With the closing of two more longtime local restaurants this past week (more on that in a minute) I can’t tell you how many calls and emails I’ve fielded from readers asking – many in a panicky voice – what in the world is happening in Charleston to cause all of this? It’s as if a simple explanation would put their minds at ease, or at least help them make sense of the losses. And in my opinion, there really is a simple explanation: The restaurant business is brutal, y’all, and it has only gotten more difficult since COVID. Food and supply costs have skyrocketed, good help is hard to ..read more

After being forced to briefly close after this month’s double-whammy of severe storms, The Pitch of WV has not only reopened – but with a new menu, new weekly dinner specials and the return of a popular pizza. I recently stopped by to try a few of the new items and was immediately reminded why I dig this place so much. Reminded, but not surprised. I mean, how many sports bars do you know that are led by a two-time James Beard Finalist chef? Paul Smith’s partnership in that popular pub at Shawnee Sports Complex between Dunbar and Institute continues to pay delicious dividends. On ..read more

Phat Daddy’s on Da Track is back – and with a new breakfast menu, to boot! After a short closure to move from an open-air barbecue joint to a brick-and-mortar building across town, Phat Daddy’s on Da Tracks has reopened in its new location along 6th Avenue on Charleston’s West Side. In addition to the restaurant’s already popular barbecue ribs, brisket, pork and chicken – which you can get on sandwiches, bowls and platters, along with fried fish, salmon cakes, shrimp and steak with hearty sides – they’re also now open early Monday-Saturday offering an all-new breakfast menu ..read more

A new Larobi’s Pizza has opened in Campbells Creek at the site of the former beloved Dairy Winkle that was damaged by a fire there in January of 2023. After initially raising money to help repair and reopen Dairy Winkle, owner Kerry “Paco” Ellison decided late last year to sell the 10-year-plus business instead. Larobi’s owner James “Junior” Gilpen swiped it up and spent several months significantly rebuilding and renovating the space, which only consisted of four walls and a floor when they took possession of it. In addition to a new layout and décor, there’s also a completely new ki ..read more

First it was craft pizza, then came craft beer. Both culinary trends took the country by storm years ago and never looked back. Fancy cocktails have enjoyed a similar trajectory in recent years, popping up everywhere from swanky steakhouses and boujee bistros to your local sports bar and grill. What more, their explosion in popularity helped usher in a whole new appreciation of creative libation combinations. Fruity and fabulous, spicy and seductive, tart and herbaceous, savory and sweet. You can sip those combinations and more at many places now – in all their tajin-rimmed, lychee-ki ..read more

Yes, my friends, there’s yet another Mexican restaurant coming to the Kanawha Valley. What makes this one unique, however, is the location where it’s going. On the heels of the three new Mexican restaurants I’ve revealed over the past month, I’ve now learned that La Roca plans to open a third regional location at the former site of Top Spot Country Cookin’ at 7139 Sissonville Dr. That beloved homestyle diner closed last spring after 37 years in business and the building is now being remodeled to become La Roca’s newest restaurant. It will join two other locations just outside the casino ..read more

The “for lease” signs have been taken down at the former Books & Brews restaurant at 222 West Washington St. in Charleston, with building owner Tighe Bullock teasing on Facebook that there will be a big announcement to come. Word on the street is that the owner of Sergio’s Cucina Italiana & Steaks in Hurricane and Guadalajara Modern Mexican is the one who will be moving into the space – a rumor that seems pretty likely since said owner (Sergio LugoMata) shared Bullock’s post with two “winking” emojis. There’s no official word on whether the new restaurant will be a second lo ..read more

The popular Oishii Hibachi, Teriyaki & Sushi food truck that has gained a following while parked in Piggly Wiggly’s parking lot in Kanawha City the past few years has just opened a nice, new brick-and-mortar restaurant inside the former Pita Pit next to Horace Mann Middle School. It’s a nice and cozy space. The Pita Pit’s previous fast food-style interior has been transformed into a dimly lit Asian hideaway complete with a sushi counter, colorful lanterns and more than a dozen tables and booths situated around the dining area. A simple menu offers a trio of appetizers (crab Rangoon ..read more

After a couple of false starts over the past two years, it appears the old South Charleston Dairy Bar is indeed planning to reopen this Friday. The popular ice cream and fast-food joint had previously teased a grand re-opening in the summer of 2022, but that never came to fruition. However, social media lit up over the weekend with the news that its doors are opening once again. Located a few blocks from the Mound at 120 D St. in South Charleston, the dairy bar serves a variety of hot dogs and hamburgers, plus corn dogs, BBQ sandwiches, chicken strips, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese ..read more

After chugging along in an open-air barbecue joint along the railroad tracks on Charleston’s West Side (or Elk City, as the cool kids now call it) Phat Daddy’s on Da Tracks will soon move into a new brick-and-mortar restaurant at 1634 6th Ave. near Patrick Street. Located at 480 Railroad Ave. since the summer of 2021, Phat Daddy’s offers a menu of appetizers like honey butter or honey sriracha wings and empanadas, plus sides like fresh-cut fries, onion rings, tater tots, seasoned cabbage, white cheddar mac-and-cheese, baked beans and baked potato. Sandwiches include smoked pork, pu ..read more