Georgia grows a whole lot of pecans, and fall is when that harvest starts showing up in pies, candies, and big bags of fresh halves. If you drive the state’s highways this time of year, you will pass roadside shops stacked with pecan everything.
Some are quick stops right off the interstate, while others sit along older highways that cut through small towns. Here are four Georgia pecan shops that make pulling over an easy decision when pie season rolls around.
1. Ellis Brothers Pecans Inc, Vienna, GA
Anyone running Interstate 75 through middle Georgia knows the pecan billboards start early. Ellis Brothers Pecans sits off Exit 109 in Vienna, which makes it one of the easiest pie stops on the whole drive.
The selection runs wide. You will find fresh pecans, pecan pies, mini pecan pies, chocolate covered pecans, candies, pecan oil, and even sugar-free snacks for anyone watching their sugar.
There is homemade ice cream too, which is a nice bonus on warm fall days. A mini pie for the road and a bag of nuts for home is a pretty good plan.
Hours are generous, from 8 AM to 7 PM every day of the week. Weekend afternoons get the biggest crowds, so a weekday morning stop is usually quieter.
The shop is at 1315 Tippettville Rd, and there is free parking on site.
2. Merritt Pecan, Weston, GA
Plenty of Florida-bound families have a routine, and for a lot of them it includes a stop in tiny Weston. Merritt Pecan sits right on GA-520 in southwest Georgia, a road many travelers use on the way to and from the Gulf.
The place has the feel of an old general store. Fresh pecans are the main draw, but the shelves also carry local treats like pecan divinity and orange blossom honey.
Then there is the pie. Merritt’s pecan pie is the item people grab on the way out, and I would save room in the cooler for one.
The doors open at 7 AM daily and stay open until 7 PM, so early road trippers are covered. Friday and Sunday afternoons tend to be busy, likely thanks to weekend travel.
Find it at 4051 GA-520, with free on-site parking.
3. Stone Mountain Pecan Co, Monroe, GA
Not every great pecan stop is in south Georgia. Stone Mountain Pecan Co brings the goods up north, sitting along US-78 in Monroe, east of metro Atlanta.
Freshness is the big selling point here. The pecans have a strong reputation for quality, and the shop backs them up with a lineup of homemade candies.
Pecan pie is also on hand, and it is a favorite for good reason. If you need a holiday dessert without baking, this is a smart pickup.
Plan ahead on timing. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM and closed Sundays, so it works best as a weekday or Saturday errand.
Saturday mornings are typically the calmest.
4. South Georgia Pecan Co Gift Shop, Valdosta, GA
Holiday gift lists get a lot shorter in Valdosta. The South Georgia Pecan Co Gift Shop specializes in Southern pecan products, candies, and ready-made gift baskets.
It sits on E Hill Ave, which is US-84, just minutes from Interstate 75. That makes it handy for travelers heading toward or out of Florida.
Pecan pie is part of the lineup, along with plenty of ways to restock on pecans for home baking. Baskets make it simple to ship some Georgia flavor to relatives.
Watch the hours closely. The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday from 9 AM to noon, with Sundays and Mondays closed.
The address is 401 E Hill Ave.
Four shops, four different corners of Georgia, and plenty of pie between them. Save this list for your next fall drive.
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