A Huntington restaurant celebrating a decade in business, The Peddler is all about customer experience down to the very last detail, and it’s evident owner Drew Hetzer enjoys every minute of his job. From brews to burgers or Sunday brunch, you’re guaranteed a delicious time.
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Drew Hetzer’s culinary philosophy is that when you think you know everything, you won’t improve.
“Just venture out and learn; not knowing everything is a gift because you’re continuing to learn,” Hetzer says.
Hetzer, owner of The Peddler, enjoys interacting with other chefs, especially on his travels, and is constantly seeking culinary inspiration that’s reflected on his menus. It’s a lot of trial and error, he says.
“I research cookbooks and look into different flavor profiles, how to combine them, different cooking techniques and different cuisines, kind of infusing those together,” he says. “I have fun putting in the time to do it.”
The Peddler, located on Third Avenue in Huntington, is famous for its juicy and stacked burger creations, pairing perfectly with a side of duck fat fries. And all bread, ranging from buns to pretzels, is made in house.
Every menu item has a clever or quirky name, making it fun just to order at The Peddler. From their take on the classic PB&J—called the Donkey Kong—to the GOAT spicy chicken, sandwiches at The Peddler are always popular. But Hetzer says some newer menu items are coming to steal their crowns.
“The poke stacked nachos have been a very huge hit,” he says. “We added that to the menu just a few months ago, and another menu item that has a following is the pulled pork wonton nachos.”
Dining at The Peddler is all about atmosphere, from the brewery to the upstairs arcade and for, of course, the food. Some of it will even blow you away–literally.
From the Lab is a kettle corn sourced locally from Old Village Roaster, a coffee shop right down the street, that’s dipped in liquid nitrogen.
“So whenever you eat it, you blow steam out,” Hetzer says. “That’s been a very fun, popular dish people come in for.”
The Peddler’s well-loved Sunday brunches feature the brunch burger, avocado toast, donuts and more, and other regular menu highlights are crab cakes and vegan offerings, like tofu wings. While burgers still reign supreme, vegan food is a big hit.
“It’s fun to be able to provide different dishes for different people’s tastes and have a little bit of that variety, but still staying true to what we specialize in, which is the burgers,” Hetzer says.
You can’t talk about The Peddler–or even walk into the restaurant–without noting its impressive brewery.
“It’s a great experience on brew days, where people come in for lunch and they see everything being brewed back there and prepared,” Hetzer says. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a place where they have it set up like that.”
Brews fermented on site include Oktoberfest, Razwell Wheat, Happy Hunty Hefe, Fist Bump IPA, Appalachian Bandido, and much more. The Peddler brews up some year-rounders in addition to seasonal varieties.
“We have a lot of fun with different creations,” Hetzer says. “We have a good variety of things with our food to accommodate people’s tastes, and we do the same thing with our beer as well.”
The Peddler continues to grow with its distribution, too, with plans of expanding its canned brews.
“We’re trying to increase our production,” Hetzer says. “We get a lot of support around the state and really good feedback from people that are carrying our products.”
Hetzer also opened and operates Backyard Pizza and Raw Bar, sharing building space with The Peddler, which first opened a block away in 2014. The Peddler moved locations a couple times before landing in its current spot in early 2016, and Hetzer couldn’t have picked anywhere better to house his restaurant and dream brewery.
“We served our first beer in 2017, and we’ve been growing ever since,” he says. “I just got some more tanks to put in the warehouse that we purchased, and we’re building out to start distributing to a few other states, not just West Virginia.”
When renovating the current restaurant space, the decision to create an open kitchen was part of that same goal of customer experience.
“I really strive for the experience of the customer on top of the quality of the food,” Hetzer says. “It’s not just about the food. It’s all about the overall experience.”
While dining at The Peddler, your visit almost wouldn’t be complete without making the trek upstairs to the arcade, which is perfect for date night or families with kids of all ages, Hetzer says.
“In our first location, we didn’t have room for it, but I’ve always loved the idea,” Hetzer says. “It’s something extra for people going on dates especially when there’s some beer and great food involved.”
Like the partnership with the Old Village Roaster, Hetzer is a big supporter of supporting small businesses.
“I just want to thank everybody for their support,” Hetzer says. “Supporting any local business is greatly appreciated, because it’s not easy, and I appreciate all the businesses that are staying local. They’re still sticking in there and doing what they do.”
The Peddler is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For the full menu, check out https://www.peddlerwv.com/.
