You’ve probably never heard of Shab Dabs. I hadn’t until I
went to the new Black Bear on Evansdale and saw this neighboring “bar and
grill.” I was worried that “bar and grill” was really just code for beer and
gambling, but we did see one sign on the outside that said a special about
wings, so that was our go-ahead to check it out.
We walked inside to see a fairly small bar and a pool table.
That was about it, besides the three folks sitting there, who all turned to
look at us and continued to until we took our seat at the bar. As soon as I sat
down, the bartender walked over to me with a concerned look – as though I wasn’t
in the right place. I asked for a menu; she didn’t say a word and shoved a
small counter topper toward me. “This is it,” she said.
I looked over the menu cautiously, as I could feel the eyes
of the three men burning into my skin. Not necessarily in a bad way, but more
in a curious way. Nobody goes here to just eat. The menu had 13 items total:
chicken tenders, potato wedges, breaded mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, 2 chili
dogs w/ wedges, wings, pepper jack bites, jalapeno poppers, onion rings, fish
or chicken sandwich w/ wedges, pepperoni rolls (w/ chili and cheese), and
shrimp. 
I, at first, ordered wings. After a few minutes of her
rummaging around in their freezer, she told me they did not have any. So, I
ordered chicken tenders (three) and a side of pepper jack bites. And a coke.
The fellow patrons were so confused by me. One woman walked in and said she was
buying a round, including my friend and I. I thankfully declined. It was noon
after all; I’m good. Looking back, I should’ve. Just to make some friends. But
I was already worried about what my food was going to be like, and I didn’t
want a beer on top of that.
A few minutes after the bartender disappeared into the
kitchen, she came out with two baskets full of fried food. In the center was a
cool cup of ranch. I broke apart a chicken tender to see what I was working
with – not too shabby! (ha – see what I did there?) Yes, these are frozen and
deep-fried, but it wasn’t the super cheap, mechanically separated piece
filling. It was better than that. And the cheese balls were pretty good too –
with a slight kick, but oozing full of cheese and a crispy breaded coating,
they were a fried heaven. I was surprised by how decent this food was.
The area could use some light (that’s how my friend likes to
say it’s shady), and if you’re near Black Bear, by all means, just go to Black
Bear. But if you’re craving slightly better bar food at a pretty cheap price
(for both mine and my friend’s meal, it was only $11), it wouldn’t hurt to
check it out. Plus their beer seems fairly cheap - $3 tankers.
Grade: B
I'm well known for espousing my love for DiCarlo's pizza. It was a childhood favorite. It was a special treat on payday. I have very fond memories of Wellsburg's DiCarlo's from the old-school Italian feel to the amazing squares of pizza. It's a Northern Panhandle thing, as there are small locations sprinkled throughout. And each person's favorite depends on what they grew up on.However, I have heard many times that Elm Grove's DiCarlo's is the best. I believe it's the original location, from which others in Wheeling, and Warwood and Wellsburg and Follansbee and Weirton spawned from.
Since I was heading back to Morgantown, I figured I could stop through to get an idea of what the original location is like. I had never seen it before, but luckily my dad gave me excellent directions. It's located right along National Road, and there's a sign out front, so it's hard to miss.
A dark building with a sign on the front, in addition to a tall sign in the parking lot, alerts you you're in the right location. There's more parking here than at Wellsburg's location, which is good. Wellsburg's is like a free-for-all. As soon as we walked up, I just saw the wall lined with people. I wasn't sure if that was the line to order or they were waiting or what. So, I asked. That certainly set me apart. Most of them were just waiting, so I walked up to the counter.I located their price-per-slice sign on the wall and figured out how many pieces I wanted. I forget how many slices a tray is, but I got 10. I saw a few people get bags of extra cheese. They have tickets they give you with a number, and they call our your number when your pieces are done and you can pay at that time.
I think I waited for a half hour or more, awkwardly finding a space along the wall to wait. But finally, my number was called. I rushed up to the counter to retrieve my 10 squares and paid. I waited for my friend, who had ordered right after me. For some reason, his number must've got lost in the shuffle. he didn't want to bother them by asking when he was next, so he waited quite a while before it was clear that he had been skipped - folks who were coming in after us were getting their pieces before him. And people called in orders, had their numbers, and they still don't really start making it until you walk in the door, and they were getting theirs. After he asked them, he quickly got his pieces and we left.
There aren't any dining spaces inside. In fact, there's barely enough standing room inside. So we took our carboard boxes full of goodies outside and placed them on the trunk of my car. I was too excited and wanted to try this pizza as soon as possible.Opening the box, it's the same familiar scene. That crust, flash-baked in their brick oven, topped with a tangy sweet sauce comes out of the oven to be topped with tiny specks of provolone all across the top. Add a few pepperonis, and it's perfection.
I noticed the sauce was slightly sweeter and pepper-y than what I'm used to. Is it still fantastic? Absolutely. Better than my hometown? I don't think so.P.S. this location seems as if it ships pizzas!
Grade: A
The Evergreen Buffet, located in the University Towne Center, is one of three Chinese buffets in Morgantown. It's probably the smallest one compared to Great Chinese Buffet, located at the old mall (which I haven't reviewed yet), and the No. 1 Super Buffet, which is the largest. It does have convenience on its side, though, as it's right in the middle of the shopping plaza.
There are only a few islands of items here, but they have the main items I look for: crab cheese rangoons, sweet and sour chicken, general tso's chicken, coconut shrimp, beef and broccoli, stuffed mushrooms. Nothing here was out of the ordinary, and nothing was entirely tasty. It was pretty average across the board.They do have some sushi available, but there was no sushi chef on duty. Instead, a few rolls were placed behind a glass that you had to lift (which was broken). Some of the items ran out and weren't replaced during the time I was there, but for what I did eat, it wasn't bad. The crab rangoons have a good amount of filling, and I like the perfect amount of crunch. The general tso's has a good flavoring; quality of meal isn't ideal, though. Overall, not bad.
Grade: C
I heard from some reliable sources that the Suncrest Pub / Nickel has a damn good burger. Their sign on the outside claims "Best Burger in Town."
It was formerly called the "Wooden Nickel," I think. And now I hear it sometimes referred to as the Nickel. Any way you slice it, it's more of a townie bar. I didn't even realize this place served food, because from the outside, it just seems like a hotspot. Located at 3192 Collins Ferry Road, it's right in Suncrest.But as soon as you walk inside, there definitely is a bar area. The food options are pretty limited, though. I walked in, sat at the bar and asked for a menu. The server kind of laughed and said it was really outdated and they're out of a lot of stuff, so a menu wouldn't really be helpful. She then began to ramble off everything they didn't have.
But I knew I wanted a burger, so I put that order in. With ketchup, mustard, mayo, onion and tomato. Looking around, I could feel eyes on us. We weren't recognized, but that was okay. I was starving and ready for this half-pound burger. 
When it came out, I was pleased to see it served on warm grilled Texas toast. That's exciting. It was huge, messy and filled with prime ingredients. And boy was it tasty. Might have to put aside the exterior, the service and some of the unwelcoming eyes, because this burger was one of the best in town. The meat was seasoned with hints of garlic, onion, and salt. The warm, buttered Texas Toast hugs that half-pound patty with your choice of preferred fixins'. Mine had the sweet ketchup, tangy mustard and a crisp, fresh onion on top. For about $5, it's a bargain. I don't think I've ever had a bar burger quite as good. Grade: A
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