Visiting Saxapahaw and The Eddy Pub

Have you ever been to Saxapahaw, the tiny former mill town on the Haw River and once home to a big name in North Carolina politics?

We've been there several times, stopping occasionally, and passing through, for no reason, other times. Saturday we made a planned visit, one of our day trips during the coronavirus pandemic. We went to have lunch at The Eddy Pub, one of two eateries in an old cotton mill. In deference to COVID-19, the Eddy is taking reservations to assure there's no over-crowding.

The Eddy has a pub atmosphere. Duh! The view from the deck overlooking the Haw River is nice, but no shade on a hot day. We ate inside with air conditioning and never set foot on the deck. The beer list, which includes the excellent  Surfin Buddha IPA draft, is short but with something for every one. And, the fries are tasty. However, the Grilled Farm Burger on a Brioche bun with NC Mango chutney, mayo, lettuce, NC hoop cheddar and dijon lacked a lot of taste. The meat needed more seasoning; the other elements offer no specific or earth-shattering flavors. The Veggie Burger with the same condiments as the Grilled Farm Burger was completely tasteless and was just a pile of mushed up vegetables formed into a patty.

Saxapahaw is in southeastern Alamance County, a few miles west of N.C. highway 54 between Carrboro and Graham and a few miles east of N.C. 87 between Pittsboro and Graham. From Cary, we drove through Chapel Hill, down famous and infamous Franklin Street where we saw many face-mask-less students returning to campus for the 2020 fall semester at UNC-CH. Don't be surprised if the spread of COVID-19 spikes in Chapel Hill. We drove through Carrboro and 10 miles later made a left turn on Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Road to Saxahapaw.

The unincorporated area of fewer than 1,800 people seemed to be on the verge of buzzing as we arrived just short of noon. The parking area near the General Store, the other place in Saxapahaw serving hot food, seemed nearly full and customers were waiting outside for their orders to be filled.

The Eddy Pub deck

We were headed for the Eddy, hoping to find a table on the deck. We didn't have a reservation and were told the earliest deck seating would be at 3:30 p.m. Turns out being inside was a lot better due to the heat; we sat at a corner table to safely distance ourselves from other patrons. The wait-staff and servers were wearing masks, prompt and accommodating. The Farm Burger was $14; the Veggie Burger $12, over priced for the quality. The IPA pints were $6.5 each, what we expected and worth it.

After picking through our meal, a visit to the General Store was suggested but once we approached and peeked inside we nixed the idea. Too many people too close together. So we took the 60-second tour of the area, noting the condo units and apartments overlooking the Haw River and thinking we located the home of the late B. Everett Jordan, a United States Senator representing North Carolina, 1958-1973. On April 19, 1958, Jordan was appointed to the seat to replace Senator W. Kerr Scott who had died. Later that year, Jordan won an election to complete the last two years of Scott's term, and Jordan was re-elected in 1960 and 1966. In the 1972 Democratic primary, Senator Jordan was defeated by Congressman Nick Galifianakis who lost in the general election to Jesse Helms who served until 2003 when he did not seek re-election. And that's your civics lesson for the day.

We headed west, crossing over the Haw River, eventually finding N.C. 87 south and driving through downtown Pittsboro on the way home, making one important stop along the way. Our route was U.S. highway 64 east which dissects Jordan Lake, named for the Senator. Jordan Lake was created by the Army Corps of Engineers by damming the Haw River in eastern Chatham County. Amazing how all of this comes together, sort of.

Marshall's Produce in Wilsonville

Soon thereafter, about a mile past the Wilsonville crossroads on the east side of the lake, we stopped at Marshall's Produce, basically a tomato stand where you'll find the best tomatoes ever and in about eight different varieties, all for $2.50 a pound including the Cherokee Purple and German Johnson. Also there are Tasty Lee, Carolina Gold, Pink Lady, Better Boy, Big Red and others. We also bought okra and cucumbers.  Other produce is available.

It was another good day trip, all in all. We'll know better next time about ordering at The Eddy Pub, or we'll try the General Store, if it's not crowded.