Carmel Highlands General Store

It’s is a beautiful place to add fuel. If you drive on HWY 1 from Carmel to Big Sur, here is a good alternative to add fuel (if you forget to add fuel in Carmel). I am not sure that if the fuel price here is slightly higher than other places, but I am sure that the fuel price here is much cheaper than Big Sur!

Great place that feels like you’re walking into village from Snow White. Prices are reasonable, and the location is very convenient. If you’re in the area, I definitely recommend stopping in for a visit.

VERY helpful and accommodating, doing their best to serve your needs. I appreciate how they bend over backwards to listen to the customer and go the extra mile.

How cute is this store? Definitely could be a morning coffee stop but for us it was a much needed munchie stop as we were staying at a nearby hotel. Not only did we get munchies, we got cheeses, wine, beer and fudge. Yes folks. The most delicious fudge ever. Our stop was a very pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting such a little treasure when we entered.

One of my stops as I roll up highway one into the Carmel highlands is This General store. It is a store with a gas pump, and when you get here you have not seen a small store for many miles it is a welcome sight. With a very quaint outside and easy parking up the small hill (with easy entry on to Highway one out the back exit and left down the street.) The selection of goods is ok, but the new owners /​operators have decided on coke products only, much to my disappointment. Time marches on, some times I drive on, and so it is!

Pricey gas and food but convenient if you are desperate or live in the area (like some people I know). I’ve stopped in for snacks and the service is always friendly.

Stopped for water. Yep — they had some.
From the outside looks real cute. I didn’t make it inside though. My ol’ man did and said it was nice. I liked it even more when he shared his mint dark chocolate with me.

What a little quaint place. This place is on the way to Big Sur and a great place to grab some last minute snacks or Gas on your way to Carmel Highlands or Big Sur. This place is basically a Gas Station, but it has a small store attached with a restroom. They make Espresso drinks and also have Pre-​made Sandwiches and sell cold Beverages (Beer and Soda). We were on the way back from Carmel by the Sea, and we were looking for a quick snack. We purchased a Baked Chicken Sandwich with Bacon, Chips, Root Beer, and a Hot Coffee. The guy who owns the store is very nice and he interacted with everyone. He is very informative and very Down to Earth. I also love the fact that they have a small patio so you can eat your lunch, but it has plenty of parking in the back. Be sure to look for the Old English Phone Booths and the Nostalgic Gas pumps. They do take Atm cards and also sell Wine Bottles. A perfect place to grab some necessities for an impromptu picnic on the Beach. Oh yeah, the sandwich was a little spicy because of the Chipoltle dressing, but very delicious.

Normally I have trouble with the 5 star thing: in Europe, the best of the best of the best only get 3 stars. Highlands General Store gets five even on a European standard: Nice selection of nearly everything you need in a pinch, very fair prices, excellent service. The owners keep the prices low… even the gas prices because they actually like their clients and neighbors. The Store is an important part of the community in many ways. Working here is a right of passage for decades of local kids. Great coffee, all the papers, great donuts and sweet rolls in the morning… and very nice store dogs.

even the gas stations are beautiful on this highway.
unreal!

A real bono fide general store… a real bona fide get what you need place…
It is a fine place to stop and get crap.
Going for a long drive? Get some stuff for it.
Cute place. Not to be too cynical.

«How can I help you?»
«Yes, this is a really cute store.»
«I agree, the highway is beautiful.»
«I don’t speak German/​Japanese/​Swedish/​whathaveyou.»
«Yep, people really do live here.»
Back in the day, I used to be the person on the other side of the counter here. Tourists were subjected to my latte making skillz which were always like a fun experiment. I don’t even drink coffee, so I shouldn’t be trusted in this arena.
My little brother also worked there as one of the bow tie wearin’ gas attendants. These days the gas is self serve but not much else has changed about this little spot along the coast. Besides lattes, they have a wide selection of snacks, drinks, newspapers, some camping supplies for those headed to Big Sur & the slightly questionable hot dog machine.
I love the little wine cellar in the back. I would gaze at the pretty bottles as I stood at the counter daydreaming about opening one up and getting all boozy.
In my day, Brad & Jen (THE Brad & Jen) made a stop here and it was a day I wasn’t working. My coworkers went on and on about how nice they were and how cool it was to see them. Lucky b**ches.

Carmel Highlands General Store is my favorite rest stop on Highway 1 in Northern California. There is an excellent vintage restroom in the back — check it out if you have a chance. The cobblestones rock my world too.

Good espresso drinks, and really friendly people. Causy – the border collie mix – is the best part of the visit.

It’s a cute little store.
The store itself is a great little place to find munchies or wine, or maybe a few small grocery items. If you’re on your way to the Highlands Inn for a romantic getaway and feel like loading up on sweets and liquor to get yourselves in the mood, this may be the less expensive alternative.
If you blink, you’ll miss it, so keep your eyes open for a really old, red gasoline pump.