Back in the day, a whistle punk was a lumberjack on the logging job that would blow a whistle to indicate meal time, now Whistle Punk is a fun, creative, and delicious restaurant in Richwood, who chose its (very fitting) name to pay tribute to the logging history of Richwood.
Owners, Lance and Stacy Raffo first opened Whistle Punk Grill & Taphouse two years ago in June of 2018. Ever since then it has grown to be a welcoming place for both locals and visitors alike to enjoy a meal and taste the newest local beers on tap.
Believing in putting people and place before profit, Whistle Punk is all about being a member of the community, “We don’t want to just be just some place in our town, but someone that contributes to making our town better, and helps attract more people and more businesses” says Stacy Raffo, they also strive to be as environmentally friendly as they can, including sourcing locally. “It’s important to develop relationships with the people we source our food from,” says Raffo, “we want to know the farmers, where we are getting our food from, and make sure their values and farm approach line up with what we hope and want to achieve.” As parents with two kids, the Raffos also understand the importance of supporting other local businesses and families in West Virginia, “We’re building up another family or person, and not another huge corporation…we try to be as supportive as we can of other West Virginians who are trying to fulfill their dreams.”
All their hard work to source local is well worth it when you get to try one of their burgers made with local grass-fed beef. Looking at their burger menu will make your mouth water, with burgers such as the Sterling Spencer- a blackened burger topped with balsamic onions, blue cheese crumbles, and housemade sweet jalapeno jelly. No worries though if burgers aren’t your thing, their menu offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, and of course their famous crab dip.
Fun Fact:
Although the Whistle Punk is only two years old, the building it calls home dates back to 1923, when it was originally a bakery!
Whistle Punk Theme Song:
“Send Me On My Way” by the Rustic Roots. The Whistle Punk hopes all of its customers leave happy and fulfilled like the song makes their staff feel every night when they listen to it!
