I met the owner, Matt (Vagabond) Welsch during a culinary competition. He was one of the judges. He had a rough but constructive and helpful critique of my dish. So today I decided to come up to his restaurant and try it out. I came up around 4:30 with a friend and we were seated promptly and immediately given menus.
Our waitress, (I unfortunately did not catch her name, I wasn't paying attention) brought us a glass of water with ice and asked if we would like anything else to drink. I'd like to thank her specifically for providing water immediately, it transforms the restaurant experience.
I ordered a plate of stuffed jalapeños, the salmon dish, and one of their desserts. My friend ordered one of their BBQ burgers and strawberry corncake.
The stuffed jalapeños were phenomenal. They had a delicately flavored filling and were wrapped with perfectly cooked smoky bacon. The side of ranch tasted very fresh and had a nice, zesty tang.
The salmon came with a side of corn and a potato salad. Personally, the salmon was overcooked, but I understand many prefer it well done, especially in the Appalachian region. However, the seasoning on top was delicious, with fresh herbs and a thin lemon ribbon. The skin was perfectly crisp and had a beautiful golden brown shine. The corn wasn't anything special, it tasted similar to school lunch corn, but that's a special flavor to some, it just wasn't my thing. The potato salad had a very clean potato flavor and the celery brought in a contrast of flavor that really sated my palate.
The cookie sandwich I got for dessert was much larger than expected and was well worth the money. I asked for whipped cream instead of ice cream (the meal before was hefty) and could only eat half of it. The cookie itself had a nice salty background and delicate chocolate drizzle for added flavor. The whipped cream had a gentle vanilla flavor and was whipped very well.
Overall I had a pleasant experience and enjoyed the food. The service was fantastic and my water glass was kept full at all times. I would return more often if it wasn't out of the way (I live over an hour away). The atmosphere was pleasant, but some things felt out of place like a sign with Japanese lettering for example, but perhaps I just didn't understand it's representation.
I do recommend this place, it was flavorful and fun!
Brandon Garcia
Food was good.
Wait was a little long with half the tables being open.
I don’t think they were expecting the rush they had for Mother’s Day.
Renee G
Wow! Do yourself a huge favor and walk the extra two blocks to eat here before the show at the Capitol Theater. The Irish Stew was spot on and the Soda Bread was PERFECTION! So glad we found this place ! Robin was a fabulous server by the way!!
lisa burkhardt
Breakfast skillet had NO flavor tasted like baked eggs only NO . It was $21 and wasn’t good AT ALL. Waitress NEVER filled water or even asked if we needed anything or how our food was. I told her how we felt when we left NO big deal to her. VERY DISSATISFIED
Julio Cuevas
This is my first time in Wheeling WV and this restaurant was highly recommended. Piper is a wonderful server who made me feel at home. Thank you Piper, may the Lord bless you with abundance.
Jessica Lantz Bailey
We came into Wheeling for the Symphony and this place was in 5 minutes walking distance, and I’m so glad we came! The service was great, and we loved the meatloaf platter- the bacon gravy was to die for! Also get the apple crumble for dessert- so good! Great Appalachian comfort food, and the waitresses were so kind. Will be back!
Elizabeth Lehman
I expected a limited menu for brunch but didn’t expect half of the menu to be out. Since it was I assumed they would accommodate one simple substitution for a $24 eggs Benedict meal. The cook refused. I asked if a side could be purchased for extra money. The cook refused. The only item that could be ordered alone was two eggs so that is what I ate. I left starving and displeased. The bottomless mimosas were delicious and the server was wonderful. She almost seemed scared to ask the cook our requests though. Dude seems to have a major chip on his shoulder.
Jennifer Fisher
Duckfat diner fries with pepper gravy-- amazing! The waitress recommended the burger and that was what we should have ordered. The main entrees were good, but those duck diner fries had the bar so high, we thought the charizard and smoked rabbit cornbread casserole paled a bit in comparison.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Caitlin Z
This place was not great. We came on a Sunday around 12:30. It was slow, the restaurant was half empty. I sat for 10 minutes before I got my beer. I was just about to tell her not to bring the beer, when it finally showed up. We ordered chicken fingers for the kids, the hangover burger & the frittata. The food took over half an hour to come. Around 40 minutes. I understand long waits for food when a place is busy. But only 1-2 other tables were waiting. I can also forgive a long wait when the food is good. The burger we ordered medium came out rare/medium rare. It was decent. The frittata was bad. It was very dry, no salt. It was also advertised as "meat lovers" but had very little meat and vegetables. I paid $21 dollars for some dry scrambled eggs! We are really not that hard to please, read my other reviews. The icing on top was when we got the bill. We ordered 2 lemonades for the kids, they came in coffee cups. $9 for two lemonades!! They cost more than my husband's diet coke, yet they were half the size. I feel like the server should have warned us they charge extra for kids lemonade, we would have got water. My husband's coke was $3.50, and he got a refill! I obviously still tipped 20%. But we won't be back.
Kid-friendliness: They charge $4.50 for a kids lemonade.
Our server, Cloud was great... friendly, efficient, accommodating, and personable. The Benefit Burger was amazing. Her Bloody Mary was so good. Hope to return if we're in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burgers
Mathuaerknedam !
I was here late on a Saturday night, and it was surprisingly empty. I was the only person at the bar, and Cloud provided great service. Lots of things sounded good so I opted for something seasonal. I ordered the seasonal Pear-fect Storm burger (pear, blue cheese, bacon), and it was great. Fries were pretty good, but not compelling. Nothing here is what I expected to find in Wheeling; I'll be back for more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burgers
Kate S
The truffle fries were delicious. I had the BLT and my husband had the hangover burger. They were pretty much your basic all American dishes. We will try something more unique next time. We also dined in on a Sunday for brunch and the service was not great either.
Kid-friendliness: They have high chairs available.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
KMR
Very good restaurant with a menu unlike any other...tried some different things here and loved them all! The duck fat fries and duck wings were really good. Dessert menu lacks a bit. The menu does change seasonally, so check their FB page before you come
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Madalyn Lyons
Vagabond is the perfect date night spot in Wheeling. The service is always great, the food is always spot on, and the atmosphere is relaxing. I feel like there are plenty options and they’re all fantastic.
Great food. Unique menu but closes way too early!
I met the owner, Matt (Vagabond) Welsch during a culinary competition. He was one of the judges. He had a rough but constructive and helpful critique of my dish. So today I decided to come up to his restaurant and try it out. I came up around 4:30 with a friend and we were seated promptly and immediately given menus.
Our waitress, (I unfortunately did not catch her name, I wasn't paying attention) brought us a glass of water with ice and asked if we would like anything else to drink. I'd like to thank her specifically for providing water immediately, it transforms the restaurant experience.
I ordered a plate of stuffed jalapeños, the salmon dish, and one of their desserts. My friend ordered one of their BBQ burgers and strawberry corncake.
The stuffed jalapeños were phenomenal. They had a delicately flavored filling and were wrapped with perfectly cooked smoky bacon. The side of ranch tasted very fresh and had a nice, zesty tang.
The salmon came with a side of corn and a potato salad. Personally, the salmon was overcooked, but I understand many prefer it well done, especially in the Appalachian region. However, the seasoning on top was delicious, with fresh herbs and a thin lemon ribbon. The skin was perfectly crisp and had a beautiful golden brown shine. The corn wasn't anything special, it tasted similar to school lunch corn, but that's a special flavor to some, it just wasn't my thing. The potato salad had a very clean potato flavor and the celery brought in a contrast of flavor that really sated my palate.
The cookie sandwich I got for dessert was much larger than expected and was well worth the money. I asked for whipped cream instead of ice cream (the meal before was hefty) and could only eat half of it. The cookie itself had a nice salty background and delicate chocolate drizzle for added flavor. The whipped cream had a gentle vanilla flavor and was whipped very well.
Overall I had a pleasant experience and enjoyed the food. The service was fantastic and my water glass was kept full at all times. I would return more often if it wasn't out of the way (I live over an hour away). The atmosphere was pleasant, but some things felt out of place like a sign with Japanese lettering for example, but perhaps I just didn't understand it's representation.
I do recommend this place, it was flavorful and fun!
Food was good.
Wait was a little long with half the tables being open.
I don’t think they were expecting the rush they had for Mother’s Day.
Wow! Do yourself a huge favor and walk the extra two blocks to eat here before the show at the Capitol Theater. The Irish Stew was spot on and the Soda Bread was PERFECTION!
So glad we found this place ! Robin was a fabulous server by the way!!
Breakfast skillet had NO flavor tasted like baked eggs only NO . It was $21 and wasn’t good AT ALL. Waitress NEVER filled water or even asked if we needed anything or how our food was. I told her how we felt when we left NO big deal to her. VERY DISSATISFIED
This is my first time in Wheeling WV and this restaurant was highly recommended. Piper is a wonderful server who made me feel at home. Thank you Piper, may the Lord bless you with abundance.
We came into Wheeling for the Symphony and this place was in 5 minutes walking distance, and I’m so glad we came! The service was great, and we loved the meatloaf platter- the bacon gravy was to die for! Also get the apple crumble for dessert- so good! Great Appalachian comfort food, and the waitresses were so kind. Will be back!
I expected a limited menu for brunch but didn’t expect half of the menu to be out. Since it was I assumed they would accommodate one simple substitution for a $24 eggs Benedict meal. The cook refused. I asked if a side could be purchased for extra money. The cook refused. The only item that could be ordered alone was two eggs so that is what I ate. I left starving and displeased. The bottomless mimosas were delicious and the server was wonderful. She almost seemed scared to ask the cook our requests though. Dude seems to have a major chip on his shoulder.
Duckfat diner fries with pepper gravy-- amazing! The waitress recommended the burger and that was what we should have ordered. The main entrees were good, but those duck diner fries had the bar so high, we thought the charizard and smoked rabbit cornbread casserole paled a bit in comparison.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This place was not great. We came on a Sunday around 12:30. It was slow, the restaurant was half empty. I sat for 10 minutes before I got my beer. I was just about to tell her not to bring the beer, when it finally showed up. We ordered chicken fingers for the kids, the hangover burger & the frittata. The food took over half an hour to come. Around 40 minutes. I understand long waits for food when a place is busy. But only 1-2 other tables were waiting. I can also forgive a long wait when the food is good. The burger we ordered medium came out rare/medium rare. It was decent. The frittata was bad. It was very dry, no salt. It was also advertised as "meat lovers" but had very little meat and vegetables. I paid $21 dollars for some dry scrambled eggs! We are really not that hard to please, read my other reviews. The icing on top was when we got the bill. We ordered 2 lemonades for the kids, they came in coffee cups. $9 for two lemonades!! They cost more than my husband's diet coke, yet they were half the size. I feel like the server should have warned us they charge extra for kids lemonade, we would have got water. My husband's coke was $3.50, and he got a refill! I obviously still tipped 20%. But we won't be back.
Kid-friendliness: They charge $4.50 for a kids lemonade.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Our server, Cloud was great... friendly, efficient, accommodating, and personable. The Benefit Burger was amazing. Her Bloody Mary was so good. Hope to return if we're in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burgers
I was here late on a Saturday night, and it was surprisingly empty. I was the only person at the bar, and Cloud provided great service. Lots of things sounded good so I opted for something seasonal. I ordered the seasonal Pear-fect Storm burger (pear, blue cheese, bacon), and it was great. Fries were pretty good, but not compelling. Nothing here is what I expected to find in Wheeling; I'll be back for more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burgers
The truffle fries were delicious. I had the BLT and my husband had the hangover burger. They were pretty much your basic all American dishes. We will try something more unique next time.
We also dined in on a Sunday for brunch and the service was not great either.
Kid-friendliness: They have high chairs available.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
Very good restaurant with a menu unlike any other...tried some different things here and loved them all! The duck fat fries and duck wings were really good. Dessert menu lacks a bit. The menu does change seasonally, so check their FB page before you come
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vagabond is the perfect date night spot in Wheeling. The service is always great, the food is always spot on, and the atmosphere is relaxing. I feel like there are plenty options and they’re all fantastic.
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