DeeJay's BBQ Ribs and Grille is a local favorite. It's known across the region for having the best ribs in the area. I decided a long time ago that I wasn't a big ribs person (or much red meat, for that matter). I felt like every time I got them, they were stringy, chewy, messy and just not worth the hassle.

DeeJay's changed all that.

It's located in Weirton on Three Springs Drive, but it's definitely famous throughout the Ohio Valley. The safari-themed restaurant boasts large, plastic palm trees out front, so it's hard to miss.


When I walked in, I was seated near the waitress' station. Odd, but it was still a nice atmosphere. It doesn't seem like you're in a typical restaurant for the area. It's kind of tacky with plastic plants, fake animals and jungle-themed fabrics, but pleasantly so.

Their famous BBQ ribs are what everybody gets - tender pork baby back ribs, hickory smoked, charbroiled and covered with their famous BBQ sauce and served with two sides, or the traditional plain potato skins, fresh tossed salad or cole slaw. Expect to spend around $20. You can upgrade the potato skins with cheese, bacon and sour cream for only 60 cents more.

I got a half rack (you can also get a rack or super rack), with the upgraded potato skins and mushroom caps. There are other options on their menu besides ribs here, but don't waste your time.

We got some bread and butter for the table. Take it or leave it.

When my platter came out, I was kind of shocked. Did they mistake my "half" ribs for a "super rack"? No. Huge portions - totally justifies the price. It was that whole slab, plus another four or so stacked on top. I began poking at it with my fork to see if I could do with those wipes that were sat at our table.

So. Tender.

I could pluck the meat off the bones effortlessly with my fork, deliver it to my mouth to receive a sweet, tangy BBQ'ed heaven, then toss the bone in the bowl. They were falling off the bone tender, tangy, spiced and seasoned to perfection. The sauce is sweet, with a kick, but the flavor of the meat also is prominent.

The potatoes are awesome, too. Like, of course I want four miniature baked potatoes with cheese, bacon and sour cream on top. The cheese is like a nacho cheese, and the sour cream is kind of ranch-y. All in all, a perfect complement to the ribs. My mushroom caps were okay - just cooked mushrooms. Nothing too special there. But go for their main meal, and you won't be disappointed.

Naples Spaghetti House is a local favorite for Italian food. I've only been here twice, but I've had good meals both times. It's located in downtown Steubenville (take a right off Market Street bridge, go two blocks, turn left). There's a small parking lot, and they DO take credit cards.

When we walked in, they had to find an area to clear off for us before we could get a seat. The layout of this restaurant is pretty awkward, and the way they placed tables is as if they just wanted to squeeze as many people into an awkward space as possible. I had to ask the couple sitting to the table next to us to move so I could get out of our table. She took our drink orders, and I was happy to see a huge cup brought back (less refills!).


When you sit down, there's a placemat with a map of Italy on it. The furniture is old, worn, and the waitresses are past their prime. But that's part of its charm. The menu has pastas, chicken, veal, and seafood dishes, as well as sandwiches.

I opted for their Italian Platter - rigatoni, ravioli and gnocchi. You can choose which sauce - tomato, meat, marinara or mushroom. I went with marinara. They also came with salads. They're known for their house red wine vinaigrette dressing; they even sell it, along with their sauces to-go. A small bag of bread came out first. Nothing special here. Doesn't seem homemade.

A basic salad came out next: iceberg lettuce, couple radishes, tomatoes, olives. Their house dressing really is good. It's light, refreshing, homemade and tasty. Tangy like oil and vinegar, but full of flavor. Opt for it instead of the ranch or thousand island, which are generic.

Finally, the main course came out. I was expecting three separate portions, but they just kind of threw all three types of noodle down and covered it with a sauce. The gnocchi was dense; It was too thick for me. It wasn't very flavorful. The rigatoni and ravioli were pretty good, though. I got the cheese (you have the option for meat) ravioli, and it was fantastic. It was creamy and the homemade noodle really makes a difference here. The rigatoni was also good. The marinara was hearty and perfect consistency. I topped mine with parmesan cheese and enjoyed my meal.

Is this a five-star dining establishment? No. It's a hometown place where you can get a decent Italian dish. Enjoy the environment and a tasty meal.

Grade: B

Jay's Getaway? The three-year-old local craft beer haven, which boasts more than 100 beers (and wine), has food? They DO. I was just as surprised as anyone else. How had I missed the paper menus behind the counter? Not sure, but recently, I saw another patron order a sandwich and I wanted to get in on the action.

This giant (yet tiny) beer garden is tucked away on Chestnut Street. It's quite small inside, but it's usually not too crowded and you can sometimes snag a seat on the comfy couches or one of the couple tables. Pick up a beer list and choose something different - this is the place to do it. The bartenders are very knowledgeable and friendly. The interior is modern, simple, neat. The crowd is generally a bit older (and by that, I mean, not 18-22).


There's a board on the wall above the entrance that keeps track of top patrons' beer progress. Some people have more than 100 next to their name. You can keep a beer card in the container to keep track. Once you hit around 80 beers, you have a chance of going up on the wall.

They have six beers on tap, tons of bottles, and some food. They have four $6 paninis, as well as some pretzel rods, nuts, pickled eggs, and a cheese/meat/olive plate. I didn't realize they had food and had just eaten before, so I opted for the small cheese/meat/olive plate so all my friends could pick at it, too.

In the meantime, I had a Wild Blue (yummily sweet) and a pumpkin cider, which pleasantly got me feeling very fall-ish. The bartender brought out the tray, and I was still shocked they had food. I don't know where they keep it. I don't think they have a kitchen.

The tray seems as though it could be a good complement to many types of beers. The olives were spicy, while the salami was dry, slightly smoked. Crackers salty and cheese was creamy and smooth. I also got a side of spicy mustard, which you could taste hints of horseradish. I ended up making tiny sandwiches all night long.

Clearly, the standout here is the beer. I'm not sure you have a better selection in the area, and if you are clueless (like me), the bartenders are totally willing to help you find something you like. Some finger foods, awesome ambiance, amazing bartenders and more beer than you can imagine - what's not to like? Open Monday thru Friday 4 p.m. to midnight and Saturday 7 p.m. to midnight.

Grade: A

I tried Milano's II before the original location, because the original location isn't necessarily the easiest to find. Try Googling it - it says 2 Brookstone. Except I don't know what Brookstone is. After some searching, I found it to be on Greenbag Road between Morgantown Printing and Binding and a dance studio in Sabraton. You go across a small bridge, and it's in a small plaza - there are signs on the windows.


The dining area is a decent size, with some booths along the wall and tables in the middle. They have basic pizzas, white pizzas, hoagies and salads. Since my friend and I are indecisive, she got a small white pizza, and I got a small mushroom pizza so we could try a little of both. Small pizzas are $6, plus $1 for a topping. One thing: You can't just get a "cup" of water - they said my friend could get a cup and get water out of the bathroom faucet, but something about city code and not having the correct filtration. Odd. I got a bottle of pop anyway.

We had a table full of pizza - two trays full of pie. The regular is a nice, flat pie, with a good tangy sauce and Italian cheeses. Many have said this is some of the best in town, and I would say it's comparable to Pizza Als and the now defunct Original Pizzeria. These NY-style pizzas are pretty frequent in town. If you try a place that's not a chain, it's most likely a nice, flat pie. It's really good. I love the sauce - tangy, slightly sweet. Cheese for days. Mushrooms add a little salt and texture for me. Loved it.

The white pizza was also tasty - garlic, herbs, cheese. It looked more like a plain cheese pizza, but the garlic was prevalent. Maybe next time I'll add some ricotta or spinach to it. Either way, this place puts out some good pies. If Pizza Al's is the best on the Evansdale side of town, Milano's is the best on the Sabraton side. They both have II locations, too. I see a trend here. I don't think you could go wrong with either.

Grade: A

In a sea of Chinese delivery/takeout restaurants, I haven't heard a lot about Grace. It's located right along Beechurst Avenue and boasts the same menu as local Great Wall, China One, China Wok...

They had a special on DubVmenus that if you buy $12 worth of food (not counting delivery fee, taxes, etc.), you get a free five-piece wonton. I thought, "what the hell?" Of course, that ended with me aimlessly adding things to my cart to get to that $12 limit, which probably would have been cheaper had I just bought them ... but I digress.

I put my order through, and it can add up quite quickly. A $2 delivery charge. A .49 cent "fax" charge. Plus tax. My total ended up coming to $16.84, somehow. Or $16.69, I'm not sure which. On DubVmenus, it said $16.69, but on my receipt from Grace, it said $16.84. Grace had 15 cents more on the tax. Regardless, this annoys me because I keep track of my money, and I don't understand why there is a discrepancy between my receipt from DubVmenus and my receipt from the restaurant. Not cool.

AND THEN, I typed in my address, but it was somehow autocorrected to a numberless "Southpoint Cir." whatever that is. So I called them to give them my actual address, which negates the convenience of it being online. However, I don't think this is really the restaurant's fault.

I got a call back about 15 minutes later from the delivery driver who said he was at an apartment with a different number than mine; I told him the correct number. He apologized and said he must've written it down wrong, but he handed it to me and I finally got from point A to point B.

The Styrofoam container had everything mashed up on one side and some sauce was leaking out. I tried some, and at first bite, I thought the General Tso's wasn't bad. But upon further review, I got those tough, stringy pieces that I always dread. They simply need to step up their quality of meat. The sauce it was in was tasty - not too thick or thin, but a good amount of spice.

The wontons were probably the best thing I ordered. They had a good serving of creamy cheese in them, and they even provided two small containers of sweet and sour sauce to dip in. The wonton wrappers were light and crisp; the interior thick and indulgent.

I wasn't crazy about the eggrolls - they almost seemed to be frozen, but were average. It seemed less greasy than, say, Great Wall. But overall, I wasn't impressed. I think I'll stick with China One.

Grade: C