Mario's Fishbowl is a legend in Morgantown. Sometimes I say a place is a favorite among the locals, well, Mario's Fishbowl is THE favorite among the locals. This bar and grill is packed, literally, with memories and stories. They're written all over the walls, in fact. It's difficult to do this place justice, but I'm definitely going to try.

Mario's Fishbo- wl is synon- ymous with Morgantown, the city. Not the college town - as this place isn't filled with college students. Instead, it's filled with Morgantown natives and those who truly enjoy a good beer and some awesome people. It's a tiny place along Richwood Avenue - so it's not along the main drag, which weeds out the casual college kid, but invites the common frequenter. Parking is spotty, at best, but patrons will parking miles down the street to get a seat inside.


When you walk into Mario's, it's a free for all. If the crowd is feeling up to it, they'll cheer as you walk in. If you're lucky, you might snag one of the 10 booths or tables. But there's a good chance that the bar or long bench area might be your only option. The tables and booths are squeezed in, and it's not infrequent to be as close to a stranger as you are to the people you are dining with.

On this particular day, me and my friend chose the bar stool area. Soon after, a waitress came over with menus and took our drink orders. Now this is where Mario's "Fishbowl" comes into play - the beers they serve are in large, fishbowl-like glasses. They actually come in two sizes, but for most people, the regular they serve is enough. The other size is larger, but I won't even attempt that one. For a little over $3, this fishbowl filled with Bud Light (and ice cold, at that) cannot be beat. As we looked over our menus, we noticed a smaller table had opened up. I placed my order for a philly cheesesteak, while my friend ordered the special of the day - a bbq pork wrap. We then snagged the table, sipped our beers and took a look around.

I've been to Mario's a few times, but it'll never be enough to see everything there is to see. The walls are lined with notes and posters and pictures of patrons and "records" they've set and special memories. It's really the laidback and comforting atmosphere that makes Mario's feel like home. It's not skimpy-clothed girls or loud obnoxious guys, it's a really chill environment, and it's relaxing. The yellowed papers on the walls could take days to read, and this place means so much to so many people.

My philly cheesesteak came out, paired with some ruffles chips, piping hot. Tender sliced steak and white cheddar cheese, sprinkled with some green peppers made for a delicious sandwich. Each bite had a combo of the cheese, meat and peppers to make for a satisfying sandwich. The menu does feature typical bar fare, but it's not cheap ingredients deep-fried. Every piece of steak I bit into was tender and juicy. This wasn't the cheap, processed kind that one would typically expect from a bar. The cheese was melty and covered the entire sandwich. It was just fantastic. The salty chips complemented the sandwich, and it was all washed down with a cold beer. It doesn't get much better than that.

The waitresses were more than helpful to refill our fishbowls if we wanted. All the while, a small jukebox is on the wall playing whatever music the patrons want. While we were there, we heard quite a few Britney Spears songs. Our bill came to around $20 for the food, good service and fantastic atmosphere. You can even buy a fishbowl glass to take with you. I already own one, of course.

This is one of those places you must experience before leaving Morgantown. In fact, it's probably at the top of the list. I haven't met someone who doesn't like this place. Or maybe I'm just not friends with those types of people.

Grade: A

Oliverio's Ristorante is a fine Italian dining restaurant based in Bridgeport. They also have a location in Morgantown, as well as a bistro in Morgantown - Oliverio's Marketplace. Oliverio's Marketplace takes the delicious, homemade dishes, puts them at a lower price and makes the dishes suitable for lunch. This great bistro takes the same great ingredients and puts them in a lunch setting.

For my last full day at work, my two co-workers and I drove over to Oliverio's Marketplace for lunch. Located on Van Voorhis Road, in between Starbucks and the Peking House, this green awning doting restaurant could be easily missed. But even judging by the elegant white writing on the black sign, it looks inviting. The parking lot is huge, so it was easy for us to get there, despite some traffic. Outside of the restaurant are a couple small round tables with chairs for those who enjoy dining outdoors.


We walked down a few stairs, as the restaurant is seated slightly below ground level, to see a medium-sized dining area, as well as a smaller dining small in the back. There are dozens of small black tables with small black chairs - very bistro-like. There is also a bar area where many people were gathered for take-out. The place was packed for lunch, which is a good sign. I only saw two tables free, so I staked claim to one as I browsed the menu from my seat. The menu is large and situated behind the counter. They have Italian favorites - your choice pasta/sauce combos, pizza, salads, sandwiches and wings.


These are like tiny loaves of fresh-baked bread. They aren't doused in butter or garlic or salt, but the simple fresh, light, bread had a slight hint of sweetness to it and really brought back memories of my grandmother making bread and letting it rise. I've never had breadsticks quite like this - Olive Garden has nothing on them - because they're not that fake, frozen kind.

Not much longer after I basked in the glory of the fresh bread, our dishes came out. My penne pasta was served heaping on a plate, smothered with pink sauce. A single meatball with marinara sauce sat in the middle of the noodle heaven. I'm not sure how to describe the meat sauce, but take a delicious tomato sauce, add some delicious creaminess to it, and you have the "pink" sauce. Which is really kind of orange-ish. It is very good. It's creamy, not acidic, but still encompasses that robust flavor. Lots of herbs and spices and tiny chunks of pepper make this dish divine. The meatball was also a nice touch, a little less dazzling, but a good meatball by any standards.

The service here is really outstanding. Despite how busy they were and the fact that you aren't really assigned a waiter, two separate young men both asked how we were doing and asked if there was anything they could get for us. And it wasn't that insincere kind of questions, these people really genuinely cared if the customers had a good experience. And you really can't beat that.

For around $10 and a full tummy (with leftovers!), this is probably the best lunch place in town. On this side of town, at least, hands down. If you haven't tried it, check it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

(PS one of my co-workers ordered a caprese salad with salmon - it look picturesque. That's next on my to-order list from here!)

Check out my blog on DubVMenus here.


Grade: A

Wings Ole operates three restaurants: two in Morgantown and one in Fairmont. I visited the Suncrest location recently for the first time to see what the hype was about. Wings Ole isn't necessarily a common name you hear amongst West Virginia University students, but it is well-known amongst the locals. Many have gone to Wings Ole for a number of years and continue to do so.



The good thing about the Suncrest location is that it shares its parking lot with a plaza full of other stores and restaurants, so there is adequate parking. It also looks as though they have a drive-thru, but we opted to go inside. My uncle and I arrived at about lunchtime, and it was obvious from the line of people, at least 10 deep, at the counter. The large menu rests on the wall behind the counter, and the food is typical Tex-Mex fare. They feature wings (of course), tacos, burritos, salads, enchiladas, and sandwiches.


We ordered up at the counter. I chose a chicken burrito (with mild sauce) and a side of fries and bleu. My uncle ordered mild wings. We then took our ticket, walked to the pop machine to fill up our drinks then scoured the dining area for a free seat. We finally found an empty one near a large plant (hanging overhead and dangerously close to my hair). We waited for a few minutes before the server called out our number and brought our food to us.

She plopped down my wrapped burrito, a small container of fries and a Styrofoam box of wings. The presentation is lacking, but I didn't expect a five-star restaurant. The fries were quite small; especially for almost $3, I expected a bigger portion. That's okay, though, they handed me two containers of bleu cheese. I started with the fries - they were thick-cut and slightly soggy. They're not the crispy kind doused with salt. Lots of potato filling inside, but a good dipping fry. The bleu cheese was average - most likely store-bought. I don't recall any chunks of bleu cheese in it (which I was hoping for) - I could have mistaken it for ranch dressing. But it's no better than I could make myself, so I'm okay with it.

I unwrapped my burrito to find a decent portion. Inside was stuffed with iceberg lettuce, some tomatoes, shredded chicken and the mild sauce. Not bad. Is it bursting with flavor? No. Is it something I'd buy again? Maybe. All in all, this burrito is average, and that's just what I was expecting. The chicken has a decent flavor, nothing prominent, but not bad. The lettuce isn't super fresh and crunchy, but it's not bad. The sauce has some spices in it, but nothing overwhelming. I also got mild, so if I chose another, it might have more kick. This is your average, run-of-the-mill burrito. I can't complain about anything, but nothing stood out. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I wouldn't detest going there. The price is a little on the higher side of the quality of food - $4.59 for an average burrito?


It's worth a try, but you might discover the Taco Bell down the road has the same quality for a much cheaper price.

Check out my post here on DubVMenus.

Grade: C

Eastern Walk has a bit of history with me. It used to be the Asian Garden, a very well liked restaurant in Morgantown. But it closed, and another restaurant opened in its place: Eastern Walk. Melanie and I went here when it first opened - the very first day. The service was crazy, things were all out of whack, but that's to be expected on opening day. Some time had passed, and I decided to take Chris there for our second date. We wanted Chinese food, but a buffet on a second date isn't too classy. This is one of the few sit-down places in town, and it was a great dinner. The portions were huge and tasty.

I decided to try it again with a friend. Eastern Walk is located on University Avenue, past Patteson, in a plaza near the hibachi restaurant. It's housed in the same plaza as Albasha Sweets & Fox's Pizza. Ample parking and pretty easy to get to. Also, it's just slightly out of the main stretch so very accessible, yet not overly crowded.

We walked in, and the hostess/waitress seated us. I noticed it was fairly warm inside - maybe from the kitchen or maybe the AC wasn't working well, but I was definitely on the warmer side. We were handed menus, which were much different than I remembered. They were just one sheet, with a few various options: vegetable, chicken, beef, pork and shrimp dishes. This, I realized, is only the lunch menu. Interesting. At the top, it states you get soup and a type of rice. I'm not a fan of soup, but I opted for the hot and sour. I ordered general tso's with white rice. This is my go-to, in case you haven't figured it out.

Our soup came out first, and I knew the odds were stacked against this. I tasted it - hot and brothy. But I had no interest in it, really. I tried it a bit - some things were floating around inside that I was unsure of. It just tasted like liquid beef - yeah, not appetizing.

Our main dishes came out soon after. I had two huge scoops of white rice and about six small pieces of chicken and a little bit of broccoli. This really isn't that much. What happened to the huge portions? Are those dinner only? Okay, I thought. As long as it tastes good...


Grade: C

If there's a Mexican restaurant synonymous with WVU students, it's Los Mariachis. It's really the typical staple Tex-Mex restaurant in Morgantown, and on any given night, you will see WVU students sipping on their classic margaritas.

As I've said many times, Mexican food isn't my thing. Maybe it's because I've never had true, authentic Mexican cuisine, or maybe it's because I don't really like spicy things. Maybe it's because the menu confuses me beyond belief (everything is meat inside a tortilla?). But I am always willing to learn and try and try again.

One of my good friends (who happens to be Mexican), Kaitlynn, has a love affair with Los Mariachis. We decided to go there one Wednesday afternoon in celebration of her birthday. I've been here dozens of times, and I am okay with it. So, we ventured over to Chelsea Square on Van Voorhis. I do like that it's on the Evansdale campus, so parking isn't necessarily an issue. There's a large sign that says "Los Mariachis," and I've, surprisingly, never had a wait.  This time, though, the interior had a makeover. It wasn't bright reds and oranges and painted cacti on the benches and walls. It classed up a bit. The seats were redone with more cushion in a dark, discreet color. The color was left to a few simple wall decorations, instead of splattered everywhere. I was happy to see this change, as the restaurant looks less tacky.

As soon as we were seated, we placed our drink orders and looked through the menu. We were immediately brought a basket of tortilla chips and salsa - I love restaurants that include the complementary appetizer. I was hungry, so I chowed down. The sauce isn't hot, though you can ask for hot, and Kaitlynn got a side of the queso - which is creamy and delicious. For my main course, I knew I would get some sort of sampler, because I don't actually know what I like. Kaitlynn opted for a "pollo can crema," her absolute favorite dish. It is chicken strips cooked in sour cream sauce (queso) and served with rice, beans and tortillas. She knows her Mexican food and loves this dish - that should be enough for you.


I, on the other hand, ordered the "Grande Special." It included a chalupa, chile relleno, enchilada, beef taco, burrito, rice and beans. I should have known this would've been enough to feed a family, as I ordered something similar at Mariachi Loco, but like I said, I don't know what I like there, so I got a little of everything. On the front of the menu, it says to order the "Special Dinner" to try a little of everything. It includes everything that I got, except it swaps out a burrito for a tamale. Well, I know I'm not a fan of tamales (too thick, doughy), so I switched it up just a tad with the dish that included a burrito.

On the back of the menu, it lists what each dish is, but I'm usually too stupid before I order to realize it's there, and I only realize it after I've placed my order. I should really learn this for next time...

Anyway, our food was out scary fast. And the service is perfection. I think I needed two refills within 10 minutes, and our waiter was on it. The food came out, piping hot, and I had a miniature buffet in front of me. I started pointing to things and having Kaitlynn tell me what they were, but I just decided I should try them.

I knew the taco, corn tortilla with meat - not too impressive, I could do this myself. The meat was so-so, and the hard tortilla was boring - where's the cheese, lettuce, tomato? The chalupa was also on the same plate - it's open-faced, and the guacamole and lettuce were everywhere, so I didn't even know there was a tortilla under that at first. It was loaded with guacamole - a little too much for me. It all was a little soggy, but it tasted fine. Not too impressed so far. I took some refried beans and rice from my other plate over to this one to add some more flavor. Then, it started to taste better. I liked the flavors of everything, I just wasn't blown away yet. The chile relleno was the last thing on this plate - and I really liked it! I thought a chile relleno was a stuffed pepper, basically. But this was like a little meat pie, with some cheese and a piece of pepper. It was very tasty, and I was pleasantly surprised. I really got hit with some flavor, finally, with the meat and cheese and little bite with the pepper.

On to the next plate. This one had the rice and beans - I know that much. It must've also had the enchilada and burrito. I wish I could tell these two apart, but they both tasted similar.I believe the Enchilada was covered in the red sauce, which was tasty. And the burrito was in a cheesy/onion sauce, which was also good. They were both just tortillas with some ground beef inside. But for being simplistic, they were tasty. I scooped some of my rice and beans on the burrito and enchilada for some variety (maybe you're supposed to do this?) because then it was really hitting the marks. Maybe I do like Mexican food - I just need to mix all the stuff they give me together. But it's still ground beef, beans and a tortilla. But it was pretty good, for what it is. It's not my first choice to go to, but for TexMex food, I can dig Los Mariachis.

For dessert, we split a fried ice cream. Who doesn't love fried ice cream? It even sounds cool. It's basically a giant ball of vanilla ice cream with crunchy, fried sweetness on the outside, topped with whipped cream, chocolate and strawberry syrup, all sitting in a tortilla-like shell. I really like the crunchiness on the outside of the ice cream paired with the creamy inside. This is a big dessert, Kaitlynn and I barely finished it. It's a nice sweet dessert to top off the dinner, and it's fried ice cream - who doesn't like that?

Los is a good place to get Mexican cuisine in Morgantown. It's a staple for every college student. And though I didn't get a pitcher of margaritas this time, they're usually necessary with every meal. A pitcher will run you a little bit. But, one pitcher will be worth it. For both of our meals, our bill came to $30, not too shabby.

Grade: B