General Store Cafe

I had went with a friend to attend the pittsboro by gaslight event and we had went into the general store for the entertainment and to grab a bite to eat. First off there was no hostess to seat us,but the girl up front was very apologetic about the wait,so we ventured into the back to attend the festivities. It took at least ten minutes before anyone approached our table. the girl seemed overwhelmed,did not introduce herself and just asked what would you like to drink? There was no smile she looked like she was miserable. Our food came out cold and we had to send it back,it was the chicken marsala and for the price it should have been hot when served to the table. We never got refills and we had to flag someone down to do so. It is way over priced in this economy and I will never return although the last band was very good. I would not suggest to eat here to anyone. more

The General Store Cafe is phenomenal. Spectacular food (try the Shrimp & Grits and the Portabella Veggie Burger!) prepared with local, organic products and it tastes terrific. There's entertainment during the week/weekends..we went for bluegrass night - everyone dances! We overwhelmed our waitress (we were a group of 20) but she was pleasant, helpful, attentive and we all appreciated it. This went from a small deli to table service...they're making a tremendous effort and doing very well at it. Go there for the food, atmosphere (be sure to see the hand-painted umbrellas!) the fun...........we've all eaten at the swishy restaurants in Raleigh and Cary - try this - it's better and it's a hoot! Pros: Food, Music, Atmosphere, Environment Cons: Service somewhat slow, but getting there more

Beware of 18% gratuity, they don't tell you and you might pay by mistake. Pros: Nice Town Cons: Gratuity not Posted more

My wife and I went there for the first time today. I was very disappointed with the service. We waited about 5 minutes before anyone asked us for our drink order. We got our order in a decent amount of time, but there was not a lot of people there. We had to asked for refills of our drinks and our check. Food was okay. My wife's sandwich was very good. My burritto was okay. I think my wife liked my order better than I did. Half way through, we swapped. I will try them again, but if the service is as bad, it will probably be the last time. Pros: Good food Cons: Poor service more

My family and I had the WORST experience, ever, at any restaurants. It was a Saturday late afternoon, there were only several tables left but yet we still had to wait 1/2 hour to get our table. We had this dumpy waitress who acted like she didn't even see us at the table. We had to flag her down just to take our drink orders. She was rude to us, didn't smile or anything. After 40 mins of waiting for our foods, we asked her why it was taking so long. Her response was, "Oh, didn't the hosts tell you that there will be a very long wait due to short staff in kitchen and the big party we just had?" Yes, that was her answer to us. When the foods finally came, it was a much bigger disappointment than the service. It was the most horrible food my family and I have ever tasted. Even my 3 year old neice wouldn't even touch her pasta with cheese. It was disgusting. You should have seen the amount of chicken salad they puton the bread. It looked like a layer of mayonaise. My smoke turkey sandwich had a little round piece of tomatoe on it. We told the wait staff about it and she came out with a plate of tomatoes. The manager came by to just apologize for the long wait. They didn't even take anything off of our bill. I can assure you, it was by far the worst experience I've ever had. Save yourtime the time and money and go elsewhere for better service and food. Pros: The flower baskets Cons: NOTHING more

This funky cafe has incredible food, exceptional live music, and tons of personality. If you looking for a cookie cutter eatery where you'll have no sense of place, then do not go to the general store cafe. However, if your interested in supporting live music, great food, and community, then give the cafe a shot. You'll keep going back for more! For all those that have complained about service, give the staff some time to get up to speed! The cafe recently doubled their seating and transitioned from counter service to table service. This community oriented venue in Pittsboro is quite a gem. more

As a resident of PBO I eat at the General Store a lot. The food is good, but the service is consistently horrible. One evening we had to wait at the hostess stand for 15 minutes for a table, even though we could see several empy tables - and ended up sitting at one! On another occasion, it took us 25 minutes just for someone to take our drink order, then another 10 to get the drinks, then she said she would be right back to take our orders - another 15. Still on another occasion, it took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to get our food. And finally today - which prompted me to write - went to Sunday Brunch and the place was virtually empty - it still took over one hour and a half for the meal - because we waited for 30 minutes on our check. I don't understand it. The place always looks teeming with employees, but how long does it take to bring a check? We go back because the meal is always good, I think the next time I will just bring my own drink and pay in cash on the table. Pros: Good food. Cons: Get a better service staff guys - it hurts your business. more

Years ago GSC was an interesting place with eclectic decor and varied but fairly priced menu selections. Now it's high priced (approx. $20/plate dinners) for the quality of food and service. Just two weeks ago my wife and I went in on a Tues. evening for dinner. Five tables occupied in front and an unknown party size outside. We were told we would have to wait standing up for an unknown amount of time because the waiters/waitresses were too "stressed" to handle anyone sitting down even just to sit and wait. Spoke with the owner the next day, and he told me he just can't seem to train his staff to handle anything out of the ordinary. And he thinks it will get better when he expands his restaraunt? Pros: Interesting ambiance Cons: Cost/Value and Service more

I have been a fan of the GSC for a couple of years or so, but when I went last night, their prices had increased by 29%! The food was still good, but I wondered why such a huge price increase, so I asked. The reply I got was that some customers wanted more food choices, so they had to hire a chef for the M-W evenings and passed the cost on to the customers who were previously happy. I'll still go, I won't make the trip nearly as often with gas prices and now their food prices on the rise. Pros: Artsy, Ecclectic, Tastey Cons: Distance, Cost, Value more

I stumbled across this cafe a few years back while chatting about salsa in the sauna at the gym. The chef at the time bragged about his salsa, and I'm glad I decided to check it out. The cafe has grown in popularity, and the green sauce isn't as spicy as it was, but the New Mexican Green Chili Burrito is truly a divine dining experience. Simple but delicious. The Pittsburrito and the Mayan also rock... and their guacamole is unmatched! more