One item on my Vermont bucket list is to visit every general store in the Green Mountain State. Country stores in Vermont each have their own personality and a distinct purpose for the community they serve. Some are post offices and wine shops, others are delis and bakeries, and others carry items as a diverse as hunting knives and fishing licenses to antiques and penny candy. Although not every town has one, Vermont is home to more than 50 general stores. The Warren Store is one of the best in our great state!

The Warren Store, located across from the Pitcher Inn on Main Street in Warren, is the Vermont country store I frequent most often. (And no, it’s not just to get my hands on Vermont’s best beer— Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ Sip of Sunshine—which is delivered in large quantities to Sean Lawson’s very own community store. Deliveries are made at 10am on Thursdays, just in case you’re driving by.)

The Warren Store is much more than just a place to stock up on provisions; it’s a community builder, a meeting house and a locals’ hangout, and has been since the building was built in the 1830s as a stagecoach stop boarding house. The “almost world famous” Warren Store is a daily fixture in the lives of the locals in the Mad River Valley, as well as tourists exploring Route 100. It’s a truly special place that embodies Vermont’s rustic charm.

Visiting the Warren Store

The Warren Store has a warm, rugged atmosphere that brings you back to simpler times with well-worn wooden floors and old-timey wooden coolers for beverages in the back. Older locals hang around and share news in the mornings over a cup of coffee. Others come to the Warren Store for last-minute, Vermont-made birthday gifts in the upstairs space that’s full of high-end women’s clothing, home decor items, kids’ toys, etc. Like any good general store, the Warren Store has many nooks and crannies to explore and offers just about anything you could need: baked goods, beer and wine, snacks for road trips and hikes, Vermont-made jams, jellies and dilly beans, whimsical greeting cards, artisanal cheese and even local produce.

If you need something and you can’t find it, just ask, as more than likely, the Warren Store has what you need with the motto “all under one funky, crooked roof,” which perfectly describes the place. If you want to experience a quintessential Vermont general store that embodies the essence of community, the Warren Store should be on your Vermont bucket list.

Tips for Visiting the Warren Store Like a Local:

• Make sure to pass through at lunch and enjoy a sandwich out of the porch overlooking the falls. The ABLT (avocado BLT), Number Six (turkey with cranberry mayo) and the Pestopalooza (pesto, provolone and tomato) are my top choices. Here’s the full lunch menu in case you want to start drooling now… They also have gluten-free bread AND a gluten-free product section within their grocery section.
• On 10am on Thursdays, you can check out the line for Lawson’s with their webcam that hangs from the Pitcher Inn. For those from away, you can also check out the Valley’s weather at any given time.
• If you’re on the hunt for Lawson’s, you might try calling in advance before heading over on a Thursday, especially after noon when it gets harder to get your hands on a four-pack. Note that you can’t crack open a beer at the Warren Store, even though the outside deck overlooking the falls is mighty tempting.
• Have a big group to feed in the Mad River Valley? The Warren Store caters and does custom bakery orders as well (birthday or wedding cakes anyone?).
• If you’re staying at the Pitcher Inn, you’ll see treats from the Warren Store in your room, and the scones and muffins served at breakfast are from the Warren Store. It’s awesome to see the neighborly partnership between the Warren Store and Pitcher Inn.

The Warren Store
284 Main Street, Warren, Vermont
802.496.3864

What do you love most about the Warren Store? What’s your favorite general store in Vermont? Comment below!