Despite fears, East End Pub is still open

A burger and fries from the East End Pub in Charleston

Despite rumors of its feared demise, Charleston’s East End Pub is still alive and kicking. Mostly.

Pepperoni and cheese-stuffed eggrolls

“Could you please find out what's going on with the East End Pub?” reader Carrie Swing asked, repeating dozens of other similar calls and emails I’ve received over the past month or so.

“The last two times my husband and I went to have dinner there, it was closed. We really liked eating there and it would be sad if the closure is permanent.”

Others reached out to share a “tip” that the popular neighborhood hangout at 2445 Washington St. E. really had closed for good.

But au contraire.

I reached out to owner Suzi Chapman, who confirmed the restaurant is still open they’ve just had a rough go of it recently.

English hot dogs with fries from East End Pub

“We’re having a major (and expensive) issue with the make-up air for our kitchen hood, so when the heat is crazy outside it’s hitting 90 degrees in the dining room,” she said, referencing extremely high temperatures that have dogged the area most of the summer.

“So on those days we’ve closed immediately following lunch service.”

She went on to say the pub’s hours have also been affected by planned vacations, private parties and staffing shortages.

“Our kitchen manager lost his son unexpectedly, so there were times we didn’t have shift coverage. But we are very much still in business and are looking forward to cooler fall weather. Thank you for reaching out!”

Greek salad from East End Pub

For those who haven’t been, I say: What are you waiting for? It’s good.

On the corner of Washington Street and East Avenue, several blocks east of the West Virginia State Capitol, the East End Pub is known for classic American bar-and-grill favorites like hearty apps, wings, burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, fish and chips, and salads, plus signature “East End Eggrolls” that come in Reuben, Buffalo Chicken or Pepperoni & Cheese with your choice of dipping sauces, while supplies last. Fans rave about them all, but I can personally say the Reuben rolls are … chef’s kiss.

Other menu standouts include the Pizzadilla (a grilled tortilla stuffed with sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, grilled peppers, onions and mushrooms with marinara), Loaded Tots (topped with bacon, cheddar, sour cream and scallions), the Luau Sandwich (grilled ham, pineapple and onions covered in melted Swiss) and grilled all-beef hot dogs on toasted Kristi Ann’s English buns topped with ketchup, mustard, onions, house-made chili and slaw.

East End Pub offers a full bar

Burger-wise, The Eastender is a two-patty, one-plus-pound whopper topped with bacon, fries, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion and aioli, or you can try The Brunch Burger with bacon and eggs, The Queso Crunch with red onions and tortilla chips, The Scorcher with hot sauce, pepperjack AND jalapeños, or The Cowboy with bacon, BBQ sauce, cheddar and onion rings, among other combinations.

Many small, independent, locally owned restaurants are struggling right now, so try to catch this one open and show it a little love. I think you’ll be glad you did.

• IF YOU GO: East End Pub at 2445 Washington St. E. in Charleston is usually open for food service from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon to 7 p.m. Saturday. (The bar often stays open later, but please note business hours may change due to the heat.) For more information, call 681-265-3825, visit www.eastendpubcharleston.com, or check out the restaurant’s Facebook page.

West Virginia is the #2 ice cream state?

What better way to follow up last week’s love letter to hot dogs than with a final word on … ice cream. Americans have a deep and enduring love for this all-American sweet treat, and it turns out West Virginians love it more than most.

In another one of those questionable surveys (this one by online casino SpinBlitz) researchers analyzed Google Maps listings to determine the number of ice cream shops per 100,000 residents across the country.

Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream in Charleston

The #1 most-obsessed ice cream state was Vermont – the home of Ben & Jerry’s with nearly 19 ice cream shops per 100,000 residents – but the state coming in second?

None other than West By God, with just over 18 shops per 100,000 residents.

I take offense to their surprise, but at least they appreciate our natural beauty. Here’s what they had to say.

“A dark horse in this race, West Virginia takes second place with nearly as many shops per capita as Vermont. It may not be a headline-grabbing ice cream destination, but this ranking reveals a quiet, yet passionate, ice cream culture tucked into its small towns and scenic valleys.”

Rounding out the top 10, in order, were Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin (we bear the Dairy State!), Illinois, New Mexico, Michigan, New Hampshire and New York.

Now that you know there are plenty of places to enjoy ice cream around the Mountain State, who scoops up your favorite?

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Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as “The Food Guy” who writes a weekly column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has appeared in several state, regional and national culinary publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. He can be reached at wvfoodguy@aol.com.