Ralphie's Update

Looking for that Pork BBQ or that Double Decker I mentioned before. Well, sad news.. Ralphie's has closed down several months ago. He decided to move to Ocean City where the seafood is more fresh I guess. If you want to try the pork BBQ, however; Ralphie's smoker was purchased and now sits at the intersection of Route 279 and 50. Good stuff but I will still miss this place.

Yeah, I know there have been no posts in a while. I am prepared to continue the journey now. Some reviews have been completed and not blogged about so check out "The List" above for more information. Thanks for reading.

Muriale's

I am not sure if this place even needs a review. There is no dispute among Fairmontians that Muriale's has great food and offers great fellowship. If there is a dispute, keep it to yourself as you don't want to end up sleeping with the fishes.

Seriously, the parking lot to this place is regularly filled -- and so are the people coming out of it! Pasta, steak, seafood, salad, this menu makes it hard to choose, and it is all delectable. What do I recommend? I recommend going back several times until you have tried it all! On your way out, Rocco Muriale himself will thank you for visiting almost every time.

I may not be in the family, but I have nothing but respect for it. Plus, you can't get passed the signed picture of the world famous "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld and a collection of other greats (rumor has it Rocco signed them all himself but it has never been proven). Finally, don't forget to use the napkin if you're having the pasta. You will not be able to resist the noodle slurp with all this noodly goodness.

Summary: 98 points $$$$ - WWW

FOOD: 59 points
ENVIRONMENT: 24 points
SERVICE: 15 points

Muriale's Information
1742 Fairmont Avenue
Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 363-3190
http://www.murialesrestaurant.com/

Ralphie's Texas BBQ

== OUT OF BUSINESS ==

Ralphie's Texas BBQ. Wow! That is about all that comes to my mind when I think of this place. Why? This place is great! Re-located from Dundalk, MD, about nine or 10 years ago, Ralphie has brought a smorgasbord of flavor to Fairmont. Try the pulled pork BBQ, the lobster bisque, a real Maryland-style crab cake like they make near the bay, and if you are ready for some serious sow, have the Double Decker with Sausage and Pork BBQ (be sure they add the Monteray Jack). You won't leave hungry.

Remember the "Old Bay" seasoning on your fries and you will feel like you are sitting on the east coast. I will definitely be visiting here again and again and again... maybe I can talk them into a "Double Decker Po Boy" sandwich. It wouldn't hurt to try!

Summary: 91 points $$$ - WW

FOOD: 58 points
ENVIRONMENT: 20 points
SERVICE: 13 points

Ralphie's BBQ Information
310 Middletown Rd

Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 366-2221‎

Hometown Hotdogs

Yummm... the infamous dog with sauce.. (Chili Dog for the novice). This is a treat you have to try, and be sure to get it hot with everything. Feeling daring?! Try out the Lava Dog. Just so you know, Lava is HOT, and so is Hometown Hotdogs. That is not all. You can get two of these dogs with fries and a drink for a 5 spot. Sure you could get the $5 footlong from somewhere else for the same amount, but why?

Whaaaaa.... but I don't like hotdogs! Try this place anyway. They have great burgers and chicken sandwiches that are top quality and packed with taste. All I have to say is, I'll see you there at least twice a month.

Summary: 90 points $ - W

FOOD: 57 points
ENVIRONMENT: 18 points
SERVICE: 15 points

Hometown Hotdogs Information
37 Middletown Road
Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 367-0143

Dairy Creme Corner

Known for their towering ice cream cones and summer time hang out for all Fairmontians, Dairy Creme Corner is the place to be. Don't let the pint sized baby cone fool you, this place has some good eats as well. From the hot sausage sandwich to the chili cheese fries, your taste buds are in for a major party. Wanna taste a real Philly cheese-steak, try this one out, it may be smaller than the original but it tastes exactly like it.

Great food, great price, great fellowship, a veritable summer time Fairmontian family reunion. I have even seen the governor and mayor there on occasion. Try it out, order a large cone and you will see why this place makes the cut.

Summary: 92 points $$ - WW

FOOD: 58 points
ENVIRONMENT: 19 points
SERVICE: 15 points

Dairy Creme Corner Information
187 Homewood Avenue
Fairmont, WV 26554
304-366-6809

Other Reviews

• Trip Advisor
• Yelp!
• WVHotdogBlog

Colasessano's

Known to Fairmontians for their pizza and pepperoni rolls. Colasessano's or Colo's as I have heard it called was the first place we decided to visit. With two locations in Fairmont, it was easy to drop by and check the place out. We visited the new location at the Middletown Mall or 9705 Mall Loop Road.

Fairmont's own Country Club Bakery is known to be one of the places to have originally started the pepperoni roll. Therefore; The citizen's of Fairmont take their pepperoni rolls seriously.

In business for more than fifty years, Colasessano's has taken the pepperoni roll to a whole new level. Just $4 gets you a pepperoni bun with everything including another Fairmont tradition, the infamous hot peppers and sauce. Although I have tried the other menu items, including pizza, soups, sides, and sandwiches, I can't help but fall back to this awesome taste extravaganza and my colleagues seem to agree.

I just can't say enough about the friendly service, and relaxing atmosphere. Honestly, after this experience this journey may be over. But we must go on to ensure the forces of evil do not persuade our fine citizen's to go to another town to dine. We shall press on toward the goal and leave no morsel untouched to tantalize your taste palette.

Summary: 96 points $$ III W

FOOD: 58 points
ENVIRONMENT: 23 points
SERVICE: 15 points

Colasessano's Information
506 Pennsylvania Ave.
Fairmont, West Virginia 26554
304-363-9713
http://www.colasessanos.com/

Planning Stage: The Review Criteria

I used to teach so we are going on a 100 point grading scale.

Grading for Reviews

1. FOOD: 60 points
• freshness (10)
• menu variety(5)
• consistent (5)
• taste (40)
2. ENVIRONMENT: 25 points
• clean (10)
• decor (5)
• bathrooms (10)
3. SERVICE: 15 points
• efficient (5)
• friendly (5)
• prompt (5)

PRICE:
$=under $5
$$=$5-10
$$$=$11-20
$$$$=$21-30
$$$$$=$31-40
$$$$$$=$41 AND UP

Wi-Fi:
- = none
I=low signal
II=ok signal
III=good signal
IIII=great signal

Seating Time:
W=5 minutes or less
WW=6-10
WWW=11-15
WWWW=16-20
WWWWW=21-30
WWWWWW=30 or more

After giving the grade, we will follow up with my personal recommendation which may or may not directly correlate with the grade.