Matteo and I frequently visit this little gem. Located off Hwy 81 & FM 66 in downtown Itasca, TX is The Country Store. As soon as you enter the building you get a feel of a different life, a different time, a different pace. Customer Service is top priority, the food at the cafe is amazing, and the isles, few though they are, are loaded with essential items that you might not see every day in a city grocery. Shelves are loaded with soup mixes, flours, sugars, rice, chips, coffees, nuts, beans, candies, chocolates and so much more. Most items are of the seldom seen variety, and it’s always so fun to try something new when we are there. The items reflect a time in life when everything was homemade, only natural preservatives were used, and everything tasted like it should.
Even the toy section is full of toys from the past or rarely seen on commercial shelves. Our granddaughter has both clothes and toys from here that are very high quality and promise hours of non tech fun.
After loading our basic, we’ll head to the deli where we can either grab lunch before we head off or grab the ends and pieces before we head home, (or sometimes both). The deli has a fabulous menu, and the open style seating is inviting. The ends and pieces, well those are exactly what they sound like. The deli will sell you their left-over ends and pieces that aren’t big enough to make anything else with. We’ve gotten some really good deals here and very meaty chunks of both deli meat and cheeses.
Okay, now we have had our lunch, completed our shopping and so we head to the checkout, which is where they keep the things that we really visit them for. The Pies. They have THE MOST AMAZING fried pies! Stocked in every imaginable flavor and both sugar and sugar free versions, these pies will make you drool. I usually grab a peach for me and a lemon to share with Matteo, and he usually snags a pecan for him and a chocolate to share with me. Best eaten fresh, while that dough will melt in your mouth, and you’d better come early, because they are usually sold out around lunch time.
To help walk of some of the calories you are sure to consume from visiting The County Store, we suggest you walk around downtown Itasca, where you find a gorgeous memorial to Veterans. All in all, it makes for a great day trip or regular visits if you’re local.
