The 10 Best Mom & Pop Restaurants in West Virginia! By
Penny Fox
Unique, independent, and family owned, mom and pop restaurants offer good tasting, down-home cooking that fills and comforts you. It doesn’t matter if it’s plain country cooking or ethnic cuisine, you’re more than just another customer—you are family. In the world of fast-food drive-thru eateries, it’s nice to know that there are at least 10 mom and pop restaurants in West Virginia.
1. Hillbilly Grill, Buckhannon, WV
There is nothing hillbilly about the Hillbilly Grill in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Featured in WV Executive Magazine, this out of the way diner makes one of the most unique burgers around. It’s appropriately called the Hillbilly Burger, and it is made of beef, American cheese, horseradish sauce, shaved prime rib, Queso cheese, and honey mustard on a sesame seed bun. Great food and great service is what you’ll find here, and the peanut butter pie is definitely worth trying.
2. TopSpot Country Cookin’ and Catering, Sissonville, WV
Named one of the “101 Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia” by The WV Division of Tourism, TopSpot Country Cookin’ in Sissonville features fresh, made-from-scratch food that’s healthy and tastes good. Open every day except Monday, who would have thought that a hot dog stand inside a laundromat in the 1980s would become one of the most popular mom and pop diners in the state with a staff of 25, in-store dining for 125, and a catering business. For award-winning chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, cornbread, and other mouthwatering items, stop by soon for some great country cookin’.
3. Betty’s Restaurant, Shepherdstown, WV
Boasting to be the “home of the world’s best sausage gravy,” Betty’s Restaurant in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, just may earn that title from the reviews on social media sites. This quaint little diner has been serving up satisfying breakfasts, lunches, and dinners by friendly staff long enough to become a local legend. The jumbo lump crab cakes are highly recommended, and the service and quality of food can’t be beat.
4. King Tut Drive-In, Beckley, WV
You’ll get a glimpse of the past when you stop by King Tut Drive-In located in Beckley, West Virginia. This unique family owned drive-in has been in business since the 1940s, serving some of the best food in the state. Whether you order traditional favorites like a hot dog, French fries, pizza, or burger, or the cheesesteak hoagie, sweet potato waffle fries, and black raspberry milkshake, you’ll leave full and with a smile on your face. King Tut’s was voted #52 on the “101 Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia.”
5. John’s Family Restaurant, Rippon, WV
Friendly service, good food, and a relaxing atmosphere is what brings people to John’s Family Restaurant in Rippon, West Virginia. Delicious, simple, and filling homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches are what keeps them coming back. You can’t go wrong with anything on the diverse menu, including steaks grilled to order, creamy chowder, homemade rolls, and fresh vegetables. Highly recommended on social media sites.
6. Food & Friends, Lewisburg, WV
What started out as a little sandwich shop almost 30 years ago has blossomed into a great local dining spot where reservations are recommended because of its popularity. Food & Friends in Lewisburg, West Virginia has been the recipient of the “Best Restaurant in the Greenbrier Valley” numerous times, and it’s no wonder why. The family owned eatery was featured on the Food Network with such yummy foods like the harbor crab dip, a creamy blend of blue crab, cream cheese, and spices served on garlic bruschetta and the bourbon salmon, fresh Norwegian salmon with a sweet bourbon glaze, red onions and peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and an egg over fresh greens. Specialty sandwiches, salads, and wraps are available in the market and you can arrange for them to cater your next event.
7. Leonoro’s Spaghetti House, Charleston, WV
Leonoro’s isn’t just another Italian spaghetti house. A Charleston icon because they’ve been around since 1915, this family owned restaurant offers homemade Italian cuisine including lasagna, linguine, ravioli, manicotti, rigatoni, veal parmigiana, and chicken cacciatore with your choice of red sauce, white clam sauce, Italian sausage, meatballs, or a special mushroom sauce. And don’t forget dessert—spumoni, cannoli, or tiramisu to finish your meal.
8. Cook’s Country Kitchen, White Sulphur Springs, WV
If you’re looking for a great Southern-style family restaurant, drive on over to Cook’s Country Kitchen in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It might be the best country fried stead that gets your attention, or the club sandwiches piled high with turkey, chicken, and ham. It might be the fried green tomato sandwiches or the build-your-own breakfast menu. And if you still can’t decide what to order, the ever-popular Levi’s Breakfast for the large appetite is good and comes with three eggs, biscuit and gravy, country ham, ribeye, or pork chop, and hash browns or grits.
9. Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House, Huntington, WV
You’ll know you found something special as soon as you step inside the front door of Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House in Huntington, West Virginia. This delightful mom and pop establishment has been serving hungry customers for over 74 years, and has earned a reputation for classic spaghetti, fish sandwiches, and homemade chocolate pie. Jim’s takes pride in the five pillars of a great eatery: good service, good food, courtesy, cleanliness, and ambiance. Jim’s was voted #49 on the “101 Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia.”
10. Cornerstone Café, Glenville, WV
Great down home cooking is what you’ll find at the Cornerstone Café in Glenville, West Virginia. Breakfast is available all day and that includes the best sausage biscuits and gravy next to your mama’s. Don’t expect fancy, but expect friendly service, good prices, and large portions. This newly remodeled diner has all your favorites from chicken nuggets and beer battered French fries to hamburger steak and onion rings and more. They offer a children’s menu and delicious desserts like freshly baked apple pie, blackberry cobbler, and hot fudge cake.
