Wingstop is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in buffalo-style chicken wings. Founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, by Antonio Swad and Bernadette Fiaschetti, the company began franchising in 1997 and has since expanded to over 2,500 locations worldwide. The menu centers on bone-in and boneless chicken wings, chicken tenders, and sides like fries and veggie sticks, with a variety of sauces including Lemon Pepper and Atomic. There aren't any locations in West Virginia, so when I spotted one in the wild during my travels, I quickly placed an online order and made my way inside. I wanted to try several flavors, so I ordered Sweet BBQ Blaze, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parmesan & Hawaiian boneless wings. The Sweet BBQ Blaze delivers a smoky, molasses-thick sauce with a lingering kick; Lemon Pepper is bright and zesty, balancing citrus and black pepper on crispy chicken; Garlic Parmesan is rich and savory, with buttery garlic and umami Parmesan coating each wing; and Hawaiian offers a sweet, tangy, tropical twist for a refreshing change. Bleu Cheese, Cheese Sauce and Cajun Fried Corn rounded out my meal. What's your favorite thing here?

The Cheesecake Factory has become one of the most recognizable names in American dining, with more than 200 locations nationwide. And now, I can say that I have been to one.



Foodies tend to have a love-hate relationship with The Cheesecake Factory. While it’s not hailed as a fine dining destination, it holds a certain fun-loving charm and delivers on comfort food cravings with massive portions and decadent cheesecakes. Some criticize the chain’s sprawling menu for being overwhelming and lacking focus. The over-the-top experience is more about indulgence and consistency than culinary innovation.



It's known for its grand, ornate dining rooms with marble accents, warm lighting, and an almost theatrical atmosphere. A hodge-podge of over-the-top styles.



The menu is famously massive: spiral-bound and more than 20 pages long, with options that span nearly every cuisine. You’ll find everything from burgers, sandwiches, and pizzas to Asian-inspired stir-fries, tacos, and Southern comfort dishes. Pastas and seafood are popular staples, and the “SkinnyLicious” section offers lighter versions of classic plates. Of course, the highlight comes at the end: more than 30 flavors of cheesecake, along with other layered cakes and specialty desserts.



Let's talk about thar complimentary bread basket. The star is the famous brown bread, a soft, slightly sweet loaf with a hearty wheat flavor and just enough chew to make it addictive - like a honey wheat. It’s served warm, with a light crust that gives way to a tender center, and pairs perfectly with a swipe of butter.



Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic is made with bow-tie pasta tossed in a creamy roasted garlic Parmesan sauce with chunks of chicken, peas, and sometimes mushrooms. The peas add a pop of sweetness to balance the rich, garlicky cream sauce. Tender chunks of chicken add heartiness, while the peas pop with a fresh sweetness that cuts through the creaminess, making every forkful balanced and satisfying.



No dessert this time because I was so full, I thought I might burst.

Chester’s Chicken is one of many fried chicken chains in the United States, but what sets it apart is its primary home — inside gas stations and convenience stores.

That means it’s often discovered on road trips, where the scent of hot oil and seasoned breading wafts from behind the counter. The chicken itself is maybe overly crisp and generously seasoned, with a peppery bite, and the meat inside gets a bit dry under heat lamps. The sides are the usual suspects — wedges, mac and cheese, biscuits — delivering OK comfort food for travelers in need of something filling and familiar.

While it may not compete with destination-worthy fried chicken spots, Chester’s fills its niche well: hot, hearty, and ready when the road calls.

Potbelly is a sandwich chain based in the Chicago area.



"From the comforting, melty cheese of a toasted sandwich made with love, to classic photos of Jimi Hendrix shredding a guitar solo at Woodstock, Potbelly is just a fun place to be. We're a first-class dive. A place to take a break from it all. Sure we make the best toasted sandwiches in all the galaxies (sorry aliens, but it's true). But we serve them up with a smile. That's easy when you love what you do: Making people really happy with craveable food, from our toasty sandwiches, soups, salads, fresh-baked cookies and hand-scooped milkshakes," reads the website.



I got some Zappos VooDoo chips, which are kettle-cooked potato chips with sweet, spicy, and smoky barbecue notes. I ordered A Wreck, with Genoa Salami, Roast Beef, Smoked Ham, Turkey Breast, Swiss, Hot Peppers, Lettuce, Onions, Tomato, Horseradish Aioli, Artichoke Hearts. This sandwich was solid, though I wish the bread was softer and less crackly.



Grade: B

Smoothie King is a chain, but only has two locations in West Virginia: Morgantown and now Huntington.



Whether you're interested in energy or weight loss or flavor, there's a variety of smoothies to enjoy. I liked the "Kindness in a Cup," which had Strawberries, Bananas, Mangoes, Apple Pineapple Juice Blend, Turbinado, Dairy Whey Blend. It is sweet but light and oh so tasty. Pick-up took a few minutes but the result was worth it.



Grade: B

Honey Baked Ham has always been an afterthought for me. I don't think I have ever intentionally sought out this restaurant; I have only had it as part of a catering order or because it was the only option. But that all changed recently.



Maybe Gen Z is more hip to hidden gems, because several younger coworkers have proclaimed their enjoyment of said restaurant. So, I made an intentional decision to check out the Charleston location.

While it is a chain, there aren't many locations in West Virginia. They are best known for their full-size hams, which are ideal for holiday dinners. But they also serve sandwiches for lunch.



I ordered a ham salad sandwich with a side of the broccoli bliss salad and potato salad. The sandwich comes with lettuce and tomato on multigrain bread.



The sandwich was actually really tasty. The ham salad is sweet, but in a complementary, salty, porky way. The broccoli salad added some nice crunch, but, of course, was also sweet. And the potato salad was a nice salty, creamy addition.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this meal. It is a bit on the pricier side for a chain, but it is something different, and I appreciate that.



Grade: A

All of a sudden, there are 1 billion chicken tender restaurants in Morgantown. I may be exaggerating a little bit, but I may as well check them out. Layne's Chicken Fingers is the first one on my list to visit.



"Hatched in 1994 Layne's is Famous for our Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders, Golden Crinkle-Cut Fries, Texas Toast, Gourmet Milk Shakes and Layne's Sauce," reads the website.



I tried the standard chicken fingers, fries and special sauce. The chicken fingers are good quality white meat with a thick fried breading. they do come in a spicy version, which probably would've had more flavor. The special flavor is relegated to the sauce, which the signature is a standard ketchup-mayo blend. The fries are thick and very potato-y. I like mine thin and super crispy. But they were fine. There was also a slice of Texas toast - I would love if this came with a really cool butter. This whole meal was fine. It wasn't super exciting or different, but it was solid and probably is ideal for families with kids who don't want big bold flavors, but instead want mild reliability.



Grade: B

West Virginia is woefully lacking when it comes to bagels. So, when I travel, bagels are often at the top of my list to seek out during breakfast. On one of my most recent travels, I didn't even need to wait til my destination to get my bagel fix. Right at the Pittsburgh airport was Bruegger's Bagels.



"Everyone knows that New York City is the home of the best-tasting, most authentic bagels anywhere. So when the idea for Bruegger’s was born in 1983, the first thing we did was head for the Big Apple.

We learned the time-honored, traditional methods that had made New York famous for bagels such as kettle-cooking the bagels before baking them in a real stone hearth oven. We spent two and a half years working with a professional bagel baker to perfect our recipe and process. Then we set off on our mission to introduce the authentic taste of New York-style bagels to the rest of America.

Our neighboring state played an important role, too. Real, made-in-Vermont cream cheese provides the smooth, delicious foundation for a dozen unique blends you’ll find only in our bakeries. From Onion & Chive to Jalapeño to Bacon Scallion, there’s a spread to complement every bagel — and fulfill every craving.

Now in our 35th year, Bruegger’s Bagels operates nearly 260 bakeries nationwide. Our menu has grown to include sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, garden-fresh salads, hearty soups, desserts and custom-roasted coffee — but the essence of Bruegger’s hasn’t changed. We’re still committed to serving genuine, New York-style bagels and real, made-in-Vermont cream cheese," reads the website.



I love a lox bagel with cream cheese, capers, and red onion. Your seatmate might not appreciate it, but the combo is just *chef's kiss*. Bruegger's version on this particular visit was OK. I don't love the tomato on it because it's usually a bit lifeless and mealy. The bread and salmon were both good, though. It was still a treat to me.

There are a few things in life better than pasta. I have made my love for macaroni and cheese well-known, but I love pastas and all shapes and forms and topped in different sauces. That's why the fast-casual restaurant Noodles & Company caught my attention.



This chain restaurant is primarily found in larger metro areas, so I don't believe there is a location in West Virginia. I happened upon this location while in Virginia with my friend Kayla.

The menu features international and American noodle dishes, as well as soups, salads, and pasta: mac & cheese, spaghetti, pad Thai, roasted garlic creamy tortellini, Japanese pan noodles, chicken parmesan, and more.



I wanted to try everything, but I landed on the roasted garlic cream tortelloni: Cheese-filled tortelloni in light roasted garlic & onion cream sauce with zucchini, mushrooms and spinach finished with MontAmoré cheese and parsley. I also ordered some of the Korean barbecue meatballs, which are sweet and spicy with gochujang.



I was happy with my pasta dish, which did not have the beautiful al dente pasta that you might expect with a sit-down restaurant, but it also wasn't totally void of texture. It was somewhere in-between. The sauce was rich and creamy, but a bit too thin. The meatballs were not my favorite, as that texture was more difficult for me to get over. More on the spicier side than the sweet side, which surprised me. Overall, a fun find.

Wawa is an American chain of convenience stores and gas stationa in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Florida that has a cult following.



We have Sheetz loyalists. The West has Buc-ee's. And the Northeast has Wawa. What makes places like this special? For starters, they have both grab-and-go food, as well as made-to-order food.



At Wawa, they have breakfast, subs/hoagies, salads, bowls, soups, sides, snacks and ice cream. I ordered an Italian hoagie. I love a cold Italian hoagie from a convenience store. It's actually one of my all-time favorite sandwiches.



Fun fact: "Our Logo: "Wawa" is a Native American word for the Canada Goose that was found in the Delaware Valley over 100 years ago. Our original Dairy farm was built on land located in a rural section of Pennsylvania called Wawa. That's why we use the goose on Wawa's corporate logo."



A classic white sub bun with ham, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, vinaigrette. Get outta here. Classic cold cut sandwich for a reason. It's yummy.



Grab a bag of chips, candy and a drink, and you have a standard gas station meal considered elite in some circles (mine). Have you been?

"Frisch's Big Boy is a regional Big Boy restaurant chain with headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. For many years a Big Boy franchisee, in 2001, Frisch's became the exclusive owner of the Big Boy trademark in Indiana, Kentucky, and most of Ohio and Tennessee, and is no longer affiliated with Big Boy Restaurant Group ... Frisch's is the oldest, longest surviving regional Big Boy operator, excluding Bob's Big Boy in California, which was the original Big Boy restaurant and franchisor," according to Wikipedia.



I remember there being a Big Boy restaurant near me growing up in the Northern Panhandle. I remember liking the statue outside, so the restauranr has always been fascinating to me. I don't know that I have seen any Big Boy locations left in West Virginia, but when I was traveling, I did find one in Ohio that I wanted to check out. The cluster of Big Boy restaurants in this area were all owned by one franchisee, who did things his own way.



"His double-deck Big Boy hamburger was slightly different than Wian's. Dave Frisch also created his own Big Boy character: a thinner boy with reddish or blond hair, wearing striped rather than checkered overalls, presented in a running or skipping pose," according to Wikipedia.

"Most Frisch's Big Boy restaurants still display statues from this design, albeit usually repainted with brown hair and checkered overalls. In 2017 a redesigned statue resembling the West Coast Big Boy was introduced."



The Big Boy is essentially the first Big Mac - a double-decker burger with a special sauce. Though, thd burger served at Frisch's is slightly different than those at other Big Boy restaurants. The original Big Boy hamburgers had mayonnaise and red relish. Frisch later replaced these with tartar sauce and added dill pickles in his version ... "The use of tartar sauce on Frisch's Big Boy hamburgers wasn't simply a matter of taste. Frisch recognized the use of a single combined condiment was simpler and faster. Later the Big Boy system adopted the idea, using the combined form of red relish and mayonnaise, commonly known as thousand island dressing, on Big Boy hamburgers."



So, I ordered the big boy cheeseburger, which came with two thin beef patties placed on a three-layer bun with lettuce, a slice of American cheese, and thousand island dressing. It was great! This dressing-burger combo is clearly a winning one because many restaurants have adopted the concept. A little sweet, a little tang. It adds a special zip to a burger. Mac & cheese and a strawberry shake completed this meal, and both were top notch.