Cryptids are pretty popular these days; Mothman turned from a terrifying monster to a friendly anti-hero we celebrate through merchandise, at festivals - and even at restaurants.



Bigfoot Hotdogs, named after another cryptid, in New Martinsville serves up primarily a few hot dogs, but also friees, wings, onion rings, chicken tenders and sloppy joes.



The restaurant portion itself is not very large; I assume the bar/gambling area brings in more money. But, I thought the tin ceiling and counter front were cool, and there was some fun merch. Overall, though, it's fairly simple and unassuming.



I ordered a hot dog with chili, cheeese and onion. It's a hefty dog, but flavors were all pretty mild. I did, however, get some more flavor from those jalapeno poppers with raspberry dipping sauce. Love the play on spicy and sweet there.



Grade: B

A lot of small town shops have to serve multiple purposes. That means the local gas station likely also has a convenience store and it may just be home to the best deli in the region.



The Sandstone General Store and Eatery is one of those places that has a little bit of everything - including tasty food.



"We are a mom an pop convenience store/ gas station and food dive. The original store opened in 1888. Since then the store has grown an changed but we're still country. We have all your needs; restaurant, deli, local produce, groceries, gas, diesel, propane tank fill, convenience items, local to the area products, hunting an fishing supplies (including license and live bait), camping supplies, and a little bit of everything else too!" according to the website.



In their deli case, they had sandwiches and salads. But I was more so looking for a snack to keep me company on my drive. And there was a cheeseball staring back at me.



Nuts. Cream cheese. All of the herbs and spices. There are many different takes on cheeseballs, but this one was one of the better ones. Not a fan of sweet ones, and this had a nice savory, herby flavor. Know the secret to delish, punchy flavored cheese balls? MSG.



So I added some crackers and a drink to my purchase to round out my meal. But aside from the deli offerings, they also have a menu full of items like hot dogs, wraps and sandwiches. While I didn't need a full meal on this day, I was excited to try something from the cold case to sample what the kitchen is churning out.



Have you been?



Grade: B

Yamato Japanese Steakhouse in Logan is pretty standard in terms of small-town hibachi restaurants. They have a teppanyaki grill, an assortment of specialty sushi rolls and a host of other generally Asian dishes to please the whole crowd.



They have "Louisiana Seafood Platters" and poke bowls and ramen and bento boxes. I ordered the crab rangoons - a bit too sweet and a bit too cool.



The steak hibachi meal was ol' reliable, though it didn't have the much-needed teriyaki and yum-yum sauce. We also tried the Volcano Roll - Shrimp tempura, cream cheese topped w. spicy crab meat and tempura flake, spicy mayo, eel sauce. This wasn't bad, but the sauces were too much and took over the flavor.



Grade: B

Essie's Sweet Shoppe is treat shop serving up a mix of ice cream, shaved ice, candies, cookie shots and more.



That's right: cookie shots. They are cookies baked in the shape of shot glasses so that they can be filled with hot chocolate. I mean, how genius?



There is probably some perfect equation to figure out time it takes for a slightly softened cookie vs. it being too hard vs. it getting too mushy and soaked. I don't think I found that balance, but I enjoyed the whimsy of the treat.



I also ordered some praline ice cream, which is from the Wisconsin-based Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. Very creamy & delicious.



Have you been to Essie's yet?



Grade: B

Black Bear Bakery in Oak Hill is a lovely little spot that offers up some tasty treats.



In addition to classic bakery goodies, this business also offers lunch specials, like sandwiches, salads, and more.



When I visited, I snagged a slice of pumpkin roll, which was so moist and full of cream cheese filling that I wish I would have ordered five more. Pumpkin roll is one of my favorite things this time of year, but a homemade one with tons of cream cheese takes it to the next level.



Next on my list to try are their donuts, cupcakes, pies and anything else I can get my hands on.



Grade: A