“It’s a magical oasis in a desert of nowheres — first-class food emporium meets Internet hot spot meets smart-aleck country store meets family game room meets bluegrass hoedown heaven.”
— Washington Post, 2004 (Editor’s note: we do a lot more than bluegrass now)
“The Purple Fiddle hits the right note: an old store is restocked with America’s enduring values”
— Sunday editorial headline, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Appalachian melodies rain down upon patrons… and along with the harmonic showers comes a new respect for simple fun.”
— Southern Living, 2008
“A breath of mountain cool to rival any brand of hip.”
— Cumberland Times-News editorial page, 2006
“I again wanted to send along my thanks for booking me to perform at The Purple Fiddle last weekend and for all of the hospitality that was displayed to both myself and Sheila. It is a wonderful thing for a musician to come into a venue and receive respect for the efforts of their craft from not only the audience, but particularly from the venue itself. You have a wonderful model of operating a music venue that others should take a look at.”
— Musician Davey O.
“THE PURPLE FIDDLE IS ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITE PLACES IN THE WORLD!”
— Gaye Valentine
“At one point Saturday night when the band was cooking and the dance floor was crowded (and two guys were gleefully dancing together with joyful abandon), it felt like I was in some sort of church. That’s what church should do for you — build your heart and soul back up. Your place certainly did that for me.”
— Musician Dulcie Taylor
“That night changed my life, and ever since, both the Fiddle and the Avett Brothers have been a part of my life.”
— Patron Shawna Mullenax, who sent a note with a photo of her new purple fiddle tattoo
“My daughter has special dietary concerns, so a place like the Purple Fiddle where everything on the menu is healthy was really neat for her. It was the first time in a long time that she could feel normal at a restaurant. We actually ate there on Friday night, and then on the way home we stopped again today. The food was incredible, the historic building is amazing, and overall it was a wonderful experience.”
— Greg Wheat
“Last week we had wonderful garbanzo soup… Your chef is awesome.”
— Barrie and Tod Kaufman
“Wanted to thank you once again and tell you what a divine place you have there—funky, cool and very comfortable, indeed! You have done a wonderful job at creating an inviting and stimulating atmosphere for the players and the listeners.”
— Jean Bayou