TASTE THE DIFFERENCE
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The best food on the river…and off!
The difference between a good vacation and a great vacation is often found in the quality of the food and atmosphere.
This is the place Class VI spends extra attention, money and effort. Even before we ran our first trip back in l976 we
decided that we could set ourselves apart from our competition by feeding our guests better.
Food has always been our passion. It is one of the many areas in which we are unwilling to compromise;
yet it is the first place most of the competition saves money. We don’t order and serve pre-made
sandwiches from the local grocery store, or re-warm pre-cooked hamburgers or chicken strips. We don’t
serve anything out of a #10 tin can. Yuck! We realized that there’s nothing you can’t do with a
little imagination, a few coolers, and a lot of Tupperware.
Our focus on culinary quality means that whether you are dining on the river bank on one of our overnight trips, or eating in one our restaurants, you’ll be able to taste the difference!
Smokey’s on the Gorge. This the crown jewel of our food service program. We have come up with a unique restaurant concept that blends culinary sophistication with down home West Virginia hospitality. Our restaurant (which is named after one of our first and best-loved employees, bus driver Smokey Morton) is housed in a stunning timber frame pavilion located on the rim of the New River Gorge. With over 9000 square feet of deck space, you’ll be sure to enjoy the views as much as your meal. Our buffet features a variety of imaginative entrees and a salad bar that will knock your socks off. An extensive wine list and a wide variety of foreign and domestic beers are available. Be sure to check out the whimsical metal sculptures of recreating birds by West Virginia artist Mark Blumenstein.
Chetty’s Pub. Located on the second floor of our reception building, our lively pub offers a more casual dining experience with a menu that features hearty sandwiches and appetizers— including our famous buffalo wings. Wide screen TV’s show your rafting video or other sporting events. A large variety of locally brewed beers are available. Hang out with the guides on the back deck enjoying a game of foosball and a killer view of the gorge. (Chetty Morton, Smokey’s brother, is another all-time favorite employee. The bus he drove for us, a 1965 GMC Coach was retired in 2000. We honor his long service to Class VI by naming this restaurant after him.)
River Lunches. Class VI is renowned for its New York Deli-style river lunches. A full selection of quality meats, cheeses, breads and all the trimmings will allow you to build a true “Dagwood” of a sandwich. Imaginative salads with fresh ingredients, home made organic peanut butter, fun desserts…be careful or you’ll be too stuffed to paddle. Talk about attention to detail: we actually garnish our salads and we even remember the hand sanitizer! So, fix a plate, grab a cup of lemonade, find a warm sunny rock by the river and dig in.
Overnight Meals. Fresh baked bread? Perfectly grilled steaks? Warm home made brownies? Don’t be surprised when your river guide morphs into an outdoor chef extraordinaire. We have the art of riverside cooking down pat. (hint: Dutch ovens are key!) Our Gauley River overnights are not self-contained (gear and food are trucked in, not carried on a raft) so they really pull out all the stops. When you paddle your raft up to the overnight site, the appetizers will be out and the keg will be tapped. Whole grilled salmon, steamship round, lots of fresh veggies and fun desserts will follow. Let us impress you!
Breakfast. Before your raft trip, enjoy Starbucks coffee (raft guides will settle for nothing less!) and juice. Talk with our reservationists if you would like to add a full breakfast to your rafting package.
We will be happy to modify any of our menus to comply with diet restrictions and requests. Please let us know in advance.
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