Where to Eat in Huntington, WV: 16 Local Favorites From Downtown to the West End

Looking for where to eat in Huntington, WV? Start with a slaw dog and a banana milkshake at Midway West Drive-In in the West End, a bowl of pho at Pho U & Mi, fried chicken and donuts at Camden Corner, a gyro on 8th Street at Gyro King, coffee at Grindstone Coffeeology, Jamaican plates at Karubees, shrimp étouffée at Gumbo Stop Cafe, crepes at Vera Cafe, a steak at 21 at the Frederick, ice cream at Austin’s at The Market, a late plate at Sip Downtown Brasserie, a diner supper at 9th Street Diner, tacos at Taquería 84, a chicken platter at Halal Munchies, pizza at The Woods, and a slow morning at Hill Tree Roastery out on Pea Ridge Road. Then open the Huntington browse deck and pick dinner by the plate.

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Huntington eats bigger than people expect. Downtown is compact: 8th and 9th Streets for coffee, gyros, a diner plate and a glass of wine, 4th Avenue for a steak or a pizza, 11th Street for Cajun and Creole. Over on 3rd Avenue, The Market puts homemade ice cream, Jamaican food and tacos in the same building, and Pho U & Mi is farther up the avenue. Head west for curb service at Midway, or out to Pea Ridge when you want a quiet cup. Every spot below already has real food photos on Where’s This Food, so you can see exactly what shows up on the table before you go.

This is our fourth city guide in the same photo-first style, after Where to Eat in Pittsburgh, PA, Where to Eat in Erie, PA and Where to Eat in Youngstown, OH.

Midway West Drive-In (West End)

Out on 6th Avenue West, Midway is the old-school curb-service stop I point people to first. You pull up, they bring the food to the car, and the whole thing still feels like the drive-in it is: hot dogs, smashed burgers, fries and a cold root beer.

Get the slaw dog. The bun is soft, the slaw is cool and creamy, and it is exactly what you want in the West End. I usually add a banana milkshake, which is the other reason I keep ending up here. The staff are easy and friendly, the kind of people who remember how you like your burger.

Pho U & Mi (3rd Avenue)

When I want a big, steamy bowl, I go to Pho U & Mi on 3rd Avenue. It feels like a home kitchen more than a formal dining room, and the menu is long: soups, rice plates, sandwiches, sides and drinks.

The pho is the move, with onions, cilantro and a clear broth you can settle into. I like to add the fried shrimp rolls with a lime wedge, or start with crab rangoon and dumplings if I’m feeding a table. Finish with a milk tea and boba if you have the room.

Camden Corner (Piedmont Road)

Camden Corner, out on Piedmont Road, is a small store that happens to fry excellent chicken and bake donuts worth a special trip. I stop in as much for the counter food as for the groceries.

The fried chicken comes out golden and crunchy, piled on a plate, and it is the thing I tell people to get. Grab a box of donuts for the morning after, or a deli sandwich if you are passing through and need lunch in a hurry. The people behind the counter are quick and kind, and the prices are easy to live with.

Gyro King (8th Street)

Right downtown on 8th Street, Gyro King is my lunch when I want something piled high and seasoned well. Gyros, shawarma, lamb and rice, grape-leaf wraps and big salads all come out of the same small kitchen, and the service is the kind that makes you want to come back the next day.

I usually get the chicken gyro or a shawarma plate, but the spicy chicken salad is a close second, with cool vegetables under the meat and a creamy sauce over the top. It is an easy walk from almost anywhere downtown, and it works just as well for takeout.

Grindstone Coffeeology (8th Street)

A few blocks up 8th Street, Grindstone is the downtown coffee stop I use when I need a strong espresso and a quiet table. The staff are easy to like, and the room is the kind of place you can sit with a laptop or just talk.

I go for a large coffee or a few extra shots of espresso, and I have had a little savory quiche from the pastry case when I wanted something warm with it. It is a daytime shop, which makes it a natural first stop before you wander over to 9th Street or The Market.

Karubees Jamaican Restaurant (The Market)

At The Market on 3rd Avenue, Karubees is the Jamaican kitchen I crave when I want stew, rice and something green on the side. The service is warm, and the room feels like a family place.

I like the curry goat with rice and a heap of collard greens, or jerk shrimp when I want something from the sea. The plates come with the kind of sauce you want to mop up, and it is easy to make a meal of it and then walk next door for ice cream.

Gumbo Stop Cafe (11th Street)

Gumbo Stop is a small Cajun and Creole cafe on 11th Street, and it is one of my favorite rooms in downtown Huntington. There is not a lot of seating, which is part of the charm, and the food is the reason people hover by the door.

The shrimp étouffée is the plate I keep thinking about: a ring of seasoned shrimp around rice, in a deep brown sauce, with a piece of bread on the side. I also go for the gumbo, crawfish bread, andouille, air-fried oysters, a po-boy, red beans and rice, or the cheesy garlic grits. They bring in smoked sausage from Best Stop in Scott, Louisiana, and bread from Gambino’s, and it shows. Leave room for banana pudding if you can.

Vera Cafe (10th Avenue)

Vera Cafe, on 10th Avenue, is where I go when I want brunch at my own pace. It is a good room to sit with a coffee, a book or a friend, and the staff make it feel easy.

The crepes are the whole point, and I like to get both sides of the menu: a savory crepe with a herbed green sauce, sweet peppers and a pile of arugula, and a sweet one to share after. If you are in a group, order a few of each and pass them around. It is a daytime cafe, so go earlier rather than later.

21 at the Frederick (4th Avenue)

For a dressed-up dinner downtown, I go to 21 at the Frederick on 4th Avenue. It is a dim, clubby steakhouse with an old-world feel, a full bar, a serious wine list, and a menu that runs to steaks and fresh seafood. They can also handle a banquet or catering if you are planning something bigger.

I come for a bone-in steak, cooked with care, and I have had evenings there when a piano was going in the room. The staff are polite without being stiff, and it is the place I pick when I want Huntington to feel like a night out.

Austin’s at The Market

Austin’s homemade ice cream goes back to 1947. The original shop is in Ceredo, and this Market location opened in 2017, when Joyce Snyder’s grandchildren, Taylor and Timothy, brought the family recipe downtown. Timothy still makes the ice cream for both shops.

I get a cup or a waffle cone and try whatever looks good that day. The cinnamon ice cream is a favorite, and a chocolate shake is the other easy order. The staff are friendly, and it is the right last stop after Karubees or Taquería 84, since you are already in the building.

Sip Downtown Brasserie (9th Street)

Sip, on 9th Street, is the downtown wine bar I use when I want a slower evening. The list runs through wine, whiskey and beer, the drinks are put together with care, and the room is an easy place to sit with friends or host a small group.

The kitchen keeps up with the bar. I have had glazed wings, a skillet with warm dip and pita, a grilled chicken plate, and a cobbler with a scoop of ice cream. It is an evening spot, so I treat it as dinner and a drink, not a lunch stop.

9th Street Diner

A little farther up 9th Street, the diner is the home-cooked room I want when I am hungry for something familiar. The staff are good for a conversation as well as the food, and the menu leans into country cooking.

I have sat down to a breaded cutlet with mashed potatoes and green beans, and I have seen tables work through a ham-and-cheese quesadilla, a cinnamon roll and even prime rib. Come for breakfast or a simple supper and you will leave full.

Taquería 84 (The Market)

Also at The Market, Taquería 84 is the taco counter I hit when I want something with a little heat and a squeeze of lime. Portions are generous, and the salsa has a kick.

I go for a crispy taco piled with cabbage, avocado and a creamy sauce, with lime and a pickle on the side. It is casual, quick and filling, and you can take it to a table in the market or straight out the door.

Halal Munchies (21st Street)

Over on 21st Street, Halal Munchies is the takeout spot I recommend when someone wants a lot of food for the money. The staff are friendly, the salads are cool and crunchy, and the platters are huge.

The chicken platter is the order: seasoned chicken, a pile of fries, a cucumber-and-onion salad and a drizzle of white sauce. They also do wraps, fried chicken sandwiches, rice plates and shawarma. I have never finished a full platter in one sitting, and I say that as a compliment.

The Woods (4th Avenue)

The Woods, on 4th Avenue, is my downtown pizza stop. The sauce has a real tomato flavor, the toppings are generous, and the crust has a little chew at the edge.

I like a pie with pepperoni, sausage, peppers and olives, cut into slices you can share. They also do salads and pepperoni rolls, which are worth adding if you are feeding a group. It is a straightforward, satisfying room, the kind you end up at on a weeknight without overthinking it.

Hill Tree Roastery (Pea Ridge)

When I want a quieter morning, I drive out to Hill Tree Roastery on East Pea Ridge Road. It is a homey coffee shop, they roast their own beans, and it is a relaxing place to sit with a cup.

The coffee is the reason to go, and I have also had a bagel here with smoked salmon, herbed cheese, microgreens and a balsamic drizzle that makes the trip feel like a small treat. If you are already on the east side of town, it is an easy excuse to slow down.

How to use Where’s This Food in Huntington

Open wheresthisfood.app/browse/?area=huntington-wv and swipe Yuck or Yum through real plates from downtown, the West End, The Market, 3rd Avenue and Pea Ridge. When a photo hits, you find out where it’s from, with no guessing from stock menu shots. Ate something great tonight? Submit your own photo and put it in the deck.

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