Culture and Lifestyle Activities and Entertainment The 10 Most Charming Country Stores In The South, According To Our Readers By Tara Massouleh McCay Tara Massouleh McCay Tara Massouleh McCay is the Senior Travel and Culture Editor for Southern Living. A writer and editor with nearly 10 years of experience in producing lifestyle content for local, regional, and national publications, she joined the Southern Living team in 2021. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on July 19, 2024 Close Photo: Courtesy of Bradley's Country Store Country stores, general stores, variety stores—no matter what you choose to call them, you know you can count on them to have exactly what you’re looking for. The charm of a proper country store is that in addition to staples that range from milk and bread to batteries and nails, they also have a lot of things you didn’t know you needed, but are always happy to bring home. From still-hot pecan pralines to fresh pickled garden goodies, a country store is guaranteed to improve your pantry. Usually found in rural areas where the nearest Super Target or Walmart may be a couple counties away, country stores are not only catch-all retailers, but they’re also beacons of their communities. To find out some of the South’s finest, we took an impromptu poll of our readers to find out their favorite country stores. While several mentioned Buc-ee’s and Cracker Barrel (and we can’t blame them!), for this list we chose to highlight our readers’ favorite local spots. Here are 12 of the most charming country stores in the South. 8 Discontinued Cracker Barrel Dishes We Wish They'd Bring Back To The Menu Mast General Store Courtesy of Mast General Store Valle Crucis, North Carolina You’ll find siblings of the first Mast General Store in Western North Carolina across the South in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, but there’s nothing like visiting the original. Inside the store, which has been around for nearly 140 years, you can traverse across the same creaky wooden floors that customers have for decades. Riffle through giant barrels of candy and marvel at the floor-to-ceiling shelves full of sauces, jams, preserves, pickles, and more. Another major portion of Mast’s inventory is outdoor and adventure apparel from dozens of popular retailers. mastgeneralstore.com Betty’s Country Store Courtesy of Betty's Country Store Helen, Georgia Betty’s fits right in with the small-town vibe of Georgia’s alpine-inspired Helen. This is a great place to pick up grocery items, but it’s more popular for its prepared foods that you can eat onsite for lunch or take home for dinner. There are deli items, fresh meats and produce, a surprisingly large craft beer and wine selection, and a bakery known for its carrot cake and cheesecake. The Adirondack chairs and walk-up bar out front are big-time draws for locals and folks just passing through. facebook.com/BettysCountryStore; 18 Yonah St., Helen, GA 30545; 706-878-2943 Explore Helen Stripling’s General Store Courtesy of Stripling's General Store Bogart and Cordele, Georgia The motto for this general store is “You Never Sausage A Place,” and we think that perfectly sums up Striplings’ story and character. Originally started on the Stripling Family Farm as a place to sell homemade sausage in 1964, the expanded business now has six locations across Georgia. You’ll still want to stop in for butcher items like the fresh pan sausage, pork links, smoked sausage, and jerky, but you can also find other specialty food items, T-shirts, and gift sets to take home for a friend. striplings.com Steven’s Country Store & Butcher Shop Courtesy of Steven's Country Store & Butcher Shop Mooresville, North Carolina Come by for breakfast or lunch, then take home locally sourced meat for dinner. Steven’s has all your meal prepping and grocery shopping needs handled. The community-minded general store partners with several local food companies to stock the freshest, highest quality products like pancake mix and grits from Linney Mill Grits and ham from three different local purveyors. stevenscountrystoreandbutchershop.com; 15725 Mooresville Rd., Mooresville, NC 28115; 704-660-0971 Priester’s Pecans Courtesy of Priester's Pecans Fort Deposit, Alabama Don’t mistake this popular road trip pitstop for just a place to stock up on the South’s favorite nut. Yes, you can get all kinds of pecan products here, from pies and pralines to fiddlesticks and logs. But the highway magnet also contains an entire country store filled with other Southern favorites like pickles, relishes, dips, dressings, jellies, jams, preserves, seasonings, snack mixes, and even freshly ground coffee. This is the kind of place that you walk into expecting to pick up a sleeve of cinnamon-roasted pecans and leave with an entire basket full of treats. priesters.com; 80 Bishop Bottom Rd., Fort Deposit, AL 36032; 334-227-8355 Jefferson General Store Courtesy of Jefferson General Store Jefferson, Texas Our readers can’t get enough of the nostalgia that emanates from every inch of this historic hardware and general store. Originally opened in the 1870s, Jefferson General Store is now a hub for all kinds of old-school goodies. Five-cent coffee, soda fountain treats, antiques, and a retro jukebox are all part of the appeal. The American flag buntings hanging from the store’s awning are about as classic as it gets. jeffersongeneralstore.com; 113 E. Austin St., Jefferson, TX 75657; 903-665-8481 The Ole Milliken Store Courtesy of The Ole Milliken Store Bethpage, Tennessee The Ole Milliken Store is far more than just a place to buy things. It’s a place to gather. Owner Tony Milliken envisioned it as a place for neighbors to catch up, friends to meet for a meal, and the community to grow. Its schedule of weekly and monthly events like a farmers’ market, trade day, cruise-in for car enthusiasts, and networking meet-up prove that the Ole Milliken is much more than the contents of its shelves. If you are coming to shop, expect fresh produce and meat from local farmers and ranchers and handmade goods. theolemillikenstore.com; 1196 Harve Brown Rd. Bethpage, TN 37022; 615-644-5800 Bradley’s Country Store Bradley's Country Store Tallahassee, Florida Lots of folks turned us onto this iconic spot in Tallahassee, Florida, that sits majestically in the shade of a giant moss-draped oak tree. This charming general store has been open since 1972. Bradley’s is most well-known for its annual Fun Day, which brings together families from near and far for craft vendors, food, music, kids’ activities, wagon rides, clogging, and more. bradleysfunday.com; 10655 Centerville Road, Tallahassee, FL 32309; 850-893-4742 Pratt’s Country Store Courtesy of Pratt's Country Store Knoxville, Tennessee Third generation-owned Pratt’s is a major point of pride for the Knoxville neighborhood of Fountain City. Use this as your one-stop shop for all of the area’s best bounty. By nurturing longstanding relationships with local farmers, Pratt’s stocks only the best of the best. Budding and longtime plant parents will also love the shop’s collection of indoor and outdoor plants. facebook.com/p/Pratts-Country-Store; 3100 Tazewell PikeKnoxville, TN 37918; 865- 688-7093 Explore Knoxville Like A Local Sunrise Grocery Sunrise Grocery Blairsville, Georgia Tucked into the stunning North Georgia mountains, Sunrise Grocery is a sight for sore eyes—especially after a long day of hiking in the woods. Owned by the Clemmons family since the 1980s, you’ll find little pieces of the family throughout the shop, as they contribute everything from handmade soaps and candles to fine art photography to the store’s inventory. If you find yourself especially fond of Sunrise Grocery’s inviting atmosphere, its owners also own two short-term rental properties nearby that you can call home for the weekend. sunrisegrocery.com; 7568 Gainesville Hwy., Blairsville, GA 30512; 706-745-5877 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit