Merritt’s Store & Grill

Merritt’s Store & Grill

Few sandwiches carry the kind of legend that follows the BLT at Merritt’s Store & Grill. Set inside a humble converted country store on South Columbia Street in Chapel Hill, Merritt’s has grown from a roadside filling station into one of the Triangle’s most cherished culinary landmarks. Generations of University of North Carolina students, longtime locals and road-tripping food lovers have made the pilgrimage here for a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich stacked so generously it has earned national attention. It is unpretentious, deeply Southern and utterly beloved.

From Filling Station to Chapel Hill Landmark

The building at 1009 South Columbia Street has been a fixture of the community for the better part of a century, operating for decades as a country store and filling station where neighbors stopped for gas, groceries and conversation. The grill as locals know it today took shape in 1992, when a simple lunch counter began turning out sandwiches from the back of the old store. What started as a modest operation quickly outgrew its humble roots. The pumps are long gone, but the weathered, unassuming exterior remains, a reminder of the store’s roadside origins and the kind of place that feels frozen in the best parts of the past.

The BLT That Started It All

Everything changed with the arrival of a sandwich the menu calls The Love Sandwich, better known simply as the BLT. Built on fresh-baked bread with a generous pile of crispy bacon, cool green lettuce and juicy vine-ripened tomato, it became the dish that put Merritt’s on the map. Word spread from campus to the wider region and eventually to national food publications, and before long people were lining up out the door for a taste. The BLT comes in sizes to match any appetite, from the modest Baby BLT to the Single, the Double and the towering Triple, the last of which is reserved for the very hungry. It is simple food done exceptionally well, and it is the reason most people come.

More Than a Sandwich

While the BLT is the undisputed star, the menu reaches well beyond it. Hungry regulars order the Club piled with turkey, ham, bacon and cheese, the TBG with turkey, bacon and house-made guacamole, or the loaded Merritt’s Burger dressed with all the fixings. There is pulled-pork barbecue, egg salad, a Carolina burger with chili and slaw, and Southern sides like pimento cheese and coleslaw. Breakfast is served every morning too, making Merritt’s an easy stop whether you are fueling up early or settling in for a hearty lunch. The kitchen leans on fresh, quality ingredients and local products from neighboring businesses whenever it can.

A Country Store Atmosphere

Part of the charm of Merritt’s is that it has never tried to be anything other than what it is. Service is friendly and counter-style, the atmosphere is casual and there is no need for a reservation. In recent years the operation has expanded its reach with a food truck that brings the famous BLT to events and corners around Chapel Hill, but the heart of it all remains the little store on South Columbia Street. It is the kind of place where warm, Southern hospitality is baked into every order.

Planning Your Visit

Merritt’s Store & Grill is located at 1009 South Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, a short drive from the UNC campus and hospital. The grill is open Monday through Saturday from 7 AM to 4 PM and is closed on Sundays. It is a walk-up, order-at-the-counter spot, so expect a line during the midday rush, especially on game days and warm-weather weekends when tomato season is at its peak. Call ahead at (919) 942-4897 to confirm hours before you go. Whether you are a first-timer or a devoted regular, a stop at Merritt’s for its legendary BLT is a true taste of Chapel Hill.