Swiftwater General Store - New River — Restaurant in Fayetteville

We visited for lunch while exploring the New River Gorge area while on vacation. This little restaurant is located inside a general store, though to me it reminds me more of a combination souvenir shop/ranger station! Lol. It's cute inside and they do have some basic dry goods, snacks, and refrigerated beverages. The souvenir / gift selection is quite cute, especially if you like kinda funky/quirky critters and phrases. It took some willpower on my part to not buy anything extra!

Parking is a little limited and backing up onto the main road is a little nerve wracking but we ultimately didn't have any troubles. The store has a super nice patio where we sat to eat. It's well-covered, as a rainstorm blew in but we still stayed dry!

Both my parents and husband both ordered the special of the day: two West Virginia style hot dogs and chips. A WV hot dog comes with chili, slaw, mustard, and onions. I love regional variations on food! This one didn't disappoint; although my mom was at first reticent to try the chili/slaw combo, even she wound up loving it! Great quality dog as well. I ordered a burger with crinkle cut fries for myself. The burger was very large and I liked the bun it was served on. It had a chargrilled flavor which isn't my absolute favorite but I still enjoyed it overall. The fries were pretty standard. I wanted a sweet tea to drink but I didn't like theirs on first sip -- too much lemon. I dumped it out and got a Coke instead. Overall, pretty solid food!

The service was very pleasant at the walk-up counter and even entertained my extra-chatty and curious dad, lol. Hubs and I got two pepperoni rolls to go for a snack for later since we didn't want to leave WV without trying one. The yeast roll was delicious and the pepperoni was slightly spicy and very savory. Nice combo!

Stop by and say hello and grab a snack if you're nearby! They serve breakfast all...

Swiftwater was an NRG staple for me for years. I would often go twice a weekend, basically every weekend. However, I assume there has been a change in leadership recently, as prices have gone up (without updating the menu board), service have gone down, and the charm of this place has been lost. For example, I used to rave about their breakfast croissant. You would get a warm flaky croissant on a nice colorful plate... Now they give you a pre made, soggy, smashed croissant from a hotbox, wrapped in plastic wrap with no plate. When I asked if I could have a fresh croissant (like I'd been getting at swiftwater for years), I was told "those are fresh" and "we like to get people out quick since our lot is so small" This was never a concern in years prior when I patronized the business. If Swiftwater, wants to run a high throughput tourist trap as they've begun to now, that is their prerogative. I just want them to know, the small things do matter to some folks, and they've permanently lost at least two loyal weekly customers in me...

We have traveled through New River Gorge so many times and never made the stop, but this trip was different. (More to come) But after quick research we came across Swiftwater General Store. The reviews were great, but truly they don't begin to show how amazing it is. It truly is like a modern day general store. Simple but amazing. When we walked in the general manager greeted us with the biggest smile. He suggested the brisket sandwich that was smoked for 18 hours. It was DELISH!!! We got a couple hot dogs, fries, pasta salad, and these incredible cookies from this wonderful place. We have made so many stops, but this one had my heart. It's what restaurants should be. Food done well and the staff that are just good people. He didn't mind our crazy and the kids steam rolling on it. He made us feel like we were at home and it was one of the best meals we have had out in ages. Those cookies just made the last leg of the trip the best!

If you visit New River Gorge area...