Heather and Brian Thayer bring big flavor to Cheat Lake.
Having both grown up near the area, Heather and Brian Thayer have fond memories of spending fun summer days and magical starry nights swimming and boating the waters of Cheat Lake just outside of Morgantown—so much so that, several years later, they ended up buying Edgewater Marina at the lake and opening the popular Whippoorwill Bar & Grill there.
“Brian grew up here working in his dad’s business for many years, and I grew up in Fairmont and came to West Virginia University in 1993,” says Heather Thayer, who worked in several local bars and restaurants while pursuing undergrad and law degrees. She did end up practicing law for a few years, but eventually those same waters lured her into a new career.
“We had spent many summers on the lake and just decided one day that we wanted to own something that was really special to us—something we would enjoy that was similar to the places we love to visit on our travels.”
The couple bought the marina in 2007 and opened the restaurant in 2008, with Thayer joining the business full-time in 2009 after the birth of their youngest child. “The Whipp,” as the locals call it, is a popular lakeside spot offering a small selection of traditional bar-and-grill grub, including hamburgers, cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, and hot dogs with all the fixings, hot steak and grilled chicken hoagies loaded with onions and peppers, plus chicken tenders and wings tossed in a variety of sauces. There are also grilled cheese and PB&J sandwiches, french fries, a few salads, and nachos you can pile up with chili, cheese, bacon, salsa, sour cream, and jalapeños. And of course, you can wash it all Grilldown with a selection of domestic and craft beer, assorted wine, and “boat drinks” like icy-cold margaritas, mojitos, pina coladas, and daiquiris.
That no-frills food pairs well with the restaurant’s laid-back vibe, where boaters and locals pop in for a casual lunch or to hear live music on the weekend. A weekly Sunday brunch featuring hearty breakfast staples—French toast, pancakes, and more—has been a big hit.
“Our homemade cheesesteak egg rolls and our biscuits and gravy are popular for brunch,” Thayer says, adding that she makes the sausage gravy fresh each Sunday morning. The bloody mary bar has made a splash as well.
Even though the couple has owned the marina for more than 17 years now, Thayer says they’re still amazed by how much the Morgantown and boating communities have supported them. “The response has been wonderful, because we have such a great community of people who love the lake just as much as we do. It really feels like more of a family because we’ve been on the lake so long.”
239 Mont Chateau Road, Morgantown, “Whippoorwill Bar & Grill” on FB, @whippoorwillbar on IG
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S SUMMER 2025 ISSUE
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