The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie The Mingo Saloon and Lodge is located at 29096 Seneca Trail in Valley Head.

VALLEY HEAD — The Mingo Saloon and Lodge offers motorcyclists, travelers and local residents alike a place to return after their “epic adventure” and to “eat, drink like a king” along the Seneca Trail.

Located at 29096 Seneca Trail, the Mingo Saloon and Lodge has been in operation for four years. The lodge’s co-owners and proprietors Joseph Sells, known as “Little Joe,” and Jami Arbizu bought the location of the former Mingo Cabins in May 2022, with Sells crediting their decision to start the lodge to a “wrong turn.”

“We came down off the mountain… We were on our way to Snowshoe to get something to eat and there was a ‘For Sale’ sign out here,” Sells told The Inter-Mountain. “(Arbizu) was looking at AirBnBs (to renovate) and I said, ‘Well there’s a huge AirBnB.'”

Though Arbizu was hesitant at first, she said she “fell in love with the place” and its “cool vibe.”

“Back in the day (this was) Mingo Cabins. This was all cabins here,” Arbizu told The Inter-Mountain during a walk-through of the lodge. “Way back, way back, and people lived in them. They were pretty primitive. There was one left right there, in the back of the pavilion… It wasn’t really one of the old, old original ones… This building (the Saloon and Lodge) is only about 25 years old or so.”

Open year-round, the Mingo Saloon and Lodge sees its biggest clientele numbers in the summer months when motorcycle riders and clubs come through the area.

“The roads here are amazing. It’s so beautiful and there’s so many things to do,” Arbizu said. “Things are spread out, but that’s what they (motorcycle riders) want. They want to be able to take an hour and a half, two-hour ride. Explore a little bit and then come back (to the lodge).”

However, beyond the motorcyclists, the lodge sees a variety of visitors throughout the year, with people coming up for the Cass Scenic Railroad, which is around 30 minutes away; for the events and ski seasons at Snowshoe Mountain, which is around 20 minutes away; and to visit the Green Bank Telescope, which is around 40 minutes away.

Sells said that, despite the previous owner saying the winter season was the busiest time for the lodge, he saw the location’s potential as a summer destination due to its location and the possibility of having outdoor entertainment, fire pits and more.

“So you go out on your epic adventure, come back,” Sells said. “Eat, drink like a king. Enjoy the entertainment. Crawl back to your room and repeat as necessary.”

Sells also explained that he and Arbizu are trying to turn the lodge into a music venue for the local community.

The lodge’s restaurant is open Thursday through Saturday for locals, with Sells stating that they have received rave reviews from patrons. Arbizu said that one thing that makes the difference with the lodge’s restaurant is that they get their meats from a Mennonite farmer and butcher in Pennsylvania who hand cuts each piece.

“We have a (pot) roast, it’s like crumbling on your plate as we serve it to you,” Sells said. “We call it pot roast because we don’t know what else to call it… (The butcher in Pennsylvania) isolates a certain muscle… He told me how to cook it years ago, and I do exactly what he told me and we don’t do anything other than a little salt and pepper. Usually serve it up with some mashed potatoes and broccoli and beans.”

Arbizu added that they also make sandwiches out of that special cut of meat that people “go nuts for.” Sells and Arbizu also praised their cook, Melissa Wilfong, for her “amazing” homemade meals, including ribeye steak sandwiches, hand-cut fries, fish and chips, chicken potpie, chicken and dumplings, biscuits and gravy and more.

“I tell people, ‘I’m not just a constant sore, I’m a connoisseur,'” Sells said. “So if it doesn’t pass my test, it doesn’t go.”

The restaurant’s homemade desserts are also said to draw in crowds with cinnamon rolls, coconut cream pie, butterscotch pie, peach cobbler and more. Arbizu joked that she witnessed a recent customer order a second helping of peach cobbler, claiming he “wasn’t sure if he liked it or not and wanted to be sure.”

When asked if there was anything they wanted new patrons and visitors to know the moment they walked through the lodge doors, Sells said he wanted to tell people, “Eat a lot.” Arbizu added that she wanted to tell people to, “Eat, stay and play.”

“Everybody that comes here, they’re like, ‘I feel like I’m home,'” Arbizu said. “By the time they’re leaving, we’re giving hugs and we have numbers, staying in touch… It just comes naturally.”