Whether planning a gal pal weekend, out for a hike or a bike ride on Meeks Mountain Trails, or celebrating a special day with your sweetheart, you’ll find something completely unexpected in #PutnamWV when answering the age-old question “Where should we eat?”.
We have a surprising variety of food options, so take your time and savor them all. Whether you’re adventurous or not, there is something for everyone in #PutnamWV. American, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, and Thai are all available here. We have great cocktail, coffee, juice, and tea options. We even have places to satisfy your sweet tooth. Also, it wouldn’t be a foodie celebration without the West Virginia state food, the pepperoni roll, and we have several places to choose from, so sample them all and pick your favorite.
Putnam County is closer than you think, so if you’re planning a trip to the Mountain State, be sure to add #PutnamWV to your itinerary. If you’re a local, we are sure there is a restaurant on this list you haven’t tried, so put down the food delivery app and get your group together for a night out or enjoy lunch with your colleagues. We have even put together a sample foodie adventure for you below. (Read on for descriptions of each restaurant).
Friday
Dinner at Whiskey Taco or Guadalajara Modern Mexican Cuisine
Dessert at Barnyard BBQ or Italian GrilleSaturday
Breakfast at Bridge Café & Bistro
Lunch at Thai Valley Kitchen or Taste of Asia
Afternoon Coffee or Tea at Putnam Provisions Co.
Appetizer at Fairways Bar & Grille
Dinner at Belknap Dough Company
Drinks at The Pallet Bar or, if the weather is nice, at EZ Street or Mediterranean Breeze RestaurantSunday
Brunch at Fireside GrilleExtras for the ride home or to share with family and friends
Juice or Smoothie from The Juice Box
Sweet Treats from The Bakerie, Sweet Mama’s, Valley Cakes & Cafe, and Winfield Dairy Freeze
Pack your eating pants and plan to try something new in #PutnamWV. We’ll be waiting for you!
Classic items including cream horns, cupcakes, and homemade ice cream are just the beginning. Dive into a slice of Snickerdoodle Pie, a Buckeye Brownie, or a Darling Doughnut for a sugar rush you won’t forget. Take home the cake of the day, cookies, a selection of mouth-watering cupcakes, or let them craft a made-for-you dessert for your next party, birthday, or family gathering. Oh, and don’t forget the ice cream!
Barnyard BBQ
It’s a huge menu so bring a huge appetite! Appetizers (17 to choose from), wings from scorching hot to barely a whimper, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, spuds, salads, and veggie plates are all there, but the main attraction is the meat. Baby back ribs, pork, chicken, and brisket as well as dinners including prime rib and catfish. Oh, and save room for dessert, too.
Belknap Dough Company
Born from a food truck and a farewell to the corporate world, this pizza and dough company is as real as it gets. Simple ingredients, locally sourced, combined to make extraordinary food. Appetizers and salads to start, Nutella Foldover to finish, but the pizza is the main event. From the Hurricane Haze to the Greek to the Goat, every pie is a must-try. Ask about their Special Pies and follow them on Facebook.
Bridge Café & Bistro
Elevating farm-to-table by supporting local producers means you’ll get the best the area has. Starters, sandwiches, salads, and burgers (made with WV beef) are just the beginning. Dinner entrees include steaks, hot ‘n sticky chicken, and meatloaf. But the main event is their weekend brunch, including their signature Hurricane Hash and French Toast Special.
EZ Street
Fun food in a fun atmosphere. If the weather is nice, enjoy their outdoor waterfront deck while you munch on burgers and sandwiches with great names like the Pothole (BBQ bacon cheeseburger), Hillbilly Heaven (fried bologna sandwich), Boom Boom Shrimp, wings, appetizers, the Chicken Coop Salad, and be sure to ask about their Burger of the Month.
Fairways Bar & Grill
If you’re expecting typical bar food, you will be pleasantly surprised by the decidedly Mediterranean twist to the menu. Unique appetizers like Ahi Tuna, Hummus with Grilled Pita or Veggies, Baked Feta, loaded fries (Greek, Pimento, Buffalo, or Reuben), salads, veggie and steak burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, pasta, and twelve entrees round out the selections. Don’t miss their Saturday Brunch, either.
Fireside Grille
Good food, good drinks, and good times are what they serve here. The menu is expansive, and there’s something for the pickiest eaters and the most adventurous diners. Fried Deviled Eggs, Putnam Pepperoni Rolls, gourmet flatbreads, salads, burgers and sandwiches, pasta, and beef, chicken, fish, and pork entrees are all there. Don’t miss their brunch menu on the weekends featuring Chicken and Waffles and their take on the classic Eggs Benedict.
Guadalajara Modern Mexican Cuisine
The tamales are a must-have to start or enjoy any of the other nine appetizers including Fresh Ceviche, then choose from their authentic Mexican and local favorite entrees, namesake tacos (Tinga Chicken, Quesa Birria, Chipotle Fish, and six more), tortas, burritos, and fajitas.
Italian Grille
With ingredients sourced locally when possible, fresh is an understatement. You’ll find your traditional Italian favorites like chicken or eggplant parmesan, lasagna, spaghetti marinara, grinders (sub sandwiches), and pizza with made-from-scratch crust. There is something for everyone here, including dessert, so don’t forget to take the cannoli.
The Juice Box
Want a healthy dose of good-for-you food after a workout, run, or just because? Twelve bottled cold-pressed juices, three wellness shots (the Novid-19 is a must), nine smoothies flavors, toasts (top yours with chicken salad, tuna salad, peanut butter, fruit or chocolate, or avocado of course), loaded paninis, salads, sweet protein bombs, or reset your whole self with a 1, 3, 5, or 7 day cleanse. You’ll feel better just walking in the door!
Mediterranean Breeze Restaurant
The cozy dining room or the heated and covered outdoor waterfront deck is just the first choice you have to make here. With a Mediterranean-centered menu featuring traditional and American favorites, start with the Mediterranean Veggie or Nacho Platter then venture into soups, salads, wraps, piadinas (a type of flatbread), burgers, kebabs (grilled meat skewers), and wood-fired made-from-scratch pizzas. Bring your appetite and your sense of adventure!
The Pallet Bar
From their Stack Craft sandwiches to their Pallet Cleansers selection of mouth-watering appetizers, it’s easy to see why people come for the food and stay for the fun. Some menu items are paired with the craft beer of the day (from a nice selection of West Virginia breweries and a few out-of-staters) making for an excellent combination of dinner and drink options.
Putnam Provisions Co.
You might ask, “What is a shop doing on a foodie blog?” but rest assured that there are plenty of food options here! This is the home of the BLAT! (bacon, lettuce, avocado, and tomato sandwich), avocado toast, baked goods, coffees, teas, and specialty drinks. You’ll also find pepperoni rolls from G&G Heritage Farm, Cinnamon Rolls from Crago Country Farm, and other foodie provisions to share with your family and friends (or keep for yourself…we won’t judge).
Sweet Mama’s
All the sweet treats you can handle, throw in their take on the official food of West Virginia, the pepperoni roll, and you have a bakery with a little bit of everything. Whether celebrating a birthday, a special event, or just making it through a Wednesday, they have the perfect confection for your occasion. Don’t miss their mash-up desserts like pineapple upside-down cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, or ask them to put together a party platter with something for everyone.
Taste of Asia
Serving Chinese, Japanese, and Thai foods, it’s easy to find a favorite here even if you aren’t adventurous. With over 15 appetizers, soups, salads, rice noodles, lo mein, fried rice, and classic dishes like Happy Family, General Tso Chicken, and Crispy Beef Szechuan you might miss the four menu pages of sushi and hibachi they offer as well. Come hungry and leave happy!
Thai Valley Kitchen
From the simple Satay to the complex Lo Mein Duck, you are bound to find favorites to keep you coming back. All their curry, fried rice, and noodle dishes can be enjoyed vegetarian or with your choice of chicken, pork, tofu, beef, or shrimp. A wide selection of appetizers and entrees means there is something for even the pickiest eater in your group.
Valley Cakes & Cafe
Come in for lunch and leave with an afternoon treat or something to take home to share. From fresh soups, the Hen and Berry Salad, paninis, wraps, Chicken Salad Croissants, and flatbreads you won’t leave hungry but save room for dessert. Choose from their decadent cupcakes, brownies, cream horns, fudge, or pineapple upside-down cake. Order a custom cake or cupcakes for your next birthday or special occasion and ask about their gluten-free options.
Whiskey Taco
Start with wings and their signature sauces like tomatillo, mango habanero, and whiskey gold, then have mix-and-match tacos (there are 15 to choose from including Korean, chorizo, and al pastor), sizzling fajitas, a burrito bowl, or one of their classic entrees.
Winfield Dairy Freeze
Some things never go out of style and that includes soft-serve ice cream and all the delicious things you can make with it. But first, you have to finish your food! With so many things to choose from you’ll be back for more. Burgers, cheesesteaks, soups, salads, classic dinners, appetizers, and all those delicious frozen treats like cones, sundaes, milkshakes, floats, hand-dipped ice cream, and specialty desserts. Ask about their catering menu, too.
Written by Ginger Willis