Pittsboro, NC

It would be easy to simply pass through Pittsboro, without taking in what it has to offer. Thankfully, we have been fortunate enough to stop to smell the Blue Dot Coffee and spend time being a patron of this quaint town.  

A day trip is well worth the venture to this little Chatham County town- start with breakfast, meander through the town into shops, art galleries, have lunch, venture to the thrift shops, have a glass of wine, then mozy to one of the restaurants for dinner, and end your evening with live music (post-Covid, of course).

We’ll make it easy for you; here is a must-do list of just some of the things that Pittsboro has to offer:

• Breakfast at Virlie’s– THIS IS A MUST! Do not skimp on this. If you do not arrive to Pittsboro to have breakfast, well just stay the night at an AirBnb and go the next morning. Virlie’s isn’t that impressive, aesthetically, but it makes up for that with its culinary offerings- southern style. You walk in, find a table, and choose your fave omelet, pancakes, or any other offering that is on the menu. Enjoy!
• Walk down to the courthouse circle and visit the Chatham Historical Museum. The courthouse, alone, is a nice locale, so it may be nice to pop-a-squat on the lawn and take in all the places you want to venture along Hillsboro Street.

• There is a plethora of little boutiques, thrift stores, like Screaming for Vintage– sooooo fun to meander through all of their vintage finds, and there are tons of other little unique shops to peak in and grab some things if you’d like, but French Connections is one you cannot miss- literally, you won’t miss it. They have metal art animals all on the lawn, and some of their pieces can be found in local businesses, like a metal giraffe at The Modern Life Deli– which by the way, is where you can venture to have lunch or dinner, al fresco. Even in the cold weather, they have firepits and heat lamps that will keep you warm while you dine on the wood-fired pizza that was made just for you. So yummy!
• The Pittsboro Roadhouse is where you can dine, and enjoy music (check their website for up-to-date info during Covid). This is a great way to start or end your evening in Pittsboro. It has a great family atmosphere, but then turns a little more adult, late night.
• Our favorite thing to do in Downtown Pittsboro, is just walking around, taking it all in. It is an eclectic town, full of creativity and history. You cannot walk far and not see a painted mural, glass art wall, a new sidewalk art project, or just window gazing folks along its streets. Also, nearby, but worth a little drive, are the hiking trails at Bynum Beach, at the Haw River.

This list, in no way, includes all the fun things you can do. It can be a totally different day spending time in the bookstore, or in the tea shop, perusing through the loose-leaf offerings, but the best thing you can do is venture to Pittsboro yourself. Take it in and make your own list of the “must-dos,” but be sure to let us know if there were some hidden gems we’ve missed.