An Unplanned Detour: Roadkill Cafe ~ Artemas, PA

 Having just rode the entire Blue Ridge Parkway, I was searching the map for the slowest route west – because it was time to head home and I was stalling. From Blue Ridge Parkway, we turned onto Green Ridge Road, and headed north. We were officially in the backwoods of West Virginia. And I mean back woods. Where the only thing we saw for 40 miles was NO TRESPASSING sign after No Trespassing sign – in every size, shape, color, and variation one could imagine.  There were hundreds of them – and not a soul to be seen other than Stiffy who was riding behind me. Then we turned a corner and were stopped by a road construction crew. They didn’t have STOP signs out, instead, they just took over the entire roadway. We stopped the bikes and waited for one of the workers to give us the all clear to continue. Only they never came over to us. They looked at us several times in a very unfriendly way, but not one gave us even a nod or a spin of the finger indicating we needed to turn around. So after a few minutes of waiting and receiving almost glaring eyes from several of the crewmen, it was clear that they were not moving and we were not going to be able to continue ahead. We turned around and, not wanting to go back through the woods that we just rode through, turned the first right (Scofield Road -Piney Ridge, WV), with zero idea of where it led and no way to figure it out due to no map detailed enough and no cell service to look it up. Next thing we saw was a “Welcome to Maryland” sign. Oops. This clearly was not WEST, where we needed to head. Too late now we kept going and it eventually led us to Roadkill Café & Cabins – the only establishment and/or sign of life that we had seen for many miles. We pulled into the gravel parking lot and headed inside.

 Walking past the ‘gift shop’ – metal garage racks full of souvenir t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats – we found the restaurant. Instead of tables and chairs, the seating was picnic tables, 

with a deck of cards to entertain while waiting for the made from scratch food, and the café’s cookbook for sale: Hillbilly Style Roadkill cooking – It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore $8

There was no cell phone service and no wifi. The food was all made from scratch in the small kitchen, the prices beyond cheap, and the signs that proclaimed having the best pie in the entire state, were absolutely true. Asking the locals how the café got its name, we were told that a gal opened a store with gas and a few convenience items for the locals. The gal would cook for folks who came in hungry, which turned into locals bringing in fresh roadkill, which she would also cook up. The store eventually turned into Road Kill Café and became well known for its amazing made from scratch food. I don’t know if that is the true story of the café, but regardless, it was a hidden gem in the middle of nowhere on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border.   633 Crooked Run Rd, Artemas, PA