What a cool experience! We were out and about exploring the area and when we left Elkin my wife suggested we stop at Rockford General Store. She has seen several positive reviews over the course of the past several months and had it bookmarked. The drive into Rockford is rural and charming. Upon arriving in Rockford there are a few small businesses and park with the general store being at the center of the very small town. Rockford was founded around 1790 to be the county seat of Surry county. The Surry county seat was later moved to Dobson. The exterior is rustic with vintage signs and a small covered porch which offers a few places to sit and enjoy your meal. We stepped inside and were immediately impressed with the smell coming from the kitchen area, the aroma of hamburgers filled the air. To the left there is a bulk candy area with a variety of offerings including chicken feet gummies, that was a new one for us! The store has a few simple offerings including candles, t-shirts and décor related items. There are also vintage/antique items but they appear to be part of the décor and not for sale. The young lady at the grill was friendly and helpful, the menu consisted of hotdogs, hamburgers, fries, chili, chicken tenders, etc. We asked if the chili had beans and when we were told it did not we quickly made our decisions. My wife chose chili fries without the cheese and added onion. I chose the chili dog with onions. My wife also decided to try one of their apple turnovers which she could see were freshly baked on site. The prices are VERY reasonable! They also offer soda by the can or bottle and feature flavors not normally found. Our food was ready in a timely manner and we decided to eat outside at one of the tables. We opened everything up and it looked delicious. We both really enjoyed the flavor of the chili and thought it tasted great. My wife enjoyed the freshly chopped onion atop the crispy crinkle cut fries as well. I thought the chili dog tasted very yummy too. The hot dog bun seemed fresh baked. It was not a normal hot dog bun. My wife used the restroom and told me that I needed to see the faucet and sink area, which I've taken a video of. Overall, this was a great stop and we will absolutely stop in again when in the area or we may just decide to take another drive out to Rockford. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays each week. We also learned they are one of the stops within Surry County for Sonker. We did not try one today but took the brochure which features places within the county that offer this cobbler type dessert which varies by featuring seasonal fruits. It sounds delicious and we are adding this to our future road trip itinerary, www.sonkertrail.org. There is even a Sonker Festival which takes place the first Saturday of October in Mount Airy. read more

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Out on a Sunday drive about an hour and half from home and wanted to try something local to the area so after reading the Yelp reviews I wanted to check this place out and even though Yelp was showing it as being OPEN, it was closed. I thought it looked run down and couldn't believe this building is the same building in the Yelp pictures. I just ran a Zillow search for the area to see what properties are for sale in the area because it's so beautiful and here sits the Rockford General Store up for sale $700,000.00 with pictures of the interior and this place is sitting empty. Yelp...please do better. I wasted time and gas getting here. read more

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My husband found this place while browsing Yelp. We had no idea what to expect but we hopped in the car for the 40 min drive from Winston to check it out. The drive was beautiful and worth it just for that alone but once we arrived to Rockford General Store it looked just like the photos. We met their sweet cat out on the front porch and spent a few minutes giving it some love then ventured inside. Browsed the bulk candy and filled a couple bags with some treats for later. Of course, we came for the hot dogs, burgers and this Sonker thing my husband told me about that I've never heard of. We ordered our food at the counter and got to talking to the very friendly owner who told us all about the history of the general store and the surrounding area. What a fun guy! I could talk with him all day. He was so great and had some really sweet stories about all the years he's owned the store, having his wedding there, holding family gatherings and so much more. I could just picture the welcoming atmosphere during those events as he told us all about it. Before we knew it, our food was ready. We sat at the only table inside- a table with about 8 chairs around it. I do wish they had a few smaller tables instead of this one big one. Other customers who ordered food ended up sitting outside on a bench to eat. I wouldn't have minding sharing the table but they didn't ask. The hot dog was hot and the chili was really really good. It had great flavor and it would probably be great just in a bowl with some cheese and onions on top. Other customers were ordering the chili fries so I know their chili is pretty popular. Speaking of fries, I know they were just frozen crinkle cut fries but they were well seasoned and super hot and fresh. I loved them! The cheeseburger was pretty big and we read they make their own buns. We liked it but it wasn't as hot as the hot dog and the bun would have benefitted from being buttered and toasted first. It was still good and the burger itself was juicy and seasoned well. Just not as hot as I would have liked. The toppings could have contributed to the temperature though because the lettuce, tomato, onion and condiments were all cold. Would I order it again? Yes. Would I request the bun be toasted in the grill? Yes. I might even go as far as to request grilled onions. They were so friendly there I think they would happily accommodate these requests. We also grabbed some bottled drinks from the coolers. We always like to try something new and unique so I chose a unique looking bottle of grape soda and my husband got a ginger beer. His was VERY flavorful. Mine was just what I wanted to compliment our meal. Finally it was time to try this famous Sonker thing. They had cherry, apple and sweet potato to choose from. We chose cherry. It came out piping hot with vanilla ice cream on top. Turns out Sonker is really just a cobbler type dessert. The crust was more dense than a traditional cobbler though. It was great! The cherries were sweet and tart with plenty of them. It was so fun discovering this little place out in the country. This is one of the many reasons why I just live living in NC. read more

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This is such a cute off the beaten path little place and one of the stops on the sonker trail. When we came it was swarmed with bikers, all polite and friendly to me and my two daughters, bit clearly the word is out that a cheap but good meal can be had here. Having read that they bake their own bread and make their own chili in house we made sure to try those things. We got two chili cheese dogs, one cheeseburger and two cherry sonkers with ice cream. All came to $16 total. The bread for the burger and hot dogs was indeed a high cut above your average bun. Really nice. The chili was pretty good, the hot dog itself was very standard but the burger was well charred and really good. The sonker- now this is our first sonker experience but I wasn't super wowed. Granted we were told we got the last two of the day but it was basically a bowl of warm cherry pie filling (like the canned stuff) with a few crust crumbles and melty ice cream. Tasty yes, a new dessert revelation- no. We plan to tackle the whole sonker trail this year and we will see how the rest stack up. But overall this is a very cute and quaint place to stop for a bite when out this way. read more

2021April 03; this was an interesting drive away from familiar places. Rockford is a place where a small town flourished with a railroad stop at the local railroad terminal, hotel, general store and a glass store. All late 1800's. Today it survives as a tourist stop with. River adventure company, general store slash grill and a bed and breakfast. The general store has some amazing items of interest and old time atmosphere with of a Walton's general store. Plenty of candy delicacies to scoop up and take home with an antique scale to measure out your selections. I tried a hamburger with fries, cooked fresh as I waited. The home made buns certainly added a sense of days gone by. There was a good selection of grill items and mine were tasty. I do wish I had mapped out more time to explore. This is an out of the way place where it looks like the outside world just vanishes. I would recommend trying it. read more

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This wasn't a great little find for me, my friends put me in their car and drove me directly to Rockford General Store exclaiming, "you are going to love this place!" They told me how cute it was, how good the burgers are, candy jars lined up for days sold by the pound, bottled soft drinks and Surry Co. sonker. All I said was, "stop you had me at sonker." The day we went they had a little sign on the door that said pintos and cornbread, I was in heaven. The menu is hot dogs, grilled cheese, BLT, burgers, french fries. They also had local dried pintos for sell, I had to buy some. If you are visiting the area, be sure to support this small business and you might have a great road trip memory too. read more

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Great old fashioned general store out in the middle of nowhere on the mountainside of pilot mountain. Nice place to stop and grab a bite and some candy, soda, elderberry jelly, cherry butter, and maybe some pickled eggs for the road. Staff was friendly. Menu is overall simple with good prices. We got the chili cheese dog and a cheeseburger with lettuce, Mayo, and ketchup. I've certainly had worse, and the bread for the hot dog and burger are baked on site! It makes for a bit of a wait, but worth it! We also got the sonker with ice cream. First time I've had a sonker, but I gotta be honest here, it's a cobbler. I've had cherry cobbler before, and yep that is what this is. Maybe these folks up in the valley think they invented it because they don't get out much? Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but I'll have to try another sonker elsewhere for comparison. Maybe I'm missing something, but I know a cobbler when I have one. Anyways, glad we made the trip! read more

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It's a step back in time to the old general store on small town Main Street where the older gentlemen used to gather for a game of checkers and catch up on local news. It reminds me of the little store I used to go to in the 50's and 60's in my hometown to buy penny candies. Although you can no longer purchase penny candies you can experience a different era and enjoy some great home cooked food. I love dropping in every time we drive by. On on visit I purchased a hand carved walking cane very reasonably priced. It's a nice break from the crazy world we live in to just stop, take a deep breath and relax. read more

Interesting Old store. We arrived at 2 PM on a Wednesday afternoon. They had overflow parking and the stores were very busy. Had two portable toilets in parking area which came in handy. A lot of history in area. Very tourist oriented. Defiantly check it out when in the area. read more

This place was the highlight of our day. It's a short 25-30 minute drive from Winston-Salem and it's nestled along side the Yadkin River just north of Boonville. It's not a full general store, but they do offer dozens of candies, regional sodas, burgers, hot dogs and a few other sandwiches like BLTs, bologna and egg sandwiches. There's also a few crafts and local fare available. The owner is the highlight here, and he can entertain you with stories about the shop, his family and locals. As for the food... get anything with chili on it, dogs, burgers or fries. The chili is some of the most flavorful chili I've had in NC. They bake their own hot dog and hamburger buns. They are quite a bit heavier than most buns. The hot dog was our favorite... but the 1/3 pound Pattie's on the burger were good, but the big, heavy bun needed some butter, steam or a grill to soften it a bit. So 5 stars on the hot dog, and 3 stars on the burger. The crinkle cut fries were a perfect 5 stars and clearly cooked fresh for our order. There's a large table inside and several outside and across the street. We also enjoyed a Cherry Sonker which had tart cherries, a nice buttery crust and a hearty scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. For a place built around 1890, there's plenty of charm... and be sure to pet the stupid cat on the front porch... he's quite friendly. read more

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This is a blast from the past. Quaint place, with excellent food. Menu is small, but it's worth going.

I love this little place ! Meet the sweetest sisters that lived there. We sat and had lunch my friend had a burger and fries said it was the best! I had bologna sandwich. We all sat together talked and laugh It was a awes read more

Rockford General Store is a must stop for folks that love a good burger and fries and a trip back in time to view their antiques in the store. Shop for Candy while you wait for your food to cook. read more

Great place to get candy for your kids. Nice little country setting where you can play games and hang out. Owners are really nice and friendly! read more

Rockford General Store - Rockford General Store - Candy Stores Near Me - Dobson, North Carolina

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Great little country store. Excellent candy selection. Best fried bologna sandwich! Plan a visit soon!!!

We were there for the sonker. It was better than we ever expected. The stove was going. The smell from the kitchen was wonderful. It is a small country place with real warm friendly family customer service. I hope to be back soon. read more

What a wonderful surprise we had when we experienced one of the best burgers we've ever had! The homemade bread was incredible with high quality beef. My husband said it was Christmas in July. The bottled, cold ginger ale and homemade peach sonker were the best additions! We finished with old fashioned candy bags to go! read more

Super cute place! Took me back to my childhood, such good memories! Got some candy sticks and tried the berry Sonker...delicious with vanilla icecream! Worth a try if you are in the area. Nice scenic drive too read more

Best cheeseburgers ever served on homemade buns! The people were nice and friendly. Will definitely go back.

I love this little store! It's out in the middle of nowhere, and the small town of Rockford is just adorable. The store it's self is an older building filled with tons of stuff... anything from candy to vintage wall hangings for sale. My family and I like to come here on beautiful days. They have a small grill with some pretty good food for a good price. The burgers are good. I had a grilled cheese today and it was yum! The lady today was real nice to offer a refund or my husband some pickled Eggs in exchange for the pickled sausages he bought because they tasted spoiled. There's only 1 table inside, so more than likely you'll have to sit outside to eat or take it to go. We sat outside in their little picnic area across the street. Nice and peaceful! Also, their peanut butter fudge is awesome! read more

If you want the look and feel of an old General Store this is worth a stop. Great selection of old time candy, food including classic sweet potato pie, hoop cheese and a number of vintage gifts. I know this sound funny but you must check out the bathrooms and see the old time looking sinks they have in there. Take the time to read the little signs they have around and sit in the store to have something to eat. If you meet Paul their get him to give you the history of the place. In back they have an out door amphitheater and in the early spring their is a big group of civil war reenact that show up and put on what sounds like a good show..."One day the south wins and the next the north, they go up on to the hill and reenact the battle. You can see it in back. read more

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We purchased property near here and stumbled on this little piece of heaven quite by accident. The folks working there and that own it are super nice. The food is incredibly delicious and their fresh baked bread is out of this world. I highly recommend stopping by just to take a look around even if you aren't hungry. read more

Great, great, great food with friendly service. The fact that they bake their own buns, just completes the whole experience at this location. Of course, there's a huge selection of candy as well read more