They don't accept returns at the ski shop even with the tags & receipt! Be careful what you buy here.

Stayed on Beech Mountain over July 4th week. Had a great visit, and stopped at Fred's for beer - great selection and advice from a Fred's employee- snacks and things. Very friendly staff, cool old building. We didn't eat here or visit their gift shop. read more

Cool spot for the essentials and everything else on top of a mountain! Worth swinging by for shoes or beer or fishing lures or a sandwich.

I ordered Breakfast and Ryan cooked one of the Best I've had. He made it Exactly like I ordered. Been coming here since 1993. Thanks Bill read more

We are in a cabin on the mountain for the month of October. Fred's was our first shopping experience after arriving at the cabin. What a unique, old country store experience! Everything you could need is right at your fingertips! We are half way thru the month now and have returned to Fred's more than once. We appreciate the variety available and the service has been excellent. read more

Great, genuine people. A perfect little stop for your everyday needs. The employees are so friendly and nice! You can grab anything from coffee to laundry detergent to hiking boots. read more

If I could give no Stars, I would. I had planned my sisters bachelorette trip to go skiing at beech mountain. We were looking up ski rentals places and I saw tons of good reviews on Fred's. I had some questions being that a large majority of the bridal party had never been skiing. I spoke with Larry on the phone where he assured me we could come the night before we went skiing to rent and pick our skis up. We asked if that was still applicable because we were doing a half day skiing (11:30am-6:30pm) so I wanted to be sure we could get the skis the night before due to being advised that being fitted for skis could take a while. We also informed Larry that we would be coming with 16 people, so they would know we had a large group coming. He said that was fine and we thought this was going to be a great experience as the reviews had stated. we arrive at 735 the following night to be fitted and rent our ski equipment. Automatically, we were treated with disrespect by the younger lady working the ski rental desk. She informed us that we would have to pay for a full day of skiing, even if we were only using the skis for the half day time. We explained to her the phone call we had with Larry, and she was still treating us very poorly.We asked to speak with Larry, and we were informed that he would not see us or listen to our questions. We payed the full price which is was never about money, it was about honoring what we had been told just 24 hours prior, and at the least being treated decently .The next day (today) we went to return our ski equipment, and still the customer service was lacking. We realized right before we had left the ski resort, one of our snowboards had been stollen and replaced by another snowboard from the same place (Fred's). We explain to them that the snowboard was stolen from us and we didn't realize it until after. The attendants immediately start yelling how you NEVER take someone else's snowboard/ski's. We tried to explain we never intentionally stole anything and just figured if we returned the board the other one would still turn up. $400 dollars later paying for the snowboard that had yet to be returned, we were told that if the snowboard showed up we would be refunded and let know. Hours had gone by and still no word from Fred's. We called and the customer service lady hung up the phone, then proceeded to laugh when we called back. Finally, we were transferred to someone higher up and were informed that snowboards/skis get turned in to many different places and usually turn up by the end of ski season. The disrespect we were treated with and lack of common decency was unfathomable. The experience definitely had a negative impact on our trip, and gave us a terribly negative outlook on the town in general as Fred's was not the only place we had awful experiences with workers. read more

For those willing to put up with high prices, small selection and cramped conditions to keep from having to make the trek down the mountain. It was crowded when we tried to go in and my claustrophobia kicked in big-time. There is nothing in there that I need bad enough. read more

I will never be returning to this place and I highly suggest people going somewhere else to rent ski gear. Me and a group of my friends went up to Beech Mtn for the weekend and after being advised to not rent our gear directly from Beech Mountain we decided to rent at Freds. I called 2 times Thursday 1/5 with questions about the rental process and pricing. Larry confirmed with me that the price would be $15 for ski rental, $10 extra for a helmet and that he suggests we come pick it up Friday night. Finally I called a 3rd time to let them know that there would be 16 girls coming Friday night at 7:30 pm and the lady I talked to said that was fine and that she would let Larry know. Friday we arrived at 7:35 pm after a long day of traveling just to be greeted by the girl who was working the front desk with the most awful attitude. She informed us that we could not pay the $15 and that we would have to pay the full day price ($24) since we were coming the night before to pick up the rentals, after Larry informed us that we could do this. We requested to speak with him and he refused to speak with us. After paying for the full day rentals we returned back Saturday around 4 pm to return our gear just to hear the same girl (who was working the front desk from the night before) talking about our group. As one of the employees was checking our rentals (to make sure everything was there) we found out that a snowboard had been replaced in our group. Larry and the other employee immediately accused a girl in our group of stealing someone else's board when that was not the case. After being wrongfully accused my friend had to pay $373 to replace the missing board. We were informed that if her board was returned she would receive a refund. Later Saturday 1/7 night we called up to Freds to check if the board had been returned/replaced just to have the employee hang up on us. We proceeded to call back just to overhear the employees laughing at us. Me and my friends have never been treated with such disrespect. read more

Don't rent equipment from these people, their snowboarding gear is faulty and they won't give you a refund no matter what. Their breakfast is awful and the customer service sucks, surprised they are still in business. read more

I ordered breakfast from here this morning which was delicious, however a few items were missing from my order. I called to inform the deli that the items were missing and i would be coming back to get them. I was met with a very defensive employee who was not helpful or hospitable at all. Before i could even get out that I would be coming back to pick up the items she accused me of being wrong about the missing items and blamed me for not knowing the condiments were to be picked up myself from the back counter. Although the food was great not sure I'd visit here again. They also didn't have many souvenirs and only carried beech mountain t-shirts. The front desk staff from the store was very pleasant compared to the deli staff. read more

Fred's is great! A gem in the middle of Beech Mountain. Whether you need provisions, hiking shoes, tools, or just a beautiful shop in a beautiful setting, Fred's is it. Don't go expecting a ton of offerings. But, go. read more

This was a great little general store/ deli/ ski and snowboard rental shop. We visited Beech Mountain recently during our Spring Break to do some snowboarding. 5 1/2 hour drive from Nashville, we thought why not? This is definitely a little mountain town. Fred's was the only store around, but it had everything we need. We even met someone who had a chalet in the town who told us, If Fred's doesn't have it, you don't need it. He was right! We had lunch everyday at Fred's deli which is located downstairs. Salads, sandwiches, and soups. The reuben and bbq sandwich were delicious! They even had an ice cream case, but we were cold enough with all the snow around. We will definitely be planning a trip back to Beech Mountain. read more

"If we ain't got it, you don't need it." That is Fred's motto. He is pretty much right. Here is the situation: It takes at least a 1/2 hour to get from the top of the mountain to the bottom. So if you need something last minute, or you forgot something and dinner is already on the stove... you're SOL. But then there is FRED's! It is your Farm Stores, ACE Hardware, Tourist Trap, Dollar Store, Blockbuster & anything else all rolled into one. They even have glass bottled coke. read more

Fred's is a staple on Beech. I've been coming here my entire life and the folks that work here are like family. Always have anything you need and willing to help with anything. Great place and better people!!! Thanks for everything you have done and will continue to do for the mountain Fred!! read more

Fred's Is the JAM!!! Cool people that work there. Anything you need from A to Z. Breakfast sandwiches downstairs are really good. If you stay on Beech you will need to go by Fred's every day! read more

Friendly staff, solid selection of food, hardware, hiking boots, and momentos from your trip to Beech Mountain

So thankful for Fred's! This was the second year in a row that we stopped in to grab supplies that we had left at home. You can get anything you need here! This year however, we decided to rent snowboards from them as well. The woman at the register was so sweet and helpful! The guys helped get everything sized and made sure we were comfortable and they were so friendly. We had an awesome day snowboarding and got the gear at a decent price. The only complaint i have is that the snow pants i rented were not waterproof! The entire back of my pants were soaked and i was very cold up on the mountain. The guys we returned the gear to that night were different from the morning employees, and when i let them know how wet the pants had gotten they laughed and said "they are water resistant, not waterproof". That was a bit of a turn off. Otherwise great experience! We will be back. read more

You can get EVERYTHING here. Great selection of groceries, souvenirs, fresh produce, and most importantly, wine and beer! If you are staying on Beech Mountain, Fred's will meet all of your needs. read more

Very rude and over priced. The counter help lady and old-man were very rude and can tell they didn't like their jobs! Go to grocery store at bottom of the mountain. It's not worth getting treated like crap! Looking to buy property here and bring another store to put them out of business. What happen to southern hospitality! read more

Fred's General Mercantile is a very cute store at the top of Beech Mountain. If you forgot groceries, wine, or basic supplies chances are Fred's will have them albeit at an extremely inflated price. But hey, without any competition in the area they can basically charge whatever they would like. read more

This place is the bomb! They have everything! From wine to shoes to a darling little toy tractor, there's something for everyone. Also I got local blueberries and the peaches looked pretty good. Remember when the stores had creaky wood floors and they offered just a little bit of everything? I felt I was stepping back into my childhood when my grandfather used to take me down to the corner store for a Coke. Unbelievably, the prices weren't that bad. I had lost my reading glasses & picked up the cutest little pink folding pair in a little zipper case for $9.00! Another plus is that Fred's is about the only store in town. The community is lucky to have it. We had a nice walk down there from our condo to pick up a trail map. This is a true general store. If you're looking for a glitzy chain with cheap stuff, go back out on the highway. I'll shop at Fred's. read more

awesome store, great people, 100% recommend deli is delicious as well good selection of things, the only other thing i'd recommend is adding more things to the fishing/tackle selection read more

Fred's is the best!!!!! Everything from the staff to the service is superb! If you don't stop at Fred's, you are missing out!!! The food is amazing too!! read more

Fred's Famous Dirty Burger in their deli downstairs is AMAZING. No doubt we will be back. Don't miss out!

After a frustrating experience renting equipment at Fred's and lodging complaints, we were eventually contacted by the owner and issued a refund for the gear we rented. The owner was apologetic and much more understanding than their employee, which was a refreshing change to our initial contact with employees regarding our grievance. If nothing else, hopefully employees will now be instructed to give exchanges and/or refunds when the error is on the part of the store. read more

Have been visiting Fred's for over 30 years. We actually bought 2 houses on Beech partially due to Fred's. Great people, great products and great food!!!! Truly if they don't have it you don't need it! I am looking forward to our next trip to Beech and Freds in Sept! Love the deli and the ability to sit and look out the window at nature. Have sat there a many a time and watched it snow while drinking coffee. read more

Stopped here for lunch. Their sandwiches were excellent. The store upstairs has virtually anything that you need. It's not easy finding groceries within driving a long way around this area. Fred's solves that problem! I would definitely return and highly recommend their sandwich shop. read more

My favorite store in Beech Mountain. Fred's has pretty much anything you need to get by here on the mountain. Deli open until 3:00PM, pet items, food, alcohol, clothing, shoes, souvenirs, wizard of oz collection. I love the atmosphere old timey general store creeky floors beautiful garden and gazebo outside for picnic. Friendly staff. Beech Mountain Staple. read more

Fred's General Mercantile - Fred's cat - Grocery Near Me - Beech Mountain, North Carolina

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I don't want to give even 1 star but I had to in order to post a review. Went into Fred's and was shocked at how rude and nasty every employee was. Do they hate their jobs or are they just miserable human beings.? Save yourselves and go somewhere else. Horrible service , horrible attitudes. read more

It's the closest market for hundreds of people skiing Beech and renting in the area...it is overpriced and has limited selection, but what'd you expect - you're isolated in the mountains! read more

I love Fred's. Fred's brings me back to when I was a kid and every town had a small general store with a little bit of everything. Certainly you dont have many options but at least they give you one option. They have everything from clothes, outdoor gear, sporting goods, hardware, videos, food and medicine's. Check them out. read more

I never post negative comments about a business, but with the second experience of an employee being rude first to my niece's husband then to my girlfriend, I felt it needed to be said. I know the whole covid has people on edge and very concerned and rightly so, but for a staff member at Fred's to be talking to another staff member in front of him, complaining about all these Floridians coming up here is so unacceptable. I won't go into why because I think most that live here and have businesses here know what we bring to the area. It is worth mentioning too that I own a home here and my family and I are here frequently. The other encounter was when my girlfriend and her daughter walked in with their masks on that they received from the hospital and that same employee was staring them down and then said they had their masks on backwards. They most certainly did not and my girlfriend tried to explain that she is in the medical field, but he wouldn't leave them alone until they turned their masks around, which to me wasn't very smart because now they're exposing themselves. He was very argumentative and she was taken aback, but she just did what he asked. I have to say as convenient as this place is, I'm going to make the drive down the mountain to get what I need from now on. I will not support a business that treats their customers this way and insults my hometown. I feel like he's one bad seed because everyone else for the most part has been so sweet, but unfortunately, he's been there for such a long time I guess he feels he can get away with it. read more

I always stop in when in the area. It is great fun to browse here, and I am not even a shopper by nature. They have all sorts of unique items in this store. I have been a customer for many years. read more

Very helpful and kind staff. Helped us find the perfect hiking trails for our trip in the off season. They also have a nice selection of beers and wines. read more

Good selection on everything from medicine to snow boots to fishing gear. I bought some delicious locally made jam, it was a great deal. Parking is a challenge during busy times, otherwise I would give 5 stars. Great place on mountain for convenience. read more

Was a neat little home town general store, kinda like a hardware store almost. Had a variety of items but all in all just a small town drop in store. read more

Very friendly staff and they really do have everything you need. Decent selection of great beer as well, very surprised to see that. Definitely worth a stop every trip to Beech Mtn. read more

I grew up going to Freds and would highly recommend it to anyone, we love the merchandise but our favorite is the deli downstairs. You couldn't ask for better food, atmosphere or great people!! read more

We have spent vacation in the Banner Elk/Beech Mt. area for many years and Fred's Mercantile is always a "must go" place. The store has about anything you could ask for including a nice gift section on the upper floor. It is a great place to eat breakfast or lunch especially on the back patio area. During the summer, Fred has blue-grass groups come in to put on concerts in the gazebo next to the store. read more