General Store Café

I love the General Store Cafe! They definitely put the funk in funky!

It's really one of my all time favorites. I just wish it were closer to Durham and their prices were a little lower, but then it wouldn't be as good, would it?! Sure it could!!

Although they've added on a great space in the back where they have live music, which I've yet to go there to hear, I still enjoy the atmosphere in the section up front the best. I guess in the evening the vibe in back would be pretty good though.

I've never had a bad meal there, or should I say, they've always been great! Very fresh ingredients. Brunch is really good, amazing breakfast burrito. Lunch is super too, with always a nice choice for quiche and great homemade salad dressings, particularly the lemon tahini, my favorite.

Have yet to experience dinner there (a bit pricey). Although on Tuesday nights they've been offering any two meals from their seasonal specials menu for only $20 and it includes dessert, so I think I need to check it out!!

Also, the ice tea is amazing! I could drink it all day long and do drink glass after glass, after glass when I'm there!

Don't miss desert - anything they have is to die for!

Right after moving to the Triangle, I drove down to Pittsboro one day to take a look around. I stopped in at the General Store Cafe to have a quick bite. What I found was quite a treat.

Think of the old drugstore lunch counter from days-gone-by, but with a fresh and funky twist. I had a great lunch and got to look at some interesting local art on the display. The space is big and filled with all sorts of cool things to browse.

There were a couple of book groups and a knitting group meeting while I was there, so this place is obviously the heart of this small community. I was also told they sometimes have live music and dancing on the weekends!

I've been hearing about this spot for years, but never made the drive to Pittsboro for dinner until last night.

The General Store Café has a wonderful window out onto the roundabout in the heart of Pittsboro. At first glance it looks a little smallish, until they usher you past the food prep area... and suddenly you are in a large, open space, punctuated with cool and funky artwork throughout. At the far end is a stage for live performances, dominated by a mural of an aerial view of Pittsboro from the north...

There are plenty of tables, and along the east wall there are tables along a bench seat - and that led to my only disappointment with the place.

The folks next to us - a party of 8 or 9 - had five children with them, below the age of 10. While the little boy remained seated, the four little girls had free run of the place, and no one - parents, grandparents, staff, or myself - said anything to stop their malarkey. Actually the place is large enough that while they were out of sight, it was no bother - but when returning or leaving, they would jump up onto the bench seat, and the vibrations would be... annoying.

Aside from that - everything was just fine. Our waitress was terrific, and very helpful to accommodate my wife's need for a gluten-free menu. Robin had a veggie-burger sans bun, topped with a piece of goat cheese from Celebrity Dairy (just down the road in Siler City) that she continues to rave about today. The 'sweet potato fries' were actually pretty significant and massive wedges that I just had to sample, and they were delicious! I opted for the pork stir-fry special, and was pleasantly surprised. The pork was locally grown and free of added hormones or antibiotics - always a major plus for me. It was spiced nicely, and fell short only in texture - the pieces of pork and veggies had been minced - and I prefer them a little more 'al dente.'

The band was setting up as we were leaving - but we had plans to go see a friend who was performing at City Tap a couple of blocks away, so that will have to wait. It's such a nice space, I'd love to come back for dinner AND music. ...and I plan to!

I adore PIttsboro, and The GSC is in large part responsible for this. The establishment is deceptively huge. There is an outdoor patio section, the front cafe section, and then toward the back, an enormous room with table seating and a stage where they host nightly local performers.

Scattered throughout the restaurant are little sections of souvenirs, housewares and kitsch to peruse. The menu has a very Berkeley-esque vibe to it, lots of veggie items (hurray!) and hippie treats. I order the Tempeh soft tacos, served with rice, beans and a side of fantastically fresh cilantro salsa. Great atmosphere, great place.

This place is cool. You can purchase local art here while reading a book. They have another area where you can have lunch. Quaint Coffee House. You have different sittings to suit your mood. Interesting table tops made out of old doors. If you are into local art you will love this place, if not you will love it anyway.
I have been here a number of times and always had good service and good food.

What an awesome small town restaurant this place is!!! So I was going to lunch with one of my clients, and he took me to this place, and it was just cute as a button!!!

They have a store up front, with a cafe, where you can buy lots of neat little knick knacks for your house and garden, and then they have lots of various paintings on the wall. I can't even describe it to you, b/c it's such a blend of different things. Definitely a neat little place.

And the food was pretty good as well. I had a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant and it was DELISH!!! They piled the chicken in there, definitely not stingy with that.

If you are ever passing through this small town in NC, definitely take the time to stop by here, it's definitely well worth going off the beaten path!

I worked here the last few months of my senior year at NHS. I remember when GSC was actually a general store, and its transformation into a slightly expensive restaurant was nice enough. I used to get the Mayan burrito for my shift meal and I usually loved the bands on the weekends.

That was four years ago, and the GSC today is a little different. It still has a great atmosphere, but their basic menu has gotten more expensive. The bands are still fun and the staff is *always* friendly. If you're from out of town, I suggest coming in for the Saturday brunch or getting a table for dinner near the stage if you like live music. Of course, the local crowd is a little snooty, but nice enough. If you don't mind bruising your wallet a little, come on down to the General Store Cafe for some fun.

Gas is $4 you say? So what, I say. This is well worth the excursion to Pittsboro. A cute, quaint little brunch/lunch joint. The coffee is as good as the food -- that is, quite good! What I love most, though, is the feel. It's like you're having lunch at a close friend's house. Walk in, place your order at the counter, choose your mug, get your coffee fixings, and then pick a room (living room? sun-room? sitting room?) and a cafe table to sit down at. Or take a moment to browse the shelves -- quirky knickknacks like old souvenirs or childhood toys, collections of books, etc. -- while you wait on your food. I could (and have!) spend several comfortable hours having coffee and catching up with a friend at a place like this.

My family visited the cafe again last weekend. We've been several times and the food is always local and pretty tasty. Their menu is not incredibly diverse (burritos are one of their perennial specialties), but their dinner specials are a refreshing change and often quite good. I've had the lunch pulled pork bar-b-q sandwich and it is local and excellent.

It feels less like a "general store" and more like a warehouse turned kitchen/coffee and smoothie bar/music stage/art gallery/modern cafe. I would recommend a visit, but at dinner the food is pricey and not really a good value. For two adults and one child we paid $70 (w/ tip) for only entrees and dessert (no drinks). One entree was a $17 vegetarian pasta dish. The price alone rank this 3 stars rather than a 4 although its a great stop coffee a snack or a smoothie.

My sister and I were thrifting through Chatham County and decided to stop in Pittsboro for lunch. After checking Yelp, we decided on the General Store Cafe. Overall, it was a great lunch spot! We both got sandwiches. I was trying to eat healthy, so I got a yummy veggie sandwich and no chips... but the sandwich still came with a pickle.

For the food, I would give it 5 stars. It was a perfect lunch on the road! But the service was a little disappointing. The waiter took my food away while I was still eating! I mean, maybe I'm a little crazy... I don't think that's ever happened to me at a restaurant. And I'm wayyy to shy to be like, "Hey! I haven't finished!"

Anyways, I would totally go back!