Shepherdstown is full of such good food. Maria's Taqueria is no exception.

This town favorite taco shop located along German Street is always busy. We walked inside, took a seat and looked over the menu on the blackboard.

You can get tacos with rice, beans, pork, chicken, beef, satueed peppers and onions, or fried cod as the main piece with all the fixins. They also have burritos, huevos rancheros, "pints," and lots of other tasty items. And, lots of vegetarian or vegan options.

So, I ordered a soft shell pork taco with salsa, sour cream, lettuce and cheese. I also got a single fish taco on a flour tortilla, with fried cod, cilantro, jalapeno aioli and spicy cabbage slaw. 

These were so good! They were a pretty good size, too.

The regular soft taco had tons of fresh, delicious ingredients. Great flavors.

And the fish taco was great! A nice crisp to the fish, fresh, crunchy slaw. Tasty!

And, if you're a spice lover, they have tons and tons of different hot sauces to choose from.

Have you been? What's your favorite?

Town Run Brewing Company is a restaurant with hopes of becoming a brewery.  Or, according to their Facebook - 

Having a shop that specializes in popcorn is a trendy, welcome addition to cities. It's fun and a little whimsical. Wheeling has its own, and Pittsburgh has one. And, Shepherdstown has one, too: Mountaineer Popcorn Company.

Located along German Street, Mountaineer Popcorn Company has a really adorable storefront with a simple, cool design and chalkboard out front. As soon as you walk in, you see tons of flavors of popcorn.


Flavors include birthday cake, buffalo cheddar, buffalo wing, caramel, caramel cashew, cheddar, chesapeake, chocolate drizzled caramel, cookies & cream, dill pickle, garlic parmesan, jalapeno white cheddar, kettle corn, peanut butter cup, salt & vinegar, sea salt & black pepper, s'mores, sriracha, theater butter, and white cheddar.

We are a small company with big ambitions. The two of us (Mike and Erin Valasek) decided in April of 2015 that we wanted to start up a locally-grown popcorn business in beautiful Shenandoah Valley.  Not only did we want to produce great-tasting popcorn, but as parents of four young children, we wanted to give them the opportunity to see how businesses are created, successfully-maintained and grown. We knew that this would be an invaluable experience and, as you can see, they love advertising Mountaineer Popcorn!  We hope you enjoy our popcorn as much as our family does! (ABOUT)

I got the sour cream & onion mixed with cookies & cream in just a mini bag. It's a unique mixture, and it was really good! They both had those signature tastes, and the combination of the two was different but I dug the sweet and savory.

Have you been? What's your favorite flavor?

Located along the main drag in Shepherdstown, this cafe had its doors open on a warm spring day, welcoming all those who pass by. It looked bright and happy, so I took a step inside to look over the menu.

In February of 2006, Philip and Shanna Mastrangelo exchanged marriage vows [barefoot] at sunset on a beach in Hawaii. As they honeymooned on the rural island of Kauai, taking in sunsets from black sand beaches, exploring the earthy canyons of Waimea, discovering a surreal solitary beach on the Na Pali coast, investigating farmers markets, making friends with locals, and witnessing the simplified success of Tropical Taco. It was during one of those sunset conversations from the beach near their plantation cottage that Philip first proposed the idea of opening up a public establishment that would somehow allow them to distribute that same laid back island vibe that they could never live without again. Now, at first, Shanna didn't take the idea very seriously. "A juice bar/smoothie shop?" I mean, they dug the idea...but would enough other people feel the same? As they boarded their flights home, they took one last deep breath, taking in the overwhelming aroma of falling plumeria and they knew that one day they would share the love and energy they gathered there (ABOUT).

Fresh juices and smoothies dominated the drink menu, with additions of fresh pressed sodas, coffees, teas and things like “wheatgrass shots.” Over on the food menu, there are soups and salads (quinoa salad, apple walnut), hot sandwiches (southwestern chicken, tempeh and avocado reubens), cold sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches (egg burrito, lox sammies).

I felt like the ~thing~ to get here was the juice, so I opted for the “Mellowed Out,” which came with apple, strawberry and grape. Sounds delicious, right?

It absolutely was. I took a few sips inside while checking out the place. It’s trendy & hippie with mixed-media art and an embrace of the space’s structural elements. All underneath the “No shirt, no shoes, no problems” sign. Lots of little spaces to enjoy your freshly pressed juice and a snack.


My juice was sweet, cool and refreshing - exactly what I wanted. While it may cater to a specific crowd, I think there’s still something here for everyone.

Grade: A