Alma Bea

Absolutely one of the best places to dine in West Virginia! My wife and I have gone a few times now and it has been fantastic each time. The menu changes a little each time too! My wife also loves that the signature drinks have been named after The Golden Girls. 11/10!

I visit Shepherdstown about every month or so, and I've been dying to try this place out. Unfortunately I typically go earlier in the day, and they were only open for dinner. Fortunately they began opening for lunch, so I took advantage of the opportunity and stopped by. I went with the brisket platter, which was served with roasted root vegetables, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and brown butter corn bread. The brisket was the perfect combination of smokey, tender, and juicy, and sliced thinly, which I've never had before but loved! The root vegetables had me wanting more, as they were caramelized and tasted amazing. The coleslaw wasn't overdressed, it was simply perfect - tangy with a hint of spicy. The corn bread was simply amazing! Tasted like something Paula Deen or Martha Stewart herself would make! Buttery, a little sweet, and SO good! The dessert cases made it impossible to leave without first trying something, so we went with the baker's recommendation of the seasonal fruit crisp, one of my favorite desserts. The tangy blend of berries and seasonal fruit were the perfect match to the big chunks of crispy, crunchy, and sweet crisp. Overall it was the perfect grand finale to such an amazing meal. Our server was super friendly, and took the time to answer our questions, recommend items, and chat with us, so we never felt rushed, just complete comfort. There's a nice outdoor area and spacious interior with a large bar. I truly cannot wait to go back and try more menu items. I am so happy to have finally tried them out, and they're certainly one of my new favorites in Shepherdstown!

We went here for our anniversary. So glad we found it. We were quickly seated and waited on by Cheyenne. (Ask to be seated at one of her tables.) You won't regret it. I had the duck and it was superb after getting cornbread a soup for an appetizer. They gave us some ice cream for our anniversary as dessert.
This place is a gem for sure.

We had dinner here while vacationing in the area and if you are in close proximity, you can't miss the smells. The owner of the bed and breakfast (Jacob Rohrbach Inn) we stayed recommended it and boy were they right. Hands down one of the best experiences we've had in our travels. One review mentions the portion size and while it is Appalachian inspired, it is also Tapas inspired which is small dishes.
So the self described “Tapa-lachian” is appropriate.

We didn't have reservations but it wasn't necessary for the time of day. The staff was all very nice and we were seated quickly. We mentioned to our very nice and very well menu educated server we had heard about the breads so she suggested we start with a mini skillet of herb and corn bread and butter. It was very good! She came back for our order and we decided to start off with the crab cakes and fried green tomatoes with tabasco butter sauce. No joke, the best of both either of us can remember. Fantastic! We also decided to split the brisket with black-eyed pea cola sauce and mac and cheese. Again, another knockout! We have lived and traveled in Texas and find it hard to find brisket that can measure up, but this was a whole other level. Lastly we went with seasonal crumble with vanilla ice cream for desert. It was utterly amazing.

So yes, it is Appalachian inspired small dishes but if you leave hungry, you are doing something wrong.
(sorry no picture of the brisket...we completely forgot once it got to the table)

We have been here several times and it is always a delight. I love the variety of the menu and that the dishes are made with locally sourced ingredients. The small plates are great to share tapas style and the large plates are a full sized meal.

The atmosphere here is incredible - so cute! The service was great and the food was even better! Got bread as a starter with pimento cheese - soooo good! I got the Duck Confit French Onion Soup which was to die for! And my husband got the wings, which he said were some of the best wings he’s ever had - the sweet potato “fries” that came with the wings were a refreshing surprise and delicious! I also had 2 cocktails - one was a holiday drink and then an espresso martini, both very yummy! Can’t wait to come back for something else!!

The food was exceptional. They brought a delicious brown butter corn muffin and then a delicious ramp soup taste as a palette cleanser. Our entrees were absolutely delicious.

After staying at Carriage Inn Charles town we saw this restaurant recommended by the staff.
Excellent food!! Situated right next to a train track you will probably see it go past and the wall decor of a train was fitting.
Rustic decor and clean environment.
Delicious free bread appetizer with pimento cheese.
Terrific Cobb salad.
Beef stew samples was delicious! You can buy a container if you'd like.
Good wings ( I prefer crispy) and would have liked regular sweet potato fries instead of thin straws.
Good chocolate pie but a vanilla crust would have tasted better. Overall a win and a recommendation!

Great homemade local cuisine. We also bought a frozen chocolate peanut butter pie. Oh wow! Creamy and delicious. Trying not to eat the entire thing at once! Lol!

Four of shared 5 small plates, and it was plenty of food. The food was unique, high quality Appalachian dishes. We got there around 5pm, and it got busy later on but the service was always excellent. We'd go back.

This is quality. Ate off their dinner menu and was delighted with everything. Their portions are reasonable, so I was even able to indulge in a fabulous slice of maple chess pie. My date ordered bourbon bread pudding and it was great as well. This is good Appalachian eating...rosemary grits, potlikker greens, perfectly cooked duck...the menu is locally sourced and changes, another amazing part of Alma Bea. Can't wait to see what Spring brings to the menu.

We were lucky enough to find Alma Bea while staying in Charles Town for a night. We tried the catfish & fried green tomato ceasar salad, vegan grit cakes, braised beef brisket, and potato candy pie. The potato candy pie is a take on an Appalachian dessert and a must-try if you've never had it before! All of the other food was really flavorful and delicious. The service was excellent!

Wow! What a pleasant surprise! We went here for dinner for four on Friday night and from the moment we walked in we were impressed. The atmosphere was warm and inviting and so pointedly decorated. The service was perfect with a server and a waiter so there was no need to ask for anything on our own. They both visited the table enough to be sure we had what we needed without interrupting our conversations. The food was AMAZING! All of us were thrilled with our meal's flavor. Not being a huge fan of fried food we hesitated to order the crab poppers but were thrilled to find them FULL of lump crab meat...plus you could hardly tell they were breaded & fried. The side salad was also filling and delicious especially with the added moonshine pecans and smoked bacon toppings! The variety of breads brought out before dinner on the cast iron skillet with the pimento cheese was great as well! The only negatives I could say were the portions of some of the entrees were a little small. As well, the outside signage is very hard to notice..we would have missed the turn into the parking lot but our GPS insisted we were at our destination..🙂 Overall top notch and we'll definitely be back!

Arrived on a Saturday night on Fathers Day weekend without a reservation. We were seated within 10 minutes and notified they were short staff. We looked at the menu and decided on two cocktails(shady grove shrub & Line in the coconut margarita) and a chop salad to share. When we were ready for a second round of drinks(Alma Bea Knees & Smoked Old Fashioned) and ordered our food. My wife ate the corn pasta and the smokey mashers and I had the chicken Pot pie with Fried Pickles. The quality of food was worth the wait. When we are back in the area, we will definitely check out their location again!

Our family of three finally tried this lovely restaurant for dinner to celebrate Mother's Day weekend.
The ambiance is such a surprisingly, unique, cute change compared to going to the same ol average chain restaurant.
Our waitress was Ahmazing! So sweet and helpful, and the young man seating people was also very friendly.
I have a very picky teen and picky husband when it comes to restaurant food, and we all absolutely loved all of our meals.
I got the brisket platter that came with greens and Mac and cheese everything was So GOOD !
Husband got the crab cake sandwich with potatoes and salad..He said one of the best crab cakes he's had.
She got the pepperoni roll and loved it.
Also, they gave samples of corn chowder and cornbread which both were amazingly yummy 😋
We will be back soon! One of our favorites now in the area.

Really enjoyed the Southern inspired food here. My rainbow trout was excellent. Others had beef brisket, pork tenderloin and an asparagus and wild ramp soup. The cocktails were tasty and the service friendly and efficient. The big open dining area got a bit loud, but the covered outdoor dining looks great so I'll look forward to that next time! I didn't care for the 4 percent upcharge to pay with a credit card. They should increase prices to include it.

Update: This is our go to place nearly weekly and we're never disappointed. The outside deck is great! The menu changes seasonally and is inspired. Doesn't look like much from outside but don't miss this place!

My friend and I loved the food and service at Alma Bea in Shepherdstown, WV. Everything is locally sourced, and one can tell that the food is made by an innovative and excellent chef. On the day we were there, one could get a sampling of mini pastries (chocolate croissant, pepper biscuits with apple butter, and paw paw bars). I had a delicious crab cake and fried green tomato sandwich, which had hardly any filler. Friendly and efficient service from Scott and Connor was the cherry on top!

Drinks were delicious, and Mili, our server, was absolutely amazing! I highly recommend this place anytime!

Stopped in on a whim last night a were very happy with our choice. We’d been watching the reviews roll in since opening but hadn’t had the chance to swing in. The started the table off with the assorted breads and some of their pimento cheese as well at a small sample of stew, all very yummy. We had the crawfish hush puppies and Crabcakes with Fried Green Tomatoes to start (both not pictured) I’d skip the hush puppies next time but the batter on the tomatoes and the quality of the crab cakes was wonderful. Decided on the salad and prime rib as our mains and both asked for boxes shortly after they came to the table because we were already full!! We both had a nice cocktail from their cocktail menu and coffees to end the meal. Very excited to have a restaurant in the area that provides some fun, outside the box food that’s well done but not pretentious!

This place is amazing, the food was made perfect and the service was spot on. We tried alot of the dishes like the duck brest, crab cakes and fried green tomatoes, Mac and cheese, bourbon roasted root veggies and more..nothing disappointed. We also loved the speciality drinks especially the apple cider margaritas. If you are passing through or live close this is a don't miss especially if you love or haven't tried Appalachian style food. Don't mind my pictures of my Duck somebody grab some before I took the pic.