Think Andy Griffith. Think Mayberry. Think townies. Think local gossip. Think chocolate milkshakes. Think pimento cheese hamburger.

Now, go to Add Drug.

If you remember those old lunch counter places where locals come to grab a cup of coffee, visit and eat

some good food, you will appreciate the nostalgia that arises when you visit a place like Add Drug.

Tucked back in the little corner of the same building as Earth Fare on Lumpkin Street, Add Drug is most certainly a well-kept secret.

The funny thing about these kinds of places is that the people who know about them go at least once a

week. My friend, Barrett Grant, frequents Add Drug every Friday for lunch. He is on a first name basis with the waitresses Samantha (Sam) and Susan. They know his name, too.

Being a student stuck in “college world” all the time, Add Drug is a wonderful escape. Everything inside probably looks the same as it did in the 60s. Knick-knacks, dolls, puzzles, dryer sheets, household items, chocolate, baby dolls and other paraphernalia line the walls and shelves of the long and narrow property. I think I could spend hours in there.

OK, focus. Didn’t I come there for food in the first place? To the point:

My friend, Stephanie, went there for lunch on Friday and ran into my friends Barrett and Phillip. They had just gotten their lunch of a grilled pimento cheese sandwich and fries (Barrett) and a pimento cheese hamburger and chips (Phillip).

Stephanie, after actually discovering what pimento cheese was (we were shocked!), decided to copy Phillip and go for the pimento cheese hamburger. I thought a grilled tomato sandwich and chips sounded good, so we gave Sam our order.

While we were waiting, this is what I observed: all kinds of people, moms, kids, old men and middle-aged women came in. Many of them came to eat, and they hopped up on the lunch counter with us. A mother and her two daughters, ages two and five, came in for lunch. The mom had a grilled chicken salad, and, of course, the girls got grilled cheeses.

Now, I have a different attitude when I go into somewhere like Add Drug as opposed to The Five and Ten or The Last Resort. I’m not expecting a Five-Star meal. Mostly, I look for nice people who enjoy their job and can carry on a fun conversation. That’s exactly what we got at Add Drug.

It was a blast talking to Sam, Susan, Stephanie, Barrett and Phillip about the week. My tomato sandwich was wonderfully toasted, and the extra tomato I requested was ripe and juicy. Stephanie thoroughly enjoyed her burger, too.

I was stuffed after my sandwich, but Barrett and Phillip decided they wanted to top off their meal with a chocolate milkshake. Gotta love those mustaches.

In the end, Add Drug was a perfect way to wrap up the week. From grilled cheese to chicken salad to milkshakes to Coke floats to egg sandwiches, Add Drug offers it all. They’re open every day except Sundays, so go by and give it a try. Sam and Susan will take care of you.

If you leave and find yourself whistling the Andy Griffith theme song and imagine a little boy with a fishing pole beside you, I wouldn’t be surprised.

If you want to see more pictures from the day, click here.

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