7 Must-Visit Restaurants in the Mid-Ohio Valley

Written by Chef Ambassador, Chef Yancy Roush

If you live in West Virginia and love food, you must make your way up to the Parkersburg / Mid-Ohio Valley area to explore all the options guaranteed to satiate every foodie. I invite you to plan a weekend and explore the diverse flavors of Parkersburg and the Greater Mid-Ohio Valley and experience our local culture and community through cuisine. 

Chams Lebanese Cuisine

Chams Lebanese Cuisine is owned by brother and sister Chams Ekelman and Rizkallah Helou who bring us the flavors of their hometown of Saraba, Lebanon. They offer shawarma, shish kabob, jaw-dropping hummus and so much more. 

Vegetarians love Cham’s variety of options, from their crispy falafel to their stuffed grape leaves. 

You must try Cham’s luscious rich baklava at the end of your meal. 

610 Market St, Parkersburg, WV 26101

North End Tavern & Brewery

First opened in 1899, The North End Tavern & Brewery is the oldest currently-operating restaurant and brewery in West Virginia. North End Tavern offers a strong diversity of beer styles, from their 5-Way IPA with a bold dry-hopped flavor, to their signature amber Roedy’s Red Ale. They offer a line of six brews plus seasonal offerings.

Those local to the Mid-Ohio Valley know and love The North End Tavern for not only their beer but also their sandwiches. The NET Burger has a reputation as one of Parkersburg’s best hamburgers. The North End Tavern also offers some German-inspired pub dishes to go alongside their house-brewed libations, including grilled German bologna, braunschweiger liverwurst and bratwurst sausage.

3500 Emerson Ave, Parkersburg, WV 26104

Jimmie Colombo’s Italian Restaurant

Colombo’s first introduced Parkersburg to New York-style pizza in 1954 and has been a go-to venue for traditional Italian cuisine ever since. Their sweet, tangy housemade sauce has tantalized generations of diners and continues to attract culinary tourists from far outside our region. Jimmie Colombo’s early years were spent as a welterweight fighter, at one point earning the title of a West Virginia Golden Gloves champion. The first restaurant was built in Clarksburg before moving to Parkersburg after nine years. 

Start your meal with the Italian flavors of their hearty minestrone soup or share an appetizer of golden-brown fried ravioli. They exceed in all of your Italian favorites – lasagna, spaghetti and fettuccine, as well as exceptional Mediterranean flavors like shrimp primavera and broiled cod.

1236 7th St, Parkersburg, WV 26101

Parkersburg Brewing Company

Parkersburg Brewing Co. is the namesake of the original brewing company whose inception arrived in 1864 and again in 2016 when four homebrewers combined their passions and brought back the long-missed name. 
You may have very likely tried some of their offerings found at various restaurants and grocery stores across the state, including their honey brown ale, Cellblock 304 or their grapefruit IPA, Citrus Tsunami. Should you crave something a bit different than beer, Parkersburg Brewing offers a selection of alcoholic seltzers including black cherry and blood orange flavors. 
Find exceptional gastropub offerings like mango peach habanero chicken wings, fried scotch eggs wrapped in sausage or a flaky cod fish and chips. The Big Kahuna, a sesame-crusted ahi tuna steak, pairs perfectly with their ginger dressing. Finish with a salted caramel brownie so good that you’ll be planning your next trip back.

707 Market St, Parkersburg, WV 26101

Napoli’s Pizza

Napoli’s Pizza is a staple of the Mid-Ohio Valley, with over five-and-a-half decades of cooking and baking pizza, pasta and subs. The reason for their continued success is that people LOVE their fresh items.

Napoli’s bakes all of their own bread and crusts, meaning they have some of the softest sub rolls you can find. Their bread rolls alone are worth a trip, let alone their pizza. Enjoy pizza sauce made from the same kind of tomatoes found in the best sauces in Napoli, Italy. 

I suggest trying Napoli’s thick-cut Sicilian Garden Patch Pizza, smothered in veggies. The broccoli and cauliflower perfectly crisp in the hot oven, providing a texture next-to-none.

1617 Dupont Rd, South Parkersburg, WV 26101

Philippines Best Food

Owned by Daniel and Ellen Lubuguin, Philippines Best has been serving delicious food to the Parkersburg area since 2012 and has since opened a second location in Williamstown, WV. 

Philippines Best brings the flavor of the Islands to Parkersburg. You’ll want to try their delightful Filipino seafood paella or perhaps their milkfish in a tamarind broth. I would suggest an order of the Beef Kare Kare, cooked with eggplant, bok choy, green beans and a cover of peanut sauce with shrimp paste. 

1757c 7th St, Parkersburg, WV 26101

The Blennerhassett Restaurant and Lounge

I would be remiss not to include the restaurant where I proudly serve as a chef, the illustrious Blennerhassett Restaurant and Lounge. The Blennerhassett Hotel’s fine restaurants since the late 1800s have been considered some of the finest spots along the Ohio River, and that reputation continues to this day. 

I invite you to reserve at The Blennerhassett Restaurant where you’ll discover an evening filled with delight. Try our Greek marinated Swordfish cooked to perfection. Savor cuts of Black Angus filet paired with a red wine mushroom reduction. Use the back of your spoon to hear a satisfying crack as you break into our vanilla bean créme brûlée with berries and chantilly cream. Come to The Blennerhassett Restaurant and Lounge and forge new memories with an elevated breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!

320 Market St. Parkersburg, WV 26101

Meet our Chef Ambassador

Yancy Roush

Owner of Yancy’s Five-Star Catering and Chef of the Blennerhassett Hotel

Chef Yancy Roush is known through the Mid-Ohio Valley region for his appearances on WTAP, his excellent catering service, and his tenure at The Blennerhassett Hotel’s kitchen – both in the past as “Harman’s Restaurant” and currently under the name “The Blennerhassett Restaurant & Lounge.”

Trained at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, Chef Yancy’s illustrative culinary career ranges from Columbus, New Orleans, The Greenbrier Resort in Lewisburg and now back to The Blennerhassett. While Chef Yancy is skilled in every facet of the kitchen, he finds his passion in catering banquets and ice sculpting which led to the inception of his company, Yancy’s Five Star Catering.

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This post was last updated on May 15, 2023