darden's country store

We had their pimento cheese at the Smithfield Station and were glad to find out we could buy it locally. While there we were lucky to get a tour of the smokehouse. Ended up adding country ham slices to our order with some wonderful cheddar. A must visit!

On a family vacation in Williamsburg, we found literature on Smithfield and "must-see" places to visit. This one is a keeper if you don't mind driving a little bit out of town; we were afraid we had become lost, but then it popped up in front of us. The country store itself is VERY small, but the owners are happy to take you into the smokehouse and explain their curing process for the 900+ hams they purchase from Smithfield. My 81-year-old father is a retired butcher, so he was in seventh heaven listening to our guide explain their tradition. We were treated to a taste of the ham, which was divine, back inside the store - and we couldn't resist picking up a pound for some picnic lunches during the week. Although expensive, it was well worth it. A little bit of rural Americana tucked away in southeastern Virginia!