Summerfest is a four-day end-of-summer festival centered around the South Charleston Mound. The event is family-oriented with live music every night, local food vendors and a children’s zone. Food vendors they had available included: Off the Hook, Just Drinks, Charleston Police Auxilary, Holy O's, Zul's, SC Women's Club, Gettin Piggy With It and R&B Concessions. MAD Concessions was at the top of my list to check out. I went with one of their frozen mocktails because it was blazing hot this day, and that sounded super refreshing. I did the "Lava Flow," which was coconut and strawberry. I was thinking it would be lemonade, as I'm not the biggest coconut fan. But with the two flavors mixed together, it was just kinda like a whole new flavor that I enjoyed. Just around the corner was Wild 'N Wonderful Rolls. These pepperoni roll bosses make a mean pepperoni roll, amongst other rolls. And their most recent special caused quite the stir. The "Appalachian Aloha" has pineapple in it, and boy do people have opinions about that. I tried it, and I don't think it's bad. Would you try it?

TeaSpoons is a hidden gem in South Hills that offers bubble tea, acai bowls and other small bites. They also had a short run at the Tech Park where their specialty item was a smashburger -- so I had to try it. The smashburger cane with cheese, lettuce, tomato, crispy onions, mayo & ketchup. I also added a side of potato salad and a mango tea. The burger was pretty good. I liked the thin patties, and the veggies were fresh. I would've liked more seasoning - some simple salt & pepper. The drink was the star for me - sweet, refreshing and a great pairing with the burger for a summer meal. Grade: B

Nomi's Nibbles is a mobile charcuterie cart with cheeses, meats, fruits and even candy. They were set up recently where I could get a little mix and match of different items. You can get themed options, like one full of bubble gum, gummi worms and blow pops. I went a more traditional route with skewers of grapes, salami, cheddar, colby, tomatoes and more. Have you tried it? Grade: A

Kashiwa Hibachi Express is a food truck in South Charleston focusing on hibachi favorites like chicken, steak or shrimp, veggies and rice or noodles.



I went the route of shrimp & scallops over noodles. Plus the veggies - because zucchini is one of my favs. The food was all good, but my main detraction is that everything becomes one soft texture. If there was a bit more of a sear, I think it would give the variance needed.



Grade: B

Shake Your Boba is a bubble tea/boba shop located at 36 River Walk Mall in South Charleston.



They serve a variety of boba tea drinks — milk teas, fruit teas — and also some fun extras like bubble waffles.



I ordered a brown sugar boba milk tea, which was sweet and creamy with soft, chewy boba.



The bubble waffle is lightly golden and slightly soft, almost like a cross between a waffle and a soft pastry. The strawberries layer on a sweet-tart freshness that keeps every bite lively.



Grade: A

The South Charleston Farmers Market features a variety of West Virginia produce and flower vendors. The Farmers Market is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 -5 p.m.



🌿 Gritt’s Midway Greenhouse



🥕 DNS Farms & Produce



🍯 Honey Do Produce



🍓 Sunset Berry Farms





🍞 Sunrise Bakery



💐 Handmade Metal Flowers from Steel Blooming



☕️ Goldilocks Grazing





🍦 Cubs, Cups, and Cones Ice Cream - dirty soda called the Wiggle Butt







Plus, Gritt's Farm, Coffee from Ridge To Ridge Sips, Tacos from JoJo’s Tacos, Lemonade from Just Drinks, Mountain State Flower Farm.

A few months ago, the South Charleston Dairy Bar reopened. I was so excited to check this place out for the first time because I have passed that building for years, and the nostalgic design reminded me of my childhood. It features a classic menu of hotdogs, hamburgers and ice cream. Plus, they do have other items like corndogs, chicken tenders, onion rings, fried mushrooms, cheese sticks, etc. They also have combo meals which you can pair with fries and daily specials, as well. A homemade dessert was even available at the counter. We called in an order, and my friend Mariah went to pick it up. She ordered a cheeseburger and fries, which she was happy with. I opted for a hotdog combo meal, which came with a side of fries and fountain drink. The hotdog was fine. The wiener didn't really fill out the bun. So, proportions were all off. I tasted more bun and slaw than anything else. The fries were fairly thick wedges, so they weren't super crispy. They tend to get pretty soft, pretty fast. That's not bad for folks who like a very potato-y fry, but I like mine on the crispy side. Overall, it's a pretty simple and standard meal in a nostalgic setting. Grade: C