T&L Hot Dogs is a North-Central West Virginia chain of hot dogs joints.



"The Proprietors, Dave and Barbara Henderson along with their children Scott, Mike, Lori, and daughter-in-laws Joyce and Bev, began an adventure that is still going strong after a quarter of a century. Now, Third generation managers/owners and grandchildren Kristin, Corey and Troy are continuing that adventure in their parent’s footsteps. In the early 1990’s the Henderson’s added a new “twist” to their already popular restaurants. The Oldies Diners were created in an effort to re-create the happy and carefree lifestyle of days long gone by. The walls are covered with antique pictures, toys and memorabilia for customers viewing pleasure. You can listen to the sounds of the oldies as they play on the restored 1950’s juke box only 5 cents a play, and enjoy the great hot dogs, famous “fresh cut” fries, and fabulous specialty sandwiches. Don’t leave without looking at the restored antique gas pump with its unique glass dial. Welcome back to the 50s! “Being West Virginia’s #1 selling hot dog, we are grateful for our faithful customers and to the hundreds of employees, who over the years have been the secret to our success. Hot dogs are still our specialty and the original homemade chili sauce (prepared daily in our stores) continues to attract customers from all over the country. We invite you to visit any of our seven locations throughout Harrison, Taylor, Marion and Monongalia Counties. Bring the kids, but don’t be surprised if you’re asked to explain who “Howdy Doody” was!



The Buckhannon location looks like a new build and has a drive-thru with signs plastering all their offerings - sundaes, shakes, cones, mac & cheese, beans & cornbread, and more. 



I think it's only fitting to get a hot dog, though. So I got one with chili, plus a side of potato salad. 



Both of these were good. Sometimes a down and dirty hot dog is just what hits the spot. Nothing fancy. Just a few components, but all of them together make for a tasty bite. The potato salad was full of nice hunks of potato, and the mayo just held it together - rather than the other way around. I was happy with a quick, tasty meal.



Grade: A

Mama Roma Pizzeria and Restaurant in Buckhannon is an Italian-American restaurant complete with a character tossing pizza on the window and red/white checkered tablecloths inside. 



"Mama Roma Pizzeria and Restaurant is a place where you can simply relax and enjoy the company of your favorite people while enjoying traditional Italian food at its best. Our team is pleased to welcome you – and honored to serve you. We know many of you by name and view all of our customers as family. Nothing brings us greater joy than sharing the tradition of good food and hospitality with our guests while sharing experiences and making memories!"



The menu features pizza, pasta, subs and a whole host of entrees categorized by their protein. The menu is pretty huge, and I can't imagine someone not finding something that caught their fancy - chicken marsala, sausage cacciatore, veal scallopine piccata, eggplant rollatini, and so many more. 



If pressed, I think one of my favorite pasta shapes is rigatoni, which is what I was drawn to on the menu. I went with the rigatoni with vodka sauce - their house pink sauce (which is usually their red marinara and white combined). 



So, I was loaded up with my entree, a soup and a side of garlic bread.



First, I enjoyed a simple soup - a minestrone with carrots, onion and more.



Not bad - nothing too notable, but not offensive either.



The garlic bread was tasty - I loved the soft rolls, though they did get a biiit too dark on some portions.



And now for the main attraction - the largest portion of rigatoni I've ever been served. I enjoyed the sauce - a little sweet, a little acidic, lots of good flavor. The rigatoni were a nice al dente, so not so soft they just lost all texture. But, regarding texture, I would've loved maybe some veggies or something to break up the carbs. I could've added chicken or sausage, but I wasn't feeling it on this day. In retrospect, it would help with that mouthfeel. 



All in all, a fairly decent meal that is comforting and filling. 

Grade: B

Buc-ees is a gas station. But, it is, without a doubt, the best gas station I have ever been to.



They are only located in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Florida.



First of all, I saw billboards - some maybe 100 miles away - before I saw the gas station. They built up anticipation and highlighted all the features of this place and all included this cute little beaver. 



I don't remember which city I even was in when I first visited Buc-ees. But, I immediately fell in love. 



It is the largest gas station I've ever seen. It's like a Sheetz but on steroids. The one I visited, I swear, must have had close to 100 different pumps. 



And, then, you go inside. 



They have clothing, souvenirs, super clean restrooms, and food - lots of food. 



They have grab-and-go stations that have meat/cheese packages, fruit cups, etc. Then, there are jerky, bakery and fudge counters. Plus tacos, lunch items and even packaged & branded Buc-ees goods. 



A few that I was attracted to were "kolaches," (kuh-la-chees) - which are bread, meat and cheese. Kinda like a pepperoni roll!



They had sausage, cheese and jalapeno versions, which were really good. The bread was sweet, while the spicy and savory inside made for a perfect roadtrip snack.



They also had sweet, fruit-filled versions that I was sure to try. Plus, some Buc-ees branded sweets and beaver nuggets - which are like a kettle corn version of a cheese puff.



Have you been?



Let me know your favorites! 

Merry Land Express in Beckley is a Chinese restaurant that serves up standard Chinese-American fare.



The menu does have some interesting items that you might not see everywhere like fried bananas sesame balls and even curry chicken.



They do have a buffet available but I opted for some takeout options.



The first thing that we started out with was the fried cheese wontons which are always go to for me because they are delicious and each place does them just a little bit differently. I think that I'm the only person who doesn't love the actual fried portion of the wonton so I really appreciate the foldover style as opposed to pinched style because I feel like you get more filling. These were good but I do miss the crab that is often found in other wontons. The egg rolls were standard and had a lot of cabbage filling.



I also ordered the sesame shrimp, which is shrimp, breaded and fried, covered in a spicy, sweet sauce with sesame seeds on top. I have been avoiding chicken that tends to be stringy or chewy because it's just not sitting well with me lately. But shrimp kind of avoids those issues. I do wish that there was a little bit less breading. because that can overtake the flavor. But otherwise, I still enjoyed this dish. I liked the sauce. And I really like the little bit of texture that the sesame seeds add.

Grade: B

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Dried Mushrooms from Hernshaw Farms: George Patterson started Hernshaw Farms in 2018 using reclaimed mine land. His business has been very successful. These dried varieties are delicious and are great to have in the pantry to add flavor to your meals. Rehydrate in stock and add to soups, stews, and sauces. Three varieties: Lions Mane, Oysters, or a mushroom Medley, which include Lions Mane, Oyster and Shiitake.

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... Plus a soap I need to open!