Modern Forage: Charleston, WV
Tudor's Biscuit World was founded in Charleston in 1980 by William and Mae Tudor and remains a WV-only chain with dozens of locations statewide. Named biscuit sandwiches honor specific customers ('Mary B', 'Ron') and pepperoni-roll-style content ('Peppi'). Musicians have written songs about it.
Charleston is the corporate home of Tudor’s Biscuit World, the from-scratch biscuit-sandwich chain that has stayed inside West Virginia’s borders since its 1980 founding. The named-customer biscuit sandwiches (the Mary B, the Ron, the Peppi) are local cultural shorthand.
This list is almost certainly incomplete; Charleston and the Kanawha Valley hold further hyper-local dishes that have not yet surfaced in the survey.
A note on the Where-to-eat blocks. Every entry below carries a list of restaurants and, where available, star ratings as of the date this post was published. These are a snapshot. Verify hours and addresses before driving anywhere.
Tudor’s Biscuit World — West Virginia (statewide)
A WV-only fast food chain (founded Charleston, 1980, by William and Mae Tudor) that has become a cultural institution. From-scratch biscuits served as sandwiches with named varieties: the “Peppi” (pepperoni and cheese), the “Politician” (bologna, egg, cheese), the “Mary B” and “Ron” (named after loyal customers). Dozens of locations across WV. Musicians have written songs about it. More food institution than dish, but the named biscuit sandwiches and their cultural role qualify.
Sources: WV Tourism (2022); Register-Herald (2019); Edible Orlando (2024). Four+ sources.
Where to eat: Any of the Tudor’s Biscuit World locations across West Virginia. The Charleston area has the highest density. Order the Peppi (pepperoni and cheese) for the local cross-pollination with the Fairmont pepperoni-roll tradition.
More from the series
Browse the rest of the Modern Forage survey.
Research & primary sources
Methodology, validation logs, and the entries that didn’t make this post are in the modern_forage/ on GitHub. Every entry here passed a 2+ independent-source check; the citations under each dish list them.