Otter Café, located upstairs inside Otter & Oak at 302 Second Avenue in downtown Hinton, West Virginia, is a cozy spot that pairs perfectly with the boutique outdoor and lifestyle shop below. Its warm, inviting space overlooks the historic streets of Hinton, offering a comfortable place for locals and visitors to relax with a drink after shopping or exploring the nearby New River Gorge area. The café serves a full range of coffee and tea drinks, including lattes, cold brew, frappes, smoothies, and seasonal specialties like flavored mochas and loaded teas. Their hand-picked selection of individual milk and dark chocolates, each with an assorted filling, adds a decadent touch to the menu. Sugar-free options are also available for those who prefer them. The café lists these treats separately (priced from about $1.49 to $4.99). I enjoyed a large peanut butter cup, which is like an artisanal Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. And for a drink, I went with a sea salt caramel toffee frappe. that is like all of my favorite flavors all in one syrup. Both of these were simple, but lovely. I think what sets this place apart is the ambience and space. Where else can you perch above a local business full of unique goods while enjoying a sweet treat? Not many, that's for sure. Plus, Hinton is a cute town with even more to explore after finishing up at this shop. Have you been? Grade: B

Hinton is a lovely little hidden gem in West Virginia.



There are stunning views, cute shops and a few tasty restaurants.



When I was there last, I checked out River City Grill & Pub.



The interior is wood paneled with pool tables and TVs. It definitely gives off a pub vibe.



But the outdoor space is where it's at. A large deck overseeing the water is the perfect place to enjoy a meal. If it's not too hot. 



I ordered a tomato appetizer, which was topped with cheese. Because they were packaged to-go, they got a little mooshy, but I still ate them.



Also had a hot dog. With ketchup and onions. Not bad. Overall, fine food - but the view is what you're here for.

Grade: B

The Hinton area is a culinary goldmine. Seriously. There are a ton of cute little shops in the Hinton-Pipestem area, and this restaurant was no exception.



Chessie's on the Square is open on limited days for limited hours so I was excited to catch them. They boast "Appalachian inspired fare ... sophisticated energy of the big city, right here in the heart of Almost Heaven."



I ordered shrimp and grits, which was a unique take on the dish. It was BBQ shrimp and sausage with peppers and onions with grits. Tangy, tasty.

What's your favorite dish here?

You probably have heard of the Dairy Queen in Hinton, which overlooks the beautiful river.



But there are actually some delicious restaurants in Hinton, including this gem of Kirk's.



Kirk's has the same beautiful view of the river - if not better - and serves some homestyle dishes that people love.



The restaurant serves breakfast, but I knew I needed to try one of their hot dogs.



Look at that view!



Lots of fishermen in this area.



The menu at this restaurant is so neat - pointing out landmarks and fun places in the county.



A slawdog with chili, mustard and onions on an grilled English bun. Side of onion rings.



Nearby Sandstone Falls.



And the Johny Henry statue in Talcott!

To get fueled for a long day of driving ahead of me, I did a quick search for coffee shops while in Hinton. The first place that popped up was Chestnut Revival, a quaint coffee shop on Summers Street.

The shop occupies the bottom floor of this house, and the seating area spreads across the hallway and sprawls into different spaces with eclectic seating and decoration. It's all quite sweet actually.

They do have some lunch items. And, lots of tasty coffee drinks are available: chai latte, pumpkin spice, dirty chocolate, bravado (espresso, half and half, honey), and one called the Tall, Dark & Handsome. When DON'T I want something tall, dark and handsome? It's hot coco, espresso and whipped cream.

After putting in my order, I wandered around the place. I really, really love it here. It's so friendly and cozy and quiet and warm and large windows allow for lots of light. I could spend a whole day here just taking it in.

But when my drink was ready, the woman behind the counter wanted to show me how cute it looked like before she put the lid on. I wanted to grab a photo then, but before I knew it, she warned me to step back because she filled the coffee so far to the top (as she always does), that it will make a mess when she puts the cap on. And, boy did it. She said you'd think she'd just not fill it up all the way, but she doesn't want to short people. I just found that so endearing. She cleaned it up for me, and I was on my way.

And, it was the best damn coffee I've had. It's coffee and hot coco, so it tastes good, and it gives me a nice jolt. I mean, what more could you ask for? I just need to find a local place that will do this for me every day. Because I'm totally obsessed now.

Grade: A
 

Just a handful of places left on my 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in WV list, and Hinton was next up. The Market on Courthouse Square was listed for its "Main Line" - a reuben. So, I didn't need much time to peruse the menu here.

I went up to the counter and ordered this reuben before finding a nice window seat to enjoy my meal.


The reuben is pretty standard. Two pieces of marble rye bread hold a pile of corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut and a house-made Russian dressing.




This sandwich was good - very similar to every other reuben I've ever had. It certainly had a ton of corned beef and a generous serving of the sauerkraut. I love when the swiss gets melty so it adds that creamy element to the sandwich, but this sandwich didn't see that. So, overall, good. Anything super special? Not sure. Might have to try another item to see what stands out!

Grade: B
 

It's common knowledge in West Virginia that Hinton has the best Dairy Queen.

Is that a sad thing I just typed?

I don't know. But it's true.

I have made it clear, I hope, that I love supporting local businesses and eat local whenever possible. However, there are sometimes when I'm in a rush that I do get fast food. And I usually opt for Dairy Queen - my favorite fast food joint.

Since I started this blog, I've had so many people tell me to go to Hinton. Hinton? Really?

Yes, really.

There isn't much in Hinton, and I don't ever get down this way often, so I made a special detour while driving from Union to Charleston to go through Hinton just for this Dairy Queen.

From the outside, it looks pretty typical. I walked in and walked up to the counter to place my order for a hotdog. I then realized the seating area for this place is pretty massive - at least compared to the other DQs I've been to.

There's a section off to the left with some play areas for kids, and down the stairs to the second tier there is another seating space that overlooks the New River. And it's beautiful.

It's wide and not too deep in areas - so we saw fisherman and ducks. And it spans the entire viewing area from the large windows inside the DQ. One of the best serene views from a restaurant - and it's a DQ, of all places.

Oh, the hotdog.

It's housed in a grilled English bun (yum!) and was topped with onions, mustard, slaw and chili. Chili being on top. A little different than what I'm used to, but to be honest, I think I like it better. The roof of my mouth isn't met with cool slaw - it's instead met with the warm chili, which makes the slaw slightly less frigid, and I get a better taste of the chili - the ingredient I prefer. The slaw plays second fiddle to the chili, and I'm okay with that.

Since it is a chain, I will refrain from making this an official review by giving it a letter grade, but it's good - with an awesome view.