North Carolina’s most famous television town is also home to the state’s oldest diner. So it comes as no surprise to learn the two are very much intertwined. There is a diner on North Main Street in Mt. Airy that’s been open since 1923 – making it the oldest continuously operating diner not only in North Carolina, but also in both Carolinas.
Snappy Lunch served their first meal in this very location 95 years ago.
Since that time, the town has more than doubled in population, from 4,752 in 1920 to an estimated 10,347 today. Additionally, tourism numbers continue to skyrocket as people from all over the world come to Mt. Airy in search of Mayberry, the fictional town made famous by Mt. Airy's homegrown celebrity, Andy Griffith.
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As a boy, Griffith used to sit at the counter at the Snappy Lunch devouring hot dogs with a bottle of pop.
And he often mentioned the diner in interviews throughout his life. Griffith was forever promoting his hometown in his hit television series "The Andy Griffith Show." He often wrote the names of businesses right into the script.
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It's a well-known fact around town these days that Snappy Lunch is the only business still operating that was named in the show.
Most visitors come prepared and know that a trip to Mayberry, er... Mt. Airy, just wouldn't be complete without a meal at the Snappy Lunch, the oldest continuously operating diner in the Carolinas (and one of Andy's favorite spots).
Most people start with the signature pork chop sandwich. It's pretty much the specialty of the house.
It's located right on North Main Street, and less than 10 miles from either I-77 or I-74.
Snappy Lunch is located at 125 N Main St., Mt Airy, NC 27030. (A few different sources on the internet currently cite different operating hours, so we called just to clarify.) They’re open for breakfast and lunch six days a week beginning at 6:00 a.m. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday they close at 1:45 p.m., and on Thursday and Saturday they close at 1:15 p.m. Locals know though, if there’s a line out the door at closing time, Snappy Lunch will stay open until everyone’s fed. You can’t beat that kind of hospitality! Learn more on the official website for Snappy Lunch.
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