown Morgantown restaurant serving standard burgers and some fried sides. 



Located on Walnut Street, Burgers & Bites is a straightforward burger joint without a lot of frills. The space has been a number of businesses in the past, and it's sandwiches among college bars and nightclubs so its hours into the late weekend nights reflect that. 



Inside, there's a counter area and a dozen or so tables with chairs. It's a bit haphazard, but fine. The menu has a "build your own" burger section that includes options for burger (beef, turkey, beyond), cheese (American, cheddar, pepper jack and swiss), and toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, jalapeno, ketchup, mustard, mayo, bbq, buffalo). Then, there are some extra like sauteed mushrooms or fried egg. 



The other menu items include fried appetizers, wings, tender and ice cream. 



I happened to win a "Free Burger Friday" so my basic burger was free - I added American, tomato, onion, ketchup and mayo to it. And a strawberry milkshake - really, this is a perfect lunch. 



The burger was good - more on the well-done side and a thinner patty. But good! I would love to see some "signature" burgers that the restaurant creates that are especially good combos. There are a lot of good places to get burgers in the area, so it's nice to have something that makes you stand out. 



My friend Lisa also ordered hot pepper cheese balls, and mmm they were good. Overall, a decent burger, a good shake and very tasty hot pepper cheese balls.

Grade: B

An off-the-beaten-path burger joint with a wrestling theme: It's what's for dinner.



Squared Circle Burgers is a new wrestling-themed burger restaurant on Campbell's Creek Drive. The space itself is what you might expect - some basic tables and chairs with wrestling belts and memorabilia on the walls. 



The menu focuses, of course, on burgers: 

The Lariat – $8.00
(1/3 pound beef, cheese, BBQ sauce, ranch, onion rings, and bacon on Texas toast)

The Bruiser – $8.75
(1/2 pound beef, cheese, burger slaw, pickles, and ketchup between two grilled cheese sandwiches)

American Dream – $9.00
(1/3 pound beef, cheese, bacon, fries, and a fried egg on Texas toast)

Latino Heat – $8.25
(1/3 pound beef, cheese, Jalapeno slices, and burger slaw)

F.B.I. – $8.00
(1/3 pound beef, provolone cheese, three mozzarella sticks, marinara, and tomato on Texas toast)

The Macho Man – $8.50
(1/3 pound beef, muenster cheese, honey mustard, crispy onions, lettuce, and tomato)

The Samartino – $8.00
(1/3 pound beef, provolone cheese, fried pepperoni, marinara, and parmesan cheese)



I ended up going for "The Bruiser," because it's a burger between two grilled cheese sandwiches! It comes with 1/2 lb. beef, cheese, burger slaw, pickles and ketchup. 



Dawn and I got our sandwiches to go and ate outside the restaurant to enjoy our meals. And, I enjoyed this far more than just a "shtick" - these flavors really worked together. This big, messy, cheesy burger was balanced with a cool, tangy slaw and that light, buttery toasted bread pulled it all together. I'm here for it.



Grade: A

There are three Fat Patty's locations in West Virginia, and this Barboursville one is the final one on my list to try.



Fat Patty's is a much-beloved Huntington-based restaurant that all my Marshall friends love. They are known for their burgers, but they have sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads, too.



Dawn and I visited on a Tuesday, which is "buy one, get one" night for burgers. So, I flipped to the burger section of the menu to see my options.



And I went with the "Vampire Killer" - Enough garlic to kill Dracula himself. Beef patty + pepper jack cheese + lettuce + tomato + onion + mayo + ketchup + mustard. I subbed the pepper jack for bleu cheese, because that's my favorite for burgers. Plus sweet potato fries! Overall, a solid burger.



Grade: B

I've only been to one Highway 55 location, and that was in downtown Huntington. But Barboursville recently opened its own, and I went to check it out.



The first thing I realized is that this location has a drive-thru! I didn't even know this restaurant had drive thrus. But here we are.



After looking over the menu, I decided to try a few different things: an Orangeade - as opposed to a lemonade - a shrimp po'boy and also half fries/half rings.



The Orangeade is so good. I feel like we should make "ades" for every fruit. Can I get a grapeade please?



The po'boy was pretty good. I ended up picking off the tomato (even though I love tomato), it didn't quite "go." But the sauce was good, and together, it was like a comfort food. And the half onion rings and half fries gives you the best of both worlds!

Highway 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries is a fast-casual restaurant that has two locations in West Virginia: Huntington and Barboursville.

The 1950s-themed restaurant is decked out in baby blue and hot pink. There are some neon lights and memorabilia on the walls.

The menu has burgers, of course, so I looked through to pick out one of the restaurant's namesakes.
John Boy & Billy BBQ Bacon Burger: Served with your choice of American, provolone or pepper jack cheese, mustard chili, bacon, a crispy onion ring, and tangy John Boy and Billy's Grillin' Sauce.

The burger was good. The tater tots were good. I even got a strawberry milkshake, and it was good. Unfortunately, the service was some of the worst I've ever had. It was clear the server was having some issues... stumbling into tables, fighting with the cook, and making me question my overall choice to be here. Maybe the Barboursville location will be better.

Grade: C

The Burger Stand at The Casbah is a well-known burger shop in Lawrence.

It's a popular spot, so I had a little wait when I walked in. Once I got to the counter, though, I put in an order for the Kobe Burger - American Kobe beef, pickled red onions, truffle butter, tomato-aioli sauce & assorted seasonal greens. Plus a side of truffle fries.

Then, I took a seat and waited for my name to be called.

It's a big burger! And very juicy, with sauces overflowing. Have you been here?

While in Wheeling, my friend Alex introduced me to a new restaurant: Bubba's Gourmet Burghers & Beer.

The restaurant has locations in Bridgeville & Canonsburg, Pa. And, the Highlands in Wheeling.

When you eat at a Bubba’s Gourmet Burghers and Beer you are eating the best quality Burgher in the surrounding area! We use a proprietary blend of New York Strip, Ribeye, Sirloin and Brisket ground fresh daily which makes this Burgher second-to-none. No steroids, no antibiotics as we only use all natural and fresh beef. The same requirements go for our chicken which you can substitute for our beef if you prefer. We buy fresh and local produce whenever possible and we truly embrace farm to table.

I went with the "Roasted Garlic Burgher." It has a homemade roasted parmesan sauce, lettuce, tomato and parmesan.

The Thurman Cafe is known for its "Thurmanator" - Bottom bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, banana peppers, 12 ounce burger, bacon, cheddar, another 12 ounce burger, sautéed mushrooms & onions, ham, mozzarella & American cheese, top bun served with fries and a pickle spear



Don't worry, I went for a more "regular" size burger, but it was still quite large.

It's quite packed, so we had made reservations but couldn't make them. Then, we got lucky and strolled right on in the next day! It seems going earlier is definitely the better route.

I went with The Thurman Burger - Our head honcho overloaded with ham, sautéed mushrooms & onions, mozzarella & American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, banana peppers, and mayo with chips and a pickle spear




Honestly, I could only finish a small portion of this beast. But, look at that melty cheese and mmm. Tasty.

Blue White Grill is a diner in downtown Martinsburg, which serves up breakfast all day long.

In 1941, William “Bill” Brown built a restaurant in Martinsburg, called the Snow White Grill, along with his two partners. There were nine of these restaurants in the area, serving our original burgers with fried onions and pickles. The partnership dissolved in 1954 and Mr. Brown changed the name on his restaurants to Blue White Grill, because of the blue and white color scheme. Mr. Brown Incorporated The Blue White Grill on May 9, 1958. We have changed a lot in the last 70 plus years, except for our motto. Fast Friendly Service, Quality Food, Popular Prices.

They're also known for their burgers. Under their "original classics," was their Original Burger, which has grilled onions and pickles. I also got American cheese to make it the Original Cheeseburger.

These are small burgers, so if you want just a snack, it's perfect. If you want more of a meal, might want to get a few.