Inside one of Morgantown’s favorite independent eateries

This February marks the nine-year anniversary of Black Bear Burritos, a Morgantown restaurant specializing in "burritos of all ethnic cuisines."

On a cold winter day, Black Bear offers a relaxed environment filled with warm fresh food or some all-natural coffee from Washington, Pa.

However, in the evening the quaint restaurant welcomes the nightlife with a full bar and live local music on weekends.

Upon entering the cozy restaurant, customers can grab a menu at the door and seat themselves at one of the many wooden tables or booths. After placing an order, guests are given a "table marker," which at Black Bear means a Fisher Price toy, to set on their table while they await their meal.

Ayla Nett, general manager and employee of three years, said the restaurant's specialties are burritos and homemade salsa.

Their mild salsa has a unique fresh taste, with a slight kick that isn't too spicy for most guests, but more adventurous customers will be satisfied by the strong kick of Black Bear's spicy variety.

"I ordered spicy salsa, and I'm very pleased. It's spicy, but it still has that fresh taste," said Caitlin Lokant, freshman biology student.

Nett introduced the kiwi salsa and seasonal apple salsa as "sweet and good on anything." The apple is a chunky salsa, and has a mild flavor with hints of cilantro sprinkled throughout, whereas the kiwi is smooth, sweet and tangy.

Black Bear's most popular appetizer is freshly fried chips served with roasted red pepper queso, Nett said. The cheese dip is warm, smooth and full of flavor.

For the main entree, Black Bear offers a variety of options including burritos, quesadillas, salads and lettuce wraps.

"Our most popular entree is probably the Bear Trap burrito," Nett said. "People really love our special sweet-honey mayonnaise, and the honey is from the local ThistleDew Farm in Proctor (W.Va.)."

The Bear Trap is filled with fresh crisp lettuce, roma tomatoes, swiss cheese, sweet-honey mayonnaise and the customer's choice of smoked turkey and crispy bacon or tofu and Fakin' all wrapped in a honey wheat tortilla.

Another popular choice is the Irie Member, said Nett. This burrito has a Jamaican twist and comes supplied with a jerk sauce, pineapple and jicama.

Nett said the owners of the restaurant, Matthew Showalter and Jason Coffman, had pride in the freshness of the ingredients. Black Bear always obtains whatever ingredients they can from areas in West Virginia and nearby areas. They also recycle everything they possibly can and use eco-friendly materials whenever possible, she said.

The restaurant not only maintains an attitude of giving back to the community by buying local and recycling, but also by supporting local artists and musicians. The restaurant is decorated with visual art from locals, where they promote and try to sell their work.

"I have had the best work experience here," Nett said. "Matt and Jason are the most kind and caring people, and because we have a small group it's like being a part of a family; we have pride in what we want to do for the community and the environment."

Black Bear is located at 132 Pleasant Street and opens Monday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. They offer dine-in or takeout and can be contacted at 304-296-8696 or www.blackbearburritos.com.