The dining room at Rustic Roots Bar and Grill is spacious and welcoming, offering seating for small parties of two or four, as well as for larger groups.
Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
When Marka Kane and her husband, Travis Taylor, opened the Simply Sweet Café in Durbin, it quickly became a success and locals were wondering what could be next for the young entrepreneurs.
Well, it turned out another restaurant was on the horizon. While Marka was busy with the café, Travis was remodeling the former bar located next door.
Conjecture in town was that he was opening a restaurant that would serve food that wouldn’t compete with the café, but would instead offer a different menu for the supper crowd.
In the northern end of Pocahontas County, everyone was asking when the restaurant would open and what it would be like. The anticipation was palpable and, luckily, in March, the wait was over.
Rustic Roots Bar and Grill opened to the public and it was finally time to see what was cooking.
Before you get to the menu, it’s impossible not to notice the upgrades Travis made to the space. Two of the walls are exposed brick that have been sealed so they shine under the lights, which brightens the whole space.
To the left is the bar, made of locally sourced lumber, and to the right is the dining area.
The back wall is the focal point with a large map of Durbin and surrounding counties drawn onto the sage green background. Hanging on the walls are black and white photographs of the lumber towns that once lined the East Fork of the Greenbrier River.
There are also items that pay tribute to the history of Durbin, including a mounted moose head – the restaurant is located in the former Moose Lodge – and a photo of Red Kane – business owner and great-grandfather of Marka.
The welcoming atmosphere has a family feel to it – conversations usually bleed out from table to table – and it feels like a homecoming every time you take a seat at one of the tables there.
The menu has the same feel. There are staples that can be found in most West Virginia kitchens – recipes passed down from generation to generation.
Be sure to bring your appetite because these plates are stacked high like your grandma used to do it. The open faced roast beef sandwich and hamburger steak come smothered in gravy that you’ll want to bottle.
That’s just two of the seven dinners on the menu. There’s also a large selection of sandwiches which are all served with house chips, which are a must. They are the best homemade chips and are served hot.
The menu is rounded out with pizza, appetizers, salads and sides.
There is also a weekly dinner special and cocktail special.
For more information and weekly special updates, visit Rustic Roots Bar & Grill on Facebook.
The focal point of Rustic Roots’ dining room is the back wall which features a painted map of Durbin and surrounding areas. Five photos of the old lumber towns of the area are on display, alongside a photo of the late Red Kane, who was a businessman in Durbin and the great-grandfather of co-owner Marka Kane.
