Hilltop Fresh Meat Market is a family-owned fresh meat market located at Hilltop Fresh Meat Market on South Church Street in Ripley.



The market is veteran-owned and features locally sourced products, including beef from Ranson Ranch in nearby Fairplain, along with fresh meats, produce, eggs, cheeses, and pantry staples.



Inside, the market combines a traditional butcher counter with refrigerated display cases, deli selections, and shelves stocked with locally made and Amish products.



The retail space includes fresh meat displays, deli counters, coolers for cheeses and specialty foods, and aisles filled with preserves, spices, baking ingredients, and seasonal produce.



The market offers hand-cut beef, pork, poultry, deli meats, cheeses, seafood, game meats, fresh eggs, locally sourced produce, baked goods, and packaged meat bundles for customers stocking their refrigerators or freezers.



Menu selections include ribeye, prime rib, filet mignon, New York strip, pork chops, bacon, chicken, bison, elk, lamb, deli salads, Amish cheeses, homemade spreads, pickled products, jams, jellies, maple syrup, and other regional grocery items.



One of the shop’s signature offerings is its hand-cut ribeye steak, which is cut to order with generous marbling that develops a rich crust when seared while remaining tender and juicy through the center.



In addition to individual cuts, Hilltop Fresh Meats offers freezer-ready meat packages, gift cards, discounts for veterans, first responders, and EMS personnel, and a selection of locally produced fruits, vegetables, herbs, rubs and preserves.



Have you been?

Angie’s What’s Poppin’ Shoppe is a gourmet popcorn shop located at 500 South Church Street in Ripley offering a wide variety of sweet and savory popcorn flavors.



Inside, shelves are stocked with colorful bags of popcorn alongside displays of nostalgic candy, bottled sodas, and other specialty treats that give the shop the feel of a traditional candy store.



The shop features dozens of gourmet popcorn varieties ranging from classic buttery and cheesy recipes to dessert-inspired, spicy, and candy-coated flavors.



Menu selections include options such as dill pickle, garlic parmesan, cheddar, caramel, kettle corn and rotating seasonal flavors.



One of the standout flavors is Garlic Parmesan, which coats freshly popped popcorn with a savory blend of garlic seasoning and parmesan cheese that creates a crisp texture and a rich, cheesy finish.



Have you been?

Emma's Boba & More in Ripley offers lemonade, tea, dirty sodas, hot dogs, hoagies and wraps. First, I looked over the drinks to see what piqued my interest. "Shark Bait" was the winner: blue raspberry, strawberry and strawberry boba. It reminded me of a bomb pop, with the blue and red. It tasted like one too! Sweet with a tiny bit of sour. Approved. For lunch, I ordered a hot dog: Cowgirl - homemade chili, nacho cheese and crushed Fritos. Not easy to eat, but the hot dog was like a version of a Frito pie. The chili, the cheese, the crunch - a pretty satisfying bite. Grade: B

Farmhouse Market Finds in Ripley has turned a historic building into a destination for shoppers looking for a little bit of everything. The expansive market brings together more than 60 vendors offering farmhouse décor, antiques, handmade goods, clothing, gifts, collectibles, and locally crafted items. Walking through the space feels like exploring a collection of small shops under one roof, with new finds around every corner. The market features a selection of locally made foods and specialty products, including jams, jellies, sauces, mixes, candies, baked goods, and other Appalachian-inspired favorites. Many of the food items come from small producers and vendors, giving visitors a chance to discover West Virginia-made products they may not find in traditional stores. I picked up a few things here to take home, like Appalachian Heritage Food's Bread & Butter Pickles. Plus I added some of Just About Heaven's homestyle raspberry jalapeno jam and J&K Freeze Dried Candies. Adding to the experience is the Farmhouse Bistro, where visitors can take a break from shopping and enjoy a casual lunch. The menu features comfort-food favorites like sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads. I ordered the Philly steak with peppers, onions and provolone cheese. I liked the peppers on here, but it needed some seasoning -- something to ramp up the flavor a bit more. For dessert, I enjoyed a Blondie Nobake Cookie from The Cat's Apron. Have you been? Grade: B

While driving through Ripley, I spotted this funky little camper off on the side road. CampGrounds Espresso offers espresso, tea and refreshers, plus some small snacks. I ordered a lemonade refresher with peach and cherry. These are flavors I absolutely love, the texture was on point, and it lived up to its "refreshing" name on a particularly warm day. Grade: A

The WV Artisan Market in Jackson County, is a retail space featuring handmade goods from numerous local artisans, offering a diverse selection of art, jewelry, home decor, and more, alongside a cafe and event space for activities like live music and crafting classes. There were some local freeze-dried candies, like J & K Freeze Dried Candies, and jams. After some shopping, I settled in with a menu on the cafe side of the shop. I decided on a small portion of their daily special, spaghetti with meat sauce, as well as some southwestern nachos to go. Both were decent but fairly average: the spaghetti was comforting and filling, though the sauce lacked depth, while the nachos had good toppings but nothing that really stood out in flavor or texture. Overall, it was a satisfying, no-frills meal that did the job without leaving a strong impression. Have you been? Grade: B

Cozumel has a small empire in the Kanawha Valley area, extending north to Ripley. The Ripley restaurant moved locations since my last visit, so I figured it was time to stop by. My partner got takeout and brought it home for dinner. We enjoyed the Cozumel dip, which is their white cheese queso dip with ground beef and pico de gallo. This was a nice level up from the standard cheese dip. I do wish it was a bit thicker, but that didn't stop me from indulging.

I also tried the Cozumel pasta, because penne is not something you see every day on a Mexican menu. Grilled shrimp and chicken are cooked with onions and mushrooms on a bed of penne covered in a queso sauce. And, it was pretty good. I love the queso so adding pasta to it made it even better. I think there was actually too much chicken for the balance. But good, nonetheless. Grade: B

The Downtowner is a restaurant in downtown Ripley that is cash-only and focuses on homestyle food.



Think baked steak, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese, fried bologna, philly cheesesteak, ham & cheese, soups, etc.



I went with a cheeseburger and fried mushrooms. Sometimes a diner burger just hits. It was not super thick, so it gets slightly crispy on the edges. Almost like a smashburger but thicker still. I just would have liked the cheese meltier.



The mushrooms were solid. I am nostalgic for fried and breaded mushrooms because we used to get them at DQ growing up. I don't know many DQs that serve them anymore. All they needed was a dipping sauce, preferably with horseradish.



Grade: B