Welcome to the Vagabond Kitchen website!

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Welcome to the Vagabond Kitchen website! Folks, we pulled out all the stops to craft for you a website that’s as intentional as our menu and all we do at Vagabond. If you’re a returning friend, welcome back! You may already be familiar with us and what we do, but I think you’ll still find some new and interesting things here and what you already know has a little more nuance and depth.

If you’re new to the Vagabond Way, it’s great to meet you. I’m the owner, founder, Exec Chef, the madman filled with wanderlust, and the fella with the vision behind all things Vagabond. My name’s Matt Welsch. I grew up in the Northern Panhandle of WV, and I’ve lived a life of exploration all over the country and world. I’m excited to bring my perspective back to my home state that I love so much.

Vagabond Kitchen is at its heart a salt of the earth sitdown restaurant for high falutin’ food.

Now what’s that mean?

That means we’re a place where all are welcome. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from -- everyone can enjoy good food. And that’s just what we do: damned good food. I like to elevate regional cuisine and bring our roots from the past into the modern day.

We make it our mission to work with local farmers, producers, and markets; we believe the most Appalachian thing you can do is support your neighbors. We believe in community. We believe in WV. And we believe in Wheeling.

We opened our doors in the heart of Beautiful Downtown Wheeling over ten years ago, and I chose to be in Downtown because I think it’s the heart of our community, just like I think the heart of our homes is in our kitchen. Our downtown has been struggling for decades, and I wanted my business to be part of the solution. My dream is one where we can work together to claim a brighter future for ourselves, our neighbors, and our children.

In our blog, here, I’ll tell some stories and pull back the curtain on the goings-on. I very much see this business as a dialogue, and I want nothing more than for you all to get involved in that discussion.

Come eat something better. We’ll see you soon. - Chef Matt