Address:

5 Fairmount Rd E, Pottersville, NJ 07979

In This Video:

I sat on the front porch of the Black River General Store with Bernie, the owner who says it has been operating since the 1930s or 40s. Attached to a historic post office, the store still functions like a true neighborhood anchor—but behind the counter and an antique bell, Bernie is navigating a tough reality.

A trained chef, Bernie prepares everything from scratch—roasting his own meats, making sauces in-house, and holding firm on ingredient quality. His background in fine dining speaks for itself in the food, but the daily grind of running a small-town deli is still a challenge.

He referenced The Bear, the TV show about a young chef who returns home to run his family sandwich shop. The comparisons are clear: high standards, tight margins, long days, and moments of pure frustration. Bernie expresses how it's just so difficult to offer his community the highest quality food, and they still sometimes choose to grab cheap and fast food. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it won't stop him from doing the right thing--serving real, fresh food, made from scratch.

Bernie isn’t in it for the money—it's about passion and pride in his work. He hopes his community will support the store not just by stopping in for pasta salad and a slice of chocolate cake, but by sharing their experience online. A reminder that--if you like the food, post about it on your social media. It really is so impactful for small, local businesses like his.