Morgantown, West Virginia, has a restaurant scene that reaches well beyond a game-day burger. The Wharf District gathers riverside dining and wood-fired pizza, downtown High Street brings Thai cooking and seasonal dinner menus, and the neighborhoods around West Virginia University offer everything from house-made pasta to inventive burritos. A longtime tavern on Richwood Avenue and a butcher-shop deli on University Avenue add two different reasons to explore beyond the main downtown strip. These 15 selections balance occasion restaurants with casual favorites, identifying the particular branch where that matters. Whether you are visiting campus, meeting friends before a game, or planning a quieter evening, there is a useful starting point here.
The countdown runs from #15 to #1. Dishes and wines illustrate each restaurant’s cooking and selection; menus change, so check availability when booking.
Price guide: Representative food-only meal per person (dinner unless another meal is specified), excluding drinks, tax, and voluntary tips; identified mandatory charges included:
- $ – under $25
- $$ – $25-$49
- $$$ – $50-$99
- $$$$ – $100+
#15 The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley
Cuisine: Italian-influenced seasonal dining
Neighborhood: Suncrest, Burroughs Street
Price: $$
Best For: An unhurried meal with wine and shared starters
Must Order: Seasonal short rib with risotto, when offered
Why It Made the List:
The Wine Bar offers several ways to turn an evening over wine into a substantial meal. Flash-fried artichoke roses with garlic aioli and baked Brie with maple syrup and pecans provide contrasting starters, while shrimp and grits bring tasso ham, bacon, and mushrooms into a fuller dinner. A beet-and-burrata salad with orange and pistachios offers a brighter counterpoint to those richer dishes.
Known For:
- Seasonal short rib pairs with shallot-mushroom risotto.
- Cheese and charcuterie boards can be assembled from a selection of components.
- The owner describes a wine selection of more than 200 labels.
#14 Tin 202
Cuisine: Seasonal American and European-inspired
Neighborhood: Downtown, High Street
Price: $$
Best For: A downtown dinner with cocktails and a varied menu
Must Order: Bacalhau with potatoes, olives, and egg
Why It Made the List:
Tin 202’s short menu makes it easy to build a dinner around a few contrasting courses. Crab-and-mandarin crostini offer a bright opening, while vichyssoise and a Greek mezze board provide different ways to start. The Campfire Cookie, with marshmallow, cereal crunch, and vanilla ice cream, gives the otherwise restrained menu a playful finish.
Known For:
- Bacalhau combines salt cod, fingerling potatoes, olives, green beans, and egg.
- Chicken piccata is served with angel hair and a lemon-caper preparation.
- Portobello fettuccine offers a vegetable-centered pasta choice.
#13 Village Butcher and Market
Cuisine: American deli and butcher-shop sandwiches
Neighborhood: University Avenue, near Star City
Price: $
Best For: A substantial sandwich lunch and a browse through the market
Must Order: Steak sandwich with chips
Why It Made the List:
Village Butcher puts a full-service butcher counter and a sandwich kitchen under one roof. Its turkey sandwich layers bacon, sharp cheddar, arugula, and basil pesto, while warm mortadella takes a spicier turn with banana peppers and Calabrian chili spread. The combination makes this University Avenue stop useful for a sit-down lunch as well as shopping for a meal to cook later.
Known For:
- Ribeye is sliced in house for the steak sandwich.
- The Caprese sandwich combines mozzarella, tomato, arugula, pesto, and balsamic.
- A full-service butcher counter shares the space with a deli and specialty market.
#12 Fresh Mint Indian Grill
Cuisine: Indian
Neighborhood: Downtown, South High Street
Price: $
Best For: Exploring regional Indian dishes with a group
Must Order: Chicken Chettinad with rice
Why It Made the List:
Fresh Mint offers regional preparations that reward a closer look through its long menu. Gongura dishes use the tangy leaves with chicken, lamb, or shrimp, and grilled salmon takes on a fenugreek marinade. Its slowly cooked dal makhani brings black lentils and kidney beans together, giving a table another substantial dish to share alongside the meat and fish choices.
Known For:
- Chicken Chettinad offers a regional alternative to a standard creamy curry.
- Masala dosa comes with coconut chutney and sambar.
- Begara baingan uses baby eggplant with peanut, sesame, and coconut.
#11 Chaang Thai
Cuisine: Thai
Neighborhood: Downtown, High Street
Price: $
Best For: A Thai meal with a wide choice of noodles and curries
Must Order: Fire Cracker Chicken with jasmine rice
Why It Made the List:
Chaang Thai’s menu gives diners several ways to explore beyond the familiar noodle dishes. Crispy duck salad combines pineapple, cashews, red onion, and chili-lime dressing, while the Golden Cashew stir-fry brings vegetables into a spicy red-chili sauce. Fire Cracker Tofu applies the restaurant’s chili-paste, white-wine, and onion preparation to tofu, with jasmine rice alongside.
Known For:
- Fire Cracker Chicken uses thin slices of lightly battered chicken with chili paste and onion.
- Duck pad Thai is offered in a separate dinner preparation.
- The restaurant has a rear outdoor deck.
#10 Ogawa
Cuisine: Japanese and Korean
Neighborhood: University Avenue
Price: $$
Best For: A group choosing between sushi and cooked dishes
Must Order: Bulgogi or a sushi-and-sashimi combination
Why It Made the List:
Ogawa’s cooked dishes make it a useful choice even when sushi is not the main attraction. Its sundubu stew combines tofu, egg, vegetables, and seafood in a spicy broth, while a sizzling seafood bowl brings rice and vegetables together with a spicy sauce. Okonomiyaki adds another contrasting option, built around cabbage, onion, egg, and savory toppings.
Known For:
- Bulgogi features marinated sliced beef with rice.
- The menu includes Japanese noodle dishes as well as sushi combinations.
- Lunch bento choices combine a main with several accompaniments.
#9 Mario’s Fishbowl — Richwood
Cuisine: Tavern wings and burgers
Neighborhood: Woodburn, Richwood Avenue
Price: $
Best For: A casual meal in a longtime neighborhood tavern
Must Order: Wings with Cowboy Ranch sauce
Why It Made the List:
Mario’s adds a few distinctive comfort-food combinations to its neighborhood-tavern menu. The Steak Stacker layers chopped steak, white American cheese, fries, and slaw on garlic Texas toast. Hand-cut chips with blue cheese and balsamic offer a different shared side, while a spicy Italian-sausage hoagie brings peppers and melted cheese into the mix.
Known For:
- Cowboy Ranch is one of the signature wing sauces.
- The Cowboy Burger also uses Cowboy Ranch and adds fries to the sandwich.
- The Fishbowl name dates to the large goblets adopted by Rose and Mario Spina.
#8 Lefty’s Place — Morgantown
Cuisine: Detroit-style and tavern pizza
Neighborhood: Suncrest, Burroughs Street
Price: $
Best For: A pizza-focused meal with friends
Must Order: Fully Loaded Detroit-style pizza
Why It Made the List:
Lefty’s offers several ways to build a meal around its pizza kitchen. The Nucky combines sausage, cherry peppers, and garlic, while the Swanson calzone brings together bacon, pepperoni, and sausage. Hand-breaded mozzarella wedges and an eggplant Parmesan sub give diners alternatives when they would rather share a starter or choose an individual sandwich.
Known For:
- The Fully Loaded pie includes pepperoni, sausage, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms.
- Detroit pies come in an eight-by-ten-inch, four-square format.
- Betty White combines spinach, ricotta, garlic, and olive oil without red sauce.
#7 Mountain State Brewing Co. — Morgantown
Cuisine: Wood-fired pizza and pub food
Neighborhood: Wharf District, Clay Street
Price: $
Best For: Sharing pizza or settling in for a brewpub meal
Must Order: Fire on the Mountain pizza or the Wild Boar sandwich
Why It Made the List:
Mountain State puts its wood-fired oven to work beyond the usual pepperoni pizza. The Northcamp flatbread combines chicken, spinach, cranberries, and Alfredo sauce, while the Mushroom Medley adds nutmeg and Asiago to a garlic-and-olive-oil base. An apple-butter pulled-chicken sandwich with pickled apples offers a smaller individual meal, with chips and a pickle included.
Known For:
- Fire on the Mountain combines sausage, pepperoni, banana peppers, chipotle, and smoked Gouda.
- The Wild Boar sandwich pairs pulled pork with apple slaw and pickled jalapeños.
- The pub offers flights of its beers alongside the food menu.
#6 Iron Horse Tavern
Cuisine: American tavern and pierogi
Neighborhood: Downtown, High Street
Price: $$
Best For: A casual downtown dinner with West Virginia beer
Must Order: Pierogi Ruskie with kielbasa
Why It Made the List:
Iron Horse takes several of its tavern dishes in unexpected directions. Its Umami Burger adds black-garlic aioli and rosemary-truffle salt, while the beer-battered cod sandwich uses a curry-and-caper tartar sauce. Cauliflower tacos with chipotle-pineapple sauce give a vegetable-focused diner another substantial option alongside the richer meat dishes.
Known For:
- Pierogi Ruskie pair kielbasa with onion, red cabbage, and crème fraîche.
- The Iron Horse Burger adds bacon, poblano, smoked Gouda, and barbecue sauce.
- Buckwheat doughnut holes come with a coffee-liqueur cream.
#5 Oliverio’s on the Wharf
Cuisine: Italian
Neighborhood: Wharf District, Clay Street
Price: $$
Best For: A group dinner with pasta and seafood choices
Must Order: Pasta Bolognese with sausage and burrata
Why It Made the List:
Oliverio’s is especially useful for diners who like seafood worked into an Italian meal. Stuffed cod comes with seafood imperial and risotto, while veal Oscar adds crab, pine nuts, and lemon butter to a breaded cutlet. The Sicilian Trio offers a different route through the menu, bringing lasagna, a stuffed shell, and baked penne onto one plate.
Known For:
- The Bolognese combines sausage, burrata, and basil.
- Angel-hair crab balls offer a distinctive starter.
- Mushroom sacchetti are served with vodka rosa sauce.
#4 Black Bear Burritos — Evansdale
Cuisine: Globally inspired burritos
Neighborhood: Evansdale, University Avenue
Price: $
Best For: An informal meal with inventive fillings
Must Order: The Queen B burrito
Why It Made the List:
Black Bear’s most interesting combinations often turn on an unexpected sauce. The AINT’-chillada brings green enchilada sauce and blueberry vincotto together, while Sergeant Peppers pairs a pepper-filled wrap with kiwi salsa. Even the meatless chili connects the Evansdale menu to the restaurant’s former downtown home, giving regulars a familiar dish alongside the more playful creations.
Known For:
- The Queen B includes potato, squash, shishito peppers, and honey-garlic sauce.
- The Irie Member brings jerk sauce, pineapple, and chayote into a burrito.
- Tofu is available for several preparations, with sauces and dairy checked separately.
#3 Stefano’s of Morgantown
Cuisine: Italian
Neighborhood: Chestnut Ridge Road
Price: $$
Best For: A pasta-centered date night or celebration
Must Order: Ricotta gnocchi with meat sauce
Why It Made the List:
Stefano’s gives its seafood preparations the same attention as its Italian staples. Halibut comes with artichokes and saffron in a white-wine butter sauce, while sea bass rests over lobster-and-asparagus risotto with parsnip crisps. Those combinations make it worth considering for a celebration as well as a simpler pasta dinner, with the higher-priced fish and steaks requiring a larger budget.
Known For:
- The kitchen makes its pasta and gnocchi in-house.
- The signature meatball is filled with mozzarella.
- The menu pairs familiar Italian sauces with a separate selection of seafood and beef.
#2 Kegler’s Sports Bar & Grille
Cuisine: American sports-bar food
Neighborhood: Chestnut Ridge Road, near the stadium
Price: $
Best For: Wings and a game with a group
Must Order: Traditional wings with Bleu and Gold sauce
Why It Made the List:
Kegler’s has enough substantial dishes to make a sports-bar visit work for more than a round of wings. Teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps add peppers and crunchy chow mein noodles, while grilled salmon comes with a small salad and two sides. Smothered chicken with onions, peppers, and provolone offers another full meal for diners settling in to watch a game.
Known For:
- Bleu and Gold combines the house Gold sauce with blue-cheese crumbles.
- Kegler’s Gold is a Carolina-style barbecue sauce with garlic, herbs, and a little heat.
- The restaurant hosts West Virginia University coaches’ radio shows.
#1 Table 9
Cuisine: Seasonal New American
Neighborhood: Wharf District, Donley Street
Price: $$
Best For: A considered dinner near the river
Must Order: Duck breast with blueberry-lavender compote, when offered
Why It Made the List:
Table 9 gives seasonal produce and sauces a prominent role alongside its main ingredients. Green-curry mussels come with a baguette for the broth, while strawberry-and-basil bruschetta pairs fruit with goat cheese and balsamic. Huli-huli chicken with pineapple fried rice and bok choy shows how the menu can move beyond the familiar steak-and-fish dinner.
Known For:
- Duck is paired with blueberry-lavender compote, parsnip purée, and Szechuan sauce.
- Miso sablefish is served with ginger rice and house kimchi.
- Chef-owner Mark Tasker leads a seasonal New American menu, and the restaurant asks guests to reserve in advance.
How we chose
We selected these restaurants for distinctive cooking, a clear sense of place, and a dining experience worth seeking out. Our editorial review considered current menus, official restaurant information, and local dining coverage, with attention to both special occasions and everyday meals. The ranking reflects editorial judgment rather than a numerical score.
Planning your next meal
Menus and seasonal preparations change; use the restaurant links to check the latest offerings and make reservations where available.
More dining advice
For help choosing a bottle with dinner, read our guide to ordering wine at a restaurant.
