The Purple Fiddle

The Purple FiddleThe Purple Fiddle
The Purple FiddleThe Purple Fiddle
Bar, Eatery

21 East Ave, PO Box 87
Thomas, West Virginia, 26292-0087
United States

(304) 463-4040 | map
purplefiddle.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.9
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
7
pDev:
8.21%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4.06 by avisong from Virginia

Jun 20, 2017
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Reviewed by Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Stopped on our way to Black Water Falls. Very cool place deep in the old mountains of WV. Low key when we visited. Window seat for the two of us!… love those country roads!
Jun 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by bluehende from Delaware

Sep 03, 2014
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Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.25
I wont really comment on the food here, it consists mostly of ordinary wraps and sandwiches, but that is not the main attraction. Hands down this is one of my favorite music venues, which is nestled in one of the most unique areas, in a somewhat hidden landscape. The vibe of this place is just fantastic, You'll find granola hippies, out of town urbanite hipsters, locals, ski bums and also families all here to see live music.

Prices are inexpensive, with maybe the exception of door entry but I have no problem paying it cause I know this place needs to be supported. There's a few locally brewed beer from Mountain Brewing here also which while ok, are certainly drinkable and a nice way to say thanks (all the brews are served in mason jars). The bottle list is also very solid with some great offerings, particularly in context to where you are (you'd be hard pressed to find some of the bottles anywhere else in WV). Service is perfectly fine, the staff know the beers enough to explain what they are, and don't have any sore attitudes either.

This is pretty rural and you are not going to find a beer geek paradise, so this isn't a place to complain about your serving container, but there is plenty of decent beer here to be had in a fantastic setting. I always try to make it down here if I can when in the area (usually for cross country skiing).
Feb 05, 2013
Photo of slander
Reviewed by slander from New York

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
2 days in the hotel and I'm going stir crazy already; it's going to be a long stint in this Maryland panhandle and just 5 minutes from the West Virginia line, oh lucky lucky me. I'm going in; if never you hear from me again, remember me, well, with my best Southampton lid. 3 brewpubs currently operating in the state; 2 of them within 2 miles of each other. And a little place on the same road where supposedly, you can get a good beer. Hugging the Blackwater River in Thomas, WV; population 813...

Mostly highway driving with some slowdown small town action and then it gets real rural and then come Thomas, the road splits north & south bound and see the standout house on the strip. Greeted in the street like they know me and then spotting the "Hippies use side door" sign out front, I'm wondering if it's a tell of things that are. The old DePollo's, an old early 1900's General Store done up renovated by some people from here and not, found on a passing through and a look in.

Inside, this space takes up 2 rooms, pillars dividing them with boxed shelving holding all sorts of shit in them and above. Mismatched tables across both rooms, clothed and shaped differently with seating even more so; church pews, stadium seats, all sorts of crazy. Around the perimeter, an old glassfront deli counter, unused, sits along the wall to the room you came in through. The countertop with old postcards & discs for sale, magazines for read. Down past there, a coffee station, tea & espresso. Homemade ice cream & desserts (chocolate covered pretzels, brownies, baklava, even). In the other room, the front corner holds a stage for band or performance play, and a raised perch to the rear where they deal sound. And through this room to an outdoor area, canopied, holiday light strung & seating. Large carved wood bears and a wood stove.

Old beaten worn floorings, ancient pressed tin ceilings, large drop glass lamps and mounted wall lamps throughout. Shelving with stuff you can buy on one side with them slide around ladders running along. Painted green walls with ladders hung horizontally as functional shelving on the other side to the rear. That which is décor for sale or not, shelved, mounted, bunched, hanging, all sorts of all sorts of things; old barrels, a clock, purple fiddle pieces, scales, wood roosters, baby washboards, vases, a typewriter, skis, colored glass, an accordion, wood crates, vats, suitcases, tubs, drums, some farm equipment, and other things acquired, gotten, collected, gathered and found. Framed pics of performers past posted all about. And a band on the road setting up for a show in a bit, maybe someday, their picture, you know.

3 taps from local just up the road Mountain State Brewing co (Seneca IPA, Almost Heaven Amber Ale, Cold Trail Ale) extended from a cold box fridge behind the back counter. Beers are served in mason jars; I know that because drunk Rich (I might have named him that) would later feed me a shorty of the Seneca IPA. Bottled beer selections are housed in a cooler to the left, 2 dozen plus, and nearly 1/2 of them American craft beer (Great Lakes Burning River & Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Harpoon UFO Hefe & Rasberry UFO, Sam Adams Boston Lager & Light, Abita Turbo Dog & Purple Haze, Magic Hat Lucky Kat & #9, Dixie Blackened Voodoo, Jazz & Lager), and the remainder a split of decent imports (3 Pinkus organics; the Hefe, Munster Alt & Ur Pils, and 6 offerings from Sam Smith) and macros. Also some old warm Rogue bombers displayed but not for sale. Well, they are, but they're like 2 years old from when the distributor dealt; drink 'em if you dare, and they've got some local wines displayed, too.

Light foodings, salad, hummus or pico and chips, wraps and sandwiches. Order your food and beer to the rear, which I did; um, the Fitzgerald Porter please (Hello, Ed!), and the jalapeno turkey wrap without the jalapeno mayo. That wrap. That wrap was real damn good. It had cucumber and snow peas in it. Does it really get any better than that? It came with some solid tri colored chips, too. Thems was good eatings, and I'm glad I stopped for the bite here, 'cause I just would have ended up with wings at one of the brewpubs.

Hey, brews on tap from the local and the bottled list, while it holds nothing spectacular, it's crazy good for these here parts. Strangely charming, this little acoustic venue coffeehouse family meeting place deli bar in the middle of nowhere Appalachia. You get a good sense of community here. When playing in the Alleghenies...
Aug 25, 2009
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Reviewed by mtstatebeer from West Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -12.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Started here on a Saturday night. Very nice location, it was a very unique environment. The ambiance was very 'hippy-esque' but cozy. Seating inside was very unconventional. There were a few tables, but were full by the time of our arrival. We sat in armchairs up against the counter. There was not a bar seating area. There was an outside porch seating area with tables, chairs, and a few couches. Service was good, they had two people working the bar and you ordered food there was well. I'm unsure if this is different when there is not music. Selection is probably one of the better overall beer selections in the state. They have the Mt. State Brewing Co. brews on tap and about any of the craft beers available in WV. Their website has a beer/food menu. Food was good I had the chicken and Caesar salad wrap with hummus dip. The menu was basically all wraps. I believe they had homemade ice cream as well. Overall this was a very nice place for a bite to eat and some decent beer. Another must see in the Davis/Thomas area.
Dec 03, 2008
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Reviewed by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

4.06/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Visited during a trip to Thomas for some hiking and camping with some friends from school. After setting up the campsite we made it back into the city looking for some night life and found this cozy little storefront in the small old section of town. Great threepiece bluegrass band caught everyone's attention very low key casual hangout almost has a Black Bear vibe about it independently owned grassroots effort. Service was friendly to all of us that evening and the list of brews what quite surprising I remember imbibing on some Sierra Nevada porter, Ayinger dunkel, and Ayinger weizen all decently priced. We didn't eat here but I imagine that it would have been a nice place to catch a sandwich or something else simple. Visiting Thomas, WV this is a must not for just beer, more for the chilled out down home flavor this establishment has to offer always expect live music great place and hear there's a small bread and breakfast upstairs. Honestly with Rogue, Great Lakes, Sierra Nevada this place carries some of the best brews available in the state of WV enjoy it if you visit the area to ski, camp, mountain bike, etc.
Oct 10, 2005
The Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV
Place rating: 3.9 out of 5 with 7 ratings