Gustard’s Bistro, located at 759 E Main Street in White Sulphur Springs, is a locally owned restaurant led by chef Stephen Gustard and partner Delphine Houssin. Gustard, a Johnson & Wales University graduate and former Greenbrier Resort chef, opened the restaurant as part of the town’s growing downtown dining scene. The bistro features a menu influenced by French cuisine and built around locally sourced ingredients from farms such as Arbaugh Farm and Mountain Steer. Menu offerings include dishes such as steak frites, chicken pot pie, fish and chips, and house-made fettuccine with meatballs. I ordered the Grilled Coulotte Steak, which comes with brown butter gnocchi, smoked gouda, baby arugula and red pepper relish. The grilled Coulotte steak was well-cooked, tender, and full of flavor, pairing nicely with the nutty brown butter gnocchi. However, the gnocchi could have benefited from more sauce to bring the elements together. The smoked gouda, served in large chunks, added strong flavor but overpowered the balance at times. The baby arugula and red pepper relish provided a fresh contrast, helping to lighten the richness of the dish.

Grade: B

The Schoolhouse Hotel is a very lovely boutique hotel and restaurant located in White Sulphur Springs.



The hotel is the former historic WSS High School and now features 30 guest rooms, plus some extras, including a rooftop bar - which I was fortunate to visit on a sunny, breezy day.



While the restaurant offers a full-service dining experience, the rooftop bar is more snacks, drinks and small plates.



The Rooftop menu consists of oysters, salads, sushi rolls, a burger, sandwich, and wrap.



It's not often that you find sushi outside of a dedicated Asian restaurant, so I figured that would be perfect for a rooftop dining on a warm day.



I just did the California roll, which had crab, cucumber, avocado, and a mayo cream sauce.



Very simple, but fresh and tasty. that's part of the beauty of sushi, but I would've loved a creative, flavorful punch here too.



Overall, a lovely view and a tasty meal.



Grade: B

The Schoolhouse Hotel is White Sulphur Springs' first full-service boutique hotel. This exciting project transformed the former historic White Sulphur Springs schoolhouse into a hub for the community and visitors alike. Featuring 30 uniquely appointed guest rooms, an upscale restaurant/grill, a rooftop bar, and a flexible ballroom space perfect for weddings, conferences and so much more. The Schoolhouse Hotel showcases the best in West Virginia hospitality and lodging in a completely inclusive atmosphere, according to the website.



The Varsity Club, The Schoolhouse Hotel's flagship restaurant, features upscale southern classics such as shrimp and grits. This venue can seat over eighty people and features a full bar, serving creative cocktails, an exciting wine list, local brews, and more. Tufted leather banquettes and lively plaid fabrics create a timeless environment where guests can enjoy everything from grilled steaks to house-made salads and she-crab soup.



My friend Kayla and I stopped by this unique hotel for brunch. We really enjoyed all of the little details they kept from the original school building. It is very refined, but still a little fun, which I appreciate.



I ordered the French toast, made with cinnamon bread, fresh berries, maple syrup, and a choice of breakfast meat, which for me was sausage links. This was a solid version of French toast: There was some nice color on the on the bread, making it flavorful. The berries and syrup and powdered sugar were all nice. I would like more butter, but that's just my personal preference. All in all, a pretty tasty brunch.



Grade: A

Big Draft Brewing is one of the newer breweries in the Mountain State. Say that five times fast.



My boyfriend and I went out this way not too long ago to check out sunflower fields, and we stopped by this brewery for some dinner. 



"Big Draft Brewing is a purpose-driven, community-centered brewery producing exceptional beer with integrity and artistry. Making beer is an art. Drinking beer is an event."



They're part of a larger revitalization of the community that encompasses a few different businesses, but let's focus here first. On the beer. And food. 



We ordered a sampler to check out a few different styles. I liked the saison and the sour wheat ale best. They were crisp and refreshing on a warm day. I see they have a "BELLINI BERLINERWEISSE," which I definitely want to try next. 



Next up was some grub, starting with beef short rib flat bread that had caramelized onions, mashed potatoes, horseradish and arugula. 



I'm pretty sure if you put horseradish on anytime at this point, I'll eat it. Mashed potatoes on a flat bread? I'm here for it. Give me something different, and it makes me happy. A nice meld of flavors.



For my entree, I went with a burger. 



The black & bleu burger has a seasoned 8oz mountain steer beef, blue cheese, caramelized onions, cajun aioli, pretzel bun. I ordered some beer cheese and sweet potato fries on the side. Yum, yum and yum. Not a bad bite in sight. 

Grade: A

The Village Wine Shop is a charming shop that has, of course, wine, but also a ton of other little goodies, too.



They have gourmet olive oil, cheese, jams, honey and more. And, there are definitely samples! 



In fact, when I was there, I had a delicious bellini and ended up buying a whole bottle.



I was also very happy to see both nice, artisan products as well as local ones, too. Like a nice little selection of local honey.

Have you been?

Tootsie's Place is a small bakery and coffee shop in White Sulphur Springs.



From mini cupcakes and muffins to Italian sodas and lattes, Tootsie's has a fairly small selection but hits all the favorites. 



That's evident from the traffic jam inside - lots of folks were excited to gets their hands on some caffeinated or sweet treats. 



I ordered a hot chocolate, as well as a mini strawberry cupcake, mini blueberry muffin and mini vanilla cupcake. There was a bit of a mix-up, so I ended up getting a mini chocolate cupcake, as well.



The hot chocolate was a regular hot chocolate - just like one from Swiss Miss. The cupcakes were good, though. They were moist, light in flavor, and the decor even gave some textural variation. The muffin had a nice little sugar crust. They were all good.



I hope to check them out again and find some different flavors! Something to spice things up.



Grade: B

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: White Sulphur Springs is a really cute town.



It's usually overshadowed by The Greenbrier's presence, but there is really a lovely downtown with a wine shop, brewery, bakery and nice shopping. 



I'm sad the small Jamaican restaurant is no more, but a new BBQ place has taken its spot. 



Road Hog's Barbeque, located at 687 Main Street East, has the moniker: Nothing to hide, sauce on the side. I think that's pretty cute. Like, yes, the BBQ may be good enough to not need sauce. But I still like the option. 



You'll find your standards on the menu: pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs and even turkey. And my favorite part of any BBQ restaurant is the sides. Here, you'll find okra, onion rings, baked beans, tater tots, mac & cheese and more.



On this visit, they were doing a special taste event where they were promoting three sister businesses. So I opted for their soft pretzel bites with Big Draft Brewing beer cheese dip. The beer cheese was thick and could make anything taste better.

Potato salad was straightforward. Mac & cheese was pretty tasty - a nice, thick white cheddar sauce. The brisket had a pretty thick fatty layer that I'm not a fan of. I like mine more lean - the texture of that fat cap is not my favorite. It wasn't bad, but I wish every single strip wasn't half fat. I did try each of the sauces; I like that the apple is reminiscent of apple butter in a way. Carolina is vinegary. I went middle of the road with "Bold Hog" for a bit of tang.

Grade: B

When I think of White Sulphur Springs, I tend to think of The Greenbrier.



But, lately, there have been some new businesses opening that are helping to set White Sulphur Springs apart from that standard association.



There's a block of buildings on Main Street that is now home to a couple restaurants, an event space, and a brewery with an outdoor beer garden.



My first stop at this complex was at The Local Cafe. This coffee shop has ice cream, as well as some grab-and-go sandwiches and salads. 



I ordered the Appalachian Affogato, which is a scoop of your choice of ice cream and a shot of hot espresso over top. Typically, you'd eat this with a spoon, but since we were heading out of town, I got mine in a to-go cup and enjoyed this sort-of coffee milkshake. I like my coffee on the sweet side, so I was all about this combination.



I also tried an apple coffee cake pastry, which was okay. I arrived at the end of the day, so it was a bit more dry than I'd love. But, it would be perfect for dipping into coffee. If my coffee wasn't already floating in ice cream.



Have you been here yet?



Grade: A