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Best Beans & Cornbread: Pufferbelly's Ice Cream Station

Readers choose Fairmont restaurant as best in West Virginia

Soup beans are a winter staple in Appalachia. Not exactly a soup, this dish is made with beans (often pinto beans) slowly simmered with ham, salt and pepper to a thick and creamy consistency, and served with cornbread for sopping up the juices. Depending on the recipe or restaurant, the beans may include diced onions, homemade chow chow or fried potatoes.

  • Pufferbelly's Ice Cream Station
    Fairmont

    The soup beans from Pufferbelly's Ice Cream Station in Fairmont are made with diced vegetables, onions, garlic and ham in a ham-based broth. They always come with freshly baked cornbread.
    Photo courtesy of Jenn Luczko Photography / Pufferbelly's Ice Cream Station

  • Dutchman's Daughter Restaurant
    Fairmont

    At Dutchman's Daughter Restaurant in Fairmont, customers can order a bowl of house-made soup beans and ham, served with cornbread and the option to add a side of fried potatoes.
    Photo courtesy of Dutchman's Daughter Restaurant / Facebook

  • The Grill
    Charleston

    Lovers of West Virginia beans and cornbread can choose between two options at The Grill in Charleston, classic pinto beans or navy beans. Get them in a cup or bowl.
    Photo courtesy of The Grill / Facebook

  • Harding's Family Restaurant
    Charleston

    At Harding's Family Restaurant in Charleston, seasoned pinto beans are dressed with hash brown potatoes, onions and cornbread. Purists can opt for a bowl of pinto beans only.
    Photo courtesy of Harding's Family Restaurant / Facebook

  • Tamarack
    Beckley

    Tamarack’s soup beans feature smoked ham, onions, garlic and white wine in a pork broth base, creating layers of meaty flavor.
    Photo courtesy of Tamarack

  • Bluegrass Kitchen
    Charleston

    Bluegrass Kitchen is known for its farm-to-table comfort food made from ingredients sourced throughout West Virginia and the Appalachians. While traditional West Virginia soup beans with cornbread aren’t on the regular menu here, they do make an appearance as a special.
    Photo courtesy of Bluegrass Kitchen / Facebook

  • Tudor's Biscuit World
    Multiple Locations

    The dinner menu at Tudor's Biscuit World features pinto beans served with moist and slightly sweet cornbread, baked fresh daily, or a Hungry Man’s Platter with beans, fried potatoes, coleslaw, onions and cornbread.
    Photo courtesy of Tudor's Biscuit World / Facebook

  • Hometown Restaurant
    Peterstown

    Hometown Restaurant, a family eatery in Peterstown, offers different items on its buffet line each day. Brown beans regularly make an appearance.
    Photo courtesy of Hometown Restaurant / Facebook

  • Ruby & Ketchy's
    Morgantown

    The menu at Ruby & Ketchy’s in Morgantown is all about homestyle comfort food, and that includes the thick and hearty white beans served with a slide of house-made cornbread.
    Photo courtesy of iStock / DebbiSmirnoff

  • Central City Cafe
    Huntington

    Diners at the Central City Cafe in Huntington can choose between a cup or bowl of white beans or pinto beans to go along with cornbread for sopping.
    Photo courtesy of iStock / HHLtDave5

The top 10 winners in the category Best Beans & Cornbread in West Virginia are as follows:

  1. Pufferbelly's Ice Cream Station - Fairmont
  2. Dutchman's Daughter Restaurant - Fairmont
  3. The Grill - Charleston
  4. Harding's Family Restaurant - Charleston
  5. Tamarack - Beckley
  6. Bluegrass Kitchen - Charleston
  7. Tudor's Biscuit World - Multiple Locations
  8. Hometown Restaurant - Peterstown
  9. Ruby & Ketchy's - Morgantown
  10. Central City Cafe - Huntington

A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.

Congratulations to all these winning restaurants!

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AlertThe Experts

Nikki Bowman

Nikki Bowman

Nikki Bowman, a West Virginia native, is the founder and owner of New South Media, Inc., which publishes the critically acclaimed WV Living, WV Weddings, Explore and Morgantown magazines. In January 2015, her company also took over the editorial and design of Wonderful West Virginia magazine, and in 2017, the company became the publisher of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Resource Guide. She was chosen as a Folio: Top Woman in Media in 2015 and was given the SBA’s 2014 Women Business Champion Award. Her company is the recipient of six Star of the Industry Awards given by the West Virginia Division of Tourism.

Candace Nelson

Candace Nelson

Candace Nelson, a West Virginia native, is a marketing and public relations professional. She writes about Appalachian food culture on her blog candacelately.com and authors a food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail. In addition, her book The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll is available for at WVUPressOnline.com or Amazon.com.