Navarro General Store
About Navarro General Store
Navarro General Store is open daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, offering a wide range of essentials for locals and travelers alike. The store carries groceries, snacks, beer, wine, and everyday necessities, along with fuel options including gas and diesel, and services like propane. Food at the Deli and BBQ. The BBQ which is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Thursday through Monday, serving up fresh, ready to eat options that make it a perfect stop along Highway 128.
Located along Highway 128 in Navarro, California, Navarro General Store has served as a central waypoint in Mendocino County for over a century. Positioned near the Navarro River and surrounded by old growth redwoods, the store sits within Anderson Valley, a region historically shaped by logging and, more recently, wine production. Its location between the inland valley and the Mendocino Coast has made it a consistent stop for locals, travelers, and commercial traffic since the late 19th century.
Roots in the Logging Era
Navarro developed in the late 1800s as a logging town, with major operations tied to the Navarro Lumber Company, which operated from approximately the 1860s through the early 20th century. The area once included sawmills, worker housing, rail lines, and shipping infrastructure used to transport redwood timber to the coast.
Navarro General Store originated during this period as a supply hub for loggers and their families, providing food, tools, and daily necessities. As the logging industry declined by the early 1900s and operations shut down, the town of Navarro diminished significantly. The store remained one of the few continuous businesses in the area, transitioning from an industrial supply post into a rural general store serving a much smaller population.
A Regional Stop Along Highway 128
Highway 128, which runs through Anderson Valley and connects to the Pacific Coast, has long positioned Navarro General Store as a key roadside stop. Today, the store serves a mix of residents, vineyard workers, cyclists, and tourists traveling between inland wine regions and the Mendocino coastline.
Offerings typically include packaged foods, beverages, basic groceries, and travel essentials. Its role extends beyond retail, functioning as one of the only consistent service points in this stretch of road, where distances between towns can be significant.
Music, Community, and Events
Beginning in the late 20th century and continuing into the early 2000s, Navarro General Store became known as a small scale outdoor music venue in Mendocino County. The store hosted live performances featuring nationally recognized artists, including Eric Burdon & The Animals, Johnny Winter, Robben Ford, Charlie Musselwhite Band, and Asleep at the Wheel.
These events were typically held outdoors and drew regional audiences, contributing to the store’s reputation as a destination for live blues, rock, and Americana music in Northern California. Unlike larger venues, performances were informal and community oriented, often accompanied by food and drink service in an open air setting among the redwoods.
Live music events are not currently active, but there are ongoing plans and interest in reintroducing concerts and community programming in the future.
A Continuing Presence in Navarro
Navarro General Store remains one of the few surviving commercial landmarks from the area’s early development. While the surrounding town never redeveloped after the decline of logging, the store has continued operating through multiple economic shifts, including the rise of Anderson Valley’s wine industry in the late 20th century.
Today, it serves as both a practical stop and a historical fixture, reflecting over 100 years of continuous use in one of Northern California’s most remote and scenic corridors.