A Classic Comfort-Food Stop at Sterling Drive-In in Welch

A West Virginia-style slaw dog is a fine place to begin at Sterling Drive-In: a hot dog dressed with chili, mustard, onions and a tumble of slaw. It is straightforward food with a regional accent, served in a Welch restaurant where the menu runs deep and the atmosphere has the friendly, familiar character of an old drive-in.

Sterling has the classic hot-rod look people hope to find on a small-town drive, along with an indoor dining room and booth seating for settling in over a meal. Some diners order at the counter; others make a casual sit-down visit of it. The mood is relaxed, but the kitchen has plenty more on its mind than a quick hot dog.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner all have a place here. Burgers, sandwiches, fried chicken, steak, country-fried steak and traditional sides share the menu, giving a mixed table plenty of routes to take. Plates arrive generously portioned and hot, in the time-honored diner fashion.

The slaw dog remains one of Sterling's most talked-about orders, and for good reason. The combination of chili, mustard, onions and slaw is a defining West Virginia hot dog arrangement, with enough texture and tang to keep a simple frank from being a simple lunch.

There are other hot-dog variations on hand, including dogs with chili, mustard and onions. Add a milkshake, and the meal lands squarely in classic roadside-diner territory without needing to be dressed up any further.

Burgers have their own following at Sterling. The Fat Boy burger, McBride burger and cheeseburgers are among the choices, and bacon can be added to the McBride for a little extra heft.

The Sterling Special is one of the house names to know. It has held its place on the menu long enough to inspire return visits from people who remember it from years back, an appealing trait in a restaurant where regular orders can carry a little personal history.

Then there is the Sterling submarine, another longstanding specialty. A substantial sub can be a sensible answer when a hot dog sounds too light and a full dinner plate sounds like more than the moment calls for.

The menu moves well beyond sandwiches. Country-fried steak with white gravy, mashed potatoes and cooked apples has the full comfort-food rhythm of a plate meant for an unhurried meal.

Chicken parmigiana, hot beef, sirloin, barbecue sandwiches, hoagies and chicken tenders add range to the diner lineup. The selection is broad enough that a return visit need not turn into an order-the-same-thing situation, though plenty of people surely have their usual.

Breakfast has its own local character, including the Four Wheeler breakfast. It is a useful option for anyone passing through Welch earlier in the day, or simply in the mood to start with a traditional diner breakfast rather than wait for lunch.

Curly fries and onion rings are frequently favored companions to the burgers and sandwiches. They give the table a little crunch and make sharing easy when several people have ordered different mains.

Fried apples bring a softer, sweeter note to the meal, particularly alongside country-style plates. Funnel fries take the opposite route: a playful, fair-style treat that works as a side, a snack or a reason to linger over something sweet.

Sterling Drive-In has the air of a place woven into everyday Welch life. Staff interactions are notably warm and personal, and the room draws longtime customers along with travelers looking for a meal on the way through town.

The diner can handle a quick solo stop, but it also works for groups. Larger traveling parties and even side-by-side riding groups have made it a meal stop, while the booths offer a more settled setting for couples, families and friends.

Its recognizable drive-in styling gives the restaurant the look of a local landmark rather than a generic roadside meal. Renovations have refreshed the place over the years, while the enduring menu names and familiar diner format remain central to the visit.

Reservations generally are not required. There is indoor seating, including booths, and a free parking lot with ample room, which helps make Sterling an easy stop when a group is traveling together.

Busy periods can slow the kitchen down, so this is better approached as a meal with a little breathing room than a stop timed to the minute. The menu is broad, the portions are substantial, and an order of curly fries or onion rings can make the wait at the table pass pleasantly.