Chiropractor in Allenwood, NJ

Jerry McCrea/The Star Ledger

General stores — misshapen and musty, cobwebs hanging everywhere, or at least that’s how many people perceive them — sound and look so archaic. You wonder why modern convenience stores — better stocked, better lit, more accessible — didn’t run them out of the neighborhood years ago.

At the sprawling new Quick Cheks and Wawas, you can buy breakfast, lunch and dinner, fill up the car, use the ATM — just about around the clock.

The general store soldiers on, all squeaky floors and sagging ceilings and limited stock.

In dozens of towns and hamlets across the state, particularly in Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon counties, the general store is the main business, the center of commerce and attention. It’s the best place to catch up on local news and gossip; in several towns, it serves as the local post office.

Not all general stores live up to the name; some have been painted over and gussied up and turned into delis and pizzerias. But at least three retain their old-timey flavor: the Old Stillwater General Store in Stillwater, Rambo’s Country Store in Califon and the Allenwood General Store in Wall.

The first, opened in 1876, is the state’s longest-running general store. The second is a hardwood-floored, high-ceilinged local hangout known for its meats. And the third is a breakfast/lunch spot with mix-and-match tables and chairs and a weirdly compelling assortment of antiques, artifacts and junk for sale.

Need a bee’s nest — minus the bees, of course — for that ultimate home decorating statement? What Jersey general stores lack in convenience, they more than make up in originality — and history.

Carving out a niche

No, the owner of Rambo’s Country Store does not wear a blood-soaked bandanna in honor of Sylvester Stallone’s mercenary movie hero.

But Don Freibergs can offer you fresh-ground beef, homemade salads and some Fartless Chili Makins’.

Wait, the latter is not for sale; it’s among the vintage products and signs on display at Rambo’s, part general store, part museum of vintage Americana. There are boxes and containers of Mother’s Oats and Knox Unflavored Gelatine and Bull Durham Tobacco. Washboards. A massive roll-top desk. A sign reading, “Customers must weigh before and after eating.” And a rusted but splendid BPS (Best Paint Sold) clock that keeps on ticking, just like this general store.

Abraham Philhower opened the store in 1888; the Rambo family took it over in 1952, and Freibergs, who started working here as a stock boy when he was 13, bought it in 1998. It’s spacious and well-stocked; the potato chip selection alone dwarfs the entire inventory at its Stillwater counterpart.

Maybe some of the store’s old-time values are rubbing off on the younger generation; when Freibergs’ teenage son, Andrew, walks in the back door, he is munching not on salty snacks but a piece of cabbage.

Andrew helps his father at the store, which, the 43-year-old Freibergs says, teaches him “a good work ethic, which is missing today.”

With an A&P nearby, Freibergs needed to carve out his own niche, and did it by offering soups, sandwiches, pot pies and maintaining a butcher’s shop. He sells 30 to 40 rib-eye steaks a week, roasts his own roast beef, and will go through 300 turkeys this Thanksgiving.

Jerry McCrea/The Star Ledger

The hardwood floors, white walls, roll-top desk and cast-iron stove convey an ageless and innocent charm, but upstairs is where you truly feel, almost smell, the history. Freibergs is chairman of the local historical society, and several artifacts, including a soapbox derby racer and voting booth, are kept for safekeeping in the small auditorium, which would make a marvelous movie theater. Nothing up there is for sale, but downstairs? Make an offer.

“Nothing is not ever not for sale,” Freibergs says cagily.

In a bookcase on the porch is a more or less unbeatable offer. Every episode of “Mash.” On videotape. Fifty bucks.

Junk for sale

There’s only one place in Jersey where can you get “the world’s best pork roll sandwich” and a perfectly good bombsight.

“If it’s not here,” says the irrepressible Jeff Herbert, owner of the Allenwood General Store in Wall, “you don’t need it.”

There’s a 1940s-vintage dentist’s drill, its creepy metal arm and various dials and doodads making it seem more like a torture device than a medical instrument.

“This is no museum,” a sign reads. “This junk is for sale.”

The store, minutes from the beach, somehow manages to be a bustling breakfast spot/deli; community hangout; a French chocolate shop (Pierre Chocolat, in back) and a yard sale run amok. There are beehives, oxen yokes, horseshoes that enabled horses to tread on ice, one barbershop pole, a deer head, two airplane propellers, cans of Gloss-It Miracle Liquid and containers of Kex Spackling Compound, rotary phones, dinner plates etched with angry-looking grizzly bears, and that asparagus buncher you’ve been looking for.

The April 24, 1912, issue of the Breeder’s Gazette? It’s here.

A karate practice dummy? Please.

The store can be traced to the 1850s, when it was located 100 yards up the road. John and June Herbert, Jeff’s parents, opened the current location in 1972. John is mostly responsible for the antiques/junk/what-have-you; much of it came from auctions and sales in New England.

The store’s eccentricity even translates to the menu; burgers are $2.50; pickle, cheese and tomato are extra.

Jeff Herbert caught some grief for adding a snazzy menu board, but he knows enough not to mess with success, no matter how cluttered it looks. He’d like to add an old-fashioned ice cream shop in back.

The general store might be the best place around to find an electrician, landscaper, contractor, mason, plumber and so on; tradesmen are always in and out of here as customers.

“Whatever you need done in your life, you can find here,” Herbert says. “Give me a day, I’ll find someone I can recommend to you.”

Neighborly love

The American flag snaps in the mid-morning breeze above a rusty red Fire Chief gas pump long out of service. Inside the Old Stillwater General Store on Main Street in Stillwater, owner Joe Van Valkenburg talks to store regular Roger Castner, co-owner of nearby Castner Sawmill.

“It’s where the locals meet, exchange stories,” Castner says.

He eats lunch here every day, a different sandwich each time. The old-timers call the store Garris’ after longtime owners Harold and Doris Garris. George Dallas Garris, Harold’s grandfather, used his mustering-out pay from the Civil War to open the store in 1871, across the street from where it is today. By 1937, George Dallas Garris, then in his 90s, was the oldest living grocer in the state, according to one account.

Van Valkenburg, a former bartender and printing company manager, took over the store six years ago. The store opens at 6 a.m., and he routinely puts in 15-hour days.

Eat here and pick up your mail. There are 269 boxes; the fee is $44 a year. Around a corner is a town bulletin board filled with items for sale and business cards: knife sharpener, firewood, certified luthier, decorative concrete, the Snake Oil Willie Band.

The entire canned goods section fits on one wooden shelf. There are three cans of Silver Floss sauerkraut, three bottles of Ragu sauce, three jars of Skippy peanut butter, three cans of Maxwell House coffee — detect a pattern here? The health and beauty section, such as it is, consists of ChapStick, Tylenol, Advil and Imodium. There are 50-plus plastic duckies on a shelf; a local pastor gave Van Valkenburg several for his 50th birthday, and pretty soon everyone was dropping off a ducky for the owner’s “collection.”

The menu is not just buttered rolls and pastries wrapped in plastic; you can get filet of flounder, chicken cordon bleu, fettuccine Alfredo and “buckaroo burgers” — sliders modeled after the ones at White Manna in Hackensack that Van Valkenburg fondly remembers from his childhood.

The formidable dining table at the window was built by local carpenter Bob Vendetti; he stopped in one day and told Van Valkenburg he would build him a table, and fix the screen door. For free. Other customers plow the lot in the winter or drop off bales of hay for store displays — no charge.

Does it surprise Van Valkenburg that people up here are so helpful?

“In the beginning,” the Dumont native says. “Not anymore.”

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Howell will also seek grants to help fund acquisition, use of a 13-acre site on Lakewood-Allenwood Road to add to open space acreage.

Patch Staff

HOWELL, NJ — The Township Council has approved bonding $3,420,000 to acquire more open space, in particular a parcel on Lakewood-Allenwood Road.

The Cornerstone Calvary Church at 3071 Lakewood-Allenwood Road is relocating to a new building on Route 9, the township manager says, and the township hopes to purchase the 13-acre site for open space and potential use for active recreation.

Township Manager Joe Clark said the township is working with both the state Department of Environmental Portection's Green Acres Division and the County of Monmouth for grants relating to the purchase.

"The parcel is intended to remain as open space, but that term also includes active outdoor uses. We have been developing a number of plans for the site, but before we commit to any, we want to ensure that the taxpaying residents get the most bang for the buck," Clark said.

No plans have been made as yet regarding any demolition of structures at the site, he said.

Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"As part of the purchase, we will undertake due diligence so that we have a broad understanding of what the infrastructure is, what shape it is in, whether there are any environmental issues, and the like. Only then will we be in a position to make a firm decision about the on-site structures," he said.

One resident at a council meeting questioned the price of the parcel since its tax assessment was much lower than the purchase price.

Clark told the resident at the meeting, which was July 18, that the action being taken was "acquisition by negotiation." There was not yet a formal contract.

Clark also noted that the assessed value is determined by a different metric, given the current use of the property, and the township had an appraisal of the property that supports the price.

He said the township "plans currently to do due diligence, enter into a contract of sale and then determine what we will do with the property."

The town is not committed as yet to putting in costly turf fields, he said, saying the project "needs analysis before we have formal plans."

He said the township wants to figure out what the public wants, and what does not exist already. The township would also work with Shade Tree Commission, Clark added.

"There are a lot of moving parts," Clark said at the meeting.

But he said it is rare that such parcels come up for sale.

"There is a desire in the township to acquire open space. . . . Our plans are to work within the budget we have to do the very best for citizens," he said.

Overall, the ordinance, which was adopted by the Township Council at the meeting, calls for the appropriation of $3.6 million, and the authorization of $3.42 million in bonds, which is less the $180,000 down payment under the state Local Bond Law.

The down payment is "now available by virtue of provision for down payment or for capital improvement purposes in the Capital Improvement Fund of one or more previously adopted budgets," according to the ordinance.

Yesterday was the PERFECT biking-weather day for me and my boys. Here are some tips on a special bike trail.

First, the boys got the bikes out of the shed, oiled up the chains and filled the tires, and got the bike rack and the bikes onto the back of my vehicle.

I packed water bottles, money, a light jacket, and sunglasses into my backpack.

We have found that the best way to do the bike path, if you can manage, is on a weekday late morning/early afternoon so that you are not constantly dodging walkers, those pushing strollers, toddlers on plastic things with wheels, and dog-walkers.

We parked in the lot across from the start of the Edgar Felix Bike Path in Manasquan (behind The Lift gym, and across from the Dairy Queen).

We rode to what we consider our halfway point and favorite place to stop and hang -- the Allenwood General Store. Love, love, love the atmosphere and hometown friendliness of that place...and the boys love the burgers, fries AND bacon, lol!!! (BTW they now have a little ice cream shop/Acai bowl shop called Jef-Freeze in the back room...yummy!)

After lunch we rode the rest of the bike path to Allaire State Park. As you get closer to the park, the path becomes so gorgeous -- fields, ponds, the path starts curving through the woods, and then a veil of Evergreens welcome you into the park. We always ride all the way down into the park to the train depot. (On the weekends in spring and summer you can usually grab a cold drink or snack from the food truck they have out.)

And it is quite fun, also, to get to ride bikes over the Parkway north and south lanes on this trail! That's a rush for little kids. (They now have the sides of the bike bridges fenced properly so that there is no chance of trouble.)

Note...if you are starting from Manasquan, the first part of the trail will bring you past a playground, tennis courts, and basketball courts in case you are with younger kids who want to stop and play -- BUT there is VERY LITTLE to NO shade on a summer day...so bring the sunscreen if you are waiting 'til summer to do this trail. And bug spray for the early morning/evening.

You will also need plenty of water, because if the Allenwood General Store is closed (they are only for breakfast and lunch.. til 4 pm weekdays but only til 3 pm on Sundays) and if the food truck isn't open at Allaire, then you will be lucky if you can find a working vending machine...your only other option is at the beginning of the trail in Manasquan with the Dairy Queen.

PS...if you are stopping at the Allenwood General Store for a drink, snack, or meal, they have an ultra clean bathroom, too. No porta-potties along the path. Allaire has restrooms, too, but I don't know if they are open year-round.

And if you do the whole trail and back, it's 11 miles round-trip : )

Our Pork Roll Playoff is heating up!

More than 10,000 votes were placed in our first round, which saw 16 competitors vying for eight spots. The second round of voting, which will determine the top four, begins Wednesday, March 8, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 10.

Here's what readers have been saying:

Our favorite comment? "I feel like I need to take a trip to all of these spots before voting." Not a bad idea!

More:Pork roll expert weighs in on the pork roll vs. Taylor ham debate

Votes are limited to one per day. Be sure to get your friends and family to vote for your favorite by sharing the matchups on social media with #PorkRollPlayoff.

If the polls do not immediately load, refresh the page. The poll generally loads better on desktops and laptops rather than on mobile devices. If you are having issues voting on the mobile app, try using a browser. Also, avoid using the Firefox browser.

Johnny's Pork Roll and Coffee Too (Red Bank) vs. Allenwood General (Wall)

The sandwiches at Johnny's in Red Bank are made with pork roll that is sliced thin and cooked till crispy (owner John Yarusi treats it like bacon). Folks tell us the pork roll, egg and cheese at Allenwood General Store in the Allenwood section of Wall is "the best ever."

More:Ultimate Insane milkshakes and a carousel: Brownstown Pancake Factory opens in Freehold

Bing's Deli (Avon) vs. Kelly's Tavern (Neptune City)

Bing's Deli in Avon makes their sandwich with a generous amount of pork roll on a Portuguese or hard roll. Kelly's Tavern in Neptune City opens at 7 a.m. daily, and their pork roll, egg and cheese comes on a hard roll with crispy potatoes on the side.

Frank's Deli (Asbury Park) vs. Joe's Bagel & Grill (multiple locations)

The cash-only Frank's Deli in Asbury Park is a longtime favorite for a classic pork roll, egg and cheese. Joe's Bagel & Grill, with nearly a dozen locations at the Shore, kicks things up a notch with a triple-decker sandwich that has six slices of pork roll, four eggs and bacon on French toast.

More:We got in to the secret restaurant at Newark Airport. Here's what it's like

Beach Shack Deli (Point Pleasant Beach) vs. Beckman's Deli (Belmar)

For summer visitors in Point Pleasant Beach, a day isn't complete without a breakfast sandwich from the seasonal Beach Shack Deli. Beckman's Deli in Belmar is a beloved local spot for a picture-perfect classic pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich.

Come back to app.com on Wednesday, March 15, for the next round of voting.

There are three Walmart stores, two Target stores, a dozen 7/11 stores, and a handful of Quick Chek and WaWa markets within a five-mile radius of my New Jersey home. And this is probably the case for many of you who are reading this. We live in an era of big-box chain shops and limitless choices. While that has its advantages, sometimes we long for a simpler time – a time when we knew all our neighbors, when kids played in the streets until the lights went on, and when general stores ruled the retail market. Though we can’t travel through time, we can transport ourselves back, if only for a while. How? With a visit to one of the few surviving New Jersey general stores that will surely make anyone feel nostalgic.

The Oldest General Store In New Jersey Has A Fascinating History

While there are dozens of New Jersey general stores, many exist only in name. For example, Cape May General Store serves only as a restaurant, as do the majority of so-called general stores in New Jersey. Many are former general stores that have been converted to keep up with the times and, while they are still lovely, they aren’t general stores in the traditional sense. We would love to expand this list and would appreciate you sharing your favorite local old-fashioned shops! Be sure to include photos, if possible!

If you love visiting old-fashioned general stores, then maybe you would also love to visit an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Holsten’s in Bloomfield has been a favorite serving up scrumptious sundaes for over 75 years!

More to Explore

MelissaM | April 09, 2021

Are there any old-fashioned candy stores I can visit in New Jersey?

If you have a sweet tooth, then you may want to partake in our old-school chocolate shops road trip through New Jersey. Visit some of the shops that have been around for decades, making life a little sweeter with delectable treats! If you’re in Chester, visit the whimsical Black River Candy Shoppe with thousands of treats, including some of your favorite nostalgic candies that will take you back to your childhood.

What are some nostalgic places in New Jersey?

Whether it’s a drive-in theater, drive-in restaurant, or vintage shop, we can find nostalgia places just about anywhere in the Garden State. Step back in time at the Carnival Antique Mall as you explore a 12,000-foot space of vintage, retro, and mid-century modern goods along with antiques. This incredible shopping experience is found in Sicklerville. The town of Wildwood is one that is stuck in the 1950s and 60s with its retro motels, diners, and boardwalk. It will make you long for simpler times of the past.

What are some of the best retro diners I can visit in New Jersey?

The Garden State has some incredible retro diners that will transport you and your taste buds back in time. Tops Diner in East Newark is as classic a diner as you can find. Dine on classic egg and waffle breakfast dishes or comfort food like mac and cheese while sipping on a milkshake. You will love the ambiance and the food. The Tick Tock Diner in Clifton has been around since 1948, serving up big portions, and has created memories for many families for generations. If you haven’t been to Tick Tock Diner yet, you are missing out!