Bent Willey's is the nightclub for 21+ college kids. That's not my scene. But Bent does serve pizzas late night, when drunk patrons need some food. When you've been drinking, sure they taste fine. So, I'll combine that review with this one.

Bent now has an extension called Bent Willey's Red Zone Sports Bar, which is underneath the main Bent Willey's area. And it's open for lunch and has a bazillion TVs.

As a side note, Vintage Room is also owned by the same folks, but it's a finer drinking establishment, and they, too, are known for their pizzas. But that's a more separate restaurant that I've already reviewed.

Again, Bent just has pizzas for the late-night drunken kids. This new sports bar portion has an actual menu and is open for lunch. When we walked in, it was pretty bare. It's still very new, though. TVs are plastered everywhere, and there were a few games set up to play. A waitress came over to us as soon as we sat down and handed us their menus. She suggested their wings and potato skins. I was more interested in their pizza, since it seems to be a running theme.


My two friends had their food delivered way before mine. The waitress apologized about four times, which honestly started to make me uncomfortable, but when it finally came out, it looked pretty good. It was fairly large. I'm not sure if Vintage/Bent/Red Zone share a kitchen or not, or at least Bent/Red Zone, but the pizzas seem a little different. While Bent's seem like large, NY, flat slices, the Red Zone's are big smaller, but parmesan cheese was all over it, including the crust.

It was tasty - the sauce is their homemade sauce they use at Bent. It's more tomato-y and less marinara. It's hearty, acidic. But it's a decent pie overall. I also tried Tony's potato skins - they were okay. I wouldn't order them again. And he got the sweet chili wings, which were probably the best item I tasted. Not a homemade sauce, but decent.

It's basically a run-of-the-mill, mediocre sports bar. Lots of TV. Lots of decent food. I won't seek this place out again, but it wasn't a waste of money either.


Grade: C

The new Black Bear location opened up in Suncrest. I found out via their announcement on Twitter. Being the devoted blogger I am, I headed over there after work to scope out the new place. It's located along University Avenue, near the party store. As you can imagine, this location is huge.

.....and we are OFICIALLY open at Black Bear Evansdale!!!
— Black Bear Burrito (@BlackBearMotown) July 16, 2012

When we walked in, I was almost overwhelmed by the amount of space. Not only was it gigantic, but it was kind of sparse, which only added to that effect. The downtown location is, well, cluttered. This one is more streamlined and neat. That may also be because they haven't accumulated memorabilia yet.

There are menus up front and large paw prints that you can follow to the register to order. It guides you over to the orange wall. I already knew what I wanted: Fish Tacos. Black Bear has changed their menu slightly - I think they offer one or two less burritos than they had before. That's not to say you couldn't make it yourself; it's just not pre-suggested for you tied up in a cutesy name. But fish tacos are now a regular on the Black Bear Burrito. It used to only be a special (if you don't like Black Bear's Facebook page to see the specials, you aren't living), but I assume, after much positive feedback, it's now a regular. What better way to celebrate than to order it?



For $8.75, you get "two soft taco tortillas filled with Monterey Jack cheese, a crunchy cabbage blend, fresh roma tomatoes, and a generous portion of seasoned Tilapia. We add an awesome 'Best Coast' dill sauce...we serve 'em flat. You fold and eat!"

It's the same order-at-the-counter, get a toy, fill-your-drink-up-at-the-fountain, find a table and have the server come find you. Is it sad that I was excited to see a new crop of toys? For the record, we had a toy bus. The fountain machine is really tall, so if you're pretty short, you might actually have trouble reaching it. Our food came out fairly quickly, especially considering it was the first day. While one member of the group had a slight mix-up with her order, the rest of ours were perfect.

I hadn't had the fish tacos before, but I was happy with my decision. They were full of tender pieces of fish, and the dill sauce was a perfect complement. A little crunch with the cabbage added some more substance to this dish. I enjoyed it. I made a mess eating it, but it was worth it. I can see how this would be a big seller. I must say, though, I might have to stick with my Irie Member or Bear Trap or Good Calypso. Love them and can't get 'em anywhere else.

I hope this location does well. It seems like it can serve a different crowd. While we were there, there were lots of children. I don't know if that's any indication of the future, but it may seem more "restaurant" -like, as opposed to the sort of loungey/bar/restaurant the downtown location has going on. It still has local art and even some of the decor is locally produced. But only time will tell what this will morph itself into.

Grade: A

Tucked away in South Park, Gene's Beer Garden might be missed if you weren't looking for it. While it was easy to spot along 461 Wilson Avenue, it's not along a well-traveled path. That might explain why the crowd is a bit older, a bit more local and bit more down-to-earth - no offense, college kids.

I had heard that Gene's was the place for a cheap beer and a good hotdog. I found my way there for just that. South Park is a bit different with their parking, so make sure when you park along the street that you're not on a colored line. This bar is small, so it's not like you're fighting with a ton of other people for a spot. There are actually two doors to the bar, one to the left and one to the right. We walked in the right to discover a small counter, a couple booths, a center table and a stage. A band was playing, quite loudly, in front of a lit-up wooden West Virginia cutout. The walls were decorated with WVU memorabilia. I felt at ease right away.

It's a total local bar, and I think that's why I love it. You can come in in jeans and a hoodie and feel at home here. The lady behind the counter was sweet and helpful. I ordered a beer and a hot dog and made my way to the one empty booth. After a few minutes, she walked over with our hotdogs in hand. Complete with chili, mustard and onions, the hotdog was fine. The chili was toppling over the bun, and it had a little bit of a kick to it. It was a solid hotdog overall, especially for the price. It was even better with the ice cold beer.

There's a larger, more relaxed room to the left, which is where the other door leads to. It was much quieter here, so I could talk with my friend. There was a comfy wraparound couch and a pinball machine. Sitting here, you can watch the army of people outside having a cigarette, enjoy some local music, some good hospitality and a fine hotdog. I felt like I belonged here - and I think they felt that way, too. I think my total came to around $3, with tip $6, so it can't be beat.

Grade: A

As one of the few coffeehouses in Morgantown, Blue Moose Cafe is one-of-a-kind. It boasts itself as being a cyber cafe, with wifi, during the day, as well as a groovy hangout at night, with a stage for performances. This hipster joint offers imported beers, smoothies, bagels, breakfast and lunch entrees, and of course, coffee. They have a number of organic, all-natural and vegetarian dishes. They are one of the most vegetarian/vegan-friendly restaurants in town.

Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday all day, and a Sunday brunch is from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Dishes include various omelets, french toast, and the breakfast burrito.


Lunch is served Monday through Friday 11:30 am. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 12:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. They have sandwiches, like tuna salad, roasted red pepper and spinach melt, and a reuben. Salads include a spinach salad and mediterranean salad. And for the less adventurous, they have staples like grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly and quesadillas.

The building is located on Walnut Street, at an intersection, which makes it a prime spot for people-watching. It's artsy and eclectic. The interior is more shabby-chic. You order at the counter. I quickly looked over the menu and decided to try their Southwestern Black Bean Burger, which was a homemade black bean patty topped with white sharp cheddar, lettuce, onion tomato and chipotle mayo (or nay) on a toasted Kaiser roll. The friendly lady behind the counter rang me up and handed me a peacock card holder to set at my table.

My food came out not too long afterward. A beautiful presentation, the sandwich looked like it was going to be a hit. I mashed it all together, spread some of the mayo on it, and took a bite. It was … bland, dry, heavy. I put some more mayo on it, hoping to balance out the flavors. To no avail. I took a bite of a tortilla chip with some salsa. Even that had no depth of flavor. I went back at the burger - it looked too good to not be delicious. Chunks of corn were spread throughout. Even the chipotle mayo wasn't doing it for me - it, too, tasted like it was lacking.

Something here needed to balance out these flavors. Something light, sweet even. My tastebuds were craving it. So, we got some smoothies after our meal. You can choose your fruits, and I got strawberry with pineapple juice. It was tasty, and added that nice, cool, sweet, light flavor I was desperately seeking. I don't think this is a total loss, because I really enjoyed the smoothie. And, I've eaten here before, so I'm looking forward to trying it again.

Grade: C

Though Gibbie's Pub & Eatery is one of my favorite places in town to get a nice drink, I am learning a newfound appreciation for their food, as well. Gibbies is located on High Street, so park at your own risk. During the day, this small pub features your typical pub dishes - like chicken fingers, fries and nachos. Wings, sandwiches, wraps, burgers and salads are available, as well as entrees - like steak, lasagna, and fish and chips. In the evening, this pub gets a little more nightlife flair, with drink specials every day of the week, and fun activities, like team trivia, karaoke, bands and comedy hour.


I went with a friend on a Wednesday night, when I knew a friend of mine would be performing stand-up comedy. We made a night out of it. I parked in a nearby parking lot, and we walked inside Gibbie's. Sometimes with bands or other activities, a cover is charged. We walked inside at about 6 p.m., so we didn't have to pay a cover charge. We just found a booth near the stage and sat down. The restaurant is split up into two sections, the right side has a bar and booths, as well as a stage. The left side also has a bar and some tables and chairs. A waitress spotted us and asked us if we were there for drinks or dinner. We came at an in-between time, so we opted for dinner AND drinks. The waitress brought us over a menu, and I looked over it.

Sometimes pubs just really get me in the mood for fish and chips. Maybe it's the British in me? I don't know, but that's what sounded good. I put my order in, as well as a water to go along with my meal. My meal came with a salad, which came out first. I chose French dressing, which came in a packet - "Ken's Country French." The bowl of salad was pretty fresh for what I was expecting. It was crisp, and cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes were plentiful amongst the lettuce. The packaged dressing even wasn't bad - my mind isn't blown with creativity, but it was a decent salad.

My main dish came out next, and I was very surprised. A huge plate stacked high with fries was topped with a huge plank of fish. What? What happened to the nice little strips of fish and a few fries? This was slightly overwhelming, and thank god I was with a close friend who didn't mind me looking barbaric diving into this dish. It's difficult to even cut the fish with silverware because it's on a bed of fries. I asked the waitress for some tartar sauce, and she brought out a cup. It was a mild sauce, light on the relish, but had a thick mayonnaise base. I bit into the fish, and it was good. It was battered and deep fried. So the outside was crispy, while the fillet inside was hot and flaky. The quality was great - mild flavor, combined with the creamy tartar sauce was pleasant. It didn't have a strong, fishy taste, like some fish does - maybe like herring or anchovies. This fish had a cod taste - light and fresh. The fries were salt and crunchy and added another element to the dish.

The dish was large, a bit overwhelming in its presentation - I really would have preferred smaller pieces of the fish and less fries, but this is a pub, and that's what you get. Smaller pieces would have been more manageable, but I didn't leave hungry.

Grade: B

Black Bear is a Morgantown local favorite. It has strong ties to both the Morgantown community and WVU (opened by WVU alums), so it's a hot spot nearly every day of the week. I planned a small gathering at Black Bear Tuesday night for my adviser who is leaving the journalism school. I also brought one of my best friends, Kayla. Double bonus.

Black Bear is located on Pleasant Street, right downtown across from 123 Pleasant Street. A parking garage is located next door, but during the school year, it can be a hassle to find parking here. If you can, just walk up. They have an old-school sign out from and a chalk clapboard with the day's specials. If they are having a band playing that night (typical on the weekends), sometimes they'll list them there, too.


Black Bear has a very open feeling. As soon as you walk in, there are a couple dozen tables, including small, large and bar areas, and a small table that has a few menus on it. I grabbed a menu and picked a seat while Kayla decided on what she wanted. I already narrowed it down: the Bear Trap. Maybe because I had been debating on what I was going to order all day at work ...



The Bear Trap is a a honey wheat tortilla with lettuce, roma tomatos, Swiss cheese, cold cut honey smoked turkey, crispy bacon and sweet honey mayo. It's kind of like heaven. My other favorites include: Mr. Teri Yaki, Thai One On, Good Calypso and Gouda Riddance. These aren't typical burritos - they're super creative, with fun, fresh ingredients and fuse modern with traditional. Black Bear offers a ton of vegetarian and vegan options quite easily - most burritos include the easy alternative, such as tofu and fakin' instead of chicken and bacon. There are "build your own" burritos, quesadillas, nachos, salads and salad wraps so you can customize it any way you want.

Kayla thought my choice was so good, she opted for the same thing. The counter is all the way toward the back of the restaurant, but because the faces are so friendly and welcoming, it's not a daunting trip. We ordered at the register, got cups for our drinks and retrieved our toy car to put on the table. Oh yeah, that's the other thing, instead of boring slips or calling out numbers, patrons get a fun, colorful toy to put on the edge of their table so the servers know where to bring the food out. We grabbed our silverware, filled our cups and had a seat at a huge table. The wait wasn't long for our food, but the local art around the restaurant makes the time go past when you're gazing at the beauty.


My burrito was delicious - I knew it would be. Everything here is fresh, most of it is local, so it's helping support local business. The art on the walls helps support local artists. And the food, well that helps support hungry customers. The honey mayo on this burrito is really what sets it off. It's a slightly tangy, sweet spread that just fits perfect with the wrap and yummy veggies, cheese and turkey. The burrito also comes with their homemade slaw - not too mayonnaisey and a little spicy, as well as their baked chips. Perfect sides for this dish. My sandwich, slaw, chips and drink totaled less than $10. That's not bad for the quality of the ingredients and the deliciousness that resides within.

My friend Heather and I also split an ice cream sundae. Vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry made this one a classic. For $4, you can't go too wrong here. And it was enough to please the both of us. They also have beer on tap, but I haven't been able to check that out yet.

This hip, local restaurant helps give back to the community and delivers awesome, creative food that keeps me coming back for more. Check out their Facebook for specials and giveaways!

Other stories to check out:

• Restaurant Road trip
• Best Places to Eat After the Game
• YouTube Video

Grade: A