Gen. Mdse.
Groceries · Dry Goods · Notions
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“A precious little gem hidden in the hills of Tennessee.” Four generations. One hundred years. The same pot-bellied stove. The world’s best fried bologna sandwich.
R.M. Brooks General Store in Rugby, Tennessee is one of the last true old-time country stores in the state — and it’s still in the family. Built in the early 1920s by R.M. and Nettie Brooks, the store has been the social and commercial heart of the Rugby community for over a century.
Today it’s run by Tiffany Garrett, the fourth-generation great-granddaughter of the founder. She carries on every tradition — the hoop cheese, the handmade fried pies, the legendary fried bologna sandwich, and the warm welcome that makes strangers feel like regulars the moment they walk in.
The store is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits just down the road from Historic Rugby village and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.
People drive hours to eat here. The fried bologna sandwich alone has earned national attention — but everything coming out of this kitchen is made the old way and priced like it should be.
The signature — thick-cut bologna with hoop cheese on fresh bread. Try “The Tiffany.” People drive from across the country for this.
The real thing — cut fresh from the wheel. A store staple since day one and still one of the biggest reasons people stop in.
Watch Tiffany make them fresh — prep the dough, add filling, fry it hot. Cherry, apple. Get one for the road.
Hamburgers, ham sandwiches, ribeye steaks, chicken noodle soup — full menu for the whole family.
Grab a cold IBC root beer from the same vintage 1950s soda coolers that have been in the store for decades.
Simple, honest, and delicious. Made fresh and exactly what you’d hope to find in a store like this.
R.M. Brooks built his store in the early 1920s in Rugby, Tennessee — a mountain community in Morgan County near the Big South Fork plateau. From the beginning it was the social and commercial heart of the community, and it remains so today.
The store became famous for Polly the Parrot — R.M. and Nettie’s parrot who greeted customers with “Hello” and “Polly wants a cracker” for over forty years. She still sits in her cage in the corner of the store — stuffed now, but as fascinating as ever.
There was also the three-hundred-pound Jewfish that hung on the store porch — the largest caught off the Bradenton, Florida pier in 1937, shipped back to Tennessee. It hung safely for forty-nine years before it was stolen.
Today the store is listed on the National Register of Historic Places — the most recent addition from Morgan County — a recognition of its century of service and cultural significance to Tennessee.
“Gracious hosts and service. Great to look at the history hanging from the ceiling, on the shelves and pictures on the wall. Do not miss this awesome place of history!”
— Google Review
“Although this was our first time there, they made us feel like we were longtime customers. RM Brooks General Store is a must stop for anyone looking to step back into time.”
— TripAdvisor Review
“My wife and I drove 9 hours round trip for their famous bologna sandwich. Well worth the trip — and their prices you can’t beat.”
— Yelp Review
“We would recommend and invite anyone and everyone to take the drive out to RMB and experience this precious little gem for yourselves. It’s definitely worth the visit.”
— Google Review
R.M. Brooks sits in one of the most scenic and historic corners of Tennessee. Make it a full day.
The English utopian colony founded in 1880 is just down the road. Walking tours, preserved Victorian buildings, and one of the best bookstores in Tennessee.
125,000 acres of gorges, arches, waterfalls, and trails right outside the door. Some of the best hiking and horseback riding in the Southeast.
Need a place to stay? R.M. Brooks offers camping and RV sites right on the property. Sleep under the plateau stars and wake up to breakfast at the store.
Rugby is about an hour from Jamestown via TN-52 — a scenic mountain drive that’s worth every mile. Stop in for a fried bologna sandwich, some hoop cheese, and a look around at a hundred years of Tennessee history.
2830 Rugby Pkwy · Rugby, TN 37733 · Mon–Fri 10–5 · Sat 8:30–5 · Closed Sunday
