Ramble On!

We all have those places we bring family, friends, co-workers, and ourselves alike. For us, the Rambling Root is it! We are always impressed by the various types of people it serves. It is a bar, yet family friendly. It is a brewery, but also features local wines and mead. A place where college students gather, and you can chat with more elderly patrons. For us, it is the perfect amalgamation of everything we desire in a venue. It is a place that brings every variety of persons together. We enjoy places you can relax, be yourself, kick back, and comfortably stay a while, and The Rambling Root fits this description.

We may not go out as much as we would like, but when we do the Rambling Root is our first choice. Upon entering, the owners and bartenders recognize us. I can't tell you the number of times my husband and I have been greeted with, "Here, you've got to try this new beer we've just put on tap. It's a small batch we've been working on!" One of the owners confessed that while in college he worked as a bartender and enjoyed it so much that he knew he would be happy doing that for the rest of his life. His passion for brewing, cooking, and bartending is infectious! This enthusiasm is part of what keeps us coming back in addition to our beyond satisfactory experiences.

We seat ourselves at or near the bar most frequently. My husband and I have laughed with the bartenders and wait staff over shows about chasing cheese wheels, hot pepper eating contests, Monty Python, and The Princess Bride while enjoying our flights and food. Sometimes we talk about Dungeons and Dragons, Halloween, horror films, anime, other restaurants, various other breweries, or even vacation plans. We feel the troubles of the world disappear, and just enjoy our afternoon or evening.

The last time we were at The Root, we enjoyed pints of Orange Cognac Ale from Abolitionist Ale Works in Charles Towne, WV. The Rambling Root owner informed us that before Abolitionist Ale Works releases a brew to the public, they'll send it to The Rambling Root for them to test out on their clients before making more to sell at their own location. The Rambling Root gets a lot of "weird", but good brews from them that you might not get to try if it doesn't make it through the small batch test phase. The Orange Cognac Ale took the spot for my new favorite beer, so I'm glad we were part of its testing. It was a beer that stayed on my mind for weeks, and even now, months later. Because of The Rambling Root's open-minded nature and clientele, you can find hidden, secret brews that others may never know about. That is part of the excitement of going; you never know what treasure or gem you're going to find next.

In addition to the beers on tap from other local breweries, the Rambling Root also brews their own small batches. The owners love experimenting with a variety of flavors, and creatively engineer and craft all varieties of beer. One of the most exciting times to be at the Rambling Root is for their "May the 4th Be with You" Star Wars themed beer menu. A few featured noteworthy brews were "Tart Vader", a sour stout with notes of chocolate and lemon, "A New Hop!", a pale ale brewed with German Mandarina Bavaria hops with sweet citrus notes, and "Return of the JedIPA." The owners get super excited about Star Wars themed brews, so occasionally they'll recreate them at different periods of the year. We missed out in May of last year, but a few months ago they offered the Return of the JedIPA on tap again, so we had to try it. Although we usually aren't fans of IPA’s, we did enjoy this one.

At our last visit to the Rambling Root, we tried a small batch sour called, "The Rootin' Dew." Even soda is an inspiration to this brewery. Where others ask "why?", the Rambling Root asks, "why not?" Some of their small batches haven't always been our taste, but I guarantee you they have something for everyone. The Root generally has at least 15 craft beers to select from on tap, sometimes more. Some are in house, and others are selected from all over West Virginia. There are also a few favorite brews from out of state. For the non-beer lovers, they offer mead and wines from local vendors: Mountain Dragon Mazery, Mon Valley Vineyards, and Batton Hollow Winery. The Rambling Root's variety for this locale is nothing short of impressive. It makes it easy for us to come here with friends who may have different tastes from ours.

If you're going to have good beer, you must have good food to go with it. This restaurant makes their own sauces, and sources local ingredients for their dishes when and where they can. They have two menus: their regular, staple menu and their Appalachian themed cultural specials. We find their Appalachian menu to be better than their regular, and love diving into their updated flavors. Their version of a buckwheat cake, an Appalachian style sour pancake, was far superior to others we have had elsewhere. In fact, my husband and I enjoyed the taste of a buckwheat cake for the first time when we tried them at the Rambling Root! By contrast, when we attended the Buckwheat Festival in Preston County, WV, we were disappointed by the festival's buckwheat cakes, many of which were made with recipes predating 1938. We love how they can update and outdo tradition!

Other specials we've enjoyed were wild boar and fried green tomato burgers. I would eat a wild boar burger from there any day of the week if I could. So tender; so juicy! Surprisingly, they also ensure they have at least one vegetarian option on the menu. I've enjoyed their cauliflower burger on a few different occasions. From the first time the cauliflower burger was made to the last time I had it; it has made significant improvements. This doesn't mean it tasted bad before, it just means that foods are always being changed for the better. We frequently test out menu items that are brand new and share our thoughts. Personally, I love that The Rambling Root staff is constantly trying to improve their food quality, and frequently opens discussions with customers on their opinions. The customers are part of the improvement process, and I can tell you the staff genuinely listens! If we aren't a huge fan of what we try, the staff usually has us sample enough varieties of beer to make up for it. We probably have at least a free pint each of beers they are just excited for us to try!

When I think of the Rambling Root, it reminds me of sending off our Navy pal with a round of raspberry and blueberry ales. It brings back the memory of our friends who own a food truck meeting us there for the first time; one ordering a wine and the other a flight of beers. I recall a former co-worker and friend, who has moved on to better opportunities telling me about the good food he and his wife enjoyed there. I think of bringing back food for my mother-in-law as partial payment for watching our son and giving my husband and I a date night. The “Root” makes me reminisce of snapping photos of beers my brother would enjoy and sending him a picture just to make him jealous. At the same time, I think of surprising him with a growler full of something he would like. I think of sharing wings, fries, and appetizers with our entire table. I think about that positive interaction I had with my estranged cousin when we met up there, and of our D&D crew. I think of old friends we've run into from college who just happened to be there at the same time we were; of catching up with them and having a good time. I think of the conversations and friendships we've made while being there. I think of the laughs, brews, and good food my husband and I have shared. I know we've made tons of good memories here, just as I know we'll continue to make more good memories in the future. As long as The Rambling Root is open, we will continue supporting and enjoying it.