A roadside sight to see in Hendersonville, North Carolina is a place called "Piggy's" (never mind the sign that says "Hooterville"). I imagine this place goes by many names because nowhere could be seen a sign for Piggy's.

Hooterville USA sign
Hendersonville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Anyway while busy admiring all the relics and stuff outside, including Yogi Bear and the Burger guy of unknown to me origin when the owner Jeff Thompson saw us.

Inside we saw such things as a 1960's Colonel Sanders,  The tiger from Exxon, also dating to the 1960's, a 1970's Ronald McDonald, Reddy Kilowatt and other items. There was all kinds of stuff all over the place including this fabulous souvenir of the atomic age, a license plate holder from Aiken, SC. I visited Aiken a few times and saw no sign of anything atomic so the connection eludes me.

Piggy's Proprietor and Tour Guide Jeff
Hendorson, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

We also had a BBQ sandwich here.

Long before you even pull into the parking lot, Piggy's lets you know this isn't going to be an ordinary stop. The giant "Hooterville USA" sign towers above the road, hinting that something unusual lies ahead. Then, as you get closer, the rest of the scene comes into view. Vintage signs, fiberglass characters, old advertising displays, and every kind of roadside collectible imaginable seem to spill across the property. It's the sort of place that makes you smile before you ever walk through the front door.

Piggy's
Hendersonville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Piggy's opened in 1979 when Harry Thompson and his wife Sallie, affectionately known as "Piggy," decided to combine two timeless American traditions: a hometown grill and an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Over the years it became much more than that. The Thompson family created a destination where good food, nostalgia, and roadside fun all come together under one roof. Decades later, the business remains in the family, a rarity in an era when so many independent roadside landmarks have disappeared.

Colonel Sanders and Ronald McDonald
Hendersonville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The restaurant itself is divided into two personalities. Harry's Grill serves burgers, hot dogs, barbecue, sandwiches, and other comfort-food favorites, while Piggy's Ice Cream offers dozens of flavors, towering sundaes, banana splits, and thick milkshakes. It feels like the kind of place where families have been stopping after ball games, Sunday drives, and summer vacations for generations.

But the real attraction may be everything surrounding the food.

Piggy's
Hendersonville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Wherever your eyes land there's another piece of Americana waiting to be discovered. Old porcelain signs cover the walls. Classic advertising figures stand guard inside and out. You'll spot a vintage Colonel Sanders, the smiling Exxon Tiger, Ronald McDonald, Yogi Bear, and countless other familiar faces from the golden age of roadside advertising. Every visit seems to reveal something you missed the last time. It's less like walking into a restaurant and more like stepping into a collection that has been lovingly assembled over decades.

Exxon Tiger
Hendersonville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The outside is just as entertaining as the inside. The giant Hooterville USA sign has become a landmark in its own right, confusing travelers who have never heard of Petticoat Junction while bringing an instant smile to those who remember the classic television show. It perfectly captures the spirit of Piggy's. Nothing about the place feels manufactured or planned by a marketing department. It simply grew over the years as one roadside treasure after another found a home here.

The Colonel
Hendersonville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

One thing I especially like is that Piggy's doesn't try to be a polished museum. Everything feels authentic. The old signs show their age. The collectibles weren't arranged behind velvet ropes. They're simply part of the experience, giving the place the kind of personality that's almost impossible to recreate today. It's the sort of roadside stop that reminds you why family-owned businesses have always been some of the most memorable places to discover while traveling.

Reddy Kilowatt
Hendersonville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

You could easily spend half an hour wandering around with your camera before ever ordering lunch. That's part of the fun. Every corner offers another photograph, another memory from America's roadside past, or another little detail that brings back a smile.

Roadside attractions don't always have to be giant dinosaurs or towering muffler men. Sometimes they're simply places where the owners poured their personalities into every square foot of the property. Piggy's is one of those places. You stop because a quirky sign caught your attention, but you leave realizing you've stumbled onto one of western North Carolina's true roadside gems.

H-Bomb Frame
Hendersonville, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

UPDATE: Piggy's and Harry's Grill continue to delight travelers with homemade ice cream, classic diner fare, and one of the finest collections of roadside Americana in North Carolina. The famous Hooterville USA sign remains a must-see for anyone passing through Hendersonville. 07-26

(Left) Interesting plate relic here on display

Many thanks to Richard Weiss for photos and update. 07-08

Google Street View Image

Back to more Spotlights from the Southeast