EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was published in January 2011. Since its publication, the Glen Alpine Depot in Burke County has closed.

Saturday mornings are Depot mornings, says Emily Alexander. “If we are in town, we are there.” She and her husband, David, go to the Depot for the food, served up by owner Mary Haller. “I always have the same thing every week: fluffy scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, and a scrumptious biscuit with butter and blackberry jam. Mary’s hash browns are the best, a perfect mix of crunchiness and tender.”

But they also go because it’s a fun place: “The train tracks go right through the middle of Glen Alpine, and it is so exciting to hear the whistle and watch all of the little kids turning to watch the long freight trains go rumbling through.”

But the real difference comes from Mary and her staff. A few months ago, Alexander had an overnight hospital visit. On the way home the next morning, they stopped at the Depot. A staff member noticed Alexander’s hospital bracelet. Soon, Mary came out to check on her. “That would not happen most places these days,” Alexander says.

“The Depot is our special place. There are so many regulars there each weekend that it’s like seeing family. … It’s the one time in the week we can eat breakfast and linger over coffee and just talk — no rush, no deadlines.”