Taste of Marion County: Culinary Delights and Local Eateries

I’m sure you know by now that Marion County is full of delectable eateries. We have some pretty famous ones, but we have a few that should be just as famous! We’ll give you the scoop on some of them and then good luck deciding where to go for dinner!

plate of lasagna

Already famous

Muriale’s Italian Kitchen is a pillar of the Italian American food community. It’s where you get your calamari, your gnocchi, your Taste of Italy! (Yes, that’s an actual menu item!) Taste the sweeter side, too, with their seasonal cocktails (Hello, Apple of my Rye) and the desserts: tiramisu, cannoli, cheesecake, and different kinds of cakes to appeal to all sweet teeth. 

The Poky Dot is a mainstay of the community, since I don’t know the 1950’s! They’ve reinvented themselves through the years with different fun and funny decor and delicious dishes. Consider a milkshake for the whole table! Filled with candy and cakes, their desserts are not to be trifled with. You can also get something closer to normal size: a macaroni and cheeseburger, bourbon steak wrap or pot roast.

Pufferbelly’s Food & Ice Cream Station may feel like it’s been around for ages, but it hasn’t! Partly because of that communal feeling, it is now one of the communal diners. It may also partly be due to the railroad theme wraps (the Derailer is popular for good reason), the fries, the ice cream (alllll the flavors), and the sandwiches (railroad Reubens, crossover Cubans and more!). 

Colasessano’s is one of the most amazing Italian American pizza places you’ll find anywhere. The pizza is a delicious pillow covered in one ton of cheese, hot or mixed peppers, sausage, and whatever else your heart desires. They also make great pepperoni rolls filled with cheese and Demus peppers. Don’t forget to save room for gelato! 

Mi Pueblo is a place you can always count on for good food. Go for the street tacos and corn; stay for the homemade ice cream bars in so many flavors! Get delicious vegetarian dishes (huevos rancheros and spinach quesadillas to name a few), chorizo, jumbo burritos, and quesabirria! 

Apple Annie’s started in Morgantown and came to Fairmont not that long ago, but they quickly became a go-to spot! They looked at homestyle food and said Bet. From pot pie to peanut butter chocolate pie, they have all the comfort food you need — done right.

stacked hamburger and French Fries

Should be way more famous​​

JAG Beer Burger Bowery is a little hidden spot down and behind a laundromat. You know that means it’s good! It’s a burger-first kind of place. Tobacco onion (with fried onions and pimento cheese), Crabby Patty (with microgreens and a remoulade), and the Billion Dollar Burger (with cabernet onions and a mushroom demi glaze) are just a few interesting options. They don’t turn their nose up at salads and sandwiches, though.

Red Bull? No, no. The Original Hoops Cafe gives you wings. Literally! This is a local favorite where you can get so many wings, so many flavors and so many fries! How hot can you handle? My guess is somewhere between “Southern Belle” and “Desert Sand”. Match heat with heat with the jalapeno bottle caps or avoid it completely with the jerk salmon or rack of ribs.

Ebo’s is unconventional in style and unmatched in flavor. It’s the only local place you can get a fried chicken box, a fried fish box, and a shrimp box! There’s also grits and pepper soup and gumbo! It’s everything you never knew you needed.

Mama di Roma’s is the new Italian spot in downtown Fairmont. The house made dressing, the garlic bread, and mounds of pasta have solidified their status in the hearts of locals and visitors alike. If not the eggplant stacker, consider the chicken piccata! There’s always the jumbo cheese ravioli, which is as good as their calamari and scungilli marinara. 

No matter where you pick from on this list, you won’t be disappointed! So good luck, but you don’t really need it 😉