1st Place Cafe

OK, so the food was freaking phenomenal. Nothing frozen and even the vegetables come from local sources. They even make their own pickles. I don't even normally like hotdogs like this. I'm more of a traditional West Virginia, hot dog kind of person. But this hot dog absolutely slaps and don't make the mistake of ordering two. Everybody in the valley needs to go to this restaurant. You waited a little while for the food and it is absolutely worth it. Service was absolutely spectacular although you do have to order at the front of the restaurant. Whole facility, including restaurants was clean. TVs on to various stations. Do not sleep on this place. Absolutely outstanding. If you're still sitting there reading this, you need to get up and go.

This was our first time visiting and we were later in the evening (after 7pm) and there were two families of four seated already. Definitely a friendly place to feel welcome and hear occasional laughter of families chatting and enjoying one another. One family was finishing eating and the second was waiting for their order. The food is prepared freshly and you can tell when you eat it. Unfortunately we both ordered a side of fries with our sandwich and the picture of the side of fries was one order and we both ordered one. They were well-seasoned and definitely freshly prepared. That was the only thing we did wrong tonight (ordering two orders of fries instead of sharing one order)! I ordered the Sweet & Savory Chicken Sandwich (with Asiago cheese, crisp bacon, (2) thin crispy chicken breasts, greens, garlic & chive aioli, sweet pepper mustard sauce and pickled red onions)!! Wow!! It was fresh and delicious. Nothing was overpowering the other. Every bite was a scrumptious blend of flavors. My wife had the 1st Place Dog (all-beef) with only chili and she enjoyed it. She only ate half today and will finish it tomorrow (with our extra plate of fries that we will reheat in the air fryer also). The surprise taste of the night was "blackbberry" (see the order sheet) sweet tea made with a fruit purée that tasted so delicious. It wasn't like a chemical syrup that you often get elsewhere but we both enjoyed the freshness and flavor of our drinks. Needless to say, I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for something, fresh, delicious and flavorful. Next time we are looking forward to trying the steak burgers.

1st Place Cafe, which is tucked away in Nitro near a cluster of random warehouses, completely obliterated my past experiences with chicken sandwiches. The Sweet and Savory Chicken sandwich was tall, crisp and very savory indeed. The sauce really brought the dead bird to life as the flavor was unmatched. The side of fries could feed the entire town of Dunbar, so I recommend bringing a couple of friends to fatten up as well. The ambiance was intriguing as the TVs are bigger than the seating area. Boise State was lighting it up on the field -- just like the sauce did to my sandwich. I'll be back once I stop overpaying on PA's gas taxes.

Quaint little joint. These folks really put love into their food! The Original Chicken Sandwich is probably one of the best things I've ever had in the Charleston area. The fries are delicious, especially dipped in the house-made spicy mayo. It's a small crew, so don't expect to get your food super fast like a larger restaurant. However, it's well worth the wait!! As for value, I do think these folks should increase their prices. The portions are massive and I felt like I should be paying at least a few dollars more. Will definitely be a repeat customer!

We are road tripping from Michigan to North Carolina with a stop in WV. We thought we'd take a chance on a local restaurant. We were the only sit down customers when we stopped to this nice clean spot. We were greeted by the owner of this nice little cafe. I appreciated the small menu, we made our selections and the food came just slow enough to know it was made fresh.The food was awesome (bigger portions than we needed), but it was excellent. Do yourself a favor, check it out sometime!

Visited this place for the first time this weekend. Went on Saturday and loved it so much I went back today. The chicken sandwich with homemade pickles is amazing. So are the fries. Food is made when you order so it's hot and fresh. Portions are huge. Service was fantastic. I see myself going there at least weekly from now on.

I cannot imagine a better chicken sandwich. In fact, shame on me for trying. The sweet and savory chicken sandwich is worth doing some very questionable things. I'm sure the other entrees there are great too, but I simply do not care. You'll also find yourself eating fry after fry, without realizing you've had 317 of them. It takes supreme will power to not be there gorging myself at the time of this review.

Stopped in for lunch. We ordered the hot dog and fries, and the Nashville Blue with fries. I had asked for ranch on the side for my fries. Portions are very generous, food was hot and fresh. The ranch was homemade, but very different. It was green, and tasted more like green goddess meets a dill ranch. We enjoyed our meals and will definitely come back.

This place is a breath of fresh air to Southern, WV - so very special that it is located close in Nitro. The owners are absolutely wonderful, kind and hospitable people. Both of them took time to engage us, make us feel welcome and show authentic & genuine kindheartedness. One thing that is a total staple of this place is the fair warning from the many patrons that say "come hungry" and share the true to life reactions when the food tray w/ their order is presented in front of them = "Oh, Wow that's a LOT of Fries"! Speaking of the fries, they are seasoned so well, and yes, Yes, YES, there are enough fries to share for the whole family in just one order. It is very apparent and realized so pleasantly when digging in, that the owner has a zeal and passion for cooking. I won't tell you to try one thing over another, because truthfully, one should experience all the menu items.

Service was wonderful! Food was great! My wife and I both had hamburgers. Small place, very comfortable. They give you an abundance of food especially fries!