Today, you would be hard-pressed to find a fountain soda that wasn’t automatically dispensed from a machine. But there was a time, decades past, when all sodas were handmade and the variety of flavors to choose from numbered in the double digits. Some might call it a lost art, but Griffith and Feil in Kenova just calls it business as usual.
Griffith and Feil Old Fashioned Soda Fountain and Drugstore, located in Kenova just west of Huntington, is a throwback to the malt shops of the 50s, but the location has been a landmark in Kenova for a century.
The interior is a throwback to a classic malt shop and includes photographs and other decorations directly related to the history of the town and the region in general.
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The primary attraction, however, is the soda fountain. There is no syrup bag that automatically mixes with carbonated water when you press a button. No, at Griffith and Feil, all the sodas are handmade.
You simply choose the flavor you want and an employee will mix the syrup and carbonated water together by hand. And don't worry, you will have plenty of flavors to choose from — 26 of them, to be exact. Flavors include cherry, strawberry, black cherry, wild grape, chocolate, orange and English toffee, to name just a few.
While waiting for your food, the surrounding decor will provide a feast for your eyes, including an old jukebox, old-fashioned lamps, tables and chairs, and a variety of little items from a time long past, not to mention the classic circular stools lined up along the lunch counter.
Their menu has a lot of options to choose from, such as black angus burgers, club sandwiches, monte cristo sandwiches, BLTs, chicken strips, wings, pulled pork, corn dogs, reubens, hot dogs, grilled cheese and much more.
All in all, there are few better ways to enjoy a meal. A lot of places offer good food, but not many can take you back in time in the process.
Griffith and Feil Old Fashioned Soda Fountain and Drugstore is located at 1405 Chestnut Street in Kenova. For more info on the restaurant, including store hours and a full menu, visit their Facebook page here. Have you ever been to Griffith and Feil? Feel free to comment below and tell us about your visit.
To learn more about West Virginia, check out these 10 retro restaurants that will take you back in time.
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