Olive Tree Express opens at Shawnee, plus Huey Magoo's coming to South Charleston
- Steven Keith
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The winner of six recent Charleston Gazette-Mail “Best in the Valley” awards, South Charleston’s popular (and delicious!) Olive Tree Café has opened a second location at the newly constructed Welcome Center at Shawnee Sports Complex in Dunbar.
Offering fast-casual food to players, families and guests at the sprawling sports and recreation facility near West Virginia State University, Olive Tree Express will introduce a Qdoba/Chipotle-style restaurant concept there, but with a Mediterranean twist.
The restaurant opened after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, just hours before the start of the seventh annual Mountain State Cup, a regional soccer tournament that brought approximately 7,500 people representing 130 teams to the complex this past weekend.
For the “express” portion of the menu, you can create your own meal by choosing a base (platter or bowl), picking your dip (hummus or baba ghanoush), selecting a meat (Black Angus filet, gyro, chargrilled chicken or fire-roasted shrimp) and choosing two sides (rice with roasted orzo, vegetables, potatoes, Greek salad, Fattoush salad or veggie of the day).
Also available are a variety of handhelds (turkey club, pita wrap, Philly, burger, hot dog, and Italian sausage with peppers and onions), flatbreads (spinach, za’atar, pepperoni and Lebanese garlic with herbed cheese), plus two salads and a soup of the day. Snacks include hummus, baba ghanoush, pierogies, chicken tenders and wings, plus regular or loaded fries.
The new restaurant replaces Shawnee’s previous concessions, bringing higher-quality food options to facility visitors.
“Our goal in building this sports complex was to make this facility the best around,” Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango told a crowd of dozens during Friday’s grand opening. “And we’ve done that.”
He went on to say that other places may have nice fields, but none of them have an Olive Tree Express. “When people leave Shawnee now, they’ll be able to say: Those fields were great. The staff was great. And, man, that food was really great!”
Salango then introduced Olive Tree chef/owner Michael Jarrouj, whom he described as someone with the Midas touch. “When he puts his name on something, you know it’s going to be a success. He and his staff have been here until 1 or 2 in the morning some nights this week, just to make sure they were ready for today’s tournament.”
Jarrouj thanked the county commission, his family and the community for their support, saying he’s excited to now be part of a place that brings so many people together to benefit the region as a whole.
“We have felt the economic boost Shawnee has brought all the way down at our original restaurant in South Charleston,” he said. “Now we look forward to feeding the teams and families visiting our area right here at Shawnee, just as if they were our own family.”
The new Olive Tree Express will be open during major events at Shawnee, with other regular hours announced soon. Shawnee Sports Complex is located at 1 Salango Way in Dunbar.
Huey Magoo’s coming to South Charleston
Calling itself “The Filet Mignon of Chicken,” Florida-based chain Huey Magoo’s will open its second West Virginia location at South Charleston’s Park Place shopping center across from Riverwalk Plaza.
The City of South Charleston teased the news in a Facebook post over the weekend. This location will join one in Morgantown and more than 70 others spread mostly throughout the Southeast portion of the country.
What sets Huey Magoo’s apart, they say, is that they only serve guests the best 3% of the chicken (the tenderloin), which they’ve branded “The Filet Mignon of Chicken” due to its higher quality.
A simple menu includes a Magoo’s sandwich or wrap with tenders topped with thick-cut dill pickles and signature sauce, or a buffalo chicken sandwich or wrap featuring spicy tenders topped with mixed greens, sliced tomato, pepper jack cheese and house-made ranch.
You can also order chicken tender meals with either hand-cut chips or crinkle-cut fries, plus Texas toast and your choice of dips.
A few salads, sides and beverages complete your choices.
Stay tuned to The Food Guy for more details and an opening date.
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 as “WV Food Guy.” He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or at wvfoodguy@aol.com.