Betty Lou's Diner came across my radar when I was doing research for a story. The local health department in Charleston was giving gold stars for the restaurants who basically went above and beyond typical health standards. Betty Lou's was one on a fairly short list.

I was intrigued. And then I found out the restaurant was one of 101 Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia. Okay, cool. Definitely going.

Brittany and I made our way to the South Charleston restaurant - it's located at 415 Central Avenue, and it's pretty much nestled in with a residential area. But the bright red exterior tipped me off.

It was pretty sparse when we went inside, but we chose a table near the front. A waitress came out with some worn menus that had seen better days. I was torn between trying their pulled pork sandwich or their Betty Hot Dog - which is essentially a West Virginia hot dog (slaw, mustard, chili, onions). So I got both, duh.

After a little wait, my food came out on a plastic red tray. So much West Virginia in one spot. I was happy.

The pulled pork was pretty big, and it was pretty average as far as flavor goes. Standard BBQ, but nothing that blew me away. It was good, though.

The hotdog was similar. Mediocre weenie, not a ton of chili, slaw was fine. Decent hot dog.

Nothing was terrible here, but nothing was better than average. It was all decent.

Oh, I'm lying. One really cool thing is that they had my article hanging up. That's pretty cool.

If you're in the mood for some diner food, this might quench that thirst. And if it's nearby, I'm sure it's a winner. I wouldn't mind trying it again.

Grade: B

I don't have many photos for Miss Blue's because I didn't even plan on blogging about it. It's owned by my best friend's grandmother. My best friend, Kayla, was my freshman roommate, and we've been friends ever since. And I've been eating at Miss Blue's the entire time - 6 years now.

Kayla's grandmother actually owned a different restaurant in Hundred, but then bought out her competition: Miss Blue's. Miss Blue's is located in Hundred, and I'm sure it's one of the few - if not the only - restaurant in town.

But it's also fantastic. Everything is homemade. It's clean, tidy, the service couldn't be better, and everything I've had is absolutely amazing.

My favorite item? Their Rogers Salad. Its lettuce, tomato, cheese, hard-boiled egg, chicken and french fries. It's the unhealthiest salad, but it's delicious. It's simple but fantastic. I get one at least every couple of months. And considering I'm not up that way often, that says something.

Grade: A

When I was first getting settled in Charleston,  I was hearing about how unfortunate it was that the Quarrier Diner was closing. Located on Quarrier Street, the diner had a fairytale story of sorts. It was a dilapidated, art nouveau building that a couple bought in 2010. It had been built in 1946, and was on the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia's Most Endangered Properties list. The couple restored and renovated the building. But they had trouble getting customers in due to the location, the owner had said.

Before it closed, a friend and I went to check it out for my first and last visit. It was clear the staff was kind of down on their luck. The man who waited on us was cracking jokes about it closing and ran down the list of available items left on the menu. I understand them being out of a lot of food since they were closing; I just wasn't expecting that, I suppose.

I settled on their macaroni and cheese.  It was cavatappi pasta tossed with their four cheese sauce. You could also choose three toppings to add to it: spinach, peas, black olives, jalapenos, mushrooms and tomatoes. I wanted mushrooms and tomatoes, but they were out of mushrooms. So I just opted for tomatoes.

It was good. It tasted exactly like boxed macaroni and cheese with some tomatoes in. Velveeta shells and cheese with a different type of noodle. Was it good? Yes. Could I make it for a fraction of the price at home? Yep. But I won't knock it - it still tasted good. Unfortunately, I won't get another chance to go back. But they do still operated Timothy's - a bar directly below the restaurant.

Grade: C

Quirky. Whimsical. Unique. Those are just three words that help set the tone for The Poky Dot. It has a local reputation for being fun, tasty, and serving up larger-than-life portions. It's on WV's list of 101 most unique places to dine. Located in Fairmont, it's a little commute from Morgantown. But once we arrived, seeing spots (literally), I knew this would be a fun experience.

There's a good bit of parking, as they have a few different areas. Many spots were taken up. I saw their iconic, red telephone booth next to the large sign. The building has bright turquoise, red and yellow polka dots scattered around. This diner has been around since the '50s, and that theme carries into the interior of the building.


Bright turquoise blue booths with yellow piping line the dining room. Those colors continue to the the tables, as well as the counter seating. If you're lucky, maybe you can snag a seat by Marvin and Martha. The whimsy takes form in their heavy-handed decorating, with items you'd imagine being in your grandma's home decor. Random pink and yellow fabric butterflies, dolls, etc. dotted the walls. It was their spring embellishments, and apparently the restaurant's decorations change constantly. A jukebox sits in the corner. Oh, and the bathroom wallpaper was lined with paintings of women's undergarments and "girly" things. The ceiling was made of fabric.

They do, however, have another room toward the back that caters to a more sophisticated, private party. I didn't see it, but the "Laurel Room" could not be as fun as the main dining area.

The atmosphere and ambiance, I think, is what initially draws people here. It's eclectic, cluttered, tacky, bright, and different. We made our way to a booth and opened up the menus. I ordered a water, and when our server brought out the cups, I was pleased. Even the cups are huge!

They do have a "He-Man Breakfast," which was featured in Food Network Magazine as the best breakfast in the state. The dish, served up on a fresh garbage can lid, includes four eggs, four pancakes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, ham, fried potatoes, and toast. If you can eat it all in under 60 minutes, you get a free shirt.

Their "Original Poky Burger" seemed to be their specialty: "A yummy jaw-stretching feast, Fairmont's first choice! We're serious about serving the best burger in town ... We start with a full half pound of fresh ground sirloin, grilled just right and served on a fresh roll trimmed with lettuce, onion, tomato and pickles. Go for bacon or cheese or both!" I got the regular, and substituted fries for onion rings.

But their menu is incredible, and they definitely put some love into it. They serve breakfast, appetizers, burgers, croissants, wraps, sides, big bites (homestyle - like pork barbecue, meatball hoagie, reuben), soup, salad, supper suppers (meatloaf, country fried steak, chicken parmesan), kids meals, and their famous desserts.

Every item on their menu has some sort of description. For example, under the kid's breakfast - french toast, it says "Kid's French toast lightly dusted with powdered sugar. No crust. Kids hate crust. Served with a slice of bacon." They get creative with the descriptions, and I can imagine they've taken a lot of time to expand, refine, and edit this menu over time. Every item has something special.

My food came out, and it was like everything was blow up to double the size - like giant portions. I took a huge bite of my burger. All the flavors were so distinct and clean. Hearty burger with a slice of cheese and fresh lettuce, tomato and onion. I put some ketchup to top off this little beefy slice of heaven. The onion rings were fried to perfection and added the perfect complement to my burger.

That was a huge burger, but it was so good, I polished it off. And then we couldn't skip dessert. See, the thing about this place, is that they go big or go home. So, they have desserts like cheesecakes, s'mores you can make right at your table, and a "humongous" banana split that contains so much ice cream, you need more than three people to eat it. I'ts been featured on WBOY's TV's Restaurant Road Show and showcased in the Dominion Post. They have old-fashioned milkshake machines and a cabinet bursting with delectable sweets. They have more than 80 kinds of cheesecake, but only a dozen or so are available at a time. But they include things like M&M cheesecake, Butterfinger, and Cosmic Browner. The last two I tried, as my friends ordered them, and they were delicious.

I, however, opted for their peanut butter pie: Walnut crust smothered with a layer of chocolate gouache, mounds of creamy peanut filling topped with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Boy was it rich and decadent and indulgent ... it was very similar to a Reese's pie, if you've ever made one of those.

We ended up spending around $20 for our meals, which by the way came out on one old-school ticket. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was fun, the service was excellent. I recommend this for a fun experience.

The diner is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on the weekends from 7 a.m. to midnight. The Poky Dot, 1111 Fairmont Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554; 304.366.3271

Grade: A

I was out of options for a Sunday lunch, so I turned to Twitter for suggestions. I received a few responses, many of which I hope to try on my return trip, but one place in particular was named by three separate individuals: Thelma Fay's.

I hadn't heard of Thelma Fay's. But if three people whose opinions value, I thought I'd go ahead with it. Besides, these home-cooked, hole-in-a-wall places sometimes have the best food.


This pink building doesn't have a devoted parking lot, so we circled the block for awhile trying to figure out where to park. We finally got a space and walked inside. I noticed some mismatched framed art on the walls, as well as some records. A few long tables decorated the wall on the left, and a couple single-person booths lined the right wall. We walked back toward the counter. I noticed the wall to the left had "Thelma Fay" herself, along with tons of signatures. At the counter were a few menus. We took them to a booth and looked over them.

The man behind the counter asked us what we'd like to drink, and he filled us up some styrofoam cups and handed them to us. I said thank you, but he just walked away. Their Sunday brunch menu looked fabulous - eggs benedict, eggs Thelma Fay (with smoked salmon), bagel & lox, and Captain Crunch french toast.

I had a hard time narrowing down between the Captain Crunch french toast and eggs benedict. I decided to try to be an adult and order the eggs benedict. After a little wait, our food was served. Two English muffins, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. I bit down to only taste some bland, mediocre soft food. I tried again, sopping up more hollandaise to get some more flavor. Nothing. Where's the rich, buttery flavor? That mild tang? Absent.

I finished one muffin/poached egg combo and sent the rest away. This fabulous brunch item was reduced to a mediocre dish that I didn't want to associate with. It was simply … there. The service was questionable, at best. And the food was nothing to be desired.

You know, I love when I can find a great little diner that has an outstanding dish that you could find in a 5-star restaurant. But this wasn't my experience here. 

Maybe I ordered the wrong dish? It's hard to say. But I hold those who suggested the place in high regard, so I must just need to try a different dish. Captain Crunch french toast it is!

I did, however, try one fried cheesecake bite from a friend who ordered them. They were quite tasty. Fried desserts hit this odd comfort food in all of us - they're so good, but so bad to love them.

Grade: C

I heard about this little diner from a few friends. They said breakfast was great, but I was only available for lunch, and I wanted to check it out anyway. Located in Cheat Lake, this diner is pretty easy to miss if you aren't familiar with the area. It doesn't boast a huge sign, but there is a small one next to the building.

When you walk in, there is a counter and stools and a few separate dining areas. This is your typical, old-school diner, complete with worn chairs and booths and a homey feel - even a fireplace! We chose a small booth and flipped through the menus that were located on the table. The food was cheap, and featured typical diner dishes - some salads, dinners, sandwiches and lots of side dishes.

I planned on getting the country fried steak dinner until our waitress came over and listed the specials. As soon as she said creamed chicken with biscuits and mashed potatoes, I was sold. It also came with two sides: I ordered a house salad and green beans. We also put in an order for fried mushrooms.


The waitress came back with our drinks - I ordered a coke, which was served in a can with a tiny glass to pour it in.

We waited a little while, and our salads and side dishes arrived. The salad was bland, nothing more than some chopped lettuce and a few mushy, diced tomatoes, and a couple onion slices. Drenched in the French dressing, though, it was fine. The green beans had small chunks of bacon in them, but it wasn't crispy. A lot of the bacon was just pieces of fat, so I picked around the bits. The green beans were fine, too. I didn't get a fresh, garden taste, but they weren't bad.

Our entrees came out shortly after. It was a large helping of a biscuit split in half and a scoop of mashed potatoes with a chicken gravy on top. The biscuit was a little hard, which works well with a gravy over it. The mashed potatoes were creamy and tasty, but the chicken gravy itself didn't blow me out of the water. I was expecting some delicious, homemade gravy, but what I got was a slightly bland gravy reminiscent of a jar gravy. I must admit, my high school made the best creamed turkey/chicken, so I hold the dish to a high standard. This dish just fell right along mediocre. The gravy was a little thick, I would have preferred if it wasn't so much, and it could've done well with a dash or two of garlic. Our mushrooms never did come out, and when I asked the waitress, she said she thought she brought them out. When we said no, we just asked her to take them off the bill, as our entrees filled us up.

I ordered a straw- berry cheese- cake for dessert. Though a small sliver of cheesecake, it was tasty. It was creamy, and the strawberries were very sweet. The graham cracker crust was sweet and moist, and the flavor was delicious. Too bad it was so tiny.

My friend really enjoyed the whole dining atmosphere. If you like that down-home, country feel, this is a nice little place. The food isn't out of this world, but it's comfort food and feels familiar. If you're looking for new and exciting flavors that burst in your mouth, this isn't the place. But it's not trying to be, either.

Grade: C

Located at Pierpont Landing, Penny's Diner is a little out of the way of the main restaurants in Morgantown. On the plus side, there is ample parking, and it's easy to get to. I met my friend Kayla, avid diner-goer, her boyfriend Michael and her friend Megan there for some grub Wednesday night.

I was meeting them there, so I was a little rushed as I walked in. As soon as you open the door, there's a stand with a hostess asking how many, etc., which is nice, considering this isn't what I expected for a diner. The interior is warm, comforting and very clean. There were dark accents of blue with the modern diner booths. The table stuck out over the edge so extra chairs could be added, too.

The menu features typical diner fare - breakfast, sandwich plates, some dinner plates. But Penny's also had a good portion of the menu devoted to Greek dishes. That's definitely different. I decided to be extra adventurous and try the "moussaka," a Greek classic specialty with ground beef with Greek seasonings, layered with eggplant, potatoes and baked in Bechamel sauce. For $14.99. Kayla got a breakfast plate with an omelet and potatoes. Michael and Megan both got gyros.


The dish came with a house salad. The veggies were fresh and crisp, but only boasted one tomato, two cucumbers slices and a few slices of onion. I had it topped with French dressing, which was good, but not homemade. Everybody else cleaned theirs up, though, so they were happy. I just wish I had more veggies to balance out the lettuce.
I was really excited for my dish to come out, because I really didn't know what to expect. Mine came out as a square layered lasagna with feta cheese, olives and a tomato on top. I also had a roll with butter on the side. The layers were eggplant, potato and finely chopped beef with delicious savory seasonings. It was really quite tasty. The meal with kind of heavy, but it fgelt light at the same time. The feta cheese added just the right amount of of flavor and lightness to the heavy, starchy potato and meat. The eggplant kept the meal solid, and it was a new combination of flavors that I was a fan of.

I'm not really a fan of the pricetag - I think it could've been cheaper, but it was good nonetheless. I also ordered a sweet potato cheesecake. Creamy and smooth, the cheesecake was good, but the flavors were slightly muted. It was also a tiny portion for $6. I would order the moussaka again, but the price for the cheesecake wouldn't warrant another order. My bill's total was $22.24, without tip.

Grade: B