5 things we love about the Conecuh Sausage Gift Shop
Conecuh Sausage is such a well-liked food brand that it has its own fan club. The Evergreen, Ala.-based company has gotten so popular that earlier this year it announced its adding a second Alabama-based production facility.
But another reason the brand keeps gaining more visibility is its stellar gift shop. The new, expanded shop opened in 2021, and it’s 7,000-square feet of goodness. It’s a must-stop for me whenever I’m in that corner of the state, and for five good reasons. Let me explore ‘em here:
A cracked black pepper sausage dog at the Conecuh Sausage gift shop in Evergreen, Ala.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])
The food, of course.
If you can stop by the gift shop and not purchase a Conecuh dog, you’re a much stronger person than me. There’s a hot bar inside where you can grab a Conecuh dog or two and pile ‘em with toppings. (Plus there’s usually a special each day, like a soup, that has Conecuh in it.) There are also plenty of dessert offerings if you have a sweet tooth. Bonus: There’s a huge outdoor patio where you can sit, eat and people watch.
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Look, I don’t have photos of the bathrooms so this will have to do instead.
The bathrooms
Look, the gift shop may have the best restrooms in the state. (They may even be better than Buc-ee’s bathrooms, y’all.) They’re immaculate and there’s usually not a line, at least not when I’ve been in there. When the shop opened in 2021, John Sessions, the grandson of the company’s founder, told us: “”We wanted to have the cleanest bathrooms on I-65.” They’ve certainly delivered.
Hickory-smoked turkeys are boxed and ready to go in the refrigerated cases at the gift shop.
The Conecuh products
Been looking for Conecuh bacon? Is your local grocery store usually out of your favorite kind of Conecuh product? (On football Saturdays, the Conecuh section of my grocery store looks pretty sad.) You can stock up on ‘em here. Bring your cooler or buy one here – there are plenty available to purchase with the Conecuh logo emblazoned on ‘em.
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Among the seasonings and spices sold in the gift shop is Conecuh Sausage Seafood Boil.
The knick-knacks
Look, this is a gift shop. There are plenty of things to buy here. You can buy Conecuh swag (think T-shirts, aprons, caps, tumblers and more) to show off your love for the Evergreen brand. You can also grab lots of food products, from seafood boil seasonings to syrup to more.
The pig outside the Conecuh Sausage Gift Shop. (Bob Carlton/[email protected])Bob Carlton
The pig.
Right outside the gift shop is a huge, eye-catching pig statue. DO NOT climb on the pig – there are rules about that – but it’s the perfect photo. My kid was obsessed with it, so if you’re traveling with kids it’s probably worth a pitstop just to see the pig.
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If you’re traveling with your dogs, they’ll love stretching their legs in the fenced dog park at the end of the parking lot.
BONUS: There’s a dog walk area.
I couldn’t stop this list at five items. For all of y’all traveling with a dog in tow, you can also let ‘em run off some energy at the shop’s dog walk area.