Shelby Forest General Store

DJ Greer

2024-01

It's an old 1930s building that must have been a neighborhood general store in its day. It is run by a wonderful couple named Doug and Kristin Ammons. We went in December, and it had limited hours during the weekday. It's more of a lunch stop. They kept its historical look, and it reminded us of days of old. As a matter of fact, the burgers made us think of stopping at the old "Route 66" type places in the 50-60s. We loved them ! And their fries were excellent ! There are many picnic tables outside to eat and one large table inside. It has some arts, gifts, and fun sodas. The locals were showing up for lunch. It's probably a fun hangout to have a backporch visit there.

C Dub, Jr

2023-06

Nice little mom and pop shop. Wonderful friendly owner/operator. You can get breakfast and lunch there and other items like diapers, minute rice, large family-size bags of chips, bait it's good in a pinch if you just want to run from the campground to make a quick stop and not go all the way into town. There is a nice shady spot outside where you can take your lunch since there is no place to sit down inside.

Ju!st!n :l

2024-01

Ok so this has been on my bucket list since forever to go to Tennessee and *visit* aka stalk Justin Timberlake hometown in millington! Lol this summer in August was finally able to check it off my list!! I’ve been dying to go to Shelby forest general store & have one of their famous cheeseburgers. This was jt favorite corner general store growing up and always talked about it in interviews and his book and etc even the Grammys! I went inside the store & for some reason I was so nervous like the typical nerd that iam lol I was just so happy and excited to be there but nervous & Doug the owner of the store behind the counter I guess can sense my nervousness looking around his store & started to talk to me & ask me questions he was so sweet and kind he offered me free coffee & asked what brought us into town? I told him we came here bc this is where jt grew up and he was so honored and proceeded to tell me all about how he knows Justins family and told me stories about his memories of Justin growing up and coming into the store and it was such a cool experience! He told me down the street was Justin’s church where his dad and grandfather were a pastor. He told me how on those very front steps is where Justin was young he met his idol Al green the singer who is also from millington! I appreciated dougs generosity soo much!! Doug & his sweet wife Kristen had that southern charm and warm hospitality that put my anxiety at ease and really just put a cherry on top of my trip visiting the town! Doug going out of his way to talk to me & tell me stories about jt. show me his personal pictures he has with him and Justin was so cool! Doug wanted to make my experience special, it was so thoughtful. He even gave me some souvenirs to keep!! He really made my day!! We told him we were passing through bc we were moving to Texas & was excited but nervous & he gave us such nice advice he told us he can tell we were a nice family and he knows good things are waiting for us in Texas what’s out there is waiting for us, to go grab and take it & told Sergio my husband to not wait and knock on the door for opportunity but to go kick it down LOL we absolutely loved his advice & well wishes for our family we left there so happy and excited for our future!! It is a memory I will cherish forever! And like I said I was so excited to try their famous cheeseburgers and they were so delicious and amazing!!! Definitely made with love Thank u again Doug and Kristen for ur kindness it was a honor to meet you two!!!

Joe Burgan

2023-05

This is the kind of place I love to review! Although they are operating with limited hours currently, it is well worth scheduling a trip to this unique and eclectic truly country store. Apparently, their cheeseburgers are famous. Their menu, for as small a venue as it is, is quite extensive. They carry an interesting collection of products from apple cider to bread and butter squash. Not sure who the gentleman was behind the counter but he was jovial and friendly. Mark this as a must see place.

Taylor Spencer

2024-03

It's like a Cracker Barrel and a corner store. It's not as big, but it has a great selection. It also has a restaurant inside. But you have to eat on the picnic tables outside, which was great weather when I went. Get the cheeseburger and onion rings. They are great. The shop even donates to St. Jude! Great place, great owner

Irene Hunt

2024-04

Simply the best decision ever to stop in at Shelby Forest General Store! Great people! It was the warmest Tennessee welcome. Stop on in for a bite of some amazing home cooked food...we sure will the next time we're in the area.

ellen Fitzgerald

2024-03

Amazing food and so made goodies on the shelves! Always a friendly fun place to go!

Patrick Smatrick

2023-07

The General Store at Meeman Shelby park has a huge variety of oddball and local goods.The burgers are awesome and priced well.The people running the store were extremely pleasant. Excellent service, great atmosphere, and a great patio for outdoor eating.

Stephanie Dale

2024-05

It's my favorite place to visit when I am passing through. I will drive out of my way to visit the store and see Doug and Kristen the owners. They make everyone feel like family.

Lea B

2024-04

I really wanted to like this place because of the comments from other people, but I was overcharged for my purchase and I didn’t care for the owner at all. I think maybe he rang something up twice, but the receipt didn’t have a breakdown. The owner was arrogant and not friendly like others have said, and I didn’t feel like another interaction with him when I realized that I was overcharged ($5 wasn’t worth the talking to him again). I thought maybe I was imagining his arrogance, but when I mentioned to my friend who was with me what I thought. He agreed and said that he was very arrogant. I decided to go to a different store for my purchases during the rest of my stay at the nearby state park.

Lynne Price

2023-06

Good food, great service, lovely huge variety of candy, I'll go there next time.

roknrollforever

2023-05

Hands down one of the coolest little stores I've ever been to. Doug and his wife are the sweetest couple and look like they have so much fun running the place. The hours are limited but it is surely a treat to stop by and experience this sweet little store with great food. One of the highlights of my cross country road trip! Much love to this place!

Genevieve White

2023-11

Every 6 months my family and I go camping in Shelby Forest. It has become a tradition to leave early enough to stop here for lunch before we go. The owners are also so friendly and welcoming, the food is always fresh and delicious, and it has become one of the things my kids and I look forward to the most! A little hidden gem in the depths of the forest, but it is a must-do for anyone in the area, in my opinion.

Jessie James

2024-04

A cool piece of the local history.We also enjoyed the delicious burger and potato wedges. 🤤

Sue Ledford

2024-04

Out and about for the day, visited LIGHFOOT FARM FLEE MARKET,decided to drive the Shelby Forest we use to camp there , and had a great lunch at Shelby Forest .

Jessamy Oxley

2023-05

A little gem in the wilderness! We stumbled upon this wonderful little store after a three mile hike in the national forest. A group of friends and I were visiting Memphis for the first time a few weeks ago and took an Uber out to the area to go hiking. A park ranger gave us a ride to the Shelby general store as there was a thunderstorm rolling in.While we waited for signal to try and get an Uber, we perused the store and ordered lunch. Their famous cheeseburger is no joke and the sweet corn nuggets were delicious! The owner, Doug, and his wife, are the sweetest couple! We asked Doug if he had a number for a cab company as we weren’t having any luck getting an Uber to pick us up. He came back to us a few minutes later and offered to drive the 5 of us back to downtown Memphis himself! But not before giving us the wonderful history and backstory of the general store!!The store is lovely, the food delicious, and the owners are life savers! Doug is the epitome of southern hospitality and while we’d still probably be walking if it had not been for his generosity, the hour we spent listening to his stories and welcoming us like old friends is something we will never forget!

Miss Tellie

2023-05

Omg where do I start! O that’s right so on my google home page there was an article about the best burgers in Tennessee so I clicked and read it because I love a good burger! Get there at 1030 and was so ready to hop out the car. But they was closed😫 I googled the time I had a 30 minute wait until they open at 11! I’m so glad I did because the owners are amazing they’re welcoming and have a very personable personality! I had to stop by because I’ll be moving out of memphis in 3 days and to have met this family is the highlight of my day! O did I forget to mention the nice porch they have in the nice out doors! This is a must visit place rather you’re just traveling through or you in the area you’ll definitely love it here.

Ryan Roberts

2023-08

I cannot say enough great things about the Shelby Forest General Store. The owners Doug and his wife are incredibly nice and immediately made my family and me feel at home. We stopped in for breakfast and ended up staying for a bit to chat. The breakfast was amazing and the store is very cool to walk around. This is a MUST see if you are in the area. We have not visited this national forest before but the owners MADE the visit memorable. Thank you for being friendly and welcoming to us. We appreciate it greatly. We are loving our bumper stickers and t-shirts! Be sure to keep an eye out for us with our camper and bumper sticker!

TJ Geraldez

2022-05

Good enough convenience store for necessities. They offer really good broiled [cheese] hamburger - would taste even better if I remembered to ask the lady to heat up the bun on the grill!

Doug T

2023-05

Stopped in at the store to grab a quick snack as I was on my bike. That changed to having a burger and onion rings. Home cooked and very good as was the price. Also has may items in store for purchase, groceries, etc. The owner and the lady in the kitchen were great people. Friendly and appreciative of my stopping in to support. If you ever pass by you gotta stop in. Well done. And to boot the owners name is Doug as well. Win win

Michael

2023-11

This place is a must stop if you are in the area, the owners are so friendly. The food they cook is good and they also have some amazing cakes and other snacks made by the Menonites. I tried the Italian crème cake and it was amazing

Dana Thomas

2022-05

Great little general store. Very good burgers. The owners were amazing. Gave me a brownie for my birthday.

Douglas Russum

2018-05

This place has got to be one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited! My wife and I came early for breakfast and enjoyed every minute of our 2hr stay. The owner, Doug, literally took the time to pull up a chair and chat with us for at least an hour without any distraction. He told us about his story, life, the store, and a lot more! We can’t wait to go back and take our kids with us next time. Such an authentic, genuine, rarity of a place in this time and age. So so refreshing!!!

Lisa Haney

2020-05

I took my parents to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. The food, staff, live music and atmosphere were amazing. If you have never been, you need to go. We had a great time and brought home some fried pies, yummy!! Thank you for making th er or night so special.

Wendy Fivash

2023-05

This was definitely a fun stop. The merchandise part of the store is just a perfect blend between what a tourist wants and what a camper needs. The restaurant food is delicious. The bonus...is the welcoming feeling from the greeting as you enter all the way through the visit to the good-byes out the door. These people really love their customers. Definitely an A-one stop.

Naomi Cardoza

2023-07

Don't you DARE skip out on popping inside this place and getting freshly made breakfast/lunch and grabbing something cool to drink. The owners are always so welcoming and ridiculous nice all the time. Seriously, I didn't know people could still smile that much dealing with the public on a regular basis. This is our go-to spot any time we're in the Shelby Forrest. Absolutely great people and service. Stop by and say hello!

Katie George

2023-05

This adorable store is run by the sweetest couple. Our lunch was delicious, but my favorite part was the conversations we had with the owners while waiting. I am so sad we don't have a place like this near me. A place where you feel like you're among friends as soon as you walk in the door. After we left my child asked if that's what people mean when they talk about Southern hospitality and it sure is. So stop in for lunch, snacks or one of the unique drinks they carry if you ever get the chance!!

Scott McNeil

2021-05

Great pit stop during a long ride. They have some bicycle maintenance equipment (pump, wrenches) on the west side of the deck. Saved my butt.

Nunya Biz

2023-07

Have been coming here for awhile we when we go camping and the food freshly cooked on the grill is so good. The owners are very friendly also.The only complaint I would have is a couple of weeks ago we weren't camping but decided to drive out and go to the General Store to have one of those great fresh burgers and when looking around We noticed a sign hanging at the bottom of a specialty cheese rack that was Political or made you think it was. The sign said we could take Democracy back by helping people willing to work and not giving to those who don't. Words aren't exact but close enough. This gave the feeling that if some people don't work (which I do), don't help them. Maybe they didn't mean for the sign to be on the offensive side, not sure. Moral of the story, please keep political out of the store. There is enough division now. This was disappointing .Food- 4 stars, Service-4 stars, Friendliness- 5.

Goudy Jerry

2023-12

Fantastic food and was asked many times about my food & to return soon! Want to go back for their Country Breakfast.