Poor Dave’s Restaurant & Lounge

Unfortunately Poor Daves is closed. This is a loss to our community. The atmosphere was great and food was wonderful. This restaurant and bar is greatly missed.

We had an amazing steak dinner. The owner and staff were all friendly and the service was fast.

This is one of the very few non-​fast food options in the Petersburg/​Cabins/​Smoke Hole/​Seneca area of West Virginia. They advertise in the Smoke Hole Resort guide as the only «formal» dining option in the area. I’ve since learned that the North Fork Mountain Inn more closely fits that bill, but Poor Dave’s definitely does not. Not only was there a redneck bar, but everyone else in there had on jeans and WVU hats. One guy came walking out covered head-​to-​toe in black grease talking about how he needed to go take a shower. The epitome of class this place is not.
But they try… or at least, maybe they did at one point. The tables have candles on them and worn old red tablecloths. The ceiling, however, is stained, cracked, filled with random holes and generally disgusting. There’s a sign when you walk in that reads, «Please Wait To Be Seated,» but then a guy — I presume Dave — told us to sit wherever we like. So, really, «Please Wait to Be Told To Seat Yourself» would’ve been more accurate.
The menu offers a decent variety of options, but it’s totally incoherent. There’s really to rhyme or reason or theme to anything. Have a spaghetti dinner, crab legs, NY strip or a burger. OK. Despite the fact that there is an ocean nowhere near West Virginia, I ordered the steamed shrimp because there wasn’t much else that seemed very healthful or not deep fried on the menu. Somehow, the shrimp actually tasted pretty fresh and were well-​cleaned and deveined. The shells had been slit perfectly to allow for easy peeling. I was quite impressed, actually, and the fries were pretty amazing. The salad was just iceberg lettuce with a cucumber slice, a cherry tomato and a ton of red onions and tiny burnt croutons, paired with what was probably Hidden Valley ranch. Meh. Oh, and the «rolls» are just hamburger buns from the store, not even toasted or anything. They just warm them (I presume in a microwave) and bring them out in a basket. Are you kidding?!
The service was friendly and attentive. One of the other servers was dressed like stripper — rhinestone jeans and a black tube top. She also sported the «skunk hair» look that seems to be popular in West Virginia these days.
The food isn’t bad. It isn’t anything to write home about. It’s just an OK meal. And honestly, you don’t have many other options in Petersburg. The prices seem a little steep for this area. The service is good. If only the place didn’t seem so creepy and dirty inside and out. It’s definitely trying to pull off a vibe that it doesn’t seem like anyone who works there is even remotely capable of pulling off.