Huskey’s Dairy Bar

This place is great. Great service and great ice cream. That guy up there ^ got way too personal.

This is, for me, the quintessential family-​owned restaurant. I grew up on neighboring Lake Chaweva. All the neighborhood kids would visit Lil Huskey’s almost daily. We weren’t the only customers, people from the entire Cross Lanes community frequent the establishment.
It’s that rare kind of place where everyone knows you by name and you know most of them by name. Owner’s Bob and Jane used to run the place almost exclusively, with their son Mike carrying some of the load as well. As the years have gone by they’ve begun to hire nice young women from their church to work the counter, although the family is still present (they live above the restaurant).
If you are a regular, there is no more personalized service available. Bob and Jane are very religious. As could be expected, Mike was therefore a rebellious, metalhead teen. He and some of the even more troublesome teens in the Lake community may or may not have gone on a night-​long spree of breaking into cars and stealing out of them.
There is a lot of kinship and caring in that community, so I hope this isn’t taken as libel (believe me, I was no saint either). This was nearly two decades ago anyway. I don’t know if anyone was ever formally caught, but my mom’s car was one of those broken into, all of my metal cassettes stolen. I received numerous free milkshakes while Mike was behind the counter in the weeks that followed. I don’t think he was okay with the events of that night.
I tell that story because I think it shows how genuine they are, but since it could seem negative, I’ll add that Mike cleaned up his act as an adult, grew into a caring man, was happily married last I heard and is raising a family. His wife can sometimes be seen behind the counter as well.
Every visit home while I was in school, Bob, Jane or Mike, it didn’t matter who was working, would always ask how college was going. They never forgot me even though I might not see them for two years.
This next story is the true epitome of what Huskey’s means to me and why they’ll always have my business. In 2003 my father suffered a massive heart attack. I left school and moved back home to spend time with him because he nearly didn’t make it. Two years later, he did pass away. The next time I went into Huskey’s (and I’m tearing up as I write this) Jane and Mike gave me one of the most sincere condolences and my meal was on the house. There was no charge for my next five or so visits.
I was not a special case. I would go in with other friends and families and the story is the same. They know their customers, plain and simple. They are more than business owners, they are members of their community.
Now that I’ve said why they are some of the best people around, let’s talk about the food and ice cream. Every little nuance makes this place fantastic. They’ve been offering a veggie burger, and I believe veggie dogs, since the ‘80s. As I recall, the veggie burger is an award winning personal recipe of Jane’s. I guarantee they were some of the first in the state of WV to do so. Heck, you still can’t find a veggie burger at most places in the state.
The calzones are to-​fucking-​die-​for. They are my standard for calzone goodness and I have yet to find one that surpasses them. The side of potato slices is amazing: the spice blend, delicious; the potatoes greasy; amazing with ketchup. Hotdogs with everything are WV-​style dogs. That’s chili, mustard, slaw and onions as I recall.
Jane makes the best peanut butter and chocolate shake in the world. The church girls I mentioned are less skilled at it, but they’re still delish. Mike makes a mean shake too. There may not be 31 flavors, but there are plenty of traditional ice cream options, and it is of great note that when Baskin Robbins opened a competing store down the road, it was the corporate giant that ultimately went out of business.
Even the fountain drinks are fantastic. They have the best ice on the planet, and I mean that. They serve Stewart’s root beer, Coke products otherwise.
They have pizzas and pastas, and yes, they cater. Also, it’s cheap. As I write this, it dawns on me that Huskey’s is the only establishment I’ve reviewed that really deserves a five star rating. In retrospect, no other place I’ve been is as good as this. I would give them six stars just so they stand above.
Of note:
1) Bob and Jane are snowbirds so the shop used to close for the winter season. Before I moved back to Ohio Mike was keeping the place open for the winter, but those were test runs to see how business would be. I can’t say for sure what the seasonal schedule is like now. If it’s past Halloween, call before heading there.
2) You can find their award-​winning booth at most Charleston events, such as the Regatta, Labor Day festivals, Chili cook-​offs, etc.
Addendum: A friend of mine read this and scolded me for neglecting to mention their outstanding iced tea. Sweetened Southern style or unsweetened for the northerners.