Sunday: When Mayberry and Chick-fil-a are closed

We were about to embark on our longest haul to a campground to date – Atlanta to Washington D.C. – and I was feeling like we needed to break up this trip somehow. But, I also really wanted another destination vs. just a random pit stop. Serendipitously, two days before the trip, I was listening to the RV Family Travel Atlas podcast about epic road food, and The Snappy Lunch in Mount Airy, NC was featured. Cue me googling exactly where Mount Airy was (um, exactly half way!) and then discovering the fact that it was the real “Mayberry.” In fact, Andy Griffith grew up in Mount Airy and the Andy Griffith Show was based on this quaint town. That was it—sold!

Chad is quite the Andy Griffith buff. Not only did he grow up watching the reruns daily with his dad, he even taught a high school elective course on the morals and values of the show. Once I pitched this half way spot, he was all in. We even listened to audio of an episode called The Loaded Goat on the way up. The goat eats everything, including some dynamite being used to make way for the new highway path through the nearby mountains. Of course, Andy Taylor and Barney Fife figure out a plan to keep everyone safe, including the loaded goat. (The Loaded Goat is also the name of a popular burger joint in downtown Mount Airy. I think it doubles as the local bar. Come on, you know Ottis—Mayberry’s town drunk—wouldn’t pass up a drink at the Loaded Goat!)

Let’s just say, our family was suddenly feeling very Mayberry and really pumped up to explore the town. Plus, we had plans to stay at the Mayberry Campground, just a few miles away. But, on the way up….we realized it was Sunday. Wait….was Mayberry (aka Mount Airy) even open on a Sunday?! A few Google searches later, we learned the truth. Mayberry, like Chick-fil-a, was not in service for our Sunday drive. In true Mayberry style, the few places that were open, closed at 3pm or 4pm. While I admired this small town’s commitment to the Lord’s day, we were disappointed. Like when you really want Chick-fil-a on your road trip, but it’s Sunday so you have to settle for Zaxby’s chicken finger plate instead.

We would press on though. We walked the town and window shopped. We peeked in the windows of Floyd’s Barber Shop, Walker’s Soda Fountain and Miss Angels Heavenly Pies. Thankfully, the town even had a Wally’s Service Station and Mayberry Courthouse for some fun photo opps. Yes, we know the show was filled on a Hollywood lot, but it felt like Mayberry. There were even a few downtown homes complete with the white picket fence.

We settled back at the Mayberry Campground, a beautiful former homestead with rolling hills and a few ponds—and roads like Andy Taylor St. and Oppie Taylor Lane. It made the perfect quiet place to rest before we set out for our next stop. Sadly, we didn’t get to try the famous pork chop sandwich from The Snappy Lunch. But, since they opened at 6am on Monday, we knew we could at least sneak in a power country breakfast before hitting the road again.

The Snappy Lunch was worth the extra stop! I think we were the only travelers in the place – at the early hour of 7am! There were no other kids except for ours. Regulars settled in old wooden booths, discussing the impending rain, noting the good timing since the grass seed had been laid. “Mary,” they said. “Can I get an extra biscuit to go when you get a chance?” Mary seemed to know them all. Aside from the kitchen staff, she was the only one working. Taking orders, busing tables, ringing up checks, wrapping up to go orders. Across the walls were photos from the Andy Griffith show, local celebrities praising Snappy and the history of the place documented across the wooden paneled walls.

We ordered eggs served over well, sides of bacon, and gravy and biscuits. Breakfast was served quickly, on Styrofoam plates. Chad said the gravy was just right – not too salty, not too thick. (Good praise, considering he was raised on some of the best gravy in North Georgia.) Perfect with the soft, almost fried biscuits.

We learned that The Snappy Lunch opened in 1923. It served as a popular lunch destination for local students, like Andy Griffith, with its nickel bologna sandwiches and 10 cent hot dogs. In fact, The Snappy Lunch is the only existing Mt. Airy business actually mentioned on the Andy Griffith Show—when Andy suggests to Barney that they go down to The Snappy Lunch to grab a bite to eat.