This Tennessee Country Market Bakes Its Own Pastries And Stocks Shelves Of Amish Jams And Noodles

There’s a stretch of two-lane highway in East Tennessee where the farmland rolls out flat and green, and right in the middle of it sits a market that smells like warm donuts before you even reach the door. Inside, shoppers push carts past bins of bulk spices, cases of sliced-to-order cheese, and shelves lined with jars of jam and bags of Amish egg noodles.

The deli counter builds sandwiches to order while a stand out front turns out soft pretzels all day long. It’s the kind of stop that starts as a quick errand and turns into an hour you didn’t plan on spending.

A Farm-Country Market on US-11E in Limestone

Follow US-11E through Washington County and you’ll come across Troyer’s Mountain View Country Market at 3253 US-11E in Limestone, a wide, well-kept building surrounded by farm fields rather than strip malls.

Google classifies it as a grocery store, which undersells things a bit. Inside you’ll find a full butcher counter, a bakery, a deli, a coffee bar, bulk bins, produce, housewares, and shelves of Amish-style pantry goods all under one roof.

Distance-wise, it sits in the Tri-Cities orbit. Johnson City folks treat it as a lunch run, and visitors mention making the drive specifically for sandwiches and fresh meat rather than stumbling in by accident.

The rating tells its own story: 4.8 stars across more than 2,300 opinions, a number that’s hard to reach for a rural grocery. Popular talking points among shoppers include sandwiches, donuts, the deli, cheeses, and the friendly staff.

Parking and entry are free, which matters when you’re planning a cheap Saturday. Regulars do warn that the lot fills up and the aisles get tight, so patience helps.

Donuts, Pretzels, and the Bakery Case

Warm sugar hits you first. The bakery here turns out fresh donuts daily, and shoppers list them alongside the soft pretzels as the two things you simply do not skip, even if you came for groceries.

The pretzel stand sits outside the main store, a separate little operation that has built its own following. More than a few visitors describe the pretzels as large, fresh, and reason enough to swing back around.

Beyond the fryer, the bakery case holds breads, pies, cheesecakes, and cookies. Thumbprint cookies earn repeat mentions, and one shopper said they’d return for those alone.

Lemon cookies from the bulk bags have their own fan club.

Not everything lands perfectly. A guest who tried slices of red velvet and carrot cake found them on the dry side, so the fried and freshly baked items tend to be the safer picks.

Donuts and baked goods are among the most-discussed items at the market, with dozens of shoppers specifically calling out the bakery. Morning is your best shot at full shelves.

Shelves of Amish Jams, Jellies, and Honey

Jars, jars, and more jars. One long stretch of shelving holds Amish-style jams and jellies in flavors you won’t spot at a chain supermarket, and shoppers bring them up often enough that jellies rank among the market’s signature draws.

Honey shares that aisle, including honeycomb and bee pollen, sold beside pour-over coffee gear and loose tea pots. A shopper who catalogued the store in detail described the range as a little bit of everything for everyone.

Pickles, pimento cheese spread, and powdered mixes fill in nearby. The pimento cheese gets folded into sandwiches at the deli, and the seasoned crackers have their own admirers.

Bulk spices might be the sleeper hit. One seasonal visitor from out of state makes a point of leaving with five or six new spices every trip, and another said finding spices unavailable in ordinary grocery stores was the best part of a first visit.

Pricing has shifted upward over the past couple of years, something longtime shoppers mention, so compare before you load up.

Amish Noodles and Pantry Staples in Bulk

Ask a Tennessee cook what they haul home from a market like this and egg noodles come up fast. Bags of Amish-style noodles sit alongside the dry goods here, the sort of thick, hearty pasta that turns a pot of broth and chicken into Sunday dinner.

Bulk shopping is a real part of the appeal. Shoppers describe stocking up on beans, flour, and baking mixes from the bulk section, filling bags themselves instead of buying boxed portions.

Snacks fill out the aisles too, from chips and dips to candies, which draw dozens of mentions from visitors. Dehydrated marshmallows made a hit with one grandmother shipping treats back north for hot cocoa.

Because so much is sold loose and by weight, small quantities are easy. You can grab enough noodles for one meal or enough spice for one recipe without committing to a giant container.

A word of caution from regulars: aisles get crowded with displays and stock, so maneuvering a cart takes a little work during busy stretches.

The Deli Counter and Its Stacked Sandwiches

Sandwiches dominate the conversation here, mentioned by more than 200 shoppers, which is remarkable for a place that is technically a grocery store. The deli slices lunch meat and cheese to order and builds sandwiches hot or cold.

A ham and cheese on white bread with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato earned near-perfect praise from one visitor, who paired it with a sausage, egg, and cheese bagel priced around seven dollars. Everything is made fresh, so expect a short wait.

There’s a kiosk for placing orders and a couple of tables inside, plus an outdoor eating area that suits families who’d rather sit in the open air with their food.

Staff get singled out constantly for kindness. One longtime customer returning after a hard stretch described being greeted by name, his usual BLT made exactly the way he likes it.

Honesty check: a few recent shoppers felt portions had shrunk compared with years past. Deli hours run with the store, and lunchtime is the busiest window.

Butcher Shop, Cheeses, and Bulk Meat Deals

Toward the back of the building, a butcher counter handles fresh cuts, and it’s one of the main reasons locals keep coming instead of hitting a supermarket closer to home.

Steaks draw praise for quality at fair prices, and the maple breakfast links have their fans. Cheese gets mentioned dozens of times, with shoppers describing the variety of blocks and slices as unusually broad for a rural store.

Bulk meat specials are the budget play. Some families buy roughly forty pounds of chicken and twenty pounds of bacon at a time when the weekly deals hit, filling a freezer for months.

Farm-to-table language shows up repeatedly in shopper comments, with local meats sold alongside the Amish goods. Fresh meats come up often enough to rank among the market’s most-discussed features.

Consistency has wobbled. Some longtime customers noticed changes in the meat case after staffing shifts, and one shopper had a poor experience with bulk chicken that the manager refunded.

Inspect before buying in volume.

Coffee Bar, Custard, and Frozen Drinks

Coffee might be the most underrated corner of the whole building. A bar inside the market pulls espresso, brews drip, and mixes craft drinks, and shoppers rate the results well above what a grocery store coffee counter usually delivers.

The Bear Tracks name comes up again and again, attached to both the drinks and to branded clothing sold on the racks. Frozen coffee drinks get called exceptional by more than one regular.

Homemade custard rounds things out, an easy handoff for kids while parents finish shopping. Combine it with a pretzel from the outdoor stand and you’ve assembled a decent afternoon snack for very little money.

One visitor asked for an espresso drink made with heavy cream and walked away impressed by how carefully the staff handled the request, which fits the broader pattern of friendly service here.

Because the coffee bar sits inside the main store, it keeps store hours. Grabbing a drink first and then wandering the aisles is the move most shoppers seem to make.

Gifts, Housewares, and the Non-Grocery Half

Half the fun isn’t food at all. Past the grocery aisles, the market stocks home decor and kitchen gear in impressive depth: bakeware, spatulas, sifters, tongs, cookie scoops, cheese graters, peelers, apple cutters, tart pans, and measuring tools of every size.

Pottery and ceramics share the space, including plates and mugs. One shopper’s daughter-in-law bought a large ceramic bowl for sourdough and loved it enough that the family planned a return trip for another.

Leather bags occupy a small section, mostly women’s styles, and there’s branded Troyer’s and Bear Tracks clothing on the racks. Toys, plants, and unique gift items fill the gaps.

Shoppers describe it as a one-stop trip, the kind of place where you arrive for groceries and leave with a gift, a plant, and a new knife. Several mention finding items unavailable anywhere else nearby.

Restrooms sit at the back and get repeated compliments for cleanliness, a small detail that matters on a family day trip. Carts are available at the entrance.

Hours, Crowds, and Planning the Drive

Opening times are refreshingly simple: 8 AM to 6 PM Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays. Plan around that last part, because a Sunday drive out here ends at a locked door.

Crowds are real. Shoppers compare the squeeze inside to a packed specialty grocery, with tight aisles and a parking lot that fills fast, though one visitor found Friday mornings noticeably calmer.

Accessibility deserves a straight answer. The front doors are heavy and hard to pull, aisles are often narrowed by stock and displays, and one shopper using mobility aids found the donut stand lacked a ramp and accessible parking.

Anyone with mobility needs should plan for early-morning quiet.

Budget-wise, a sandwich around seven dollars plus a donut, a pretzel, and a jar of jam keeps a couple under twenty dollars for lunch and a souvenir. Prices have climbed recently, so check tags.

Food trucks reportedly show up the first Tuesday of the month, though that may be seasonal. Hours and specials can change, so confirm before making a long drive.