Well, who knew there was a bluegrass-friendly roadhouse in Howard County that features some of the best local and regional music acts? I certainly didn't, until I found out about the Friendly Inn. For years I've been driving by the nondescript building at the corner of Rt. 144 and Folly Quarter Road and had never been tempted to set foot inside. But this blog gives me an excuse to check out places, and I think I've found a new favorite joint.
I'm partial to the mix of bluegrass, Americana, alt-country, roots, acoustic or whatever label applies to the music featured at the Friendly Inn, and that makes all the difference. If you don't care for the music, you probably won't have much reason to stop in. The food is a decent mix of bar food, sandwiches and burgers, and the Friendly fries are hand-cut and nicely seasoned. But I don't think too many people come just for the food. It's the music, and the friendly atmosphere that would make you come back.
The basic schedule appears to be solo acoustic acts on Wednesdays, open mic on Thursdays, and area/regional bluegrass acts on Fridays and Saturdays. The Friendly Inn website has a good calendar. There's a small cover charge for at least some of the weekend acts.
If you want to check out some of the music to see if it fits your taste, here are a few of the acts coming in the next month or so: the Dundidits, Bendt Fendyr, The Brothers Ashby, Smooth Kentucky, Satyr Hill Band. Maybe I'll see you there.
Soft Stuff Lost The Creepy Motel, But Made A Friendly Corner On Rte 40 For
Ice Cream
-
Soft Stuff ice cream with rainbow sprinkles I didn't believe that Soft
Stuff could recreate the magic on Rte 40, but now I've taken a kid to lick
ice cream...
7 years ago
Posts
3 comments:
I call it "The UnFriendly Inn", for experiences with both the patrons and the staff.
The last time someone talked me into going, we waited 20 minutes for the barmaid to reappear to get the check. Literally, the place was captainless for 20+ minutes.
Bendt Fendyr is a talented trio of musicians. Their show of mostly country and rock oldies was good and I hope the band comes back soon. Friendly Inn has cold beer but I agree the wait service could improve on weekend nights.
I Love the Friendly Inn...The staff has always been very attentative and extremely Friendly...The food is always fresh and I have never had a bad meal...The music is very diverse and the energy level of the Friendly Inn is amazing! Hope the new guys continue on the awesome path they are walking down...great job!
Post a Comment