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Purple Fiddle

4.1 (168 reviews)
InexpensiveMusic Venues, Bars, Cafes
Open • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

Purple Fiddle Photos

PURPLE FIDDLE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Very loud
Live music
Hipster
Casual

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Recommended Reviews - Purple Fiddle

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Reviews With Photos

Outdoor seating
Jet H.

Stopped by on my drive from Charleston, WV to Washington, DC. There was free live music, which was wonderful. Service was excellent. Lots of beer to choose from. The chicken salad sandwich was good. I didn't order the hummus but multiple tables did and it looked delicious.

Purple Fiddle at entrance. Dec, 2025.
Laura S.

Purple Fiddle, Thomas, WV, Thurs, Dec 19. My husband and I were traveling through Davis/Thomas, WV on a Thursday afternoon in mid-December. It was rather off-season for both of these touristy towns, late for the summer's hikers in Blackwater Falls and other natural attractions and early for the winter skiers in Canaan Valley. Our daughter and SIL, who live in West Virginia, recommended Purple Fiddle. They had visited in the summer, when there was live music and a lively crowd. We went in for a late lunch, reaching around 2:15 pm. Upon entering, we found that we were the only patrons, but the hostess assured us that they were open. We asked some questions about the menu, and my husband asked about their schedule of bands in the winter months. (It's very active, especially on weekends, even in winter). Another couple came in a few minutes after us. FOOD. You order at the long counter where there is a chalkboard with the daily specials, plus traditional menus. My husband ordered one of the soups of the day, Creamy Tomato Basil Soup ($7.50) and a Homemade Chicken Salad Sandwich ($11.50). I ordered their Montreal Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($9.75). My husband characterized the soup (his rating: 4/5) as very good but not outstanding for his personal taste. It was served with a bag of oyster crackers. He would've preferred the soup to be thicker/more cream-based and to have more basil. His chicken salad sandwich (3.5/5), served on swirled marble rye bread, with tomato and lettuce, was also tasty -- but the bread overwhelmed the amount of chicken salad, and the rye bread fell apart along the swirls. It was served with ruffled potato chips and a pickle spear. My toasted Montreal Grilled Cheese (3/5) was also constructed on marble rye, and featured three cheeses (provolone, cheddar, and whipped cream cheese), tomato slices, and some onion. It was also served with ruffled potato chips and a pickle spear. My main issue with my sandwich was it was toasted 2-3 shades darker than I would've preferred, verging on being burnt. We also split a dessert, the Turtle Cheesecake ($8). (4.5/5). The cheesecake featured chocolate, caramel, and some crunchies on top. The taste and texture were excellent but the slice was small for the $8 price point. The presentation also could've been better. It looked like it came directly out of the cooling case, still wrapped with Saran Wrap and a toothpick. My husband also got a coffee ($2.25, 5/5), which was full-bodied, rich, hot, and had free refills. Overall, we rank the food as a 4/5. In all cases, it tasted fresh. It was also a good value. Our food totaled $41.58 (including $2.58 tax, but before tip). The menu is relatively small, and most of it features cold items (sandwiches, wraps, hummus plates, etc.); this is probably appropriate for a music venue. We also note that they offer a good selection of beers, which we did not want in the afternoon and while still having a lot of driving ahead of us. AMBIANCE. (4.5/5). Overall, we liked the vibe of the restaurant. There's a stage for music performers, tables for diners/patrons, a station with hard ice creams to be scooped, memorabilia to be purchased. We suspect that it will get lively and crowded when bands are performing. We'll have to come back to check it out. SERVICE. (4/5). The waitress took our order at the counter, delivered it to our table, and later cleared the table. She was efficient, but neither friendly nor unfriendly. She did talk a bit more with the other couple who seemed to be locals. We would return to this restaurant.

Music at the Purple Fiddle
Dixie B.

Purple Fiddle was a lot of fun! We went with family members, and enjoyed the music, as well as the food. Staff were helpful with drink refills, and the restaurant was clean. We would return.

Wilson Springs Hotel
Singi D.

Local bar. Great beer list, fantastic live music, dancing and relaxing environment. Service is not bad. Some bands sell out, so worth buying tickets early. Not much seating. A great time, always. Highly recommended.

Fresh Roasted Turkey Wrap

The Purple Fiddle is your stop for an amazing lunch in Thomas, West Virginia. Everything is very fresh and the Roasted Turkey is delicious. The wrap was Fresh Roasted Turkey, Homemade Cranberry Sauce with walnuts, lettuce and cream cheese. The Salsa is homemade and the ice cream comes in several flavors to choose from. You will be happy that you stopped in to visit the Purple Fiddle.

Band
Jordan D.

I stopped by the Purple Fiddle while visiting the town of Thomas for the first time. I had read a lot of positive things about this place so I had to check it out. I got there about 30 min before a free band was about to play so it wasn't crowded however, once the band started the line backed up and seats were getting full. The atmosphere is quite nice with indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich that came with chips and a pickle. It was pretty tasty but it did take about 30 minutes to come out of the kitchen. The staff were friendly. They have a nice selection of ice cream and t-shirts you can purchase. I would go back if I'm ever in the area again.

Live music stage
Ivy B.

I've heard a lot about Purple Fiddle but never had the opportunity to make it out, until now. I didn't realize they do afternoon shows! Such a nice surprise. Lines can get long, so get there early. I ordered the turkey wrap, which came with chips and a pickle. Wrap was really good! Had cream cheese and a cranberry chutney, which was a nice balance or creamy and sweet. Food took a long time to come out after ordering which was my main disappointment. Looks like they might be understaffed. Otherwise a nice experience.

Tommy Prine (son of John Prine)
Andrew P.

BEST LIVE MUSIC & BEER SELECTION in the area. The talent level they source is impressive for such a small town. The Purple Fiddle has been going strong for 20 years and the owner, John, has developed a deep and wide network of musicians and bands. Definitely the place to check out in the evenings if you're staying in Thomas or Davis.

Band line up

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Reviews are generally positive, with many highlighting the lively atmosphere and decor, frequent live music events, and a good drink selection. Staff are often described as friendly.

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15 years ago

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John B.

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Ask the Community - Purple Fiddle

How many people does it hold for shows?

It depends upon the type of show - with tables or dancing or somewhere in between. But something north of 100.

She was ?the motorcycle is

Vroom vroom

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Review Highlights - Purple Fiddle

“Loved the vibe--very charming, kinda hipster, super laid-back.”

Mentioned in 2 reviews

Read more highlights

Backbone Tavern - Elk Sliders

Backbone Tavern

4.5(11 reviews)
11.5 mi

Great wings. Many different sauces. Everything we tried was delicious. Try Thursday wing night.read more

Recommend to us by the folks who own the house we rented, we had never even heard of this place in…read moreOakland. And we've been to Oakland & Deep Creek annually for around 20 years! We arrived around 5:30 on a busy Thursday night. It's not a big place, and there were already 2 tables of 6+ people & several tables of 2-4. We actually got the last available table. It's worth the wait, but there was a long wait. I think there was only one person in the kitchen and they really had a hard time getting all the orders out for the two large group tables. However, our server was friendly and efficient, considering it was just her and one other server, waiting on everyone and doing the bartending. She replenished water often and got me a new beer whenever I needed one. She got our appetizer of onion petals out quickly, but then it was over an hour wait for our other food. We were a little disappointed that they were out of the pork rinds and they were also out of the elk burger tonight which were of the things we were looking forward to trying. The onion petals were very good. They did have elk sliders so my husband ordered those. We enjoyed them, more flavorful & not gamey like venison. I ordered a patty melt since I had not had one of those in ages. By the time our food arrived the bar was also full, but by now it was going on 7pm. So, we did enjoy our visit & liked all the food & we'd eat there again. Others would have been obviously bothered by the long wait for the food, but we were on vacation and we were not in a hurry. Despite being super busy our server was kind & didn't seem stressed out.

Photos
Backbone Tavern - Metal sculpture by our table

Metal sculpture by our table

Backbone Tavern - Patty melt

Patty melt

Backbone Tavern - View from street

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View from street

Purple Fiddle - musicvenues - Updated October 2026

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