Frios Gourmet Pops is a popsicle chain sprinkled through the south, with a few spots also in Arizona, Texas, Detroit and Wisconsin. 



West Virginia's singular location is in Barboursville. 



There are a number of fruity flavors, like pink lemonade, blueberry cheesecake, pineapple mango, and more. Plus there are seasonal flavors like candy bar, chocolate-dipped cold brew and even pickle. Some are creamy, while others are more icy. 



Once you choose your base flavor, you can upgrade it in a few different ways - you can dip it, drizzle it or dust it. Maybe keep that in mind when you choose your base - whether you wanna go chocolate-y or fruity. 



For me, I went for a fruit punch. I really like fruit punch in general. Like, I'll pick fruit punch over a soda any day. But I also thought this could be a good base if I waned to build on it.



And build on it, I did. I added some of those little dehydrated marshmallows from Lucky Charms. I love marshmallows, but I also liked the added crunchy texture here. 



These are tasty and a good quality (not just all watery). It's a pretty simple, but kinda whimsical and I enjoy that. Something different, special and tasty for a summer treat.

Grade: A

A food court is not typically where you go for a delicious meal. Typically, it’s more of a matter of convenience and proximity - at least for me.



That’s not to say there isn’t good food court food; I’m just saying it’s important to manage expectations. Recently, I was at the mall in Bridgeport - arguably one of the best in the state - with a grumbling tummy, So, I stopped by Eastern Wok and ordered General Tso’s with lo mein. And it was right on par with my expectations. The chicken was a bit chewy, the sauce sticky sweet, and the lo mein a bit overcooked. As a whole, it was average. Catching a meal here earlier in the day may solve a few of those issues.



Grade: C

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar has locations across Ohio, one in South Carolina and a new one in Barboursville, West Virginia.



The restaurant features smoothies, bowls, shots, juices, wraps and salads. I'm not into the shots or juices, but I am into delicious things. 



So I ordered a tropical smoothie - "Elite Eight," which has strawberry juice, pineapple juice, strawberries, peaches, mangos and orange sherbet. Sweet, fruity, refreshing. 



I also ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap on tomato basil - tender chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing, shredded carrots, romaine lettuce. This was fine. A little watery and a bit flavorless, save for the hot sauce. Of course, it's a cleaner meal, so none of those extra calories that make things taste really good. 



Grade: B

I've kinda lost track of which Mexican restaurants in the area have the same owners and which are local chains, but for the most part, there isn't a ton of variation between the menus.



I visited Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant in Cross Lanes and basically ordered a mini buffet to take home, which included: Queso, Mexican Street Corn, "Pork Daddy," and Ensenada fish tacos.



So let's take a look at this spread, starting with queso. This never photographs well, but it's a crucial part of any Mexican meal for me, unless I'm trying to save a couple bucks. Cheesy and thick and delicious.



The Mexican street corn - yessss - can we have this standard on every Mexican menu? Sweet, popping, creamy, acidic, just yes. 



Moving right along! The Pork Daddy is a jumbo burrito stuffed with carnitas, cilantro lime rice and black beans. Topped with cheese dip and salsa verde. Somehow, this was a bit on the dry side for me. Despite. having a pool of sauce around it, the interior was lacking a bit. 



The fish tacos had lettuce, pico, cheese, purple cabbage and chipotle sauce. These weren't bad, but I've been chasing the high of a delicious, crispy. fish taco that I had in Morgantown - and this didn't live up to that level, but it was still decent. A nice texture variation would've made the difference here for me. 

Grade: B

I went to Mannington for New Year's to see the pepperoni roll drop.



And, while driving through Clarksburg, I decided to stop at Teddy Bee's Bakery to treat myself. 



I saw they recently posted that they are closing up shop, unfortunately. 



So I wanted to share a little bit about them first. On this particular holiday, they were beginning to run low on items - but they did have a special pretzel they were selling.



I ordered one of those, and the little silver decorations were adorable. It had a sweeter icing, but the pretzel itself was a little mushy. Part of that I'm sure was due to it being pre-made and stored. I just wish I had the opportunity to try some more.

Grade: B