Posted in Tennessee
September 08, 2017
This Tennessee Restaurant Is So Remote You’ve Probably Never Heard Of It
There’s something sweet and beautiful about a historic general store, especially one that’s stuck hard in the beautiful southern countryside of Tennessee. The TB Sutton General Store has quite a story to it, the original building now protected by the caring touch of local townsfolk. We decided to visit and figure out just why this sweet space is a place to visit, why you should perhaps come yourself – why you should pull up a seat and stay awhile.
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Granville, Tennessee is a sweet little town tucked into the green hills of Jackson County. Right on the banks of the Cumberland River, it's known colloquially as a, "Riverboat Community."
The TB Sutton General Store is a foundational piece of Granville's history. The space dates aaaaaall the way back to the 1870's, when it was first purchased by WH Ragland. By 1880, it was sold to the Cooper family for a mere $100. For the next half of a century, the Cooper family kept the grocery up and running with the help of multiple investors.
The two story building exemplifies beautiful, 19th century architecture. The balcony adds a whimsical touch, and the original building structure has kept a majority of the same fixtures. Operational for over a century, the store eventually closed, much to the dismay of the community, in the 1970's. It remained empty for awhile, until it was repurchased and rehabilitated by the Sutton family.
The store has a dining room - which is a converted feed room - that offers up family style cooking. You can reserve the room for up to forty, and enjoy a meal surrounded by the memorabilia of years gone by. It's an experience in time travel - you can spend a few hours in the 19th century, then head on back to the 21st following dessert.
One of the most famous and attractive aspects of the store is the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour. Held every Saturday, you can come for dinner and enjoy Ole Time Music and Tennessee Bluegrass, either at the 6pm warm up show or the syndicated radio show that airs at 7pm.
You can visit the store during normal business hours during the week, or you can indulge in its family-style dinner on Saturday evenings. You'll have to reserve seating, since only 48 people can attend per Saturday, but it's truly an experience to remember. You can call 931-653-4151 for reservation!
Still hungry? Have you tried these strange Tennessee waffles…?
