MORGANTOWN -
When Owen Schmitt played football for the Mountaineers, he
had a reputation as a hard-nosed player.
He was the kind of guy who would break
facemasks, hit a helmet over his own head, but now he's making food. He's a
restaurateur and a business connoisseur at Schmitt's Saloon and Davisson
Brothers Music Hall and he hasn't lost any of that hard edge.
A sports bar lined with reclaimed barn wood and tin from
around West Virginia lets all visitors know this won't be like their typical
burger and wing joint. Schmitt came up with the idea along with the Davisson
Brothers, a band he's been playing with for five years now since his playing
days at WVU.
At night, they transform the place into a concert venue with
local acts taking the stage at least three nights a week.
"It's a fun environment," says Schmitt. "It's a very relaxed
atmosphere and when we have live music and shows, it just adds to the whole
presence of the saloon."
The doors just opened a few weeks ago, so they're still working to build a
solid foundation, but with a unique menu that includes items like the Beer
Truck Burger, facemask fries and bourbon deviled eggs, Owen's hoping to get a
group of regulars coming back early and often.
"I don't want just standard bar and restaurant food. I want some good, quality
food that people come in and can enjoy and want to come back," says Schmitt.
Plus, there's a wing challenge. Eat three of the hottest
wings you'll ever try and sit in misery for five minutes while you savor the
burn with nothing else to eat or drink. If you make it, you'll get an
autographed picture with the runaway beer truck himself to hang on the "Wall of
Flame."
Owen and I did it together and I can tell you from
experience, it's a doozy. If you want to watch the horror, check it out at this
link.
Schmitt's Saloon and Davisson Brothers Music Hall is located
at 245 Cheat Road in Morgantown and is open for lunch and dinner.
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