1. Merlefest

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Wilkesboro, NC

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Merlefest

4.1 (11 reviews)
PriceyMusic Venues

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an annual homecoming in memory of edy merle hasson
Elise G.

This was one of the BEST Festivals ever! (And I am of a certain age to have attended many) The organization, venues, shops, huge food tent, several smaller food venues, extremely nice crowd and especially the MUSIC & MUSICIANS/ARTISTS. This is such a well-known event that draws 80k people over 4 days that I was concerned about such a big crowd, however it is spread out over the entire Community College Campus with 12 stages. In its 34th year they are quite well organized with transportation, great scheduling and covid safety amenities (bathrooms, porta-potties, sanitizer). There are no tobacco products nor alcohol permitted which contributed to the nice&easy crowd and NO political slogans anywhere. I look forward to returning and I see why accommodations are booked a year in advance. Oh the music!! As top notch as it gets -- closed down with EmmyLou Harris.

Wonderful time at Merlefest with the mascot !

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2 years ago

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9 months ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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10 years ago

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Review Highlights - Merlefest

“Top notch virtuosos like Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and Peter Cowan to up and comers like Presley Barker filled four days with outstanding music.”

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Dooleys - Nuff said. Happy Burger place. TOMBSTONE (GARLIC )

Dooleys

4.0(228 reviews)
1.9 mi
•$$

If you're in the area just stop and eat and they have a microbrew right across the street. I had…read morecrews working a project and for two weeks they ate at Dooleys almost every single day. The smash burgers are fabulous but the Ruben is crazy good. Super friendly service plenty of parking and even outdoor seating when the weather ain't this hot.

This place is good for bar food but nothing special…read more We got here about 1 on a Sunday, not very busy, but the hostess walked away as we walked up and it took a few minutes for someone to seat us. When we were seated, we were offered 3 different table choices instead of being brought to a table. A general area was indicated and since neither of us had been here before, it was a bit chaotic. Had to wait a few beats for a server, but she was friendly when she arrived. We started with the potato skins which were all topped inconsistently - some had more cheese, some more bacon, and some skimpy all around. My friend got the burger and she said it was delicious. I got the steak grilled cheese which was salty and the meat wasn't easy to consume. I was under the assumption this would be more of a grilled cheese, but it was really bread with melted cheese and steak stuck in between. We both got fries and we did enjoy those. The decor is of Wilkes over the years which was pretty cool. I did notice the sign above our table had Wilkes misspelled - I don't know if that was a typo of the town had a different name previously. I'm unsure if I'd choose to come back here again. If so, I'll probably try a burger.

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Dooleys - Inside bar area

Inside bar area

Dooleys
Dooleys - Side of the building. Previously an old hotel.

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Side of the building. Previously an old hotel.

The Local - The Boonie Burger

The Local

4.3(903 reviews)
28.7 mi
•$$

Honestly, I have nothing bad to say about The Local! The food is delicious, the staff were super…read morefriendly and attentive, the prices weren't too bad, and the atmosphere is nice. They were pretty busy and it was just me and one other person so they sat us at the bar (after asking if it was okay). The bartender, despite having a full bar, was amazing! She was constantly checking in on us and my friend requested that she surprise her with a cocktail and the drink she made was spectacular! We both got the cheese curds for an appetizer and there were so many!!! They were also freaking amazing. The chipotle ranch that came with them wasn't my favorite but was still delish! My friend and I both got the creamy pesto Alfredo penne, I added chicken and she added steak. The serving size was perfect (just enough for a lil bit of leftovers) and it tasted so good. We ended the night with some of the Carolina beignets, which I somehow find myself getting every time I come here because they're so damn good!! They come with a cheerwine reduction on the side Also, got the prickly pear cocktail and it was pretty good! Not my favorite but they do have a super fun, excellent menu of cocktails.

I was visiting my son in Boone, as we move him into college... Ordered the wings, I had what I…read morebelieve was a blackened goat cheese, and fig burger with caramelized onions, which was off the charts, my son had the Salmon. Ratings- He gave the salmon a seven I give my Burger a nine, and the wings were about a seven(dry rub). That said, sitting at the bar was absolutely a treat... Erin was fantastic. Will 100% return and this is definitely a spot not to be missed. Also fantastic beer selection!!!

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The Local - Bar area

Bar area

The Local - Pulled Pork & Smoked Gouda Nachos

Pulled Pork & Smoked Gouda Nachos

The Local - PULLED PORK & SMOKED GOUDA NACHOS

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PULLED PORK & SMOKED GOUDA NACHOS

Angry Troll Brewing - Buffalo garlic wings and ranch wings with a side of celery/ carrots/ blue cheese.

Angry Troll Brewing

4.1(281 reviews)
20.0 mi
•$$

This place is huge! If you tell someone you are meeting them there, you better specify specifically…read morewhere, because there's an outdoor area, a downstairs indoor that is more like a pool hall, and multiple upstairs areas. Anyhow, I found myself here after a hot day of golf outside of town, and this was the perfect place to please everyone, get a cold drink, and something tasty to eat. Beverage wise, I was too dehydrated to jump into beer, so I just pounded a bunch of water while there. Food wise however, we had lots of tasty things. The hot chips app that comes drizzled with bbq sauce and ranch is better than it sounds, though I preferred the pickle chips for sure. To me, the star here were the wings. They were nice and large, plump with plenty of meat. I had a korean sauce and a hot honey sauce and thoroughly enjoyed all 10. Maybe even had a leftover drummy or two from some of my companions. Would come back here for more casual eats and drinks again!

Walked in on a Saturday afternoon. We were seated right away. The vibe was great and the decor was…read morespot on. The hostess and our waiter were very friendly and helpful. The draft list was only accessible by scanning the QR code. Not normally an issue for me but it was a little annoying since my cell service wasn't great in this area. I finally got it to pull up and asked for the Angry Troll PB Porter (I forget the name), the waiter asked if I wanted a sample first and I was so happy he did because it was not very peanut buttery to me. I decided to try a can of Docs: Pumpkin cider which ended up being a MUCH better choice for me. It was delicious. We started with some cheese curds as an appetizer. The kids split a kids cheese pizza (it comes with fries) and my bestie and I split a Philly Cheesesteak pizza. The cheese curds were amazing! I didn't try the kids pizza although the fries seemed a little over seasoned, especially since they were served to kids. My Philly pizza was not great though. The primary taste was banana peppers. Not meat, not cheese...the vinegar-y, sour taste of banana peppers. I was not a fan. Then the bill comes....I guess I should have asked for the price of the cider (NONE of the beer has a price listed.) My CAN of Doc's cider was $9.50. Not sure if that's normal in this area but in Durham, that can would have only been $6 (MAYBE $7.) TLDR; service - good, drinks - expensive, food - hit or miss.

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Angry Troll Brewing - Inside upstairs

Inside upstairs

Angry Troll Brewing
Angry Troll Brewing - Downstairs

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Downstairs

Merlefest - musicvenues - Updated October 2026

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