When people think of country stores and general stores, they often picture them in Vermont, residing in quaint rural communities complete with village greens, white steepled churches, and rolling hills forming a perfect backdrop. But Vermont doesn’t have a monopoly on these historic old places, as you may stumble upon one along any number of scenic winding roads in New England, especially in New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut but also in Rhode Island and right here in Massachusetts.
One happens to be only a short drive from the Greater Boston area, yet it feels like it is far, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. One special draw to the Harvard General Store is that it actually has a restaurant inside the place, which is something that even some of the better-known country stores in Vermont don’t have.
Harvard is a beautiful town located in the heart of Nashoba Valley, a quiet area 30-40 miles west of Boston on either side of Route 2. It’s known in part for its apple orchards, farm stores, and terrific recreational options including hiking, skiing, and paddling. It isn’t exactly a commercial hub, with most of the communities being residential and quite a bit of it being undeveloped.
The Harvard village center literally consists of only one business—the Harvard General Store, which sits where Routes 111 and 110 meet up and make their way north toward Ayer. The hulking old building in which it is housed faces a quiet village green surrounded by charming old homes and churches, and the ancient yellow streetlights along Route 110 only add to Harvard’s rustic feel.
Restaurant spotlight: Harvard General Store
Much like other stores of its kind, the Harvard General Store sells a bit of everything; upon entering the place, you’ll see aisles to the right that sell such items as books, soap, bowls, wooden spoons, oven mitts, shirts, scarves, maple syrup, olive oil, pasta, mustard, salsa, chips, pretzels, and homemade frozen foods such as lasagna and macaroni and cheese. To the left and toward the back of the store you’ll find an excellent selection of beer and wine, with the former including a good number of local brews. Much of the rest of the first floor is made up of a counter area in the middle where customers can pay for their purchases, but it also doubles as an ordering area and coffee bar for the café-style dining spot that resides within the space. A handful of tables are set up in the front area to the left by the windows as well as a few in the back.
A staircase toward the rear of the Harvard General Store leads to additional seating upstairs in a big old room that has a barn-like vibe to it. The entire space—both upstairs and downstairs—has a charming, rural New England look with an old-fashioned hanging light by the back stairs, well-worn hardwood floors throughout, and dark wooden beams that run from floor to ceiling, as well as along the ceiling itself.
In addition, during the warmer months, seating is set up outside to the right of the store, and it is a perfect spot to enjoy some fresh air and the refreshing breezes often found in the hills surrounding this part of Nashoba Valley.
Open mainly for breakfast and lunch (and more on the “mainly” part in a bit), the restaurant within the Harvard General Store features a variety of hearty meals and comfort food. Depending on the day, the chalkboard menu by the ordering area might have a breakfast plate with eggs, options including ham, bacon, sausage, toast, and English muffin, as well as sweet potato hash; savory breakfast sandwiches that come with egg and cheddar cheese, with choices including ham, bacon, and sausage along with an English muffin, sourdough, or wheat bread; breakfast burritos stuffed with egg, cheese, sausage, pepper and onion, spinach, and sauce; various baked goods and pastries including banana bread, pumpkin bread, and cookies; a hefty cheeseburger on a brioche bun with cheese and bacon; a Cubano with a mix of pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, all on a long roll; a pulled pork sandwich smothered in BBQ sauce and placed in a brioche bun and served with housemade coleslaw; and so much more, including an Italian sub with the works, a classic BLT, and a turkey burger.
Unlike some cafes within general stores, you can actually enjoy beer on tap or a glass of wine with your meal at the Harvard General Store, though soft drinks, coffee, and tea are also available. And as hinted at earlier, the café/restaurant—while typically closing the kitchen at 3 p.m.—also has pizza nights later in the week and into the weekend where diners can nosh on a pie topped with such options as pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, pepper, onion, and chicken, and upstairs is a particularly great space to enjoy pizza and beer/wine, especially when they do open-mic nights and other events in the second floor room.
The towns that are located in the Nashoba Valley area have some real hidden gems when it comes to dining, and the eatery found at the Harvard General Store may be one of the most hidden of them all, being just enough off the beaten path to be mostly just a local hangout.
There are few places anywhere near Boston where you can buy home goods and grocery items while also enjoying a leisurely meal as you look out at pastoral scenes just outside, which is what helps make the Harvard General Store such a great and unique find.
Harvard General Store, 1 Still River Road, Harvard, MA, 01451. harvardgeneralstore.com
Dining and Cooking