May 25, 2026 - Written by SW
Blackwater Galley is the result of great timing and an opportunity for our dreams to become a reality. We are only open on the weekends as both of us maintain full-time jobs. While I work full-time in marketing, the restaurant industry is in my blood. My great-grandfather owned a restaurant and a candy company in Bridgeport, WV. I never had the privilege of meeting him, but many family heirlooms from his restaurant are used in Blackwater Galley's kitchen today. I would like to think he would be both excited and proud.
Blackwater Galley focuses on using local ingredients and crafting quality plates. We aren't fancy by any means- your sweet tea is guaranteed to come in a solo cup, but we are committed to supporting other small businesses and taking a farm to table approach. We do not have a food service provider for any of our inventory. We are making weekly trips to unite with real people with real businesses in our communities. Our current list of partners extends no further than 45 miles from our restaurant's doorstep:
Bailey’s Bread - Parsons, WV
Carriage House Bakery & Foods - Aurora, WV
Belington Bakery - Belington, WV
Teets Meat Packing - Elkins, WV
Brookside Farm - Aurora, WV
Still Hollow Spirits - Harman, WV
R&A Honey and Bees - Rowlesburg, WV
In addition to serving the above bakery's breads on our menu, we also offer the following breads for retail sale: 2 types of gluten free bread (Carriage House Bakery & Foods), 4 flavors of sourdough loaves (Bailey's Bread) and 5 flavors of bagels (Belington Bakery) including their rotating bagel of the month and a Blackwater Galley exclusive, rosemary & olive oil. We are always open to working with new partners as well. Currently, we are looking for a local partner for jams and jellies. While we collaborate with local partners for our breads, meats, eggs, cheeses, etc., we are also making legit biscuits and gravy from scratch every morning. The biscuits and the gravy are both made with organic, unbleached flour and a lot of love. They've quickly become a top seller!
In addition to our mission to provide quality ingredients and support other small businesses, we have placed priority on making sure Blackwater Galley offers gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian options. We have limited options while we are getting started, but we do have them! It is important to us to offer something for everyone. We invite "Galley Go-ers" with dietary restrictions to share their ideas and concerns with us so that we can properly accommodate anyone that walks through our doors.
The premise of our restaurant's namesake is built on both the history of the Blackwater 100 in the neighboring town of Davis and a military background. Ending in 1993, the Blackwater 100 was a staple for locals and the pinnacle of off-road racing that later became GNCC - the Grand National Cross Country Series. I spent many years attending races up and down the East Coast with my family and still enjoy catching the local stops on the schedule like Snowshoe and the Buckwheat 100. While Blackwater Galley is not located directly in Davis, it sure is committed to preserving the heritage of the racing community. Displayed in our front window is a 1989 Honda XR100 with a Dave Coombs memorial sticker on the front number plate. Without the Coombs family, there would be no GNCC racing. We are on the lookout for more memorabilia and invite folks to bring their trophies, flyers, apparel, etc. to put on display. We promise we won't keep it forever! That's some background on the Blackwater half of our name. The Galley half comes from my business partner's military background. He served 5 years in the Navy, protecting our Country and serving during Desert Storm. Historically, a galley is a long and narrow kitchen that is confined, featuring a highly efficient cooking space, and are most often found on military transports, like ships and aircrafts. Since Blackwater Galley is only 850 square feet and is proudly veteran-owned and operated, it fits the galley description.
Address: The Milkint Building at 172 Spruce Street, Thomas, WV 26292
Hours: Friday - Sunday, 7am - 2pm
Phone: (681) 228-9013
Website: www.blackwatergalley.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlackwaterGalley
Instagram: www.instagram.com/blackwatergalley
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@blackwatergalley