**April 2025: Weekday Afternoon Visit** My friend and I were in the area and wanted a quick lunch before we hit the road again. With the high reviews we thought we'd check out Swiftwater Cafe. The restaurant is located on the first floor of a large building complex (maybe apartments?), and there were many locals dinning in. The space looked very homey and the tables were lined with green and white checkered tablecloths. There's a big chalk board with breakfast and lunch items and my friend and I decided on the following: Lunch -Italian Grilled Cheese $8.06 - This was a fantastic vegetarian sandwich. There was a lot of flavor and it the texture of all the ingredients worked together. I would get this again. -Tomato Basil Soup $4.16 and Chili $4.16: Standard soups -Pepperoni Roll $4.16 - I was told that this was West Virginia's state food so naturally we had to try it out. It was tasty and I'm glad that this restaurant put in cheese, but I kind of wished there were a little bit more. -Chef Salad $9.88: This salad had a good assortment of ingredients and gave me the much needed vegetables that I had been lacking on this roadtrip. Service The host was very quick and polite. Patrons would pick up their orders at the counter when it's ready. Summary It was a nice local joint and I enjoyed all the outdoor photos around the cafeteria. read more

Service was great. Heidi the prep cook did an amazing job making my hot dogs. Didn't steam the buns but that's totally fine! The BBQ sandwich was good also! Love the inside too! Great place! read more

The food is always fresh and delicious. I was waited in by a beautiful young lady, Aerial I think is her name. Super courteous and made sure my food was correct read more

I ordered the Cobb Salad. I must admit how skimpy the ingredients are. The bacon is probably a tablespoon. There's 1/4 of a hard boiled egg. Zero avocado. The chicken is a decent amount and tastes good but I'm disappointed in this salad. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Cobb Salad - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

Cute little deli in downtown! The service was quick & food was good! I grabbed the special, which was a Turkey BLT! read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

BEST Coffee I desperately needed & refilled one Free to go. Delicious Bacon Egg Burrito & Biscuits & Gravy. Friendly staff, cozy & clean. Will def be back when we return from our Fla house to our Charleston house read more

My girlfriend and I had breakfast here a few days ago, just as the COVID restrictions were starting to ease up. There were only two other patrons present, so we had no difficulty finding a seat, despite the social distancing awkwardness. The food was solid--perfectly cooked eggs, crunchy bacon, well-seasoned potatoes, and some darn good biscuits and gravy. Service was fast and incredibly friendly. The only areas in need of improvement are seating and ventilation. The booths are harder than a rock, and patrons will find that they smile like they've been frying foods for hours after leaving. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

This was our lunch stop on a road trip through Louisville. We arrived ~30 before they closed so most lunch crowd had disappeared. We got our food super fast but then again how long does it take to make 2 sandwiches: hot ham and cheese and chicken pesto. Ham and Cheese was the better one. I didn't care for their pesto as it tasted like it was from a jar. And the bread seemed stale. But there was plenty of meat on sandwich. read more

If I could give more stars, I would. Teddy and his crew - Tristan, Arielle, Slim, Joe, Beverly, Ryan and the rest are amazing. Our company has had very important local clients and, clients from the United States Virgin Islands, in the office this week. Every morning for breakfast we ordered a variety of fresh pastries and fruit plus a bowl of their delicious yogurt and a carafe of fresh brewed coffee. Every single thing was to perfection - delicious and beautifully presented. Our home team is in walking distance of the Cafe' and the General Store, so at one time or another, we have eaten every single item on their menu, therefore making us official Swiftwater 'foodies'. ;) I absolutely love Teddy and his team and consider them 'family'. Shelia G. :) read more

Went back to try a hotdog with slaw. The hotdog, with sauce and onions is top 3 in WV. The slaw makes it a top 10-15 candidate. The slaw is tasteless and only brings down the hotdog. They need to get better slaw to put it back in the top 3 bracket read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Hot dogs with slaw. Skip the slaw - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

I tried their wv dogs and now I'm obsessed. Also tried their black bean burger and best thing ever. Will be going back soon. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Black Bean Burger - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

I've relied on Swiftwater for lunch many a workday downtown for more than 10 years!Everyone who works there is nice and the food is consistently good. The fruit is always fresh. Even the background music is good. read more

Got in before it closed for the day. (2pm) I had the BLT and my wife had the Turkey Swiss on wheat that looked homemade. Her sandwich was plentiful with a lot of meat and cheese. My BLT was the opposite. The service was very good. read more

Ordered lunch delivery. Usually pretty good. Failed to include my Italian Grilled Cheese. Cracked Pepper Turkey Sandwich was on stale bread. Tomato Bisque Soup was luke warm and awful. More like tomato soup made with water only. read more

I'm in from out of town for an interview and stumbled across this cafe on Yelp! I was searching for a delicious local sandwich for lunch and Swiftwater didn't disappoint! The Italian grilled cheese and potato salad were delicious and the service was fantastic! I'd definitely come back and would recommend Swiftwater to anybody :) read more

Best breakfast biscuit in town, hands down. You can tell they are made with loving care (and the perfect amount of salt:)

Great, easy breakfast place. Brunchers shouldn't get crazy - this isn't really for you. It is perfect for downtowners and travelers who want a good, well done set of home cooked breakfast dishes ... almost fast-food iced, but ready for sitting too. The breakfast burrito was light and fluffy in the egg department, and it owned the perfect amount of sausage, cheese, and veggies. Well done. My mate's egg sandwich was highly regarded. Service is easy, it's a walk up counter to order, then eat and enjoy. read more

Simple, no nonsense in and out breakfast. Fast, friendly service with some pretty incredible photography artwork on the walls. Seriously but the time I was finished dictating just the above text, my sandwich was cooked, Dan, and packaged up in the to go box. Highly recommended. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

$11 for a ham & cheese sandwich and a small fountain drink. Service was quick and friendly. The sandwich was okay, but for $11, I expected more. read more

A great, fast, lunch stop in downtown Charleston. Simple but quality sandwiches, I got the special, pork tenderloin on brioche, with the potato salad. It is a small hole in the wall, but the food is good. I'll be back for sure! read more

Stopped by this cute little cafe while my team and I were in town filming a documentary. We met the owner and he gave us details about different nature areas to film. All the staff was super friendly and made us feel so welcomed. The sandwiches were great. I went with the chicken salad and everything else the rest of the crew got looked good too. I would definitely recommend this spot to locals and folks who're traveling. They'll make you feel right at home. read more

Great little cafe in Charleston! My husband had the WV Hot Dog special & loved it. At least 3-4 times he said "Oh Wow!!!" because it was so delicious and made right. My Pesto Turkey sandwich was also good. We'll be back! read more

Great place. Delicious real food. Delightful real people. There is a sense of community.Not slick and corporate. We will go back!

I dropped in for and early lunch around 11:30 and SO glad I was early today... the line was long by the time I finished eating... I ordered the Italian Grilled cheese and a Drink for lunch just under $8 DAMN this is one the best grilled cheese sandwiches that I have ever tasted. Perfectly grilled sandwich with Tomato, basil pesto, melted provolone cheese glazed with balsamic reduction between nicely toasted Semolina bread OMG... I am definitely coming back to the Swiftwater Cafe!!! read more

Had a great lunch in this place tucked into downtown Charleston. Soup was obviously canned but the sandwiches were hearty and tasted great. Service was very friendly read more

Great food, great atmosphere, friendly staff. Recommended place to get lunch. I had the chicken salad sandwich and will definitely get it again once I explore the rest of the menu. read more

Went there earlier this morning, the food was amazing! But I heard shouting coming from the catering which made me feel uneasy. It was definitely too early to hear yelling. read more

Such a delicious breakfast!! Hearty, and filling. First time here and was not disappointed. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

The food here is so-so. I would only come here for something quick, cheap, and convenient. Also, I love to support local restaurants! This cafe is a little hole in the wall that you likely missed and walked past a handful of times already. I tried out the pesto turkey sandwich and it was just okay. It's not anything special but it gets the job done. I wanted to try out the vegetarian burger, but they told me the patties were store bought, so I didn't feel like it was worth it. If you're in a hurry, they have pre-made sandwiches, salads, pasta salads, and desserts ready-to-go in the fridge. The workers are friendly and there's plenty of seating for everyone. Overall it was okay, but I definitely don't see myself craving any of their items. read more

Awesome little cafe! Excellent BBQ and WV hotdogs! Great selection of grab and go salads and wraps if you are in a hurry. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

I have always enjoyed this cozy little lunch spot. The food at the Swiftwater Cafe is always fresh. Today we had the Carb buster salad which was fresh and uninspired and the turkey bacon wrap which was also fresh and tasty. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

Amazing breakfast!! We had the Big Breakfast Platter it was awesome! Their breakfast potatoes are so good and their biscuits were some of the best I've ever had! They are super quick and friendly. I highly recommend checking this place out for a casual, tasty, quick breakfast. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

Such a friendly staff! The breakfast bagel sandwich is awesome, and my friends loved their breakfast burrito! Big fan, it made my last morning in Charleston a great one. read more

Loved Swiftwater Cafe! We were on a trip from VA to IN and needed lunch. We stopped at two other places that looked really greasy and unhealthy. We held out and went to Swiftwater and we are so glad we did! The owner was super nice and accommodating. Everyone was friendly and the food came out pretty fast. I had a pesto cracked pepper turkey sandwich and my husband had the pork bbq with slaw. Both were delicious but didn't feel heavy or unhealthy. It's a cute little stop with character, as seen by this wall of fish and photos of fish the family caught. Great food that was reasonably priced, and awesome atmosphere. A must stop if you're in Charleston, WV! read more

Hubby and I made easy stop off the highway while traveling through the area. We found the Swiftwater Cafe a good place to get a quick and satisfying lunch. No off-street parking, so that was a little tricky. Ended up parking about a half block away. The Swiftwater is a small place. We chose to split a Cajun wrap and Cobb salad from their grab and go cooler. Hubby also ordered chili. We found all to be fresh and tasty. The wrap was filled with a variety of ingredients and crispy lettuce. It came with a mildly spicy dipping sauce. The Cobb salad had chunks of real chicken, egg, crumbled real bacon, cheese, cucumber, tomato, and a couple of avocado slices. All was fresh and of reasonable portions. My husband said the chili was very good....seemed to be made from scratch with chunks of bell pepper and beef. The grab and go case was a good option for those who are wanting to save time. However, if you want food made-to-order, we found that ordering from the main menu is the way to do that. Restrooms were tiny, but clean. Both gender toilet rooms shared a sink in a little vestibule area, which was right off the kitchen door/dining area and the paper towels and trash can were a couple steps away. That was a little weird, but they were working with a tight space. A good lunch. Nourishing, satisfying. Better than average, not quite over the top quite yet. read more

Checked the Yelp reviews. Did not disappoint!! Came in before lunch rush crowd. The line moves quickly and food come out fast. Took us quite a bit of time to choose what to order. Settled on Cracked Pepper Turkey sub, 2 hot dogs combo, and tomato basil soup. read more

On Columbus Day, not much going on. For that matter, Sunday Charleston shut down. Swiftwater is local in an old hotel and is awesome. Portions were good as was taste. Eggs fluffy, sausage not greasy. Order at window and pick up. It's for you. read more

Was good for breakfast. Excellent coffee and decent service. It would have been perfect if I didn't have to keep asking for milk for my coffee. They brought a minuscule dish of milk about a tablespoon. They had the prepackaged oily coffee creamer but it is terrible tasting and terrible for you. All chemicals but restaurants love the cheap price and ease of not refrigerating. I prefer real milk products especially when paying for coffee out in a restaurant read more

I decided to stop in for lunch due to the reviews here on Yelp. The food was good, I had a turkey wrap (pre-made from the grab and go cooler), a bag of chips and a can of soda. The total was 9.10, fairly high I felt for the portion size and for being pre-made. The dipping sauce was the best part, spicy but not overpoweringly hot. The restaurant was clean and the menu was pretty diverse. read more

Swiftwater Cafe - These may rotate, but these were some of the choices today! - Cafes Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

I was excited to visit this place, and as I stood in line to place my order I noticed signs all around the restaurant with awards Swiftwater had won for its hot dogs. I turned to the people behind me. "Have you been here before?" They nodded. "How are the hot dogs?" "Well," the lady said in her West Virginia drawl, "Do ya get heartburn easy?" That was a good sign. I ordered the hot dog with everything, which was mustard, chili, onions, and slaw. (Don't you dare visit West Virginia without getting a slaw dog from SOMEWHERE.) The chili was a bit spicy but was overwhelmed by the coleslaw. The buns were a big soggy, perhaps from the hot dogs or perhaps from the mustard. These hot dogs were okay. I have very refined hot dog tasters so my standards may admittedly be too high. I enjoyed these slaw dogs but I have had better. The restaurant itself was really cute, it was located in a great spot in downtown Charleston, the people were friendly, and the service was quick. But the hot dogs, which were why I visited here, were not quite as I had expected. read more