Mellow Moods Cafe and Juice Bar, Shepherdstown, WV

In the quaint little town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, I wasn't sure if I'd find any vegan options. Boy, was I surprised. There were a few places in this town that advertised being vegan friendly, but the one most recommended by the locals was Mellow Moods Cafe and Juice Bar.

This low-key place has the look and feel of a college-type cafe with good, fresh food. The walls are brightly colored with random colors like lavender, blue, and lime green with colorful artwork on the walls. There is a main dining room, seating outside, and lounge-style seating in the back. It's like a small health food, internet cafe in a small, college town.

They said almost any of the items could be veganized as their menu was mostly vegan. It took a while for us to choose, but once we did, we took a seat in the loungey area.  I started with a delicious Green Lemonade juice made with apple, lemon, and kale.

For an appetizer, we couldn't resist ordering the Vegan Nachos, as they were called on the menu. These were sooo good! They took blue corn chips and covered them with housemade cashew cheese, chili, pico de gallo, guacamole, and green peppers. We gobbled them up like there was no tomorrow.

I was pretty full by the time my sandwich arrived, but I ate it anyway. I had the Tempeh and Avocado Reuben, which usually comes with Swiss cheese. Unfortunately, they don't have any vegan cheese substitutes (not sure why) so they just left that off. It was served on a deliciously fresh marble rye with sauerkraut, tempeh slices, avocado, and vegan Thousand Island Dressing. It tasted like it needed something else though and that something else was the vegan Swiss cheese! It also came with a quinoa salad topped with shredded carrots.

I was so thrilled to have found this place. The food was healthy and fresh and the juices were spectacular. You can not go here and not try the vegan nachos...seriously!  If you only have one place to try in this city, I recommend it be Mellow Moods. And maybe if you mention you'd like vegan cheese on your sandwich, they'll start stocking it.

Mellow Moods Cafe and Juice Bar
119 West German Street
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
(304) 876-0608

Bavarian Inn, Shepherdstown, WV

While visiting Shepherdstown, West Virginia for the day, we wanted to have a special dinner. It seemed like there were three nice, fancier restaurants in town so I called all of them to inquire about their vegan options. Bistro 112, the French restaurant, basically said they really couldn't accommodate. The Press Room and Bavarian Inn said they could, but couldn't tell me what would be served as it would be off-menu and up to the chef. So, I had to take a chance and I went with the Bavarian Inn.

I chose the Bavarian Inn because I knew it was a beautiful setting. It's a hotel that looks like it is set in Germany with English tutor buildings and stone entrances. The restaurant is located in the main building. There is a casual dining area and a fancier one. We chose the fine dining room. We were seated at a small table near a window with a nice view. The carpet and furniture had an old, outdated look to it. I felt like I had gone back in time.

The bread that was served was vegan so we snacked on it while waiting for the waitress to return.

When she stopped by she explained that they could do something with a variety of vegetables and their pesto rice, which happened to be vegan. I thought that would be fine.

To start, the chef sent out an amuse bouche of mushrooms and rutabaga. It wasn't very good and I was afraid this was indicative of what was to come.

I was right. I was served a vegetable plate, but the vegetables weren't very good. The grilled squash was overcooked, but probably the best part of the dish. The eggplant was doused in oil and barely tasted like anything.  The mixed vegetables were just plain. And the steamed asparagus was good because you really can't mess up steamed asparagus. Oh, and the rice wasn't very good at all. I was pretty disappointed.

That's not to mention that the service wasn't great either. The server barely checked on us, we ran out of water, and it took forever for us to find someone when we had a question. For a $19 vegetable plate, I'd say this place left something to be desired. I wish I had gone to the more casual Blue Moon Cafe instead.

Bavarian Inn
164 Shepherd Grade Road
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
(304) 876-2551

PIGS Animal Sanctuary, Shepherdstown, WV

I've been to a few animal sanctuaries in my life, but only one in my immediate area. My boyfriend, Chris, found one that is only an hour and a half outside of DC that I had never heard of so we made a trip to go visit it. PIGS Animal Sanctuary is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and is a place of refuge for abused, abandoned, neglected, and unwanted animals. It is called "PIGS" because when they first opened, they just had pigs. Now they house almost 500 animals.

The Executive Director, Melissa Susko, was kind enough to take us on a tour, which is something she only offers twice a month. We started at the cat area where there were so many cats of various backgrounds. There were feral cats and cats with neurological disorders. She spoke passionately and respectfully about all of them.

Around the corner, was a separate place for cats diagnosed with Feline HIV. They were beautiful.

Next, we went to see the large pigs. There were beautiful, friendly pigs in a huge area. Most of them were in the pond and covered in mud. So cute. A few came up to say, "hello," including an older pig with cancer. She explained how they removed several masses, but they just kept returning. The mud protects them from sun damage, but, behind their ears tends to get sunburned anyway. Some had skin cancer behind the ears.

Then, she showed us all of the pot-bellied pigs. PIGS was opened when having pot-bellied pigs was all the rage. Once they became full-sized though, no one wanted them and they ended up at this sanctuary.

There was a dog area where all the rescued dogs were who couldn't live with humans or other animals. Most were in their own pens.

Lastly, she introduced us to the horses and donkeys, each with their own remarkable stories.

PIGS is an amazing place and Melissa's passion for the animals is evident as she tells their stories factually, respectfully, and passionately. Even if you can't visit PIGS, consider a donation. This amazing place costs $25,000 per month to operate and all of it is funded by donations. To read more about them go here. Thank you, Melissa, and all of your volunteers and Board members for all that you do for these wonderful animals.